I saw Aunt Julia leave the house and John followed her. I wanted to stop him, because I knew it wouldn't end well, but I couldn't. I wasn't a part of their immediate family, so their chats weren't my business.
After a few minutes, I push back the living room curtains and saw John walking away from Aunt Julia, who sat on the curb, crying. I walked out quietly and sat beside her. She took a drag from her cigarette and didn't meet my eyes.
"You know, no matter what John says, he loves you," I told her, staring ahead of me, "He loves you so much. He just feels like he's unwanted."
"But he isn't," Julia protested. I nodded, agreeing with her.
"Him and Mom have been arguing more frequently," I said, staring at my high heels, "The headmaster despises him, Bobby doesn't like him either, and most of all, he feels like you don't love him."
"But I do," Aunt Julia claimed, putting her face in her hands.
"I know that, and you now that, but John doesn't," I replied, "I know you've said you do, but he overheard you talking to Bobby when he was staying with you. That's why he left."
"What do I do?" she asked me.
"Well, the only thing you can do is tell him the truth from the beginning to now and hope he understands. If he doesn't, you have to let him go."
When I arrived home, I saw that Mom was sitting in her chair, reading as usual. She looked as if she had been crying. John wasn't home, which worried me.
"Mom?" I asked hesitantly. She looked up at me, her face emotionless. Her eyes gave her away, though. She looked hurt, sad and worried all at the same time.
"You're home late," she scolded, setting her book down. I sighed, shaking my head.
"Can we please not do this, Mom?" I pleaded, "I know something happened with John and Aunt Julia. All I want to do is help." A tear slipped down her cheek. I was surprised; I had never seen my mother cry. She almost did at Dad's funeral, and I heard her cry while John was staying with Julia, but I had never actually seen her cry.
She stood, about to leave, but I stopped her, wrapping my arms around her. She didn't react for a moment, but she eventually hugged me back, burying her face into my shoulder as I did the same with her.
It was early in the morning when John came back. He didn't announce his return or even make any indication that he was home other than the soft closing of the front door and his bedroom door. I was awake nearly the whole night; I saw every hour on the clock and the slightest sound woke me.
When I thought it was alright to go downstairs, which was at about nine o'clock. Mom and I ate in silence, then left the house. We were going to the grave yard to put new flowers on Dad's grave. I was on the ground by the grave, sitting on my knees when John's voice made me jump.
"Did you love him?" he asked Mom, staring down at her.
"You frightened me to death," Mom replied, continuing with the flowers.
"Right place for it," John remarked, looking around. I laughed quietly, as did Mom. "Did you?" he persisted.
"That's a horrible thing to say," she responded, not answering his question.
"You never showed it."
"You just didn't see it," Mom told him.
"Must be your awful eye sight, John," I teased him, looking up at him, he laughed slightly.
YOU ARE READING
Nowhere Boy
Fanfiction*Based off of the movie Nowhere Boy* Alice Smith, the cousin of John Lennon, finds her old journal when she is looking through John's stuff. When she begins to read it, she remembers how she felt growing up with John and being friends with The Beat...
