i believe in yesterday ☽ 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐁𝐄𝐀𝐓𝐋𝐄𝐒 [𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐨𝐧𝐞]

𝐬𝐢𝐱𝐭𝐞𝐞𝐧

"wow..." paul backed up to get a better look at her. molly looked at him with furrowed brows and a half smile.

"you ok?"

"you've... blossomed," he walked back over and engulfed her in a deep kiss. it only lasted a few seconds, but molly felt it was one of their most intimate kisses yet.

practice was at paul's house, and they all were in a secluded room together. it didn't quite go as planned. paul stared at molly for nearly the whole time. she wasn't doing anything, but she attracted his eyes. every two minutes, they'd have to stop and restart due to him being distracted.

she could tell everyone was getting frustrated with paul after the third or fourth time they had to stop and restart the same song. she'd see john roll his eyes after he noticed paul fumbling with his strings time after time.

"fucks sake... i've 'ad enough. we're done." john finally said after what must've been eternity to them. he threw his guitar into his case and gave molly one last dirty look.

paul greeted her once again her after everyone was fed up with his lack of attention to his instrument. "how... hey, what's wrong with your nose? there's bruises all around it..." he whispered the last part while caressing the skin under her eyes.

molly laughed. "eduardo kinda broke my nose, that's all,"

he removed his hand in an instant like it had tried to bite him. "what?" he hollered, once again attracting all the eyes.

molly shushed him and dragged him into the tiny bathroom around the corner. "it's no big deal. i think i'm gonna live somewhere else until my mother gets better, though," she said nonchalantly.

"no big deal?" he repeated with knitted eyebrows. "no big fucking deal?"

molly rolled her eyes and leaned up to give him a kiss to distract him, which worked perfectly. he kissed back, but only for a moment before hastily pulling back.

"molly, this is serious!" paul yelled and held her shoulders. "don't you understand? this is abuse!"

"i think i may have a better understanding than you do, paul," she put her hand on his chest, pouting slightly like he always liked.

"you're treating it like... like a joke!" he shook his head and sighed. "why don't you just stay with me?"

"paul..." molly groaned, taking her hands off him and turning. "it's not that simple!"

"it can be," he replied in a low hum, pulling her back to face him.

she sighed quietly and looked back to him. his eyebrows were knitted with worry and eyes slightly hooded, mouth hung open.

all the other boys seemed to have left, they thought after hearing the door slam shut.

"all i need," she began, tracing her fingers around the collar of his leather jacket. she touched his nose and smiled. "is for you to keep being you. making me feel better, reassuring me,"

he leaned forwards to kiss her nose, but he stopped right when their foreheads touched. "i'm the best, aren't i?"

     *

exactly a week after the nose breaking incident, molly found her home.

it was a close tie between paul and george, but she eventually decided to stay with neither. she stayed with her friend, susie. though they only knew each other for a week or so, molly trusted her and her parents enough. eduardo didn't really care to molly's surprise.

she took nearly all her clothes, only leaving three or four dresses in case. susie said that molly could use an extra mattress of theirs, so she didn't need much else but clothes and personal items.

"wow," she sighed while entering the room she would be staying in. "it's beautiful,"

the room was lit by the sun peeking through a pair of yellowish-white curtains that hung over a perfect little mattress held up by a few pieces of wood. it looked like a homemade bed-frame.

"my father made that," susie said, smoothing her hands over the sheets. "he stayed up half the night last night doing this,"

"give him my thanks," molly groveled. she fully walked into the room and set her two bags on the bed, admiring the cute little window she had by the bed.

"i decorated," susie smiled and pointed all around at the colorful little paintings on the wall.

"you painted these?" molly got off the bed to take a better look.

susie smiled when molly said this; she was hoping she'd ask. "yeah, i did,"

"it's amazing..." molly's mouth fell open at the precise details and colors she used. "i love it,"

"thank you!"

susie was an eager little teen. she seemed like the type to be kind and gracious, like molly. after a moments silence, molly asked, "so, is there a schedule or anything?"

"erm... dinner's usually at seven, and my mother comes home at ten or eleven most nights," susie said. "my father comes home at five," she cleared her throat and began to leave before molly stopped her.

"thank you," molly held her hand. "i really couldn't ask for anything better, susie,"

susie coyly smiled, saying, "i'd want someone to do the same for me if i was in your situation." she smiled again and stepped out of the room.

thankfully, molly remembered to bring her records. there weren't much but two boxes of them, but she still brought them anyway. most of them were gifts from george or her father before he passed away. she only bought a few records after he died.

her father had the greatest taste in music. he often listened to buddy holly or johnny cash, occasionally elvis. molly knew that's where she got her taste in music from—her father.

she looked around the room for a phone when she remembered there was one downstairs she was prohibited to use after a certain time. when she got to it, she dialed george's phone number.

"hello?" he answered.

"george, it's molly," she announced.

george put his guitar down and held the phone with the other hand. "molly!" he said cheerfully. he was always happy to hear her voice.

"i've finally got a new home," molly said and leaned against the wall behind her.

"where?" george asked.

"well, after doing some taking with a friend, we sorted out some business," she stated. "her name's susie, and she only lives around three blocks down from us."

"that's wonderful molly!" he replied, smiling to himself. "now you don't have to put up with that wanker at home!"

"hopefully," molly breathed, giving a heavy sigh. "the only bad part is now you can't come over. the williams' family has a strict no-boy policy," she explained.

"oh, well that's-"

"they're hardcore christians," molly spat and made sure no one was around. "i mean, i go to church an' everything, but their house is just filled with religion!"

"that bad?" he cleared his throat which was dry from singing a new harmony.

"yeah... and i thought my mother was horrible," she sighed and played with the cord of the telephone.

"well... at least you don't have an abuser living with you anymore," george said very optimistically.

"shite," molly cursed under her breath when she heard the door open and close. "i'm not supposed to use the phone until later! i gotta go, bye," she hastily hung the phone back up and scurried to her room.