i believe in yesterday ☽ 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐁𝐄𝐀𝐓𝐋𝐄𝐒 [𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐨𝐧𝐞]

𝐭𝐰𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐲-𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐞𝐞

"your hair is..." molly reached to fix george's fluffed up hair as he sat in front of his mirror in an effort to find weird new hairstyles to better suit him. paul was there too, insisting she did his too. it was the thursday after the performance.

ever since molly told them they needed a change, they'd been on the look.

"okay, that's enough," george tried to take her hand away, but she persisted.

"just- just let me-"

"molly!" he whined. "stop!"

he grabbed her hands and threw them behind him. she sighed, placing the brush carefully on the counter and giving a stern look to george before turning away and focusing her attention on paul's hair.

paul was still the sweet, kind young man he always was to her before and after the breakup.

"maybe less gel," she suggested while paul lathered a smear of chunky blue gel into his hair. "it looks tacky."

he smiled and took some out. "isn't tacky what we're looking for?"

"no, you said you wanted natural," she answered.

paul groaned and frustratedly put his hair products back. he sighed quietly and got up to wash his hair and just put it back the way it was.

"you're done?" molly assumed.

"we've been at it for an hour already!" he walked to the bathroom, leaving molly and george alone.

she sat down on george's bed and put her fingers on her temple to help her aching head. "what's the matter?" george wondered, grabbing a towel to get the sticky substance out of his hair.

she shook her head and laughed. "my head's been hurting since last night..."

"what happened?" he fixed his hair and sat on the bed next to her. "did you hit your head?"

"no. i'm sure it's just a hormones thing," molly considered.

paul came back with dripping wet hair and snatched the towel from george's hand. he dried his hair and put it back up to where it previously was. "did you enjoy our performance on saturday, molls?" he asked, flopping aside her. "i saw you talking to john's college friends,"

"stick? i didn't know john knew him..." she replied. "and, yeah! i loved the performance!"

"great," he and george smiled at this. "i don't think john doesn't know him, but they go to the same college."

george shifted and scooted away from the two.
"yeah, i didn't think-" george tried to interject, but paul interrupted.

"did you drink with him?" his eyebrows furrowed.

"no, of course not! i'm not that thick!" she shouted.

paul cocked an eyebrow and grinned. "'m just lookin' out for you!" he playfully pushed her shoulder.

"yeah, yeah, looking out for me," molly confirmed. "what time is it?"

george glanced at the clock to give her the time, but paul was already quick to answer. "three-thirty. on the dot."

"shite, i'm supposed to be at a doctors appointment in an hour!" molly jumped up and straightened her dress out. she grabbed her jacket and shoes and began putting them on.

they followed suit and started cleaning up the mess. "d'you need a ride home?" paul beckoned.

"no, it's alright. i can just walk home," she shook her head, shuddering at the thought of walking home in the rain again. "could i borrow an umbrella?"

"molls, i insist, allow me to drive you home!" paul relentlessly tempted. george sat wordlessly, cleaning up spilled gel.

paul managed to get molly to let him drive her home. the drive home was filled with the sounds of the smooth, repetitive rain. they didn't say much other than the weather and things about george, who hesitantly stayed back.

"didn't george look great with his hair all spiked up tonight?" he grinned and kept his eyes on the road.

molly scoffed and turned to him. "is there something you'd like to tell me, paulie?" she teased.

"no- i mean- i was-"

"i'm just pulling your leg, paul." she smiled and put a reassuring hand on his shoulder.

he sighed and shook his head at her while they pulled into her street. "yeah, but don't you think he looked great tonight?"

"do i? i- uh... i guess he did..." molly said. she sniffed, saying, "what're you on about?"

"nothing, nothing," paul pulled into her driveway, making sure she was on time. "okay, here we are."

"thank you so much for driving me, paul," she thanked. "i just want you to know, i really did enjoy your performance saturday. and, i'm glad we're friends,"

"friends, yeah," he smiled and kissed her cheek. "have fun at your appointment."

"you t- oh... never mind..." molly laughed and opened the door. "bye, paul."

"bye-bye!"

he waved her off and pulled away. molly watched somberly from her porch as her ex-boyfriend drove away from her house in the rain.

                                           *

molly always hated hospitals from a young age. the smells, the sights, the sounds, the underlying tone of it all. she always had to go to one.

her father was a very sick man, but he hid it well. molly never even knew until the weeks leading up to his death. he always wanted the best for his family. or so she thought.

"molly mayweather?" a young female nurse called out from the waiting room. "dr. soloway is ready for you now,"

molly smiled at the nurse and said goodbye to her mom as she got up and walked to the door.

"right this way, ma'am," the nurse led her back to a small room a ways back from the waiting room. "you can wait in here until he comes to see you."

"okay. thanks." the nurse left the room and closed the large, brown door.

it's only a checkup, she thought to herself. everything will be okay.

before too long, there were three small knocks on the hollow door and the doctor entered the room so they could both could be on their ways.

"hi, i'm-" dr. soloway shook molly's hand, and to her surprise, dr. soloway was stick! "woah, molly?"

"stick?" her eyes widened.

"molly?"

"i-i thought you were in college," molly said while she stood up to face his greasy stature.

"it's a graduation process. i have to perform a full check-up to graduate," he said as he comfortably took his white jacket off. "this thing is so small... you don't mind, do you?"

"i don't care if you take it off, it's okay..." she laughed and took her jacket off too.

stick grabbed a stethoscope and put it to her back to feel her heartbeat. he performed the full checkup, doing a great job making her comfortable.

"well, you're in great health!" stick said, putting his coat back on.

"good to know, doc!"