i believe in yesterday ☽ 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐁𝐄𝐀𝐓𝐋𝐄𝐒 [𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐨𝐧𝐞]

𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐫𝐭𝐲-𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐞𝐞

the ride home for molly wasn't as expected. after lunch, she had to find a ride back home. pete and stuart offered, but realized they were playing a show that night, and couldn't. instead, molly resorted to hitch-hiking.

unsafe? yes.

inefficient? definitely.

fun? maybe not. no telling until you got into the car.

molly decided she'd be having a rather difficult, stressful time when a family of seven tried to pick her up. she politely declined, and they went on their way. only a few moments later, someone she recognized pulled up beside her on the sidewalk.

"need a ride, loser?"

it was a guy who looked like a druggie, but, she knew john knew him. she warily looked behind her at paul, who began to insist she ride with him home even though he would miss the performance that night and probably get kicked out of the club. he winked at her when he saw jim.

"uhm... i- actually... erm, no, thanks," she stuttered. she admittedly didn't want to spend hours in a small car with a doctor. "i think... paul can take m-"

"just get in the fuckin' car."

*

how could one man be so kind and cruel at once?

"you said you're single?" jim asked, just twenty minutes into the car ride.

"oh- well, i'm actually talking to someone right now, so, not really." she lied.

she picked at her lower lip because of nerves. she didn't want to face her mother at this point. she knew she had to tell her one way or another. outside the window, molly stared at the water and the roads.

"who? john?" he retorted.

molly scoffed, putting a hand to her chest. almost offended he guessed so quickly, she dismissed the comment. "he has a girlfriend,"

"so? lads these days cheat all the time. lennon certainly wouldn't surprise me. in fact, i have a polaroid of him and this one lass stark naked."

molly winced and squinted one eye. "are you a homo?" she asked as she laughed. "not that that would be a bad thing, of course,"

"i'm not a homo, genius."

"then why do you have a naked photo of john?" molly asked in an obvious voice.

he chuckled. "the girl gave it to me," he explained. "i got together with her a few months ago, and she got together with him a while back."

molly raised her eyebrows and shook her head. she wished to see the photo, but wouldn't dare to ask for anything.

"i bet you're a virgin," jim blurted.

she gasped at him, looking away from the window. "what makes you so sure?"

"you just seem like one. so pure, so innocent," he told her. molly was flattered, but offended at the same time. "i know you yearn for lennon, too."

"why would i go for john?" she questioned. "he's mean, he's arrogant, he's stubborn, his hair is... weird!" she listed all those reasons, yet, they were the reasons she adored him.

"only someone who liked him would say that," jim argued.

molly shook her head and crossed her arms, looking back out the window and grimacing. how did he know? she wondered if it was that obvious if john knew. if a total stranger knew, he must, too.

"just know, his cock isn't very big," jim randomly said. "flaccid, it's about-"

"jim!" molly yelled. "i don't want to know that!"

"what a virgin."

molly looked forwards and nervously laughed. he just ran a red light without hesitating. double-checking her seatbelt, she felt a sweat break. he wasn't driving very safe. "geez, can't you slow down?" molly gulped. "you're going sixty in a forty," he ran another one.

"can't you fucking be quiet?" he yelled. "i know what i'm doing, okay?" it wasn't long before he said it.

she nodded quickly when his eyes darted over to her. feeling scared and unsafe, she looked back out the window and sniffled. she didn't like being yelled at very much.

"are you fucking crying?"

not wanting to feel vulnerable, she wiped the one tear that did roll down her cheek. "no,"

"god, molly, i didn't-" but before he could finish, the sound of sirens filled their ears.

a cop was right behind them. pulling them over. for speeding. on the highway.

"brilliant," molly sarcastically murmured.

jim slowly pulled to the side of the road and sighed. he put his hands on the wheel and tried not to act suspicious. he was a good man, after all! not a criminal, surely. the policeman took a moment to come up to the car, so jim and molly non-verbally interacted with their eyes. she shook her head and widened her eyes at him. he shrugged with a smug smile.

the policeman walked up to the window, gesturing for him to roll it down. jim reached down and manually rolled it down with ease.

"hello, sir," he said politely. "is there an issue?"

the man sighed. he'd heard that sentence quite often, just in german. "you were going twenty miles over the speed limit. are you under the influence?"

"why, sir, do i look drunk?" he asked, offended. molly stayed quiet.

"you do not, but you do look stoned," the policeman was right. jim had droopy, red and yellow eyes. "i'm gonna need you and your friend to step out of the vehicle." he backed up so they could open their doors.

molly let out a silent sob. she didn't want to go to jail, and, she was supposed to leave for college in less than twenty-four hours! nonetheless, she got out of the car and straightened her green plaid skirt. it wasn't warm out, so she wore a tasteful jumper along with it.

"do you have anything that will potentially harm me?" the officer asked stick.

jim scoffed. "if you're asking if i have a knife, then no."

"what's your name, young man?"

"jim inly."

the officer patted him down, finding nothing. little did molly know what would come. satisfied, the man moved onto molly, carefully patting her down, also.

he, of course, found nothing on her.

"okay, i'm gonna have to take a look inside your car, an' then i'll be right back. stay by my car."

molly and jim obeyed, keeping up the non-verbal talking. she silently mouthed to him if he had anything in the car. he frowned and uncomfortably shifted. he blinked a few times before nodding. once the officer was back, he looked angry. "is this your weed, jim?" the man held a small, unnoticeable bag full of a substance molly had never seen.

"yes, sir," jim nodded again.

"are you aware it's not legal to drive and be high?"

molly took a deep breath. she knew it was bad. they'd most likely both be put in jail, at least overnight.

she had never been to jail.