⇾ 𝐊𝐄𝐄𝐏 𝐘𝐎𝐔𝐑 𝐇𝐀𝐍𝐃𝐒 𝐎𝐅𝐅 𝐌𝐘 𝐁𝐀𝐁𝐘 | 𝐉𝐨𝐡𝐧 𝐋𝐞𝐧𝐧𝐨𝐧 𝐈

Chapter Fifty-Six: The Early Bird Gets the Worm

December 29, 1961

"So, you're going to London, right?" Brian asked me during breakfast the next day. It was rare that Brian got days off from NEMS, so we had decided to spend the day together today.

I nodded. "I feel like the band would kill me if I didn't."

We laughed. "I wouldn't put it past them," he mused with a wink.

"So," I asked. "What happens if this label does want them?"

He thought for a moment. "Then I guess they start recording to release." He smiled.

I nodded. "Then what? You'll have to stay in London then."

He thought a moment. "I suppose I would, wouldn't I?" He looked at me.

"I wanna graduate early," I blurted randomly. "I want to be done with school."

He folded his hands in front of him. "You've got to be recommended for that, kiddo."

"Yeah, about that—." I trailed off. He gave me a confused look and I pulled a letter out of my jacket pocket that had come in the mail a few days previously. It had said that I qualified to graduate in February, should that be something I'd be interested in. I'd taken time to think over the offer before I mentioned it to anyone. He took the letter from out of my hands and looked over it.

"What are you going to do once you're out? You'll need to get a steady job."

"Well, I've got something in mind," I mumbled.

"And what's that?"

"Well, I've got a few little short stories I've written, and you know you always see short stories in the paper, yeah? I wanna give that a shot and eventually try to y'know—." I paused. "Get something properly published." The words all came out in a rush and all mixed together, as did everything when I became nervous. Brian leaned back in his chair, falling silent for a minute or two as he took in everything I had said.

I sat silently, nerves successfully preventing me from saying anything.

Finally, he spoke up. "You've put quite a bit of thought into this, haven't you?"

I nodded. "Probably too much if I'm being honest."

He chuckled. "When did you get this letter?"

"It just came the day before yesterday," I answered.

"Let me think for a while," he said. "I'll have an answer by, say, tonight?"

I nodded with a sigh of relief. "Thanks for considering it," I said with an excited smile.

~~~

Brian and I went down to Penny Lane to look around later. We didn't have any particular destination in mind, we were just merely wandering around for a while to pass the time.

Penny Lane was even more magical in the snow, it seemed.

Brian told me about all the times he and his family had traveled around the same streets years ago. He said it was once a tradition for them to come down on New Year's Eve. I enjoyed hearing all his family stories. Lacking any of my own, others' were enjoyable to hear and dream about.

He pointed out all the key places they had tended to visit on those trips: a few stores, some coffee shops, a few ice cream places, some restaurants here and there, or really anything little of the sort.

"Look, there," he said, pointing to a little park boasting a pond and a few benches. "We used to go there too. Clive and I would toss around a little kickball we'd got as a present one year," he recalled excitedly.

"Do they ever come and visit you here?" I asked curiously.

"Yes," he said. "Usually they all come down for the New Year, but of course, we'll be off in London celebrating with a few blokes this year." He winked at me and I laughed. "So I suspect we won't do anything this year." He laughed.

I nodded thoughtfully. "It sounds lovely."

He smiled at me reflectively. "It was always a good time."

I looked around. "Hey, Donna," said Brian and I turned to him just in time to catch him toss a small acorn in my direction. I reached out and caught it quickly, laughing.

Brian looked impressed. "Nice catch," he laughed and I tossed it back. He just narrowly missed it and I burst out in laughter. "Aww, shove off, kid," he said, chuckling himself.

"C'mon, I thought you could catch it!" I yelled.

"It's small!" he shot back.

"I caught it, though."

"And I didn't."

"Clearly." After another pause for laughter, we contained ourselves and walked down through the snow and to the edge of the pond. It was frozen because of all the constant cold weather that had taken over Liverpool in the past months. Ducks were obviously not present, considering the state of the water they usually stayed in, but the ice was pretty solid and there were a few kids stumbling on it while their parents watched them like they were the best thing in the world. A little layer of snow had settled over it, adding to the magical atmosphere of the scene around me.

"Isn't it pretty?" asked Brian.

I looked at him and nodded thoughtfully. "It really is."

"Did you have a good Christmas?" he asked. "I never got the chance to ask. Did ye like the family?"

I nodded with a smile. "I loved them. It's the best Christmas I've had."

He smiled happily. "I'm so glad, kiddo. Sorry I had to kinda spoil it," he added with a sigh.

"You didn't spoil it," I said, sighing in turn. "I'm just glad you're okay," I said, looking down at my feet. "But, Brian," I added hesitantly. "There's one thing that's still bothering me."

"What is it?"

"Well, the doctors said it was a mix of the alcohol and something else you'd taken? Wh—what was that?"

He put his hands in his pockets and looked out, watching the kids slide across the surface of the pond. "It was nothing. I—uh—had a headache, so I took something for it."

I didn't believe him, but I also didn't pry any further, scared of what I may have found.

"Well," he said.

"Hm?" I ask, looking up at him.

"I've been thinking about what you said," he began, carefully choosing every word out.

"Y-you have?" I asked.

He nodded. "If it's something you'd be interested in, and it will be a lot of work," he added quickly. "I'm all supportive of it. I'd even be ready to give you a job at the store to start," he told me with a confident smile.

I grinned from ear to ear. "Thank you so much!" I exclaimed happily, throwing my arms around his neck.

We'd been wandering the streets of Liverpool all day. With a quick look at the sky, I could place a guess at the time to be around 3:45 or something around that. A bright orange was poking its way into the blue of the day sky, signaling the beginning of night.

"Now," he said. "Let's get us some fish and chips to bring home," he said with a chuckle. I nodded with a laugh.