⇾ 𝐊𝐄𝐄𝐏 𝐘𝐎𝐔𝐑 𝐇𝐀𝐍𝐃𝐒 𝐎𝐅𝐅 𝐌𝐘 𝐁𝐀𝐁𝐘 | 𝐉𝐨𝐡𝐧 𝐋𝐞𝐧𝐧𝐨𝐧 𝐈

Chapter Sixty-Seven: Donna, Brian Epstein's Right-Hand Woman

February 9, 1962

"Yer done, Donna!"

John was standing at the gate to the school, waving to me happily. I looked down and shook my head, blushing. Trixie nudged me with a giggle when we'd made it up to him.

"I'm so, so, so proud of ma douce Donna," he said, hugging me.

"I love you, John," I responded.

"Aww, I love you more." He pulled me around the corner so we wouldn't be in anyone's way. "How about we head back towards your place?" he asked with a wink. I rolled my eyes. "Nooo," he said innocently. "The rest are there."

"Oh, alright."

He smiled. "Let's go!" he called, pulling me by the hand.

Trixie laughed as she ran to catch up.

"How was London?" I asked.

"It was great!" he replied. "But you know what's better?"

I rolled my eyes. "What?"

"Yer done with school!"

Trixie laughed. "You are! This is brilliant, Donna Epstein!"

"Yes, yes, you've made that very clear."

"Aren't ye happy?"

I nodded. "Of course I am, but you've got more to be excited about."

"And what might that be?"

"Yer gonna be famous." I waved my hands like I was presenting an award. "You'll be famous John Lennon of the famous Beatles!"

"How do you know that?" he asked, grinning crookedly.

"I just do." I shrugged. "You know what this means?" I then asked.

"What's that, love?"

"I'll get to come on all of your trips." I grinned. "You'll never get rid of me!"

"Oh, no, whatever shall I do? Oh, woeful me!"

~~~

Back at the house, the Beatles were splayed across couches, listening to the radio and cracking jokes. Brian was in the kitchen, baking something.

"Donna!" called George when I entered the room. Everyone else's heads turned and I spotted Dot on the couch too. She had been latched to Paul and I hadn't even noticed her until now.

Her features were sunken and her blond hair was rustled and longer than I'd ever seen it. Despite how much I could tell had changed, her smile remained the same and she still radiated the same energy she always had.

"Dot!" I said happily.

She came over to me and gave me a hug. "Congratulations, Donna," she whispered, pulling away from me with a proud smile.

I didn't say anything about the miscarriage. It felt like the whole room held their breath, wondering if I'd say anything, but I didn't. She looked happy at the moment, and I didn't want to be the one to change that.

To ease the silence, Brian came in with a tray of cookies and sat them on the table.

John took one and thrust it into the air. "To new beginnings for all!" he yelled triumphantly, taking a bite of it. "Wow, Eppy, these are brilliant," he then noted after a moment.

The rest of us laughed. I sat down on the floor.

~~~

The radio was playing a song by the Everly Brothers, "Ebony Eyes." I'd never heard it before, but I listened intently as the singer went off into a monologue.

"With those having relatives or friends on flight 1203, please report to the chapel across the street at once."

Everyone continued to talk, but I zoned completely in on the song. It was captivating.

"Then I felt a burning break deep inside / And I knew the heavenly ebony skies / Had taken my life's most wonderful prize / My beautiful ebony eyes."

"Donna." John's voice was a hissing whisper.

I dropped my head backwards and looked at him upside down. "Yes?"

"Are you on Earth?"

"Uh—yes."

He nodded, not looking at all convinced. "Where's your head at?"

"Here," I said. "I was just listening to the radio."

"Ah, yes, the Everlies," he said. "One of Paulie's favorites."

"I liked it," I said.

"You did, now did you?"

"Yes, it was very...beautiful."

He nodded. "They've got a nice little sound, don't they?"

"Hey, John?"

"Yes, love?" He began to hum along with the next tune on: "Can't Help Falling in Love," by Elvis. I never really understood what all the girls had seen in Elvis. He never struck me as the attractive type.

"Did you decide if you're going to audition for the BBC?"

"Yes," he said with a smile. "We decided that we are going to do it," he said. "It'll be in just a few days. The twelfth, I think."

I nodded. "That's good," I said.

He nodded as well. "That it is."

"Hey, John?" I asked again warily, feeling suddenly exhausted, my mind hazy.

"Hm?"

"I don't want you to ever leave me," I said and he looked down at me.

"I would never," he said, sternly.

I nodded, realizing what I had just said. "I'm—I'm so sorry, John, I don't know why I said that," I said.

"Me either. It's okay, love."

I laid down on the floor, my head on his legs, pushing my watch above my head to look at the time: 4:45. I didn't realize we'd already been here so long.

~~~

Everyone left around eight. Brian and I were at the table eating dinner.

"So, Donna," he said.

"Yes?"

"Now that you're out of school—." I looked at him to see a pleading expression on his face. "I think if you want to come with me and the band everywhere, you should have some sort of job with us."

I looked at him doubtfully. "What could I possibly be good at?"

"Well," he said. "I'll need some help."

"You want me to be your slave? servant?" I asked amusedly.

"No, of course not." He laughed. "An assistant."

I nodded, taking a bite of my chicken. "I mean, that sounds fine. If it'll help you, I'm in."

He smiled. "Awesome. It'll be nice to have a little help once in a while."

I laughed.

"In other news," he said. "I'll be working at NEMS tomorrow getting ready for the audition on the twelfth."

I rolled my eyes. "We may as well move to London. We already spend most of our time there."

"Not so fast there, kiddo," he answered, waving his finger teasingly. "We don't need to be thinking about that until we finally sign somewhere."

I rolled my eyes again, sarcastically. "Yeah, right. We know it's gonna happen sometime. May as well get ready."