Be my Starr (Ringo Starr)

Chapter 3 part 2: Unexpected

Barbara exhaled deeply. "Nancy Lewis is the one who has the date with George." Susan couldn't believe it, so much that she couldn't even speak. "I was with her when she told me about it. She got ill a few days ago so-."

"So you thought you'd just take her place?" Susan gritted her teeth.

"George has never actually met Nancy before. Or heard her speak. He's just heard things about her and heard that she liked him so he wanted to meet her." Barbara explained it all casually as if she wasn't pretending to be someone else. "And yesterday I was round Nancy's and the phone rang so I answered and it was George."

"And you pretended to be her?" Susan sounded outraged.

"Well, Nancy was ill and I wasn't going to miss out on a date with George Harrison was I?" Barbara had a point but it didn't excuse what she was doing. It was pure madness to Susan.

"Why would he ask her on a date if he's never even met her?" Susan queried.

"I don't know." Barbara shrugged. "Maybe he's into blind dates." She joked. Susan didn't laugh. She couldn't. She felt her stomach turning inside. 

"What happens if he finds out?" Susan worried. Barbara sighed.

"Susan he won't-"

"But what if he does!" Susan spoke abruptly.

"I prom he won't find out" Susan frowned.

"Prom? What are you talking about?"

"Prom. It means half a promise." Barbara grinned. Susan sighed.

"I can't believe this," Susan said exhaustingly. "We're going to get caught."

"Yeah well, no ones knows that do they so we're just going to have to find out for ourselves." Barbara smiled. She was loving this. 

"I don't like this," Susan said simply.

"Oh well. You can't get out now." Barbara grinned and walked over to the man. "Coming now. Come on Susan." She said walking.

Susan sighed and followed after her friend.

———

The man lead them into a quiet private area where only the 'important' people dined. Susan felt like a homeless person walking in. People glanced and whispered. Barbara was strutting in like she was the most important person ever. She was pulling it off too.

The man took them to a private booth in the corner where George and his mysterious friend were sitting. When Barbara and Susan walked over, Susan froze. She couldn't believe her eyes. It wasn't just some friend sat next to George. It was his fellow bandmate and famous drummer Ringo Starr.

Barbara sat down opposite George and smiled. "Hi George," Barbara said confidently. George smiled back.

"Hello, Luv." He replied. Barbara looked up at Susan who was still stood up like a wooden plank.

"Susan?" Susan was trying her best not to look at Ringo but it was definitely a challenge. She didn't expect it to be him at all. She watched as he pulled out a cigarette from his jacket pocket and lit it between his lips. For some reason, she felt intimidated by him.

Ringo put his lighter away in his pocket and glanced at Susan. She looked like every other girl to him. Same hair. Same kind of dress. She was staring at him too and he was used to that. In all fairness, Ringo didn't even want to be there anyway and he didn't feel like he had to fake a smile. He was only there to prove a point.

"Susan, you okay?" Barbara asked. Susan looked spooked and it was making Barbara a little nervous.

George looked at Susan, a little confused. "Is she-"

"I'm fine," Susan spoke abruptly, snapping out of it. "I just need the toilet that's all."

"By all means," George said. Susan hurried off to the toilet in a flash.

Barbara smiled desperately. "She's just a little nervous."

"That's what all fangirls are like." Ringo scoffed, taking a drag of his cigarette.

Barbara looked at Ringo and frowned. "She's not a fangirl." She said, defending her friend. "She just hasn't been to a restaurant like this before." Barbara didn't care how famous or how loved Ringo was. No one was talking about her friend like that.

"Cut her some slack Rings," George said to Ringo. Ringo didn't reply and took another drag.