For Tomorrow - McLennon AU

15.

8th November, 1955

The next morning, Paul woke up yet again alone. But there was another note next to him on the bedside table from John.

'Mornin', Macca.

I'll be home at 3:30pm again tonight, so you can do what you like until then. I'm pretty sure I'll be alone, so maybe this afternoon you could play me something?

Anyway, I've gotta go now.

Have a good day, sleepy head xx'

Paul's hand reached up to play with the chain around his neck, re-reading the letter again with a fond smile. He remembered the night before, and how John had played that beautiful song about Strawberry Fields.

John truly had talent, and Paul could see it. He knew that John had the power to be big one day... But he just wished that John could see that too. If John could write part of a song like that at just 15, then he had the ability to be at the top.

But in 2019, John wasn't at the top. That meant that in the original timeline, John had actually quit the band, and he never got famous... Never published that beautiful song or many more that Paul was sure were like it.

As Paul looked up to the Record shelf in John's room, he saw just how much John loved music. The fact that 3/4 of those records were Rock 'n Roll records too just showed Paul how much John really did adore that genre, too.

Maybe John was the key to Rock never dying... Sure, Strawberry Fields didn't seem like a Rock song, but Paul was sure as hell that John could write a Rock song if he put his head to it. He seemed to listen to enough of them anyway.

John could perhaps even inspire a new generation of people with the songs he could write. His band, maybe they would become popular too...

But that's only if John doesn't quit.

As soon as John quits, that's when everything stops, and the timeline returns to rock dying out at the end of the 50's.

Now, thinking about it, Paul wondered if trying his hardest to keep the timeline completely the same was the best idea...

John could not quit the band.

-

"Hey! Stuart!" John called over to his best friend, who was standing in front of his locker with his girlfriend, Astrid.

"Hey man. You alright?" He smiled.

"Yeah. Look, do you think we can meet in the music room soon?" John asked.

"Uh..."

"I'll be off." Astrid smiled, kissing Stuart goodbye.

"Bye." John waved to her, actually liking Astrid. She was his favourite of Stuart's few girlfriends.

"Why do you wanna go to the music room?" Stuart asked, furrowing his eyebrows.

"I have a song to play to you all."

"Alright then, but are you sure? You haven't wrote a song before..."

"Yeah. Can you tell Ringo to meet there at lunch? Your in his third lesson... And tell him to tell George."

"Yes I can." Stuart nodded. "Are we tellin' Pete?"

"Uh..."

Pete was an alright friend of John's, but John hated the way that he treated George. Sure, George was close to John and adored him, but he was straight. So was John for that matter. Sometimes Pete's teasing was more than teasing, and none of the other 4 appreciated it.

"That's a no then?"

"No." John sighed. "Am I being mean by not inviting him?"

"Not at all. When he stops acting like a prick to George then he's welcome again." Stuart stated, and John agreed.

"Alright, I'll go and find George." With that, John and Stuart split up.

John's next lesson was basically a throwaway lesson, as it was RE, and he never listened. That is where he would finish the song. He'd do it for Paul, just like he asked.

-

"A little birdy told me that you wrote a song, John Lennon." Ringo, who was followed by George and Stuart, spoke as he walked through the door and into the music room.

"Aye." John smiled, picking up an acoustic guitar from the side.

"Are we allowed in here?" George asked, looking around rather uncomfortably.

"Probably not."

"What?" George looked panicked.

"It's fine, Geo. Just sit down." Ringo calmed him, patting him on his shoulder and leading the two over to sit on one of the many crates in the room. Stuart stayed stood up.

"Go on then, son." Stuart urged, folding his arms and smiling.

"O-Okay..." He reaches for the piece of paper he'd scribbled down on during RE, and placed it on his knees as he sang.

Once he finished playing, the room fell silent. He was afraid to look up. What if his song was shit? After all, it was a song about Strawberry Fields. Just because it had a strong meaning to him it didn't mean it did to anyone else. Hell, anyone who wasn't from Liverpool most likely wouldn't even know what it was. Including Paul...

But Paul enjoyed it?

"John..." Ringo stated, all of a sudden. When John looked up, he was greeted by the other boy's surprised face. "I... That was- it was just... Amazin'."

"It was beautiful, John." Stuart added, also looking shocked.

"Aye." George nodded.

"If you can write songs like those, then trust me, we're gonna be at the top by the time we're... What? 20? 21?" Ringo added.

"You really think so?"

"Yes!" George cut in. "I... I didn't know you could write, John."

At the fact that his friend's had fallen speechless, John started to wonder if maybe he did have a place in the band after all.

"Do you think you could write more?" Stuart suggested.

"I- Well... I think I could." He nodded.

"Great!" Ringo smiled. "How about Rock music?"

"Yeah! I love rock!" George added with a smile.

"I guess, I mean we all love rock. I don't think I'll ever beat Elvis though. He's pretty unbeatable." John joked, causing everyone to laugh.

"How long do you think it'll take you to write another song?"

"I don't know. A day or two maybe?"

"Alright then, how about tomorrow afternoon we have band practice after school? We can maybe even play it to Paul too." Ringo smiled. "He was a nice guy, and it'd get him out of the house too."

"Yeah! We could play him some other rock songs we like! After all, he says down in Manchester there's not a lot of rock music..." George suggested.

"Great idea, Georgie."

John liked the sound of this, and maybe Paul could show off what he could do too.