But I'll Be Back Again

Chapter 19: Don't Forget the Lyric

"You look really attractive John," That was the first time the band was using the suits and ties, and he felt uncomfortable. Ella was standing next to him in front of a mirror, while Brian Epstein fixed the tie.

He took a bow, "May I take your order," he angrily mocked. " We look like waiters,"

"You don't," she assured, "do you think this can make you act nicer?"

"These are not magic suits Miss Marroco," Mr.Epstein replied, he hated to not be present in their performances, but this time he had an important dinner with a person that could guarantee the date to that audition he had been looking for. He left after wishing them good luck.

It was 15 minutes to 7 and the previous band had already left the stage, Pete went to set the drums. Ella was asking for the setlist, so she could know when were they playing their songs, and take note of the reaction from the crowd.

"Have you seen Macca?"he asked when George returned from the restroom.

He said no, and assured that he might be on his way there.

"Bloody hell, it's too late, that idiot!" He had a bad feeling, ever since he asked about changing the hour of the presentation.

John was walking back and forth, he went to check the amps, and returned backstage very irritated, he knew that they had to start, that was one of the agreements with Mr. Epstein, to always start on time,

"Sod off! Ella come on, you're playing,"

"At what?" She had finished writing the set list on her notebook.

"Not at what, you're playing the bass." Now he got angrier when he realized that maybe Paul had it all planned, after all the had left the bass at Pete's house and asked to bring it for him.

She smiled but quickly frowned, "you're joking."

"Didn't you play the contrabass?" John asked

"For a month until they enrolled me to learn violin, which I also never learnt to play well," she explained, but she was already given Paul's bass.

John took the ribbon she had on her head, to adjust better the bass on her, "you'll be in the back, it can not be that hard, it also has 4 strings!" He knew he was lying, "the first song is Young Blood, it's simple and you know it, you sing it all the time."

"But I'm not lefty," she replied, and he continued to arrange it for her, she saw he was sweating, and with distress on his face, "I guess I can try, just put me behind the piano."

"You'll play only two chords, and I'll tell you when to change," George convinced her. 

It was supposed to be the only song that wasn't a Beatles's original, to get the attention of the crowd, so they could see the new style of the band. And now they were in trouble, the bassist was missing. 

She did good on the first one and the next, or maybe because they sang louder, but on the third song, the one written by Paul, and this time sang by George, it was a total disaster . Pete played louder to hide her mistakes. But John had enough, on the fourth one he turned to see her, and his look said it all,  she knew he wanted her out of the stage. Then the three beatles continued their performance.

"Thanks for trying," George said, when it was all over, "he ditched us!"

"Sure," she said, she was mad as them, but amused of what she had just done, "I'll go and do the survey Mr. Epstein asked, although I don't think it's fair due to ..."

"That twat McCartney," John ended her sentence. He gnashed his teeth in anger

....

Ella stood behind the counter at the NEMS store, she was reading one of the letters her aunt had sent, the last time she spoke to her over the phone, she told her about her classes; in the letter she was telling an anecdote from when Ella was younger, that once she saw a cocoon open and reveal a butterfly, she went straight to the house library and began to read everything about butterflies, and she learnt the most fascinating facts on insects and that state of changing, she ended giving Ella an important advice, she herself had written as a child: everything changes at the right time, even when you don't think is the right time , she got distracted by the little bell hanging above the door, that adverted of a costumer, but she didn't find a costumer, it was an anxious Paul arriving at the record shop.

"Don't worry he's not here," She said while folding the letter, to hide it in the pocket of her skirt.

Paul sat on a wooden chair next to the counter, "Who's not here?" he asked, of course he knew who was she talking about.

"John;"she grinned and continued dusting some records that had arrived.

Paul looked around, "I wasn't looking for him," he glanced at her, "I wanted to see if you were feeling better,"

"And I totally believe that," she moved from her place, and went to arrange some records in the shelves.

His foot was jittering against the floor, "I see you're better," he waited for her to return for some more records to ask her closer, "why did you say I was cruel?"

She had to look at him now, "I thought it was obvious, you trying to make me believe I'm a priority to you,"

"At that moment you were, you didn't look well,"

She comically shook her head, as she repeated his answer, "whatever, I didn't ask anything from you, I would have felt better if you had just gone to your planned evening,"

"Ella, I wasn't trying to make you jealous,"

She took a good look at him, at that moment she intended to be mean, she remembered that time in her old home, when she was having private French lessons, along her step-brother, and the teacher complimented her saying she had a better imitation of the French accent than her brother, and his envy got him to add:

 'That is all she can be , a simple and cheap imitation of what appears to be an accomplished girl, but can't even argue without crying.' 

She intended to do what that first thought told her to do, to be awful to him just like her brother was to her, she was a heiress, Paul wasn't, she could have said something about it, to put him down, she even saw her brother cheering for her in her mind, a small twitch in the corner of her lips made her think twice, "You didn't go to the Christmas gig," she changed the subject.