Empty swimming pools ✓

21. When it breaks

Lennon brings a car to a stop directly in front a few steps leading to Charlotte's house and leaves the engine idling. This is it, he thinks. He reaches for the white envelope at the passenger seat and tries to summon the courage to get out of the car, but it doesn't come.

It is time to suck it up so he grabs the door handle, pushing it open a few inches. A wave of cold hits him, and it has nothing to do with the chill London breeze outside. Lennon squares his shoulders and climbs small cement steps that lead to the heavy front door. The place is beautiful from the outside. In one of the most favoured addresses in this part of town houses are in rows, red brick and Victorian terraces, perfectly cut hedges and rare sports cars parked on the pavement. Even though they all look pretty much the same from the outside there is no doubt that this neighbourhood is very much on the expensive side. Like everything else that is connected to William he wants to know how this house looks from inside, even though it's his sisters. He would love to get to know her as well.

Finally he rings the doorbell and closes his eyes. Seconds pass and door is suddenly opened, Lennon's heart wants to jump out of his chest, and he wonders how the hell he gets on the stage every night to perform in front of thousands of people and doesn't feel any stage fright but here he is, in front of a random door in Chalk Farm with the envelope that contains an iPod with a song he wrote, scared shitless of what only one person would think about his song. He is met with the most beautiful blue eyes. Now he's going to struggle because those eyes remind him of William's.

"Hello. Can I help you?"

"Hiya. Yes. I... well this might sound strange but I am looking for William? You must be his sister, Charlotte? Hi. I'm Lennon. I'm William's friend. Is he here? I really have to see him, it's kind of urgent."

"Oh. Hi ..Lennon? William is not here at the moment."

"He's not?"

"Well he is staying here but he went to run some errands before his flight to New York. I'm sorry. Not sure when he'll be back." Charlotte says in the most proper English accent, reminding Lennon of the status of this family once again. Like the size and location of the house isn't enough. Her golden, over bleached hair shines in the daylight, her skin gleams and her cheeks have a healthy glow. She probably pays a lot of money to look like this. Even in her most casual loungewear she can easily replace one of the girls of the most popular girl band or something.

"But he will be back? Will you see him before he goes away?"

"Yes, I will probably take him to the airport. Why? Is there something wrong? You said it's urgent?" Charlotte looks at him with suspicious eyes. "I'm sorry, but William never mentioned a friend named Lennon, what is this about?"

"Oh no, don't worry I'm not a stalker." he laughs nervously, he has to stop telling people he's not a stalker, it doesn't work. "We're friends yeah, it's a long story, we met through Liam, he's my best friend."

" Ah... I see." Mention of Liam seems to make him less of a lunatic in her eyes. "I just wanted to talk to him before his flight and... give him this." He raises his hand and shows the envelope, "But if you are going to see him can I please ask you to give this to him when you do. It's really important for me." Lennon gives her the envelope.

"I...of course."

"Yeah.. thank you." he smiles. "Thank you Charlotte. It's really nice to meet you. You and William, um.. you look alike, it's fascinating."

"Yes I suppose we do. Only physically, thank God, wouldn't want to have anything else like him really." Charlotte jokes and Lennon's heart warms at the sound. He realises that at least their sense of humour is similar. She seems lovely and it makes him miss William even more. "I will make sure he gets this."

"Thank you."

"Goodbye Lennon."

*

When she closes the door Lennon's reality slaps him in the face. He will definitely not see William before he goes to New York. But he trusts that after he listens to the song today he will get back to him. There is a small written letter in there as well, that simply says how much Lennon cares about him, that he is ready to give everything up for William.
What Lennon doesn't know is that when the door is closed there is another person standing really close to Charlotte that heard the whole conversation.

"Charlotte, give me that letter."

"It's ok Nina, I will give it to William, his friend seemed really upset, like it's really important that he gets this."

"No, Charlotte, you don't understand. That man is not William's friend. Don't give him anything from that man."

"What are you talking about?"

"He's trying to break us up, Charlotte, he's a guy from some band that William met and since then he's been obsessed with him and it's giving him ideas, Charlotte. We're struggling because of him. I need your help. Please."

"Charlotte... calm down. I didn't know you guys had problems?"

"We will be ok. I'm just trying to take William away from this man. And the nerve! To show up at your door! He's trouble." And then there's tears. Never ending tears.

"Ok... don't cry. I, I don't know... maybe yeah... ok I won't give him this then."

"Please, Charlotte. I would not ask you something like this if it wasn't important. Don't let William see that letter."