I Miss You - McLennon AU

30 b.

11th January, 1956

John clambered down the stairs, his shoelace messily tied and only one of his bag straps on his shoulder. Adrenaline was still rushing through his body, but the sadness was still there. If anything, the upset was spurring him on more.

He was determined to find Paul.

He reached the bottom of the stairs, waiting infront of the door.

"I'm ready, Mimi." He called.

"Alright." She replied from the kitchen, soon appearing in the hallway. "Let me get my keys-"

"I'll walk." John interrupted. Mimi soon looked up, raising an eyebrow in his direction.

"You'll walk?" She repeated, sounding rather humoured.

"Yes." He nodded. "I... I feel like I could do with the air."

"Okay." She responded, though sounded rather weary. "Well, make sure you wrap up warm. The weatherman said it's going to be as cold as -7° today, John."

"Yeah." John nodded, reaching for his coat to put on over his blazer. At the sound of Mimi's uncertainty, he grew nervous.

He hated that he was lying to her, but he had to go and find Paul. If she knew where he was going, she would never let him.

John didn't even know where he was going to go himself.

She made her way over to him, adjusting his coat on his shoulders and zipping it up.

"If you need me at school, telephone the hospital, yeah?" The woman informed him.

"Yeah."

"And if you need to leave at any time, John... If it gets too much for you... Then just tell the nurse you don't feel well and ask them to call me." She explained. "I know how difficult it can be..."

"Thank you..." John responded, quietly, with gratitude.

She smiled, and John felt awful.

But Paul was to be found. Paul could be found.

Somebody just had to look for him.

Mimi walked past him, unlocking the door and opening it. She stepped aside for John to make his move.

"Goodbye, Mimi." John spoke, trying to sound confident, but he didn't feel it.

"Goodbye, John." She blew a kiss to him as he left.

Mimi watched him leave the gate and disappear down the street, completely unaware of John's quest.

She never knew that she may never see him again.

-

John hadn't exactly planned this out. Twenty minutes after he set of from home he found himself still just walking up and down nearby streets. He didn't know where he was going to go, he'd been too determined to begin his mission to actually come up with an idea.

He wandered down yet another street, kicking the stones beneath his feet, scraping his already warn down school shoes.

Part of John wondered if he should just turn back and head to school, forget about all of this. It was only 8:20, he still had 25 minutes to get there without being late. John began to actually consider that, feeling anxiety pool in the pit of his stomach.

But then he looked up, ready to cross over the road, only to realise he was on Penny Lane. He hadn't stepped foot onto that street since Paul was with him. He felt his heart throb at the sight of the busy street, women walking up and down with their handbags or prams, browsing in shop windows, young adults making their way down in groups to find something to do.