This Boy - Mclennon

Chapter 10: Nowhere Man

~Paul's~

"Paul, yer dad is gonna be awake soon. I best be off.." John said as he shifted beneath me. My head was throbbing and I didn't want him to leave. "Can I leave with you?" I asked, not realizing how desperate I sounded until I had already said it. "I don't want t'risk you getting in trouble, luv. I'll see you at school in a few hours." John lifted me gently off him. I sighed and lied back down, watching him stretch and head toward my window. He stopped dead in his tracks and looked up at the ceiling, rolling his eyes as if someone was giving him shit. "John? Are you okay?" I asked, sitting up. John shook his head, "I'll be fine, Paul." He said blandly. "John..." I mumbled. He sat down beside me and sighed, grabbing my hand. "Paul, if I tell you something, you've got t'promise ye' won't change yer mind 'bout me. 'Bout us.." He whispered hesitantly. I nodded, "Anything, John."

"I hear voices." He said, looking away from me. "Voices?" I asked, and he answered with a nod. "What do you mean?" I asked, trying to be as gentle as possible. John was opening up to me, and I didn't want to mess that up. "I hear voices. In my head. They usually yell at me, and try to control what I do... They don't like me being... y'know, with you." John said, his words flowing out perfectly. "Well.." I began to speak, but he cut me off. "I know ye think I'm a loony, and maybe I am, but m'not gonna let them take you away from me. They won't change me mind." John said. "I was going to say that when you begin to hear them, just tell them to stop. Take deep breath, and tell them to stop." I said, calmly. John stared at me for a moment, almost if he didn't believe me. "Want me t'walk ye home?" I asked him, grabbing his hand. "T-thank you.." John whispered, looking at my bedroom floor. I tilted my head, "John?" I hadn't seen him like this before and it worried me. "I didn't think y-you'd be okay with that... Mimi wants t'put me in a hospital, get me on meds." As John finished speaking, he grabbed my face and stared into my eyes intensely. "Paul, I'm gonna tell you something right now, that I want you t'remember." He said, rubbing my cheeks with his thumbs. I nodded, "Yes, John?" I waited for his response. John took a deep breath. "No matter what I say to you, no matter what I do... I love you." John said as he looked away from me and stood up. He shoved his hands in his pockets and closed his eyes. Maybe he was hearing the voices. But, when I tried to stand up and hug him, he was already climbing down the drainpipe. "John?!" I whisper-yelled down to him. John ran down the street and into the darkness. Bloody hell, John Lennon was off his rocker. But, John loved me. He told me that he loved me..

That was an odd feeling. A great feeling, don't get me wrong. I had just never felt this way before.

I slept for the remaining few hours of the night, and woke up to Mike banging on my locked door. "Mike, shut up mate, I--" I said as I opened the door. I was greeted by a fist to the nose. I flew backwards and landed on my back, realizing it was my father knocking at the door. "Da'?!?" I yelled as he jumped on top of me. One hit after another, after another, after another. I began to see blurry. I felt him stand up, and felt a relief wash over me. Until I felt a heavy boot to my side. A rib definitely cracked. I looked up at him and saw his mouth moving, but I heard nothing. I saw Mike in the doorway briefly before he ran down the stairs. I prayed to God that he wasn't calling John. Finally I didn't feel anymore pain, I watched my father walk out my bedroom and down the stairs, followed by the sound of him slamming our front door. I tried to roll myself so I could hoist myself up on my bed but I felt a shooting pain in my rib and I seized up on the floor instead. Mike was in my room sooner than I could hope. "Paulie-Paulie?! Please don't close yer eyes, Paulie!!" I heard Mike scream over and over. I couldn't speak, I was in too much pain. "John is on his way, Paulie, he's coming for you okay?" Mike said as he tried to wipe some of the blood I could feel dripping down my cheek.

I could feel my head rocking back and forth from one side to the other. There was a loud knock at the door, followed by Mike running out of my room. It must have been John.