Lonely People

I Hate You, I Love You

It's nearly impossible to get away from someone when you're trapped on the same floor as them for months at a time. When the impossible is met with seven stubborn mules like us, it suddenly becomes possible. For the next two nights, I found myself lying on the floor in the hallway reading a book. It was far from secluded, but it was away from everyone else. They stayed in their hotel rooms, generally, giving me a sort of seclusion.

As soon as the tension washes away, you're left with an undeniable loneliness. I had gotten used to someone always being there, usually multiple someones. John, Paul, George, Ringo, Molly, or Janice were always there no matter where I turned. Throughout the entire tour, I was never faced with my usual case of chronic loneliness. Once I took a step away, that pain was quick to return. Luckily, I wasn't the only one feeling that way.

"What're you doing?"

I glanced up to see Ringo standing just a few meters from me. I was lying on the floor in the hall with my legs propped up on the wall and a book dangling in front of my face. When I saw Ringo, a smile crossed my lips, "Reading."

"Did you come out here to be alone?"

I abandoned the book on the rug, "Yeah, but that can get really boring really quickly. Care to join me?"

"Love to."

He moved to sit next to me. I sat up straight so were were both leaning against the wall. Ringo pulled out a cigarette box and offered me one, which I gratefully accepted. I wasn't as big of a smoker as the lads, but the occasional release of smoke from my lungs was calming. In a way, it reminded me of home. I grew up around pipe smoke, cigarettes were just one step down.

"George went to the dining room three hours ago," Ringo said, "I dunno where John and Paul went off to."

I shrugged, "They'll come back eventually. I thought we were all sick of each other."

"Are you still sick of us?"

Ringo rolled his neck to look at me. I grinned and tapped his nose, "Ah, I could never get sick of you, Ringsy."

"I hate to break it to you, but I'm a married man," he teased.

I chuckled, "And I'm a taken woman. We'll keep it a secret."

Both of us laughed loudly. I sucked in a deep breath of the smoke, allowing it to fall out of my nose like a gray cloud. Ringo did the same, our two puffs of smoke merged together to become a single cloud.

"It's a bit lonely with us all angry at each other," Ringo sighed, "Do you think we'll be like this forever?"

I lifted an eyebrow, "Angry at each other?"

"Wanting to not be friends anymore."

Ringo sighed deeply, releasing smoke all around us. I smiled at him, "Aw, come off it, Ringo, we're all still mates. I'm not sick of any of you anymore."

"Really?"

"Nah. I'm a bit lonely, in fact, and I know I'm not the only one."

Ringo smiled, "I was lonely too, that's why I came out of the room."

"And to what luck!"

Ringo and I both laughed. Our laughter echoed down the hall and through the rooms. We both jumped slightly when a door opened abruptly right across from us. Both John and Paul were standing there. Paul was peering over John's shoulder to where it looked like they were a two-headed monster. 

"What're you doing on the floor?" John asked.

Ringo shrugged, "Just talking."

"Just talking?"