The Life We Once Knew

I'm Running on Spite and Fury

All of us turned to face Tabitha. Her lips were locked as if she had just eaten a sour lemon. She glared at me as if threatening me to fight her, a threat which I gladly accepted. I spun around and stood, "And why is that?"

"It's too slow," Tabitha replied, "The lyrics are redundant, and it's been done before. A lost love, bla bla bla."

Tabitha open and closed her hand as if miming a person talking. I sneered, "We've done slow songs before, and people identify with a lost love."

"It's cheesy."

"It's romantic," I spat, "People like romance."

"People are sick of romance."

"They can never get sick of romance!"

Tabitha rolled her eyes, "It's too sad. It's going to make people cry."

"At least I make people feel things. Your songs just make people want to claw their ears off."

"Take that back!" Tabitha shouted.

I flung my hands up, "Sorry, can't take back the truth!"

"You wanker!"

"Arse!"

"Tosser!"

"Daft Sod!"

"Egotistical git!"

"Girls, please, break it up!" Ellen stepped between us, "I will not tolerate any fighting, understood?"

I crossed my arms and frowned, "She started it."

"I did not, you child!"

"You did too! And who are you callin' child, I'm older than you!"

"Barely!"

"Stop it this instant!" Ellen shouted, "I expected better of you two."

Ellen glared at each of us individually. Tabitha turned her shoulder as I sighed, "Sorry, Ellen. I'll bite my tongue."

"Good, now, the four of you are a team and you will decide this as a team," Ellen said, "We already know Amelia and Tabitha's opinions, what about you two? Linda? Minerva? What do you think?"

Linda glanced at me, "I think it needs to go on the album."

"Thank you, Lindy," I nodded at her.

Tabitha snorted, "There's only a tiny bit of bias there."

"Oh, bugger off."

"Amelia," Ellen cut in.

Her glare made me shut up. She turned to Minerva and smiled, "What about you, Minerva?"

Minerva stuttered. Tabitha was holding her pinned beneath her glare. My gaze was a bit softer, a small smile creeping across my lips. She locked eyes with me and smiled, "I like it a lot."

"Then, it's settled," Ellen smiled, "The song will be recorded and will feature on the album."

Tabitha crossed her arms and huffed, "I say this wasn't fair."

"It wasn't? Everybody had a vote," Ellen cooly replied.

"And they were all biased," Tabitha spat, "We need another opinion. Mitch, we need your opinion!"

The intercom buzzed, "Please don't bring me into this."

"Don't bring Mitch into this," I repeated, "I won fair and square, I can't help that you're a git."

"Amelia, you're not helping," Linda whispered.

"Makes me feel better."

Tabitha stomped up to the window of the production room, "What do you think? Do you like McCartney's song?"

I sneered, "So, we're going to play it that way, huh?"

There were several ways you could use a person's last name. Most people used it jokingly or professionally, others used it in anger. John only ever called Paul 'McCartney' when he was boiling in anger. This was no different, Tabitha was angry so she played the last name game. That game took two players, and I was on the other side of the board.

"I think it is a good song," Mitch replied, "It has a strong possibility of becoming a hit."

Tabitha frowned. I chuckled, "That enough for you, Plinkett?"

"Fuck off, McCartney."

"It's settled, Storms Over London will record Amelia's song," Ellen smiled.

I grinned, "Jolly good. Let's get to work then, yeah?"

Throughout the entire recording session, Tabitha shot me cold glares. This wasn't the first argument we had gotten into and it wouldn't be the last. It was just another sign that the rot was beginning to set in.

(Photo- Amelia, 1967. Taken by Linda Eastman.)