Shelter In Your Love (Beatles Fan Fiction)

24. Reminiscing

'You were the one who disappeared,' I tell her, testily.

'George said you'd gone home.'

I think I flinched slightly at the mention of his name. If Minnie notices, she doesn't react. 'I went back to Ricky's.'

'Oh,' Minnie says, flatly. 'Back on then, is it?'

'It was never off. Do you have a problem with Ricky?'

'No. Don't get on your high horse about it. I was just wondering, that's all.' She brightens. 'Anyway, if everyone would stop having a go at me, I could have told you all that we can go to the show again tonight if you want to. All four of us. Bring Ricky too if you want.'

'I don't think Ricky would want to go.'

'Well, I figured that, but it would be fun, the four of us, wouldn't it? Even with Bet, so long as she's cheered up by then. There's another party after, but John thinks it won't be quite so crowded tonight so -'

'No, thanks,' I say and I get up, going back to the music stand with the sheet music on it. I flick through the pages, as if I'm checking something, but I can't read music. It might as well all be in Chinese for as much as I can understand it.

'No?' Minnie repeats with a small laugh, like she can't believe anyone would turn down the chance to go to a Beatle concert.

'No, you three go if you want to. I... I don't feel like it.' I deliberately refuse to look at her. Annoyingly, I can feel my cheeks blushing.

'Why?'

'Does there have to be a reason?'

'You enjoyed it last night.'

'How would you know? You were there ten minutes and then you dumped me and went off with John. I didn't know anyone else there so I went home.'

Minnie gets up and comes over to me. She tips her head sideways as she puts her hand on my arm, making me look at her. 'Are you upset about something? What happened?'

'No,' I say, trying to brush her off. 'Nothing happened.'

'You did know people there. There was George and Paul and Ringo -'

'Paul and Ringo had gone somewhere and George - George made it clear that he... didn't want me hanging around with him.'

Minnie frowns. 'What? Why? What did he say?'

I move away from her again. I really don't want to rake over it all. 'Look, can't we just drop it? I'm fed up of the bloody Beatles. All I hear is Beatles, Beatles, Beatles. I don't know them anymore. We were friends when we were kids but now - they're different. They're rich and stupidly famous. It's changed them. I... I don't know if I like them that much now.'

Minnie purses her lips. 'Paul's changed?' she asks simply.

'What?'

'Paul? Is he different now? Yeah, no wonder you don't like him anymore. He really is a pig, isn't he? Inviting us to their shows. Arranging cars to taxi you around. And Ringo too. He's just the same. What a pair of gits. They've all let fame and fortune go to their heads, haven't they?'

'No, I didn't mean -'

'No? So not Paul and Ringo. Well, John's pretty much the same as he ever was, I can vouch for that, so that just leaves... oh, George.'

'Stop trying to be clever,' I say, unimpressed.

'What did he do?'

'Nothing. Minnie, just shut up about it now.'