Nowhere Girl ~ John Lennon/The Beatles

Chapter Five: New Information

"I'm not worried," Robin said through her teeth, trying to control her anger. "I don't care about any of that. I don't care about what sort of girls he wanted to get into bed with in the past, I don't care about his cousin who made a mess of your nose, I don't care. John's my neighbour who also happens to be someone I sit next to in class. I don't fancy him, if that's what you think,"

"Oh, thank goodness," Jenny sighed out a laugh, clueless to the fact that Robin wasn't done with her complaints.

"I don't fancy him, and if you think that John's the only thing I think about here then you're very wrong," she carried on. "I'm here for me, because I want to be an artist, and I want an education, and you might think that I'm a bit of a threat to your own little crush on John, but that is no reason to go and talk about his family problems. Do you know what it's like to lose a parent?Because if what you said is true, then I don't think John would really appreciate you talking about any of it,"

With that, Robin realised she'd let her temper get the better of her, and it would be awkward to continue sitting with the girls, so she grabbed her stuff and headed off. Part of her instantly regretted leaving, regretted the way she'd acted, but she couldn't help it. It turned out that someone mentioning the loss of a parent was a touchy subject for her, even if the person wasn't talking about her own parent. She'd never really lost her temper with anyone that wasn't her mother before, so whilst Robin was proud of herself for standing up for herself, she was also a little surprised. Jenny had deserved it though, she told herself, as she left the dinner hall and headed off to her next classroom.

There was still twenty minutes before class, but at least if she went to go sit alone in the classroom there would be no chance of being late like she was most days when she went with John to class. After her conversation with Jenny, Robin found the idea of John not being in class that afternoon a lot harder, knowing that whilst she wasn't going to mention anything the girl had said to her, she really wanted his company. Normally he was a bit of a thorn in her side in lessons, constantly writing her notes, sometimes leaning over and doodling on her own sketchbook, nudging her occasionally just to wind her up, and she thought that she didn't really like him being there. She thought he was just a massive hinderance to her education, but it turned out that the thought of him not being in class made her feel a little sad. She didn't realise how much she actually enjoyed his company until she thought she wasn't going to be with him.

Not to mention she now knew they had something in common. She wouldn't say anything to him about his mother, she decided. She would wait for him to say something. It seemed the only respectful thing to do, and she knew if anyone found out about her father she would hate for them to come up to her and tell them how sorry they were, mostly because it would seem like false sympathies. Her sympathies for John were nothing but genuine, but she'd hate for him to think otherwise.

As Robin got to the classroom, she heard the sound of laughter, and the noise of guitars. There was only one person she knew who carried a guitar around with him, and so as she opened the classroom door to see John sat on their usual table, his guitar on his knee as he played a rather simple tune, she was surprised but relieved. Robin was glad to see him, happy to know she didn't have to sit alone in their lesson, but she also felt her heart ache a little at the sight of him. It was only natural, now she knew something so important about him, but she decided to push it away, instead offering him a friendly grin as she crossed the room.

"Thought you were at the pub?" she called, raising her eyebrow.

"What do you take me for, a drunkard?" he hit back with a small laugh.

That was when she noticed he was not only wearing his glasses, but there was someone else sat by their table, a younger looking lad sat in the seat that was usually hers. He was cute looking, dark hair in a typical teddy boy style, with a kind face and excitable looking dark eyes that kept looking over to John as if he was god on earth. He had an amused smile on his face, as if John had just said the funniest thing in the world, but it wasn't forced, not like he was laughing to impress him but laughing because he genuinely enjoyed being around John. A leather jacket slung over the table next to John, Robin could tell that whoever this boy was, he was someone very close to her neighbour.