friday 9th october 1959
penelope
johns birthday.
the big one nine.
penelope had been super sweet to him all day, like usual, but more so if possible.
john couldn't stop grinning like an idiot, it was the first time he'd thoroughly enjoyed his birthday without the added alcohol or company of bad people. he'd said from the beginning that he didn't want to do anything spectacular for his birthday and so penelope and him went to mimi's where she cooked them both dinner and had a blast absolutely embarrassing john with baby photographs. and then they drove out to see caleb where caleb presented john with one of his old but very rare guitars. john refused it at first saying that it was simply too much, but caleb insisted saying that he has no use for it anymore, and john absolutely loved it.
currently they sat on penelopes bed cross legged facing each other as they stuffed their faces with everything unhealthy - crisps, chocolate, sweets, cake - everything. their knees were touching and penelope couldn't stop touching john, from small brushes of their fingers or stolen pecks of kisses.
the time had just hit seven thirty and penelope was listening to john talk about an essay he was in the middle of writing when he had a sudden epiphany, "oh that reminds me i need some new stationery and boring shit, could we go out and get those tomorrow?" he asked and penelope nodded in reply and her eyes suddenly lit up.
"oh my god, you haven't even had your present off me!" she jumped off the bed, "i completely forgot, jesus can my girlfriending get any worse?"
"girlfriending?" john chuckled mocking her, "you didn't have to get me anything."
she walked over to her underwear draw and searched through it to the bottom of the drawer, "actually if it's coming from that draw i'll take anything," he winked making penelope roll her eyes blushing. she pulled out a thick square package and turned back round to john before climbing up next to him to resume their previous position.
"it's not much because i don't have a lot of money at the moment but-"
"you didn't have to get me anything babe - thank you."
she nodded and then passed him the present. she quickly moved all of the food packets off the bed and onto the floor before sitting up right so their knees were touching again.
he waited for her to stop moving about to begin opening to the present. he tore off the wrapping paper throwing it to the floor before dropping his eyes down to the gift. penelope bit her lip in anticipation as he stared at it, the gift was a leather bound notebook with a mixture of plain sketchbook type of paper and lined yellow tinted paper - quite aesthetically pleasing. in the bottom right corner the year '1959' was engraved into the leather.
"i was just thinking your other notebook is getting super full and you said before it's like your lifeline so i just thought that this looked perfect for you-" she rambled.
john finally looked up to her and cut her off by pushing his lips onto hers.
"i love it pen," he said pulling away, "i really love it."
and he did. he loved her thoughtfulness and how she brought him things that she knew he would love and would actually use.
she knew him so well.
she smiled proudly and kissed him again. she'd missed the feeling, they hadn't properly kissed all day, barely hugged because they'd been out with company most of the time. he moved the notebook to sit beside him and placed his hands on her cheeks deepening the kiss. she smiled as he slipped his tongue into her mouth and hummed at the feeling. he was about to pull her hips closer to him but the phone rung making them both groan.
"just one minute okay, and then we carry on," she promised pecking his lips again and jumping up to the telephone.
"hello?" she answered cheerily masking her breathlessness.
"penelope?" paul's voice rung from the other side.
"this is she," she joked, "is everything okay paul?"
paul still hadn't spoken to john since he left the band, "yeah everything's fine, look i was talking to the boys and we know obviously that it's johns birthday today so we were thinking that he could come out tonight to celebrate. just a lads night again, y'know like old times?" he explained, "i think i owe it to john."
penelope smiled nodding, "yeah of course, let me get john."
john perked up at the mention of his name, penelope covered the telephone so paul couldn't hear, "it's paul, come on."
he instantly jumped up and took the phone from her. penelope left them to talk on the phone as she tidied up the mess they made in her bedroom from the food and wrapping paper.
she then dropped onto her bed closing her eyes whilst she waited for john to finish up.
after about five minutes she felt the bed dip either side of her body, she fluttered her eyes open to find john hovering half of his body over the top of her. his fists were balled up as he balanced on them either side of her body and he kneeled to one side of her.
"how was that?" she asked placing her hands on his forearms.
"good, the boys invited me to town for a few hours but i said no."
penelope frowned, "why did you say no?"
"i don't want to leave you."
she rolled her eyes, "john please go," she said smiling, "you deserve a good night out without me for once."
he pouted, "but you make the nights good."
she leaned up pressing her lips to his gently then lay back down, "please, it's your birthday, then come back to me afterwards."
he thought for a minute, "are you sure?"
she nodded, "of course."
he leaned back down kissing her, "you've made my birthday so special pen," he said pulling away and nudging her nose with his.
"you made mine special too remember," she reminded him, "now go. go have fun, lock me in and take my key with you."
he smiled and nodded, "okay. i love you."
she bit her lip as she watched him pull on his shoes, "i love you too."
he left the apartment soon after leaving penelope lying on her bed completely worn out. she turned on her side to see johns new notebook when she suddenly got an amazing idea. she rummaged through her bedside table until she found a pencil...
•
john spent the night with his best friends.
they drank and reminisced on everything.
paul didn't bring up the situation with the band but instead acted completely normal.
as if he understood john now.
paul was happy for john.
whenever they'd gone out before they would spend the nights finding girls to fill their time but all four of the boys were completely content with the girls they currently had in their lives. especially john. the whole night all he could think about was going back to penelope and holding her in bed. sleeping next to her was his favourite feeling, knowing she was right there by his side, not only physically.
at around two thirty in the morning john stumbled into penelopes apartment slightly drunk and almost tripped down the hallway until he reached penelopes bedroom. he walked into the darkness trying to be as quiet as possible and locate the bedside lamp to have a little light for him to get changed. he succeeded after a few minutes and unchanged quickly leaving himself in just boxers.
he looked over to penelope to see her curled up under the covers with the quilt over her shoulders and in her arms was his notebook. he was drunk but he was aware. he furrowed his eyebrows and gently pulled one of her hands to release the book and he pulled it out from under her hold. she fidgeted before turning over to face away from him.
john smiled lazily at her cuteness before lowering into the bed next to her. he sat against rail headboard as he swiped his thumb over the leather cover on the gift.
he looked back over to where penelope lay and saw a ripped up piece of paper peeking out from under her pillow. he pulled on it to see a note which read; 'read me.'
he frowned again confused and turned the paper over but found no writing. he looked around the bed until realising she probably meant the notebook.
he bit the inside of his cheek as he opened up the notebook and flicked over to the first page.
there lay a page of neat yet messy cursive handwriting, he squinted his eyes before deciding to reach over and grab his glasses. he perched them on the edge of his nose before he began reading.
"john,
well hey johnny. i'm probably asleep right? thats probably for the best because i'd be so embarrassed to watch you read this in front of me. so you just left to go party away with the boys and i was thinking i love writing letters and i love you so why not write you one?
so i want to start by saying that i can say with complete confidence the day i met you was the best day of my life. you waltzed into the book shop not knowing me and not knowing this would happen yet look at us. you were so mysterious and intriguing - i'm glad that you invited me to the cavern before leaving, imagine if you hadn't? we would never of seen each other again, we wouldn't have anything to compare our encounter to, we would've just been a story in each other's worlds about one late night book stop.
i'm so grateful for you johnny, you flipped my world completely upside down and i've never been happier, my mum always said to never hide from love because it'll set you free and it really does doesnt it? and now i can't imagine a world where i'm happy without you and that's terrifying, i don't want to be so reliant on one person that i forget how to be independent you know? but at the same time it's the type of fear i can deal with because i trust you and i trust us.
i want everything john. i want everything and i want it with you.
my heart is yours forever.
i love you, i'm in love with you and i will never lose that.
happy birthday my love.
- penelope-anne
•
john re read the letter several times with butterflies causing a hurricane in his stomach before closing the book and placing it on the bedside table alongside his glasses. he didn't feel drunk on alcohol anymore, but drunk on her - and her entire existence.
he shuffled under the bed covers and right up to penelopes back and draped his arm over her waist gently pulling her body to fit right into the curve of his body. he kissed the back of her neck and she stirred before turning around to face him. she opened one of her eyes and then shut it again wrapping her arm around his waist, "i hope you had a good birthday baby."
he placed his head on top of hers and replied, "i did, i love you."
"good, i love you too."
•••
AN / did yous see the 'my heart is yours forever' recycled line from caleb's letter to sabrina🤧
this is the last chapter of their teenage lives - hope yous are excited.
feedback is wanted, pls vote and comment, ily x