Author's Note: Hi! This is my first story... well, enjoy!

Chapter 1

Liverpool- April, 1957

I lay down, awake but with eyes closed. Opening them and leaving my bed's warm, pillowy embrace would have meant accepting that my new world was real. Content to shelter in what was left of my dream world, I took the time to listen to the leaves on the tree that stood outside of my second-floor window and to feel the gentle sun that beamed upon my face.

Of course, my delicate peace couldn't be held for long, as my mom yelled from below the stairs- "Cassie! You'll be late!"

Godammit. Forcing my eyes open, I sat up in bed. Gathering my wits with a stretch and a yawn, I threw back the covers and turned my feet out of bed, letting them find their way into slippers. This is it, I thought. My first day.

Shuffling across the room, I slowed as I passed the mirror. Examining my pajama-clad self with distaste, I took note that my brunette hair was a frightful mess. Leaving that battle for later, I trudged downstairs for a cup of tea.

"Good morning, Cass!" my mom bubbled, handing me a mug full of the flavored caffeine I had planned to make myself. I took the drink and thanked her quietly, dropping myself into a kitchen chair. Noticing my less than upbeat demeanor, she patted me on the back and said "C'mon, I'm sure your school will be great! It's a beautiful day. Besides, your already part English- you've got to have your daily tea!"

"Mom, you know it isn't okay! We had to leave our home and make right off to Liverpool just because Dad's job was a little better. Now all my friends and everything I've ever grown up to know are still in Carolina, thousands of miles away, and you're telling me it's great?" I ranted back.

"Aw, sweetheart. This is home now- you'll get it all figured out, and once you do, you'll be happier than ever, I know it."

I huffed in defiance, taking another sip of my tea as my blonde, lanky mother hurried off to some chore. Setting my cup in the sink, I made my way back upstairs and into the bathroom. Alright, Cassie, I urged myself, looking at my reflection in the bathroom mirror and splashing water on my weary face. At least try to look nice.

After an eternity of brushing my hair, doing my makeup, and selecting clothes, I emerged wearing a pearl necklace and a white, form-fitting, wool shirt tucked into a coral, knee-length, straight skirt. Grabbing my black jacket and an over-the-shoulder bag, I was out the door and on my way to school.

It was only a short walk to Quarry Bank High School, and before I knew it I was amid the terror that is a crowded hallway. Clinging to my schedule, I huddled to the wall, mostly out of the way of the currents of students, and read what was written for my homeroom class- Mr. Burken, Room 202. C'mon, Cass, I thought with a deep breath. It's going to be fine. This is going to be a good day- just fine.

Locating the room, I peeked through the door to assure that I was in the right place before entering and sinking into a chair near the right wall. The room smelled of emptiness and erasers. The teacher, Mr. Burken, was a broad man who wore a casual dress shirt with his slacks and had short red hair. He was writing on the chalkboard, but I couldn't see what.

Not saying a word, I sat uneasily as more students trickled in, most of them scrutinizing me in interest- Who's the new girl? A wispy girl in a pink sweater took the seat next to me and gave me a little wave. "Hi," she mouthed. I returned her greeting and reached down to get my books.

Just as the bell rang, a loud conversation neared the door and broke apart as a tall, brown-haired boy with a pointed nose spun into the classroom and strutted over to a seat. His entrance caused several students to groan.

Mr. Burken began class, lecturing us all about Winston Churchill or something. Uninterested, I mindlessly doodled in my notebook, until I heard a "Mr. Burken?"

I looked over to the sound. It was the boy from before.

"Yes?" sighed the teacher.

"Can I go to the bathroom?"

"No, John," Mr. Burken turned back to his board.

"Please Mister! I'm beggin' ya!" mocked John. The teacher gave no response but a few laughs escaped from students' mouths. I made a mental note to avoid that one- obnoxious, too upbeat. Loud.

The rest of the day went by slowly as I straggled from class to class, taking from them varying amounts of actual learning. Mostly, I was only testing the waters, seeing what school was like here- but my next class, art, was one I was really excited for. Walking into the room, which had an odor of paint, I saw rows of easels lined up and claimed one. Setting my bag down, the girl who sat next to me in homeroom walked over.

"Hi there!" introduced the girl. "I'm Sam. Are you new?"

"Oh, yeah," I messily replied. "I'm Cassie. My family just moved from America."

"That's really cool!" Sam and I happened to get along quite well, and we continued our conversation. The teacher, a youngish lady with short, black hair, came over and handed us painting supplied. Sam began painting Japanese koi. I decided to attempt to paint my favorite musician, Buddy Holly.

Ooph! Just as I was getting started, something knocked into me from behind. I fell down, but someone caught me- John. Helping me up before bending down to re-gather his dropped books, he apologized:

"Sorry there. Didn't mean to hurt you. You alright?"

I nodded, annoyed.

Nonchalant, he added, "Hey, you're new, aren't ya? We're you from?" Before I could answer, he peeked at my artwork and said, "That's Buddy Holly! I like Buddy Holly."

Giving a slight smile in thanks, I told him my name and that I was from America.

"Nice to meet ya. I'm John. John Lennon."

A/N: Thanks for reading! Please review, I'll take into consideration what you guys think. I plan on updating soon, and this will be a fairly long story if everything goes relatively as planned. Bye!