A/N This is a short story loosely based on Rapunzel, about a girl called Rachel who is growing up in the 70's and has just given her number to the boy she met earlier that afternoon. She had been sitting on her balcony reading a book when he passed and they started a conversation. Now, she is waiting for him to call her before her mum comes home.

Disclaimer: I do not own the story of Rapunzel, nor do I own ABBA, or any other music I have used in this story.

Songs (In which ever language you prefer)

watch?v=ZEbZqnC2oN4 (English)

watch?v=CRnNOu5IiXw (Swedish)

watch?v=MYfDGbrbkpg (German)

watch?v=sL4qiwN1S5g (Spanish)

Rachel's Diary

31st May 1973

Oh, today has been such a wonderful day, and it's only half 7 in the evening. Earlier today I met this wonderful boy called but unfortunately, I cannot remember his name. I think it was Charlie, or it might have been Charles. Either way, he was lovely, and I cannot wait for his phone call, I only hope it is before my mother gets home, as I do not want to upset her.

Flashback

Rachel, the much loved daughter of Lady Dolloway-Larson, is sitting on a wooden rocking chair on her balcony, reading a book on how to sew. She already knows of course, but she knew she would rather like a new dress, and she wanted it in a different style. All her clothes were quite plain, and she wanted something new and exciting. She found a page she liked with a dungaree dress on, or pinafore, when she heard a voice calling up to her.

"Hello there!" It said, and she looked down to see a young man looking back up at her "I have a delivery for Lady N Dolloway-Larson but no one is answering the door."

"Oh, well you can leave it on the front step and I shall come and collect it later. That would be most helpful, thank you." She replied, but the boy didn't move, and instead raised his eyebrows.

"Someone has to sign for it, I can't just leave it lying on the floor, I need a signature. Please come down and sign for it, I would leave it with neighbours, only you don't appear to have any." He begged.

"I'm not supposed to open the door to strangers, please sir, I cannot disobey my mother. I shouldn't even be talking to you sir." Rachel replies, and turns away from him.

"How old are you?" He asks, and Rachel almost doesn't answer him, but that would be very rude indeed.

"I'm 20." She said quickly.

"You should be setting your own rules at that age, stop letting her tell you what to do." He said bluntly.

"But she's my mother sir, I must respect her and obey her. She does everything for me."

"Yeah, everyone does, but this is silly. She's locking you away and treating you like a child. Have you ever left this house? And has she ever cut your hair?" He sounded calm, and Rachel relaxed a little.

"No sir, I have not, I was home schooled and I never had need to leave my own garden. And mother says my hair is precious. She doesn't want to ruin it, so she never cut it. I suppose you are right though sir." Rachel sighed.

"Of course I am." The boy said.

"And, I wouldn't be leaving my front garden anyway…"

"No, you wouldn't. Now please come down and sign for this package." Rachel gave in, set her book down and went downstairs and out the front door. "Hello again, it's nice to be able to look at you without getting neck pains." The boy joked.

"Thank you. What is it you want me to do sir?" Rachel asked.

"Well, you can stop calling me sir, its Charlie, and sign here please." Charlie handed Rachel a pen and a clipboard with a sheet on. Rachel signed it very carefully, then handed it back. "Thanks. Nice name Rachel." He said, handing her the parcel.

"You are the first person I have ever spoken to besides my mother you know." Rachel said.

"I gathered. Do you want to keep in touch so you have someone to talk to?" Charlie asked, taking the sheet she signed and ripping a corner off.

"Oh yes, that would be lovely. I could write to you." Rachel said getting exited.

"Do you have a phone?" Charlie asked her.

"Yes, I do."

"If you give me your number then I can call you, and you can call me whenever you need a friend." He tore the corner in half and wrote his number down on one side, and Rachel wrote hers on the other, and they exchanged numbers. Charlie left and Rachel went back inside.

Present moment (You can play the song while or before reading this part)

Rachel closed her diary and placed it hidden behind her wardrobe and sat by the phone, watching it, waiting for it to ring. All alone in that big house, she could hear the clock ticking in the silence. It was getting late, and Rachel knew that her mother could return back any moment for dinner.

Rachel began to wonder if today had been real at all. Of course, she had the package as proof, but she still could not quite believe that she had spoken to someone, and now she was waiting for his phone call.

Rain began to fall outside and Rachel looked at the window to see darkness spreading over the garden. The weather had begun to reflect her mood. Although exited, as time wore on she began to think of all the bad things that had happened that day, like smashing 2 plates.

Rachel lay with her head on her arms. What if he never called her? How could she live knowing there were other people out there she could speak to, but never being given the chance? Before today, she had not thought it possible that she would ever see the outside world, but now she had hope, and it was slipping away.

Rachel was miserable with this thought, and tried to think of something to do to take her mind off it, but could think of nothing, so stayed by the phone. Her mother would be home soon expecting food, but Rachel was in no mood to cook.

"Please ring" she begged the phone, "why don't you ring?" Rachel knew that the ring ring sound would be the only thing to raise her spirits. There and then, it was the best sound in the world. She looked at the phone set on her wall and sighed.

She sat there, impatience and alone. It wasn't really a case of want anymore, it was a case of need. She needed to know that she could speak to people outside of her home. "Please call me soon." She said "or mother will be home and you will have missed your chance."

He was there earlier, she was sure of it, and now he's gone. Was there something she had done wrong perhaps to scare him away? Rachel knew it was a bad decision to give him her number, but she was sure it would be worth it in the end.

Was it her fault that he wouldn't ring her? Perhaps something had happened to him that meant he couldn't phone. But, does this then mean, that their friendship is over already? Rachel refused to believe that.

It was too late to unthank that though, Rachel felt a tear trickle down her cheek, and she was beginning to give up on the idea that he would ever phone, and thought she might as well start on dinner. If she did leave it, she hoped he would forgive her if he did phone, or better still, he could phone her now.

Rachel tapped the phone wondering what she should do, wait and hear that glorious sound or forget about it all together. She put her chin on her hands, which were rested on the arm of the sofa, and looked back up at the phone, growing impatient again, she needed that phone to ring soon.

Rachel pulled her guitar out and started strumming away in an attempt to imitate the sound of the phone's ring. On top of that, she began singing the words "ring ring" in time to her playing. In doing so, she didn't hear the first few rings from the phone, but when she eventually heard it, she put her guitar down and stood up quickly to grab the phone, answering it instantly. "Yes?" She asked.

"Hey, it's Charlie…"

Epilogue (Music for this section - watch?v=DVND_gCxPqE)

I love you very much mother, and I hope you will forgive me.

Your loving daughter

Rachel.

I placed the letter on the kitchen table and looked around the big empty room, knowing that this would be the last time I saw it, and it exited me.

"Are you ready?" Charlie asked, standing in the doorway.

"I have been ready to leave this house for the last 21 years, I just didn't know it until now." I said, picking my bag up and headed for the front door, Charlie following behind me. I opened the front door and stepped out into the morning breeze. Charlie took my hand and we walked to the gate. As I opened it I turned round to look at my home one final time. It was a beautiful prison, the climbing roses and Tudor architecture could have had anyone fooled. I closed the gate behind me and I walked hand in hand with Charlie down the empty gravel drive and off towards the town, and I have never looked back since.

A/N I hope you enjoyed that, I tried to add a little music to it, as I always find the right piece of music makes the story better, but the piece I was really after was just too long. If you want to know what it is, you can listen to it here - watch?v=cn_7P3ztGVs