Aoife's POV
'Goodbye Aoife! That could be the last time I say that, which is why you have to come out tonight!' You know we'll be sad and the guys will be too! We have such fun with you.
Oh Robyn you can be nice but I know you only want me there so that the guys will come. You'll all be sad, will you? Your little followers Kelly and Jane only try to be my friend because you told them too. She used to be so nice.
'Aoife, please?'
'Aww, don't make me feel bad, you and the guys can have plenty of fun without me and you know that I already made plans.' I tried to sound sincere but I'm sure it had the opposite effect.
'But this is the last day of school! We have to celebrate on a huge scale.' There's that sickly sweet and grating tone in her voice again when Robyn doesn't get her own way.
'I will be celebrating but I have to be somewhere else tonight.'
'You mean you're just celebrating with… Kate. I mean she could maybe come out too if you like, I mean she wouldn't be in anyone's way would she Kelly and Jane.' They nodded in unison. Robyn must be desperate she hates Kate. There's no way she'd ever go.
'Kate's not into these things you know, oh wait speak of the devil, hey Kate! I called her over as she was about to leave through the school gates. 'You still up for tonight?'
'Yea it'll be fun, shall we go to your place or mine?' Oh hey Robyn, Kelly, Jane how are you?
'Great Kate.' Said Robyn sarcastically. 'Look Aoife our offer is still up for tonight if you'd rather go to ours instead of Kate's 'exciting' party.'
'Oh Aoife do you want to do Robyn's thing? I don't want you to think you have to hang out with me'. Kate looked down at the ground and tried not to let me see how dejected she was.
'What of course I do Kate! I promised didn't I?
'Well yea'
'Then it's settled, sorry Robyn I'll see you all some other time.' I said trying to walk away but Robyn grabbed my arm.
'Oh c'mon Aoife, come out! Kate I mean… you could always… come out with us too if… you want. I mean I know you like to sit alone by yourself and be a bore but you can come out tonight and be a bore at the party and then Aoife can come too'. All three of them laughed.
I can't believe Robyn said that about Kate. Kate looked like she really wanted to tell Robyn to fuck off but she's always too nice. Well if she's not gonna tell Robyn the truth I will.
'Look Robyn, here's the truth I don't want to come out with you tonight, I want to hang out with Kate' I grabbed Kate's arm and it's like I passed on some of my confidence.
'Sorry Robyn I guess Aoife made up her own mind, well you have fun with this little party of yours Robyn. Oh Aoife do you think we should invite any of the guys over later, like Alan and John and maybe even Matthew.
'Don't you even dare Kate, anyway I invited them to my party first' Robyn glared at Kate but for once Kate didn't look phased.
'Well I'm sure the guys can make up their own minds, besides you didn't seem to care that I had made plans with Aoife first'.
'But…'
'Oh we better be going Aoife'.
'Oh yes Kate of course! See you girls around some time'.
'Yes Robyn you have fun celebrating tonight bye!'
We both turned around and left. When we got out of sight of them we both burst out laughing.
Kate's POV
'Haha we should do that more often' I said with a grin on my face.
'So out with the nice Kate and in with the fun Kate' replied Aoife grinning back also.
'Shut up, I was never nice, but it's the last day of school and you know she's never been nice to me. I saw my chance to finally stand up to her. I told you she was a bitch'.
'Yea you were right, she could be nice when it suited her, but I think she's use to getting her own way too because of the family she has'. Aoife said and rolled her eyes.
'Oh well honestly I don't care about her anymore, especially now that you see who she really is. You ready for drinks at mine?'
'Yea your parents are away right?
'Yes so we can chill properly'
'It's funny that people think your boring, you just don' tell anybody what you do'
'Hey as long as I'm having fun why does everyone else need to know?
'Go you miss independent. I'm ready for a drink and maybe something else…'
'Oh you and your little kicks, fine but can it just be us two tonight? I don't feel like being sociable.'
'Thank god. I want to get drunk and talk shit with my friend'.
Kate's POV
What's the word for my house? It's not very impressive but Aoife always seems to like it even though her house is bigger and a lot more elegant. I know what she calls it. Comfortable. It sounds like she's just trying to be kind but she likes that our house is a bit messy and it looks lived in. I guess she has a better house than me but she can't leave traces of herself in it, like leaving a jacket on the stairs or shoes wherever she wants or the keys on the table or anything out of place. Her parents like a spotless house and I don't blame them but Aoife just wishes she could really live in it.
People say that she should act more like her family but I'm very glad she doesn't. Let me be clear that they are perfectly fine but they live for their outward appearance and so need things to be perfect. Aoife just wants to be herself. To her parents dismay she would wear leather all the time if she could. She also wants to dye her hair every colour and then every shade of each colour. Right now it's dip dyed blue with her natural hair colour dark brown at the roots. Her parents say it's all a phase but I think it's gonna be a lifelong one.
'Hey, quit hogging the joint will yea?' said Aoife bringing me out of my inner monologue.
'Sorry I was in my own little world'.
'I didn't come here so we could sit in silence, how about some music?'
'Alright what do you want to listen to?
'Ha!' Aoife laughed 'Put on who we always listen to'
'Right. What album then?'
'Surprise me'
'Alright I think this one' I typed in the word 'Revolver' into YouTube and clicked on the album.
'Oh very nice we haven't listened to this one in a little while'
'Well you said surprise you'
'And you did. I thought you were going to put on Sgt. Peppers again'
'Hey don't mock it just cause it got overhyped, it's still a great album'
'Yea I know, it's just not my favourite'
We just sat smoking and drinking for a while not really saying anything. We just let the music do the talking until we felt the drugs kick in.
'When I wake up early in the morning
Lift my head, I'm still yawning
When I'm in the middle of a dream
Stay in bed, float up stream'
'Everything feels so fucking defeatist today. Lennon said it, why can't he just dream. Why does everything have to be so scheduled today? Everything seemed so positive in the 60s'.
'I think that was just a lot of drugs.' I say and hold up the joint I'm smoking.
'You know what I mean. We should stand up for something. They fought against the war, against discrimination of all kinds. What the fuck is our generation doing? Updating our Facebook status.'
'Wow man'. I said putting on a stoner voice. 'You better chill out, you're bringing me down with heavy thoughts.'
'Fuck you.'
'I'll invent a time machine for you and you can go back to the 60s.'
'I wish you would, I'd so love to go back.'
'Yea, I know what you mean, we could go back and meet our idols.'
'Exactly! I think someone is coming around to my side now.' Said Aoife with a slight smile.
'I wonder what they were like…' I pondered more to myself than Aoife.
'Amazing!' She squealed.
'Just amazing no other qualities?'
'Yea just amazing in everything.'
'Haha, well I think Ringo would be friendly and super nice.'
'He'd also be caring and loyal to his friends.'
'Maybe a little bit too laid back.'
'But that makes him a good friend to be with.'
'What about John?' Starting to direct this conversation more to Aoife as well as me.
'Oh well he would be the leader and smart.'
'He'd also be funny but in a witty and sarcastic way.'
'And a little bit of a show off.'
'Yea but only cause he feels he has to prove himself.'
'OK yea that makes sense and George… George.' Aoife seemed puzzled as what to say so I quickly stepped in.
'George would be talented but not a show off, stands up for his beliefs, be a subtle romantic doesn't buy bouquets of flowers but shows he loves you in the little things he does, he's open and fair minded and willing to try new things, he's good-looking but really doesn't care.'
'Oh god, I get it you love George, you insane fan girl.'
'I do not, I just, appreciate him.'
'Oh yea 'appreciate' him. I'm sure you'd appreciate him even more if he was on top of you.'
'Honestly you have to bring down everything to your uncivilised level. Besides we've left your lover to the end.'
'Oh yes, Paul and me, at least I admit I'm in love.'
'Ok fine, I'll let you describe 'your' Paul.'
'Well…' Aoife started drawing in breath. 'Obviously he's madly in love with me, he's cute, he flirts with other girls but I know he only has eyes for me and he shows me all the time, he's funny but not overly he doesn't really try, he can be sensitive but only in front of me.'
'Ugh god, really? Why would you like it if he flirts with other girls?'
'Because he wants to look cool in front of his friends and he likes to be nice to other girls who like him. It's kinda like me I don't like to be mean to guys who are being nice to me. So there.' She declared in a child's voice and she stuck out her tongue.
'Fine whatever, it's just not my thing. I'm probably a little too blunt with guys and I don't hate Paul, I just don't get why so many people find him cute.'
'How can you not!? Aw why can't we go back and meet them? They'd totally fall in love with us, I mean we're pretty awesome.'
'Yea sure, I think we're just crazy instead of awesome.'
'We can be both.'
'True with genius comes madness, I think that's the general gist of it.'
'It's not gonna happen though, we were born in the wrong decade.'
'Hey I'm pretty high right now, how are you feeling?' asked Aoife with a massive smile on her face.
'Yea' I replied and I probably had a massive smile on my face as well.
'Why don't we watch a film or something? What about Magical Mystery Tour! That would be so trippy right now'.
'Yea totally…' I said zoning out for a second.
'Oh by the way got any snacks? I'm so hungry'. Aoife asked and the mention of food got my attention.
'No you're just high and I'm high. I'll get all the food we have'.
Luckily I own the DVD of this movie, as I own most of the Beatles merchandise. Two bags of BBQ crisps, a bar of chocolate, a pack of biscuits and all the other random food I found at the back of our cupboards were laid out on the floor in front of us. We sat on my leather lounge chairs which are so comfy normally but when you're high you could just melt into these chairs. I think this movie was made for stoners too as we started laughing and being amazed by everything we were seeing.
'I have some good ideas, if I say so myself' said Aoife while attempting to hit me on the shoulder.
'Yea you were right. This is awesome.' I said in a cynical voice admitting defeat.
Gradually I could see the room around me turning to white. It was like a bright light encroaching in from the corners of the room. I almost wanted to touch the light but then I thought that whenever anyone goes into this kind of bright light in films that they're usually dead. They're in a nice place resembling heaven but still dead.
'Aoife get up! The light it's coming'.
'Kate what are you on about?'
'Look seriously look. Can't you see it?'
She finally focused her eyes around the corners and sides of room.
'Oh shit! She sat up in a crouching position on the chair she was on.
'What the fuck is this Kate?'
'I don't know… but I think we better move'.
The light was edging closer so we gathered to the TV on the table in front of us. We huddled together not knowing what to do.
'Kate!
'Aoife'.
'I'm scared I don't know what to do'.
'Either do I. I don't think we can do anything.'
I was about to close my eyes when I realised the movie was still playing, but it was only repeating one shot of the film over and over.
'It's the same thing. Why isn't it moving on?'
'Oh god Kate what now?'
'Look at the film'.
'This is not the time for The Magical Mystery Tour!'
'But it keeps looping the same part'.
It was simply a shot of them waving from the bus, waving at us. We'd already watched this before…
'So who cares Kate? Maybe the DVD has frozen. I don't know, how does this help us now Kate!?'
'Maybe we have to follow them, they're waving at us.'
'Seriously!? We need to do something! It's getting close. It's nearly touching me!'
She was right. We were both practically on tiptoe and literally hanging on to each other for dear life.
'Touch the screen Aoife'.
'What?'
I don't know why but I thought that the light was guiding us to the film and we were rapidly running out of ideas. At least I had an idea even if it was crazy.
'Do it Aoife' I screamed at her. She looked so terrified that she put her hand on the screen at the same time that I did.
The light pierced out of everywhere. I couldn't feel myself anymore. There was only light, Aoife's voice was getting distant so I ran even though it didn't feel like running. I felt movement but my mind and body weren't quite connected.
'Ao…ife' I struggled with saying just his one word.
Running felt pointless. Something was going to happen whether I fought it or not.
'Aoife' I shouted my voice gaining strength.
'Kate' I heard. Aoife's voice was getting louder too.
'Where are you?'
'I don't know I can't really see anything.'
'I know. Just follow my voice. I think something is going to happen.'
The light was still bright but it was closing in just like it did before.
'Aoife is that you?'
'Yea I think so I can barely make you out but I think I'm touching your hand. Promise me you won't let go.'
'I won't'.
For once the light wasn't moving. There was just a straight narrow pathway seemingly leading to something. Aoife and I spirited towards it. Anything was better than nothing. The light then expanded once we reached the end of the pathway and even though we could hardly believe it, a bus was there and it was slowly driving away from us. It was an old fashioned vehicle with a bus conductor standing at the open entrance holding on to the rail.
'What the…' we both said.
Breathless and unsure if this was really happening, we did the only thing we could and ran towards the bus.
The bus only picked up speed as we spirited towards it. The light too as though it had a vengeance, curled in on itself and nearly took us with it. With the last of our adrenaline we grabbed the bus rail and landed on what we thought was the bus. On the ground almost afraid to open our eyes, we waited for our worse fears to come true. When nothing seemed to happen, our curiosity got the better of us and we took in the sight before us. Both of our mouths were open but no words were coming out.
