Hello everyone! May I present to you chapter 2! Thank you sooo much to the people that read and commented on chapter 1, it means a lot to me! :) I was surprised to see that people actually viewed this lol but I hope you all enjoy this chapter! (Sorry if there are mistakes or some parts don't make sense!) But writing this is truly enjoyable and I can't wait to post more chapters in the future! But anyways, thanks again and I hope everyone's day is going great!
July 2nd, 1957
A few days had passed since I had last seen John, so I decided to pay him a visit after hanging out with my very dear friend Abigail Evans.
Abigail or Abby as everyone called her, lived a few houses down from John on Menlove Avenue, so it was always easy to visit both of them within a few minutes or so.
I obviously loved to spend time with both of them, but they never liked to hang out with me at the same time for some reason.
That would be just too easy.
John, being the annoying bastard he is, always pesters me that I always spend way too much time at her house. Aside from spending 95% of my life in John's presence, I practically live at Abby's house.
I even have my own closet in their guest room filled with my clothes that I keep at her house because I am that type of friend. So in other words, the guest room is my room. Her parents love me as a second child and I love them like they were my parents, so our values are very mutual when it comes to me being in their lives most of the time.
They have never seemed to care when I took food from their fridge, anyways.
While John and Abby are both on good terms, she does not really trust him like I do due to his "rebellious" nature as she calls it.
I have been trying to convince her otherwise since the first time they met and explain to her that he actually does not influence me to do bad things. "That boy is the devil Cat, El Diablo in flesh and blood!" She always tells me.
And to think that she is the most British person you will ever meet, with not even one drop of Spanish in her blood. Where did she even learn Spanish? She concerns me sometimes, really.
But anyhow, you skip one class with the boy and she goes all "parent" on us. You have to love her though; she's always got my back.
As I walked through the gate and up to the door to knock on John's door, I briefly made eye contact with John's Aunt Mimi through the kitchen window.
Mimi Smith has always liked me, or at least I think she has. But I believe it is always some sort of act she puts up in front of John.
She always casts a watchful eye on us whenever I am with him. Maybe I just so happen to intimidate her. Ha! Coming from a girl that has a fear of the sound of the toaster popping.
Yes, very intimidating indeed.
I lifted my hand to the door to knock, but before my knuckles could even brush the wood, the door swung open to reveal Mimi standing there with a hand on her hip.
"A little late to be coming over, don't you think, Ms. Taylor?" She frowned, obviously not wanting me to be there at the moment.
"Hello Mrs. Smith, how are you? I'm fine, thanks!" I greeted quickly, "But it is only six, and I'm only here to talk to John about the homework." I reasoned with her, trying to sound as angelic as possible as I tried to push back the nerves that were in my throat.
Something about the woman made me extremely nervous.
"Catherine, it is the summer and school has been over for weeks." She crossed her arms over her chest, clearly not believing me. "Well as you can see uhh…" I stuttered trying to come up with an explanation.
Why won't she just let me in?!
"There's always time for schooling, Mrs. Smith. Summer? Relaxation? Pshh! More like an extended break from school allowing more time for work, work, work!" I grinned as I gently pushed by her, going to the staircase to walk up to John's room. "College is just around the corner so we have to start preparing for success!" I said with fake enthusiasm.
College? 16 year olds should not have to worry about those kind of things so early, so of course the enthusiasm I had for the topic of advanced schooling was completely nonexistent.
I was out of sight by the time I said that, but I could just imagine her shaking her head with narrowed eyes and making her way back to the kitchen with her apron clasped in her hand. Classic Mimi Smith.
When I got up the stairs, I headed right to John's room, swinging the door open and praying to God that I did not walk in on anything…unsightly.
He always did it to me at my house, so I always try to return the sudden invasion of privacy.
For all good fun, of course.
But when I opened the door, though, I found him lying on his back on his bed in the typical John Lennon position: legs up, guitar in hand, casually strumming his guitar and staring at his Bridgitte Bardot poster above his bed.
John looked up from his guitar when I entered and smiled.
"Well 'ello there, it's been a while!" He grinned, strumming his guitar rather loudly and standing up from his bed, slinging it over his shoulder.
I jumped a little at the loud noise that was emitted from the guitar. He always thought it was absolutely amusing when I got scared.
"Good afternoon to you too, Johnny." I laughed as I rolled my eyes at his fabulous sense of humor. Not.
"Ya know, if ya keep doin' that, they'll get stuck up there." He poked my head.
"Like you would know!" I retorted back rolling my eyes again dramatically in spite of him.
He chuckled and shook his head at me, adjusting the guitar on his shoulder. "The ol' bitch givin' ya trouble again from what I heard downstairs?" He asked somewhat sarcastically.
"John Winston Lennon! She is a very nice lady! Not to mention she absolutely adores you, even if she does seem a little mean sometimes!" I exclaimed, defending the infamous Mimi Smith.
John snorted out a laugh and slapped his knee, "My full name, eh? I must be in trouble!" He laughed, "But by nice, you must mean a controlling, classic lady stuck in the 1870s then, yes, Cat, you're totally right." He pointed out with a hint of sarcasm.
"Ain't that right, Mimi?" He yelled down the stairs. Silence only filled the house after his outburst. Ignored once again.
"She's gone crackers, I tell ya," He explained, "She can't even hear her own pride and joy anymore." He leaned up against the wall.
"So sorry, John, I know how hard it must be." I sighed, patting him on the shoulder and offering him all the sympathy in the world that I had to give.
"Oh, cut the bullshit, Cat!" John said laughing, "We all know you're toyin' with me, I don't need your sympathy!"
"We?" I looked around confusingly, hoping that Mimi was not standing right behind me, with her infamous disappointed expression gracing her face.
But thankfully, there was no Mimi and John was pointing upwards at his poster when I was searching for an actual human being.
"Rule number one, you can never forget about Bridgitte. Ain't that right, darlin'? He cooed, staring adoringly at the half naked female on his ceiling.
"Its not Mimi that's gone crackers, its definitely you, Lennon." I said rolling my eyes once again.
"Ah bugger off, you're jealous of my affections towards her. Give me a kiss, Cat, I know it is what ya want." He said coming at me with a kissy face.
"First off, ew. Secondly, in your dreams!" I giggled as I stepped away from him with my hands up.
"You'll come around eventually, they always do." He declared with that infamous over confidence of his.
"Oh, that'll be the day!" I laughed throwing my hands in the air.
"Oh okay then, Buddy Holly," He teased, "But I guess if ya won't kiss me, would ya then accept my invitation to the band's practice tonight at Shotton's place? We have that big performance in a couple days, ya know!" He explained, "And we're absolutely gear ya know, and I'm sure Shotton would love to see your pretty face again." He said with a growing smile on his face that screamed "you know exactly what I'm talking about."
Peter or Pete Shotton and I had dated for no less than 2 months last year and Lennon would not let it go. Our brief, failed romance amused him, or at least I think it does.
We were only 15, so nothing even happened between us that even comes close to mentioning. We barely even knew what a relationship should have been like at the time, honestly.
"Peter and I have been over for over a year now so…yeah," I said looking around the room again, trying to avoid the subject, "But I'll gladly come, I've got nothing else better to do since my dad is out and all." I admitted, looking down at my hands.
My dad and I have not been on good terms ever since my mum died two years ago. I miss my mum every day, but I never try to show it in front of my dad because he hated when I used to bring it up to him. He was so in love with her that living without her is unbearable for him nowadays.
I do not think that it helped that I was, as hard as it is to admit, an unplanned child that disrupted him while he was at the height of his career.
My mum had become very sick after I was born, so he had to quit his job in order to look after her. Because of that, we had to move back in with my mum's parents (my grandparent's) house for a while until we got back on our feet.
Living was rough during those years, but we were doing just fine and we lived like any normal family would have. We were planning on moving out until my mother expectantly died of an unknown sickness, much to the total devastation of the entire family, especially me and my dad.
Her death prompted us to stay at my grandparent's house to take care of them until they both tragically passed away one month after each other last year. Their will had left us the house, so that is where my dad and I have lived ever since.
We were never truly the same people after that.
It is a shame that we do not get along and support each other like we used to. I have so many fond memories of him when he was happy.
But the last two years we have been through were absolute hell; my father and I never really recovered from it.
I obviously still love him even though we do not interact like we used to. How could one not love their father? I know it hurts him whenever he sees me because all he can see is my mother.
I always wonder if he feels the same pain as I do. We have not had a good chance to sit down and talk ever since mum passed, so I never know what he is feeling or what he is doing.
Our lives have become just too separated from each other.
"Come 'ed Kitty Cat, we haven't got all night." John announced suddenly, snapping me out of my thoughts.
"Coming!" I said quickly as I followed him out the door. We had barely passed the gate when we heard a loud tapping on John's window.
"Glasses, John!" Mimi scolded him.
She was always on him about his poor eyesight. John was extremely near sighted and it was always funny to mess with him because of it.
John rolled his eyes and reluctantly took his glasses out of his pocket and put them on.
"Ya know if ya keep doing that, they'll get stuck up there." I giggled, recalling our conversation from earlier.
"Its not me or Mimi that's crackers, its you ya daft bird!" He laughed, throwing his arm around my shoulder as we turned the corner of his street and began walking towards Pete's house.
When we arrived around 25 minutes later because John just had to stop and get ice cream, Pete, Rod Davis and Eric Griffiths were already there.
We walked through the front door and into Pete's living room to see all 3 guys in there clutching their instruments while watching some show on the television.
"Where the hell is Hanton?" John exclaimed when he looked around to see that Colin was not there.
He didn't even say hello to his friends, how rude.
He was obviously upset that their drummer was not there with them before the "big show."
"He called in sick, he gotta bad cough." Pete replied, "And hello to you too, John! 'Ello Cat." He acknowledged me with a big smile.
Rod and Eric both turned their head my way when they heard my name, flashed me smiles and waved when they saw that I was behind John.
"'Ello lads, nice to see you all again." I smiled with a small wave.
John ignored our interactions and continued on fussing about Colin not showing up.
"What is this, elementary school? He called in sick? Call him back and tell em' to get his arse over here!" He implored, "And nice, right before our show too. This guy is fuckin' things up with this so called 'cough' of his." He huffed, running his hand through his already messed up hair.
He then turned to me, "Sorry Cat, I know your virgin ears hate when I swear."
"Oh shut it, Lennon." I blushed, hitting his arm.
"The queen has spoken, Lennon, ya better listen to her!" Pete said amused, pointing at me.
"You too, Shotton!" I said laughing, "But come on guys, I didn't come here to here you whine and complain about a person being sick! Start your playing, you've got a big show coming up and don't want to waste any precious time, am I right?"
"The queen has spoken once again and this time, with words of wisdom." John bowed dramatically, pretending to kiss my hand.
"Come 'ed lads lets go practice," He nodded towards the boys, "Turn off the blasted telly and lets go to the bathroom, the acoustics are better in the there." John said, pointing towards the door down the hall.
"Cat, you can sit outside and listen to us if you'd like!" Eric said as he stood up from the couch.
"Oh I see, I guess you don't really want me to listen to you guys," I pouted, looking away from them, "It's okay, I guess I understand."
"No, not at all!" He reasoned with a laugh, "Well you obviously can come inside, but it gets really crowded in there. Just look at me, I have to sit in the tub!"
"Which means you'd have to sit on Pete's lap." John butted in, grinning evilly.
"Oh uh, never mind then, forget I said anything," My face heated up, "I'll just stay outside."
"Good choice," Rod laughed, "You'll be able to hear us better outside the door, anyways." He whispered to me as we walked.
"Okay, I knew that sitting outside sounded like an absolutely grand idea in the first place, anyways." I smiled confidently, patting his back as I followed them to the bathroom.
I made myself right at home and leaned my head back on the door, anticipating the music.
They then entered the bathroom and immediately started to rehearse "Come Go with Me" by the Del-Vikings, one of John's favorite songs.
Truly enjoying myself, I listened to John's voice as he sang.
Not only did it give me chills, it gave me confidence. I had all the confidence in the world that he'd make it to the very top and achieve the fame that he desired so much.
His voice was so beautiful and distinct from other singers that people had to stop and listen to him whenever the music poured out of him. It was like it was coming from his soul.
"How was it?" John called out to me when they finished the song with a loud clang from their guitars, tearing me from my thoughts.
"I mean, it wasn't that bad." I teased, awaiting John's reaction.
"Open up those lug holes ya call ears, ya git!" John called out to me, sounding like he was hurt.
"I was obviously kidding you guys! It was marvelous; the best I have ever heard!" I told them, "You guys have yourself a new number one fan!" I laughed, putting my hand up to my head and pretending to faint like the super fans that go mad when they hear or their favorite band.
"Ya hear that, lads? She thinks we're gear and we're her favorite band!" Pete happily cheered, opening the door to reveal their big smiles.
"This performance is gonna take us to the top, lads! I can almost taste the fame right on my tongue! Or is that just me ciggy?" John exclaimed with a smile, sticking out his tongue jokingly.
His face was plastered with excitement as he ran over to me and picked me up to swing me around in a hug, chanting about his potential glory.
My excitement truly matched his as they kept on rehearsing through the night. As I listened to song after song, my love for the music grew.
It was impossible not to smile as it filled my brain; without music, I do not think I would know what love truly was.