September 6, 1955

Merseyside, Liverpool

The sunshine tiptoed into my room as silent and as delicate as a mouse and I opened my weary eyes. My ashen ceiling came into sight and I yawned. Thank God it was Saturday. I dreadfully needed sleep, because jet lag from journeying abroad truly drains you. A knock met my bedroom door as I jumped out of bed to answer it.

"I'm guessing you were up already?" my father asked.

"Yeah, sadly I didn't get an opportunity to sleep in."

"Me either. Well, there's someone at the door for you, so get decent and come and see him." He instructed and closed the door.

'But I just moved here…nobody knows who I am yet. Whatever…' I thought, quickly clutching a purple dress from my newly filled closet and stepping into it. Grabbing the hairbrush, I ran it gradually through my thick brunette hair and scurried to the front door.

A tall, handsome teenage boy stood there with his two parents. The woman who stood there appeared youthful and appealing, yet grave and profound, but the man appeared to be happy-go-lucky and of good spirits with his toothy grin. The boy's lips spread into a smirk, which would soon be known as his signature, and he gazed at me. He handed me a bin full of cookies.

"Welcome to Merseyside." The boy spoke. "My name is John, and this is my mother, Julia, and my stepfather Bobby. We live right next door and we came to give you a warm welcome."

"Hi, it's nice to meet you. My name's Natalie," I said, shaking each of their hands, but I shook John's hand last. He looked at me with that 'look'. Like the look when you know a guy thinks you're cute. But, I just shook it off. He could not have been fond of me…right? We were just introduced to each other. This guy already annoyed me. You know those kinds of people that annoy you by just looking at them? Well, that's the way I felt about John.

"Would you like to come in and join us for breakfast? You guys seem hungry."

"That would be wonderful, dear. Thank you for the offer." Julia answered my question and I led Bobby, John, and she into the kitchen. The smell of home fries and scrambled eggs met us at the entrance and I directed them to the dining table. I took my seat next to Julia at first, but then John whispered something to Julia and she stood up. John and Julia switched places and now I was seated next to John. 'Great. Next to Idiot over here. Thanks, Julia.' I thought to myself. My father loaded the dishes with eggs and home fries for every person and he sat in his chair.

"Thank you for such a warmhearted welcome, Ms. Dykins," My father said to Julia.

'Oh, so Idiot had a last name…'

"Please, call me Julia. Anyone is welcome here in Merseyside." She smiled at my father. John rolled his eyes at his mother's trite words and looked at me seductively, smirking and clearly making an effort to flirt with me. I rolled my eyes, noticeably irate, and shook my head side to side. I was knowledgeable by just looking at him that he was one of those kinds of guys that are so perverted it's annoying and irrelevant, and he was already getting on my nerves. John turned to Bobby and winked at him, signaling something.

"Natalie, when John's finished, he wants to show you around Merseyside. Is that alright with you?" Bobby asked me.

'No. Not at all. Ugh. Well, this is legitimately going to suck.'

"Sure, that would be magnificent." I said sarcastically, and John rolled his eyes and shook his head, imitating me.

"Come on, you." He commanded, standing up, clenching my wrist, and literally dragging me to the door. John closed the door and helped me up off of the ground.

"Great. This'll be fun." I rolled my eyes as John took my hand lightly and we headed to the sidewalk. Halfway down it, John broke the awkward silence

"So, you're name is Natalie, right?"

"No, its Ignatius…yes, it's Natalie."

"Feisty, huh? I like that…"

"Ugh, just shut up!" I yelled, crossing my arms.

"Ouch, that hurt, girl." He said sarcastically, rolling his eyes. John laughed and took my hand again. I pulled it away from his grip.

"Look, I was just teasing. Calm down." He told me.

"But you're annoying…"

"Alright then. Fine. You win. Can we just get along? That's the whole reason we came to welcome you. To make new friends with the new neighbors."

"Well, obviously you're not well-acquainted with how to make a good first impression on someone." I insulted him.

"Okay, well what do you think of me?"

"Hm…arrogant, recalcitrant, disobedient, foolish, perverted, rather annoying, ignorant, tenacious, imprudent, irrational, immature, impolite, rude, obstinate, caustic, rebellious-"

"Alright, that's enough…" he interrupted me. "Want to know what I think about you?"

'Oh crap. Here it comes.'

"Sure…"

"You're prejudging…" he mumbled.

"Anything else besides that?" I asked.

"Well…you're…intelligent, philosophical, mature, pessimistic of yourself, cynical, yet joyful, witty, and…"

"And what?"

"Is stunning a fine word to illustrate you also?"

"Oh, please. Don't even try that with me."

"But it's true!"

"How many girls have you told that one to?"

"Hm…" he glanced down at his fingers and counted them one by one. I rolled my eyes and sighed.

"I'm guessing a lot?"

He nodded regretfully. "You're not like other girls, Natalie…"

"Be quiet!"

"I mean it! I truly, genuinely, sincerely mean it. From the bottom of my heart I mean it." John told me. I blushed slightly, for no boy had ever said that to me in my life. I still didn't believe him, though.

"Yeah, okay…"

"Well, can we at least be friends?"

I hesitated for a moment, and then responded to his offer. "That would be okay…"

"So that's a yes, then?"

I nodded as we headed forward down the sidewalk.

"So, you're last name is Dykins?" I asked.

"No, it's Lennon. My mother re-married."

"Oh, that's right. You live with her?"

"No, I live with my Aunt Mary. She lives right next door to you, and my mother and Bobby live down the street."

"Oh, cool." I said, this uncomfortable conversation getting worse by the minute.

"So, why don't you like it when I say you're attractive?"

'God, he gets more irksome every moment, doesn't he?'

"Because I'm not. And you've probably said that to several girls, am I right?"

"Well…yes."

"Exactly. Does that answer your question?"

"No."

"Well what does?"

"I don't know. You tell me, baby."

I was legitimately about to fly into a rage.

"GOD. YOU'RE SO ANNOYING!"

"That's what I was aiming for." He winked. My face got hot, and I turned on my heel and without delay, I rapidly walked down the opposite end of the sidewalk.