Paul's POV

I had a bad case of fever! But I was really glad that it was only for a week. I felt better on Sunday morning, and my voice became normal again that afternoon.

I was glad to see Eleanor again on the bus, and she told me she was glad that I was healthy once again. She was wearing round glasses!

"What happened during my absence?" I asked her with interest. "Did you and George get along well?"

"Well, he was talking to me on Tuesday morning, but he ignored me on the afternoon. And then he started calling me names the next day, and he did that until Friday. I'm not sure if he would still call me names today." She said.

"What names?" I asked.

"Like freckles, bookworm, and loser," she said with a sigh—a sad one.

"Maybe he was just joking," I said with a small laugh.

"He didn't sound joking," she said. "And then he laughed afterwards. Being called freckles, bookworm, and loser offended me—and it reminded me of my previous school back in Manchester."

I couldn't believe what she told me. George is a nice lad! He wouldn't dare to hurt someone—even a fly! Why was he calling her names that offended her?

"Did you cry about it?" I asked her.

"No, I'm used to it, Paul," she said, not looking up from her closed book. "And then he called me four eyes on Thursday…the day I first used this stupid glasses."

Well, at least she didn't cry.

When George came, he called her four eyes. I glanced at Eleanor, but she didn't seem sad or something. I wanted to hit him for saying that to Eleanor, but I just couldn't. It was because of his cuteness. Damn it!

"George, take back what you just told her," I said to him as he sat down on an empty seat.

"What? Four eyes?" he asked. "It's true that she has four eyes, isn't it?"

I looked at Eleanor, and her eyes were filled with sadness. I looked back at him, and tried to hold back curses that were trying to escape from my tongue.

"She only has two eyes, George," I said. "Maybe it's you who needs glasses."

She looked at me, and gave me a small smile that said "Thank you".

"Oh, well, it's obvious you're defending her, because you fancy her so much," he said. "If you fancy her so much, why don't you just marry her?"

I understand what it was all about now! George was jealous, because I often talk about and talk to Eleanor!

"Maybe I will in a few years or so, and you can do nothing about it," I said with a smirk, and then looked at Eleanor. "Isn't it right, Eleanor?"

"Right as rain, Paul," she said with a wider smile.

"And you're invited, George! It's going to be a grand wedding!" I said, and rested my hand on her shoulder.

He only gave me a one-second smile, and then walked away. I looked at Eleanor, and she looked at me as if she was about to hug me. Before she could say anything, I said to her:

"Don't mention it, Eleanor. I'll talk to him at school."

She gave me a quick hug, and then looked away from me. I just got a hug from a girl! And it was the first time for me to get a hug from a bird! My heart was beating, and my hormones were rushing. I wanted more than that. Perhaps, a wet kiss on the lips? Come on, Eleanor, give me a wet kiss on the lips! I know that you want to! Now, what's the matter with me?

"George, why are you being so mean to Eleanor?" I asked George as we walked down the hallway of our school.

"I don't like her, Paul," he explained. "I don't like her like how you like her."

"She's a nice girl, George! Why don't you give her a chance?" I asked.

"She's boring." He said.

"No, she isn't!" I said. "And she told me you ignored her as if she didn't even exist when I was absent. And you called her a loser! What the fuck is that for?"

Apparently, there was the school headmaster on the hallway George and I were walking. I froze when he called my name.

"Yes, sir?" I replied him politely.

"What did you just say to Mr. George Harrison?" he asked me sternly.

I paused. "I said something bad to him, sir," I said. "But I did that to defend a friend of mine!"

"McCartney, in my office, now!" He said sternly.

I slowly nodded my head. "Yes, sir." I said, and followed behind him to the office.

He spanked my poor butt ten times because of swearing! My lovely ass didn't say those words! It was my tongue! And besides, I didn't learn anything after the spanking. But he punished me. He told me to clean all the black boards in the school after classes. I wanted to protest, but he told me there were going to be other three boys who were going to do the same thing. It made me feel a little better. I hope Eleanor was going to be all right all by herself, and could handle George on her own.

Eleanor's POV

George called me names again on the bus ride home. I wanted to cry, because of those nasty names he called me. Where was Paul when I needed him?

I glared at George when he called me freckles. "Unibrow!" I said to him.

"Excuse me?" he said with a laugh.

"You heard me! Loud and clear, unibrow!" I said. "Now, shut your moth, before I shave your unibrow! If you say a word, I will sew your mouth painfully!" I opened my book angrily, and read to calm myself down.

It worked! He didn't say anything to me after those violent words I just said to him. I didn't know I could say those words! It felt really great! I just wanted to laugh because of my victory.

I got a phone call from Paul after dinner. He sounded awfully tired!

"Paul, are you all right?" I asked him.

"No, I'm tired!" he said. "My stupid headmaster punished me for swearing to George. Well, the things to defend you."

"Oh, Paul, I'm really sorry," I said.

"No, it's fine, Ellie," he said. "Oh, by the way, I thought about a name to call you instead of Eleanor when I was erasing the black boards of the school. And it's Ellie! Do you like it?"

He thought about me! He was thinking about me!

"I like it very much, Paul," I said to him with a wide smile that he couldn't see. "Thank you."

"Don't mention it. It's really nice, don't you think so?"

"Yes, it is." I said.

"Eleanor, get off from the telephone, go upstairs, and study!" yelled my father from the living room.

I covered the telephone, and yelled back to my dad, "Yes, I will!" I said, and then set the phone on my ear. "Paul, my father told me to go upstairs and study."

"Alright, I'll see you again tomorrow." He said.

"Bye, Paul." I said.

"Bye, love." He said, and then I hung up.

The fact that I knew he was thinking about me made me so happy. For the first time in my life, a boy was thinking about me! It made me happy to know about it.