Chapter 3: Nowhere Man

I don't see John again for another six months. He has been skipping classes with ease, and he always wriggles out of lettering class, most likely because of me.
The classroom is busy pasting posters on the walls of the school and setting up decorations for the year's school dance. The hallways are strung with multi-colored streamers and littered with confetti everywhere. I'm in the middle of putting up a poster when Cynthia skips over and sprinkles confetti over my head. I smile and go back to putting up posters.
"So are you going to the dance tonight?" She asks, leaning up against the wall. I shrug a shoulder. "Yeah, I guess so." Cynthia bends down and gives me another poster laying on the floor. "Well that's nice! Who are you going with?" I tape a corner of the poster onto the wall. "Nobody, I just figure that I'll meet up with some friends while I'm there. You?" I wince as I know what I've gotten myself into by asking that.
"Oh, John's taking me." I turn towards her and lean up against the wall as she does. "Oh… how… how is he?" She raises an eyebrow. "He's fine. Same as always."
"That bad, huh?" She hits me playfully in the arm. "You know it."
We don't say anything for a few minutes, and she bites her lip.
"Well, I ought to get going. See you at the dance?" I nod. "Yeah, see you." And as easy as she came, she left. I roll my eyes and turn back to the poster, but the rainbow colors don't seem as happy anymore. They seem to be mocking me.

I get home later than usual, and have to race into my closet to find the beautiful frilly short black dress I have been waiting for an occasion like this to wear. I change and curl my hair so that it bounces when I walk, and carefully apply makeup to my face. Once I'm finished, I walk downstairs and slip on my black high-heels and walk into the kitchen. I rumage through the drawers and find a pen and a piece of paper to leave a note for my Mum. I close the door behind me and set off for the party.
I open the doors to the school and see the hundreds of kids lining the halls, moving their way into the gathering room, where the dancing is. I squeeze my way through people, and run into a few on the way. Most of the group is paired up, girlfriend with boyfriend, and I feel awkward standing alone.
I soon find Phyl and we start talking together, it turns out that she came alone as well. I excuse myself for a minute and walk over to the bathroom. I'm nearly there when I feel someone grab my arm. I turn around and see John standing there with a pale face.
"Umm… Hi?" I say, glancing down at his hand wrapped around my arm.
"Hey, can I talk to you for a second?" I look over my shoulder and follow him into the hallway, away from the group. To my surprise, he finds a hall where there is hardly anybody there. "Yes?" I whisper.
"I want you to meet my band."
I'm taken aback by this, and shake my head.
"Why?" He shrugs and looks around uncertainly.
"Because I think you'll like them. Listen, I can't be your boyfriend, you know that."
I wriggle my arm free of his hand.
"And what makes you think that I want that?"
He frowns. "That's besides the point. C'mon."
He grabs my wrist and pulls me down the hallway and out the door.
"John! John, stop it! Where are we going?"
He gives me a crazy smile. "On a magical mystery tour. You weren't having that much fun at the dance anyways, were you? All alone, no guy with you, it's not like I took you away from your love."
My heart drops at this, even though I know it's true.
He pulls me onto a bus and gives the lady behind the wheel a few coins. We head up the stairs and grab onto a pole as the bus jolts to a start.
Four boys are sitting at the end of the bus in the back seat, dressed in leather and smoking cigarettes.
John yanks my arm towards them and before I know it, we're next to the boys and John's grinning.
"Hey fellas, this is Stella, y'know, the girl I mentioned?"
My face turns bright red as the whole lot of them turn in my direction and look me over.
A boy with big brown eyes smiles a little bit, a boy with big cheekbones smirks, and a boy with Elvis-style hair winks. The boy hidden in the back of them all shows no expression what-so-ever, with his salad bowl-like hair.
"Stella, this is Stu Sutcliffe. Stu, Stella." The salad bowl-haired boy holds out his hand and I shake it. "Hey."
"And this is Pete Best…" The Elvis-wannabe shakes my hand firmly.
"This is George Harrison, Georgie, Stella." He smiles a little and shakes my hand. "And, last but not least, Paul McCartney." The boy with the big brown eyes gives a big smile and holds my hand while he shakes.
"Nice to meet you. Is your real name Stella?" I nod.
"Yeah… it is. Is your name Paul?" He laughs, and shakes his head. "Actually, no. It's James. But it's my Dad's name so…"
"Nobody really cares, Paulie." John interrupts, and I smack him across the face as hard as I can. All of the boys "Ohhh!" except for Paul, he just turns bright red.
"I care, Lennon. Don't answer for me." I snap, and John moves to the seat to my right.
I stand up and take Paul's hand gently and he stands up with me. "Come on Paul, let's go somewhere they can't bother us. The gits."
I turn to George and smile at him. "Do you want to come too?" He looks at his friends and nods, standing up with us.
I turn around at John, Pete and Stu.
"When you boys learn to be nice, come find us.
"Where will you be, your highness, when we need you most dearly?"
I stick up my middle finger and their eyes widen.
"In the sky with diamonds."
Then, without saying another word, I get off of the bus with Paul and George