"Oh god Gabby" mumbled Arthur, turning to look at her for the first time in an hour. "Doesn’t she have great legs"
Gabrielle wondered if he was just *really* daft, or if he was mocking the dormant bisexual nature Paul professed to her having. "Yeah great"
Arthur was a friend of George’s, and they’d had a band together a while back. They never really amounted to anything and only got a few gigs but Arthur was still part of George and Gabrielle’s social circle. At least, what had been their social circle since almost birth until all this business with the Quarry Men had started.
But anyway, Arthur was good looking, sandy hair and blue eyes in that sort of Irish sort of way. And yet, he was, just like every other boy it seemed in Liverpool, not boyfriend material for Gabrielle. It was only a little depressing and further spurred her somewhat irrational anxiety over dying alone.
She went back to watching the film when she felt something hit her in the back of the head. At first, Gabrielle ignored it, but then she was pelted again with numerous bits of popcorn. She whirled around in her seat and saw John with the bassist from the Bathroom session sitting there with him.
"Lennon!" she hissed "Grow up would you, what’re you doing here"
John and Stuart glanced at each other and giggled "Why, were watchin the film you daft bird." Said John "What’re you doin here? On a date?"
"Yes" she snapped "Leave me alone"
"Say is that Arthur?" asked Stuart "Oi! Kelly!"
Arthur turned around in his seat with a smile that dropped into a frown "Oh hullo Sutcliffe" he said darkly
"Hi yerself" said Stuart batting his eyelashes at Arthur
"Mind if we borrow yer bird Kelly?" asked John, he leaned forward in his seat and smiled good naturally "We might make better use of her you know. Doesn’t look like your getting very far"
"Piss off John," said Gabrielle, although she was almost wishing she could go sit with them.
"Yeah, piss off" Arthur repeated her with a nod of his head
John grinned manicly "Ah come ‘ead Gabby" he said inclining his head at her.
She didn’t need to be told twice and shot Arthur an apologetic look as she climbed over the few rows of seats to plop down next to John and Stuart "Hello" she grinned "How can you see anything John I thought you were blind?"
Stuart giggled and put a hand over his mouth while John glared. "I’m not that blind Gabby, I can see where I’m fucking going, all right?"
"Yeah, all right" she grinned
"Excuse me" Arthur had taken the long way around to get to their seats "Gabby what ‘re you doin luv?"
Erm" she paused and looked at John and Stuart, they were giggling again. "They wanted to know if we would go for a coffee with them"
"Oh…" Arthur looked forlornly at the screen "But… what about the movie"
"Ah, you can see the movie anytime son" John said, as he climbed to his feet "Same old legs and tits anyway. Come ‘ead, lets go then"
They followed John like some kind of ringleader out of the theater in a single file line. John first, the Stuart, then Gabrielle and last Arthur, mumbling to himself about the injustice of it all, being robbed of his blonde Marilyn Monroe viewing.
* * * * * * * *
"Did you know I’m going to college?" said John excitedly
Gabrielle raised her eyebrows in surprise "Are you? It thought you were a slacker though"
"Oh I am" said John, nodding,
Stuart laughed and sipped his coffee "John’s a genius you know Gabby"
"Is he?" she giggled "Just how do you two know each other again?"
"He’s going to be going to the art college too" said John, as he jerked his thumb at Stuart.
"Ok" Arthur stood up and pushed his chair in "I’ve got to get home. I can’t sit here talking to you all day"
"Ah, does Kelly have a curfew?" John pulled a face and puckered his lips childishly, yet still earning a giggle from Gabby and Stuart.
"That’s sad that is," said Stuart "Yer girl can stay out later then you can"
John smiled sweetly at Gabrielle "They aren’t goin together Stu, Gabby has this thing, she’s just mates with *everyone*"
"How does that work out for your sex life then?" asked Stuart, he rested his cheek in his hand and cocked his head to the side looking interested
"Easy" she grinned "I don’t have one, I’m a good girl remember"
"Oooooooh" John and Stuart chorused looking at one another
"I’m going" muttered Arthur, he grabbed his coat and left with out another word
"She goes to an all girls school Stu, and Paulie… remember him? He’s got this fetish with her"
"I think," said Gabby "That Paul has a fetish with anything in a skirt"
John mocked Stuart’s interested expression "And yet you’ve been known to wear denims Gabby…"
"What does that say about Paul then?" she shrugged and sipped her coffee.
John and Stuart looked at each other and giggled, Gabrielle was struck by how often they did this. Like in order for something to be deemed giggle worthy John would check with Stu and Stu would check with him.
"Told you you’d like her" John grinned
Stuart nodded, "Do you play guitar too?" he asked
"Er… no, I’m a bit shit when it comes to music"
"Yeah" he sighed and shot John a look out of the corner of his eye "So am I. I mean I love rock n’ roll and everything but I’m better at painting"
"Oh you’re an artist?"
Stuart nodded again, shyly this time "Yeah I am"
"That’s so cool. No one’s an artist anymore, the all just play skiffle…"
"And what’s wrong with that" John interrupted, feigning indigence for his beloved skiffle, the art the he lived and breathed.
"Nothing," she shrugged "it’s just, you know everyone does it. It isn’t new anymore. No one does it like they used to anyway, everyone’s all gone out and bought electric basses and all that"
"Yer right you know" said John thoughtfully, he grinned up at her "Since when did you know so much about music"
Gabrielle rolled her eyes "I live next to George remember, he’s like a rock n’roll music almanac or something…"
"Oh is that why you were at the er…" Stuart paused to search for the right word "Bathroom thingie… " They giggled at his choice of words "Er, are you friends with George as well?"
"Yeah" Gabrielle nodded "Since he’s lived at Upton Green we’ve been best friends"
"That must be nice" said Stuart, "Always having someone there for you, who’s known you for so long"
"It is" she agreed
"How about you Gabby" asked John "What’re you doing when you get out of that posh school of yours."
"I have no idea" she groaned "I don’t want to think about it"
"Ah come on" Stuart conjoled "I’m going to be a painter… and John’s going to be… a…" he chuckled "A rock star"
"Don’t take the piss," John warned, narrowing his eyes
"I wasn’t" he laughed "But anyway, what d’you * aspire* to be?" he made little fluttery hand motions when he said the last bit.
"Uh… I don’t know… a secretary?"
"Ah come on Gabby be more creative then that" sighed John, he signaled to the waiter for another cup of coffee and sat back in his seat "That must be something you love"
"I…" she made a funny face "That’s just it, there’s nothing I’m really all that passionate about. Oh god, I hope I don’t end up like, a baby machine or something"
John grinned "I think you’re a little to bloody opinionated for a baby machine"
"Hopefully not" she shrugged and pushed her hair out of her eyes "Let’s talk about something else"
"No" said John. And that was obviously the ended of it "Do you want to be an actress? On the silver screen and all that"
"Er… no,"Gabrielle pulled a face "I can’t even lie to save me life, let alone act"
"Model?" suggested Stuart "Your really pretty you know"
Despite herself Gabrielle felt herself turn red and go all mushy inside. A small voice that she wished didn’t exist went "Oooooh He thinks your pretty Gabby, ooooh an older guy, he’s an artist and a painter and he’s reaaaaly pretty too…" But she tuned that out and tried not appear flustered at all "Nah. I don’t think so, I mean, I want more then that... just looking pretty for a bunch of people. ‘Sides, there are loads of birds prettier then I am"
John and Stuart looked at each other and shared a grin… again. She wanted to slap them for having that private little world with someone that no one else could get into. It was like that with John and Paul as well. It was bloody frustrating feeling on the outside of that. What was it about John, it drove her insane thinking she could never get close to him like Stuart or Paul or even George. And she wasn’t sure why, but he was such a bloody magnetic personality.
"Gabby, you’re staring girl"
"Oh sorry" she shook her head, whipping away all her thoughts and consenting on the conversation at hand.
"What about teaching? Do you like kids?" asked Stuart
"Ah I love the little buggers" John said in a falsetto voice
"Wasn’t talking to you, Lennon" Stuart grinned and looked at Gabrielle "Well?"
"Uh… no… I don’t think so" she shook her head "I don’t want to be responsible for the destructive education of a whole generation"
"Good for you!" exclaimed John, he clipped her on the shoulder jokingly "I didn’t think it was possible, but Gabby Gallagher, I think you really are ambitionless"
"Oh ta" she grinned
"No that’s not good" Stuart looked serious "You can’t not have ambitions Gabby"
"Well" she shrugged "I don’t, so there you are"
"You deserve a medal or something" nodded John, he crossed his arms on the table and grinned "You can just marry George or Paul or something you know"
"Oh god why would I do that to myself" she laughed, rolling her eyes and leaning forward on her elbows
John shrugged "I don’t know, that way you won’t die alone and you won’t be ambitionless. Your life’s goal could be to raise their kids and clean up after those bastards"
"But if I’m going to that" she moaned "Why don’t I just marry bloody Arthur"
"Because your kids wouldn’t be as pretty" Stuart said gravely.
The all just looked at each other for a minute before they all started laughing in hysterics. People at other tables began to look at them, a teenage girl in a cardigan and skirt and two older boys in leather, it must have looked a bit weird, you know.
* * * * * * * *
Later that evening John and Stuart walked her home, laughing all the way and talking about who would have pretty kids together. They said good night and parted at the intersection. Gabrielle rounded the corner to her house when she realized it would be late and now she would have to climb up the terrace to get to her room "Oh bugger…" she mumbled. That was when she heard soft guitar music coming from George’s front garden.
She walked briskly over to the hedge and saw George on his porch steps, bent over his guitar as if he was oblivious to everything else in the world.
Gabrielle decided just to watch from the hedge. He got to a difficult part but George’s long fingers just danced across the fretboard as if it were nothing. She saw him bobbing his head along in quiet rhythm, and tapping his foot to a bassline that only he could hear. She snuck over to the porch with George completely oblivious to her. She wished she could have something that she was totally absorbed in like that.
When he’d finished with a dramatic serious of short chords she started clapping and George jump involuntarily.
"OH fucking Christ!" he exclaimed whirling around wide eyed to look at her, "Oh god, Gab you fucking scared me mate"
"Sorry" she giggled and hopped up the porch steps to sit next to him "That was really good who was it?"
"Er…" he paused and looked embarrassed "You won’t believe me"
"Oh really?" she pulled a face "It’s not some fucking weird German artist is it?"
George chuckled and warped his lanky arms around the body of his guitar "No, Gab. That was an original Paul McCartney and George Harrison composition"
"What… you mean?" she laughed happily and clapped her hands in glee "Oh great you two wrote that?"
"Yeah, McCartney just left. But gab it was so great, Paul’s such a great guitarist"
"I know I’ve heard him" she laughed "I think your better though"
"Eh" he shrugged modestly "I don’t know, I guess"
"What’s it called?"
"In spite of all the danger" he grinned excitedly "Gab, I wrote a song, me. I wonder if I’ll ever you know... get noticed for writing something"
"Well if yer gonna be a rock star I dare say you might" Gabrielle said, smiling wryly
George shrugged "So anyway, where’s Arthur?"
"Probably home wanking it off to Marilyn Monroe"
George smiled and patted her knee "Wasn’t meant to be?"
"Hmmm" she nodded "But John and Stu rescued me, they took me for a coffee and they were so nice"
George looked genuinely surprised "They took you for coffee?" he repeated "And you talked?"
"Er... yeah" she nodded "That’s what we did"
"About what?"
Gabrielle tucked a strand of hair behind her ear "Er… stuff…" George nudged her to elaborate "Like… what we wanted to do when we grow up... music, that sort of thing" she shrugged "Why?"
George was quiet and he looked at his feet
"George why?" she asked again, this time taking hold of his arm and threading hers through it loosely "Georgie…"
"Just don’t get to comfortable around them Gab, they probably just want to get into your knickers" he said quickly
Gabrielle yanked her arms away from him "What?" she looked taken aback "What?" she repeated
"I don’t’ mean that they don’t’ like you or anything but that’s just how John is… I don’t know Stu very well but if he gets along with Lennon"
Gabriella crossed her arms protectively over her chest "No I don’t think so" she said shaking her head
"Ok" George shrugged "But just remember just because I’m a guy and I’m your best friend doesn’t mean every other male is like me"
"I know that" she said quietly "They were just being nice… are you…" she looked up at George who was string up at the murky night sky longingly "Are you being protective of me Georgie?"
"Well of course I am" he said, sounding exasperated. George tore his eyes away form the night sky and fixed them intensely on Gabby’s face "I mean, you mean more to me then those blokes do." He said quietly, tucking a strand of stubborn dark hair behind her ear gently.
Gabrielle smiled and looked down at her hands and then up at his eyes. She offhandedly wondered somewhere in the back of her mind what George’s kids would look like, they didn’t even have to be hers… And on an impulse she threw herself forward, her arms around his neck, sitting askew in his lap and burring her face in his neck
George leaned back against a post of the porch "Ok, yes Gab, that’s nice… leaning on something important there"
Gabrielle snorted with laugher and shifted so her legs so they were across his lap. She gave him a final squeeze before she leaned against the gate railing next to him, leaving her legs across his. Then they sat there in a comfortable silence that always follows something like that. Gorges plucked at her skirt and straightened out the wrinkles in a retentive fashion.
"You know" he said after a while "You’re awfully touchy feely for a bird, let alone a best mate"
"Mmm" she sighed leaning against the post "Well, so are you…Maybe there’s something wrong with me"
"Like what" he ran his hand down one of her legs and tucked the long skirt underneath it.
"I dunno" she shrugged "Like, I’ve never had a real boy friend like you and Ruthty… or wait who are you with now?"
"Ruthy" he said breezily, tucking the other side of her skirt under now
"Right" Gabrielle nodded, "Well nothing like that. And I’m not saying I want to be an easy slut like your used to, like bloody Amanda Scotts. But I want someone to love me"
"I love you"
"You don’t count"
George nodded "Oh right, he began pulling her skirt out a bit at a time
She watched him for a minute, not exactly caring "What are you doing?"
He grinned innocently at her "Nothing much"
"Right" she sighed "No one loved me like… That …"
"Well do you want someone to love you like," he waved his hands around his face spastically and made his eyes very round "like, I’m your soul mate kind of love, or" he dropped his hands back onto her legs "Like, we have it off and it’s really great"
Gabrielle dropped her head back against the railing heavily with an audible thud "Isn’t there a median?"
"Yeah that’s me"
"No I told you, you don’t count"
George folded back the edge of her skirt and then soothed it back into place, he looked up at her with a frown on his face, clear brown eyes sparkling mischievously though "I think I should count for something"
Gabrielle was thoughtful "I’ll tell you what. If I get to thirty and you get to thirty and we both have no one then we can get married and then we’d be like, best mates, who’re married and not alone"
George nodded "That’s sounds fair. I hardly think you’ll end up alone though"
"Eh" she shrugged "Maybe, maybe not"