“John would love this” Cyn sighed. You see besides being a pretty monument, the Square was the where all of the beatniks and folkies gathered to strum their out of tune guitars, sing in cranky Bob Dylan (Who was making quite a name for himself down in Cambridge, it seemed) voices. For miles all one could see was denim, long hair, and guitars. This long hair, mind you, was nothing compared to the Beatles pudding bowl cut. Gabrielle pointed this out to Cyn who nodded, agreeing.
“Wonder what they’d think of our Beatles” she giggled
Gabrielle grinned too, but then felt a twinge of regret. Poor George. She hadn’t called him yet. Wait, what was she talking about. It wasn’t as if George had no other friends. He as most likely fine and going on as if she were still there. Yeah.
A group of denim clad college students launched into a loud version of “Ramblin’ Bill Elliot”, drawing attention to themselves. Gabrielle giggled and clapped along with a few others when they finished.
“Everyone’s so happy here” she grinned and Cyn “It’s like another world”
“I know” Cyn nodded “You’re probably a bit more fortunate then some of these poor kids though. What with yer Auntie’s millions free for you to spend”
“I wonder how much she really has” Gabrielle pondered
“Who cares” Cyn shrugged
“Well I mean, I’ll be getting it and everything” Gabrielle said sheepishly
“Yeah?”
“Yeah”
Cyn laughed “Want to lend me some then?”
“Eh” Gabrielle shook her head “The idea of having so much money… well, I guess it’s a lot of money. It makes me feel bloody ill. I think I’ll give it to some charity or something. I don’t fucking need it”
“That’d be the noble thing to do” Cyn agreed
“Thanks” Gabrielle grinned at her friend
“Noble” Cyn sighed, “But incredibly stupid”
“Oh sod off”
“Hey look!” Someone yelled “It’s Carolyn Hester!” Gabrielle turned around, to look like everyone else but then saw another band of college students staring at her
“Sorry!” She yelled “Not me”
“Hey your British!” one of them yelled and waved hr over “Come here and talk to us about life and the universe"
Gabrielle looked at Cyn and laughed. “Shall we?” she said grabbing Cyn’s hand and dragging her towards the group.
“Hi”
“Hi” they echoed
“You’re English,” said the girl that had been yelling “That’s so cool”
Cyn laughed “Not really. Americans have all the great music and all that”
“Bu you have the cool accents” Said a boy. Gabrielle noticed that he was very cute. Ooh. Cute boy with a guitar. He had auburn hair that was longer then everyone else’s. Almost longer then John’s.
“We have accents” Cyn asked, while Gabby made eyes at the cute boy “Gabby does cause she’s a scouser, hey? But I’m just normal. Yer the ones with the accents”
“What’re your names?” asked another girl, her hair was in pigtails and she was holding a moon shaped tambourine.
“I’m Gabrielle” Gabrielle said “Gabrielle Gallagher. And this is Cynthia Powell. The posh one”
“I’m Montana Zedral,” said the yelling girl, she held her multiple-ringed and braceleted arm to shake hands.
“This is Megan,” she said pointing to the girl with the tambourine “And this is Mike Roony. He plays bass”
What is it about Bass players, Gabrielle wondered.
“Gear, hi, nice to meet you” she said shaking hands with all of them.
Mike held out his guitar “Do either of you play?”
“My boyfriend does” Cynthia said proudly “He’s in a band and they’re really great and will be famous one day”
“What’re they called?” Megan wanted to know
“The Beatles” Cyn and Gabby said in unison
“What kind of silly ass name is that?” Montana asked, she dug around in the pocket of her jeans and came out with a carton of cigarettes. She lit one up and passed it around.
“Beatles with an A” Gabrielle explained “Like Beat Music, d’you know what I mean?”
“Dig it” Mike said
“Dig wot?” Cyn asked
The three Americans laughed “It’s a saying” Mike explained “IT mean like, yeah. You know, d’you dig it? Yeah.”
“Oh” Gabrielle nodded “Gear”
“Gear?” Mike repeated, he took a drag off Montana’s cigarette and pushed a hand though his hair “What’s that mean”
“Like cool kind of” Cynthia explained
“Is that a British thing?” Asked Montana
“Not really” Gabrielle laughed “More like a Northern thing”
That’s when she noticed something slightly odd about the cigarette they were passing around. It was much to big to be a cigarette and the smoke had a decidedly minute smell unlike normal ciggie smoke.
“That’s not a normal ciggie, is it?” she asked curiously
Montana looked at Megan, who looked at Mike who looked back at Montana
“Er…” she tried to explain “Yeah, no it’s not” they then busted up into giggles leaving Gabby and Cyn looking on in bewilderment “OK” Montana said seriously looking at Gabby over the top of her round sunglasses “Don’t tell anyone about this shit cause it’s illegal. Dig it?”
“But what is it?” Gabby asked, she folded her legs under herself and tried to ignore Cyn who at the mention of something illegal. Began looking around like a scared rabbit
“Marijuana” Montana said “It’ a joint, you burn the Cannabis leaves when your roll it up and you get a buzz off it. It kind of feels like when you have a couple of drinks… do you drink?”
“Like a bloody sailor” Cyn giggled
They all fell about laughing
“You do?” Mike asked Gabby, she shrugged “Well I dunno, I guess. It’s fun, you know, getting off your head and that”
Mike laughed “Oh, well… but booze aren’t illegal. This shit can get you in the big house for up to five years, man”
“Five years” Gabrielle’s eyes went wide “For that? That’s fucking ridiculous. If all that does is make you go giggly then I’ve had harder stuff that’s legal”
“Like what?” asked Megan
“Uh, Prellium. It speeds you up and sort of makes you go a bit mental. And it decreases yer appetite a bit so you can just party for days and then once it stops you pass out”
Cyn raised her eyebrows “When was this?”
“Er… Hamburg” Gabrielle admitted
“Know what that sounds like?” Montana said thoughtfully “Is speed. I bet that’s what Prellium is. The fancy word for speed”
“No they’re all just different amphetamines like that Drynamil shit we got from your mother Meg”
Megan took a drag off the joint “Oh yeah, that stuff her doctor prescribed for her ‘anxiety’. Right. My old lady has more drugs then she knows what to do with. She’s addicted to sleeping pills you know.”
“That’s bad shit” Montana said shaking her head
“Well I’ve only ever had prellies as far as that goes” Gabby shrugged
“Hey I know” Montana laughed “We’ll have a party, welcoming you to the village.”
“Yeah!” Megan giggled “Any chance to get drunk is fine with me”
Montana took a drag off the joint now “Get some of your mom’s stuff together then.” She held the join under Gabby’s noes “You want some? Just to try it”
Gabby nodded immediately and took a hit, imitating the way the others were doing it. Smoke filled her lung and it choked her a bit, not being used to smoke and all. She closed her eyes and exhaled. Oh, her head felt light. But not in a good way.
“Ta” she choked out handing the joint back to Montana
“Don’t worry” she laughed “It gets better”
“So where do you live?” asked Mike
"West 6th Street"
“Oooh fancy” Megan commented
“Her apartment is bloody huge” Cyn sighed
“Are you a right little rich kid then?” asked Megan, narrowing her eyes
“Naw, I’m a poor little scouse. Really, my house was one step up from the dingle” at seeing their blank faces she explained “You don’t want to walk through the dingle let’s just say, cause you’ve got a good chance of either being raped, or mugged or just killed by some ted looking for some fun”
“Oh, right” Megan nodded
“She’s living off her loaded Auntie” Cyn explained
“That sounds nice” Mike giggled
“It is” Gabrielle nodded “Only I’ve got this huge fucking house and I’m looking for a housemate”
Montana’s head jerked up “Looking for a roommate?” she asked “Fuck, I’m game. I’ve been living in the square for the past two weeks since I got evicted.”
“Yeah?” Gabrielle asked “Great!”
“Sure” Montana grinned “How much is rent”
“Oh fuck, you don’t have to pay for it. Me Aunt is. Just keep me company. Are you going to NYU this fall?”
“Yeah” Montana exhaled smoke and passed it back to Gabby “Are you?”
“Uh huh, What’re you studying”
“Abstract art. You?”
“Photography” Gabrielle shrugged “It’s just sort of a whim”
