Peter chuffed “Why, mum? Just keep yellin”
Louise gave him the look. Yeah, you know that look. That ‘do it right now or your grounded’ look.
Peter groaned and stood up “George! Oy! You stupid old sod! Mum WANTS YOU!”
George came sulking down stairs a bit later, “What is it mum?”
Louise gave him a look “What have I told you about playing your records so loud you can’t hear if I’m calling for you”
“I did hear you” he whined “That’s why I turned it down”
“Yes, well. Do me a favor and go get the post”
“Mum” George groaned “Why don’t you make Peter do it”
“Because” said Louise, “I want you to do it”
George moaned and whined but turned around and headed out the front door none the less. Stupid Post. It was far to much work to get it. He was nearly nineteen, he shouldn’t still be bothered to get the post. But you did not say no to Mrs. Harrison. Lest, she gave you *that* look. George didn’t know anyone else who could make that look and successfully have him do whatever they wanted. It made you afraid of woman. Or at least afraid of mothers.
He kicked the gate open and nearly ran into Paul.
“Macca?” he yelped in surprise
“Christ George, watch where yer fucking goin” Paul laughed
George rolled his eyes and slammed the gate shut hard “Mum’s making me get the post” he grumbled
Paul’s eyes lit up. He giggled “Have fun”
“Oh fuck off” George grinned “What’re you doing here?”
“Eh, I’m babysitting”
George’s eye brows shot up and a grin spread out over his face “Really?”
Paul punched him on the shoulder “Shut up. I’m helping Gabby”
“Oooh” George nodded “I remember, has she talked you into helping then”
Paul shrugged “I don’t really mind, you know. I like kids” he snickered “She likes me better then you I guess if she didn’t even ask”
“Hah, she did ask” George poked him in the chest “I said no, those kids are bloody nightmare”
“Don’t do the little buggers so well then?” asked Paul
George shrugged “I like kids fine. But it’s those *aunts* of hers. God” he rolled his eyes “Can’t fucking stand it. Always pinching you and it’s bad enough with me own family, it’s just twice as many people”
Paul laughed “Apparently it’s just me and her and three kids…”
“Oh yeah” George nodded “Auntie *Maude* In London or whatever”
“Yeah” Paul nodded “I gotta go, I’ll give you a ring later. I have no fucking idea when that Hilby gig is”
“Right” George nodded “Best to ask John. How goes the songwriting by the way?”
“Oh fuck,” Paul groaned “Don’t even fucking ask, mate. I’ll see you later”
“Bye” George gave his band mate a wave as he headed for the post box.
Paul looked up at Gabrielle’s bedroom window. The curtains were fluttering outwards in the soft afternoon breeze. He cocked his head to the side. That tune running through his head again. It was fucking frustrating.
Well She was just seventeen// She’s never been a beauty queen// and the way she looked // was way beyond compare.
You could not write a song with only four lines. Well, you could. He hummed it under his breath, hoping for some way to make the song a bit better
Well she was just seventeen / she’d never been a beauty queen / and the way she looked / was way beyond compare.
That was it, fucking annoying.
Paul hummed it under his breathe as he hopped up the steps. It just wasn’t coming.
The door opened and that crazy old aunt popped her head out. Paul plastered a smile on his face. Among his other talents, he could charm the pants off anything in a skirt.
“Hello Miss Gallagher, how are you today” he gave her a grin .
“I’m just fine Paul,” she said “Thanks so much for helping us out. Gabrielle probably would have gone off her head trying to do it alone.” She then launched into a long rant about the eight children and how they were scattered with various relatives across Liverpool. Paul personally thought it was the maddest thing he’d ever heard but kept his mouth shut.
Gabrielle came bounding down the stairs in typical Gabrielle fashion. Skipping three steps at a time and thudding into the wall at the bottom to stop herself to keep running. She whirled around, giggling at herself and wiping her hands on her skirt.
“Hiya” she giggled, waving at him.
Paul waved back “Hey”
Closet. It was bubbling up in the back of his mind. Gabrielle and her face and her body and her…
She disappeared around the corner. Paul took a deep breath and turned to look out the window. Hoping for some distraction. This was just to weird.
She came back around, purse in hand. “Kay, let’s go”
Paul nodded and followed her every move as she walked towards him. She tucked her hair behind her ear, chewed on her lips and squinted in the sunlight as she opened the door. Paul followed. As soon as the door shut she turned to look at him.
“Kinda sunny for February, hmm” she said as she skipped down the stairs. Paul followed carefully.
“Sure” he said hesitantly. Discussing the weather. Had it com to this.
She went out the gate and her skirt swished around her legs as she rounded the corner. Paul blinked.
“Erm” he started to say. She turned round to look at him. Last night did happen didn’t it? She was not acting like it had. Then Paul realized something else with a pang of despair. He couldn’t see her gorgeous legs
“Paul” she waved her hand at him “Are you coming”
“I…” he looked up at her “What’s with the outfit?”
She laughed and flushed a bit “Er… you know, figured it wasn’t right to go wearing something like….last night”
“Last night?” he repeated drearily
“Yes you know” she waved at him to follow her and he did “That whole thing in the closet”
“Oh yeah” Paul cleared his throat “About that… planning on doing it again?”
“No”
“No?”
“No” she said again “It’s to weird and you know… it’s just not good”
Paul stopped. He didn’t get to shag her again? “But” he blurted out “That’s not fair”
Gabrielle stopped walking. She turned around to look at him with a bizarre look on her face “What?” she exclaimed
“I mean” He opened his mouth and closed it again. Good job Macca. He decided to just go with it “I mean… why?”
“Why”
“Oh fuck, yes, *why*?”
She blanched “Well… because”
He gave her a look.
“Because!” she said again
He rolled his eyes and walked past her
“Hey!” Gabrielle ran up behind Paul, she grabbed his arm “What is this? I don’t want to sleep with you and you’re not going to talk to me”
“Uh, no” Paul shook his head “You’re just being stupid”
“I am *not* being stupid” she shouted. Stopping short. Paul kept walking. “And you’re going the wrong way!”
Paul turned to look at her “Am I?”
“Yes” she nodded and pointed to the left “It’s that way you silly fucking prat, Honestly”
Paul turned around to face her “Are you being serious?” he asked her evenly, he crossed his arms and didn’t let his gaze waver from her face.
Gabrielle looked at her feet “Yes” she said quietly
Paul rolled his eyes. He took two step towards her and grabbed her around the waist, pulling her close to him “Are you really sure” he breathed against her ear.
She want stiff “Erm,…. Yes” she nodded
“Why” he sighed quietly
“Because-” she started to say
Paul interrupted “Wait, do you remember when were fighting that one time, at the Christmas party… and I kissed you in what may have seemed like a fucking desperate attempt to make you shut up”
“Yes” she muttered.
“Well it was half that and half that I just really want to kiss you”
Gabrielle leaned backwards in his arms “That was a line if I ever heard one” she chuckled
Paul shook his head “No, and then we were all writing you and I said, can we be friends, the kind that don’t shag”
“Yes”
“Can we be the kind that shag?”
She sighed heavily “I… I don’t know”
“Oh come ‘ead” said Paul pulling away “When did you get so many morals”
Gabrielle snorted with laughter “I don’t… I just… I’ll think about it ok”
“OK” Paul agreed “Can you do me a favor in the meantime?” he slung his arm around her shoulders
“What?” she asked, leaning against him
“Stop wearing so many articles of clothing. I still know what you look like underneath them.”
Gabrielle laughed and whacked him around the back of the head.