“Ugh, I fligh…gerble” George muttered, as he yawned and stretched his arms over his head.
“Stop it” Gabrielle groaned and poked him in the side “God whys my bed so small. Stop it”
George didn’t say anything but opened his eyes sleepily. “Wot”
“You’re way to big to be in here, get out” she said stiffly
“Noo” George whined and buried his head in the pillow.
Knocking again.
“Wot!” she yelled pushing George away. He pushed her back and when she hauled back to hit him she rolled off the side of the bed bringing the bed clothes with her.
“Good one” George managed to say through his giggling.
“Shut up”
“Gabby?” her dad poked his head in and looked around “Are you up, luv”
“Yes” she yawned holding onto the bed and hauling her self up .”Why?”
“Auntie Prue is here”
George and Gabrielle groaned collectively. It was the gossipy aunt that never married. WHY???
“Oh come, on, Prue’s not so bad”
“Dad” said Gabrielle raking a hand through her hair “She’s your older *sister* if anyone would understand the torture involved in Auntie Prue visiting, YOU should”
Gerald huffed “So she sticks her nose where it doesn’t belong”
“I think I’ll just climb out the window” George sighed flopping back in the bed.
“Nonsense, George. Prue loves you she’ll want to say hello”
George slapped a hand over his eyes and shook his head but didn’t say anything more.
“She knows he’s up here then” sighed Gabrielle
“Yes.”
“What exactly does she *think* we’re doing”
Mr. Gallagher shook his head and laughed “Why sleeping of course, what else id there”
“Well” Gabby started to say but George sat up and stepped on her so she just writhed and gasped and cursed at George.
“Sorry” he muttered “We’ll be down in a minute”
“Oww” Gabrielle wheezed “I am going to kill you George. KILL YOU. What the fuck made you step on me”
“Don’t put ideas in their heads” he told her leaning over to help her stand.
“What ideas?”
“Us, you know. Things other then sleeping. What is *wrong* with you”
Gabrielle sneered “Don’t be daft. No one thinks that”
“They-”
She cut him off with a wave of her hand and “Shut up”
George snorted and stood up to find his sneakers “what time is it?”
“Erm,” Gabrielle moaned and fumbled for the clock on her bedside table “Near eight. How ungodly an hour”
“Yeh” George agreed, found one shoe and watched her make an attempt at making her bed. Toss the pillows about and stuff the sheets over. “So… what’s new”
“Uh” Gabrielle laughed “Besides the whole thing last night? Not much. Doing something at the Art college and hanging about with Shaz and Cyn oh, and Ritchie Starkey’s bird Mo. She’s really nice. Have you met her?”
“Maureen? Yes. She is nice”
“Yeah” Gabrielle found skirt and a turtleneck going through her closet and shut the door to change while still talking to George. “That’s it. I’ve not been out or anything since the Cavern thingie. What happened after I left?”
“At The Cavern?”
“No, in Hamburg”
“Oh” George nodded and yawned “Well, we started at the Top Ten Club like we were supposed to. Er, Pete got the Hamburg throat” George giggled for a minute on his own “And so we had to sterilize the room. Or at least the Lennon version of sterilizing”
“What’s that entail” she asked
“Oh you know,” George laughd “Throw everything out in the hall and look around for anything that might be making funny smells or something and then bring it all back in” Gabrielle laughed. That sounded like John. “And, er” George continued “Then at the Top Ten Club, well Tony Sheridan played there you know. So we somehow ended up making a record with him. Just the backing bit. Anyway that went down big in Germany. I dunno if it’ll come over out here”
Gabrielle popped her head out of the closet and squealed in delight “You’re gonna be a Rockstar!” she sang and twirled around in circles for a bit before hugging him and pecking him on either cheek. “That it?”
He snorted “Thats it? What ‘re you talking about. I’d say making a record is something”
“How was Stu and his, you know”
“Headaches, fine”
Gabrielle sighed and opened the door, tucking her hair down as she went. “That’s really to bad he was sick. He’s so…”
“Kind and nice and all that?” asked George
Gabrielle stopped at the top of the stairs and giggled “Well, actually I was going to say so dead sexy you don’t know what to do with yourself”
“Ewww” George pretended to squeal “He is not”
“OH” Gabrielle laughed “Yes, he bloody is. He’s the male version of Brigitte Bardot”
George busted up “I always knew he was a pretty boy but I didn’t know you thought so”
“George, I *have* eyes”
The reached the bottom of the stairs and Auntie Prue, a red head in her late fifties was standing there. Her arms went out “Oooh my little Gabby!” she squealed
Gabrielle shot a patronized look at George who was hanging back noticeably “Hi Auntie Prue”
“Darling I’ve just heard the best news that you are going to New York” she squealed, hugging Gabrielle and smudging her bright pink lipstick against her cheek. “And oh, I won’t get in to your mother. But she was a luvly woman, absolutely the only one for our kid” she smiled at Gabby’s father. Mr. Gallagher smiled weakly back. “But! That’s not why I’m here I… Oh lord, is that little Georgie Harrison!”
George plastered a smile on his face and waved meekly “Hallo Auntie Pru”
“Oh my! George you certainly have grown, when was the last time you got a h air cut though? It’s getting awfully long. My you are handsome. Just like your father! I always knew you’d grow up to be such a lovly young man” She then assaulted George with kisses and hugs as well. Gabrielle fought the urge to laughd an nearly burst trying.
“So, George, have any nice girlfriends?”
The normal George answer would have been. Oh yeah, a few. Instead he only shook his head “No, not right now.”
“Aww, That’s to bad. Such a good looking young fellow. If you’d only do something with you’re hair. You know. Gabrielle’s you’re not seeing anyone are you?”
“No…”
“Now you two would be perfect for each other” she said clasping her hands together
“No!” George and Gabrielle exclaimed at the same time. They exchanged a look.
“I mean” said Gabrielle “I uh, We’re best friends, Auntie, that would be erm…odd”
“Cor, Gabby. That’s right.” She laughed pleasantly “Now, the *reason* why I’m here, Did you know you’re Aunt Jessica is having *another* baby”
Gabrielle felt sorry for her Aunt Jessica’s uterus. That was eight kids now. “Er… no, wow”
“Yes” Pru nodded, “I mean really she’s nearly forty and it’s as if the two of them can’t keep off each other, You know what I mean, Gabby?”
“I’m going to make some tea” Gerald announced uncomfortably “Come’ead and help George?”
“Oh yes, love to Mr. Gallagher” said George eagerly bolting down the stairs and heading for the kitchen. Gabrielle shot glares in their direction. Traitors.
“Of course” said Pru “Maude doesn’t know what to do And is driving herself batty, she said she would take the other children when Jesse goes to hospital. Can you imagine. All seven of those McFadden children plus Maude’s three. I don’t know how on earth she thinks they are going to fit.”
Gabrielle groaned internally. Why was her family so weird.
