𝗕𝗮𝗯𝘆 𝗜𝘁'𝘀 𝗬𝗼𝘂 ❦ (𝗣𝗮𝘂𝗹 𝗠𝗰𝗖𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗻𝗲𝘆)

꧁𝗜𝘁 𝗪𝗼𝗻'𝘁 𝗕𝗲 𝗟𝗼𝗻𝗴꧂

Linda laid back in her recliner, the sun firmly pressing against her sensitive eyes. She had rearranged the brolly at least 5 times now and the damn star still prevailed. It was almost like it was laughing at her although Linda wouldn't go that far down into insanity but, she was close.

She took in a breath, accepting the circumstances and slipped on her sunglasses, preparing herself for hopefully a peaceful read. She opened her Agatha Christie and turned to her page. She was coming near halfway now.

Mystery was always her downfall. She was obsessed. Sometimes she wondered if that could have been the reason for her disconnection from the real world. Maybe it wasn't exciting or murder-infested enough as insane as that sounded. But books were fiction. Fragments, inspired by some truth but exaggerated to the moon and back. Sometimes reality just wasn't enough.

She glanced out at the sea, watching the boys splash around like children, laughing to their little heart's content whilst Barbara laid peacefully on a lilo, her head in the clouds with a hand cooling in the water.

Why can't I be happy? Linda thought. She wouldn't dare question a thing a day or two or... Of course. It was because she met Paul. He was the denominator in her crisis. But fucking why? What did he change? How?

Linda's eyes shot up as Barbara went upside down into the water. The boys all broke into uncontrollable laughter as Barbara rose from the sea with a very pissed off look.

"Right. Who did it then?" She questioned furiously, giving all the boys their own death stare. John rose up beside her and smiled innocently. "I hate you." She hissed.

Susan and Cynthia chuckled to themselves on their recliners as Barbara lashed out on John, grabbing her lilo and swatting him over the head with it.

"They're so childish." Susan laughed.

"It's John, he starts it."

Linda looked out at the boys again. So childish...

"Here we are." Daniel chirped, appearing with a crate of beer and a bag with whiskey, wine and vodka inside. The boys all came running over when they saw him of course, knowing Daniel was always the supplier of the beverages. Still 17.

"Nice one Danny boy." George gave him a friendly nudge on the arm before grabbing himself a beer.

"What you got in there?" John asked curiously, trying to get a peek into Daniel's bag. Daniel quickly pulled it from his grasp.

"Ay!" He barked. "No one touches the bag." He gave John a warning look.

Once all the boys had had a quick refreshing beverage, they were eager to get back into the sea, John and George racing each other and passing Barbara as she joined the others for a drink.

Ringo sat down beside Susan and rubbed her leg lovingly. "You coming in?"

Susan nodded. "Yeah. Just as long as you boys don't harass me." She joked.

"I can't make any promises," Ringo smirked.

Susan took his hand and Linda watched them run down the beach together and into the sea. She couldn't hate them. They seemed so happy, unlike her. Clearly, they must have been doing something right.

Barbara sat down on Susan's recliner beside Cynthia and poured herself a whiskey vodka.

Such an experimentalist.

Linda was about to comment on Barbara's choice of mixture when Paul sat down at the end of her recliner, slowly raising his eyes to meet hers.

Why is he sat in front of me right now?