Like A Rainbow 🌈 {alternative story and ending}

Chapter 7

*1961*

"So you're going to Spain?" Mother asks me as I bring my bag downstairs. "Yep." I smile. "And you're hitchhiking with two of your boyfriend's?" Harry asks. "Yes. It's not a big deal. I'm a big girl y'know. And they ain't my boyfriend's, I only 'ave one." I say. Ringo scoffs. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing." He smiles. "I won't be gone long, only to celebrate Johnny's 21st."

~~~~~~~~~

"Elly-Belly ye need to change." John says as both him and Paul put on bowler hats. "Why?" I ask also questioning the hats. "We have to get noticed. Come on." John searches through my bag. "Here we go, chuck this on." He throws a pretty revealing dress to me. "Ain't wearing this in the middle of nowhere." I sigh and reluctantly put the dress on. I walk back into the room and John stares. "Eyes up 'ere Winston." I snap my fingers. "Mhmm let's go." He mumbles. I grab my camera and bag and we all leave.

"Why do you need these two to go and sell paintings?" Mimi asks while clearly judging my outfit. "Big canvases ain't it Mimi?" John says and walks out the door.

"Make the most of this peace and quiet." I smile to her. "Thank you." She smiles back.

~~~~~~~~

We made it down south and surprisingly, for me, the outfits were working. "So how do we get across this." I say and point to the massive chunk of water separating us from France, the English channel. "We get a boat." John says and walks away. "Could you give us more information?" Paul and I ask as we run to catch up. "Dunno, don't really have a plan. Three tickets to France please." John asks the ticket man.

We board the boat and I decide to head up to the roof. There wasn't much of a view because it was just water, but it was beautiful. You could see the sun setting on the horizon, and after a while the sky turned into pretty colours, not really something you would see in Dingle, Liverpool. I lift up my camera and take a few photos.

"Ye not cold?" Paul asks from behind me. "Huh? Oh no, I'm fine." I say as I shiver. "You're cold." Paul frowns. "Trust me, I ain't." I chatter my teeth together. "No wonder why you're in hospital all the time." Paul mumbles as he takes off his leather jacket. I hold out my arms. "No! I'm fine please." Paul walks over and attempts to wrap his jacket around me. "Stop!" I laugh. "Elsie ye need to be warm, I must protect ye." Paul laughs and I finally give in. "Now ye will be cold." I frown at his t-shirt.

"I'd rather I be cold than you, I'm less likely to get sick from it." He chuckles.  "How are ye Elsie?" Paul asks and he wraps an arm around my waist to pull me closer to him to keep me warm. "I'm good." I respond. "No. How are ye?" He rephrases. "What do ye mean? I'm good?" I furrow my eyebrows and look up to him. "I know what yer like. John's rubbed off on ye. Ye sometimes bottle everything up. Keep your walls up. Y'know you can talk to me about anything?" He looks down to me and smiled sweetly. I sigh. "Y'know, you're only 2 years older than me, but you're like a dad to me."

"Really?" He asks me. "Yeah, you care about me like no one else does. The lads always care about me for protection. Something happens and they all ask "who do I have to knock out." Or something like that. But you care for me differently. You are actually willing to listen, get me what I need, and always want to cheer me up. The closest person to that other than you is George." I smile. "That's really nice to hear. You do feel like a little sister to all of us, maybe not George, but definitely to me, Stu and  John."

"And Pete?" I ask. "I dunno, maybe on the inside, he's just not the type of person to show it." Paul shrugs.

Paul was really like a father to me. Harry was great, but Paul had a different type of care to everyone else. It was almost motherly. He would always be there when I was in hospital, so I wasn't alone. He would stay the night there. He would bring me gifts everytime I had a crappy day, or even when I had to good day. His arms were always open for me so I could cry or laugh. He always made sure the bathroom window was on a latch just incase I decided to come over. Everyone always seem to have sexual feelings towards me when they meet me, but Paul, he didn't.