Chapter 34: Favorite Person

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June 21st, 1965

In a tiny dressing room of La Nouvelle Ève she shared wit Arlette and Christophe, sitting on a cracking wooden chair in front of a small desk, Eddie looked up at her reflection in the small oval mirror hung on the wall in front of her. She sighed heavily at the sight of the deep and dark circles under her eyes. Her sleepless night left traces on her pasty face. She crossed her arms on the desktop, creating a makeshift pillow for her heavy head to rest on. Her eyelids shut closed in hopes to catch up a few minutes of sleep back from the hours she lacked, disturbed by the memories the previous days' anniversary brought back to the forefront of her mind. No matter how many times she tried to convince herself the recollections of what happened in Hamburg would fade more and more after each year passing by, it never did. She believed she was pretty stupid thinking so.

She shook her head and groaned, chasing the image of the blonde American marine creeping in her brain on and off since the early hours of the day. Her eyes opened and immediately met the shiny plastic orbs of the stuffed koala she previously laid against the wall in front of her as if she wanted someone to look after her, to guard her as she tried to withstand this annual dreadful and guilt-ridden anniversary, aching her to the deepest of her core. 

The small koala hasn't left either of its owner's embrace or sight from her walk home, catching up to her two roommates to everything she had done leading to this very moment of isolation as Arlette and Christophe were out doing whatever things she didn't know and absolutely didn't care a single ounce about. 

Still gazing at her furry stuffed companion, Eddie pushed herself back up, feeling tears pooling in her eyes again. Brushing her fringe back with her fingers, she inhaled deeply. A single tear fell down her right cheek and she swiftly wiped it away. She didn't want to cry again. She couldn't. She forbid herself to. She could not allow herself to get caught weeping again by Christophe nor Arlette. The night before, her red eyes and wet cheeks were easily justified by a made up 'overwhelming elation' caused by the thunderous greets of applause of La Nouvelle Ève's spectators. Her lack of sleep was explained by a simulated excitement of reliving the same thing again this night, but excessive crying and needing the company of a stuffed koala to provide comfort wasn't going to be as easily clarified if they would dare to ask her. 

''Time to go back into hiding, my little one.'' With a twinge in her heart, Eddie bit her bottom lip. She delicately picked the koala up and stared at it for one las time. Although she ceaselessly wanted her furry friend to stay close to her, she couldn't be caught with it again, fearing the judgements of others. 'A grown, 22-year-old woman seeking reassurance from a stuffed koala, how embarrassing!' She thought to herself as she pushed her chair back, allowing herself to bend forward, reaching her leather bag she set down by her feet earlier. Just under it's closed zipper rested another thing she hid from her friends. She unzipped the bag and was promptly greeted by the faces of The Beatles on a bright red cover of a youth magazine. She bought it from a small kiosk by the Seine, trailing off behind the two lovebirds of friends, lost in her bad memories of a past she couldn't escape no matter how hard she tried.

Eddie was convinced she had an internal magnet, attracting everything with The Beatles written in or pictured on towards her. She always catch it at the corner of her eye; a poster, a magazine, buttons on fans coats or bags, figurines in store windows. She had to admit it was easier since the past year. A bad thing for her wallet she had a hard time filling up. She was starting to think The Beatles got famous and plastered on everything on purpose to remind her she might have made an incorrigible mistake when she left her aunt's house. 

Eddie grabbed the magazine, unveiling her red notebook along with a small leather pencil pouch she also picked up, switching their spot with the koala. She laid the notebook on the desk, the magazine by it's right and the pouch above them before opening it to get a pair of scissors out of it. 

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