It's Only Love

Chapter One

It was a snowy Christmas Eve with large snowflakes falling down from a cloudy sky. If we were in the clouds and followed one particular snowflake as it twirled down, down, down to the earth, we would see it spiral and fall onto a man's suit as he hurries through the streets by light of the lampposts. He comes upon a smallish house, with bare bushes shivering in the winter air. He climbs the front three stairs and presses the doorbell, not once, not twice, but many, many times. At long last, the door opens.

"Hullo, John," says the dusky brown-haired girl, opening the door wider. "I thought it was you. Because of the doorbell."

"Aye, I like doorbells," says John with a smile. "Anyone here, yet?"

"No. Mo's not coming, by the way, if you wanted to know. She and Ritchie are just going to go out, tonight, she's skipping dinner."

"And what about you, Maddie?"

Madeline blushes and smiles faintly. "Connor and I are going to a party. I've been waiting for ages to go, you see, and he got me some tickets for my birthday last month."

"Oh," says John, thinking of Connor Bright, Madeline's boyfriend of nine months. "Yes. That ought to be nice."

"I hope so," says Madeline. "But I'm being a terrible hostess. Go on down to the den and I'll call Ritchie to keep you company."

"I'd hate to be a bother."

"John Lennon, you live to be a bother!" laughs Madeline. "Go on, I'll get Ritchie."

She turns, but as John reaches the top of the stairs, the phone rings and Madeline turns a deep shade of pink.

"John, might you be able to answer the door if Paul or George comes?" she begs as the phone rings a second time. "That'll be Connor."

"Sure, of course I will," mumbles John, but Madeline doesn't hear. In a few steps she's at the phone.

"Hi," she says. John can't help listening. "Oh, hi, Connor!" Like she is surprised that it is Connor calling. "Connor, dear, I was just going to call you. Ritchie can't drop me off tonight, I was wondering if you could pick me up?...O-oh. Oh, I see. Well, I'd hate for you...Yes, yes...Well, I don't know. I mean, we could go to the St. Patrick's day party, if you like, but that's not till March...I guess...Uh huh...No, it's fine, Connor. Really. I know things come up. But...yes..." The doorbell rings again. "Oh, that'll be Paul or George...Yes, Ritchie's friends are over. Look, Conn, I've really got to get the door, John's already here and I'm being an awful hostess. Bye...Love you too." She hangs up and hurries to the door, flinging it open.

On the doorstep is a man with brown hair and large puppy dog eyes.

"Hullo, Maddie," he says.

"Hullo, Paul," she replies. "Come in, come in. Now, really, both of you, go down to the den. I'll send George along when he gets here and I'll go get Ritchie now. Make yourselves at home."

Paul obliges, hurrying downstairs, but John lingers.

"Did Connor cancel?"

"John, really, down to the den," says Madeline. "Goodness, can't I get rid of you?"

"No, you can't," says John. "Did he cancel?"

"John," snaps Madeline. "Go on." She turns and goes up the stairs. Irritably, John follows Paul.

Soon, they are joined in the den by a tall, dark-haired man and a rather short man with the same dusky brown hair as Madeline. They have a good laugh, but John's thoughts never leave Madeline for long. Soon, they are called up for supper. The first half passes uneventfully. Then the phone rings. Madeline leaps to her feet and rushes into the hall to get it.

While she is gone, Ritchie--the short man with dusky hair--turns to John.

"She's me sister," he says furiously. "Keep off her."

"Dunno what you're talking about," says John gruffly.

"Come off it, we all see you eyeing her," says Ritchie.

"Ringo, just lay off," says John, his voice rising. The table falls silent.

In the hall, Madeline is talking to her friend, Jenny.

"Hannah Spier? You sure?" asks Madeline. She is frowning. "No, no, Jen, I won't tell anyone how I found out...But...Conn hates Hannah--No, you're right. I'll call him now. Happy Christmas, Jenny." She hangs up. Then she picks up the phone and calls Connor. John has gotten up to "go to the loo" and he stops a few feet away.

"Connor, dear, how's Hannah?" says Madeline. "No, not your cousin, silly, Hannah Spier! I thought you were going to the pictures tonight?...Yes, I know....What's that? Cheating? You're not cheating. You can't cheat if you haven't got a girlfriend...Me? Your girlfriend? Where'd you get an absurd idea like that?...Anyway, Connor, have a nice day." She hangs up.

And she cries.

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Chapter One of a fab fiction I've been meaning to write for a while, about Ringo's imaginary little sister and John. Thanks for reading!