Love Is Strange - Ringo Starr Fan Fiction - Beatles Fan Fiction

Prologue / Chapter One

Prologue - I'll Leave a Mint On Your Pillow, Love

Ringo settled onto his bed and rested his head against the pillow. He yawned and closed his eyes. "In London for a few days and then onto the States, Mo." He spoke around the cigarette pressed between his lips.

"Oh." 

Ringo could tell she was upset. "I'll phone you again from New York."

"Are you ringing off then, Ritchie? We've only been on the phone for a few minutes." 

"I am." Ringo slowly pulled the cigarette from his mouth and blew a cloud of smoke into the air. He knew Maureen was a good girl, but Ringo wasn't ready to settle down. When the Beatles finished in a couple of years, he'd marry her. 

"Goodnight, Ritchie."

"Goodnight, Mo." He placed the phone on the receiver. A thoughtful look appeared on his face because he wondered what the Beatles upcoming trip to America could mean for the group. He sat up and swung his legs over the side of the bed and stood up.

Ringo walked into his adjoining bathroom and stopped in front of the mirror to stare at his reflection. He wanted to figure out what all the fuss was about The Beatles but more importantly him. Ringo turned his head from side to side and studied his profile. His defining feature was his nose, and he felt it's prominence mocked him.

His mum Elsie would often tell her Ritchie, you'll grow into it. He wondered if that would ever happen.

****

Charlie stared at herself in the bathroom mirror. She closed her eyes. The Debutantes were failures, but more importantly, she was a failure. The group had returned to New York as nobodies. In comparison to The Beatles who were a media sensation.

She turned on the tap and splashed her face with cold water. Charlie wanted to wake herself up and chase away the sad thoughts. She shut off the faucet and stared at herself. The water slowly dripped down her face.

Her grandmother Ida would often tell Charlie, you're nothing special. She wondered if that hateful old woman was right about her.

"You can stay for as long as you want."

Charlie looked in the mirror at Stan. He was a tall, broad-shouldered, barrel-chested beefy good looking white guy. His frame took up space in the doorway. "It'll only be for a few days." 

"It could be longer if you want." 

"I don't." She replied abruptly to his offer. Charlie felt she needed to be rude to make it clear that her staying with him wasn't out of affection but necessity. They'd never been boyfriend and girlfriend. Charlie never stayed around long enough for their relationship to evolve.

Stan nodded. "Offer still stands, Tillman." He replied tiredly. They'd done this song and dance before. She'd turn up, he'd let her in, and she'd go without a word.  

Chapter One - Hitching a Ride

Ringo walked down the aisle of the airplane. When it hit a bit of turbulence, he stopped moving and reached out with his hand and gripped a headrest to steady himself. He resumed walking to the back of the plane where George was sitting by himself. "How're you feeling?"

"Alright." He answered tiredly and stood up from the aisle seat to make room for his mate.

"You haven't got to do that." He replied, but George ignored his words and moved over to the middle seat.