Do You Want To Know a Secret?

1. Devil in Her Heart

"POPPY!" My uncles assistant Alistair bellowed from his office. I knew I was in for an earful but an amused smirk couldn't help but find it's way on my lips. He stormed up to the counter ignoring the horrified expressions of customers faces as he furiously gripped onto the clue with white knuckles.

"Yes Alistair dear?" I said looking up from the Mercy Beat magazine my attention was previously consumed by, with my smirk growing by the second.

"Oh don't play all cute and innocent with me! You're uncle and I went out for a lunch break and you manage to-" he spoke irritatedly.

"-What's going on out here?" My uncle Brian peered out from his office hearing the racket that Alistair was making.

I shrugged and returned my focus to the top ten bands in Liverpool. The Beatles, Rory Storm and the Hurricanes, the MercyBeats, the Flamingos-

"I'll tell ye' what's wrong! Poppy took all me papers again and hid them! Now I have to go on another scavenger hunt to get them! And I swear if she put the men's bathroom again-" Alistair babbled on angrily showing him the clue I set on his desk. I tried to muffle the sound of my laughter. This time they weren't in the men's bathroom. They were in the women's bathroom.

"-that's enough Alistair. You go find your papers, I'll deal with her." Uncle Brian said sternly. I stuck my tongue out at Alistair as he started to walk away and a smug grin spread across my lips triumphantly. My uncle started to chuckle once Alistair was out of sight.

"Thats the third time this week. The poor lad needs a break." My uncle whispered with an amused expression watching my smile grow. If it would've been anyone else who would've hid Alistair's things, he would've been furious, but my uncle had a soft spot for me.

"I'll stop messing with him when he stops being a drag." I shrugged and set down the magazine in front on me. I watched his eyes flick down to the list of bands and quickly shifted his attention back to me, with a nervous smile that suddenly seemed forced.

I was tempted to ask what was wrong but he excused himself before I could, leaving me perplexed.

I looked down at the page once again seeing only a picture of the Beatles and my eyebrows furrowed. I'd let this go because I wasn't exactly sure what the problem was, but it was most likely nothing.

My eyes scanned over the picture of the Beatles with a smile. Since winter break was nearing an end and the buzz about them was only becoming bigger, my best friend Minnie and I decided we were going to to sneak out to go watch them play tomorrow at the Cavern Club. Even though they were originally from here in Liverpool it was almost impossible to see them, they were always off in Hamburg Germany or touring around England, so it made going to see them play that much more exciting.

As my shift went on I grew restless sitting behind the counter at the NEMS shop ringing people up. The only thing that kept me sane was watching Alistair rush around the store to find the next clues of his search, and there were many. When he finally found the papers it was the very end of my shift and I was practically asleep out of boredom.

I heard a shriek coming from the woman's washroom signalling he'd successfully found where they were. He came out with a grimace and a black eye forming already. A woman came out behind him, running out of the store in horror causing me to burst out in a fit of laughter.

"Thanks to you I've done nothing today!" He shouted storming off to his office.

"You're welcome!" I yelled back just before he slammed the door. I hopped off the chair snickering and walked over to my uncles office to see he was also packed and ready to leave.

"Ready to go?" He asked and I nodded with a smile.

              _________________

Once we were back to the house my uncle Brian and I sat on the living room floor near the fireplace with hot chocolates as we usually did in the winter, gossiping and whatnot.

Even though my uncle was my legal guardian, he felt more as a best friend than anything else. We shared our secrets together, went shopping together, even talk about boys together, if you catch my drift. It was easier to talk to talk to him than it would be a normal parent, him being only ten years older than me it seemed as though he were just a friend more than a "guardian".

"Remember, tomorrow night I'm going out late." He spoke sternly. I nodded having to hide the smile that I wanted to break into, he had no idea how easy he was making it to sneak out.

"Till what time?" I asked as nonchalantly as I could hiding my giddiness.

"Why?" He asked curiously, as if to pick up on something. I panicked for a second before thinking of something quick to say.

"Oh, I-I just wanted to know if I should wait up for ye', maybe put on some tea for ye' for when you get home." I lied through my teeth and he seemed to buy it.

"Oh no, that won't be necessary. I won't be home till around one in the morning anyhow." He shrugged and I nodded trying to suppress my smile. He had no idea how easy he was making it to sneak out, my mind echoed once again.

Little did I know the beginning was only starting tomorrow.