Do You Want To Know a Secret?

2. It Won't be Long

"You look nice." I smiled at my uncle all dressed up in his best suit and tie as I flipped through a book on the sofa. I wore my pyjamas to convince him I'd be staying in tonight but little did he know I'd be off at the Cavern club to blow some steam off. My uncle had been working me like crazy at the shop because no one else likes to work through the holidays, so convieniently for him he knows for a fact that I have nothing better to do.

"Thank you Poppy." He said with a smile on his face although there was a slight undertone of distrust in his voice.

"Meeting a bloke there?" I smirked and his jaw dropped opened and his cheeks reddened.

"Penelope Anne Epstein." He gasped using my full name. I sent him a toothy grin and laughed. He used my full name whenever he was upset with me, so I'd hear it at least twice a day.

"So you are?" I wiggled my eyebrows. He sent me a tired look making me chuckle with slight discomfort. Now was not the right time to get on his bad side, especially if he were to find out tomorrow I snuck out to a club.

"Sorry, I'm only joking." I spoke shaking my head and putting my book down, trying to hide my tenseness. He rolled his eyes unamused.

"I'll see you tomorrow morning, don't wait up for me." He said coming over and giving me a quick peck on the cheek. I nodded with a grin for all the wrong reasons. Was I a terrible person for sneaking out to a club without my uncle knowing? Most likely, but it wasn't the first time I'd done it, I'd seen just about everyone that had been in that Mercy Beat Magazine except for the Beatles.

We said our goodbyes and when I saw that his car was pulled out and gone I bolted up the stairs to get some decent clothes on. I got dressed as quickly as I could with adrenaline pumping through my veins.

As I was applying the final touch of lipstick I heard Minnie's loud car horn, causing me to jump. I ran over excitedly to the record player that Elvis' new song moonlight swim playing on and scrambled to get it off and out the door.

I ran to Minnie's car eager to get out of the house despite having the nagging feeling that something was going to go terribly wrong.

I hopped in quickly seeing Minnie's anxious expression as she greeted me. I wasn't fazed by it, she was always the worrier. I suppose one of us needed some common sense, but unluckily for me it was her that had a good head on her shoulders. I watched her shaky hands with amusement knowing she was trying hard to hide her nervousness.

"Take a deep breath." I laughed at her pale face as she got the car started back up.

"I need a cig." She shook her head and struggled to get a cigarette out of her pocket desperately in need of a distraction from her nerves.

One of the reasons she worried so much was because he father was the chief of the police department and she feared what he would do if he caught her; which he never did, she was one of the best liars I knew. Which only heightens my theory that strict parents make rebellious kids.

She took a lighter and I snatched it away from her with a devilish grin flicking it on to light it for her.

"You're the strangest kid, you're obsessed with starting the lighter yet you can't even smoke. Arsonist." She tutted and laughed.

"I can too smoke." I mumbled slapping the lighter down back in her hand and crossing my arms annoyedly.

"Alright," she said taking a long drag from her cig and fishing another one out of her pocket. She held it out to me challengingly with a cocked eyebrow. I huffed and took it knowing deep down that she was right but my ego was too fragile to give her the satisfaction of telling her.

She lit it for me and watched me with baited breath, making a nervous smile appear on my big fat lying mouth. I stared at the cig for a moment before placing it between my lips and inhaling the vulgar smoke, feeling my chest suddenly tighten and I felt like no air was getting to my lungs.

I coughed the smoke out and wheezed for air making her burst out in laughter. My heart rate had increased dramatically and I was holding my throat terrified feeling like I could've literally almost died from attempting to smoke. How pathetic am I?

I crushed it in the car ashtray defeatedly with a groan knowing she was almost always right, it got annoying sometimes. I got the dreaded, I told you so conversation from her until we pulled up to the Club. I immediately jumped out shaking with excitement as I gazed at the glowing red sign.

"Alright, now lets not," Minnie spoke walking up beside me anxiously. I didn't bother listening to the rest as I tugged her along excitedly as if I was a spoiled kid seeing something they wanted.

"Hey boys!" Minnie spoke confidently with a small smirk seeing the big burly bouncers at the front where a long line stretched to get in.

They let us through without any trouble, knowing that her father was the chief policeman in Liverpool. I swear they feared two seventeen year olds, it was a sad sight really.

As we walked down the steps to get to the underground of the Cavern club, the stench of cigarette smoke and alcohol was thick in the air, barely leaving room for oxygen. My chest tightened again and I wheezed for air slightly unable to breathe properly. This happened every time I was around smoke, it drove me crazy, everyone I knew seemed to smoke except me.

I looked around exhilarated to be back down in the crowded club. It was filled with young adults, some of which even looked younger than me. Minnie pointed to the side of the stage where the four main attractions stood waiting to go on for their set. I laughed and scanned around the room looking through the crowd.

My eyes suddenly landed on a sight that sent a chill down my spine. My uncle and Alistair were standing near the back of the club looking over at the stage patiently making my breathing suddenly hitch and my heart jump into my throat.