Brothers - Lennon/McCartney

Chapter Ten

***

'Hey Pete,' Paul pulled him back into the room. 'Look here.' He pointed at a condom pinned on the wall.

'Burn it.' Pete laughed. 'I dare you.'

'Shall we?' He smirked.

'What's the worst that can happen?'

***

'Deported?' John threw his pencil onto the table. 'They're both being deported?'

'That's what the officer said.' Astrid said.

'Fuck.' John tapped the wood in front of him. 'What the fuck for?'

'Arson.' Stuart shrugged. 'Attempting to burn down the cinema.'

'Did they bollocks.'

'They have enough evidence to send them home.' Astrid said. 'I'll see you later.'

John shook his head. 'Looks like we're off home Stu.'

'John.' Stuart sat on the edge of his bed. 'I am home.'

'What?'

'Hamburg is my home.' Stuart told him. 'I'm not coming back to Liverpool.'

'What do you mean?'

'There's nothing there for me anymore.'

'There's nothing here for you either.' John furrowed his brows.

'Astrid's here.'

'Fuck sake Stu.'

'We're gettin' married.' He smiled. 'I really love her, John.'

'What about the band?'

'I'm sorry, John.' Stuart sighed. 'I'm leaving the band.'

'But we need you.'

'I'm staying here with Astrid and Klaus.' Stuart said. 'I'm not coming back and that's that.'

'Get out.' John ordered. 'Fuck off.' He screamed. Stuart walked to the door.

'I'm sorry.' He left.

John threw his bag on the floor and kicked it away. 'Fuck.'

***

Paul took in the scent of the saltwater beneath him, watching the current of the Mersey flow out into the sea. He threw a pebble into the water and watched it as it dropped into the deep unknown.

'What are you doing out here?' John asked, walking to stand beside him. 'Your dad asked me to go lookin' for you.' He said. 'It's not what I'd planned to do on my first day back in England.'

'I needed some air.' Paul shrugged. 'Figured this would be the best place to come.' He sat on a bench and continued to stare out at the river.

'What's wrong?' John got straight to the point.

'Dot's pregnant.' Paul admitted, taking a deep breath in. 'Dad wants us to get married and seal the deal.'

'But you're too young to get married?'

Paul scoffed. 'That's what I said.'

John didn't know what to say. He stared at Paul and noticed a sad look in his eye. 'Do you love her?'

'I like her.' He shrugged.

'But do you love her?' John repeated himself in a collected tone.

'No.' He said in a cautious manner, taking his attention from the river and to his twiddling thumbs. 'What am I supposed to do?'