Do You Want To Know a Secret?

27. Hello Goodbye

4 Months later

"Today's the day Brian." I spoke in disbelief, my hair blowing in my face as we stood before the plane that would take him and the boys to London, where they would move to today to start making records. The stairs up to the plane were only meters away, making my heart pound furiously.

"I guess so." He looked at me, a loss for words as he stared into my eyes, his eyes glossing over with bittersweet tears.

"You promised you wouldn't cry." I spoke getting slightly emotional myself, holding back tears with a smile.

"Forget what I said, give me a hug." Brian smiled through his watery eyes as he pulled me into a bear hug.

"I love you Brian." I mumbled into his shoulder.

"I love you Poppy." He mumbled back letting out a melancholy sigh.

As we broke away from the hug, I noticed Paul walking up with his father and brother and smiled warmly. Paul and I had grown to be good friends after he had distanced himself from me for awhile. I understood that it couldn't have been easy for him to have seen me with George.

By now he had grown to become quite a ladies man and he was much more flirtatious with girls than ever before. I was happy to see him so contented and free spirited, I would miss him greatly.

We greeted them warmly, Paul's Dad Jim looking at his son with extreme happiness, although there was a slight undertone of worry. There was no question why, London would be undoubtedly the scariest change for the boys and their parents.

"Popstar!" Paul exclaimed pulling me in for a hug. I giggled at his gesture.

"Ready for London Macca?" I raised an eyebrow challengingly as he released me.

"Is London ready for us?" Paul raised an eyebrow to mimic me, making me grin.

"I doubt it." I smiled making him laugh. I admired Paul's drive to strive to the top, he was meant for show business, I could see it in the way he held himself he knew he was confident.

"I'm gonna miss you Poppy." He shot me a doleful grin. I was taken aback by his sombreness, he was rarely ever so serious towards me ever since what he had told me back in Hamburg.

"I'll miss you too Paul." I gave him one last hug before my uncle began to talk to him and his family about London.

One by one we watched as the other boys showed up, each parent looking more worried than the last.

"Glasses John." Mimi nagged at John as they walked up lastly after George and Pete, as she tugged on his sleeve. John rolled his eyes and fished them from his jacket pocket, hesitantly placing them on his face.

Cynthia was by his other side giggling. Her baby bump had by now just began to show and the engagement ring on her finger made her beam with joy. I was happy for the both of them, I couldn't believe John was going to be a married man and a father so soon, but I was nonetheless happy.

"Would you look at that," I grinned at John.

"Glasses, a father, and a soon to be a married man. Impressive Lennon." I grinned. He smiled sarcastically at me, making Cynthia smack his arm lightly with a laugh.

"I would say something but I'll regret it when I get on that plane." John snarled. I grinned widely, he really did care about me somewhere deep down.

"I'll miss you Johnny." I sang making him and Cynthia laugh.

"I'll miss you too kid, hold down the fort for us back here in the 'pool alright?" He asked solemnly.

"Yes sir." I saluted him jokingly.

My uncle had started to talk to Mimi, John and Cyn, leaving me alone for a moment.

I turned my attention to George and his mother Louise, whom was clinging onto her sons arm for dear life, not wanting to let him go just yet.

"-and Georgie, I packed some extra sandwiches in your bag in case you get hungry, and I've left a paper with all the numbers of the family for ye' too." She assured him with a worried grin. He smiled and patted her arm comfortingly as it was wrapped around his arm tightly.

"Thanks mum." He leaned down and placed a kiss on top of her head making a woeful smile appear on her lips.

He turned his attention toward me afterwards, a blush spreading as he noticed my gaze on them in awe. I smiled at him then played with the promise ring on my left hand. I was fighting back tears, this would be one of the hardest things I'd ever have to do.

"Mum, will you excuse me for a moment?" George asked. She looked at me and smiled, nodding.

He walked over to me making my cheeks fill with colour. He brushed a piece of my blonde hair behind my ear and grinned down at me.

I got up on my tippy toes and kissed him meaningfully, sorrow filling my entire body.

"Are you sure you can't come to London?" He whined with his face clouding over with sadness after we had broken away from each others lips.

"Well, I-I have to r-run the shop, and I'm starting at the College of Art in the fall, I-I-" I let out a whimper, a tear falling from my eye. Cynthia had helped get me into the Liverpool College of Art, and I felt like it would be a great opportunity to get out of Liverpool one day, because I knew I couldn't just work at NEMS forever.

Quickly after seeing tears stream down my face, George pulled me into his arms and slid his hand up and down my back.

"I know Poppy. I don't want you to leave everything behind." He whispered into my hair, making me feel some reassurance.

Although I so badly wanted to go with them, I knew I couldn't live their lifestyle. I had to let George go, he was young and had his whole life ahead of him. I couldn't do to him what had happened to Cynthia and John, I feared he'd grow to resent me because of the opportunities he would miss if I were to tie him down so soon in life.

It was like that old saying goes; If you love someone, set them free. If they come back they're yours; if they don't they never were.

"I'm going to miss you so much." I cried into his jacket, squeezing him tighter.

"I'll wait for you." He whispered, sending a shiver down my spine. I let him go to look him in the eyes.

"You can't." I shook my head. We both knew he couldn't sit around waiting for a future that might not even exist with me; he needed to look at the future instead of wallowing the the past.

"I want you to move on and find what you want in London." I sniffled, half smiling. Tears were in his loving brown eyes as well, filled with hurt and sadness.

"I love you Poppy. I always will." He cupped my cheek with one hand. He looked down at my hand to see the promise ring around my finger and smiled for a moment before it disappeared behind a frown again.

"I will always love you George." I spoke meaningfully, hoping he knew how much I meant it. He kissed me once more longingly, not wanting to go.

I repeated the saying in my head once more to keep tears from flowing freely down my cheeks.

If you love someone, set them free. If they come back they're yours; if they don't, they never were.