A Hard Day's Night (Beatles Fanfic)

It's Only Love

JOHN

The phone rang, and I awoke with a start. I reached over the sheets and picked up.

"Yah?" I said grumpily.

"John?"

"Yeah. Who is it?" I rubbed my eyes.

"I-it's George. You alright?"

I stretched out, trying to sound less sleepy. "Yeah, I was just taking a nap. What's 'appening?"

"I'm on my way back. Everything's fine with Paul. He should be getting out tomorrow as planned."

"Gear!" I exclaimed. "Is Margo coming back with you?"

"No, she decided to stay with Paul and Ritch."

"Okay," I replied. "I'll see you soon then."

I was about to put the phone down and go back to sleep, but then I heard a voice. An American voice. An American bird's voice.

"George?" she said, in the distance. "D'ya want anything else?"

"No, thanks, Angie," George answered.

"Ey, George, who's that?" I asked. "You've got a bird with you?"

"Yeah- wait, no, no John, she's not-"

"Who exactly is this Angie, huh?" I was getting angry. "What is that 'anything else' she's offering you?"

"No, John, I'm not doing anyth-"

"Did you happen to forget that we have more important matters?" I spat. "But I guess that doesn't matter to you, does it?"

"John, we weren't doing anything." George's voice sounded drenched in exhaustion, shutting me up.

There was a pause. Then George spoke up.

"I was in an accident," he said. My eyes widened.

"George... Then where are you?"

"I'm fine. I just got a couple bruises. But I was too scared to drive." He chuckled tiredly. "George, the wuss he is, is afraid of driving. And Angie drove by with her...boyfriend, I guess?..... And she stopped, and offered to drive me back in my car, and now we're at the gas station. Nothing else happened."

I closed my eyes. "Wow," I said, with an attempt at humor. "Is everyone getting hurt these days? Watch, all four of us will fall off the face of the earth, and then there'll be no Beatles to try and save."

George forced out a chuckle. "Yeah," he said. "Well, I'll be going, the time's running out on the pay phone. I'll see you soon, la."

"M-hm, see you," I replied, then added, "Tell this Angie that I say hello," with a smirk.

"Will do," he said, and then the phone clicked off.

GEORGE

I turned around and saw Angie was standing at the paying area, so I walked up to join her.

"Just the cigarettes, then?" The cashier, a young bird with messy blonde hair tucked into a ponytail, said.

"Yep, thanks," Angie said, and handed over some money.

"Thank you," I added politely, and the cashier looked at me with a courteous smile.

Suddenly, her smile froze in place, and her eyes widened.

"Oh, no," I said, and rubbed my eyes with my hand.

Angie stood next to me, a bit confused.

"A-re you...?" The cashier stuttered. "......You are!" A squeal flew out of her mouth, and she quickly covered it with her hand.

"No, no, I'm not," I quickly said, grabbing the pack and Angie's hand, and turning to leave. I noticed snow had begun to fall, hard and heavy.

As we were nearing the door, the cashier blurted out, "I love you, George Harrison!"

I slammed the door open and quickly walked into the car, sitting down in the driver's seat. Angie didn't argue, just sat down opposite me.

I drove out of the gas station and sped onto the highway. The road was soothing, instead of causing me worry as it had before, even though the snow was falling in sheets. I took a few deep breaths for extra measure.

Finally feeling in control of the road, I threw my eyes to Angie, who stared straight ahead, her face blank.

"I'm... sorry, for all that confusion," I said tentatively. She turned to me, her face stone still. The white of the snow shone on her cheeks.

"So......." she began, her voice quiet and still. "You're really George Harrison." It was a statement, not a question, but I nodded anyway.

I felt defeated. I thought she didn't know who I was. I had told her my first name in my distinct Liverpudlian accent, but she hadn't recognized me. I thought she may have been one of the only people to not know the Beatles.

But who was I kidding?

At least she wasn't screaming. Or crying. Or fainting.

We rode in silence for a while. Finally, she released a short breath and a nervous chuckle.

"That girl was a tad insane, huh?"

"Most of them are," I said, a bit surprised. "But you seem under control."

"Yeah, but I'm bubbling on the inside."

I laughed, grateful at how calm Angie was acting.

"The snow's falling pretty hard," her voice turned nervous. "I don't know how I'll make it home."

I stared at the road. The snow was piling up. I would barely make it back to the hotel. There was no way I could drive Angie and then return to my own place.

"Well, you can stay at my hotel room for the night," I offered. "If it's fine with your boyfriend. Or whoever that was driving your car."

Angie nodded. "I think he'll be alright. I'll call him later." A pause. "Thank you, George."

"It's the least I can do," I returned with a smile.

We drove on, the snow flying around us, twisting and turning in untraceable, magical paths, and flying on to new directions, colliding and then bursting away again.