i believe in yesterday ☽ 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐁𝐄𝐀𝐓𝐋𝐄𝐒

𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐫𝐭𝐲-𝐟𝐢𝐯𝐞

"why are there jelly-babies in my shoes?" molly asked in a disappointed voice. she knew who did it, she just wanted to know why.

john cackled with laughter. it was nearly seven in the morning, and he was already at it like a hyena. he sputtered a bullshit answer along with some more laughter. paul awoke to the sound of his laughing, and probably not for the first time, either.

"where did you even get jelly-babies at a time like this?" she hinted at a smile, but still frowned. "i'm missing college for heaven's sake!"

john quickly got ahold of himself, sucking in a large breath of air as he smiled faintly at her. "s-sorry, molly," he apologized upon seeing her stern face. "i couldn't resist, really."

paul rubbed his eyes tiredly, blinking a few times before looking at john and pete who were both piled on the small mattress across from him. paul fell asleep in his day clothes, resulting in a sweaty mess.

molly was at the foot of the bed, leaning over and putting her flats on. "can anyone of you drive me to the airport this morning? i have a lot of confessing to do to my mother." she dumped the beans out and put her shoes on.

"i suppose i could ask to use the van..." john said. he hopped off the bed and strolled out of the room. "i'll be back with the van! be ready in twenty!" he yelled.

george came inside with a strange look on his face. he had a small, confused smirk on his face from bumping into john in the hallway.

"what was that?" he asked with a chuckle.

                                                *

john kept his promise, pulling up with the dirty van. he opened the back for molly to put her things into and piled right back in.

he would be back home before the performance that night if all went well. he was to drive her to the nearest airport, and from there, she'd get a ticket home with some of paul's money.

"i never did hear the story of why you went to jail, anyway," he swallowed hard, preparing for a funny story.

molly settled in, attempting to buckle her faulty seatbelt, but couldn't get it in. "your stupid buddy, jim-"

he interrupted her before she could get another word out. "haha! i know him!" he shouted. "he's a funny guy, i'll tell you."

"a funny guy who put me in jail..." molly shook her head just as john finally began to pull off. "he had drugs in the car without me knowing," she softly sighed.

john gave a small tsk tsk and grinned. "i'll bet jail was a scare, huh?" he asked. "molly mayweather in jail... what a funny thought!"

"it wasn't funny when a cockroach nearly climbed up my dress!" molly shuddered at the thought. "i'm scarred, i tell you."

john pulled onto the freeway, checking the small map he brought along with him. "we should be there in exactly... one hour," he said.

molly closed her eyes and took in a deep breath. she hoped maybe paul could drive her, possibly even pete, just not john.

john was nice and all, but he was loud. she wanted just a tad bit of sleep in knowing her mother wouldn't tolerate her sleeping when "you're supposed to be at college!" she presumed.

even the questions were quite loud.

"what were you studying to be again?" he wondered. he looked over to her, molly hoping when he saw her he'd think she was asleep. "hey," he poked her.

"a doctor," she finally spat out.

john's eyebrows lifted easily. a doctor? "aren't doctors men?" he chuckled.

molly gritted her teeth, seething a silent, "not all doctors are." her mind wandered to just moments before, when george was begging her not to leave.

it was pitiful, honestly.

he pulled her aside when she was gathering all her things when the others had left. he could've gotten on his knees if molly asked him.

he was at the brink of tears halfway into his inspirational reason that he didn't want her to leave. he said he couldn't handle life without her, but molly tried to assure him he could.

he wouldn't listen. he just kept sobbing and telling her he would miss her too much.

molly felt awful leaving him in that state, but she couldn't just sacrifice her normal life for a one on the road like that. "why was george looking so fuckin' grim when we left? he didn't even say goodbye,"

"he said goodbye to me."

john took her answer as a simple reply, but molly just wanted him to shut up. he didn't, of course. "there's something that's been on my mind, lately,"

molly hummed in response.

he cleared his throat and drew a heavy sigh. "do you remember that day when we were packing away all your things into your mom's truck?" he asked.

"yes," she hesitated, eyes still closed. "why?"

"erm... you, er, left some of your things out that day. i read a letter from one of your friends-" he could sense her response already. she would be fuming.

"you what?" molly looked over at him with glaring eyes.

john felt both scared and intimidated by her being mad at him. she was not an angry girl. in fact, she was one of the happiest he knew. "i read one of them,"

molly's mouth was agape. the only letters she ever sent were to her girlfriends. most of them were about him. "what did you read?" she asked frantically.

"well... it was this one," he reached into his pocket as they got off an exit. he handed her the small piece of paper while biting his lip in nervousness.

molly's eyes criticized her friend's grammar as she scanned the page full of things she did not want john to know. "why would you... what in the bloody... how could you..." she couldn't manage to get anything out. her heart remained in her throat as john increasingly feeling more and more guilty.

his hands gripped the wheel, feeling ashamed of himself. he knew he had to tell her. he couldn't keep it in any longer.

"i didn't know what it was, you see," he told her to try and calm her. "not until i read it all."

even more than john, molly felt ashamed for having to be in the situation. who writes to their friend about their crush? she couldn't properly speak, so she just shook her head in sadness. she didn't want john to know the details. she didn't mind if he knew she liked him, she just didn't want him to have the heartfelt parts unless they were in a real relationship.

"molly, i just want you to know that i love you, and i hope this doesn't affect our-"

"save it, john. stop talking."

"but-"

"stop."

𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭. 𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐭 𝐟𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐝𝐫𝐨𝐩 𝐨𝐧 𝐧𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭. 𝐛𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐲.