Risky Woohoo

16 | No Plan

1957, July
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"So, where does this John live?" Will asked for the hundredth time in half an hour.

"I don't know." I barked, perhaps a little to aggressively. "In Woolton somewhere, as I've said a million times." I shot a glare his way. "Menlove, I think."

I sighed. Will's leadership was leading us nowhere. Firstly, I told him John lived in Woolton, to which he grimaced, then we headed there.

A few minutes had gone when Will stopped in his tracks and thought to find his girlfriend, Rosie, and lend some money, so we could take a bus or two instead of walking all the way. We had gone five minutes when Will realised he didn't actually have any idea where Rosie was and decided we might as well just go on and get our arses to Woolton.

My eyes had been staring off into space for the past ten minutes. The surroundings told me we were nearing our destination. Big houses, trimmed hedges, and straight out posh.

A cheery laugh sounded from a street down, making my heart jump. I tapped Will on the shoulder. "That's him." I confirmed. Without a word, Will turned on his heel and started for the sound I had pointed out.

We turned a corner, and there he was, closing a gate behind him. "Ta, John. See you lot later." I noticed the boy I knew as John in a window with a pair of glasses on. Paul raised his head, knitting his eyebrows together when he saw us approaching.

"What are you doing 'ere?" he asked joviantly. Skipping the explanation, Will came forward and tugged at Paul's arm. "We've got to go." He gritted through his teeth. "Wha-" "But, where to, Will?" I butted in, having had enough of his nonsense.

I stepped forward and yanked Paul away from my brother, much to the formers apparent pleasure. "We'll go to Aunt Lydia, I'm very sure Jim haven't a clue about her." Wills face fell slightly at the sound of our aunts name, and at the sound of his fathers did Paul as well. "I doubt mum would've ever told him about her."

Will sighed in defeat. Paul groaned in protest. "Who- where are we going?" He wondered. "To our aunt's." "Yeah, but why?" I let out a heavy breath, what did I know. "Will'll tel, ya later. I don't know what he's been on about."
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Aunt Lydia was my mother's sister. I saw her at the funeral. She looked unfazed, though she always did. Over the years I had learned that my grandparents weren't very open with emotions and the such. You were supposed to hide it all away.

My mum wasn't keen on passing that mentality on to her own children, but Aunt Lydia hadn't any children, so she didn't have anything to change.

She had found a good job as a nurse. She lived alone despite her youth and beauty. Her life choices were truly questionable. She lived well in a higher-middle class neighbourhood. And that's where we found her, not very far away from Woolton, but still far enough to make our feet even more sore.

As she stood in the doorway with her eyebrows knitted together, eyeing us all intently, I began to wonder why I hadn't seen more of her. She was a neat lady. Her fashion sense wasn't completely miserable, and often times she could lighten any room with her presence.

But as she stepped closer, turning to William and shooting him a burning glare, I could feel the strictness oozing out of her. "So? What's this all about?" She tonedrivenly asked my brother. He shuddered under her towering figure, gulping in anticipation. "I, uhm... We need a hideout." He responded anxiously.

Aunt Lydia shot an eyebrow up. "Why?" Was all she asked. Will turned to me with a eyes that pleaded for help. "For Christ's sake, mate, just be honest." I grunted. He shook slightly at my response, though clearing his voice and heaving his chest. "I-I think Jim is after us."

"Who, Sophia's man? Why? D'you run away from home? Bleeding teenagers." She crossed her arms.

"No! Well, yes. I mean, we had to! I-I heard him threaten us." Will stuttered.

"Why would he threaten you lot?"

"H-he's a broken man a-and he blames it all on P-Paul 'ere and me and Ann. I don't know what to do, Aunt... Auntie." Will spoke, unsure if to address her by the nickname he used as a child, as if to smooth the subject.

All the while Paul stood by my side, listening to what Will had to say about his father. He just stood there with a bewildered, yet saddened look on his face. I noticed suddenly his hand was tightly gripping mine. I think maybe he saw this coming, he had seen with his own two eyes what Jim was turning into, so this mustn't have come as a surprise. Yet, I believe the words hurt him a bit.

"Broken men break the most." She muttered to herself before turning sideways and lifting her hand out. "Right then, come in." My eyebrows lifted in surprise as Will grabbed me by the upper arm and pulled me into the grand house, I was dragging Paul behind me.

"You can stay for the night." Aunt Lydia said sternly when we were all stood side by side in the hallway. Her hands were placed firmly on her hips. "But tomorrow I'll talk to Jim and hear what he has to say."

I noticed in the corner of my eye Wills mouth open as if to speak, but he quickly closed it again.
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The rest of the afternoon consisted of Aunt Lydia showing us our sleeping quarters. William reluctantly agreed to sleep on the sofa as Paul had vaguely insisted he slept with me. They both raised an eyebrow or two at that, but gave it no further attention.

In the early evening we were sat around a table in the kitchen, eating a silent dinner, when Auntie suddenly spoke. "Why'd you bring the guitar?"

Paul stopped his fork midway and glanced up at the curious lady. "I-I was at a mate of mine, w-we were just playing." He stammered.

"Oh? Well, what kind of music do you play?" She cocked an eyebrow.

Paul's face lifted slightly at the mention of music, and his eyes glimmered with excitement. "At the moment I like to play quite a bit of Ed-"

"Oh, have you heard those french ballads? They are truly enchanting." Her eyes were staring off into space, a slight grin on her lips. It was fascinating to see her this way as I'd never before. "I can never quite remember any of their names, but how they get me going." She spoke dreamily.

Will had a sort of confused and disgusted look on his face. I think I knew what he thought. Paul's face had fallen again. I hesitantly laid a hand on his thigh to reassure him, but his reaction was out most surprising.

He choked on something in his throat and he had to cough loudly to get it out. We all looked at him concerned, though Aunt Lydia was still a bit lost in her own world. "Are you alright?" I asked him as a smirk played at the corner of my mouth. He quickly nodded and dinner went on without another word.
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Paul was last to get up from the table. I stood there and waited for him, but he kept picking at his plate. "He's probably got a hard-on." My brother quietly spoke behind me so only I could hear. I spun around. "What?" I whispered.

"You know when like a boy sees a-"

"Yes, yes, Will. I know what it is."

"You know when he coughed and spat all over the table?" I nodded.

"Well, that's probably because he suddenly realised what was happening, y'know."

Why was my brother telling me this?

"So, just leave him be. All he wants to do is go the loo and have a wank."

I grimaced, but nodded. William slid out of the room and disappeared into wherever.

I turned around to see Paul was looking at me, those doe eyes never failing to make me internally swoon.
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I know it's such a fucking cliché by now to make Jim crazy, alcoholic, etc, but ugh, it just makes the whole story more interesting, so live with it and be happy I actually updated.