In My Life

One

Penny Lane.

I swear I'd walked this street a thousand times and yet I'd almost never visited inside the little cafe that was nearly invisible amongst the liveliness of the street.

I'm not exactly sure what was different about today.

Perhaps it was to drown some sorrow with hot cocoa and somewhere warm to contrast the cold that took over in the Liverpool winter.

My teeth were chattering as they'd never done before as I sat, having left my house in a haste so my mother wouldn't have the chance to keep me inside, not having the time to bundle up properly.

I needed to get out before I was driven into madness with how hectic and full my house was, at least here I felt at peace. It was quiet considering the late hour of the night.

I watched everyone around me as I sat at the end of the counter sipping the cocoa, trying to escape my reality for even a moment to feel better.

The bell sounded to signal another customer, my eyes trailed to meet a boy seemingly not much older than myself, light brown hair with thick rimmed glasses and a sort of notebook held at his waist, wearing a coat and jeans, his expression somber yet he was somewhat intimidating.

I was immediately intrigued as he went to sit down further down the counter, ordering a drink and opening his book and beginning to write away.

I hadn't realized how obviously I was staring until he looked up from his notebook toward me, immediately causing my head to snap back down to my hands cupping the drink to keep them warm, blushing profusely.

I had to admit I had found him rather attractive, I don't think I'd ever seen him around, not that I knew many people in Liverpool as it was.

I reached into my bag and pulled out a book I had been reading awhile back that I didn't seem to have the time to finish lately, before suddenly the waitress put down another cup of hot chocolate in front of me.

"I didn't order-" I began.

"-seems you've got an admirer." The woman winked, motioning her head down the table to  the lad who'd walked in last seeing he had taken quite the interest in me as well, though he'd seemed to have lost the glasses to his jacket pocket.

I turned beet red in the face, mouthing a quick 'thank you' to the stranger before I retreated behind my book just after seeing his face illuminate with a smile.

My eyes trailed up back to the drink and I couldn't help but have a stupid grin, nobody had ever done something like that for me before, shown interest.

A few moments passed before I felt a presence coming to sit next to me, looking immediately to see the admirer himself, smiling at me warmly.

"You look like you could use some company there love." His confidence was intimidating, his eyes glimmering with a sort of mischief I hadn't quite caught from afar.

I was instantly flustered, blinking my eyes and moving my lips with no avail, seeming to not be able to speak.

"I'll take that as a yes?" He grinned more genuinely, causing me to feel more comfortable, nodding with a small smile.

"Whatcha reading? Anything good?" He questioned peering into the open book nosily.

"Edgar Allen Poe." I shrugged shutting the book of his works to show the cover.

"Poetry." He smiled seeming to be somewhat familiar with his work.

I picked up the second cup the stranger had given me and smiled as I drank it.

"Do you mind?" He asked gesturing to pick up the book.

"Not at all." I smiled as a put the cup back down, watching him as he flipped through the book.

"This is one of my favourites lines here," he said pointing to the poem he'd found, "She was a child and I was a child, in this kingdom by the sea, but we loved with a love that was more than love, I and my Annabel Lee." He smiled reciting it, looking up to me, my stomach igniting with a spark of something I had never seemed to feel before.

"It's a shame the story ends her death," he said looking down breaking our eye contact.

"Poe had a sick sense of humour like tha'." I responded somewhat bitterly causing him to look up and chuckle lightly.

His laughter was contagious, causing me to let out a small laugh myself, before our eyes met and our laughter quickly subsided, seeming to get lost in each others gaze for a brief moment.

"So, your journal there, do you write poetry?" I inquired looking away from his eyes to the notebook on the counter he'd been writing in.

"Something like tha'," he grinned looking over to it, "songwriting. I'm in a band, we just came back from Germany, actually." He smiled down at the book before back up to me.

"Anything I'd know?" I grinned playfully, yet still feeling somewhat timid due to how much confidence he seemed to have when he spoke, something I seemed to lack.

"The Beatles?" He said seeing if that rang any bells.

"Really?" I smiled surprised, "I think everyone in Liverpool has heard of your band." I grinned.

"Would you, maybe want to come see us? We play Litherland Town Hall next Tuesday." He looked hopeful.

I smiled, "I'd love to."

"Gear." He looked genuinely excited from my response.

I looked down to my watch, realizing I'd been out for longer than I'd anticipated.

"I'm sorry, but I've got to go," I spoke pained, "next Tuesday at the Litherland Town Hall," I trailed off realizing I had never asked for his name.

"John." He smirked.

"John," I spoke warmly, "I'm Elle."

"Elle." He spoke, his speaking my name sent a shiver up my spine.

With one last goodbye I was back out on the streets that were cold and dark, hurrying along to make it home before my mother had noticed my disappearance.

When I got home, I opened the door slowly, praying my mom had gone to sleep.

"Busted." I heard my father speak from his living room chair, getting up with a laugh.

"Dad." I sighed with a small grin, thankful it was him rather than my mum.

"Where were you off to? Making trouble?" He suppressed a smile shaking his head as he walked over to me.

"Nowhere, I just needed some time away." I huffed with my face heating.

"Tell me about it." He sighed wiping his eyes from sleep.

I giggled shaking my head.

"Now get up there before your mum sniffs you out." He said ruffling my blonde hair into my eyes.

"I will," I said leaning up and placing a kiss on his cheek "night." I said before running off to bed.

As I got into bed I couldn't help but think of the stranger I'd met, John.