(Just Like) Starting Over

Strawberry Fields Forever

Rita grabbed two coats from the coat rank; she picked up her keys and left the apartment. "John!" She looked both ways of the hallway and saw the elevator on the left close. Rita decided to take the staircase so she could get downstairs at the same time he does.

She walked out of the building onto the sidewalk and looked to her left seeing John walking away from the building.

She jogged to catch up to him. "John, I'm sorry. I was just mad and frustrated. I really didn't mean it, it was very low of me!" John dismissed her and continued walking.

"At least wear the jacket, I don't want you to get sick." She handed John his jacket, he took it and put it on while walking. They continued to walk in silence. "John, where we going?" He continued to ignore her. Rita looked at the buildings around her and realized where they were going.

She had visited this place numeral times though out her adolescence. She remembers when arrived there with her parents the morning after. Her mother had bundled her up in her winter coat before taking her out. There were crowds of people surrounding the building and the street in front of the building. She saw people around her sobbing quietly.

Although she then had not known what was going on, she had perceived something terrible had occurred.

"Right back where it all ended." John stared up at the Gothic-styled building. "Where did you live?" Although she had been there before on occasion, she didn't know the apartment he lived in. John pointed at the floor. John walked closer to the entrance, while Rita followed closely behind.

"Hey!" A guard yelled at them. John immediately tensed up, Rita grabbed his arm in fear. They calmed down when realized it was the guard. The guard walked over to them. "Hey, guys sorry to scare you but you can't be too close to..." The guard trailed off after seeing John's face. "Wow, are you an impersonator?" John gave him a perplexed look. "Dude you look exactly like John Lennon, the guy who died here!"

"Yes, he is an impersonator! He just misheard you!"

"Wow man, you're truly good man! Did you get plastic surgery or something because wow!"

John shook his head and the man looked at him in awe.

"What are you guys doing here? I'm guessing you like in England right?"

"We wanted to see the building since we've never seen it live."

"Oh well, you can go close up!" They gave him an uncertain look. "Yeah, go! You guys don't have a gun right?" He joked. Rita winced. The guard sees the look on Rita's face and immediately apologized. "Sorry, poor joke, especially here. I'm sorry, it's my first week on the job." "It's fine." The guard left, embarrassed.

"It really is 'just like starting over' huh?" He elbowed her. She nodded, "Indeed, it is."

"You know, Yoko still lives here," Rita said a matter of factly.

Rita whispered, "Do you miss her? Yoko?"

"To be honest, I don't know. I haven't thought of her a lot."
"Why? You guys were in love, weren't you? Well, that's the media says."

"We weren't fond of each other in the end. We lived in separate apartments." "She was already with someone else. We probably would have divorced sooner or later."

"I heard you guys recorded Double Fantasy separately. That was a rumor going around, in the area, about that after you died."

"It's true." John groaned, "I'm craving a cigarette. Rita knew he had been having withdrawals for a while now. He fidgeted with his fingers. "I should get you a patch."