Nowhere Girl ~ John Lennon/The Beatles

Chapter Seventeen: Pub Trip

The Christmas holidays were fast approaching, and so were deadlines. Robin didn't usually get stressed about her coursework, not since art was her passion, but her tutors had put a lot of pressure on her. It turned out that being the new girl as well as a high achiever had resulted in great expectations for her grades, especially if she wanted to qualify for the advanced classes they had suggested to her for the Spring term. Most nights that she wasn't working at the restaurant she stayed late at college trying to finish her various pieces, and when she did have to go home she was up until the early hours working.

At first her friends found it amusing how much of a perfectionist she was and how many hours she was putting into college, but John realised it wasn't really a joke when she fell asleep in lettering class, only to wake up with ink smudges all over her cheeks. With a week left until they broke up for the Christmas break, he as well as Stuart knew that she'd probably overwork herself to exhaustion unless they did something about it.

"I've still got loads left on my watercolours, do we really need to-" Robin protested as the two of them dragged her into the pub.

"Yes, we do need to," John told her firmly. "Because I need a pint, Stuart needs to pull, and you need a break,"

It had been easier than either of them thought it would be to get her to stop working. They'd planned to ambush her after her shift at the restaurant, though John had been meeting her most days after work anyway so she didn't think anything of it. After mentioning to him that she hated the thought of Ant waiting outside the restaurant for her even after what had happened between the two of them, John took it upon himself to be her protector from her ex. She only realised something different was happening when Stuart was also there, and the two of them led her straight past the usual bus stop, though to stop her running back for the bus home they'd both linked their arms through hers and practically carried her off to the pub.

"It looks like you're being kidnapped," Kay remarked as she wandered behind them, deciding to tag along with them for the pub trip.

"Fucking feels like it and all," Robin muttered bitterly, especially as the two lads pulled her through the pub doors.

Not that she'd told John or Stuart, but it was the same pub Ant had taken her to, the same one they had visited most nights when he called on her after work. It was just as quiet as the first time, to the extent that the few regulars who were gathered around the bar all turned to glare at the youths.

"Well this is a friendly place," Stuart commented dryly, rolling his eyes as John flashed a sarcastic grin to the less than welcoming customers.

"It's been quiet ever since Al opened the restaurant down the road with a fully stocked bar," Kay shrugged in explanation. "They've got his face pinned to a dartboard somewhere in here, I'm telling you,"

"Brilliant," Robin grimaced before letting out a quiet laugh.

The lack of custom probably explained just how cold the place was too, so the group of them found a table next to the fire, and none of them bothered taking their coats off. Robin tried not to look across the room to where hers and Ant's usual table was, worried it would remind her of the many regretted dates the two of them had been on.

It was only now she was rid of him completely that she realised just how messed up he could be. He'd thankfully not tried to contact her at all, but the memory of him was still real. No one mentioned him anymore though, her friends quietly realising that the subject of the terrible relationship wasn't something Robin would benefit from. She'd told Stuart and Kay what had happened since they were her best friends, and she was pretty sure that everyone else in their circle knew something had happened. Occasionally at college if she got to the lunch hall later than usual she'd hear Jenny whispering to Helen about it, and once at a Quarrymen rehearsal she walked in on Paul and Pete deep in discussion only for them to both shut up as soon as they saw her. In truth she didn't really care, she was over him and what had happened, but she hated being the topic of interest and knowing she was the subject of gossip. If she could avoid any reminders of the situation, she would.