And Your Girl Can Sing

Chapter 81: Birthday Plans

"You've got an awful memory, beautiful bird," he grinned. "My name is John Lennon."

"Ah, look at 'er, she's as red as a tomato!"

"Then enjoy the morning with me. Come on. I know you want me."

"But what if it's an indie party, you're Indie, aren't you, Cora?"

"Don't say I wouldn't try to push you in. I'm unpredictable."

"Hey, hey, Cora, shhh, please don't leave, I won't hurt you."

"If we share the bath, one of us won't have to freeze waiting."

Cora is everything. I'm mad about her, I love her, I can't do without her. YES I'm not using proper grammar I KNOW. She takes care of me I NEED HER. She's been here the whole time, through the good and the bad.

At first us, me and John, surrounded by digital alarm clocks and OneDirection posters and a flat-inch television. Flirting on his end, but casual, hookup type flirting; me wriggling out of his grasp but a part of me enjoying it. A millennia ago. Now both of us stripped of clothes, of hidden emotion, a couple hundred meters away from his childhood home. Has he changed? I think not. But he has, he really has, if you thought about it. He's still snarky and strong-willed, but he blushes now more, or he lets me see the times when he's uncomfortable.

I turned my cheek and looked at all the blades of the green grass, one arm raised above my head, the other thrown carelessly to the side, tufts of grass sprouting on either side of my arm, around my whole body, my the front of my dress now lying flat against my knees. A few minutes ago we were cuddling, bathing in each other's warmth, content, but now John lay beside me, turned away from me. I blinked a couple times and turned my face toward the sky. The sun was still shining.

"Congratulations! You've figured it out! Top bird, aren't ye?"

"John?" I asked quietly, cutting through my memories, pulling myself back in time, hearing the rustling of the grass instead of the sound of tires against asphalt. "Are you asleep, love?"

He didn't respond. I sat up and noticed a breeze on my legs. I shivered a little, suddenly feeling exposed, and cautiously put a hand over his body next to me so that I could see him. He turned his face toward me and I caught a slight glimpse of fear. Confused, my brow wrinkled.

"John?" I asked again.

"Cora." His face relaxed and he turned even more so he was lying flat on his back, staring straight up at me.

"Are you..." the words died on my lips, waiting for him to say something, but he reached up and fingered a few strands of hair which were hanging close to his mouth.

I brought my hand up from his other side, moving to sit back down but he grabbed my wrist and said, "Cora, you don't—this is... I..."

"What is it?" I asked, worried, feeling fear creep up my legs with the breeze. My fingers made a fist and he moved his hand around mine, sending waves of warmth through me.

"I just feel like..." he averted his eyes. "You deserved... better."

"What?" I said quietly. "What do you mean?"

"More than me. More than what this fool can give you. I... forget about it. You know?" he gave me a little grin. "We just had a nice shag and here I am talking about... who knows what." His fingers started moving up my wrist, shaking something off.

But that was classic John covering up how he really felt. I looked at him for a few minutes, his classic, joker grin appearing on his face, lying there seemingly in a relaxed position on the grass.