John took one last drag before throwing his cigarette on the pavement and putting it out with his foot. He looked up at the building in front of him, contemplating whether he should go in or not. On one hand, he'd have to spend God knows how long with that creature, doing something he desperately tried to avoid. John didn't know why he had to think about it in the first place. He didn't listen to the teachers, so why should he listen to Megan? And tutoring? He didn't need anyone breaking things down for him like a child. When would anything they learned from school apply to him later in life? As if he'd need to know radical expressions and exponents while onstage and playing with his band. What was he getting at? That learning that stuff was pointless. But then again, Aunt Mimi was madder than usual. As in, furious. You have no idea.

He pulled the front door open. I might as well get through with it.

The library was relatively filled with people doing their work. But you wouldn't have known there were people inside if you didn't look because, as you do when you're in a library, everyone kept their voices down. John instantly saw Megan sitting on one of the tables. Her nose was practically buried into the book she was reading. She looked up when she sensed someone approaching her.

"You're late." Megan closed her book and scowled at him. "I've been waiting here for half an hour."

John shrugged. "You could have left."

"I'm sticking to my duty as your tutor. Because unlike some people, I listen to my authority figures so I won't get in trouble and call attention to myself." She replied curtly. She nodded towards the chair across the table for him to sit down. John took a seat, not knowing why he was going along with it. "Look, I know we both don't want to do this. At least, I don't want to do this."

He sneered. "Sure as hell I don't want to do this! Like I'd want to spend my afternoon listening to you motor your mouth off. Then why are you doing this? I'm pretty sure Mr. Montague favors you opinion and wouldn't have made you."

Megan narrowed her eyes and stared him down for a moment before going on. "I have my reasons. The school gave me the job of helping you pass classes and I'm stepping up to the plate. Even if it means having to put up with your arrogant attitude and wildish antics. See, I'm here because the teachers rely on me and I know how to take responsibility. You on the other hand are here because you don't know how to act. Everyone around here tries so hard to be on top of the work while you prevent them from doing so with your shenanigans. And the teachers! They're just trying to do their job and you're making it so hard for them by being so stupid and failing. Now I'm supposed to help you go the extra mile—"

John cut her off. "I shouldn't have to listen to this." He briskly got up from his chair. "I get enough of the teachers ragging on me at school. I don't need you on my case as well. I said it before and I'll say it again: I don't need a tutor!"

Megan could feel the stares everyone was giving them. She desperately tried to shush him. "Lennon, keep it down. This is embarrassing!" She whispered angrily.

"No, you know what, you keep it down! I don't need to be told that I'm not up to someone's bloody standards, especially by the likes of you." John was turning into a madman before her eyes; he was crazier than ever before. "And I'm embarrassing you? Your presence itself deserves everyone's pity!"

One of the old librarians shelving books nearby came up to their table. "Young man if you're not going to keep quiet, I'm going to have to ask you to leave. This is a library." She scolded.

"Don't worry, I was just leaving." He replied while glaring daggers toward Megan. She just stared back at him with a dumbfounded expression. She didn't know what to say to that. Megan watched as John shoved the chair back under the table and marched out of the library in a huff. The library was silent again; not the usual silence, with the quiet lull of conversation, but an eerie silence as if they were waiting for what would happen next. Megan noticed the painful stares again and slowly sunk into her seat.

The librarian looked down at Megan. "Is everything okay?"

"Great." Megan answered poignantly while gathering her things together. "Everything's just peachy." She left before the librarian could ask her any more questions. She couldn't stand everyone looking at her like she had three eyes anymore.

"And he just left?"

They both held up their trays for the lunch lady to glob mash potatoes on their plates. She placed two pieces of chicken next to each of their mash potatoes and signaled for them to keep the line moving. Megan and Joanne scooped some vegetables and grabbed a bun for their plates at the end of the lunch line. Megan looked down at her tray with a look of disgust. Normally she would bring home lunch but she slept in late. She only had time to help Jimmy make his lunch. Then just when they were finished, his bus and Steven's car came to pick them up respectively. Now she had to settle for the school's mush of a meal. She didn't even know if the chicken was actually chicken.

"Yeah, he just had to go and make such a big scene about it." Megan fretted while pouring gravy over the mash potatoes. "I don't know why though. I was just telling him that the teachers depended on me to help him pick his grades up and that if this was going to work, he should stop with his lousy attitude. It's the truth." They picked up a carton of milk from a nearby crate before leaving the kitchen and went to an empty table.

Joanne shook her milk before jamming the carton open with her thumb. "Let me guess, it went something like: You behave wildly and prevent everyone from reaching their full potential. You're so stupid and failing while the teachers are doing their best to teach you. Because I'm reliable and take responsibility, I'm the one to help you."

Megan was silent for a moment. "It sounds a lot worse when you say it." She said remorsefully. "I didn't mean to be that harsh. I, I don't know what I was thinking. He wasn't even trying to be mean in the first place and when he walked in, BOOM! I just start verbally attacking him. I guess I was a little hard on him. I mean, he did come yesterday, that's something. I didn't expect him to do that. Maybe I should find him and apologize or something."

"That's sounds like a good idea." Joanne said through bites of her food.

Megan's face went from regret back to anger. "Wait, no I shouldn't have to apologize. He's said a lot of bad things to me before and not once did he say I'm sorry.' Sometimes I feel like I'm always the one to be the bigger person." She shook her head frustratingly. "So Lennon's the one who has to fix this."

Joanne wanted to say something, but decided against the idea. Megan was mad as it is. Don't get her wrong, she loved Megan. They were practically sisters. But she could be a tad bit overbearing and too straightforward at times. Like one time, when Joanne was dating this boy from their school who was a year younger. When he wasn't around or when they saw him from afar, Megan would nitpick things she didn't like about him. Stuff like, Oh you know he hangs out with those kids at that danky club? Or He has a job on the docks. That won't get you anywhere you get married. Ultimately Joanne broke up with him for different reasons, but still, do you get the point? Though she understood why Megan said those things. It's because she really cared and wanted Joanne to have a man who could support her. Which is why they were still best friends. Nevertheless, Joanne didn't care much about that stuff. She had Steven now and Steven had her and that's all that matters. It was okay, Megan liked Steven as well and thought he was good for her. Anyways, Joanne could see why John found her unlikeable. But John had his faults as well and did say some harsh things to Megan before, so Joanne brushed those other thoughts aside. Megan had a right to be angry. "Have you told the headmaster about it?"

"No." Megan said disappointingly while poking at her vegetables. "If I told him everything, then he'd know it was partially my fault that Lennon walked out."

"So what are you gonna do?"

"What do you mean 'What am I going to do?' I just said I'm not apologizing."

Joanne laughed slightly. "No, I mean about John! You still have to see him this afternoon right?"

"Oh well, that, I don't know. Obviously I haven't spoken to him all day, not like I ever do unless it's some lame comeback." Megan pushed her tray aside and opened her carton of milk. Even though her stomach was grumbling ferociously, school lunch still didn't do it for her. "You know I can't just walk right up to him and ask him if he's coming. That's just suicide. But if I don't say anything, I'll be waiting at the library for hours, hoping he'll come already, when I know he won't. And as much as I hate Lennon, I don't blame him if he doesn't come. Now that I think about it all, the things I said to him were way out of line."

"But if it goes on like that, you know you waiting for him, you'll be in trouble." Joanne warned. "I mean, the teachers kind of made him your responsibility."

"Ugh, I know! That's what I hate about it. Like I said before, I'm pretty much babysitting him. First I'm watching Jimmy, now I'm keeping Lennon in line. The volunteer work better get me into college with a full-ride or something." She muttered. "I just have to find a way to trap and tutor him so he won't run away and I won't get in trouble. You know some way he'll just have to listen to what I have to say and I get the job done."

"Maybe you shouldn't make him feel bad or scold him so much!" Joanne said, only half-jokingly.

"Of course I'll have to work on that. Just as long as he does the same." She figured. Suddenly an idea popped into her head. Megan snapped her fingers. "Ah! I know a way to make this work!" Megan drank the last of her milk and tossed the rest of her food into the trash. "I'll see you in French."

"Where are you going?"

"I'll tell you later. I just need to hurry before he's busy!" Megan gave her a little wave before practically running out of the cafeteria.

Paul fished two cigarettes out of his pocket and offered one of them to John. "Ta." John put it in his mouth and bent his head down a little so Paul could light it up for him. Twin puffs of smoke floated into the air as the boys walked silently along the sidewalk. "Cor, this weather is nipping me right in the arse!"

His baby-faced buddy scoffed. "You're freezing? During physical education in my school, the teacher made us run around the campus three times. And you've seen those stupid gym uniforms they make us wear, there's barely any coverage!"

John sneered. "Why'd he make you guys do that?"

"Some people were being right gits and wouldn't shut up when the teacher was talking." Paul explained through drags. "Got to a point where we couldn't hear him and the teacher just lost it. 'Three laps around the school, the lot of you!'" He mimicked in a deep, booming voice.

"Serves you right for not listening to authority figures." John joked.

"Says the guy who's forced into tutoring sessions after failing to pay attention in class. And just failing class in general." Paul shot back. "Speaking of which don't you have another one today?"

"Fuck that." The older boy spat. "Never listened to the teachers before, not going to listen to them now. And that epitome of sissy knickers I was telling you about before? Megan Marshall? They assigned her to me!"

Paul whistled. "Ooh, tough. Wait, but we're walking to your house and you're Aunt's home. Won't she get mad you're home early?"

"She's off with her book club on Fridays and won't be home until six. If Mimi asks I'll just say we didn't have a lot of homework so there wasn't much to go over. And I know Megan won't say anything. She's scared." John planned. "I would have just gone to the pub like I did yesterday, but it's just so fucking cold!" He shuddered as a gust of wind blew passed them.

The two stopped walking. Paul nodded towards the house in front of them. "Here you are then. I should get home. I told my dad I'd help him make dinner tonight."

"All right, Duncan Hines." John teased. "Jam session tomorrow?"

"Yeah, come whenever. But my dad says we have to play out on the porch now. After what happened the last time…"

John put his hands up in surrender. "Ay, I didn't know that amp was on full blast!"

"I told you to use the acoustics just in case because he was taking a nap!" Paul laughed. "See ya." John grunted a farewell and put out his cigarette before heading inside. He heard a female voice coming from the kitchen as he hung his coat on the coat rack. Shit, He thought. She's already home. John listened some more. Perhaps the book club meeting was cancelled? Whatever it was, he knew he had to find a way to pass the doorway of the kitchen to get to the staircase to get to his room without Mimi seeing him. John crept up against the wall behind the kitchen and peeked through the doorway. Mimi's back was turned as she washed dishes at the sink and hummed along to Tchaikovsky playing on the nearby radio. He didn't see anyone else from where he stood. John took this as an opportunity to make a mad dash for the stairs.

"Oh, John!"

John froze in his steps. He was already halfway up the steps. "Crap." He couldn't keep going up like he didn't hear her. Mimi knew he was already home. John grudgingly went back downstairs.

"Mimi!" John said exasperatedly. "I was just coming here to get, erm…" He heard the toilet flush from the hallway bathroom. His jaw dropped the door opened and the occupant walked out.

"Lennon, you're here early."

"Megan?"

A/N: Chapter 4 is a wrap! Thank you all for reading! And thank you to those who reviewed that last chapter, subscribed, and favorited this story. Muah! Really, thanks guys, it all means a lot. You guys are the ones who keep me writing. Not that I hate writing, otherwise I wouldn't even be on here, but sometimes I run into writer's block and your reviews and responses just inspire me. Like right now. Sorry chapter 4 took so long to write, I've just been really busy. School already begins next week and I need to start getting ready. But thanks again for reading! Chapter 5 will be up ASAP so in the meantime…please review?

Beatles trivia question #2: Pattie Boyd's younger sister Jenny was twice married to what drummer of which famous 70s/80s band? *Hint: Maybe Jenny had a case of the Mac?