The gathering at my house that night was somber. We knew it would happen, of course. Heck, the signs had all been there for... how long? No one was sure when it had started. But here we were, sitting in my living room, on a rainy April night in 1970, talking about the good old times. What we remembered fondly, what we'd like to forget. Sometimes it was almost as if nothing had changed. In truth, nothing really *had* changed. I was still Janice, and the people in my house were still Alex, Jesse, and Sarah. But... there was something different. Our lives had changed forever, but they were still the same. It was an emptiness we knew would be difficult to fill.
We had to face it, though. The Beatles were no more.
"Maybe they'll spend some time apart and realize what they're missing in each other," Jesse said hopefully.
"Possible," agreed Sarah. "It's happened with other groups."
"The Beatles aren't just another group, though," I said.
"I know it. But somehow..." Alex paused, collecting his thoughts. "Somehow, it seems as if this could be for the best. Sort of preserving the Beatles as part of the sixties." He looked around at us. "Am I making any sense?"
"Yes, but we wish you weren't. We just want the Beatles making music," Sarah said glumly.
We gave a collective sigh.
"Well," I said, "We still have their records, and pictures, and memories. And you know as well as I that they couldn't have gone on forever."
"Yeah, but we can't listen to the same songs over and over again for the rest of our lives."
"So listen to McCartney," Jesse said, with a hint of sarcasm in his voice.
Alex turned to him. "Don't threaten me like that!"
"I guess now we find other music."
"The Beatles are still the best band, though, right?"
"Right!" we chorused.
"Well," Alex said, getting up. "I've got a chemistry test tomorrow, so I'm going to get back home. Anyone need rides?"
"Thanks, no," Sarah said. "Jess and I came together."
"And we'd best be clearing out, too," Jesse said. "Aren't you in that chemistry class too, Jan?"
I grimaced. "I think so. It sounds familiar. I had pretty much given up on that test, though."
"Yeah right, you know you'll ace it."
"Not even! They finally invented a class that hates me as much as I hate it! I can't regurgitate any of what's in the lecture!"
"You know, I don't think it's the class that doesn't like you, it could be the teacher."
"That fills me with confidence."
Alex reached over and gave my hand a squeeze. "You'll do fine. Wear long sleeves."
We all laughed at that, remembering stories of whole classrooms of kids wearing long sleeves for tests with notes written on their arms. And girls wearing long skirts to hide the notes on their legs.
Ten minutes later, with the house empty, I went to my room and opened my chemistry book. The letters and numbers swam around on the page and defied me to memorize them. "You win," I said, closing the book. I laid on my back and looked around my room. My walls proclaimed my religion, namely the Beatles. There were a few other pictures up of other musicians like Bob Dylan and the Beach Boys, but there was no question as to who my favorites were.
The rain drummed on the roof, and I closed my eyes to listen to it. It had been raining almost nonstop since November. It was true, California had its own seasons -- the rainy season, the dry season, and the fire season.
I wondered what my parents were doing. My dad had been sent on a business trip to New York, and my mom had gone along, as was often the case. I was an only child, which had proved to be both advantageous at times and at others a real bummer. I was somewhat spoiled, I suppose, but my parents had been really protective and overbearing for a long time. Of course, when dad got that promotion two years ago, he and mom had had to start trusting me more. It was about time.
An annoying beeping sound broke through my thoughts and I opened my eyes to see the sun streaming in through my window. Wha--
Oh, shoot! I hit the button to turn off the alarm, jumped out of bed, took a record-setting shower, got dressed, brushed my teeth, shoved my books into my shoulder bag, grabbed an apple, and ran out the door.
Yes, being an only child has its advantages, I thought as I slipped into my 68 Mustang. It had been a sweet sixteen present, as well as a celebration on dad's promotion. I didn't mind.
And being a senior has advantages, too, I thought as I pulled into my senior parking space. Unlike the other student spaces, the senior spaces were within walking distance of the school. I took a quick look at myself in my rearview mirror to make sure I didn't have toothpaste on my face or my hair wasn't too weird, then headed to my locker.
I opened my locker carefully, remembering the haphazard manner in which I had thrown my things in it the previous afternoon before I left. Sure enough, my European history book came sliding out, even as I put my hand up to stop it. I got my locker under control, made sure I had what I needed for my first few classes, and closed it.
"Why, Miss Miller." Ugh. I turned around.
"Good morning, Principal Leary," I managed to say with a smile.
"How many times have I warned you about inappropriate attire?"
I looked at myself. "I'm not violating any dress codes," I said. "My skirt is past my knees, I'm wearing shoes --"
"You know what I mean," he snapped.
"No sir, I'm afraid I don't," I said evenly.
He glowered at me and walked away. I breathed a sigh of relief.
"Jan!"
I turned to see Sarah heading for me. "Hi!"
"What just happened?"
I rolled my eyes. "Leary. Same old, same old. Can't stand to see a peace sign on his campus. He knows that I know he can't bust me for being Haight Ashbury, but he's trying to make me think he's got something."
"Typical. He tries to get to me, too, just not with as much enthusiasm."
"You look closer to what he considers to be normal. And you're a model student in every way."
"I'm glad you think so. Do you want to tell my parents that?"
"I've taken to booby trapping my locker."
"Since when?"
"Two weeks ago."
"And?"
"My locker's been searched five times."
"My god!"
"Yeah, my thought, too. So I took my pictures down last Friday and started moving out."
"What, you're going to carry your books the whole time?"
"If he really wants to make trouble for me, he can go as far as taking something I need out of my locker. Or putting something into it. And unless I have real, indisputable evidence, I'll be at fault.
"Has anything disappeared yet?"
"Just a math assignment. There was no score on it, so the searcher must have assumed that it hadn't yet been collected."
"Mr. Wilfred doesn't put the scores on papers."
"So all I've lost was a month-old calculus assignment."
"But that was proof that you occasionally do homework."
"I do most of my math! I've only missed a couple assignments. But I've already taken the important stuff out. All that's left are books. And the occasional lunch. I can't wait til June."
"Tell me. Oh, there's the bell," she said unecesarily.
"Okay, I'll see you later."
"You're taking early leave?"
"Technically, I'm not allowed on campus after fourth period, anyway. Don't need Leary to be breathing down my neck about something else!"