After breakfast, John thought about going to his mum, Julia's home. John wanted to borrow her banjo to play for Carolyn. He could vamp on the instrument. John hoped Carolyn wouldn't know the difference between vamping and playing or be too polite to point it out. He didn't know if his mum's old banjo would impress the young woman. His prayers to God for a guitar of his own had gone unanswered. There was another young woman on John's mind.

He was still smarting over Barbara showing up to Vera's with a date. It hurt John that she would do that to him.

(----)

Carolyn stood in the kitchen doorway. She watched her mother, Helen, stand at the sink and wash the breakfast dishes. "Mum,"

"Yes, love." Helen warmly replied.

"I have a friend coming over at tea time to listen to records. His name is John." Carolyn didn't tell her mum that her new friend was a Teddy Boy or that she met him at a party up in Broadgreen.

"Oh," Helen noncommittally replied. She continued to wash dishes.

"He's from Woolton. He's nice and he likes Elvis." She added, trying to soften her mum up to who she would meet this afternoon. She didn't regret inviting John over, but she knew once her mum got a good look at him, it might be John's first and last visit to her house.

Her stepfather, Robert, walked up behind Carolyn. "Who likes Elvis?"

"Carolyn's friend, John, from Woolton," Helen answered, turning around and wiping her hands on a tea towel.

"I don't imagine he could like Elvis more than you do." Robert playfully stated and walked into the kitchen.

(----)

Barbara's arms were crossed over her chest. "I told you to stay away from me, John."

He saw the bruise on Barbara's face from his slap. John didn't think he'd hit her hard enough to leave a mark, but he was wrong. He felt rightfully ashamed of himself. "I got angry when I saw you with him. Why'd you have to bring him there?" He didn't wait for her to explain. "Did you mean it when you said you never loved me?" He softly asked, showing his vulnerable side. Barbara didn't reply immediately, and John was afraid of her answer.

"No, I didn't mean it, John. I was getting back at you for hitting me."

"Can I come in?" John hopefully asked.

"You can't. My mum's home."

John was disappointed but not discouraged. "Can we go somewhere?"

(----)

Jean watched Carolyn look through her record collection, setting aside the records she thought John might like to hear. "Heartbreak Hotel" was on the top of the pile. "What did you tell your mum about him?"

"That he is a boy from Woolton."

"He's more than that. He's a Teddy Boy." She pointed out. "You should be careful."

Carolyn laughed. "He is nice. I wouldn't tell you to be careful about his friend Victor."

Jean frowned. "That's different. Victor wasn't interested in me. He only danced with me because Paul was too busy."

Carolyn stopped looking through her records. She didn't like when Jean talked down about herself. "Maybe, he danced with you because he wanted to." She gently stated.

Jean shook her head. "Maybe, we could go again? Paul said that Mrs. Swift is going to let them play there every Friday. Maybe, he'll dance with me this time." She hopefully stated.

Carolyn wanted to be encouraging, but she didn't see why Jean was so hung up over Paul. He was the type of lad you could bring home, but there wasn't anything exciting about him. And, in Carolyn's opinion, Paul didn't treat Jean nicely. Paul looked sweet, but he wasn't nice. John looked tough but was nice.

(----)

John had Barbara pinned against a stone structure. His face pressed against the side of her neck, and he roughly thrust against her. His hands tightly gripped her hips.

Barbara clutched the back of his shirt. "Don't finish in me." She warningly stated.

He was close to finishing. He didn't want to stop. She just felt too good. He'd have to settle for getting off at edge hill. He pressed his mouth against hers and sloppily kissed her.

John slipped a hand off her hip and grabbed hold of his dick. He waited until the very last moment to pull out and finished himself off. His release spilled onto the grass." He reached behind Barbara to wipe his hand on the tombstone. He stepped back and took a look around the cemetery. It was still just the two of them unless you counted the dead in their plots. He tucked himself back into his y-fronts, did up the zip of his trousers.

She pulled down her bunched up skirt. "I need to get home."

After what they'd just done, John assumed they were back on, and now she couldn't get something to eat with him. "Come on, Barbara."

"I have to go home, John."

"Fine. Go home." He petulantly replied.

"You can walk me home." She proposed.

"I have plans."

(----)

John was waiting on Carolyn where they'd agreed, but she wasn't there. He began to think that she had stood him up. When John saw someone headed in his direction, he put on his tough face. He is prepared to fight, but it wasn't a Ted. It was Carolyn. She looked just as good as she had at the party. He forgot about Barbara for the moment.

"My family is home. Mum, stepdad, and two half-kid brothers." She apologetically stated.

John didn't care who was there, as long as he got to listen to "Heartbreak Hotel".

She continued, "But, they shouldn't bother us." They began to walk.

"I live with my Aunt, Mimi."

"We could go to your house and listen to records there."

John didn't think Mimi would approve of Carolyn, but he had enough tact not to say it. "She doesn't like Elvis." He mimicked his aunt. "I don't want Elvis for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, John." Carolyn laughed at the impersonation. "She rents out the rooms to borders."

"My mum likes Elvis."

John smiled, thinking about his mother. "So does Julia."

"Who is that?"

"My mum. She lives in Allerton with her boyfriend, Twitchy, and my two half-kid sisters."

"You don't live with her." Carolyn stated. She couldn't imagine not living with her mum. John shook his head. She didn't know why he didn't live with his mum, and he didn't mention his dad. Carolyn felt for him and gently reached out and held his hand.

(----)

Helen had placed tea and biscuits in the front room for Carolyn and her friend. The rest of the meal was going to be served in the kitchen. She wanted to give her teenage daughter a bit of privacy but not too much. She intended on her and her husband meeting the young man from Woolton. She heard the sound of the front door opening and called for Robert, who stepped into the front room.

Carolyn let go of John's hand and shut the door. She was aware of her surroundings and nervous about her mum's opinion of John. She led John into the front room. Her mum and stepdad were standing in the middle of the room. "Mum and dad, this is John from Woolton."

Robert held out his hand. "Hello, John from Woolton." He jokingly stated.

"Hello," John shook hands with him.

Helen politely smiled. "It's nice to meet you."

"We're just going to listen to records." Carolyn stated.

"I've left tea and biscuits on the coffee table for you." She added. "Will be right in the kitchen." They walked out of the room. John walked over to the coffee table, picked up the biscuit, and bit into it.

Carolyn thought that had gone better than she expected.

"Heartbreak Hotel," John was already on his second biscuit.

Carolyn nodded, walking over to the record player. Her stack of records was placed next to it. She put on "Heartbreak Hotel". The bluesy sound filled the front room. John couldn't help but move his foot along to the music. Every time he heard it was like listening to it for the first time. He never got tired of it. Carolyn watched John light up, and that endeared him to her. It was a short song, and before either one of them knew it, it was over. Carolyn started the record again.

John walked over to her and looked at the records she had. She had more than him, and he was impressed. He'd never met a girl that liked Rock N' Roll music as much as him. Maybe, even more than him. He grabbed hold of her hand and led her away from the record player for a dance. If he knew the words he'd sing it to her, but he didn't know what Elvis was singing. All he knew was that he sounded good and wished he could sound the same as him. They spent the rest of their time together listening to "HeartBreak Hotel" and dancing in the front room.

(----)

Carolyn walked back to Calderstones Park with John, holding hands the way there. "I had a good time." She smiled.

"Me too." John looked at their hands clasped together. It just felt right.

"Will you be at Vera's on Friday?" She hopefully asked.

"Maybe," John answered, trying to play it cool. "Will you?"

"Yes, Jean wants to see Paul's skiffle group again."

"Maybe, I'll see you there." He replied.

Carolyn impulsively leaned in and pressed a kiss to John's cheek. "I hope so." She quickly walked away.

John smiled to himself, watching her walk away until she turned into a blur.