I felt a hand slowly begin to shake me into consciousness, becoming more and more violent by the second. I groaned and flipped over onto my stomach away from the person who dared to try and wake me.

"Get up!" Minnie exclaimed tugging the pillow my face was buried into out from under me, causing my face to crash into the mattress harshly opening my eyes and instantly making me feel wide awake. I shot up and stared daggers into the joyful girl whom appeared to have had ten coffees before arriving here.

I looked at my alarm clock then back at her, examining it wasn't much later then ten o'clock.

"Aren't you supposed to be in school?" I furrowed my brow as a sheepish grin appeared on her lips.

"What mother doesn't know won't hurt her." She shrugged making me giggle.

"I'm more concerned about you than Hamlet right now anyway." She shrugged. "So how are you Poppy?" She looked at me with hopeful eyes as I slipped out from underneath my covers and onto the wooden floor lazily.

"Alright, I mean my uncle seems to be in full parental instinct mode keeping me home from school and all, really I could've been there by now probably wishing I was here." I walked over to my dresser taking a pause. "It's a viscous cycle." I huffed pulling out a blouse and skirt. Minnie laughed uncontrollably as I slid a brush through my hair in attempt to look half decent.

"Oh and Rory says get well soon." She giggled giddily. I rolled my eyes having my back turned to her.

"Tell him thanks." I spoke flatly.

"Oh don't be so glum. You know how it is, you have George and all." Her devious grin was audible on her voice. I swung back around instantly making her look taken aback.

"How much do you know?" I narrowed my eyes pressingly. She held her hands up to claim innocence.

"Nothing, what don't I know?" She turned the questions onto me making me freeze like a deer in the headlights.

"Erm, nothing! Nothing." I brushed her off awkwardly.

I quickly excused myself from the room to get changed in the bathroom for a moment seeing as Minnie had stretched herself out on my mattress reading one of my MercyBeat magazines.

Once I had gotten somewhat decent I stepped back into the hallway only to hear my name being called from downstairs by my uncle.

"You have another visitor!" He yelled happily after calling my name for the fiftieth time. I furrowed my eyebrows and made my way to the stairs to see why it was so exciting from the excitement in my uncles voice.

"And be careful down the stairs!" He added making a blush spread across my cheeks remembering the spill I'd taken when George had came to pick me up to take me to the party.

I, carefully, continued my way down the stairs and realized my visitor was George, who said was standing in the entrance, a smile illuminating his face as his eyes reached mine. My uncle cleared his throats awkwardly.

"I'm going to go start making breakfast." He excused himself quickly, walking off into the kitchen. Our chuckles broke the silence breaking the ice for a conversation to begin.

"So, um, what brings you by then?" A smile appeared on my lips even though I was extremely tongue tied and nervous. What brings him by? I mentally scolded myself for being so oblivious, it wasn't as if I had just had a severe asthma attack and gotten out of a coma yesterday or anything.

"Well to check up on ye'." He paused letting a small smile appear on his lips as he looked into my eyes.

"Oh." He said suddenly reaching into his back pocket. I watched curiously as he pulled out a pack of Marlboro cigarettes and held them out to me motioning for me to take them.

"Wow, cigarettes." I spoke sarcastically. He was either the worst gift giver ever, or there was a deeper meaning that I didn't yet understand.

"Remind me to get you some drums sticks for your birthday this weekend." I spoke sarcastically staring down at the half empty pack of cigs.

George chuckled. "They're mine." He said making my head snap up trying to understand why he'd give me his cigarettes.

"I've decided not to smoke anymore, y'know, after the doctor said that's what sets your asthma off." He blushed profusely making my jaw drop open.

"If this is only because of me George I-I," I became nervous and guilt ridden.

"It's alright, I want to do this. They don't mean nearly as much to me as being around you does." He said making my face heat up.

"Well, thank you." I spoke meekly.

Slowly, he started to lean down making my heart leap out of my chest. I closed my eyes and felt his lips gently press onto mine. The electricity filled the air around us as he pulled me into his chest to deepen the kiss. I placed my hands on his chest smiling against his lips feeling his lips tugged upwards as well.

We pulled apart breathlessly and he spoke.

"Poppy, will you be my girlfriend?" He asked with a smile suddenly as our foreheads were pressed together. He looked like he had realized what he had said and was now extremely nervous. I felt like my heart start to pound out of my ribs.

"I, well, i-if that's," he tried to prepare himself for rejection.

"I'd love to be your girlfriend." I spoke snapping out of the daydream his question put me into.

I heard a muffled squeal and whipped my head around to see Minnie at the bottom of the steps looking at the two of us in awe. I stared at her mortified as George chuckled awkwardly, this was going to be a long day.

                  __________________

"-Hamburg is only a couple weeks away." My uncle spoke looking at his calendar on the wall as me and George were in the kitchen having some tea. Minnie had left a half an hour ago, after her mother phoned our house getting notified from our principal that she'd skipped school. I'm sure she was really in for it this time, this was the fifth time this month she'd ditched.

"Yeah, we leave March 11th right?" George asked politely making my heart sink. My uncle nodded with a slight frown looking over to me.

"I'm fine! I'm sure I can stay a couple weeks," I paused seeing George mouth "four weeks" to me making me gulp. "I'm sure, I can go four weeks here by myself." I tried to send a reassuring smile to my uncle.

"Why can't she come with us?" George asked inquisitively.

"She has school, it would be too hard to catch up on what she misses." He spoke making me sink into my seat.

"George doesn't go to school." I mumbled drawing circles on the table with my index finger.

"Well you aren't George." Brian said making me pout. I looked up to George and he had a sympathetic look etched over his features.

"Well I'm going to end up working at NEMS forever anyway, I don't see what the big deal is." I mumbled again looking back up at my uncle. He looked like he wanted to object but kept his mouth closed.

"We'll talk about this later." He said exiting the room rather dramatically.

"He only wants the best for you." George reassured me once my uncle was out of sight.

"I don't see how leaving me completely without a family is the best for me." I sighed. "Sorry, I don't mean to be a whiny brat." I apologized taking a long drink from the tea cup.

"No, you aren't," He paused his forehead creased together with confusion. "But, I'm sure he'll crack sooner or later." He shrugged making me crack a gigantic smile.

"I'm not so sure. Isn't Hamburg a little," I pursed my lips trying to find the right word.

"Dangerous, loud, dirty?" George helped me with a devilish grin. "It's alright. We'll tell Brian you'll be safe with us." His eyes glimmered with excitement making my stomach erupt with butterflies.

"I wouldn't want to burden you on your trip." I spoke reluctantly.

"You wouldn't be a burden! The lads love yer'! Even John y'know, even though something's he can be a little," he paused looking for the right words.

"Rude, suggestive, obnoxious?" I laughed. George joined in chuckling.

"The point is," He smiled. "We'll get Brian to let you come." He nodded at me.

"Let's pray." I sighed smiling. Though in the moment I was exhausted and short of breath, it was the happiest I'd felt in awhile.