The next week passed painfully slow. Ever since I saw my uncle at the Cavern Club, it was as if suddenly like I'm not sure who he was anymore. His nights out became more frequent, he started giving me odd days off at the shop that I hadn't ever had off before, and he seemed to act like a completely different person whenever we spoke. It was as if he was nervous and tense around me, like he was hiding something.

In the back of my mind I was curious as to if this was all directly connected to The Cavern Club. I hadn't any idea why my uncle had any interest in clubbing at all, he once told me he wouldn't be caught dead in anywhere that was so unsanitary and rowdy as the Cavern. Yet there he was it the midst of it all, throwing that whole speech out the window and leaving me without any explanation whatsoever.

I tried to let it slip from my mind until the next Friday, when the four rock n rollers made an appearance at NEMS that would change everything.

"You cheated!" Alistair exclaimed throwing his cards down accidentally scattering them across the table and onto the floor.

"Did not!" I spoke childishly crossing my arms. He scoffed and I rolled my eyes at his constant habit of assuming I'm always up to no good.

"Fine, let's play again then!" He said taking the cards off the floor and table and shuffling them being the sore loser that he was.

"Alright children, there's work to be done around here." My uncle spoke sternly. I was about to complain to him when the door swung open suddenly to reveal the Beatles making my jaw drop to the floor.

"Brian!" They all called warmly towards my uncle. This wasn't happening was it? I'm dreaming right? I pinched myself only causing me to wince reassuring me I was very much awake.

"Boys!" My uncle spoke nervously glancing over in my direction. "You know Alistair," he spoke and Alistair waved nonchalantly as if this whole situation wasn't crazy. Was I the only one that was blown away by this sudden entrance?

"And this is my niece Poppy." He introduced me proudly making my hands shake slightly and the colour drain from my face. I waved nervously and they all waved back as chipper as they were the last week at the Cavern.

"'Ello darlin'. I'm John, but you can call me, anytime you'd like." John spoke cockily coming over to the counter with a suggestive smirk.

"It's nice to meet you anytime you'd like." I shot back a sarcastic remark. His smirk faltered for a second but only grew wider hearing the cackles from his band mates behind him.

"Cheeky."  He spoke approvingly with a nod. In seconds yet another one of the boys came over to greet me making the nervous pit in my stomach grow.

"I'm Paul, I'm sorry about Johnny here, he's a bit soft." Paul leaned in and whispered making me giggle. His doe eyed gaze stuck on mine filling my cheeks with colour once again. My uncle soon cleared his throat making Paul awkwardly break away from my gaze to look over behind him at his fellow band members.

"Erm, That's Pete," Paul said pointing to the drummer who shot me a wink. I felt my blush spread from all the sudden attention feeling all the eyes in the room on me. "And that's George." Paul said introducing the shy and mysterious lead guitar player. I shot him a warm smile which he returned meekly.

"Alright boys, well, since you're here, let's get you to signing those contracts." My uncle said leading them to his office as I sat there baffled. I looked at Alistair who was dealing the cards calmly as if nothing had just happened.

"T-those, they, w-what?" I said pointing to the shut door of my uncles office unable to form a proper sentence. Alistair looked up at me with a nervous grin.

"I take it your uncle hasn't told you?" He grit his teeth nervously. I shook my head cluelessly practically on the edge of my seat to hear a reasonable explanation for the surprise guests.

"Um, well," he cleared his throat. "Your uncle is their new manager." He sent me a weak smile making my jaw fall to the floor once again.

"Manager?" I choked out bug eyed in shear disbelief. Surely if my uncle were to manage a band he would've told me beforehand himself, right? We practically tell each other everything! He nodded wincing like I might suddenly explode.

"Why hasn't he told me?" I asked quietly not wanting my mind to wander by itself knowing it would only worsen the situation. I fidgeted with my hands trying not to act as hurt as I felt.

"Well I-I think he was just waiting for the right time-" he spoke clearing his throat sounding like he didn't even believe his own words.

"-Alistair, just tell me the real reason yeah?" I spoke with a weak grin. He froze for a second before sighing in defeat.

"Well, he knows that how often the Beatles go touring and with him being your only family and all he's worried-" He said and my own thoughts instantly blocked out the rest of Alistair's rambling. He was going to leave? The thought nearly made me nauseous. I had always relied on my uncle to be the one constant in my life when nothing else was, someone who would always be there. Now he'd be leaving to tour out who knows where for who knows how long. The news was a hard pill to swallow sitting there trying to imagine what this meant for the future.

"Oh." Was all I could bring myself to mutter as I looked down at my hands that I had just now noticed were now fiercely gripping onto my knees. A few moments of awkward silence passed until my uncle came out with the boys once again all smiling ear to ear. My eyes focused on my uncle who came out behind all of them, as upbeat as ever.

"Well lads, I think this calls for celebratory drinks." John clapped his hands together with a growing smirk. The boys cheered in agreement as they started to walk to the door.

"Poppy, d'you want to come?" Paul asked with a charming smile. "You know, only if you'd like to join the lads and I." He added nervously with a grin hanging back from the rest of the boys and I smiled at how at least someone was considerate of me around here.

"I'd love to." I smiled getting off the stool and starting to walk around to meet him agreeing mostly to spite my uncle. Although I was beyond nervous to go out to a bar with four extremely handsome strangers it seemed like the perfect opportunity to get some time away from the store for awhile to think, I felt almost betrayed by my uncle by his lack of consideration for me, I needed time to blow off some steam. My uncle looked like he was about to object but I turned to him with a glare.

"That is, if my uncle doesn't have any other people he wants to manage coming round?" I said making him gulp and fix his tie. I waved him off triumphantly and turned back to Paul who was the last one waiting at the door holding it open. I thanked him as we made it outside into the freezing January weather.

"So how old are ye' Poppy?" Paul asked thoughtfully attempting to make conversation after a couple moments of silence I spent angrily thinking about how my uncle hadn't told me anything. I should've seen it coming, he'd been acting strange for awhile now and I had been too self involved to notice something was wrong, I felt like the worlds most incompetent detective who failed to solve the most simplest of tasks.

"Seventeen. I turn eighteen this March." I smiled trying to push my uncle out of my mind.

"Doesn't that make you only-" He asked slightly puzzled.

"-ten years younger that my uncle Brian? Yeah." I spoke with an uncomfortable laugh not wanting to go much further into the topic. He chuckled along with slightly reddened cheeks.

"You must get that a lot then?" He asked sheepishly. I nodded shyly.

"My mum was only eighteen when she had me." I explained shivering as the chilling wind brushed across my neck and face. I blew into my hands attempting to keep them warm cursing myself for only bringing a light jacket.

"Oi McCharmly, less flirting more walking!" John called back to us further down the road at the door of the pub.

I glanced towards George as he seemed to be shooting daggers at Paul as we neared them, although Paul was more focused on John, rolling his eyes at his brash remark.

I entered the pub seeing mainly only drunks around considering it was a bit early for a drink. However that didn't stop the boys from rushing over to the bar to get themselves pissed.

I noticed that George hadn't ran over like the rest of them, but stood next to me sneaking a glance toward my direction.

"I'm glad to see someone can control themselves around alcohol." I giggled seeing John already chugging down his first beer blissfully.

I looked up at George who seemed to be slightly tense and awkward as he looked back to me with a small chuckle.

"So, it's George then?" I smiled already knowing the answer, only wanting to start a conversation.

He nodded with a warm grin. I felt my heart pulse quickening as I began to talk to him, his smile just ignited a happy feeling in my chest.

"And you're Poppy?" He asked exposing the cutest vampire like fangs that made my heart skip a beat.

I nodded biting on my bottom lip as I gazed into his dark brown eyes, sending goosebumps all over my body. I felt too nervous to speak suddenly, like I had forgotten how.

"Geo!" Paul shouted making us break away from staring into each other's eyes. He snapped his head in the direction of Paul with an unamused look on his face.

"Come 'ead and have a drink with us, Pete is buying!" John spoke holding up his beer with a tipsy smile.

"I'm what?" Pete asked completely unaware of his own generous offer. I watched with a grin, it was all very strange to me thinking that these four boys were all my uncles "new clients", they were so popular around Liverpool for being the real rock n roll type and knowing that my uncle who was so posh and clean cut was now managing them was one heck of a thought.

George and I both walked to the bar to join the rest of them.

For awhile it was fun to watch the lads get pissed out of their minds as it became more and more crowded in the small pub. All the boys were all very kind easing any nervousness I had about coming here with them, and surprisingly, my uncle had completely slipped out of mind.

Soon enough however Paul and Pete had disappeared with some girls. Paul asked if it was alright that he left first, being the gentlemen he is even in a completely drunken state, but still ended up leaving, so a sober George and could handle a drunken John Lennon all by ourselves.

Since George was the only one who had stayed sober enough to keep a proper conversation I had gotten to know him better. Although, between all the boys conversations it was difficult to get a word in at all.

For having the reputation of being the 'quiet one' I sure could listen to George talk for hours, he seemed to have a aura of real maturity and wisdom I hadn't known people my age to have. Of course I could've been misreading it all, I had only just met him and I felt as if I could melt under his mere touch.

"Cynthia? Oh babe, I'm so glad you're here." John sighed in relief leaning over to me trying to bring me into a hug roughly with puckered lips. I squirmed out of his grip uncomfortably wheezing slightly for oxygen as he reeked strongly of whiskey.

"I've told you this a million times John. I'm Poppy. I'm not your girlfriend." I said annoyedly making George laugh. John pouted with his eyes barely able to stay open.

"Do you want to be?" He said wiggling his eyebrows leaning over to me with a smirk.

"What about Cynthia?" I giggled at his ridiculous expression. He looked look deep in thought for a moment but seeming to forget I had said anything at all by the time he spoke up again.

"I'm going to the bathroom." He announced getting up lazily and stumbling his way to the men's room. I looked at George who was on the other side of me playing with his beer bottle he had barely drunk at all. I hoped he wasn't staying sober on my behalf, I would feel so terrible, after all Paul had been the one who had invited me and it wasn't George's job to keep me company, I'm sure he would've already left with a girl if I hadn't been here.

"Does he always get this hammered?" I asked wide eyed to George who was smiling from ear to ear from having watched John drunkenly argue with me for a good twenty minutes. He simply nodded amusedly taking a swig of his beer. I shook my head with a grin.

"Attention, ladies be gentlemen, the first band that will be playing this even is Micheal Jones and the shooting stars, give 'em a hand." The M.C. Spoke sending another chill down my spine having a major deja vu moment from only a week before at the Cavern, only this time, it was much worse. Him.