"I think that's the last box," I said helping Sam carry a box through the door.
"Alright then, it's official. You are the lightest mover I know" Sam teased.
"Don't complain" I laughed. I had finished moving my things to Paul's home and would be spending my last night in my old flat with Sam and Ginny. It was a little bittersweet...while I was excited to live with Paul at Cavendish; I would also miss living with Sam. Paul helped set the box down while Ginny played with Angus and Martha.
I wrapped my arms around Paul's waist and his found their way around me.
"Alright, I'm going out with Sam and Ginny for the night luv...and I'll be back home tomorrow afternoon" I smiled. Paul instantly grinned.
"Perfect. I've got plans with John anyway" he said before kissing me "Love you"
"You too" I smiled
"Aw c'mon Til!" Sam laughed "We're right here!"

The three of us made our way out the gate. The fans seemed to have a love/hate relationship with me...at the moment, they were in hate with me as I was moving in with their Paulie. Signs adorned the gates, begging Paul to change his mind. They'd made several chants telling me to go back to my old flat.
"Bloody hell, how does it not even affect you Til?" Ginny asked as we piled into my car.
"I don't let it. Give it a few days, they'll get over it" I laughed.

Our night out consisted of a jaunt in Carnaby, a nice dinner, and a stop to say hello to Sylvia. Later in the evening, we were back at the flat.
"You don't mind if I stay in my old room tonight?" I asked Ginny.
"Not at all, I can take the couch...it'll be just like it's always been" she laughed drunkenly.
Sam grabbed a couple lagers from the kitchen and brought them back to us.
"Thanks, luv," I grinned as she sat on the couch
"So Tilly" Ginny said finally "Now that we have you alone..."
"Uh oh...that's never a good start to a sentence" I laughed
"What's he like?" She asked without skipping a beat.
"What's who like?" I said taking a drink knowing full well what she meant.
"Stop larkin' Tilly," Ginny said tossing a pillow at me "You know exactly who I mean!"
"Oh, Paul," I said calmly. Sam laughed as Ginny became more agitated.
"Fine Ginny, I'm feelin' in a mood...ask away" I laughed.
"Well, I mean..." Ginny blushed "you know what I mean..."
"No, I don't really" I shook my head.
"You know..." she said waggling her eyebrows suggestively.
"I think ya' got somethin' in your eye Gin" I laughed.
"Bloody hell! What's he like in bed?!?" she exclaimed and immediately cupped her hands over her mouth as she turned red. Both Sam and I broke into hysterics.
"Well?" Sam asked as her laughter died out.
"You too Sam?" I laughed. Sam wasn't one to usually care about such things.
"C'mon Tilly bean!" She laughed "Our best friend is dating a Beatle, we should be able to get the inside scoop on such things"
"Alright then..." I said taking another drink, thinking on the many nights I'd had with Paul, the mornings. Each touch, every kiss, every movement. I smiled.
"He's amazing! Really, that's all I can say, just..." I pretended to faint into Sam's lap.

Eventually, we all became too tired to chat. Sam went into her room for the evening and I made my way into my old room for one final night, part of me would miss the small room. I smiled as I fell asleep, happy in the life I was living.

I sat in a small pub at the counter, counting my change to see if I had enough for a drink. I'd set my duffle bag nearby me. I had no idea where I'd be spending the night, I'd spent the night on a couple couches of strangers...not something I was happy about, but I couldn't afford a place yet. I couldn't find a job either.
"Anything I can get ya' miss?" the barman asked. I was 18, just left home. I'd packed my bags in the middle of the night after a particularly brutal fight with my sister, written a note for my mum and left. Now I sat, bruises on my cheek, a cut on my lip and a black eye, counting the change I stole from my step dad.
"You tell me," I said sliding the change toward him. He frowned sympathetically.
"I'm afraid not luv"
I sighed. "Mind if I just sit here awhile?" I asked.
"Sure," he said warmly.  I'm sure he felt sorry for me in my sad state.
"Oh, get 'er a stout Max," a female voice said as she sat next to me "Looks like she's had a rough go of it" she turned to me "I'll buy, don't worry yerself"
"Alright Sam" the barman, now known as Max, said to the young girl. The girl, now known as Sam, was my age; she had reddish brown hair that she kept pulled back loosely.
"I'm Sam Williams," she said introducing herself "And your name?"
"Tilly," I said finally, still baffled at her "Tilly Beckham"
"Pleasure to meet ya' Tilly," she smiled as our drinks were handed to us "looks like ya' had a bit of a fight? Did ya' win?" she laughed. I laughed as well.
"I think so...I'm away from my sister, so I'd say I won," I said suddenly feeling I'd said too much. It wasn't something I spoke about often, why was I talking it over with a random girl in a pub?
"Blimey! Your sister did that to ya?" she said "Makes me glad I'm an only child!
I laughed at the remark.
"So, where are ya' staying then?" she asked noting the large bag sitting at my feet.
"I don't know," I said looking into my glass "I figured I'd just sleep in a transit station tonight...figure the rest out in the morning"
"That's silly." She said bluntly "Why not just stay with me?"
"I couldn't do that," I said taking another drink
"Course ya' can! And you will" she said. "No arguments, I'm ringing my family now"

***

A year had passed. It hadn't seemed like I'd been living in the Williams household that long, I'd just celebrated my first "Thanksgiving" with the family. I'd taken a job as a waitress to help out how I could until Sam and I got our own flat, I'd also signed on with an acting agency. I had just promised my mum I'd come back for the holidays, my younger sister Lucy was incredibly upset that I was gone, but I couldn't live there anymore.
Sam and I were upstairs in a shared room listening to a new record she'd bought. A band from Liverpool, I'd always been raised (at least by my step dad) that nothing good came from the North, but what I was hearing was beyond "good"!
"Sam, Tilly" Sam's father called up the stairs "Come down here a moment"
Sam looked at me puzzled. We went into the living room.
"What is it da'?" Sam asked.
He smiled, as did her mother who looked like she was holding in a secret.
"I've gotten both of you an early Christmas present this year" he grinned. Sam cocked her head, I did as well, I hadn't been expecting anything really.
"We both know how bad the two of ya' want ta' see that new band ya' been listening to" Her mum added.
"And we know how disappointed you were, after sneaking out to Portsmouth to see them only to have the concert canceled due to a member being sick," Her dad said peering over his glasses at us. "Not that your mother and I were happy to find out you'd snuck out," he said mainly to Sam.
"Anyway, your mother and I bought you tickets to see The Beatles at Wimbledon on December 14th," he said excitedly as he procured two tickets from his coat pocket. Never in Great Britain's history had two tom boys let out such a scream of delight! Not only were they tickets to the show, but they were in the front row.
"They cost me a pretty penny, but" Mr. Williams began. Before he could finish, Sam hugged him
"Thanks, dad!" she said happily.
"Thank you Mr. Williams," I said politely.
"Tilly, get over here and give me a hug" he laughed.
***

The 2 weeks before the concert flew by and before we knew it, Sam and I were in the theatre waiting as patiently as we could for the show to start. Girls were beside themselves, crying, screaming, some even fainted! Soon after I thought it couldn't get any crazier four young men came to the stage, hysteria broke out...it would later be called Beatle mania. The music was something different than we were used to, their voices blended perfectly. I remember feeling myself swoon a bit for the bass player.

I left the concert that night, completely enraptured by what I'd heard, in disbelief at what I'd seen, every sense was filled. My ears pounding from the noise of the drums and guitars. My eyes filled with visions of the four young lads from Liverpool, the smell of cigarettes and young girls' cheap perfume. As Sam and I waited for our ride a voice came beside us
"Well, well...look who it is..."
I cringed. All the positive sensations I'd felt were gone as I turned to see Daphne and a gaggle of her friends.
"What are you doing here?" she asked.
"Probably sat out here pathetically waiting to get inside!" her friend laughed.
"For your information, I was at the concert Daph!" I yelled. "I was in the bloody front row!"
"Probably scared the boys away...maybe they'd have played longer if they hadn't seen your disgusting face" she laughed. I opened my mouth to say something, but Sam stepped in.
"'Ello, I don't believe we've met...I'm Sam, Tilly's best mate," she said "Judging from the crude demeanor, and the wretched smell I'd say you're Daphne. It's a pleasure"
"Who the fuck asked you?" Daphne yelled
"Nobody. Now, leave my friend alone." Sam said trying to turn away.
"Tilly," Daphne called. I stopped but refused to look back "You're a fuckin' disgrace for leaving, you've always been a coward"
The next thing I knew, Sam turned to face Daphne and punched her before we ducked through the crowds and found her father's car.

I found my way into Sam's room after waking up; luckily she was awake and reading.
"Hey Tilly," she smiled "everything alright?"
"I think so," I yawned, "I think I'm a little sad I won't be living here anymore"
"I know, I am too. But it doesn't change our friendship" she said. I thought back on everything leading up to that moment.
"I'll still never forget you breaking my sister's nose" I grinned. Sam instantly laughed.
"Something I'm still proud of to this day!" she admitted "I'd do it again in a heartbeat"
Ginny appeared in the room.
"Everything alright?" She asked.
"Fine, fine Ginny luv, just reminiscing" I smiled.
"Never thought, after a night of swooning over that bass player at a concert, a few years later you'd be with him I bet" Sam laughed.
"Yeah, definitely didn't see that one coming!" I agreed.
Ginny sat and listened, occasionally adding in a memory.
"...last year, when we stayed up until 3 listening to Sgt. Pepper after you bought it...your dissection of each song..." Ginny added after a long discussion as she laughed.
"Sod off!" I said throwing a small pillow at her.
"Course, your reaction to 'She's leaving home' even got to me..." Sam admitted. I knew all too well what she meant. Upon first hearing that song, I had stopped dead in my tracks...I listened intently and cried. It rang so true.
"Yeah...I still like that song, it's hard to hear sometimes" I admitted. "Sam? Am I doing the right thing now?"
The question brought a silence in the room. It had been on my mind all evening. I was afraid of the silence it brought.
"Tilly luv," Sam began "Stop second guessing yerself. I know you love him. And believe me, he loves you! I've talked with him on numerous occasions about all this and I whole heartedly support you in this move"
"I know, and much as I hate rehashing the past with Cedric, we dated a year...a bloody year! And I couldn't bring myself to move in with him, let alone would he ever have asked, I've only been with Paul for a few months...and he's one of the most famous people in the world....I'm just nervous" I ranted.
"First of all, Cedric...was, and is, an idiot. Til, He only wanted you around to show off. The only reason Ginny or I put up with him was because he was dating you." Sam cut in.
"And what about Paul?" I retorted.
"I like Paul..." Ginny piped up.
"Of course you do..." I laughed. Sam laughed as well.
"I mean it! Cedric never really gave me the time of day...Paul is just, nice. I've always been a little on the outside since I met the two of you, not that I'm complaining, but Paul always includes me" Ginny admitted.
"She's right Til, just because he's famous means nothing to me. He's very genuine with you and bloody hell, he cares about you! Don't second guess this luv, you've got our support. I adore Paul, not because of his status, but because of who he is. He doesn't have to invite us to every party he throws, he doesn't have to even talk to us, but he does." Sam added.
"I think you'll be happy with him," Ginny said "Anyone could see how happy the two of you are around each other New Year's Eve"

We stayed up well into the morning, talking and joking. Later that afternoon I found myself at my new home, wrapped in Paul's arms on a small couch reading and sipping tea as Martha tried to nap at our feet as Angus gnawed on her ear in hopes she would get up and play.  

----

A/N:  cute little chapter delving into Tilly and Sam's friendship a bit, which I had fun writing about.  Thanks as always for reading!  :D

Soundtrack:  She's Leaving Home - The Beatles