"Get some bank notes for the day, did you?" Katie was a year and a half older, much wiser and streets ahead smart in where they should wait in their daily Beatle watch.

"Two pound- Holiday money from the Quality Street tin"

"Well done Bethy. I've heard the lads are going into EMI studios this morning and off out again at half past two for a BBC radio broadcast"

Katie was pretty, a dark fiery red head of curly hair, pinned back framed her pixie like features, a smattering of freckles over her nose. She looked young but it was a deceiving visual ruse. Sshe had been around. Growing up in Central London, with a well on the way alcoholic father who entertained the who's who of London's theatre set would nightly see Katie amidst celebrities and too charming gentlemen.

"Smashing. John looked right into my eyes that last time. I'm sure of it. Don't you think?" Beth began swinging their arms as they held hands together and the two strolled along the footpath toward the studios.

Beth was a breathe of fresh air for Katie, it let her act like a child yet still be the smart one of the duo. There was no school bell to listen for, no teacher to send them to detention, just another endless day of dazzling London autumn sunshine and a few shilling for the bus fares in case the Beatles went across town.

"Oh he did, no doubt about it and when George stared at me with those delicious eyes of his I absolutely melted"

Abbey road was busy with the morning traffic so the two girls waited patiently to cross, the zebra crossing spanned the roadway here but they had done this enough times to know not trust the cabbies and bus drivers that scuttled along the route.

"Remember when that girl from Glasgow got bumped by the milk truck?" Beth bit her nails, it was dreadful but she hadn't the mettle to stop. Even with castor oil painted on by her mother, which caused Beth to endlessly moan and groan about the application, she still nibbles down to the quick. "She was mad, trying to sneak in the studios delivery doors like that"

"You've got to be clever, smart like us. I heard her parents got called and shipped her off, back to an uncle or grandfather I think"

"Ugh. I think my mum would be angry but she'd never pop me in the post for granddads care. She's always annoyingly saying 'us against the world Beth' "

"My Mum would get a belt from father, tan my hide then get him to do the same. Your Ma's ok, she's youngish too and let's you listen to the records quite loud in the family room. I think she can dance better than you as well Bethy!"

"Naff off Kats! Mum's alright but such a drag. Bills this, bills that. Boring and bland her"

"She's young yea?" Katie liked Beth and her mum. They had only moved to the area in the spring and Beth was a breathe of fresh air in a stuffy London. "Where's the mister then?" She could never tell with Beth, her voice lowering to little more than a whisper on the odd occasion she mentioned her old man.

"He's never been round. And he'll never be in our lives. Mums twenty something" With a sigh Beth stepped forward forgetting, in the moment, where she was, a black cabs' horn blasted waking all and sundry to Beth's sleepy decision to cross the street "Ohhhh!!!!!!" Katie's hand on her uniform sleeve and her own backwards step had Beth staggering off the street in alarm.

"Beth!! Come on.. the coast is clear now, move them jelly legs" Katie grinned tugging the younger, both physically and literally, easily led girl, across the street. "Gosh that was close, at least jump in front of Georgie's motor if your going to do that!" Giggles erupted, bubbling from inside Beth, making Katie start cackling with her own laughter.

"Look!"

"Paul!!" Katie screamed then, upon making the studios gate post, hissed out "Quick, duck under old Mal's elbow before he turns about" They were almost the first fans today. Paul was always arriving promptly these days, then Ringo, George, then finally a sleepy looking John would turn up.

"Paul, Paul!"

"Good morning ladies, looking fine in your uniforms today" Paul stood on the bottom step of the studio his grin indulging and laced with a smirk as he looked down at his watch "St.Georges Catholic eh, you're going to be late Beth"

"He knows my name, I'm going to actually die" Beth smiled at Katie as another batch of school girls rounded the gates and landed, en masse, at Paul's feet.

"You know I'm stood right here ya know" Paul pouted funnily and held his hand out blindly for the next autograph book from the twenty or so girls knocking knees in front of him. "Name?"

"Betty" A voice quivered shyly.

Paul's hand was quick, he loved this- the fans, the girls all bickering over the group, all choosing favourites and yelling out the lads, or his, names. He had to admit this was something heady, the feeling of power, a bit of money, girls screaming his name, being in control of destiny.

"There ya go 'To Betty Love Paul' Ok?" His pretty voice melted all assembled and Betty nodded sharply, dashing a few dreamy tears from her eyes. "OK"

"Will George be by?" Katie shoved her copy of Meet The Beatles magazine toward Paul without hesitation, her brashness turning the lads both on and off as the days wore on.

"Most definitely"

"When?" Her breathing was more anticipatory panting, just longing for a look and few words with her favourite Beatle of all- George.

"This side of yesterday"

"Oh smart, haha"

"Go to school Katie"

"It's a bore"

"Wont make it standing on the footpath all day"

"Who says?"

"Truant office, probably your mother, most definitely your da. That bobby down by the post box"

"Where!?" Ducking as if to hide behind Paul Kate only emerged after Paul laughed at her folly "Very funny. Ha Ha, give us me mag back"

"No need to be narky Kate. What of you Beth, your da be mad at you?" Paul's eyebrow rose a smidge in question. He had the most lovely set of eyebrows of all the lads. His greeny-hazel eyes, felt to Beth, to be a bit like heating irons boring into her, willing her to speak about her father, telling her mothers story. Her face flushed pink, if she were to be alone with him she would spill all her secrets, but here, right now, it was an impossible task. One day her John would understand her, one day she would sit chatting to them all. One day John would pet her knee and say 'it's all going to be alright'.

"He's not about currently"

Katie scoffed at Beth's choice of words when only moments prior Beth had used 'never' twice to describe when the man would come calling.

There was definitely more jostling now as word had spread of the imminent arrival of three Beatles and one Paul McCartney stood very openly on the EMI studio steps offering autographs to the adoring assembled. Girls crawled from all the nooks and crannies in at least a five mile radius.

A cigarette dangled precariously from his sweet lips, Beth could almost taste him she was so close, his shirt sleeves were rolled up along his forearm and his dark hair grew thick along his limbs . Paul eyed her up and down after coming to the painful realisation the fag was his last. "Be a chump and fetch us a couple of packs of fags Bethy, take Kate"

Beth's mouth opened and wouldn't shut as she stood watching his fingers trail through his thick dark hair, dropping to fidget in, first his left front pocket, then his right. His trouser fit like a dreamy lucky glove. His fingers curled toward his body as he drew them back out " That should be enough. I expect change and don't dally, got loads on today girls"

From his fingers to her palm he closed her hand around the coins. She would never ever wash this hand again. He smelt divine, so manly but not like grandpas aftershave. A real fresh scent, sharp and crisp and nice on her nose and she could surely see herself straying from being Johns best girl to Paul's if he so much as breathed her way again.

They ran.

Up the street round the corner, an errand, another unreal errand. It wasn't the first, although all prior had been Katies' hand that had been handed the pound notes. And the girls had been picked often, it was freaky and fabulous that the lads would trust them so. The addiction of being trusted to fetch things was pleasurable.

John had told them to buy a dog whistle once, Cyn had bought a pooch and John wanted to train it. George wanted six packets, be right careful not to drop them, of hobnob biscuits because the canteen was out and Ringo... Ringo wanted a roll of film for his brand new camera and on return, with said roll of film, the two girls were in the first phitograph taken.

Yes it was a dream, an honour and a right easy way to be in the lads eyes as 'preferred Beatle fans' as opposed to scruffs that turned up and screamed and carried on, crying like hyenas.

"Gosh his fingers were so warm, he touched my whole hand" Beth's words tumbled out as they made their way to the paper shop, the closest place to the studio for fags. Her fingers still shook slightly as she grasped the coins in her pocket.

They knew the brand without being told, knew the strength, even knew the colours of the box. Everything was known about the lads. What clothes they liked, what they didn't. Georges favourite chippie. Johns favourite book shop. Ringo's favourite shoe shop and Paul's favourite tailor. Little seeds of information drifting from the lads mouths every so often, creating a file of information the girls mulled over and dreamed about.

On return Paul wasn't about but John was. Stood scratching one ear after signing his millionth autograph book. Beth beamed, she had a radiant innocence about her. Katie was quite jealous of the way she presented. Unknowing, unassuming, nothing jaded in Beth's mind bar her quietness over her father and that hardly ever came up so Beth was happy go lucky Beth almost always.

"Ello luvs" With practiced movement, Katie had wrapped Beth's elbow and they sandwiched together and wiggled. Wiggled between silly teary girls, wiggled past girls with love hearts in their eyes and wiggled with a little more oomph past other annoying girls that wanted prime position "Got Maccas smokes Bethy?"

"Yes John and here's his change" Katie prodded Beth who's mouth was currently mute, seemingly filled with sticky clumping marshmallows. Her fingers still clutched the coins and packets of cigarettes. John grinned knowingly at her, reaching to tug a strand of hair behind her ear. Her eyes bugged from her face. Katie nudged again.

"Oh yes, sorry John. Here's the change"

"Keep it- Paul needs to learn to wait for his girls and not use me as his lacky. What's the name luv?" An arm unloaded a Meet The Beatles record over Beth's right shoulder for John's attention 'Joanne' was called from the rear. Johns fingers tugged then slackened from the fags which were in Beth's hand as his attention diverted to the pen in his right hand "With an E?" She, on the other hand, had released the cigarette packets fully; they slipped from her fingers to the step below. Beth crouch down to retrieve them.

She seemed to take an age to rise again.

A warm palm wrapped her entire upper arm "Up you get Beth, don't want our smoke supplier trampled under hoof do we luv" John lifted her with ease and was, unfortunately for Beth, all too quick in his arms upward movement.

Beth was 'rescued' but certainly not before her having a good close up gander of Johns shiny but well scuffed pointy toe boots, tight dark grey drain pipe trousers, a flash of shiny silver zipper, his leather belt and white, slightly wrinkled, button up shirt.

"Alrigh there Bethy?" John mumbled as his chewing gum lodged in the corner of his mouth. The minty flavour floating and wafting toward Beth as she stood so close. Her eyes glazed over as she watched her very favourite Beatle of all time do basically nothing.... His gum was back, being chewed, his teeth showing every now and then, he grinned politely at all the girls shoving and pushing behind her. John watched her from the corner of his eye, he liked Beth she was polite and quiet not at all like her brash mate Katie. He repeated himself with a smirk to wake her from her daydream "Alrigh?"

Beth finally nodded much too enthusiastically making John grin like a loon and a dreamy thank-you was heard escaping whisper-like from her lips.

This was all too, too much....