Chapter Text
"stop staring at him, paul, you look like a creep."
"i wasn't staring at john."
"i didn't even say his name and you knew who i was talking about."
paul sighed to himself as he paced on the sidewalk next to george. the younger boy was looking at paul up and down as he got more annoyed with the clicks of his feet on the concrete ground.
"i think it's sweet." pattie stated cheerfully as she flashed a smile at paul.
"well, i think it's down right creepy." george said and shuddered for effect. paul rolled his eyes at him as he continued to look across the street at the elder boy.
john was oblivious to the younger boy staring at him across the road as he swept his bangs out of his eyes and laughed at something stuart probably said. paul felt his heart melt when john smiled, showing his pearly white teeth and the crinkling around his beautiful brown eyes.
"don't listen to him, paul. you guys are like a modern day romeo and juliet." pattie said as she came over and stood next to him. she put her hand on his back and rubbed it comfortably as the brown-haired boy's smile faltered.
"yeah, sure. except, he doesn't even know i exist." paul sighed dramatically as he turned to face them both, sadness was apparent in his eyes. he turned to look down at his rubber shoes that bounced the sun's reflection into his eyes.
"maybe you just need a little help." pattie suggested.
"how is any help going to be enough to get an instagram model to notice me. he probably has girls and guys lined up to be with him." the hazel-eyed boy whined.
"he's not a god you have to bow at the feet of, paul." george chimed in from where he was leaning against the school's metal fence.
even with john starting college and paul being only in sophomore year, he couldn't help but feel an personal connection to the older lad.
though he only had spoke to him once when he was a senior and asked paul for a pencil, he felt like he practically knew him through instagram.
john lennon was a 60s loving, music admiring, instagram model with almost 30,000 followers and paul was nobody. an outcast. he would have to have at least as many followers for john to actually notice him.
"yeah, why do social media influencers think they're all high and mighty." pattie agreed with george as she flipped her blonde hair over her shoulder so it was draping her back.
"they aren't, just attention seekers in my opinion." george continued smugly, looking to paul for a reaction but paul kept staring at his shoes, living in his own world.
"i think it would be fun to be famous, though. be a model. that sounds exciting." the younger girl smiled enthusiastically to no one but herself as her imagination played the fantasy in her head like her own movie she was the star of. she sighed as she thought about what it would be like to have fans and interviews like an actual celebrity. maybe cnn would do a documentary on her life's story someday.
"yeah, right. and i'll become the lead guitarist of a boy band." george snickered. paul could practically hear his eyes rolling in his head.
but the more paul thought about modeling, the more desperate he became.
then, an exceptional idea washed into his head like a hurricane.
his eyes widened as he turned to pattie, smiling to her as she grew even more confused.
"wait." paul paused for a second, gathering his thoughts together. pattie and george directed their attention to him, their eyes watching his every move.
"yeah?" george said as he waited for him to continue with whatever point he had just thought of.
"why don't we do that?" paul questioned curiously to his group of friends.
"why don't we do what?" pattie asked back.
"why don't we make you an instagram model, pattie." he smiled. "for god sakes, john did it. we could too."
"what are you saying, paul?" george inquired.
"well, i got my camera and pattie's got the right face for it. and it'd be fun." paul explained.
"oh paul, that sounds amazing. i'm in." pattie agreed, jumping up and down.
"uh uh, no way." george interrupted before the pair could finish their celebration.
"geo." pattie sighed, looking toward her boyfriend.
"no, pat, i don't want any guys leaving you thirsty comments. that's just gross."
"i can block them, geo."
"and what if you get mobbed in public."
"i doubt that would happen." paul retorted this time. "we live in liverpool, not los angeles."
george was quiet for a second as the gears in his head rotated against each other, his eyes darting between his two closest friends.
"i don't trust this."
"and then maybe..." paul began. "...i could maybe dm john once pattie gets famous and talk to him."
"paul, that's perfect." pattie smiled as she thought about it. she noticed a slight dilemma as she turned to paul, her smile shifting into a frown. "but he'll think your me, paul."
"you're right, but is that really a bad thing?" paul questioned.
"yeah um, i'm not having my girlfriend flirt with another guy even if it's you paul." george glared at him with an annoyed face.
"how else am i supposed to talk to him?"
"i don't know, dm him yourself?"
"he won't talk to me, george. "
"how do you know, paul?"
"because...i'm a guy and also i don't even have a hundred followers. pattie, she's perfect and he wouldn't be talking to pattie, he would be talking to me."
"but he would think he's talking to pattie. you always do this pa-"
"what is that supposed to mean?"
"you always pull these stunts just to have your way."
"well, you're always a selfish prick."
"god, you're such a cryba-"
"boys." pattie spoke up from where she was standing and listening to the two argue. "it's my face, i can decide what i want it used for and if it's used to get paul a boyfriend, i'm fine with it. but you know what i'm not fine with? all of this goddamn arguing, it's like you're both five years old. act you're age."
paul and george just stood there, shocked at what pattie had just said. george looked back between the two of them, clearly mad at the older boy.
"you know what? whatever, live your stupid fantasy but just don't involve me in it, eh?" george said more calmly now, sitting back down against the metal fence.
and with the ring of the school bell, the group headed to their respected classes, wondering about the new plan they had set for their lives.
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