Hidden Love
You've Got To Hide Your Love Away
It was going to be another successful concert for the world famous Beatles. A sold out house, like so many others. Hundreds of girls who would give their right arm to meet a member of the Fab Four. Some people had such admiration for them that they might just choose John, George, Ringo and Paul to confess a dark secret to.
"Alright, boys," said the band's tour manager just before the men were to go onstage. "Remember that Radio 1 had a contest yesterday for fans to come and meet you four. There's gonna be six of 'em back here after the show and I want you to be nice to them."
"Give us some credit," Ringo said as he picked his drum sticks up off of the table next to him.
John gently strummed the strings of his Rickenbacker guitar. "We love our fans. Why wouldn't we be nice to them?"
Their manager shook his head. "I'm just making sure. We don't want any bad press. Now get out there and make us all proud." They laughed and headed out onstage to greet the people who had been waiting for so long to see them.
A little over an hour later, four men returned backstage, sweaty, a little tired, but happy. The show had been just as successful as any other that they had done and now they were going to be able to meet some equally tired, equally excited fans.
Paul walked to the sink to fill a cup with water while George and Ringo simultaniously flopped onto the purple couch on the west side of the room. John took a seat on the armchair next to it. Their manager walked into the room just as he had before, but this time, he had six people between the ages of fourteen and twenty-seven. "Boys," he said. "These are 'em. The contest winners. Markus, Jordin, Julianne, Richard, Liza, and Charlie."
Five of the people looked ecstatic to be in the same room as the Beatles. But the sixth one, Charlie, seemed a little more somber than the others. One would think that he would be excited to meet some of his idols, but one probably wouldn't know what was on Charlie's mind at the time.
All seemed fairly normal at a passing glance. The fans were gushing about how much they loved the band while the band brought up topics that they found intersting. The guests were just eating it up.
It was John that noticed that Charlie was sitting on the couch, not saying a word. "Would you excuse me for a moment, Julianna?" he said.
"Oh, of course," she said. The young brunette was running on adrenaline at that point and just joined into a conversation that her brother, Richard, was having with Ringo.
John moved from his place in the armchair to a different armchair on the other side of the couch. "You alright, son?"
Charlie looked up from behind his glasses. "Yeah, Mr. Lennon. I'm fine. Jus' thinkin' about things."
"Like what?"
Charlie was confused. Nobody had ever been interested in what he had to say. Especially not a world famous rockstar. "Well, my life has been treatened within the past week."
John perked up. It wasn't something he heard every day. "Really? By who? Was it someone from your school?"
The boy shook his head. "No. It was my father. I told him that I was gay and he told me that if it got out to the public he'd kill me before the police could get to me." He wasn't sure if he should be telling a complete stranger, let alone John Lennon, but it was too late.
"Is your dad more worried about you getting arrested or having a homosexual son?"
"The second."
"Can' you hide it from others?"
A sigh escaped Charlie's lips. "I have to. But it hurts me, as well as my partner, Dylan. He's the entire reason that I got back here. Dylan knew that I was a fan of you four and he gave up his chance to meet you all for me. He's waiting outside right now."
He had been known as the smart Beatle so it was fitting that John knew what to do for the boy. "Here, Charlie," he grabbed a pen and photo from a table and signed it. "Give this to Dylan. Tell him that it is especially for him. And be sure to tell him that you love him."
Charlie smiled for the first time in a while and simply said, "Thank you, Mr. Lennon," before the band's manager told the people that they had to leave.
"So, boys, how was that?" their manager said after all of the fans had left. There was a chorus of "good," "great," and "fine." "John?" he said.
He smiled and said "I think I may have found an idea for a new song..."
"Alright, boys," said the band's tour manager just before the men were to go onstage. "Remember that Radio 1 had a contest yesterday for fans to come and meet you four. There's gonna be six of 'em back here after the show and I want you to be nice to them."
"Give us some credit," Ringo said as he picked his drum sticks up off of the table next to him.
John gently strummed the strings of his Rickenbacker guitar. "We love our fans. Why wouldn't we be nice to them?"
Their manager shook his head. "I'm just making sure. We don't want any bad press. Now get out there and make us all proud." They laughed and headed out onstage to greet the people who had been waiting for so long to see them.
A little over an hour later, four men returned backstage, sweaty, a little tired, but happy. The show had been just as successful as any other that they had done and now they were going to be able to meet some equally tired, equally excited fans.
Paul walked to the sink to fill a cup with water while George and Ringo simultaniously flopped onto the purple couch on the west side of the room. John took a seat on the armchair next to it. Their manager walked into the room just as he had before, but this time, he had six people between the ages of fourteen and twenty-seven. "Boys," he said. "These are 'em. The contest winners. Markus, Jordin, Julianne, Richard, Liza, and Charlie."
Five of the people looked ecstatic to be in the same room as the Beatles. But the sixth one, Charlie, seemed a little more somber than the others. One would think that he would be excited to meet some of his idols, but one probably wouldn't know what was on Charlie's mind at the time.
All seemed fairly normal at a passing glance. The fans were gushing about how much they loved the band while the band brought up topics that they found intersting. The guests were just eating it up.
It was John that noticed that Charlie was sitting on the couch, not saying a word. "Would you excuse me for a moment, Julianna?" he said.
"Oh, of course," she said. The young brunette was running on adrenaline at that point and just joined into a conversation that her brother, Richard, was having with Ringo.
John moved from his place in the armchair to a different armchair on the other side of the couch. "You alright, son?"
Charlie looked up from behind his glasses. "Yeah, Mr. Lennon. I'm fine. Jus' thinkin' about things."
"Like what?"
Charlie was confused. Nobody had ever been interested in what he had to say. Especially not a world famous rockstar. "Well, my life has been treatened within the past week."
John perked up. It wasn't something he heard every day. "Really? By who? Was it someone from your school?"
The boy shook his head. "No. It was my father. I told him that I was gay and he told me that if it got out to the public he'd kill me before the police could get to me." He wasn't sure if he should be telling a complete stranger, let alone John Lennon, but it was too late.
"Is your dad more worried about you getting arrested or having a homosexual son?"
"The second."
"Can' you hide it from others?"
A sigh escaped Charlie's lips. "I have to. But it hurts me, as well as my partner, Dylan. He's the entire reason that I got back here. Dylan knew that I was a fan of you four and he gave up his chance to meet you all for me. He's waiting outside right now."
He had been known as the smart Beatle so it was fitting that John knew what to do for the boy. "Here, Charlie," he grabbed a pen and photo from a table and signed it. "Give this to Dylan. Tell him that it is especially for him. And be sure to tell him that you love him."
Charlie smiled for the first time in a while and simply said, "Thank you, Mr. Lennon," before the band's manager told the people that they had to leave.
"So, boys, how was that?" their manager said after all of the fans had left. There was a chorus of "good," "great," and "fine." "John?" he said.
He smiled and said "I think I may have found an idea for a new song..."