It was raining. But then again, it's supposed to rain in England, right? I only wished I'd thought to bring an umbrella. Oh well.

I looked up at the stormy gray sky and pulled my coat tighter around my body. Man, it was cold. Is it like this all the time? I wondered as I headed toward a café, where I could seek shelter. I had come here all the way from Canada because. .

Because I. . got. . bored I guess.

I lived in Cheltenham when I was little, then, when I was 13, I moved to Canada and have stayed there ever since. Well, ever since now, I had been working for a coffee shop and I felt like I was getting in a rut.

So, I packed my bags and I hopped on the plane.

My small suitcase hit a bump in the sidewalk and I jumped a bit, I kind of forgot that I was pulling it along. I looked around at the people dressed in raincoats with the guys wearing big brimmed hats and the girls carrying dainty little umbrellas.

I sighed and looked at the sky again, trying to will it to stop its downpour. Please stop, I silently said to the sky.

No response, just rain. Shoo.

I entered the café slowly and tried not to make eye contact with anyone. I'm a shy person, I don't talk all that much. It felt like all the eyes were on me as my suitcase got caught on a carpet. I stopped and jiggled it until it came loose, then I continued slowly on my way.

"Can, can I just have a small hot chocolate, please?" I said quietly to the guy behind the counter, who passed my order to someone else who made a hot chocolate and held it out to me. I, in turn, paid for it and went to sit on a chair in the corner of the room. I took a piece of paper out of my pocket and found a pencil from my suitcase.

10/12/64

Dear Brian,

I really hope you're going to get this. I'm just going to mail it to your house, or, where I think your house is. It has been something like 9 years. I really hope we can still be friends. You were almost like a brother to me, you were there and I hope you can be here now, cause I've come back. Anyway, when you get this, please write back, I hope we can still be friends!

-Fran

I folded the letter carefully and finished my hot chocolate.

Brian Jones had been my absolute best friend, I'd met him one day when I was young. 5ish, Id say. And I was walking down my street, I was looking for a friend, someone to play with, my mom walked behind me. She told me earlier that she was going to take me over to one of her friend's houses. This house happened to be Brian's house.

"Now you be good, Franny" she warned me as she knocked lightly on the door. I folded my hands together and waited while I looked at the big front door in front of me. The woman who came to the door was very excited and I could tell my mother could tell too. She invited my mom inside and I followed shyly, clutching her hand with one hand while I brushed past the flowers with the other.

"Oh I'm so excited for Franny to meet Brian!" The woman spoke fast and used her hands alot when she spoke, I watched her call Brian and then a small blond head appeared at the side of a doorway. He looked at me with wide eyes. All I could see of him was his head and I giggled a bit, tugging my mom's hand slightly.

He smiled and then turned around and walked to their living room.

I let go and followed, I had a good feeling about this.

"Hullo" Brian said as he saw me following him, "I'm Brian"

I smiled happily and replied with "I'm Franny, but my mum calls me Fran sometimes"

Now he smiled and sat down on the floor, where some wooden toys lay. "Wanna play?" He picked up a wooden car and handed it to me.

The rest of the afternoon played out just so, we played for a while until Mrs. Jones called us for lunch.

After lunch, I followed Brian to a piano in another room. He pressed down on a key and it made a low sound, I felt my eyes grow wide. Brian looked at me again, then back at the piano, then he pressed down on another key; making a higher sound.

"That's so pretty" I heard my small voice say.

He tilted his head slightly and looked at me, "tell ya what Fran, I'm going to learn to play this, and I'm gunna play for you!" I clapped happily and knew then that I'd made a friend.

A couple of weeks later, I started school, Brian was in the same class as me, and we played together almost all the time.

Years passed by and one day, when we were 12, he asked me in that shy way of his if I didn't mind not hanging out with him during school. I'd crossed my arms, but it made sense. I was a girl, he was a guy.

"But we'll still practice, right, and hang out outside of school?" I asked hopefully, we'd started practicing playing guitars, he started before me and got me interested. He was gifted with that guitar, so he taught me. Then we jammed a little. He shook his head up and down, smiling, "of course, you're stool my number one girl pal!"

I smiled, letting out the breath I hadn't realized I'd been holding.

At school the next day, we only said hi to each other, that's it.

Only, once we backs away from each other at school, I got a good look at what he acted like just in front of guys. He flirted with the girls, I noticed that. He had good looks, his blond hair only heightening his handsome eyes and charming smile.

I didn't know that weird feeling that came over me the day I thought that. But when I described them to my mom, she said simply; "it looks like you, my dear, like Brian"

"Like Brian?" I'd exclaimed, then louder "like Brian?!"

She closed her eyes and nodded, the. I heard from behind me; "like Brian? What's like me?"

I turned around slowly, rocking back and forth nervously on my heels. "I better go now, make sure that you come back before dinner Franny" I mom walked out and then turned at the last minute to wink at me. I turned bright red. "Ready to go?" Brian asked while fingering his guitar case and looking at me strangely. Don't focus on his beautiful eyes, I told myself as I walked to another room to find my guitar.

The year after that was when we moved. I told Brian as soon as I found out, he looked shocked, then he pulled me into a hug. I smiled into his shoulder, it was still a hug, a hug from the guy I might love.

"It'll be alright, maybe we'll see each other one day" he said into my ear.

I nodded, trying to believe that that might just be true.

The day we left was one I know I'll remember forever.

He came over and asked for just a few minutes of my time, "just a few" he told my mother before grabbing my hand (!!) and pulling me over to his house. He got a blindfold and wrapped it around my face, tying it at the back. "Alright, sit here" he instructed, I did as I was told.

I felt him sit down gingerly beside me, take a breath, then piano filled my ears.

Piano, just like he'd said.

I didn't think the blindfold was going to be dry when I untied it.

There were no words, just this beautiful piano piece. When he'd gone silent, it was like I wasn't in control, I'd shoved the blindfold down around my neck and he looked at me, I saw his eyes go big and round and then I kissed him on the cheek. I pulled away quickly and looked down at my lap. Brian was silent, silent as a mouse.

I looked up and he had his mouth open, and there was something about his eyes and I really didn't want to move now and-

"BRIAN JONES!"

What?

"GET IN HERE RIGHT THIS MINUTE YOUNG MAN!!"

I looked at the door, then back at Brian, he made no move to go.

"Brian, WHY was I just on the phone with the principal?"

She stopped abruptly when she saw me, "oh, hi Franny, um, I don't mean to be rude but, but could you go now, I have to talk to Brian about a couple of things"

I nodded slowly and started to get up, Brian did nothing, he just sat there. I sighed and waved by to Mrs. Jones. Brian wouldn't even look at me, "bye Brian" I said weakly, "I really love your song"

And that was the last I ever saw of Brian Jones.

You know, writing that letter might not have been such a good idea after all, I thought while crumpling up the piece of paper and leaving the café.

It'd stopped raining.

I head out onto the damp pavement and walk along the street, then I decide that, tomorrow, I'll just go back and get tea at that café. I'll probably make it my usual place, I decide with satisfaction before going to go find a hotel to stay at.