Who the Fuck is Alex Turner?

The Part With the Japanese Place

As the next morning progressed, I found it harder and harder to get Alex off my mind. At first, when I’d awoken, I’d totally forgotten about him. But now that it was approaching midday, I wondered whether he’d forgotten about me. So much for lunch.

I left home and caught the train into the city, but not to the same end of town I’d seen him the previous day. I dressed casually, but put in a little more effort than usual to look nice, painting my eyes with a thin stroke of eyeliner. Sitting down, staring out the scratched train window, I watched the blurs of streets, houses and people rush by. The sky was a dull grey, which cast a moody shadow upon the city. It was as if the sky was a photograph with no colour, black and white; it was only the aesthetics of the scenery below it that made it seem real.

I felt the buzz and heard the chime of my phone, and I grabbed it out of my pockets instantly. I drew a sharp breath and nervously, looked at the screen.

Noel [1].

Nic! Catch up tonight? 

I’d forgotten to tell Noel about Alex. He was my best friend; I’d known him since we were 12 years old. Our friendship had barely survived through high school, but after we’d graduated he’d become like a brother to me.  We shared the same, strange sense of humour and his presence comforted me, particularly when I felt anxious about something. Yet, I could not overcome the desire to keep my encounter with Alex a secret to myself. 

Sure drinks @ the Waterfront?

I replied, suggesting our favourite bar.  Noel replied within a few seconds.

Yeah, sounds good. Seven o’clock? When’s your next shift at the cinemas? 

My job at the cinemas, a few blocks from our house, was a relatively relaxed commitment, and provided me with some (but not much) financial stability whilst I continued my studies. My next shift was tomorrow, straight after Uni. I replied to Noel, and we continued to talk via text for a little until the train had reached my stop. I stepped out onto the platform.

My senses were immediately infiltrated with multiple waves of sounds and scents- the sweet smell of a nearby bakery; the muffled laughter of a passing couple; the artificial voice of a woman over the PA, announcing the next train. 

I heard the simultaneous buzzing and ringing of my phone in my pocket, and reached to answer it.

“Hello?”

“Nicola?”

“Hi Alex.” I smiled.

“Hey, you alright?” he asked casually.

“I’m fine, how you are you?”

“Feeling a bit ill,” he sort of mumbled.

“Oh, whys that?” My sarcasm translated immediately into irritation.

“Ah…was a bit of a piss up last night.”

“Yeah, I remember getting a text… in fact, I remember laughing quite a bit too.”

“… You’re going to have to refresh my memory on that one.”

“Something about a ‘fabulous behind’,” we both broke out in laughter.

He paused slightly, before sighing and saying, “Yeah, sorry about that.”

“Its okay. You still want to grab lunch?”

“Nicola,” Alex said, slowly, “I would love to.”

“Unless you’re feeling too ill?”

He chuckled. “No, no, I’ll be there. Anywhere in particular you’d like to go?”