Bigger Boys & Stolen Sweethearts - Alex Turner

12. Fluorescent Adolescent

My stomach was in knots as I got myself ready for my 'date but I'm not allowed to call it that' with Arabella. Sure I'd been out with her before but I just felt so awfully nervous this time and I didn't know why. I felt obliged to impress her and I think that's what made me feel so anxious that I felt nauseous. I really didn't want to screw it up. I wanted her to be happy she let me take her out, I didn't want her to have a reason to regret it and I wanted to make it memorable. I just wanted to make her smile that night.

I didn't dress up all too fancy because I knew she'd hate that, I would too. Just a shirt and jeans like always, styling my hair by combing the sides back and curling my quiff over my forehead. I didn't look that much different from any other day, I didn't mind it but my mum decided to go and point it out.

"Are you wearing that?" she asked, looking me up and down once I had come downstairs to grab the convertible's keys and head off to pick Arabella up.

I looked down at myself, a little offended, and then back up at my mum. "Yeah?"

"Where's your jacket?" she asked me, for once it seemed as though she was putting some effort into the thought of me. "It'll make it look less casual."

By my jacket I knew she meant my leather one. "She's got it," I said to her. Mum knew who 'she' was immediately.

She sighed and flattened out her skirt, "of course she does."

"Alright dear, lets give little Alex a bit of a break from the scrutiny," my dad said and softly placed his hands on my mother's shoulders. She let out a sigh and looked up at her husband.

"I'm not happy David," she said to him, "I don't like that girl." I rolled my eyes at this.

"I'm sure she's alright," dad said.

"I walked in and found them in bed together and she told me to leave because she was giving our son a handjob," my mum said. I groaned and folded my arms, here we go.

"She was kidding mum," I stated.

My father's brows furrowed and he looked up to me and I immediately knew I was going to have to defend myself. "You two were in bed?"

"She slept over," I said and rolled my eyes. "Can we not go through this again?"

"Did you...?" Dad implied.

"No. God, no can we stop this conversation now I'm going to be late," I groaned.

  "Alex. I want you to be honest with me," dad said. "I won't be mad."

  "We didn't have sex oh my god," I groaned. "Mum just hates her so she'll twist the story in any way that'll make you hate her as well."

  "Watch it," Dad warned me.

  "Wait a minute..." my mum said and folded her arms, I was being cornered up against the stair case by the two of them. "Why does she have your jacket?"

  Oh shit. "I gave it to her," I said, "to borrow."

  "When?"

  "Monday." Fuck of course mum would catch on.

  "You were wearing it on Wednesday," she said.

  "No I wasn't."

  "Yes you were."

  "No I wasn't because I haven't seen it since Monday."

  "Tell me the truth. Have you been seeing her while you're grounded?"

  "No." I looked up at the clock and groaned. I was already running late. "Can we stop the interrogation, or at least put it on hold? I'm gonna be late."