Across Her Universe • Alex Turner Fanfic

(12) Hello, I'm Arielle!

Alex left the Domino Records building with a look of annoyance in his face and a forceful walk, pushing the entrance door in a violent way. He felt a lot more peaceful with his mind and self once he left that building. The sun was invading his whole body with it's burning presence; he felt much better now, but he couldn't avoid what had happened in that office a few minutes ago. Whether he liked it or not, Laurence was right. The words that he had pronounced seemed to be stuck in Alex's head, repeating themselves over and over again in his empty mind: "Don't fuck with her head". What was that supposed to mean?

He quickly lighted up a cigarette to hide his irritation, and while inhaling it he looked to his left; there was Arabella, sitting on the edge of the street, facing the concrete road and watching how the cars passed one another, while smoking one of her organic cigarettes. She seemed lost, as if her eyes were actually setting on a particular point that didn't really exist. Alex walked gently towards her, unsure if he was making the right decision, but this was the first time that both of them were completely alone since that night, and it seemed as a good moment to talk to her.

He sat next to her, waiting for a response or a movement from her; but she didn't, she didn't even looked at him, as if she was completely unware of her surroundings. Maybe she wasn't aware of Alex's presence at all; she really seemed to be in a world of her own, avoiding the bounds of her reality.

"Are you okay?" said Alex, interrupting Arabella's hypnosis; with a shocked expression she looked straight to the floor, as if she had just woke up from a nightmare. She then slowly looked at Alex who was lighting another cigarette and couldn't really bare to look at her.

"Yes, I'm just..... I don't know why I've stayed here. I just really needed some fresh air and a smoke" she said almost with a shacking voice.

"We all do, darling" said Alex now looking at her.

She was so close to him that he could really observer her now from a very short distance. He didn't really know why but having her like this by his side, made everything seemed a little bit more real, including her; she seemed more human.

Both of them stayed quiet for a while, none of them said a word. They just sit there and smoked, enjoying each other's silent company. It was the sort of silence that invades your thoughts in a peaceful way; a silence that you truly enjoy.

"That was a beautiful song" said Arabella finally, breaking with the silence and exhaling the smoke of her organic cigarette.

Alex didn't answer her back instantly; he waited for a couple of seconds to embrace the sound of the words she had just pronounced. Once he digested and processed those beautiful words, he said finally a very simple but sincere "Thank you". Arabella looked at Alex and couldn't help but smile. It was a very gentle and fragile smile, almost as if she wasn't really grinning at all, but it was purely and completely honest.

"Well, I have to go now, it's getting late", although she was saying goodbye her body wasn't physically moving; she had to leave, but this massive and powerful force was practically demanding her to stay. Why did she always felt like that when she was near him? As if he was composed of a magnetic force that constantly attracted Arabella towards him.

"Yeah, you're right, guess I should also go". He lied; he wanted nothing more than to stay a couple of minutes with her, in that eternal silence that they share, that made him feel so very complete.

Arabella stood up rapidly and waved at him while looking at the floor. He couldn't stand looking at him and feeling so... vulnerable. Those sad and dark eyes that seemed to comfort her also seemed to doom her. It was such an inexplicable feeling that she felt when she was near Alex; it just made her feel completely different from her usual self.