Across Her Universe • Alex Turner Fanfic

(23) The Shadow of Your Heart

Arabella decided that there wasn't any time at all to go to her apartment and take a shower and change her clothes, so she took a cab and went straightly towards the Domino Records studio. She practically ran towards the door and almost fell; she wasn't really used to wear heels and running with them was even a worse idea. All of the boys turned around to find the tall and thin figure of Arabella leaning against the door, completely exhausted, completely defeated. She slowly walked towards the room in which the guys were recording and practicing, apologizing to all of the staff members of Domino Records.

"We're not even famous yet and you're being a diva already?" said Benji with a cocky look on his face.

"Monkeying around, I suppose?" said Andrew as he burned his cigarette on the ashtray. He was using a pair of black sunglasses that hide his eyes completely.

"Shut the fuck up, please" said Arabella as she threw herself on one of the big couches that were in the studio, "Just one minute and we'll start, I really need to just relax for a moment"

"Well sunshine, sorry to put it down to you but we already started an hour ago" said Andrew as he started to play with the strings of his guitar.

"Could you stop being a little bitch to me for just one second? I'd really appreciate that" said Arabella with a killing look on her face.

"Not my problem if you didn't get any sleep last night, love" said Andrew without really paying attention to her.

"Oh my god, are you saying that...?" said Benji to Andrew, who just simply nodded in response.

"Did you have some action last night, Arabella Jones?" said Dalton as he sat next to her in the couch.

"No I didn't – "

"You so shagged the monkey leader, didn't you?" said Benji, preparing to laugh.

"I did not shag him, or anyone, okay?" she said as she stood up from the couch, radiating annoyance.

"How do you know that she was with him last night?" said Dalton to Andrew.

"Firstly because that sweater that she's wearing, I have never seen it in my life. And clearly it's not from a woman; obviously it's from a guy. Secondly, Arabella never wears heels, she hates them. And those heels are the same that she wore last night, meaning that you didn't spend the night on the apartment. And besides you're not wearing a bra, and the dress that you wore yesterday is on that supermarket bag, am I right?" Andrew said all of that without even looking at her, completely ignoring Arabella and only paying attention at the tuning of his guitar.

"Well done, Sherlock!" said Benji now heading towards Arabella, "So, how was it?" he said, elbowing Arabella with a cocky expression.

"Nothing happened" she said without looking at Benji.

"You're the worst liar ever when it comes to this sort of things, you know that?" said Dalton from the other corner of the room.

"C'mon just cut it with the bullshit, how was it? Was it good?" said Benji with pure excitement in his eyes.

"It was as good as the time that you and I shagged" said Arabella while positioning herself in front of the microphone.

"But that never happened" said Benji confused.

"Exactly" she said, as both Dalton and Andrew laughed loudly "Now can we please stop the interrogation and have a proper practice?"

"Only if you're telling us the details later" said Dalton with a wink, heading towards his bass.

Arabella looked at each one of them with a look of annoyance on her face; both Dalton and Benji were looking at her with a cocky expression and a burning desire of extreme curiosity. But Andrew didn't really looked at her since the very moment when she entered the studio, as if he was quite irritated about something and was trying his best at acting cool and distant; although the truth was that his particular attitude actually exposed him completely: he was terribly annoyed by Arabella, even though he didn't genuinely knew the reason for it. Arabella took a deep breath before deciding to speak, already thinking of how she'll probably end up regretting everything.

"Fine" she said shortly "We had sex. It was okay, it was just sex. Nothing out of this world but not completely ordinary either. So, can we practice now?" Arabella said emotionless.

"That's it, I fucking told you! You owe me $20!" said Benji to Dalton.

"Ugh, I fucking hate you right now, wanker" said Dalton as he searched in his wallet for a twenty dollar bill.

"Always a pleasure to do business with you, mate" said Benji as he looked at the money on his hand with an expression of complete satisfaction.

"I'm so tired that I won't even try to argue with both of you right now" said Arabella with a tired voice, "All I'm going to say is that you should seriously grow up"

"Oh I'm sorry that you only fancy mature guys, love. Not my problem that you have a natural attraction towards them" said Benji without actually realizing the damage of his words.

An awkward silence was created in the studio room; meanwhile all of the boys shared silent glances, Arabella stood in front of the microphone without reacting at all to the words that Benji had just said. She didn't moved nor said a word, but inside her mind all sort of thoughts reached Arabella's head, making her unconsciously and naturally recall the memories she had tried to suppress all this time. And although her mind was fighting a battle that she knew she wouldn't win, her face didn't express the slightest alteration.

"Should we start with Cosmic Love?" said Andrew, breaking with the eternal silence.

Arabella nodded slowly, completely submerged in her own world. The first notes of the song started to fill in the studio, coloring every single corner of the room with the feelings that the song portrayed. No one in the band actually knew how emotional and emotive this song was for Arabella, and every time she singed it she could feel all of these emotions coming back to her again; as if she was feeling them again all together for the first time once again.

A falling star fell from your heart and landed in my eyes

I screamed aloud, as it tore through them, and now it's left me blind

The stars, the moon, they have all been blown out

You left me in the dark

No dawn, no day, I'm always in this twilight

In the shadow of your heart...