Maybe It's Been You All Along - Alex Turner

1

  "Pretty good," Nick said and they all nodded. "We-"

  "Rosanna!" a voice boomed. Everyone turned and watched as Alex trudged over to them and wrapped his arms around Rosanna. "What are you...doin' 'ere?" He smiled. He was glazed over with sweat and smelt of thick liquor. His eyes were heavy and his dark hair hung down in gelled strings.

  "I'm taking you home," Rosanna said and held onto his arms to steady him.

  Alex snorted, "you're funny," he swayed back over to the bar and leaned over the table. "Oi! Can I get another margarita? With extra tequila if you can mate." The bartender looked at him funny then at Rosanna who shook her head at him. The bartender didn't make the drink.

  "Come on Al," Rosanna said putting a hand on his back.

  He turned to face her with raised eyebrows. "But I want another margarita," he said, over-pronouncing the t's.

  "No Al, I think you've had plenty," Rosanna smiled. Alex smirked and snorted a laugh. "Come on."

  Alex lazily stood up and pat Jamie, Nick and Matt respectively on the back. "I'll see you blokes later then I guess. Can't keep the lady waitin'." Alex turned and smiled at Rosanna stupidly. She grabbed his arm and carefully slung it over her shoulder and wrapped an arm around him to steady him once again.

  "Look at her," Alex chuckled, looking over at Rosanna drowsily. "Such a nice person doncha think?" he looked over at the other three men. "Such a lovely lady aren't you Ro?" Alex slurred and smiled at her, brushing a finger across her cheek lazily. "Always taking care of me stupid arse...Alexa would never..."

  Immediately everyone tensed up and looked at each other. "Don't do that to yourself Al," Rosanna said calmly.

  "Don't worry love, I'm over her I promise," Alex nodded and brushed the hair out of his face.

  "You ready to go then, Greased Lightnin'?" Rosanna teased.

  Alex stifled a laugh and nodded, "ready when you are Barnes and Noble." He raised a lazy arm as they exited out of the pub, "bye lads!" he called to the others and almost fell backwards out the door.

  "Bye Al, see you Rosanna, thanks again," Matt said and raised his glass at her. She smiled and waved at them.

  Rosanna and Alex stumbled back to her apartment complex, Alex putting most of his weight on her subconsciously. He started singing to himself, commenting on his own voice here and there.

  "Al you need to stop doing this," Rosanna said as she opened her apartment door. "You can't get pissed every time you go out."

  Alex sighed and stumbled in before her, "this a nice room you got 'ere. Good room," Alex slurred slugging toward her couch and slumping onto it. "Nice settee," he added.

  "Yeah you said that last time," Rosanna chuckled and locked the door. She placed her belongings on the coffee table and walked to her room to fetch her drunk friend a blanket.

  Alex was already fast asleep by the time Rosanna was back. She took off his shoes and lifted his head and placed a pillow under it and threw a blanket over him.

  He mumbled something along the lines of "thank you" and buried himself into the folds of the blanket. Rosanna trudged back to bed not long after and managed to sleep without any other disruptions.

  Thankfully, Alex had been easier to handle this time rather than others. It was a gamble on how difficult it would be to convince him to stop drinking or even go home all together. Sometimes he would become stubborn and place himself in a booth at a pub and refuse to leave, other times he'd be glad to go home when someone mentioned the four letter word. In past times, Rosanna had arrived to an Alex with tears pouring down his face uncontrollably, sobbing about his past lovers and the direction of his life.

  It would break her heart to see him like that. He loved them all so much more than they deserved and so much more than they were prepared to love him back. She could see how his pursuit of love had broken him. He was tired of playing as just another piece in his lover's games having his feelings toyed with by every girl he fell for.

  When Alex fell for a woman, he fell for them hard, and for Alexa, harder than most. He really did love her, he cherished every moment they spent together and would always go the extra mile to please her. In the beginning, she did too. However as the months passed it became evident that she was falling out of love with him and it pained everyone around him to notice it when he didn't.

  Alex wasn't a hopeless romantic, romance just seemed hopeless for him.

  The obvious question would be why didn't he and his long time close friend Rosanna try it out? They got along perfectly and were close enough to each other that there was barely a secret between them. In response, Rosanna was approaching her second year in a relationship with a law student named Andy whom she loved dearly. She'd met him at a music festival Alex's band the Arctic Monkeys were performing at and the time before Rosanna knew Andy, Alex was head over heels for Alexa.

  Friendship worked. It was solid. Alex and Rosanna never really thought about anything more between themselves apart from the night they met. Both intrigued by each other, questioning whether to pursue this stranger or let the night settle into their memories. At first they seemed to be attracted to one another but as the months went on and they became closer they realised that all they needed from each other was the unmatchable friendship they offered. Since that day years ago they'd never thought beyond friendship.

  Andy was a nice guy and not too hard on the eyes. He treated Rosanna well. They appeared to be the epitome of the relationship everyone dreamt of. Andy got along with Jamie, Nick and Matt fairly well but differed slightly in personality with Alex. Neither seemed to be too interested in one another but were friendly at social events.

  Rosanna loved Andy, she really did, had even questioned herself on whether or not she'd spend her life with him. The answer? A definitive yes. Alex even talked about marrying Alexa one day in the future perhaps. However, Alexa would tell Rosanna how even though she loved Alex, she wasn't sure she was ready to commit to him fully.

  During the relationship, Alexa and Rosanna had become fairly good friends, not best friends but close nonetheless. Alexa would ask Rosanna for advice when she was doubting Alex or had gotten into an argument with him. Rosanna's advice usually worked so she was shocked when she found out Alexa had broken ties with Alex. She wasn't even given a warning of how soon it would occur. Sure she saw the signs but that didn't lessen the surprise of opening up her door to a drunk and emotionally unstable Alex in the middle of the night.

  Alex always apologised for coming to Rosanna whenever he felt stuck and would confess that she was the only one able to help him clear his mind and get him back on track.

  That night Rosanna could've sworn she saw Alex cry more than she'd ever cried in her entire life. God, he was a mess.

  He stayed the night and even when he woke his eyes were still red and puffed up. She cooked him his favourite breakfast in hopes to cheer him up, even if it was just for a second. Alex instead just sat motionless on the couch bundled in a blanket.

  He started mumbling things about her, how he felt like he was just another pawn, how he felt like he never meant anything to her. Saying he couldn't pretend that she didn't mean anything to him, even if she treated love like a game.

  He loved her so much. And, in return, it hurt so much more when she left him. No matter what, Rosanna was not going to leave Alex to suffer on his own. He stayed with her a few days then told her he was alright again and left-the next thing she knew she was getting a call from Matt.

  Andy wasn't verbally uncomfortable with the fact that Alex would frequently stay the night at his girlfriend's flat without his knowledge, or the idea that he showed up to her apartment at any given time that he needed her. Andy just learnt to accept that Alex would generally spend more time with his girlfriend than him. Although, to be fair, Andy was away for law school for the majority of the year over in Manchester.

  He never brought it up with Rosanna, he knew how much she cared about Alex and in turn how it would hurt her if he spoke of disapproval of their close friendship. He did however, thank Alex for introducing him to his girlfriend in away. If it weren't for him, Rosanna and Andy may have never met.

  Regardless, Alex had his problems but Rosanna was never one of them. In fact, she might as well have been the solution to every, single, one of them.