After the band finished their practice set for Lollapalooza, Alex followed his mates down the stairs to backstage expecting to see Katie and Rosanna waiting for them like they had been the rest of the tour. Instead his eyes fell on his least favourite person.
"Get fucked," Alex said to himself.
Rosanna spotted Alex entering with the rest of the band and called out to him.
"Al!" She said and waved him over.
Alex groaned internally and wiped the sweat off his forehead with his forearm as he approached the two.
"Andy, what a pleasant surprise," Alex said.
"Yeah great to see you too mate," Andy said, clearly not pleased with Alex's appearance. Feeling's mutual.
"Do you fucking believe it?" Rosanna beamed and wrapped an arm around Andy. "He flew from Manchester to come visit!"
Alex noticed that there were tears stained on her cheeks. He really does make her happy. Doesn't he? She was smiling brighter than he'd seen in a long time.
"How long 'y staying?" Alex asked, trying his best not to sound hostile.
"Only three days, hope that's not a problem," Andy said as he looked at Alex, his voice almost cold like he knew Alex didn't like him either. "Couldn't get much more off but I thought I'd surprise you," he said to Rosanna, his demeanour immediately changing when she was paying attention.
"I can't fucking believe you," Rosanna said in disbelief, the smile never leaving her lips. Alex wanted someone to look at him like that again.
Rosanna turned to Alex, "you think they'll let him stay with us while he's here?"
Alex shrugged, "Yeah probably. It's only three days. I can just move me stuff into Matt and Nick's room."
"Are you sure?" Rosanna asked.
"Of course love," Alex smiled. "I'll go let 'em know now."
"Are you sure, sure?" Rosanna asked.
"Absolutely. It's no problem," Alex smiled and gave her a quick hug. "Now, I'm really sweaty so I'm gonna go take a shower. I'll leave you two to it."
He got out of there as quickly as possible, just the sight of Andy pissed him off. God what a wanker. Everyone else seemed thrilled Andy was there which just annoyed Alex even more. Why does everyone like that prick?
Andy's presence just reminded Alex of the barriers that made Rosanna unreachable to him. He knew he was supposed to be happy that Andy was there because Rosanna was, but he really just couldn't stand the guy. His face pissed him off, his voice, the fact that Rosanna picked him to be her boyfriend, everything. He knew he was being selfish but at this point he just didn't care.
Alex walked off to the showers and washed away his thoughts, while Rosanna stood ecstatic next to her boyfriend. She couldn't fathom that someone actually cared enough about her that they would take time off from their studies to fly internationally just to see her.
"I love you so much," she blurted out. Andy was taken aback and looked down at her with a wide smile.
"I love you more," he said and kissed her softly.
"Are you staying for the festival?" Rosanna asked.
"Sure am," Andy replies. "I got us tickets so you can watch everyone, not just from backstage."
Rosanna's eyes widened. "Wait, really?"
Andy smiled, nodded and brushed her hair out of her face.
"Oh my god," Rosanna smiled and hugged him tightly. "You're the best. You're the fucking best. I love you so much!" She peppered his face with kisses as he chuckled and held her close. "I've got to tell Al," Rosanna said excitedly.
Andy's smile faltered for a second. Right, that bastard, he thought to himself but kept his emotions for Alex hidden in front of Rosanna.
When Alex exited the showers Rosanna immediately ran up to him, taking him by surprise.
"Guess what?" Rosanna smiled.
"What?" Alex chuckled.
"Andy bought me and him tickets to the festival so I can come and watch you and the guys live!" she exclaimed.
"Seriously?" Alex asked, a little taken aback—mostly that she was so excited to watch him perform even after all these years and even after watching it almost every night for the past few weeks from the side.
"Yeah, seriously," Rosanna smiled.
"Well fuck me, we better put on a good show then," Alex joked and followed her back to the backstage lounge. "Y' got any song requests that you want me to try and squeeze in?"
"What's on the current setlist?" Rosanna asked.
"Um..." Alex hummed and took his phone out of his back pocket. He opened up a message from Matt and handed it to her. It showed the setlist for tomorrow's gig.
Rosanna scanned the list. "How about Suck It And See?" she smiled.
Alex smiled, remembering the day he wrote it with her lying on her side beside him and titling it for her. "I'll make it happen," he smiled and gave her a side-hug. "Matthew!" He called. Matt looked up and over at them.
"Yeah what?" Matt asked.
"We're adding 'Suck It And See' to tomorrows setlist," Alex said.
"Yeah 'aight," Matt said and took out his phone to message their manager.
"Why don't you make our setlists for us love?" Alex smirked as they walked together to one of the settees.
"I'd be biased in which songs were on it," Rosanna chuckled.
"So are we," Alex said honestly as they sat back into the soft sofa. "I mean I'd rather you pick it than some nonces from management who pick the ones that chart and not the ones we love playing."
"How about you guys pick the set list and I'll give it my seal of approval?" Rosanna asked.
Alex smiled, "works for me."
Andy noticed the two sitting next to each other and talking intently. He didn't like how close Alex was to her, if it were anyone else it wouldn't matter but because it was him, Andy had a problem. Andy didn't like Alex, he never did. He was no good for Rosanna to be around. Always getting himself into bad situations and relying on Rosanna to get him out of them.
The wanker acts like he's badass and untouchable but we found him flat on his face on the pavement, pissed off his face. Andy said to himself as he eyed Alex unhappily.
After everything had been packed up, the band and their team headed back to the villa that had been booked out for them. Alex moved his bags into Matt and Nick's room to give Andy and Rosanna privacy after consulting the guys on the matter.
"Thank you so much Al, you're the best," Rosanna said.
"No no, it's no problem love," Alex smiled, adjusted his shades on the bridge of his nose and carried his last bag out into the other room.
"You two been sharing a room this whole trip?" Andy asked once Alex had left the room. His tone was provocative, making his girlfriend sigh.
Rosanna rolled her eyes at him, "oh my god Andy."
"What? I just want to know."
"Yes, we have. No need to get jealous," Rosanna teased.
"I'm not," Andy retorted.
Rosanna just rolled her eyes and walked off. "Don't be ridiculous Andy. It doesn't look good on you."
A few of them went out for a late dinner and once they returned everyone started off for bed to rest up for the following big day. Rosanna said a quick goodnight to Alex, Matt and Nick before she disappeared off into her room with Andy.
Nick got up to use the shower and Alex and Matt started getting changed into more comfortable clothes when all of a sudden, Alex burst.
"Matt I don't know what the fuck to do with myself," he sighed.
"What now Al?" Matt sighed and sat on his bed.
"It's been months now," Alex started, "and I can't get her off my mind."
"I'm guessing all the setlist changes were her requests that you couldn't say no for?" Matt asked, raising a brow. Alex bit his lip and nodded. "And why you tried to get 'Treacle' off the setlists?"
"I feel like she's gonna find out its about her if I sing it out loud," Alex said and fell back on the bed he was going to share with Matt. He ran his hands over his face and groaned. "Now that Andy's here it's just reminded me of why I can't feel like this. And fucking hell he's such a prick."
"I get it, 'y don't like it. But keep it civil for Rosanna's sake," Matt said.
"I know, I know," Alex said. "It's just hard to see him with her. It's like a constant reminder that I can't have her, no matter how much I want her."
"But Matthew," Alex said and looked over to him. "I really, and I mean really, fucking like her. More than a friend. Which makes it so hard to see her with someone else because I've fucking fallen for her hard."
"Who's this?" Nick asked, exiting from the bathroom and walking into the room.
"No one," Alex said quickly and sat up.
"Let me guess, Rosanna?" Nick said.
Alex's eyes flew wide and he looked at Matt. "You told him?"
"What? No?" Matt said and they both looked at Nick.
"No ones told me anything. I was just saying that as a joke," Nick chuckled. "But now I know you were talking about her, I think you owe me an explanation."
"No you don't," Alex said quickly
"You gotta tell him now Al," Matt said. "Or I will."
"Don't you fucking dare Matthew," Alex warned.
"I'm gonna tell him, he pretty much already knows," Matt shrugged and started moving closer to Nick to whisper to him.
"No," Alex said holding up a finger. "No you can't."
"Come on Al," Nick said. "It can't be that bad can it?"
Alex and Matt looked at each other.
"What you in love with her or summat?" Nick asked.
The look Matt and Alex shared exposed the secret immediately.
"Oh shit," Nick said, his eyes wide.
"You can't utter a fucken word to anyone," Alex said seriously.
"Wait so this is serious?" Nick asked Matt who nodded in response. "Fuckin' 'ell."
"I'm not fucking proud of it 'aight?" Alex groaned.
"Fuck, I mean I saw the signs but I thought I were just imagining things," Nick said. "She's doesn't know does she?"
Alex and Matt shook their heads.
"And she can't," Alex said.
"I'm not gonna say anything," Nick promised.
"You better not or I'll cut both yer balls off," Alex said to Matt and Nick.
"Alright, Al, chill out, we're not 'ere to ruin your life. We're on your side," Matt said.
"I know," Alex sighed. "It's just...fucking hell."
"Wait so how long has this been goin' on for?" Nick asked.
Alex and Matt looked at each other and Alex inhaled a deep breath. Alex told Nick almost everything that night and went to sleep with the bitter after taste of oversharing. He trusted Nick but now felt that his feelings were becoming more set in stone with the more people that knew of them. First Matt, then Miles and now Nick. It was all spreading too fast and he was scared that it was going to reach Rosanna before he'd sorted his shit out. It felt like the more people that knew, the less escapable the secrets he held in his heart became.
The next thing he knew he was getting ready to perform onstage the next day.
"She gonna be in the crowd?" Matt asked as they lingered backstage as their instruments were being set up for them.
Alex shrugged, "she said she was gonna be, with Andy."
Rosanna had been out and about in the festival the entire day, Alex hadn't seen much of her. He told himself not to look for her in the crowd because last time he did that for Alexa, he forgot the words he was singing.
"Monkeys," the stage manager said as he came down the stairs. "You're up."
Alex took a deep breath, suddenly nervous that she was going to be in the crowd and followed Nick up the stairs onto the stage. They were greeted with immediate loud cheers and applause. Alex waved to the crowd and slung his guitar over him, getting ready to play their first song.
Meanwhile, Rosanna was dragging Andy through the crowd, attempting to push to the front or close enough.
"Come on Andy!" Rosanna said excitedly and weaved in and out of the cheering people. At this point, the Arctic Monkeys hadn't yet come on stage but they were due to any minute.
Rosanna held onto Andy's hand tightly and managed to push them to be third from the barrier just as the guys came on stage. She cheered loudly for them and held Andy by her side. Andy smiled at how excited she was, despite who it was for.
The Monkeys started playing and Andy struggled to take his eyes off his girl. She sang every word and cheered for each of the band members individually. She really didn't care that she knew them personally. To anyone else she would've looked like just another fan and Rosanna was okay with that. She adored their music and made sure they knew it.
A third through their set and Alex noticed her in the crowd. They made direct eye contact and Alex broke a smile and tried not to chuckle. He sang a few lyrics directly at her then looked away before anyone got too suspicious.
"This one's called 'Suck It And See' folks," Alex said after they'd walked back on for the encore. He looked over at where Rosanna was standing and smiled softly at her. Her beaming smile made his lips part and crack a proper smile at her.
"Your love is like a studded leather headlock," Alex began singing, staring right at her as he did as an indication that he was dedicating the performance to her.
"Your kiss it could put creases in the rain,
You're rarer than a can of dandelion and burdock.
And those other girls are just post-mix lemonade," Alex sang.
Rosanna mimicked his arms that were held in a 'Y' above his head and turned it into 'YMCA', making him laugh as he started singing the chorus. She started laughing with him and to stop himself from ruining the entire performance he had to look away from her until he'd gathered himself.
Rosanna was still laughing when he snuck a look back at her, making him laugh again.
"You have got that face that just says baby," Alex sang then turned away from the mic to laugh. "I was m-made to break your heart," Alex giggled and stepped away from the microphone during the instrumental break and try and stop himself from laughing.
He managed to continue the last two songs of the set without any more laughter and finished with '505', blowing a kiss out to the audience as he and the other boys walked off stage.
"Come on let's go see them," Rosanna said to Andy and they made their way through the crowd and around to backstage. The touring team gave them backstage passes before they went to the festival in the morning so that they would be able to get back to back stage without problems.
"Weren't they amazing?" Rosanna said to Andy as they walked through backstage.
"You bet," Andy chuckled. "Matt on the drums during, what's it, 'Pretty Visitors', was crazy."
Rosanna tried her best not to gush about the boy's performance as she and Andy made their way to the lounge the guys would be at. They heard their voices first and then Rosanna bolted away from Andy's side. The next thing he saw was Rosanna enveloping Alex in a tight hug.
"You guys were amazing!" Rosanna exclaimed as she hugged Alex tightly, kissing him on the cheek.
Alex chuckled and hugged her back, kissing her on the head, "thanks for making me laugh, love."
Rosanna laughed and squeezed him before hugging the rest of the band.
"Fuck you guys were so good," Rosanna gushed. "Katie, oh my god we've got to go and properly watch them more often."
"What you our biggest super fan now?" Alex teased.
Rosanna rolled her eyes playfully at him. "I'm praising you, take it Turner."
Alex chuckled to himself and went to make himself a cocktail. "Making Moscow Mules anyone fancy one?" Alex announced.
"Yes please," Rosanna said.
"Yeah," Matt said and a few others raised their hands.
"Alright five Moscow Mules," Alex counted and grabbed the required amount of glasses.
"I'll give you a hand there lad," Andy said and walked over to him. Alex internally sighed and forced a smiled at Andy as he walked over.
Rosanna went off and sat on the settees with Matt and the rest of the band, laughing together about nothing in particular.
Andy and Alex didn't say a word to each other which made Alex wonder why the fuck Andy came over in the first place. It's not like he actually wanted to help. It soon became evident as to why Andy has offered his assistance once he made sure there was no one in ear shot of them.
"Listen Turner," Andy said in a harsh, low voice.
Alex furrowed his brows at the sudden, unconcealed hostility and looked over at Andy.
"Stay the fuck away from Rosanna," Andy said.
"Excuse me?" Alex laughed without any humour.
"I've seen the way you look at her," Andy spat but continued to keep his voice low as to not attract any attention.
"The fuck you on about?" Alex retorted.
"I know the type of guy you are. Back off from her. Don't sing to her, don't fucking look at her like that when you're on stage, don't call her 'love', don't kiss her," Andy said.
"I kissed her on the fucking head mate are you mental?" Alex said.
"I'm not kidding Turner, you back the fuck off my girlfriend," Andy said venomously. Alex just started at him, bewildered and annoyed. "If I find out you've tried anything on her I'll kick you to the pavement."
"Are 'y being fucking serious right now?" Alex laughed in disbelief. "Do you fucking 'ear yourself?"
"I don't need your shit Turner. Back off my girlfriend and we've got no problems 'aight?" Andy threatened.
"Jesus fucking Christ," Alex laughed humourlessly to himself. "I can't believe she fell for a prick like you."
Not letting Andy respond, Alex grabbed as many glasses he could hold and brought them out to everyone in the lounge. Andy brought out the rest. Alex wanted to punch Andy in the face but remained calm for everyone else's sake.
The two of them just sat down with everyone else and tried to avoid each other in conversation and in general. Neither wanted to taint anyone's nights but would go off at the other given the chance.
Rosanna seemed to notice Andy's rigid demeanour and asked him if he was okay.
"Yeah I'm fine," he smiled and kissed her.
Andy and Rosanna were sitting on a settee together with Alex sitting by Matt on the one next to them. The sofas were set up in a square which made conversation easier but also made the tension between Andy and Alex thicker as there was no way to avoid each other.
That fucking prick, Alex thought to himself, shaking his head as he stared daggers into Andy as he talked to Rosanna. No one had any idea but this was the beginning of one eventful and potentially damaging night.