We went to his room, sat down on the bed and kept talking for a while.
"So... how many songs have y'written?" I said glancing at the guitar on the corner of the room.
"Just a couple"
I looked back and forth from the guitar to Noel.
"You want me to play?"
"Yeah" I said excited.
"Alright"
And he stood up and grabbed the guitar with one hand and the pick with the other.
"You're left handed, right?"
"Yeah" he said as he tuned the instrument.
"But you play like this?"
"Yeah"
I frowned a bit "Oh, ok"
He strummed some loose chords before he started the song.
Maybe I don't really wanna know
How your garden grows
'Cause I just wanna fly
Lately, did you ever feel the pain
In the morning rain
As it soaks you to the bone?
Maybe I just wanna fly
Wanna live, I don't wanna die
Maybe I just wanna breathe
Maybe I just don't believe
Maybe you're the same as me
We see things they'll never see
You and I are gonna live forever...
He finished playing and I couldn't speak.
"That was amazing" I said with the most emphasis I could fit in one sentence.
"Really? Y'think so?"
"Noel, that song is really good"
He just smiled and looked back at the guitar.
"Thanks" He put the guitar down on the floor and looked at me.
"Y'know I could write a song 'bout you"
I leaned closer "Yeah?"
"Yeah" he said just before our lips met.
He put one hand on my neck, pushing me gently down onto the bed. We kissed for a while until the door opened.
"Hey, I took your shirt toda-"
We pulled apart and stared at Liam.
No one moved.
He turned around and slammed the door on his way out.
"Fuck"
"I told you I didn't want this to happen, fuck!"
"Ellie, calm down"
"No, I have to go explain or summat, I don't know maybe he doesn't give a fuck"
I walked downstairs, determined to resolve whatever this situation was.
"Liam"
He walked out the door completely ignoring me.
I ran outside and walked fast to catch up with him.
"Liam, wait"
He looked so mad I was kinda regretting my intentions.
"Are you ok?"
"No" he suddenly said, stopping. "What the fuck, El"
"Oh, so now you care?"
"What?"
"I thought after the party that you fancied me or summat, but you had your tongue down some girl's throat the week after so, I don't know what can you be so upset 'bout"
"But-" his hand was on a fist. "El, you ran away, you expected me to chase after you?"
"No... I needed to think"
"And shag r'kid in the meantime, huh?"
"It's not like that"
"Then what is it like? Were you just hanging out with me to go fuck him while I'm in the toilet?"
"No! Liam, you know I love you but not like that"
He had his jaw clenched up and was staring at me angrily.
"I wanted to explain but I didn't know how"
"Oh, Fuck off"
Then he kept walking, and I didn't.
***
I sat down on a bench to think, then I realized it was dark and there was a good chance of something happening to me, so I thought about it on my way back.
Walking towards the house next to mine, I saw Noel sat on the steps before the door, smoking.
"Hi" I said.
Then I sat down next to him and put my head on his shoulder.
"How did it go?"
I sighed "Not well" and grabbed the fag from his fingers.
He put his arm around my shoulder and held me close.
***
Months passed by and I stopped hanging out with Noel, I didn't want to dissolve every last bit of friendship I had with Liam, so I stopped going next door altogether. And Noel didn't come looking for me too much either.
Summer was ending and Maggie was the only one left in town, I stopped hanging out with her too, but just because she didn't call me and I don't usually reach out to people, I'm fine if nobody wants to contact me. I'd still go out with her some weekends though.
I spent a lot of time alone, thinking about what to do next, I never really thought about it, and now I had to.
...3 years later (1989)
It's amazing how you can live next to someone and never see them. Not once.
I was really alone, I didn't go to uni, I got a job instead, to save some money to find myself a flat somewhere. My days consisted of waking up at 08:00 am and working all day at the cafe. Then I went back home and listened to some record while eating, alone. Since my dad moved out after the divorce my mum had been working double shifts and coming home really late. It wasn't like I didn't see it coming, but it still hit us hard.
I hanged out with Maggie, she was still in Manchester, working too. We met up in her flat and go out from there to wherever. It was alright, it wasn't the most exciting era of my life, considering these were supposed to be the wild years, but it was alright.
From time to time I would remember Noel, I heard he had a girlfriend now, Louise I think was her name. He moved out too.
Liam was finishing school, I heard he wanted in on a band. I don't think that's going anywhere.
Frankly, it was boring, and I didn't see anything in my future, everything looked the same.
But one night something changed.
One Saturday... in 1989:
I went to a party with Maggie, we met up at her flat for tea, and we stayed until dark. We caught up in our lives, we hadn't talked in a long time.
When it was time we started fixing ourselves for the party. I wore my normal jeans but an old looking blue sleeveless shirt I really liked on top. Also some earrings I had for ages, like old stepped on coins I managed to make hang on my ear.
Maggie wore a short tartan skirt and a plain white t-shirt, with a loose cardigan on top.
When we got to the house almost everyone was either high or drunk. We pushed our way into the house and Maggie found a spot to sit down while I went get us some beers.
I got back and sat there, we talked to a lot of people and drank a lot, at least me. I wasn't drunk but I'd had more beers than usual and I was relaxed, for the first time in a while. I went to the toilet, by this point it was around 23:30.
When I got back Maggie was well into a conversation and I quietly joined in.
We stayed there for a while until "Just like heaven" by The Cure started playing and Maggie pulled me up as soon as she heard the riff. She really liked the song.
We started dancing and it was amazing, I hadn't gone out for some time then and I'd missed it.
That's when I saw Noel and met his eyes. We stared at each other for a few seconds.
"I'm gonna head over there" I said to Maggie, that didn't seem to care, so I started walking towards him.
"Alright, Elodie! Haven't seen you in ages"
"Yeah, how y've been?"
"Good, moved out, got meself a bird"
I slightly curved my lips "Oh"
He drank a sip of his beer and so did I.
"How's Liam?"
"Dunno, alright, I guess"
It was a bit awkward but neither of us was acting like we wanted the interaction to be over.
"You're working at that cafe, right?"
"Oh yeah, saving for a flat"
"Good, you've gotta move out soon"
"Yeah, I plan to... How's the music thing going?"
"Oh yeah, y've heard of the Inspiral Carpets?"
"I think so, why?"
"I'm their new roadie"
I opened my eyes in surprise.
"We're going on tour, starting Tuesday"
"Oh my god Noel, that's amazing!"
He smiled, I could see the joy on his face.
"But how did that happened?"
"I went to a stone roses gig last month and I met one of the members there, we talked and then, some days later, I went to an audition for singer, they said no, but I could still be a roadie"
"That's great, congrats!"
"Yeah, thanks"
"And how long's the tour?"
"Two years"
I almost choked in my drink. "Two years? You're going full time?"
"Yeah"
"And what 'bout your girl?"
"Think I'll tell her soon"
"You haven't told her? Noel!"
"We'll have to break up"
"Sorry"
"It's alright, this is what I want anyways"
"Yeah, I mean this is a huge opportunity"
He found that smile again "Yeah"
Then he drank from his beer and said "Wanna dance?"
I frowned amused "You, Noel Gallagher, are asking me to dance? Like if you were to dance voluntarily?" And I laughed.
He shrugged "If you don't want to..."
"Oh no-" I held his hand "-Seems like a once in a lifetime opportunity"
He chuckled and let me lead him to where the people were dancing.
He wasn't moving too much, just his feet and shoulders.
"Come on, you wanted this right?"
He rolled his eyes and made an effort. "Agh, alright"
It was really fun, I hadn't seen him in such a long time. He looked a bit skinnier, his eyes *sigh* as always, I forced myself to stop looking at his lips, he would lick them often, I felt a longing I hadn't felt in months. I couldn't control myself and I kissed him.
He didn't oppose but didn't respond either, at first. I wrapped my arm around his neck and sent my hand up, pulling his hair.
"Mmm, El.." I heard him groan while he moved his hands around my waist and lower back.
We kept going until he pulled apart.
Breathing heavily he said "Y'wanna-"
"Yeah" I said without thinking it twice.
And in between kisses we made our way to a bedroom. I hopped on him wrapping my legs around his torso and kicked the door shut. He threw me onto the bed as gently as he could and placed himself on top of me. We kept kissing and I went straight to his belt and started unbuckling it.
I had just seen him for the first time in like 2 years and a half and now he was disappearing again, that thought only made me want more.
He took his shirt off and so did I.
It all happened so fast. I needed him.
"Fuck... Noel..." I managed to breathe out before I came. A few thrusts later he did too.
We laid on the bed, catching our breath.
"That was-"
"Amazing"
"Yeah" he said.
***
We stayed there for a while, in silence, before I stood up, grabbed my pants and t-shirt and started dressing.
Noel sat up and looked at me.
"What are you smiling at?" I said with an equally pleased smile.
"Nowt, just you"
I shook my head and continued dressing. Then Noel got dressed too and we stood by the door.
"I'll go first, wait a bit and then you go, ok?"
He kissed me, slowly "As you say"
I smiled and went out the door to find Maggie.
"Hey!"
"Where were you?"
"Toilet"
"Oh"
"I think I'll go home now"
"Really? D'you want me to go with you?"
"No no, stay, I'll be fine, thanks Maggie" I said hugging her.
"No problem love. Walk fast"
I chuckled nervously "Alright"
And I started walking home.
***
At least I got to where I wanted, in regards to the timeline, before chapter 10. And I resolved everything?
And yeah, I'm not sure I'm capable of writing smut, so that's why it's clear how I walked around it, but maybe further in the story, idk I feel so stupid trying to write those scenes, because all I know about it it's from everywhere except experience, I guess obviously, but still.
Now I've got some direction so, expect chapters soon.
Or don't, I'm not that reliable, but my exams are finally over so, in theory, I should write more.
Thanks, as always :))
Ps: about the tour and the year and that, I'm not sure in what year it happened and for how long, I have like sort of a timeline in my mind, but I keep getting it wrong, so I guess it's gonna stay how it is.