No. 1 Party Anthem// Alex Turner

12 Goblin

Arabella's pov
After Melbourne we had a three-days break, before flying to Perth.
We were specifically told not to party after the concert, since we would have had to fly very early in the morning, but me and Jess wanted to go out, so we went to a club in Perth. It wasn't even three in the morning, and we were already at the hospital.
«You broke your wrist?!» Mark asked me, with his face all red and a vein on his forehead. «How?»
He was with Evie and Chase, that were laughing up one's sleeve. I was laying on a hospital's bed, with my arm on a pillow. «It's not that bad, I just have to wear a splint.» I said raising my arm, to show him.
«Well, can you move your fingers?» he asked folding his arms.
«They shake and hurt if I try.»
The doctor, who was watching the whole time, took a step forward from the other side of the room. «In a month she'll be okay.» he said, thinking it would calm Mark down.
«A month?» Mark asked raising his voice. He pinched the bridge of his nose, closing his eyes. «How'd that happen?»
«Me and Jess went to this club, drank a little,» I started explaining. «I was on a table and I don't know how I fell, I just remember waking up here.»
Mark sighed and threw his hands along his hips. «You'll pay,» he said pointing at me. «and you,» he said looking at Jess. «next time I swear to God I'm gonna lock you in your room, with a straitjacket.»
Jess tried to hide his laugh with a smirk, watching Mark going towards the door.
He turned around before leaving the room. «I'll wait in the car,» he said looking at me. «you two come with me.» Mark pointed at Evie and Chase, that were trying hard not to laugh.
«By the way, your band is great,» the doctor said with a big smile. «I'm a big fan of the music of the 90s, and you kids have talent.»

Alex's pov
After a long fight with Nick, to sit next to the window, he won and I sat besides him, in front of Jamie, who had Matt on his side; Matt didn't have to fight to get the windows seat, since for Jamie everything was fine. On the other seats, there were the rest of the crew, Major Mess and Mark and Ian, that talked nonstop since they stepped in the gate.

Once the flight attendant walked the way that divided the plane in two sections, I stretched my legs out. I was reading with my earphones on, when Nick elbowed me. I looked at him and he nodded once towards the lads from Major Mess. I took off one of my earphones and looked at them, on my right.
«Green... Your mom... Ugly... Short...» Arabella said to Chase, who was sitting in front of her, rapid-fire.
«Goblin.» Jess said, proud of himself.
I looked again at Nick, even more confused: he was frowning and staring at the guys saying random words.
«Did you just called my mom a goblin?» Chase asked, he wasn't mad, even after Arabella insulted his mom.
At that point, even Jamie and Matt looked at them confused. «My turn,» Jess said. «Bloody... Good... Wet...»
I was looking at Matt, who was looking at Jess confused.
«Pussy.» Jamie said.
I snapped my head towards him, as all the people did the same, followed by a loud silence. Everybody was shocked by what Jamie said.
«Yes.» Jess exulted, before raising his hand for a high five to Jamie.
After less than a second, Arabella burst out laughing and Mark glared her. «Did you say bloody?» she asked to Jess next to her, still laughing. Her laugh was boisterous and particularly contagious, but I managed to stay serious.
Nick and Matt stared at Jamie with a reproachful look. «What?» he asked. «I got how the game works.»
«He's right.» Jess said.
«What did just happen?» Matt asked.
«Jamie understood something.» Nick dramatically said, teasing the guy in front of me.

Arabella's pov
«Stop laughing, you should feel ashamed for what you did, now we have to think a way for the next shows.» Mark said, trying to sound authoritative to the others.
«I think you can suck my di-» I started saying teasing him, but got interrupted.
«It's not a big deal, we can hire someone.» Ian said.
«I have a better idea.» Mark said, to then whisper something to Ian.
«Alex, you'll play with Major Mess.» Ian said.
Alex instantly looked at Ian. «What? Why?»
«They need a guitarist, Jamie already plays all the songs.»
«I also play all the songs and I also sing.» Alex fought back.
«Jamie plays the whole song, you play just a couple of riffs, also Arabella plays a couple of riffs, it can be a warm up before the main show.» Ian said. «You have four days to teach him the riffs before the show in Adelaide.» he said to me.
«Why can't you just hire a guitarist?» Alex complained. «And what's the need of a supporting band if i'm playing both sets?»
«Oh stop it already,» Ian said. «they play just a couple of songs and you'll have to learn a couple of easy riffs, it's not a big deal. You'll be payed double.»

Alex's pov
After we landed, I had lunch with Matt, Nick and Jamie, in a restaurant near the hotel. Ian told me to go to Arabella's room, given that she had to teach me the songs.
I didn't want to quarrel with her, she seemed alright, although we always found something to argue about and I hated it. My plan was to be as nice as possible and try to avoid any type of argument.

I went to her room and knocked at the door. She didn't take much to answer, wearing an oversized Pink Floyd t-shirt and a pair of black sweatpants. Her curly hair was tied in a messy and low bun, as the front strands fell on her face. She didn't say anything and just slightly smiled, moving on the side of the doorway, to let me in.
I looked around awkwardly. The room was exactly like mine, just messier: clothes were on the floor, books and paper sheets on the coffee table and cups and containers everywhere.
«You didn't bring your guitar?» she asked looking at me.
«It's in the lorry with the other instruments.» I said.
She nodded and disappeared in another room. «I'll let you use mine.» she said as it was a privilege.
I sat on the sofa, waiting for her to come back with a guitar. I looked at the sheets scattered in the coffee table, the lyrics were written with a messy and almost hard-to-read handwriting.
Her heavy steps made me sit straight, as I wasn't snooping around. She came in the room with a red Fender Stratocaster held by the neck. «Here,» she said. «I got you a pick as well.» she handed me a yellow Dunlop guitar pick.
I grasped the guitar by the beginning of its neck and placed it on my tight, then I took the pick. «Thanks.» I said.
She sat next to me, turning towards me, as I did the same, so that she could she the guitar. «How old is this?» I asked referring to the guitar.
«Like... nine years.» she said.
I looked at the over used guitar and strummed down once, to test it.
«Wait,» she said. «I'll tune it.»
She took the guitar from my hands, and started tuning it using just one hand, since the other one was unusable. The repetitive picking of the singles strings made the silence awkward, so I spoke. «This is your first guitar?» I asked.
«Electric, yes.» she specified.
«And you don't have others?» I asked curious.
Among the small amount of shows I've seen her play, she always used the same guitar, whilst Jess changed them almost for every song.
«No.» she answered, checking the B string.
«Really? Why? I've seen Jess with more than twenty different guitars.» I said.
She shrugged. «Don't know, when I was like fifteen I wanted a Gibson Les Paul, but I didn't have enough money,» she didn't take her eyes off of the guitar once. «now I don't know actually.»
Without consent my cheeks started raising and lips stretched in a smile, that I tried to hide. I thought it was cute.
«Okay,» she said giving me back the guitar. She the leaned towards the coffee table, trying to find a sheet, among the explosion on the table made of glass. «this is the set list,» she said, putting a paper sheet on top of the others. «I took out two songs, so you don't have to waste energies. You'll have to learn five riffs and the rest is just strumming down a couple of chords... Can we start now?» she asked me.