Oxygen (Catfish And The Bottlemen/1975)

Alice

"You're joking?" I yawned half listening to Bondy and Larry as we walked to the chippy, half listening to my manager on the other end of my phone. My answer had been suitable for both conversations.

"No," all three responded within seconds of eachother.

"It was mental I honestly thought he was going to shit...." started Larry grinning like a teenage boy, however it was my manager I was focussed on now.

"You're not being serious?" I gaped a grin of my own threating to split my expression in two. "Glastonbury,"

"And not just that, the whole fucking circuit," he grinned, "youre doing Reading, Leeds, Isle of White, Glastonbury, Truck, Kendal, Sound City, Ynot, T in the Park... community too I believe...feel free to confess your undying love for me whenever you feel like it..." he smirked almost too proud of himself.

"Alex I love you..." I grinned buzzing at the chance to brighten everyones morning with the news.

"Wait who the fucks Alex? Have you even been listening to us?" Asked Bondy stealing a chip from Larry as we rounded the corner onto our street.

"The girls are going to shit," I grinned, "have you told them yet? Fliss?"

"Tried her but I got voicemail..."

"Well don't tell them anything alright, god alex theyre gonna shit, how did you even..."

"If I told you that darlin you wouldn't need to pay me..." he chuckled hanging up the phone, leaving me almost speechless as I kicked the front door open and struggled to contain my excitement. "Fliss!" I yelled expecting a smile, however when we wandered out onto the back step I was met with a far different scene.

Katie was passed out with her head in Fliss's lap, Benji and Van either side of her talking quietly as they checked her temperature and refused to ignore my friends telling them to calm down.

Saff was sitting against the fence with Jazz who looked positively seething as he pulled her in for a hug and brushed another tear from her cheek.

"We come bearing gifts of great value..." announced Bondy trying to lighten the suddenly tense atmosphere as the lads all jumped to their feet to collect their food and eat away the bad mood.

"And I come bearing great news..." I said with a smile wide enough for all of us, deciding to see past the tears and the comatose girl on the patio, "we're playing like all the festivals this summer, alex fixed it for us to play pretty much all of the festivals this year...." I saw Van crack a grin his hands above his head to applaud us, his smile as wide as my own.

"Thats what you were talking about on the phone?!" Bondy gaped at me, "fuck I dont blame yous for ignoring us," he laughed, "shit thats class,"

"Are you shitting me..." said Fliss her eyes glistening, "fuck are you shitting me?! Alex managed that?! Fucking Alex? Alex who can't even manage his way through tesco and he's managed to fix that for us?! Youre messing right?!"

I couldn't help but laugh at her, neither could Van apparently, grinning away beside her as he congratulated us once again.

"You at isle of white then?" Asked Benji, "we're playin that one,"

"And community," said Van, "you playing that?" They both beamed back at me when I nodded, Fliss still not quite over the shock of my first statement.

"Are you sure?" She asked as Katie began to stir in her lap, pushing herself up with a bemused smile.

"Sure about what?" She mumbled eyes going wide when Benji chuckled.

"Youre playing Galsto,"

"Fuck off," she shrugged him off at first looking to me and Fliss for confirmation, only really believing any of us when Saff and Jazz nodded a little stunned themselves.

Alex was a friend of ours from uni, and not much of a manager, as Fliss had said, he couldn't manage his way through tesco let alone fix up an entire festival circuit for us, but his dad was quite high up in the industry and it seemed that finally all his name dropping had actually amounted to something. Something being the best summer i could possibly have imagined for us.

"I think I'm going to be sick," breathed Katie wobbling a little as she stood up and ran for the bathroom Benji skidding off behind her. There weren't many lads I knew that would have done that.

"You'll have to make sure yous come find us back stage, that'll be class won't it," grinned Van leaning back in the grass. He was wearing Fliss's heart shaped sunglasses, something I think we were all trying to ignore.

"There aint no party like a festival party," winked Larry with a laugh checking his phone as his face fell and it began to ring. "Always fucking call me when me heads splittin dont they..." he grumbled, "lads reckon this is management asking where we are so if I was yous I'd gear yourselves up..."

I slumped down next to Saff reaching round for Jazz's lighter desperate for a cigarette, watching as Van began trying to wind Fliss up once again the way he'd been doing since he met her. It was funny how she always seemed to attract the same sort of guy, skinny indie boys with northern accents that never quite knew when to quit.

"Anyone up for Camden this Friday? Ryans band are on..." started Jazz but Fliss shook her head quickly and let out a sigh.

"Don't talk to me about Friday..." she groaned drawing a laugh from Van's lips that had me feeling a little suspicious. Hoping to god he wasn't about to say what I thought he was.

"Her mam an dad are coming to stay..." he chuckled pushing his hair from his face. "Ahh bless your little cotton socks," he teased with another laugh.

I smirked and shook my head with a sigh if my own.

"Nightmare," I said softly as Benji and Katie emerged once more, him with his hands on her shoulders steering her slowly to the steps on the patio to sit quietly and recover.

"You'll be fine lass, trust me they're never as bad as you imagine," he was reassuring her quietly trying not to let anyone else here, but I had heard and he'd left a soft smile on my face, happy that she'd finally met someone to resonate with.

"So what I suppose we've all gotta get out for the night?" I raised my brow turning back to Fliss who's eyes were closed as she shook her head.

"Fuck off I don't think so..." she smirked but I could tell she was only acting up for Van, the moment the lads left she'd change her mind and she did.