Oxygen (Catfish And The Bottlemen/1975)

Alice

"No we're in a band, we're playing here tomorrow," giggled Fliss biting her fingertip as she looked up at the two lads manning the tia maria bar, trying and failing to pay them "come on let me get this round, youve given us free ones all weekend,"

"Really love its fine," smiled one of them, the other winking at me over his shoulder, as he set about making more. "Doubles right?" He chuckled probably seeing the way we were already struggling not to sway with the gentle summers breeze and deciding he'd like to see how far we could get. Little did he know that the answer was further than he ever would.

I flashed him a smile and Fliss turned back to me, excitement radiating from her as usual. She always had something to be excited about, she took our drinks and as she handed me one, she took my hand leading me quickly through the crowd that were beginning to gather as a queue formed at our favourite bar.

Katie greeted us with a smile and Saffron was the same, a little more life like than the day before as she gestured to the table they'd been saving and we all slipped in resting our heads on the wood, closing our eyes and sighing simultaneously.

"So..." breathed Fliss barely raising her head to sip her drink through her straw, "debrief me sugar lamb, tell me about last night," she was talking to me, I could tell but I let Katie go first because I didn't want to talk just yet. My throat was a little dry, and the roof of my mouth stung when I ignored it for too long, if I moved my jaw it would break, so I sat quietly instead and listened to the others smiling along as they giggled and spoke in circles about the night they'd just had.

In the early afternoon sun the heat on my back raised the hairs on my neck, it felt like a kiss between the shoulder blades or a blanket wrapped round your shoulders on bonfire night, tranquil, serene and cosy.

"Me an Blakes went to that shit arcade they've got up towards the first gate, you know the one with the 2p machines and the cuddly toys?" Yawned Katie, "god I was baked though, we both were, the guard was laughing at us I think," she smiled fondly looking over her shoulder at the This Feeling tent we would be playing the next day. I thought I saw her shiver but that was just Katie. "I said sorry bout the hospital too," she bit her lip, "are you sure you're not winding me up about the whole david Attenborough thing?" She wined, "I'm surprised he doesn't think I'm a total headcase," I laughed at that and so did Fliss, shaking her head.

"He already did," she winked, it was easy to joke about Benji because it was and always had been so obvious that he adored her. "What did he say bout the ozzy?" She asked not really expecting a story to come out of it, still she got one.

"Said it was a good excuse to spend time with me..." she smiled sheepishly, I salmon shade of pink tinging her cheeks a little, "even if I did keep calling him david," that drew a laugh from all of us, even Saffron who had barely smiled at us once since we'd found out about Rhys.

My stomach twisted to think of the welcome party he'd receive if he ever crossed the threshold of our little terres house yet.

"Has he popped the question yet then?" I yawned looking around at all the people who didn't recognise us yet but may well do tomorrow.

"Whats that supposed to mean?" She giggled back, as if she thought she could get away with a line like that.

"You know exactly what it means!" Laughed Fliss nudging her in the ribs lightly and poking her cheek, just trying to get a reaction out of our usually so placid friend.

"Are you one yet?" I winked, "is he your boyfriend? Do you love him? Have you kissed yet?" I sang at her mercilessly, eyes sparkling mischievous and tricksy, only enjoying myself more when she flushed an even brighter shade of pink.