Oxygen (Catfish And The Bottlemen/1975)

Fliss

"Ight my little sugar-snap pea?" I yawned hands on Katie's shoulder as I sat down beside her and cradled a tea to my chest.

"My baby sundance machine?" she offered me half a shy smile and swallowed hard, her hands shaking a little where she cradled her own brew to her chest. When Benji slipped in beside her, followed by Van and Bondy, she seemed to shrink even further back into her seat. She was girl on edge, like an addict desperately out of reach, unable to get the fix they desired. 

"That last night was pure mad shit girls!" grinned Van, apparently hangoverless in the early afternoon, 

"I don't remember," said Katie eyes fixed on her tea, the ripples her restlessness was making. Beni wrapped an arm around her shoulder, pulling her in closer, his usual warmth putting a soft smile on my lips. It was nice not having to worry about her so much, nice knowing that if she had a funny five minutes before the gig, I wouldn't be the only girl on site that could get through to her. 

"You don't?" smirked Bondy, "really? nothin?"

She shook her head and I wasn't sure whether to laugh or to frown, chew my cheek and meet her gaze, but when i did she flashed me a weak smile and shrugged her shoulders, lackadaisical as you like, resting her head on Benji's shoulder and closing her eyes. 

"Christ lass, yous two really were as gone as you looked then weren't you," chuckled Bob joining us, crossed legs on the floor opposite. 

"I wasn't that gone," I lied, the smile dancing on my lips grassing on me so that Van took one look at me and cracked a laugh. 

"Get to fuck yous were both shiters" he grinned elbowing me in the ribs playfully, "I know you were!" he laughed, "when yous were dancing on table wi Alice and that! And when you nearly cried to Luke about Jeremy Corbyn!" 

"Fuck off did a!" I gasped back, eyes wide as his grin split his cheeks and laughter erupted through the group at my misfortune. "As if i did?! You're winding me up aren't yous, get to fuck you're havin me on yeah?" I looked between them, desperate for one of them to buckle, to say yeah, its okay, Van's just a tosser. 

They didn't. 

"Why aye Fliss you did me too, i don't even remember what I said to you now but yous welled up an everything, oh he's such a gem, he's such a precious little soul, we should protect him at all costs, labour don't deserve him..." grinned Bondy, sing song as you like, hand on his heart. 

"Fuck me," I sighed, eyes closed, cheeks flushed pink. 

"We on about last night?" smirked Larry throwing himself down beside Bob, he looked just as ragged as the rest of us, the long weekend really beginning to take it tole. 

"Aye," grinned Bondy, "we were just reminiscing,"

"About Fliss's daddy kink for jeremy corbyn," sniggered Van crying out and clutching his leg when I got him with converse, sharp in the shin. "Fuckin hell!" he groaned, "god girl thats gone proper keen that has," 

"don't be such a cheeky twat then," I smirked poking my tongue out. 

"Bet you'd like to show Jeremy Corbyn your chee..." he'd barely gotten halfway through the sentence when I shrieked out laughing and got him in the ribs with my elbow, the other lads all sniggering along. 

"Fuckin potty mouth mccann over here or what?" I whistled as we began to settle down. 

I'd hoped for one of those long lazy days, where the morning drags out to Tuesday week and the afternoon seems to stretch across the century. It had unfortunately been quite the opposite. 

I'd woken up with my head on Van's chest, our arms and legs entangled, his shirt clung to my skin as I pushed myself up and wrapped it round my body, doing my best to navigate his hotel room. Theirs was fancier than ours, with separate bedrooms and en suits for all. I'd left fresh faced in my pinafore and a jumper I'd stolen from his suitcase, but when I'd arrived back in my own sweet little dressing room I'd found two pristine beds, both still made from the morning before. Untouched even by Katie. No sign of Alice, no sign of Saffron.