Suck It And See? (Alex Turner Fanfiction)

XXXIV.

3 years later. Manchester.

I was glad to leave here three years ago. I was happy to return to my family back home. To try and move on. Still, England became a part of me. I always knew I would come back, eventually.

And so here I am.

At certain moments I feel as if the time froze. That September when I was the new girl anxious to meet new friends in this country that wasn't my home – I feel as if that was the reality still. It isn't, however.

I am a university student. An exchange student. For a couple of months. Here in Manchester.

It's as miserable and gloomy outside as could be expected on a winter morning in England. I chew on my cereals – lord, I almost forgot how muddy they taste here. I might have to do with porridge tomorrow. That tastes better here than back home.

"Morning!" A roommate I haven't met until now greets me as she enters the room. I smile back. For having woken up just now she looks ridiculously good. She is small and thin, has short, dark brown hair with a fringe and her blue eyes hide behind glasses with a golden rim which would have made even Harry Potter jealous. She puts on the kettle and sits next to me.

"I'm Steph, by the way."

"Elena. Nice to meet you." We shake hands a bit awkwardly. There is no other way to shake one's hands with a stranger after all.

"Elena?" She pronounces my name in the English way. "That's nice." Steph stands up to finish making her cup of tea. "You're one of the exchange students arrived yesterday, aren't you? Have you met the other girls?"

"I bumped into... Katy."

"The American?" Steph asks and I nod in affirmative. "Well, there is a couple of Katies from the US here as a matter of fact."

"Well... the blond one, then."

"I've met her, too! She has incredibly good music taste, actually." Steph says excitedly.

"Does she?" I narrow my eyes and Steph bursts into laughter.

"Trust me. You'll see!"

"Can't wait." I smile back.

"And if you turn out to know your music just as Katy does, I might finally have two cool mates to go to gigs with. No pressure."

"Well... I'm here for the gigs. So." I lift my eyebrows and we both laugh.

Naturally, we go out the first night. And the second. The third one we only make it to the nearest café and back to our apartment, deciding for a low-key, relaxed evening with the students' best friend and biggest enemy – Netflix. Halfway into the second episode of some show, Katy's phone buzzes one time. She casually checks it and – not so casually – squeaks.

She looks at me and Steph with her eyes open wide.

"Guys."

We wait patiently for a few seconds.

"Guys," Katy repeats.

"We're still here, Katy," Steph says mockingly, smiling.

"There's going to be a gig."

"In Manchester? Shocking!" Steph chuckles and Katy switches from dazzled into defensive mode.

"Not just any gig! It's the coolest young band in England! And they only just announced it. A secret show of sorts. There's only a very limited number of tickets. We have to act fast." Katy unlocks her phone and starts clicking on icons frantically. "I am getting three. This. Instant."