AM

Snap Out of It

Weeks. It had been weeks since Alex had last spoken to Arabella. He had, at one point, managed to gather enough courage to venture to the nightclub they used to visit together. One, maybe two hours he had waited for her, distracting himself with booze. Only then did a bartender tell him that Arabella hadn't shown up for a while. The last time she had come, she had left arm-in-arm with some guy whose name Alex had heard before.

It took a few days for Alex to remember why he knew the name. Turns out it was somebody who loved to get into bar fights with anyone he possibly could, Alex being no exception. This man was trouble and the idea of Arabella with him was extremely uncomfortable.

By some miracle, Alex had calmed himself down enough to return to the nightclub in question. There were unfamiliar butterflies fluttering in his stomach and Alex didn't like it. Trying to calm himself down, he remembered the lines he had told himself to use if they met.

Just be as smooth as you normally are, he thought.

He tossed his cigarette into a bin before taking a deep breath and stepping into the club. Immediately, he felt his heart beating in time with a pounding bassline that he thought he'd hear before. The club was busier than usual, scantily-clad bodies swaying together on the dancefloor. He couldn't see Arabella amongst them and knew he wouldn't be able to grab her alone if she was. So he made his way to the bar and sat down.

Ordering his usual bourbon, Alex leant an arm on the counter and scanned the room for any sign of Arabella. To his mild delight, he caught sight of a few very pretty girls who he thought he could convince into a quick fling if his Arabella plan didn't work out. He knew they wouldn't compare to her but he was starting to get very frustrated.

After downing his glass, Alex seriously considered leaving and almost stood up. Immediately, he sat back down again. Arabella, the one and only, had slipped onto a stool a little way down the bar. Alex's face twisted when he saw that despicable man with his hand on her backside. He knew what would happen if he tried to approach now: Alex would be stumbling out of the club with two black eyes in less than five minutes. So he bided his time.

He waited an irritatingly long amount of time until the man slinked off somewhere else. Taking a deep breath, Alex rolled back his shoulders and sauntered over to Arabella. He didn't feel confident but he wanted to look like he did.

"Alex!" Arabella exclaimed upon noticing him sit next to her. "Fancy seeing you here."

"What's been happenin' in your world, then?" he asked. "What you been up to?"

She smiled and looked down at her cocktail. "The usual."

Feeling brave, Alex leant in a little closer. His voice dropped. "Now that's not quite true. I heard that you fell in love, hmm?"

The statement seemed to strike a chord with Arabella, who sharply turned to look at him. Her eyes were wide and questioning.

"I wouldn't say fell in love, Alex," she said. "You and I both know that's not really my style."

Alex scoffed. He definitely knew that wasn't her style. For a moment, he flicked back through the times he would stay up late at night figuring out ways to try and tie down the balloon that was Arabella's emotional commitment.

"Near enough, then," he corrected. Arabella shot him another look that seemed to ask him why he was bothering taking this line of conversation. "I gotta tell you the truth."

"Yeah?"

"I wanna grab both your shoulders and shake you, babe," Alex said, looking her dead in the eye. He knew that Arabella was on the wild side but he thought that she had more common sense than this. Her new boyfriend, or whatever the hell he was, was nothing but trouble. He made sure she knew that. "Snap out of it."

Waving her hand dismissively, Arabella turned away. She was fully aware what type of person she'd become involved with, of course. He was risky and Arabella liked risk.

Alex was about to launch into another rant when he was oh-so-perfectly interrupted by an intense shouting match near the door to the men's toilets. He didn't need to glance that way to work out exactly who it was. Arabella, hearing her partner's voice, faced the source of the argument. Alex watched as her face fell.

He tried again. "I get the feelin' I've left it too late, but, I mean, snap out of it." There was a heavy pause as Arabella wrenched her eyes back to Alex. "If you wake up and all of this ends, I'll be here waitin' for you."

Attempting to be dramatic, Alex chose that moment to return to where he was sitting previously. He wasn't expecting to be followed but was secretly elated when Arabella left her seat to join him. Leaving no time to waste, he continued trying to convince her to see some sense.

"This guy thinks he's in with you for the long run, Arabella," Alex insisted. "As you know, forever isn't for everyone. I don't think it's for you." She nodded. The movement was barely perceptible. "It sounds like settlin' down or givin' up, babe, but it doesn't sound much like you."

He placed a tentative hand on her shoulder and lightly squeezed. A few seconds after, he quickly retracted his hand when he saw Arabella's new catch marching up behind her.

"He bothering you, baby?" he growled, furrowing his dark eyebrows. "I can sort him out if you like. Done it before and I can do it again."

Alex scowled as he saw his hand slide low down Arabella's back.

"I can handle myself, thanks," she replied, albeit stiffly.

"I was just leavin', anyway."

As Alex stood up, he marvelled at the way Arabella seemed so hypnotised by the thug who was feeling her up. She was so blind to the nastiness that was practically written across his forehead. Whether or not she was choosing to be blind, Alex wasn't sure.

His mind was swimming with confusion and disappointment while making his way home. There was one thought that kept him calm, however: Arabella knew that when she finally realised her mistakes, Alex would be right there, patiently waiting for her.