Oxygen (Catfish And The Bottlemen/1975)

Van

The cafe we were sitting in was one of those forgotten seaside town joints, pealing plaster walls and sun damaged photographs on the walls, depicting the Llandudno of yesteryear. Beach huts from the 1970s, girls on the beach in the summer of 83.

In the photos it was all sunshine and smiles but in our little seaside town today it was a grey Sunday morning, thick grey clouds threatening rain.

There was me, Larry and Benji, coat collars popped as we sat round a little plastic table poking at our food, wondering how on earth it was supposed to cure the hangovers we were nursing once again. And then there was Bondy, outside, his back against the big glass window as he blew out smoke and talked to someone on the phone.

"You think its Saff?" Smirked Larry, stirring the pot a little because we'd been teasing Johnny all week.
It had taken us until we got home to realise how much time they'd been spending together, how much they'd been sharing whilst we were wrapped up in our own little worlds, too caught up on our own girls to notice our friend slowly falling.

"Oh definitely, who else would it be," nodded Benji turning his attention to the front door as it opened and Johnny made his return, a look of bewilderment on his face.

"I've just had the strangest..."

"Was it Saff? Were you talking to lover girl?" I winked but his frown only furrowed further into his expression as he shook his head.

"It shoulda been Saff," he said sitting down, readjusting his flatcap, "but it was that Rhys lad she used to see,"

"What?" I smirked a little confused myself, "I thought she was shot of him before we even went America..."

"Aye," nodded Benji, "she was, he left didn't he..."

"I know," said Bondy, "I saw him leave the last time didn't I, was really fucked up,"

"What and hes jus had a whole conversation with you?" I yawned, "mate thats fucked,"

We all nodded along, half awake, sleep in our eyes, expecting the morning to drag, and it would.

"What did he say?"

"Oh not alot," he rubbed his face with the palm of his hand, elbows on the table, "said Saff wasn't expecting to hear off me again... and um, that she was glad to be home cause she wasn't too keen on America, miss him too much apparently..."

"Yeah I really got that impression," I chuckled, "call her back later mate, when hes not around,"

"See thats the thing, when she called me the other day he was round and she said he'd been around for days..."

"You think theyre back together then?" Asked Blakes then, a troubled look in his eyes like he knew something we didn't.

"I'd be surprised, she looked proper uncomfortable about it the other day..."

"I dont know then man, sounds fucked... nothin yous can do but call tho ey," sighed Bob who I'd thought was sleeping. Hed had his head in his arms, his hair splayed across the table.

"Speakin of phone calls," smirked Larry then, turning his eyes to me, "you spoken to Fliss since you left her that voicemail..." he trailed off not really asking any questions because he already knew the answer.

I groaned, leaning back into my chair, despairing.

"Fuck sake, is that what I did?"

"Oh no!" Laughed larry, his face lighting up a little, "mate, no..."

"Why? Shit what did I say to her? What did I say to you?" I chewed my cheek, nerves suddenly fraying at a pace I couldn't keep up with.

"I don't know, yous were on the phone when your little altercation happened..." he smirked, "but I remember what you said to me..." he had that mischievous twinkle in his eyes that only added to my despair, the panic which was setting in.