Oxygen (Catfish And The Bottlemen/1975)

Bondy

Watching her from the dark side of the village hall as i stood beside Bob and Blakes felt strange. It felt like i was watching over her. This precious little treasure i needed to keep an eye on and yet Saff had never felt vulberable to me.

But as she spun in a circle with Fliss to some 00s dance song they remembered from childhood, her gleaming smile and her bright eyes, the silky flow of her dress and her hair which seemed to hold my attention in a way I'd not noticed them do before.

"Saff looks happy doesn't she," i said kind of hoping for confirmation from one of my mates. Kind of hoping thst they'd agree and i could swallow down this knew fondness which i could feel rising in me.

"yeah la she looks alright doesn't she," nodded Larry, "probably all that weed she's smoked," he added with a chuckle, "ive heard it often has that effect,"

"whats this?" Van asked as he joined us kicking his foot up against the back wall, handing me a beer, chinking the top of his bottle against the neck of mine.

"Bondys sayin Saff looks good," nodded Bob drawing a smirk on Vans lips.

"aye well Bondy would wouldn't he," he grinned that teasing tone in his voice which left me fighting off a flush in my cheeks.
I tried not to focus on them. Their sniggering and theur childish comments. Instead i tried to focus on her and the serenity which seemed to shine from her as she danced and giggled with her best friend, singing all the words to a song i only vaguely recognised.

"she does look better mate," coughed Van then, serious but only for a moment, "single now too int she," he winked only saying it to rile me and he did, but not for the right reasons.

"she's been single since before America," i shrugged him off though his comment had made my shoulders deflate, the muscles in my arms and my jaw tense unexpectedly. I wasn't sure what to put that down to but i wasn't sure how i felt about my theories. "They were never back together," i clarified trying to remain calm and unbothered. Though just the fact that i had chosen to clarify let me down on that front.

"i know i know," he grinned. "am only teasin you la," he rolled his eyes at me and i rolled my eyes at him, not sure what to say and so, choosing to say nothing at all.

Choosing instead to head outside for a smoke, rolling my eyes again, dramatically i might add, when Van followed me and Fliss followed him. And Saffy followed her.

I leant against the wall outside, rolling a joint half heartedly, wondering how Rosie Dean would feel about me leaving her party to futher my stoner career.

"i hope you weren't thinking of smoking that without me," Fliss slipoed in between me and Van, making me jump because in her usual fashion shed popped up out of nowhere brighter and more alive than anything or anyone who surrounded her.

I blinked once maybe twice and smirked.

"this is a socialist gang," i slurred with a small smirk feeling my heart speed and stop suddenly when to my left Saffy jumped up onto the wall and leant back a little too far for my liking, my arm snaked around her waist the only thing stopping her from over balancing and falling down the other side. "Jeez louise careful pet," i breathed a little taken back a littke despairing as she laughed it off again and stole the joint from between my lips.

"Quit werritin Johnny I've the blance of a..." she trailed off inhaling as her expression changed and her concentration face came out, still it wasn't enough and she failed to come up with anything at all. "i don't know," she giggled "but i never lose my balance,"

She was beaming wide and bright and her whole face lit up as she smiled at me and so i chose to say nothing, shaking my head and laughing her off, letting her lean on me as she gave me back my joint.