I Wanna Be Yours (Arctic Monkeys Fanfiction)

6) Cornerstone's a joke and so are you

The whole day consisted of more practice on The Death Ramps songs. As well, a few Last Shadow Puppets. Miles and Alex were always laughing. It was rare to hear Alex like, laugh. Not just amusement, but a laugh without weight on its' shoulders. 

Alex gets a text halfway through a song and Richard fakes drama towards Al when he asks to step outside. I see pain on his face, but it only flashes for a second. I swallow and excuse myself as well, heading outside. Alex walks around the corner and I stay pressed against the wall. 

I really should feel bad for doing this, but I'm not. Or feel bad admitting this. But no... I hid behind the corner to listen in on the call Alex made in reply to the text.

"Yeah, that's me," he mumbles. "What do you need?"

A pause. "Arielle--"

Something about her name coming from Alex's lips makes me flustered. I take a deep breath and let it go. It doesn't feel right. 

"I--no, you don't get to do that," Alex says. "Ar--no, you can't."

Alex shakes his head. "It's not like that!"

Alex bites his lip. "For your information, she happens to be kind." Anger flashes. "So what? You're going to break up with me? Oh, sweetheart, you're a little late." He looks down. I hear faint yelling noises coming from the phone. I've watched a few of Arielle's vines. She's not timid. "You're the one that suggested it, not me. You don't just get to make it better. Not now." For one rare moment, I see a break in Alex's cold shell. "Not now..." He whispers. 

He hangs up on her and runs his hands through his hair. He lights another smoke. I have to do something--no, I can't. I can't metal in. 

I head back inside and the band's just packing up. "Where we all going?" I ask. 

Matt had gotten a call from Colin at the end of the day. It was eight o clock, and the band had stayed longer than needed. But apparently it was good for practice. Colin needed everybody at his office, pronto. Everybody. 

Nick went to fetch Alex from outside. I pretended like I didn't even see him out there. I got my bag and waited for everybody by the front door. 

"So," Miles leans against the door frame beside me. "How's Alex?" 

'Fine," I say, absent mindedly. 

Miles smirks. "I saw heard about your little speech."

"Oh..." I blush. 

"Very creative, must say," he laughs. "I like the 'happy new years,' at the end."

I bite my lip. Do you say thanks to that? Do I take that as a compliment? "Yeah...."

"What did he do to make you say that?"

Oh shit. Colin never told me what to say in this situation. Quick. What should I say? Um, um. "Being an asshole."

Miles shrugs. "He's like that always. But I assume, since you're dating him, you must've seen his soft side." He nods at me. "He may act cool but he's just a mushy sap underneath."

I take that into account. I laugh. "And how do you know this?"

He leans in close. "Don't tell anybody this," he whispers. "Alex told me to never tell a soul. But you know the Cornerstone video?"

I don't know where this is going... "I've seen it...."

"He was actually doing it to make a cheesy eighties cover using the white background like a greenscreen. It was supposed to be a joke. But Colin uploaded it," Miles says, almost choking from laughter between words. 

I crack up laughing. "Oh... my.... God." 

"I know right--" 

Miles is cut off by Jamie. "Hey, so Alex is going to stay here alone for a while. He says he needs some space, so where gunna head off, then."

Miles nods. "SHOTGUN," he calls. 

"No fair! You're always shotgun!" Jamie cries. 

The two boys bicker as they head outside the doors. Nick approaches me. "Hey, Leah, can I ask a huge favour?"

"Um.... hit me." I say. Why not. 

"So Alex isn't really talking, but we need to know what's wrong..." Nick seethes through his teeth. "Do you mind checking up on him? I asked Colin and he said he'd get somebody to pick you back up later."

"Oh. Okay. Sure, but do you honestly think he'll talk to me about his problems?" I put a hand on my hip. Truth is I already know, but I'm not about to tell him that.

"Might as well try." Nick looks out the door. "I have to leave. But thanks anyways."

All too soon I'm left alone by the front door. Alex is around here somewhere, I'll find him. I sigh and look outside, not there. In the band room, nada. Snack area? Nope. When I get close to a hallway I start to hear a soft, melodic voice and chords of a guitar. Acoustic. I stop before I turn into the hallway. 

"It always sounds like they're fighting, or if that's why they are about to do... it might not hurt now but it's gonna hurt soon," I hear Alex sing. I know the tune. It's Hard To Get Around The Wind. 

I listen to him strum the guitar for a bit. It's beautiful. 

After a while, he stops. "You gonna stand around all day, or keep eavesdropping again?" Alex says into thin air, stil looking at the guitar. 

He knows I was there. My cheeks blush a fiery red as I step out into the hallway. "What do you mean, again?"

Alex looks unamused, still not looking at me. He's sitting cross legged against the hallway wall. "I saw you when I was talking on the phone."

My heart beats erratically. Oh God.... he-he saw me around the corner. I swallow. "That must've been Nick."

"Nick has long hair, yes, but yours is a lighter shade of brown. Almost blonde. Dirty blonde, I could say." Alex finally attaches his gaze on me. He stares. 

His gaze is so intense. "I'm sorry--"

"That's what Arielle said."

I shut up. 

"Do you need anything?" He says, raising an eyebrow cockily. 

I clear my throat. "Nick wanted me to ask you what troubled you about the call."

Alex turns back to his guitar, and starts to tune it. "Ah. So you didn't tell him what you heard. You're a liar as well."

That stung. "As well as what, exactly?" I say enunciating each word. 

"As well as psychotic."