Suck It And See? (Alex Turner Fanfiction)

XI.

Alex stops as we get to a random bench, one of many that are stuffed by the path which parts the park into two parts. There are two huge ash trees besides each bench which gives the park more of a park feel – without the trees it would look like a playground. We are still standing next to this one bench and Alex looks around as if he couldn’t decide if there isn’t a bench that would suit the situation better.   

“Ermmm.” He awkwardly runs his hand through his messy dark chocolate coloured hair. I see he didn’t plan any further then ‘I can sure teach her.’

“This is the throne I guess?” I smile encouragingly.

“You bet.” He grins and bows me to sit down. “After you, milady.” 

“Yeah right.” I sit down forgetting to put my backpack down first. I try to do so now but there is not enough space for it with the bench behind my back. It gets stuck on my arms. “Oh fuck.”

“Lemme help with that.” Alex swiftly puts his gigbag next to the bench, jumps in front of me and tries to help with the backpack. Now I am stuck between the backpack and Alex. Superb.

“Noooo.” I mumble to myself. “I can handle.” I would handle if only this boy let me stand up so I can stretch my arms. “Just let me… ghhh… OK thanks.” We somehow put it down together. Which is a great surprise because Alex’s attempts to help were as clumsy as my attempts to let myself free. He holds my leopard print backpack in both his hands. He looks at it and has absentmindedness in his gaze for a second, as if he were in his own world. Then he startles with a light smile and gives me my backpack. I keep it on my knees for now.

Alex sits next to me and leans over to take his guitar out of his gigbag.

“So how do you like it here?” He asks.

“I love the bench, yeah.”

“No haha…” Alex chuckles nodding his head lightly. “I mean High Green… England. What do you think of it here?”

“Oh sure.” I say rather too fast. I am so stupid… But I get a bit of my confidence back when I raise my eyes to Alex and meet his friendly gaze.

“I love it here. Really… You have awesome weather, and the nature in general, I have never seen so many trees in a city in my life! I haven’t seen much of Sheffield so far but yeah… And the houses here are so cute!”

I stop my rant even though I have much more to say. I used the word cute talking to a guy… I should just keep my mouth shut next time. Oh wait, I will say “I really like it here” the next time somebody asks. And just stop there.

I bet Alex asked me how I like it here only because he is being polite. Surely he doesn’t need a stranger’s review of his hometown in his life.

“The weather?” He smirks. “Really?”

“So far so good if you ask me?” OK it looks like I am going to get around without his noticing my use of words. Cute… Pfffff.

“Wait for winter…spring…”

“What’s then?”

“Nowt? Seriously, it is all the same all year round.” He is trying hard to sound annoyed but his smirk is still on.

“Well, better no changes than being hot one day and then get frozen the next. That’s what we get back home.”

He raises his eyebrows amused.

“Yeah right I exaggerated a bit but I hate extremes okay?”

“I’ll ask you in a year time, we’ll see what you say then.”