Bad Decisions - Alex Turner

4. Drunken Monologues

"It's fine."

That's what I'd said to him every time he'd shown up on my doorstep drunk off his face, apologising over and over. I wish I'd known that it could've sounded like an invitation because the following night after I found Alex passed out on the road, I was woken up at three in the morning to a series of slow knocks on my front door. It was the first early night I'd had in ages. I wanted to cry at the thought of my good nights sleep getting hijacked. It's fair to say I was sick of this repetition of events as I'm sure anyone else would be.

Maybe if I don't answer he'll just go away...I thought and then realised he was probably ridiculously intoxicated. I just wasn't in the mood to babysit him again. I barely even knew him. So I decided to give Matt a ring and tell him Alex was at my house again — I could see him from my bedroom window, slumping against the doorframe and checking his phone constantly. This was the first time Alex had shown up on a day that wasn't a Saturday night.

Surely you know this isn't Lauren's house by now? I asked him mentally as I sank back into my pillow and pulled the covers up over my head to block out the knocking. I didn't mind helping him the first few times but now it was getting too much, annoying even. It used to be somewhat exciting but now I didn't want to be held responsible for a guy who clearly didn't know how to control himself when he'd been drinking.

I'd had a bad day as well so his arrival just wasn't sitting well with me. My car broke down on my way home from Christian's and now I had no way to get anywhere until it was fixed. There went another pay check.

I must've fallen asleep during the period between me calling Matt to tell him Alex was here and Matt arriving to pick Alex up because all I heard was the sound of an engine starting up and when I looked out the window, Alex was gone.

  When I woke up my back ached in every place possible. I lay in my sheets staring at my high-rise white ceiling for at least half an hour before I finally decided to get up. I refused to even think about how I was getting to all my classes that day.

  Brewing myself a rich batch of coffee, I put a record on to fill the silence of my house and messaged Christian good morning just to let him know I was thinking of him. It was overcast outside but no threat of rain. It was then that I felt a pang of guilt for not going out last night to check that Alex was okay. Then I reminded myself that he was just an irresponsible stranger that I had to stop letting impose on my life.

I called an uber to get me to campus and made sure I packed an umbrella with me just in case. As I locked up my house and waited outside for my lift I spotted a girl taking out her trash across the street, dressed in nothing more than pyjamas.

I jogged over, almost forgetting to check to see if the road was clear and called out to her. "Lauren!" Should I be doing this? I should've just left it alone. It's not my place to say. Fuck I hope she didn't hear me...shit. The blonde turned around, her hair bouncing against her shoulders like gold twine.

"Oh! Orion, hey," she smiled one of those orthodontically perfect smiles. Her blue eyes greyed by the grumpy clouds above. "How are you?"

"I'm good," I nodded, suddenly feeling a bit idiotic for coming over. I thought I may as well ask her about him while I had the chance. "Do you know an Alex um...T-Turner by any chance?"

Recognition flashed in the blue of her irises. "Oh, yeah, the band guy?" I could tell by her demeanour she didn't find him impressive at all. Band guy? "Is he hitting you up now?" she asked.

I shook my head, "no, um, he's just a mutual friend and he just mentioned you is all."

Lauren nodded and tucked her hair behind her considerably small ears. "I mean...we hooked up a few times and that's all I wanted but he started getting clingy and all. And I just...didn't want any strings attached you know?"