Forever For You 🌷

6th July 2011

As Alexander leant against the brick wall of the Camden Roundhouse on that surprisingly warm afternoon, smoking a cigarette he had been craving for the past hour, he was seriously beginning to regret wearing his leather jacket. It was still light outside and the sun was burning down more intensely than he'd prepared for, which left him feeling rather stifled and uncomfortable, a stark contrast to the cool dressing room he'd been in moments before. He was, however, grateful that he had remembered his sunglasses and pushed them further up his nose to shield his eyes from the brightness.

There was more time than usual to kill before the show today and Alex had hoped that everyone would partake in a margarita or two whilst they threw around some new ideas, but the boys had instead wandered off for a pre-show meal and Miles was yet to arrive despite his crucial role as the opening act. Left to his own devices, it hadn't take long until he had resorted to a shot of tequila alone, then, feeling miserable, full of self-pity and not at all in the mood to write, he had wandered outside for a smoke.

He puffed his hair from his face feeling it already begin to stick to his forehead. Maybe it was time for a trim. He wondered what he'd look like if he buzzed it all off or changed his style completely. As he smoked, he considered the setlist they'd compiled, he checked his phone and scanned through his messages, he yawned several times and contemplated a quick nap, then he took a final drag deep into his lungs, watched it escape through his lips and disappear into thin strands of wispiness above his head before crushing the cigarette with the heel of his boot.

Stepping back inside the building was an instantaneous cooling relief. The air conditioning in the corridor was turned up high, blowing on his sweaty skin in a way that made him hum appreciatively and he pulled at his t-shirt to supply a little extra air flow. Having memorised his route on the way out, Alex slowly made his way back to the dressing room, shoving his hands back into the pockets of his blue jeans. His eyes were wide and attentive behind his sunglasses as he read the numbers and names on the doors. He ruffled a hand through his scruffy hair and licked his lips, now craving another drink or something to give him the buzz he desperately needed for the show.

But just as he approached his door, he was hit by the sound of an excitable cackle which could only mean that Miles had arrived at last, about half an hour before he was supposed to be on stage. He hadn't realised how much he'd missed him until he heard his laugh, having been apart since the last festival together in Berlin. Alex smiled to himself at the relief of his best mate's presence as well as his fashionably late arrival, then, needing both his infectious energy and unique ability to make him laugh like nobody else could, he hurried towards the sound.

"Wha' fookin' time d'yeh call this?" Alex muttered as he pushed open the door, then instantly turned to push it closed behind him, a smile twitching in his lips.

Lifting his head as he turned back to face his friend, he crossed the room, eager to greet him but stopped dead in his tracks when his brain caught up with his vision and he realised they weren't quite as alone as he had first thought. Miles had brought an unexpected entourage with him, two girls who Alex had never seen, who Miles had also failed to mention were joining them prior to this moment. They were sat either side of him, laughing at something he'd just said.

The first was a pretty blonde with kind, blue eyes, wearing a skirt and an Abbey Road t-shirt, her hair tied up with a bandana. Her chair was pushed close to Miles' and she was draped against him drinking from a plastic cup, swishing the liquid before taking a small sip. She laughed enthusiastically at his punchline, looked up at Alex to offer a genuine smile, then turned back to Miles, stroking his jaw with her thumb longingly. Miles had one leg folded over the other, was wearing grey suit trousers and a satiny black shirt with his chain laid out on top of it. He pressed a quick kiss to her temple before looking towards Alex with a beaming smile.