London Boy | Tom Hiddleston

01

M A Y 1st

Alice's POV:

Sheets dried in the summer sun and wind smell like heaven. With a big dramatic sigh I plop down on the bed I just made, I'm bored out of my mind. Grabbing my phone from the nightstand I scroll through the notifications, most are from my label, my manager Stephanie, or some texts from friends.

Reluctingly I open Stephanie's messages, whenever she texts me I get stressed because she only does it when something's wrong, she usually just calls.

STEPHANIE TO ALICE MARIE

stephanie
Hey Alice, I know you're working on some new music
https://enews.com/alice/maries/problematic/songs
The label wants you to write more cheerful songs, don't make
the lyrics so dark or we'll get more articles like these.

alice marie
can't i just write about what i want
i don't really care what enews says about me

stephanie
I know you don't care, but the label does, or you're
going to make us lose a lot of money.
It's not my decision dear, I wish it wouldn't have to be this way.

alice marie
don't worry, i understand

I throw my phone back on my nightstand, I don't know why they care so much about the lyrics I write. My songs get enough streams to keep them happy, I don't want to change my music to be about going to the club or something just because they don't like when I speak about my actual experiences. And it's true, most of my songs are pretty sad, but isn't music just another way to express yourself?

I make my way to the grand piano that stands in my living room, sitting down by it and playing a few notes before I open my songwriting notebook, it's filled with ideas but today I'll start fresh; write something happy I guess.

I hummed a tune, and tried to get the piano keys to match the exact sound I had in mind. After a few minutes I decided to, temporarily, give up and to go get a drink. Opening the fridge I was met with the face of my favourite drink, diet mountain dew.

I grabbed a bottle and hurried back to the piano and started with the words 'Diet Mountain Dew', after that I played the same tune I had been humming again, forcing some words out of my mouth, at first I didn't even really know what I was singing, I just let the lyrics flow.

"Diet mountain dew, baby New York City, never was there ever a girl so pretty, do you think we'll be in love forever?"

And that's where I got stuck, I needed some kind of inspiration. I pulled on a huge band tee and stuffed my notebook and a pen into a tot bag and headed out into the city.

New York was one of the busiest cities I knew, I loved living here but being amongst so many excited 20 year olds made me feel old. I'd probably give anything to be 20 again, innocent to all the horrible people that told pretty lies and break promises. The subway took of and I searched my bag for the note book I had packed,

"We gonna take a ride, I'm not listening to what the past says, I been waiting up all night."

Now just a few words before that first sentence and it would be good. Next to me some girls were chatting about their boyfriends, I heard them name some things I definetely considered to be red flags but which they didn't see.

"Baby put on you rose shade sunglasses."

It fit perfectly, I closed my notebook again and listened to the people around me. People with all kinds of diferences, all in the same train. Some were klad in fancy suits, others like me in lazy shirts and shorts, others looked like they were going to a club eventhough it was 3 PM. I could hear all kinds of accents, but it was a British one that grabbed my attention.