April showers always came early, I found. It was the end of March and the weather became unpredictable, however I had now ditched my long trench coat for my leather jacket I bought in Camden when I first moved to London. My retractable umbrella gained use once again as I took myself for some retail therapy along Brick Lane and Shoreditch, one of my favourite places to find unique wardrobe staples and fresh bagels. My eye was caught by some sundial, golden earrings at a market stall, I stopped to look until I felt a tap on my shoulder,
"Oh my god! I'm really sorry to bother you, I hope this doesn't sound weird but I love your music. Seriously, it helped me through a really dark time. I'm in love with the single you guys just released, makes me cry every time I listen to it!" I spun around to look at the girl, she looked in her late teens or early twenties and had purple, curly hair to her armpits with a short, curly fringe. She had a pair of small, oval, pink sunglasses perched on her nose with a matching pink faux fur coat, fashionably paired with some platform docs, the same ones I had.
"Oh, wow! You're not bothering me, it's really nice to hear someone be so complimentary."
"Can I have a hug and a picture? Only if you want to, though, I don't want to intrude or interrupt your day." She rushed, almost panicked.
"Of course," I chuckled and embraced her, inhaling a sweet smell of jasmine. "Do you want to take the picture or do you want me to?"
"Would you mind? Sorry, I'm being so embarrassing but I've been obsessed with you guys for years now. I first saw you at that improv show in Peckham at Jumbi, I think it was. I wanted to go say hi but I was too nervous."
"Jesus, that's a blast from the past." I hadn't performed in Peckham for years, I used to go weekly and be their on-call sound engineer. Occasionally, I'd get up and perform with the improvisational jazz and funk bands they'd have on. It was always so intimate, it was how I first began networking in the music industry back in the day. "I do miss it there, it was always a good night."
"It still is, so many talented people." She smiled, passing me her phone. I took a couple of pictures with us smiling and one with me blowing her a kiss. "I watched your GQ interview this morning, will we ever get to hear those songs you wrote in college?"
"Absolutely not," I laughed, "Honestly, I can assure you they are not worth it. I think I would get cyberbullied if anyone heard them and I'm surprised I haven't already from my old songs that have been leaked."
"You have to release Wound Up, though! It's one of my favourites."
"How do you even know that song? Do people really listen to that garbage?" I jeered,
"You're putting yourself down, seriously." She laughed in return,
"Sorry, I've not even asked your name."
"It's Zhara, sorry I was waffling so much I didn't give you chance."
"What a lovely name, it has been a real pleasure meeting you."
"And you, I feel starstruck. I also can't believe you dated Matty Healy too, I honestly never saw it coming."
"Oh, we didn't date." I laughed awkwardly at the mention of his name, "We were just good friends, despite what the Daily Mail likes to say."
"Sorry, I guess I just assumed you broke up now you said you weren't in contact anymore."
"I suppose it was a friendship breakup, we're not in contact but I wish him the best in whatever he is doing now." I smiled gently,
"I heard he's with that model now, her name's slipped my mind."
"Ah," my heart sunk, "Hopefully he is happy then."
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PSYCHOMACHIA // matty healy
Fanfiction"The studio was shared and it was a pain bumping into other bleary-eyed musicians other than your band mates at three o-clock in the morning, especially when the person you bump into is a pretentious, egotistical wanker who you were up against for b...
