out of the blue | george clarkey

1; too sober for this

my name is elena elmslie, i'm a singer and i currently live with my brother, alex. my recent song went viral on tiktok so now my manager is making me attend all these tiktoker events but this is the last thing i want to do. truth is, i broke up with my abusive ex last week, so i haven't left the confinement of the 4 walls of my bedroom since but my manager insists this is 'the best thing for me'. i exit my bedroom door and immediately bash my leg on one of my roommate, george memeulous'  moving boxes. "fuck" i whisper silently to myself. george was moving out tomorrow and to be honest, i completely forgot. i head downstairs of our flat building and begin the commute to the event.

i get off the tube and walk to the venue and immediately see camera flashes and a red carpet, my worst nightmare. i realise i have to join the queue to get my phone take in order to get into the venue, so i anxiously wait. my phone pings and i look down, it's a notification from my manager.

olivia (manager)

so sorry i couldn't be there with you this evening, but just found out my friend's client grace is going to be at the event. gkbarry? i think you know her, try talk to her i'm sure you'll get along!

as if by magic, i hear someone behind me. "not a bloody red carpet" i immediately recognise grace's voice because truth is, i am a massive fan of her videos. i turn around and she's walking with her manager and stops behind me. i smile at her and she smiles back. "wait elena?" she says to me and i question if she's talking to me or someone else called elena has just magically appeared. "yes?" i turn around slowly. "you sing that song, don't you?" and grace does an amazing interpretation of the guitar riff in my song. "something like that" i laugh. "banger. how you doing?" she asks me and suddenly i feel a bit more at ease. "bit scared to be honest" i awkwardly laugh. "me too girl. i didn't expect to see you here if i'm honest" she says to me. "i know, my manager thinks it's good for me to get out to influencer events as well as music events now so just doing what i'm told" i laugh. "tell me about it, hannah has to drag me by hair to leave the house" grace says pointing to her manager stood beside her.

suddenly, we have completed the red carpet and are now inside this event. grace drags me straight over to the bar, "no way i'm doing this event sober" she says and i agree. we order 4 vodka shots between us and down them. "grace!" we hear from across the room and i again immediately recognise the voice again. "max!" grace runs over and hugs him. "elena omg, hey! i love your music" he says and hugs me also.  we make small talk for a moment and then max goes, "have you heard from george, he told me he was coming?" max says. "why would i have heard from him?" she says. "well he's your boyfriend after all" max says with a smug smile on his face. "he's not my boyfriend!" she exclaims and laughs. "not what the internet says" he sips his drink and laughs. "wait, yeah are you two dating?" i ask with genuine curiosity as i had seen loads of rumours online. "no, we're genuinely not, i have a boyfriend, billy but everyone still thinks me and george have a secret thing going on". "ohh, i can't lie i didn't know about billy and i thought you were dating george" i say making max laugh very loudly.

the night goes on and i am very drunk. my phone is ringing, it's my ex. i don't know what comes over me but i feel the need to answer it, i excuse myself and go outside to take his call. "what do you want?" i answer abruptly. he starts telling me he misses me and wants me back. "well, if you wanted me you wouldn't treat me like a piece of shit" i start shouting at him and he begins to call me loads of different insults, nothing i hadn't heard before but it still stings i can feel tears in my eyes, so i hung up the phone. i sat on the stairs and put my head in my hands and tried to stop myself from crying.

"umm, are you alright?" i hear and it turns my head and i am immediately met with george clarkey. he's standing over me and his eyes are piercing straight at me, what a great introduction. i don't say anything. "i didn't mean to intrude, i was just looking for grace" he tells me. "that girls never far from the elf bar that's surgically attached to her hand, so i thought she might be out here". he laughs and i faintly laugh, wiping my eyes. "i think she's inside" i manage to say through my sadness. "ahh thank you. you alright though? i don't want to leave you out here" he says with sincerity. "yeah, i'm fine was just my idiotic ex." i say and roll my eyes. "ahh men, what a fine species we are" he says, taking a seat next to me. "oh, that's one word for you all" i laugh. "george" he says, holding his hand out, introducing himself. this feels way too formal. "elena" i say, also holding my hand out but looking confused at him. "sorry, can't really hug you sat down" he says. "true" i laugh. "how many of these events do your management force you to attend" i ask george to make conversation. "too many" he says before taking a sip from his bottle. "i've never seen you at one of these before" he continues to me. "no, and i don't think you'll see me at one again" i laugh. "oh wow, am i that insufferable?" he says to me. "yes" i say sternly but jokingly. "no, i just don't think i have the mental capacity to be around all these posers and influencers" i continue. "i get that, max and grace are alright though" george says. "yeah, they're the only people i've really enjoyed speaking to" i say. george suddenly clenches his chest and pretends to fall back in pain and i'm confused. "ouch, dagger to the chest" and then i realise he's referring to the lack of mention to him in what i just said. "oh, i suppose you're alright too" i add. "wow, thanks" he smiles. "i'm too sober to go back in there" i say. he points his beer bottle in my direction, insisting i take it. "i hate beer" i say. "it's alcohol, will get you drunk, just take it" so i do as he says and i take it and down it. when i've finished the mouthful, my mouth curls up in disgust. "i didn't want the rest of that anyway" george says and points at the empty bottle. "shut up" i say nudging george and laughing. he's somehow managed to change my entire mood in just 5 minutes. suddenly there's a wave of wind and i'm cold. and in the most cliche, rom com way possible george notices and offers me his jacket. "this is the cringiest shit i've ever done but i'm actually really warm and wanted to take my jacket off anyways, so take it" he says as he hands it to me. "are you sure?" i laugh awkwardly to him. "yes" he says as i take it. "thank you". i smile and put it on.