Arabella

Arabella Part One - Chapter One

12 July 2009

Miles

Oasis meant so much to Miles. What's The Story Morning Glory was the first album he ever bought, in 1995; and just how, in 1994, Robert Baggio and the Italian football team had shown him it was okay for men to be flamboyant and a bit different, Oasis had proven that ordinary, working-class lads with talent could become megastars.

He was playing Rock and Roll Star from Definitely Maybe as he got ready in the little bedroom of the flat in Holloway that he was staying in. As usual with Miles, he was spending too long at his wardrobe trying to decide what to wear.

Tracey, his girlfriend, was lying in bed, smoking a joint and watching him.

"You spend more time choosing what to wear than I do," she laughed. Miles glanced at her in the mirror and smiled. He settled on a white Ben Sherman shirt and Levi's. Brand new ones. Just because all eyes were going to be focused on Liam and Noel, it didn't mean Miles didn't have to look good. What if he was recognised?

He sat on the bed to put on his Chelsea boots, accepting Tracey's offer of the joint. He had only been seeing her for a couple of weeks. She was a model friend of Tom, the guy he was staying with. It was nothing serious, but he liked her punky look and her Welsh accent. It reminded him of family holidays to Rhyl when he was a child. Miles liked dating girls. He never found himself falling for them romantically. He was quite capable of fucking them and staying mates. Unlike men, things always got complicated with men.

The front door bell rang.

"Go an' answer it, then," Tracey said, indicating to her bare breasts. "I can't.."

Miles laughed and left the room, running down the stairs to the front door. He opened it and a fairly tall, slim girl was standing with her back to him. Her long, dark hair blowing in the light summer breeze and she was trying to hold it down.

"Hi ya," Miles said, assuming she was a friend of Tom's.

She turned around and Miles got the shock of a lifetime. Alex. He was expecting him to turn up – they were going to the gig together. But he looked so different. Miles had last seen him just before Christmas, when the Monkeys had popped home before starting the Australia leg of the tour. Back then, Alex had had his hair in a longer version of the Beatles mop he'd had for The Age of the Understatement. Now he looked like a beautiful girl. His face was partially obscured by his long fringe, but somehow his features had changed and softened, even though his jaw was seemingly squarer. Miles felt confused.

"Al?"

Alex smiled shyly.

"Don't I get a hug?"

"Of course, come here."

Miles pulled him, and as usual, his body responded, even if his mind didn't want to. He loved Alex, he always would, but he'd made his mind up they could only be friends. Trouble was, his dick didn't agree, and having Alex's body pressed against him caused him to get a semi. He quickly eased Alex away and looked at him. He looked so petite and perfect in his denim jacket, tight black jeans and winkle pickers.

"You look different, lah!" Miles laughed.

Alex giggled.

"I hardly had a skinhead when you last saw me."

"True. Anyway, come on up."

Miles turned and led Alex up the stairs to the flat. He felt more shaken seeing Alex than he thought he would. Not seeing him for seven months had made it easier to rearrange his mind. He'd put Alex into the friend-zone. There had been a time, back in France in 2007, when they first got together, that he'd allowed himself to think he was actually falling in love with Alex. But Alex getting with Alexa had brought him back down to earth with a bump. The sexual attraction between them was hard to fight, and again, last year, when they had fucked properly for the first time – for a few fleeting weeks, he had allowed himself to think he was in love. But Alex had gone back to Alexa once more, and Miles had told himself it wasn't worth the hassle. So when the Monkeys went to California to record the album, Miles had mentally put a stop to it. They would always be best friends – their bond was unbreakable. But the sex thing was a bad idea.