Soak Up The Sun

Wide Open

Sophie forgot how much she missed people. How much she missed speaking face to face. After the pandemic things had returned to "normal" but they hadn't really. People had gotten too used to speaking through screens. Disconnected. That's when she really felt disconnected from everything and everyone.

She looked around the flat they'd found themselves in. She didn't even know who's it was. It was small but big enough for the twenty or so of them that had made their way from the gig. She didn't know anyone. These people weren't from work. Even though she didn't really know them yet either. These people were their friends and people who worked with them and she'd been shown nothing but incredible kindness.

Often at social gatherings she felt like an outsider looking in. She'd put on a performance to make it seem like she was the life and soul of the party but it wasn't the truth. Here people genuinely seemed to be interested in talking to her. Her glass was always being topped up and she'd really been shown nothing except warmth. Honesty. She wondered if the press ever gave you the right idea about anybody. Liam and Noel had seemed so serious, angry, erratic...but here they were both laughing, relaxed and dare she say...soft. There was a surprisingly soft vulnerability about the both of them that had taken by her surprise. She'd been taught to steer clear of "boys like them" her whole life by her mother. But what exactly did that even mean? Because so far...she hadn't seen anything to scare her off.

She sat looking out at the sky lightening on a single armchair as she sipped her beer. The warm alcohol haze settled over her body soothingly. Another day in...wherever she was. The party was quietening down and she knew she should go. But she didn't truly want to leave yet. She was content to just...be.

Liam approached her and gestured to the arm of the chair. She nodded.

Liam gazed at her evenly as he sat down. His eyes were blown. He'd taken something. Coke most likely. She marvelled at how breathtakingly pretty his eyes were. A pale blue with delicate full lashes surrounding them making him look even younger than he was. But he was young. She looked at his soft skin. 21 years old and with everything ahead of him.

"You alright?" He asked.

Sophie nodded with a gentle smile.

"Yeah. Today was...good." She said feeling fully blissed out.

Liam smiled showing off his innocent dimples.

"Cause of me." He said cockily.

Sophie rolled her eyes at him and chuckled softly.

"In a way. You weren't the worst part of today."

Liam rolled his eyes and looked at her with a tentative smile.

She glanced up at him feeling his eyes on her.

"What?" She asked.

Liam shook his head.

"You're a deep thinker aren't ya?" He asked.

Sophie hesitated.

"I suppose. I guess I've always felt a bit out of step with everyone else. Before...before I came here I was quite lonely."

Liam nodded.

"No boyfriend back home then?" He asked hopefully.

Sophie grinned at him and shook her head.

"Not that it matters. I told you at the gig. You're too young for me."

Liam looked slightly hurt for a moment then looked at her intensely. In a way that made her want to shiver. And it was strangely powerful and overwhelming.