ARABELLA • Alex Turner

FOURTEEN

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     The next time Alex called Arabella, she could tell that he was either high or drunk.

It was a drizzly Tuesday when her phone rang, cold for a mid-June afternoon even by UK standards, and she had only just woken up. She immediately answered when she saw Alex's caller ID, though, excitement racing through her veins.

   "Hi darlin'." He drawled in that lovely accent of his, which was a lot thicker than usual and slightly slurred. She could hear a few animated voices in the background, one of them sounding a lot like Jamie.

   Arabella couldn't hold back a laugh. It was 9AM in London, so about 3AM his time. She imagined that he had probably been out with Matt or Jamie or Nick and in an inebriated state had decided to call her out of the blue. The thought was ridiculously endearing.

   "Hey, Al." She replied with an automatic smile, staring up at the ceiling in her childhood bedroom. "How're you holding up?"

   Instead of replying directly to her question, Alex's intoxicated brain took over and he started rambling, tripping over his words along the way.

   "I miss yeh, Bells. Wish you were 'ere with me." He spoke, hiccuping adorably. "We're in Houston reyt now n' everything's about space. You'd love it."

   Arabella's heart melted. Here he was, thinking about her in that considerate way of his as if he wasn't currently living it up in America with his best friends. What's more, he sounded genuinely sad that she wasn't there to witness it all.

   "I miss you too, handsome." She responded gently, a big smile on her face. "You'll have to take lots of pictures to show me."

   "Already 'ave." Alex hiccuped once more, and Arabella's heart ached. She missed him more than she ever thought she would. "I hope you're 'avin a lovely time at home darlin'. And congratulations again on finishing yer degree. Tha's a big fookin achievement."

Arabella could practically hear the smile on his face, and her own widened. "Thanks, Al. Think I owe you a read of that dissertation now, don't I?"

Alex hummed matter-of-factly. "I 'aven't forgotten about that, love. And I owe you a guitar lesson."

Jamie was still chattering away in the background, and from what Arabella could make out, he was also intoxicated. The sound filled her with a strange sense of warmth, knowing that they were all having fun.

"I can't wait." The brunette grinned, genuinely meaning it. Then, she suddenly remembered that she needed to tell him something, and became more serious.

   "Oh yeah, before I forget, my birthday party is going to be movie themed so feel free to dress up. You don't have to, but a few of us are. Could you tell the boys for me?"

Alex was a bit more coherent when he replied this time, having obviously paid close attention to what she was saying. "Course I can baby. Movie themed, eh? Do you know what you're going to be?"

Arabella almost turned to mush right there and then, the pet names never ceasing to make her stomach flutter. "It's a surprise."

Before Alex could answer, she heard Jamie shouting baby and wolf-whistling in the background, clearly teasing the singer. Arabella could almost hear the scowl on Alex's face when he told Jamie to piss off, and it gave her the giggles.

   Alex's bandmates sure were a lovable bunch.

   "Well I look forward to it. And I look forward to seeing you, Bells." The man finally replied as if nothing had happened, the voices in the background now fading into the distance. "The lads are driving me up the wall. Bloody twats."