1974 - A David Bowie Fanfic.

Brixton.

By early March I had packed up and moved out of the little house I had lived in for 18 years. My wages, and the help from mum and dad managed to get me a space in the very small university of Brixton. I was a late arrival meaning I was already behind on my studies and finding myself a friendship group... But within days I had got into the swing of things, also knowing that David Bowie was bringing an album out by the end of the month helped me too.

"David Bowie t-shirt?" A girl asks looking down at my top.

The girl had very long dark hair and had blue eyes, freckles plagued her face and made her look pale but oddly pretty.

I blush and nod "I'm a bit of a fan."

"What's your favourite song?" She asks sitting next to me with wide eyes.

"Queen Bitch, not many people have heard it but it's on-"

"The Hunky Dory album, yeah I love that song too!" She grins. "I'm Eleanor by the way." She sticks her hand out to introduce herself.

"Ros." I take her hand, shake it and nod my head once.

"Ros?" She questions.

"Short for Rosalind." I tell her. "Why the name Eleanor?"

"My parents always liked the name and sadly continued to listen to Eleanor by the turtles when my brother was conceived about 7 years ago." She blushes

"Woah, were your parents really hoping for another girl then?"

"No idea." She shakes her head at me. "Got any siblings?"

"An 11 year old brother named Henry, but that's it."

"How you finding the Uni? It's not big but it's cozy, how did you know it was here?"

"Yeah it's good, I like it here. And I do a lot of research about Brixton, obviously because David Bowie was born here but I haven't had the chance to have a look round yet." I smile.

"Well, this is Brixton, I'll show you around later if you want? There's a local pub I always go to, we could go there?" Eleanor smiles wider and I nod in excitement.

"So is everyone here a David Bowie fan?" I ask but she shakes her head.

"No actually, there's only a few of us. We keep ourselves quiet... Of course I'll introduce you to them once we get the group together." She mutters.

"David Bowie wouldn't want that us to stay in the dark about him. I don't want to feel ashamed for listening to his music." I tell her sternly.

"Then stand your ground." She smirks to me.

That afternoon after one of my lectures about some old guy who wrote classical music, Eleanor took me round Brixton.

"It's just like any other town that's in the middle of London really, oh, this is our local!" Eleanor says walking in, I hang back a second as I see the wall that had the painting of Aladdin Sane on. I smile and then walk into the pub that was called The White Horse.

"Hey Larry! I'll have the usual!" Eleanor calls tapping the stool next to her for me to sit at.

"Coming right up Ellen! What about you little blondie?" I blush at the middle aged man serving me.

"Uh - just a lemonade please." I mutter being shy.

"Nah!" Eleanor calls. "Give her a beer, Guinness, big glass of red, anything that'll stick hairs on her chest!"

"If you want to survive in a quaint little town like Brixton, you gotta drink like a Brixtoner lass!" The barman named Larry smiles to me passing over a beer.

I raise it to my lips and see the thick foam sloshing around slightly as I begin to tip it forwards. I gulp hard and feel the bitter taste run down my throat. A warm sensation tickles inside me and suddenly my head is telling me to drink more of it.

"How is it?" Eleanor asks.

"Great, really great!" I smile taking another gulp.

"Hold your horses lass, you'll be on the floor if you carry on like that!" We all laugh at Larry and me and Eleanor continue to drink, punters come in and out all throughout the night but we were the ones who stayed till it was closing time.

"Good lord if my parents could see me..." I mutter staggering to the door. "Cheers Larry!!!" I shout over Ellen's shoulder.

"You know..." Eleanor starts. "You're a wonderful person! And- And David, well, he'd be lucky to meet you Ros!" I nod in agreement and begin to giggle very drunk.

****

As days went on, me and Eleanor became very good friends and she soon became my house mate as I needed help paying rent every month. I got to know the rest of the Bowie fans and spent at least once a week sat in The White Horse talking about his great music and what we guess will be the next character. But the pub was just mine and El's local, the rest of the group lived the other side of Brixton which wasn't that far really.

"His Diamond Dogs album was brilliant!" A boy named Wallace mutters by my ear.

"Yeah it was terrific..." I smile thinking about David Bowie's angel face and angel voice. "Uh, I really should be getting home, you know, studies and all..." I say awkwardly making my way to the door. "El, see you whenever you get home." I smile happily to her and she nods.

"Yes, I won't be long, don't worry!" She says back.

"No, no, don't rush, honestly." I tell her and walk out.

The White Horse was only less then half a mile away from home, but I wanted to stop by to see the wall with his famous face on.

Brixton people strolled by, getting home fast as the sky turned more black and the moon brightly lighting their way home. I was the only one who stood still in the town - at least that's how it felt.

"Wonder what you're doing now... Writing lyrics? On stage somewhere...?" I mutter to the frozen face plastered across the wall.

I begin walking back at the same pace as everyone else to fit in, with the pace I went at, I was home swiftly.

The post was still scattered across our door mat and I saw a letter addressed to me, the handwriting was unrecognisable, so for once, it wasn't my parents, brother or Abby. I open it cautiously and sit down to read the letter.

Ros,

It's been so long since we got in touch! And we were meant to be good friends! I popped by last week to your parents to see if we could have that dinner date soon, but they said you had moved to Brixton doing a music degree! I can't believe you never told me!

Hey, well, get in touch won't you? I miss you, and you still owe me a dinner date..! My numbers at the bottom, maybe I could come down to Brixton for a couple of days? I could always stay on the sofa?

See you soon,

Kev x

01162 567321

Kevin, I hadn't seen him in some time... A good few months, late December 1973 probably...

I decided to give him a call, after all, it was just dinner.