In Another Life (1993-1996)

Successful Fella

"Hello, Mr Gallagher and how may I help you this evening?" The elegant waitress smiled sweetly down at Noel as he pondered over the wine list.

"I'll have a pint." The waitress smiled and took the menu from him. I felt out of place in the swanky kind of restrurants that Noel now frequented. I saw other celebrities surrounding the room and my heart began pounding. Noel leaned forward in his chair and grinned cheekily. "Alright Evie, how are things down your end of London Town? Ben still up his own arse?"

"No, mainly because he never was. And everthings fine thanks. You must be getting awful neck pains from the strain they are under from your greatly inflated head." I shot back. He had been jibing at Ben every time we had met recently and it was really beginning to rub me the other way. Noel laughed and rubbed his eye with the hand holding his Benson and Hedges cigerette.

"I have missed you, Evie." He said. I grinned slightly too, it was true, I had missed him as well but there was no way I was going to let him know that. "So where is Benji today? Out buying hankies with his mam?"

"No, he's at work." I said. Ben was now working at a business firm in the city center, part-time, but he was always exhausted when he got back. Coupled with touring and A levels, there hadn't been a lot of time to visit Hampstead Heath like we used to. I had planned to take him to the theatre last week, but there had been promotion stuff for the new tour that had over run and  meant that he had gone with Arthur instead.

"Working? He only looks about ten." Noel scoffed.

"He's my age, eighteen." I said, pointing out that I wasn't as old as he sometimes thought I was. It was 1995, my second year in this madville, and I was finally completely to grips with the situation. How could I not enjoy being a rock star in the era I had adored? I had met Damon Albarn! I was having drinks with Noel Gallagher and Thom Yorke. Ian Brown had spoken to me at the BRAT awards, one of which Evelyn and The Nights had staggered away with. 

"God, I forgot that you weren't approaching your thirties like me." Noel said, out of hand.

"You're not approaching your thirties. You're twenty seven."

"The cursed age." Noel said, wiggling his fingers before chuckling and taking a swig of his pint which had just arrived. 

"Yeah" I said, thinking of Amy Winehouse who had actually fallen victim to the 'curse' of 27.

"You seem a lot older then you are though, my dear." He said. He was at it again, flirting in a way that was so subtle that it was hard not to retaliate, but I was determined to try to. 

"And you have the mentallity of someone a lot younger than yourself."

"Alright, no need to be rude." His face was serious, and for a moment I began to feel a bit guilty, maybe his arrogance was a thick layer over something softer. Then he cracked a massive smile. His smile changed his face completely, the harsh angles were gone and his eyes crinkled at the sides. "What you having then?"

"I can't have too much, dinner with the in-laws tonight." I said, although I did scan the menu.

"Isn't every night in-laws night in your house?" He said, only half joking. 

His smirk, his accent, everything about him pissed me off and was endeering to me. Why couldn't I accept that Ben was perfect and stop thinking about Noel Fucking Gallagher?

"So how are things your end then?" I asked, trying to gain control. 

"Fantabidosie" He said, dismissively. I leaned forwards towards him.

"Is that Mancunian for 'Liam's being a twat and I cant stand these townies'?" I said, serious before cracking up at the same moment he did. He leant back in his chair. 

"Let's get out of here," He said, reasonably. "Let's go out."

"We are out?" I said. 

"No, out-of-London out." He said, talking like it was obvious and I was being a prat.

"Fine, you're paying." I said, hoping this would be a way to almost change his mind. 

"Not shit, Sherlock. Thing is, I can't drive and neither can you. Can't go on the train." 

"Why can't we?" I asked. 

"Get seen together, won't we?" He said, adopting his favourite patronising tone. 

"And what of it? Come on, let's get going!" I said, collecting my bag and my coat before heading towards the door, followed by Noel after he slammed some notes for the drinks down. 

It was sunny in London. There was an air of freedom and change. It was the age of Britpop, 1995, Noel's era. London was swinging again. 

"New album then?"   I said as we quick marched towards the train station. 

"Yeah, how'd you know about that?" He said, partly out of breath.

"Urm, Bonehead said something about it." I lied quickly. He didn't seem to care. We queued behind a middle aged couple.

"Yeah, I've got some demo tapes sorted." He said, rumaging in his pocket for his wallet. 

"Ooh, what songs?" I said, excited as usual when there was new Oasis material.

"There's Wonderwall, a song called Roll With It, another called Morning Glory..." 

"I like that, you should name the album that." 

"Really? I'll think about it." We were moving closer to the front. "And there's one called Champagne Supernova." 

I grinned

"Of course there is." We were at the front of the queue.

"Two return tickets to Brighton, please" Noel said. The man at the counter handed over the tickets and Noel handed the money. 

"This is going to be great!" I said. We headed off towards our platform and whatever adventure awaited us in Brighton.