Disaster • Arctic Monkeys Fanfiction

[twenty nine]

Indi's POV

The bar was packed when we pulled up. Cars took up almost every spot in the parking lot, and it took us nearly ten minutes to find an open space.

I'd taken the passenger's seat for the ride there, forcing Nick to sit in the back with Alex. I was hoping for the same arrangement on the way home.

The group nearly exploded out of the car, laughing and talking as we headed toward the front doors. Matt held Rose's hand and Alicia seemed to be hitting it off with Nick. Jamie was in front of us all, talking on the phone to someone.

And then there was Alex and I.

We were the furthest back in the group, both of us not talking to anyone. He pulled out a cigarette and lit it.

"Are you even old enough to go in here?" he asked me, blowing a line of smoke out.

"Afraid I'll outdrink you, Brad?"

"Nobody can outdrink me," he said with confidence. "I've been drunk for seventy percent of my life."

"I'm sure your liver is really happy about that."

"I think you're challenging me, disaster girl," he said, the corner of his mouth turning up.

Was I?

"Maybe I am."

"Alright," he said. "You're on then."

I probably should have backed down, because I'd always been light weight, but my pride had grown too big to turn back now.

So I pulled my shoulders back and walked into the bar, determined to beat Alex Turner.

• • • • •

"Round one," Alex said to me, sliding a beer my way. "Go."

We were at the end of the bar, surrounded by a crowd of beers. Alex had slapped a hundred dollar bill onto the counter and told the bartender to "keep making them until one of us passed out".

The rest of the group was sitting in the bar stools to our left, talking and laughing amongst themselves. It was hard to hear much because of how many people there were, but I could hear they were playing good music.

"Aaaaaare you gonna let it all hang out," I sang along in between drinks. "Fat bottom girls you make the rockin' world go round."

He downed his before I could even make it to the second verse.

"You like Queen?"

"Who the fuck doesn't like Queen."

"Alright, alright," he said, setting his empty cup down and picking up a full one. "Point made."

I gulped down the rest of mine, feeling braver than before. "So how long have you and Chanel been together?"

He gave me a look. "How many times do I have to clarify that she isn't my girlfriend."

"So if I Googled Alex Turner and Hot Chanel right now, nothing would come up?"

"Of course stuff would come up," he said. "The press accused me of dating Ashley for a solid month before realizing that she's my cousin."

"But Chanel isn't your cousin."

He took a drink. "Google whatever you'd like, Indi. But I'm telling you that I have no interest in her."

He seemed serious. Whatever. I was still mad at him.

I was starting to feel dizzy by my third drink, but I tried my hardest not to let it show. I would beat Alex, even if it meant getting alcohol poisoning. He still seemed to be completely sober. Jesus, how much could this guy take?

But it really hit me after my sixth beer. I could feel my words growing longer and heavier as the came out, and the room spun when I got up to hug Rose. Hugging was a bad habit I had when I was drunk that had stuck to me since high school.

"I just love you so much," I said, wrapping my arms around her as tightly as I could. "I never tell you how much I appreciate you."

"Yeah you do," she laughed. "Every time you're drunk."

"Come to the bathroom with me," I said, trying to pull her off her seat.

"I just went," she said. "Plus I'm about to go take a walk with Matt."

"Fine, fine, I see how it is," I slurred. "Choose some drummer guy over your best friend."

She rolled her eyes, laughing. "Go pee, Indi."

I turned away from her, stumbling over my own feet. I might have fallen if someone hadn't of been right there to catch me.

"Steady, love," Alex said as my face slammed into his chest. He pulled me upright, shaking his head.

"'Scuse me, sir," I said, suppressing random laughter.

He didn't let go of me, keeping his hands around my shoulders.

"Let me walk you to the bathroom," he said. "You're clumsy enough when sober, disaster girl. All hell could break loose from here to the toilets."

"Us and bathrooms don't mix," I reminded him.

"Indi."

"Seriously, I'm good," I said, breaking away from his grip. "But thanks anyways."

He let me go, still watching me wearily.

I escaped into the crowd of people, not exactly sure which way the bathrooms were. I asked a girl next to the jukebox, but she didn't seem to hear me, so I went to the pool tables and asked a middle-aged blonde man instead.

"Right over there," he said, pointing behind me. He almost looked away but then paused, his eyes scanning me. "Want to shoot a few rounds?"

"No, I'm already drunk enough," I tried to say, but I'm not exactly sure how well it came out.

"Of pool," he chuckled. "Not drinks."

"Oh," I said, laughing. "Sure."

He handed me his pool stick, smiling down at me. He seemed nice enough.

I took it. "What are you shooting for?"

"Stripes," he said.

"Stripes," I repeated. "Got it."

I leaned down against the table, my eye on the green striped ball near the corner pocket. I readied the stick, trying to steady it in my clumsy hands.

"You're holding it wrong," the man said to me. "Here, let me show you."

I thought he was going to take the stick from me, so I almost leaned up, but then I felt him press up behind me. He placed his heavy arms over me, sliding his hands over mine.

"Like this," he said, barely adjusting the pool stick at all.

"Got it," I said quickly, my buzz taking a back seat to my sudden discomfort. "I... I got it."

But I couldn't wiggle away from him. He was so big and I felt so dizzy and faint. I shouldn't have drank so much.

"Just relax," he said into my ear, taking his hands off of mine and placing them on my hips.

But I couldn't relax. I'd never been in this kind of situation, and I was absolutely frozen.

He didn't seem to hear me. He just kept repeating, as his hands slid lower and lower on my hips,

"Just relax... just relax...."