Disaster • Arctic Monkeys Fanfiction

[seventy four]

Alex's POV

By the time 8 o'clock rolled around, we had gone through five movies and we were all pretty much starved.  Rose and Matt offered to go out and get take away, and of course neither Indi or I complained.  

But before they left, Rose stopped dead in her tracks and rushed back to her room.  She reappeared a few moments later, carrying a plastic bag.

"I almost forgot," Rose said, holding  the bag out to me.  "We got your stuff back.  The police department called us when we were leaving the airport, and we picked it up on the way here."

Both Indi and I stared at her blankly.  Rose just shrugged nonchalantly.

I sat up and took the bag.  Sure enough, there in the bag was my wallet and phone.  But to my surprise, it wasn't that much of a relief to get them back.  I'd liked having a break from being Alex Turner, lead singer of Britain's favorite rock band.  

I'd liked just being.... Alex. 

"How did you just forget about that?" Indi asked Rose.

"Well, when I walked into my apartment and saw the two of you covered in pancake batter, it was kind of hard to focus on anything else."

Good point.

They left a few minutes later, leaving Indi and I alone on the couch.  She didn't move closer to me when the door shut like I'd kind of expected.  She just eyed my phone wearily as I powered it up.

My screen was instantly lit up with messages and calls.  Most of them were from Tom.  Shocker. 

Indi cleared her throat rather awkwardly and stood up.  "I'll leave you to catch up with... all of that."

"Are you sure?" I asked, standing up after her.  "I don't mind-"

"It's okay," she said, shaking her head dismissively.  "I haven't seen Jude for a few days, anyway. He probably thinks I'm dead.  Just come over when you're done."

There was absolutely no part of me that desired going over to Jude's.  But I told her I would anyway, because wherever she was, that's where I wanted to be.

She walked hastily through the living room and then disappeared out the front door.  I stared after her, kind of disappointed she didn't say goodbye.  I mean, she didn't owe me a goodbye or anything.   But still. 

It wasn't like we were together.  Did she even want to be together?  Why couldn't she just act like a normal person and vocalize what she wanted with me?  But more importantly, why couldn't I?

With this kind of uncertainty racing through my mind, one would think they were witnessing the thoughts of a boy, not a fucking rockstar.

I sighed heavily and sat down on the couch.  I scrolled through my phone, skimming through the texts.  Some of them were from unsaved numbers, but most of them were from Tom, sent yesterday and today, when I assumed he'd gotten back from his vacation.

I took a deep breath and dialed Tom's number.  Better to rip the bandaid off now.

He answered on the second ring.

"So he's alive," Tom said into the phone.  "Someone call the bloody funeral home and tell them to cancel it all.  Alex Turner is fucking alive."

"Nice to hear from you too, Thomas."

"Can you tell me where in the actual fuck you've been?"

"Uh.  Kansas?"

"So Nick wasn't joking around with me," he said.  "You actually got mugged?"

"Yeah."

"And I assume he also wasn't joking around when he told me they offered to fly you out of there a few days ago."

"Erm.."

"Why are you in Kansas, Al?"

I fucking hated it when he called me Al.  As if that git was actually one of my friends

There was a long pause and neither of us spoke.  

"It's that girl, isn't it?" he said.   "The one from Colorado."

"Tom-"

"Are you fucking insane," he laughed spitefully.  "As if you don't know what happens when you get involved with fans."

"She isn't a fan," I spat at him.

"Whatever, Alex.  But we both know what happened in Colorado.  Do you really want that to happen again?"

I tightened the grip on my phone.  "The only reason Colorado went the way it did was because of you and the fucking press.  That's the only reason I ended it with her."

He was quiet for a moment.  "You ended it because you know that you will completely destroy her life."

My stomach drops and my skin grew hot.  I was pissed and sad all at once because I can hear the truth in his words.

"Think about what she has to go through," he continued.  "Dating someone who is constantly in the press, and constantly on the road, and constantly chased after by the most beautiful girls in the world... it's suicide, Alex.  And you know it."

I wanted to tell him that he had no idea what he was talking about.  I wanted to tell him that he was wrong.  But deep down, I did know it.  

"And don't even bring up Matt and his bird," Tom said.  "Because you know it isn't the same, and he isn't in the spotlight like you are.  You know what you have to d-"

I hung up the phone before he could say another word.  What a prick.

I just sat there for what felt like hours, my mind spinning.  I hated Tom.  I fucking hated him.  I hated how he always talked down to me in that patronizing voice.  I hated how he thought he was in control of my life just because he was my manager.  

But mostly I hated him because I knew he was right.  And that was fucking killing me.