Another Sunny Afternoon (The Strokes Fan Fiction)

Don't Watch Me Dancing (Epilogue)

School. Something Annabel-Lee hated more than herself. But 9th grade was going to be different. She was starting a new private school which meant more opportunities, or that's what her father told her.

When they said she could skip 6th grade A.L. thought it was great, until she started getting called a brainiac by all the 7th graders. It wasn't her fault she was so damn smart.

But as she stepped into her first class for the first day of high school fixing her name tag, she was ready to bring it on.

Slipping into a table all the way in the back, she smiled gracefully as she pulled out a pencil, waiting for the geometry teacher to arrive. Meanwhile, a boy sat right next to her, bouncing his feet energetically. With almost 5 minutes in with him bouncing, Annabel-Lee was starting to get annoyed.

"Hey man, can you stop it? I know you're excited and all, but jesus you're being annoying with the bouncing."

The boy immediately looked scared, stopping his bouncing and sitting still, dropping his gaze. Annabel-Lee now felt bad for ruining his excitement. Maybe she was a bit too mean.

"Listen, I'm sorry... Fab...rizio? Is that how you pronounce it?"

He nodded and Annabel-Lee smiled.

"Finally, someone with a name that is as unusual as mine."

He peered at her name tag.

"It's not that odd. Annabel and Lee are common names."

"When your named after a famous poem, oh yeah it is."

"At least people can pronounce your name, everyone calls me Fab-reeze-z-o."

This caused them to erupt in laughter. Annabel-Lee already had her first friend.

"Hey, is anyone sitting here? Sorry for bothering you guys from whatever you were laughing at," ask a tall, brown-headed, blue eyed kid. Annabel-Lee studied him. He looked even younger than her, and she was pretty sure she was the youngest.

"Go right ahead, I don't see a problem... Nicholas," Fabrizio smiled.

"Please, just call me Nick, Fab-reeze-z-o." Annabel-Lee and Fabrizio burst into laughter.

"Fabrizio," Annabel-Lee gasped, "We were just talking about how people pronouce it just like how you did."

"We should just call you Fab, because it's way easier," Nick mentioned, gaining agreeance from the other two.

A.L. had just made her first 2 friends.

___________________________________________________________________________

"It's weird we have Gym together," Nick said to Fab and A.L. as they sat on the bleachers.

"You're telling me! It's as if we share all the same classes-"

"Alright ladies and gents, eyes' up here."

The gym teacher stood in weird stance and Annabel-Lee couldn't help but giggle.

"What's so funny, young lady?" the woman asked.

"Nothing, you just look weird standing like that, you should relax a bit."

"She's right, coach Laurent," said a guy in the back. "You should really take a chill pill."

"Casablancas, and you, young lady, to the office, now."

Nick and Fab looked at A.L. worried and she looked back with the same emotion. She got up, picking up her bag in the process, and walked out, her head bowed as people whispered past her.

"Are you actually going to the office?" asked a voice behind her as she trekked down the hallway. It was the same voice that had agree with her.

"I guess, since she did say go to the office," A.L. started, turning around to find him standing face to face with her. They were so close that A.L. could smell the weed and whiskey on his breath, but his looks paid off for it. He looked tired, as if he hadn't slept in a year, his hair was messy, and his uniform wasn't all together. He was probably a senior.

"Psh, fuck that, lemme show you something," he told her, holding her hand and smiling. Annabel-Lee blushed a bit, but returned to her confused state when he started leading her down the hallway to a closed room. He fished for a pair of keys in his pocket and looked gladly at A.L.

"Keep quiet or else we'll be in even more shit."

"What if we get into more shit?"

"I'll say it was my idea. A freshman like you shouldn't be getting in trouble," he smiled, pushing the door open.

"Oh please, my middle name is trouble."

"Perfect. What's your name anyways?"

"Annabel-Lee Joseph. And yourself?"

"Julian. Julian Casablancas."