Coming Home

Chapter 11

November 2005

"Iiiiiiiiiiiisssssyyyyyyy," he sang to me as I showed up to the house party. He was already shitfaced, celebrating the fact that the release of their 18-track demo had gone so well that they had been signed for an entire album. Matt had invited everybody we knew over to his parents' house and I had shown up a little later than everybody else because I had had a college essay that needed to be finished.

"Hi Al," I beamed at him as he pulled me in for a hug, "congratulations!"

I hadn't seen Alex much for the past few months. I had tried setting up different appointments for us and had even tried to plan a trip to visit him at his temporary place in London but he had always declined, saying he was too busy. We had, however, texted a bit so I didn't feel totally left out.

"I missed you," he said and sniffed my newly washed hair, "How come girls' shampoo always smell so much better," he gave my hair a great big sniff.

"Let go of me, you weirdo," I said and wrestled myself free of his drunken embrace with a laugh.

Alex started telling me about everything that had happened during the lads' recent stay in London. He droned on and on and I listened to everything he had to say without interrupting him. I enjoyed having him back in High Green with me and I knew I had to enjoy it while it lasted. The monkeys had become really really good in the last year and even though it wasn't really my favourite music genre, I could tell they had potential. So I enjoyed being here with Alex before he took off again to record new songs for their debut album.

Even though Matt's parents' house was filled to the brim with people, it was as if Alex and I didn't notice the others at all. That night, we were the only ones left in the universe and I enjoyed every last bit of being alone with him. We talked and laughed and drank all night.

At 6 a.m. we walked arm-in-arm all the way from Matt's towards our own small neighboorhood about 3 miles away, laughing and joking around.
As we stood in front of my house, he looked at me with a huge drunken grin, "I think I've had the best night of my life!"

"The best night of your life so far," I said even though I knew I sounded like a cliché, "I think you have bright days ahead of you!"

"Naah. I mean it; best night of my life."

I laughed at him, "did it really top that night the band was discovered?"

"It actually did," he said and pulled me in for yet another hug, "I've missed you so much!"

"I missed you too," I said while pressed up against his chest.

"I hope you realise that I always think of you. It's not because I don't want to see you. On the contrary. I just hope you know that.."

"I know, Al," I sighed, "I wish you didn't have to go back to London and that this night didn't have to end."

"Maybe it doesn't have to end."

"Not ever?" I smirked

"Uuuh, look at you Miss I-go-to-college," he teased me back, "correcting my English and everything"

"Hey, don't make fun of college," I laughed, "I actually like it there! I have friends - and I even have a few boys chasing me around now!"

"You have boys chasing you around?" He said and ran his eyes up and down my body a few times with a wiggle of his eyebrows. At least he wasn't as awkward as he had been at the last party we had both attended. Although his actions were unfamiliar, I liked drunk flirty-Alex more than awkward-Alex.