ORNAMENTAL (alex turner > ArcticMonkeys)

2002 CONIFER

<>|keeping it in third view|<>

"Alex, you ready 'mate?" Matthew asked as he set up his drums. This was it, the first time after being signed to Domino Recordings, meaning they had to give it their all.

Alex signalled with a snap of his fingers, "As ready as I'll ever be." He clicked his tongue against the roof of his mouth.

Plugging in his old amp he looked out at the stage. It wasn't much due to the fact that at the time that's what they were too, not much. Smiling, he faltered. 'Now is not the time to forget the notes Alex, really not the time lad.' He reminded himself.

The crowd looked almost glum before they started to tap out the beat, getting into their music. Alex checked his wrist, nothing to be worried about. He had almost looked forward to today, not because of the implant, he had nothing to worry about there. Two years to go, he'd be absolutely fine and from there it'd be even easier.

But today, he'd looked forward to it because of this- the stage, the people, the atmosphere. He was a natural at this, no nerves just the urge to play.  His fingers moved like bullets across the body of the guitar, precise and quick.  The ticking from the watch being a metronome he couldn't turn off but which fueled him to go faster.

That was the thing though,  that sometimes kept him up- the watches, the implants. Telling you when you'd meet your soulmate, but what if it was wrong? What if you lost them?

He distracted himself by humming when the mic. was off. Its not like anyone expected them to be phenomenal, just average. They could do average just not phenomenal but they has plenty of time for that. And hey, at least they wrote their own songs.

The rush was still pumping through Alex's veins. He looked over at Jamie, "That was awesome!" He exclaimed, still trying to accept that their clićhe dream WAS coming true.

He had a band, a good but unknown one, (for now at least) and he had time.

No one in the crowd had struck him as different, odd, or any synonyms to those for his like. They were just normal like him. Like him. . . He wished he could say they were but they weren't (for the most part, not all of them). They'd found they're match. He shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts.

He shouldn't be thinking about that, he didn't need to. He had time, two years to be precise. "Snap out of it!" He muttered to himself.

"So, what'd ya think mates? We gonna do that again anytime soon?" Nick asked, putting his bass away. He was absolutely brilliant, they all were, riding on an unknown high of excitement.

"Yeah!" Alex, Jamie, and Matt cheered, fist pumping.

"We're going to have too, remember even without the implants? Bands got ALL the women." Jamie stressed, not making any of them laugh, they all just raised their brows.

It didn't change much when the implants were brought on, people still did the normal stuff, went on dates just for the hell of it.  They didn't let it faze them, they just carried on

And that's how it went for the Arctic Monkeys (and Alex Turner) for two years.  Concerts and life, it passed slowly, not to say that it wasn't fun but it was calm and un-disturbed.  Alex rarely looked down at his wrist and when he did, he dismissed the thought as soon as it had came to him because quite simply , it DIDN'T matter.  He had two years and all he had to do was enjoy them.

<>|quick note: this is going to be a short story |<><>