The library

June 11th 2003

My alarm clock woke me up as I drearily sat up and rubbed my eyes and turned the obnoxious alarm off. I lazily stepped out of bed and padded out of my room and to the bathroom across the landing. After shrugging off my baggy crop top and pulling down my underwear I stepped into the shower and sighed pleasantly as the warm stream of water hit my back. I started humming along to a tune I didn't even recognise at first but quickly realised it was "Curtains closed", a song I heard at the rehearsal yesterday afternoon. It made me want to dance and I would've done so at the rehearsal if me and Alex were on good terms then.

After having showered, I dried my hair and put on my school uniform consisting of black knee socks, a black skirt, a white shirt tucked into the skirt and a blue school jumper. I walked downstairs with my bag to be greeted with the smell of a brilliant breakfast, courtesy of Alice. I smiled as I sat at the dining table in the kitchen with Craig across from me.

"Morning." He sent me a small smile which made me smile even more.

*****

I sat in my art lesson with my iPod on my desk and earphones in my ears. I tapped my foot to "Move your feet" by junior senior with a smile. I was sketching another version of Alex. He was all I could or wanted to draw after I'd met him. I sketched in his hair, falling down to just below his ears like a messy black waterfall. Suddenly, someone tapped my shoulder gently and I pulled out my earphones in response.

My teacher, Miss Bird, stood over me with a small smile. She was young for a teacher and was always in a good mood. As sad as it sounds, she was my only real friend at school. Until I met Alex and the other Arctic Monkeys that is. Her hair was light brown and she wore a pair of big brown circular glasses, behind which were a pair of beautiful hazel eyes that watched me kindly. "Charlotte, there's a boy asking for you."

I looked to the door of the classroom and there he was, leaning against the doorframe. Alex.

"Oh, yeah, I know what this is for." I lied as I started to gather up my equipment. I spotted everything into my bag before standing up and putting it on. "Bye Miss." I said quietly, receiving a similar farewell from the teacher in response. I reached the door and Alex smirked at me as he got off the doorframe and walked out into the corridor of the art department. "What do you need me for?" I asked him with a small smile which I seemingly couldn't prevent whenever I was around him.

"Dunno. Nothing. I thought we could just relax or summat." Alex said not looking back.

"You're pulling me out of my art lesson, to chill."

"I have a free period now. I'm bored." Alex whined making me roll my eyes.

"Take me with you then." I sighed and took Alex's hand. I looked straight ahead but out the corner of my eye I could've sworn I saw him glance at me with a proud smile and feel him give my hand a soft squeeze.

*****

We sat on the field as far away from anyone else as we possibly could. Sat under some trees for shade, we talked, joked and laughed together. I showed Alex my drawings again and naturally started to blush as he asked me, "Why'd you keep drawing me?"

"I'm not sure. You just have an easy face to draw." I said quietly.

"That sounds like an insult." Alex laughed making me laugh as well. I could never resist laughing whenever I heard him laugh.

"I can assure it definitely isn't," I grinned once we had calmed down. "There's just something I like about drawing you." I shrugged and made sure not to make any eye contact with Alex. The boy next to me nodded and played with the grass in front of him. "Two days then." I said, breaking the slightly awkward silence.

Alex let out a deep breath and nodded. "Yeah. Already starting to get nervous. I'm gonna be terrible when I'm up there." He said quietly.

"I'll be there. I'll be cheering as loud as I can." I smile at him. He looks at me and smiles back, nodding.

"Thanks Lottie." Alex cracked a small grin and I reddened slightly at the nickname.

"No problem, Al." I said quietly and smiled at him before looking back down at my open sketchbook and colouring one of his eyes.