The library

June 16th 2003

I was laying in between Alex's legs, my head resting on his stomach. We were once again sat under "our" tree at the edge of the field, watching many different games of football at once. We were currently talking about Arctic Monkeys. About the future of the band. Future songs. Imagining the future.

"I have this...idea for a love song...that doesn't sound like...a typical love song." Alex thought about his words a lot as he spoke.

"What'd you mean?" I asked as I traced circles on his leg with my finger.

"Like..." he laughed awkwardly, "It's about you."

Although he wasn't looking, I hid my face in his leg as I started to blush. "A song about me?" I said, muffled by his leg.

"Yeah...I've got a few lines so far...like... 'I bet you look good on the dancefloor, don't know if you're looking for romance or, I don't know what you're looking for." He half-spoke, half sung the lines to a tune I hadn't heard before. When I stayed silent apart from a few muffled giggles against his knee, he spoke again. "It's about when I met you...how I thought that...y'know..that you'd look good on a dancefloor."

I laughed lightly. "It sounds good but you're gonna have to scrap it." I got on my front so my chin was resting on his stomach as I looked up at him.

"Why?" Alex frowned.

"I don't want you to write a song about me."

Alex furrowed his eyebrows. "Why?"

"It's...I'm not sure...it just feels selfish."

"It's anything but darlin'... it's completely selfless. It's my way of saying that I'm extremely grateful for you... that I'm 'appy that I pissed you off that one time in the library." He smiles at me and chuckled quietly which made me smile and blush. I stayed quiet again so Alex spoke once more. "So do I have your permission...Miss Baker?" He smirked slightly.

I rolled my eyes and laid my head on his stomach. "Yeah you've got permission."

"It's gonna be an absolute tune." His body shook as he laughed quietly. His hand found my hair and he stroked it gently.

"Alex I like you." I mumbled sleepily.

"I like you too Charlotte," I heard the smile in his voice and smiled myself. "I like you a lot actually."

"Same." I muttered before falling asleep.

*****

I woke up in a bed. The sheets, pillows and duvet were all very soft and smelled sweet but they weren't mine. They smelled of him. I yawned and slowly sat up, rubbing my eyes. I looked around and saw his room. It was his Olympic white Stratocaster in the corner and his schoolbag on the desk. I pulled the covers back. I was still in school uniform sans my socks and shoes. How thoughtful of him.

Swinging my legs off the side of the bed, I got up and padded across the small room. I noticed my socks and shoes neatly placed by the door and couldn't help but smile slightly. The door opened with a small creak but soon I was walking down the stairs, some of which squeaked as I stepped on them. Whoever was in the house was definitely alerted of my presence, I thought as I hopped off the last step and walked into the kitchen. Empty. I frowned slightly before turning around and heading to the living room. I opened the door loudly on purpose, hoping someone would hear me. I found the small living room empty as well and furrowed my eyebrows. I left the room and entered the dining room opposite which is where I found him.

He was sat at the table asleep, his head slumped on the table. I crept towards him and smiled at how cute he currently looked in a red knitted jumper and a pair of blue jogging bottoms. I glanced at the clock on the wall: 3:00. School hasn't even finished yet here I am wandering around Alex's house. What happened?

I tapped his head gently and smiled as he started to stir. After a couple seconds his eyelids started to flutter open and he looked up at me.

"Hello sleepyhead." I whispered and smiled down at him.

Alex smiled softly and stretched before sitting up. I now noticed he was asleep on a notebook - his notebook. "Good morning." He mumbled and smiled sleepily.

"Morning? It's three o'clock Alex." I laughed as I pulled out the chair next to him and sat down facing him.

At this he looked at me confused but his expression quickly cleared. "Oh I remember. You fell asleep on me at lunch so I carried you out t' back exit and home."

"Wait wait wait... you carried me all the way from school to your room?" I looked at him in disbelief.

"Yeah I know it was knackering. Why'd you think I fell asleep whilst writing stuff?" He laughed quietly making me smile. "You weren't that heavy at all." He added.

"So what were you writing?" I ignored him and peered at his notebook with interest.

"Oh...I don't know if you remember...I mentioned writing a song about you," Alex paused as he read my face. I nodded, signalling him to carry on. "Yeah...I was just writing ideas and that for it...like..." he picked up the book and started reading from it. "I wished you'd stop ignoring me because it's sending me to despair... without a sound yet you're calling me and I don't think it's very fair." He looked down at the ground sheepishly.

"I like it! I really do. I assume that's when I told you to shut up that time and then you stopped talking to me like an upset little boy." I teased and tapped his knee.

"More like you stopped talking to me like a little girl throwing a fit." He shot back and smirked.

"Whatever." I rolled my eyes with a small smile. We sat in silence for a couple seconds before I grabbed his pen and notebook and started to write stuff down. Alex, to my surprise, didn't protest and instead watched me as I scribbled quickly. When I finished, I slid the notebook back over to Alex.

"There isn't any love, not Montagues or capulets, just loud music and dj sets and dirty dancefloors and thinking about naughtiness." Alex read my notes out loud. I watched as he stared at them and read over them a few more times. "Charlotte...I think this might be a banger."