Collaboration || Dan Smith

Five.

   𝙄𝙣 𝙩𝙞𝙢𝙚 𝙄 𝙬𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙡𝙚𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙘𝙞𝙩𝙮
- 𝗧𝘄𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘆 𝗢𝗻𝗲 𝗣𝗶𝗹𝗼𝘁𝘀

Me and Maisie walk hand in hand down the small backstreets. We're in a part of Italy called Anguillara Sabazia which is about 45 minutes away from Rome. Anguillara is a whole new world. It has history, tradition and magnificent sites. Me and Maisie take a breather on top of the coastline...just watching the water glisten below. It's peaceful.

   It's like an island...it's the only way I can describe it. Of course that's geographically incorrect because it isn't an island. No matter where you are, even if your in the white cobblestone backstreets...you always see the sea. Everything has this peach aesthetic, sun-kissed walls on tanned buildings, the golden orange glow of the sun setting is perfect. The steep hills, the little gift shops, the small cafes and the happy tourists. This place is so nice.

   "This place makes me want to leave America and England behind...just forget about everything and everyone. It would be nice live out here." Maisie admits while we sit down on the bench which is being shaded by blossom trees. The bench sits close the edge of the coast, but a few meters back for safety. It has the perfect view of the idyllic sea.

   I nod my head feeling the same way. Maybe I'm less passionate, or maybe I'm selfish? But I wouldn't give Bastille money up for anything. "What would you even do out here?" I ask taking a sip of water from my water bottle. When I got brought the bottle it was so cold that my finger tips stung. Within an hour and a bit of walking around it's now warm and undrinkable.

She shrugs her shoulders back, gazing into the blue glistening water. It's not like our shitty murky water back home. The ocean is blue and...alive. "I'd buy myself a house and just...live out here. Go sightseeing other day and have an adventure...live in an adventure." Wow-wow-wow. That sounds like a pretty solid dream.

"I would." I lie, just to please Maisie. "Really?!" She smiles looking at me biting her pink lip with her white smile. I feel like I'm living in that Lorde song. White Teeth Teens. The problem is neither of us are teens, and we're happy for now. I've never had really white teeth like Maisie's though, maybe if I quit smoking then I could? All this food for thought is making me feel conscious or something. That's nothing I've never been conscious about...my smile. Of course I've been conscious about other thinks like my weight, but not my teeth...my weird smile. If I really wanted to I can get them whitened again, but that isn't me.

"Oh yeah." I laugh. "The only thing that is stopping me is my friends and family, you know how I get if I'm away from them for too long." I don't like being alone or lonely. I need someone by my side 24/7, I don't know why that is...it just is. "Me and you have pretty different futures planned out." Maisie then sighs as for a second I feel bad.

   "I'm sure we'll figure something out." I reassure, looking into the pale blue of her hypnotic eyes. Gracefully Maisie links her fingers through mine and holds my hand while she rests her head on my shoulder, "we should make a song about this...you know that right?" Normally I dislike singing about personal things...

   "You know...that sounds sort of amazing." I can imagine the chorus in my head like colours. A cliché song about love..." Maisie nods her head. Her soft medium length brown hair brushes against my stubble - I really should shave when I get the chance.

   In the summer silence I take a second or two out and close my eyes. The air up here is so fresh, it's warm but the breeze is incredible. Not to mention how peaceful and private it seems. Maisie has got a point, this would be the most ideal place to live...

   After resting for another minute or I hear a camera click. I think Maisie this time hears it because her head twitches in the way of the sound. "Maze..." my voice trails off wearily as I open my eyes. When I slowly turn back I swear I catch someone running down the steep hill that we came from...holding a camera if I'm not mistaken. "What is that noise? It's like a camera or something?" I stand up as I let go of her soft grip. "I've been hearing it all day..." Maisie's voice quietly trails off while I shuffle forwards trying to get a glimpse of the man with a camera.

   "Where are you going?" Maisie then immediately asks as I take a few more steps forwards. I then turn around, facing Maisie whose still sitting on the white bench with the perfect cinematic backdrop. "I think the media followed you here."

   The media couldn't normally give a fuck about me. TMZ, Getty Images, magazines and newspapers...Maisie is the biggest rising star of all time. They're completely obsessed with her.

   "Fuck." Maisie guilty says while diving her head into the palms of her hands.

   "Fuck."