No Buses - Alex Turner Fanfic

I Suppose, Sunny Days

Maybe it was because Alex was back in my life. Maybe it was because I trying to be more productive. Maybe it was just the weather after all.
But, it was sunny.
We made it all the way through a week of solid sun. A week of happily walking to the bookshop without an umbrella. A week of window basking for Barry. I felt, on top of the world? I don't know, everything was going right.

Francis was in the best mood. He even gave me a little extra on my paycheck just because the weather was so great.

As we chatted one day, he brought up something that made me think.

"Alright, so this means you and Alex are, what do you call, it...an item, is it?"

I giggled, covering my face with giddy embarrassment.
"Oh, I dunno, Francis. He's a really...really good friend to me-"

"Please! How many times do we have to go over this. Friends with benefits, more like."

My eyes widened. "Oh my god. No! Why are you- no, Francis- that is not- exactly- the right terminology."

I laughed, feeling my cheeks become warmer by the second.

"Is it not?"

"No! That means we would be..you know..while we were casual friends."

"Well, I don't know!"

"Yes, well that may be for the best. Moving on!"

He put his hands up in defense.
"What would you call you and Alex, then?"

I felt nervous butterflies, thinking about this.

"I mean...nothing."

"Nothing."

"I-"

"Nothing."

"Yet. Okay. Nothing, yet. I suppose."

"Yet."

"Francis."

"What?"

"You know how it's been between us."

"Alright, alright, I know. I'm just getting the insider."

I sighed with a smile.
"I appreciate you, Francis. You're like..the mother I don't have."

He chuckled, hitting his hand against a stack of books.

"Effy, dear, I appreciate you."

I shrugged. "It's true."

The wrinkles around his eyes creased with a pleasant smile.
"Closing in on your two years here, I think I'll say, that you truly are like a daughter to me."

I was speechless at first. I immediately thought of his daughter who died. His daughter who meant everything to him. It was so long ago that she passed away. To think that he thought of me in such a way, brought tears to my eyes.
I couldn't ever think of the words. I walked over to Francis, hugging him as tightly as possible.

"Francis, that is the most meaningful thing I've ever experienced. I can't-"
I said, choking up. I couldn't hold it back. I knew I couldn't. I was a closet-emotional.

I heard the front doorbell ding.

"Oh, dear, Effy, don't cry," Francis said, patting my back.

"Is this a, uh, bad time?" I heard the voice of a girl.

I wiped my nose, pulling away.

"No, course not, pl- please, have a look around."

I heard Francis' aged chuckle, as he walked to the back of the shop.
After retrieving a tissue, I was able to collect myself and see who the customer was. She seemed to be intent on searching for a particular book. She was very pretty. Looked like a model really. And it wasn't a moment later that she was already at the counter with a book.

"I'd like to get this," she said quickly, opening her purse.

I picked it up to look at the price. Interesting choice. As I rung it up, I decided to inquire.

"Kurt Vonnegut fan?" I asked her.

"Yes, I love his books."

"Have you read this one?"

Welcome to the Monkey House
by Kurt Vonnegut.

Had I ever read a Vonnegut? I couldn't recall.

"Only skimmed through it. I'm actually getting it for my boyfriend as a little celebratory gift for his band's success."

Well.

"How nice. Local band?"

"Arctic Monkeys," she said outright, following with a grin.

Oh, of course. The book title. Very funny.

And of course I was stunned. A boyfriend in the Arctic Monkeys. There are only four of them. Wow. It was just a bit of panic over this thought. But, rather unlikely.

"You're kidding!"

"What?" she said, with a smirk.
Little did she know.

"I also happen to be, um, friends with a guy in that band."

She snapped out of her showing-off-mentality suddenly, but still with lingering doubt.

"Really? Who?"

"Alex," I said.

She raised an eyebrow. "Turner. Really?"

"Yeah. He's, well, really, my best friend."

She bit her lip in thought.

"Huh. Never heard any talk of you."

I was taken back by the remark, not sure if she was serious or not. Well, she must be close to the band. I tried my best to pleasantly smile.

"Oh. Well, I haven't really hung around the band too much."

"Hm," she mumbled, squinting her eyes. "Anyway, I'm Katie!"

She held a hand out to my surprise, opening up with a big smile.

"Erm, right, lovely to meet you Katie. I'm Effy."

She picked up the book and stuck it in her purse without another thought.

"Jamie's mine. Plays the guitar. Quite good!"

Her sudden change of heart was very probable to the fact that we shared a mutual Arctic Monkeys relationship.

I nodded, "Cool."

"Well, thank you for the book. I hope to see you again! Maybe we can look into a double date perhaps?" she said, with a laugh on the way out.

"Bye Katie," I said, giving a short wave.

"Downes! Katie Downes by the way!"

"Okay, see you later!" I said, mustering up the last bit of energy I had.

And with that she was gone. With quite the air about her.

I thought.

I ought to be more involved with the band. Right? Maybe.

The store phone rang.

"Francis Bookshop," I exhaled.

"Eff, it's Alex. Come to The Deep End Club tonight. We just finished our first EP, so we're celebrating!"

Alex's voice was music itself to my ears.

"Oh, congratulations Alex! I'm so happy for you guys. But I have to say...I was almost expecting this call, as Katie Downes has just walked out the shop."

"Jamie's girlfriend, eh? She's quite the personality."

"To say the least. She seemed sweet in the end, though."

"In the end?"

"I'll tell you about it tonight. Where's the club again?"

"Uh, I think King Street? Just a block over. It's all neon and bright. You'll see it."

I smiled. "Okay. I can't wait to see- to be there."

Dunno why I did that.

"Eff."

"What?"

"I can't wait to see you, either."