Somewhere in NYC

By the time you wake up in bed the next morning, you’ve pretty much accepted being here for now, like it’s some weird vacation and soon you can go back to the band and everything will be normal.

You doubt that’s true but it’s keeping you sane.

You can hear someone whistling in the next room, so you get up to go and investigate.

When you enter the hallway, you have a clear view to the kitchen, and you can see Alex dancing around to the radio in his boxers, and seems to be serenading the kitchen brush.

Before you can stop yourself you let out a harsh, short laugh, probably loud enough to wake up the neighbours.

“I see you got a taste for it after last night, ‘Lex,” you say jokingly.

“Oh yeah,” he says, “I’m really starting to feel this whole ‘rock star’ thing. I think I’m more than capable of taking the world by storm, it isn’t that hard.”

For a moment you feel a jolt to your stomach; that’s one of your songs too and he shouldn’t know that… before you realise it’s probably a completely normal thing to say and you cover up the previous shock with a chuckle.

“I made you toast,” Alex says. You accept it gratefully. “So I was thinking,” he begins, “you’ve not actually left this apartment in days and I’m sure you’re getting bored by now so I was wondering if maybe you’d let me take you to Central Park?”

You find the way he asks you unbearably cute, like a thirteen-year-old girl asking out her crush, but you don’t want to ruin the sweetness of the moment with a joke so you just smile and say, “that would be great.”

Central Park is much bigger than you ever thought it was. Seeing on tv hadn’t done it justice and somehow every time you’d come to New York before you hadn’t had time to look around Central Park, preferring to spend your time in clubs and bars and visiting the Empire State Building.

You’re aware of looking around with your mouth open spinning in circles like some naïve girl in a romantic comedy, but you can’t stop yourself with so much to take in.

It amazes you that there is all this green space in the middle of such a hugely built up city, and the contrast makes it even more beautiful than it would be anyway. The lush green trees in contrast to the dull grey buildings make you appreciate nature in a way you’ve never thought to before, especially after not seeing a single tree for four days.

From somewhere behind you, you think you hear someone calling your name and spin around accordingly, but when you look no one’s there. It was probably just someone with a similar name like Zack, which actually happens all the time. You turn back to face Alex.

“You don’t remember ever being here before, do you?” he questions.

“No…” you say. “It’s beautiful. Like. Really.”

“Wow, are you lost for words? I never thought the day would come,” he says jokingly.

“Well…” you begin, “this is… amazing… -ly green,” you finish.

“Glad you like it here,” Alex smiles, “want to go get a drink? I can smell hotdogs and it’s kind of making me hungry.”

“It’s ten in the morning,” you say incredulously.

“It’s the city of dreams and opportunities, Jacky. You gotta take ‘em or they’ll go!” he shouts running off, so you laugh at how ridiculous Alex can sound sometimes and chase after him.

Throughout the day you hear your name shouted many more times and every time you turn it’s beginning to make you frustrated. He couldn’t have had a name like… Patrick or something, how many people have names that sound like that? Basically any one-syllable name and you turn your head; you’re going to get whiplash. You suppose it’s another side effect of not leaving the confines of an apartment that never held more than three people for days on end.

By the time you go home you’ve spent four hours in Central Park just walking around and hanging out in the sun, and you decide that you really like it there and are going to visit lots more whenever the opportunity arises. You still haven’t stopped thinking you’ve heard your name when no one’s even around, but Alex isn’t saying anything about it so you figure you shouldn’t either.

As soon as you’re through the door Alex drags you over to the sofa and as he sits on the arm makes you stand in front of him, taking both of your hands in his.

“I’ve really enjoyed today,” he says seriously, “and last night. Thank you.”

“Um, you’re welcome,” you say unsure. “You’re aware you’re the one that thought of going out, right?”

“Yeah, but… I guess… I’m just glad you’re still here, whatever the circumstances. You can’t leave me.”

Those words make you think that maybe something happened in the past and you left but as you can’t even remember that you just simply say, “that doesn’t matter now” and bring a hand up to his cheek before going to make him a cup of coffee. He looks and sounds sad, and that isn’t something you want him to be feeling.

You think you hear someone murmuring behind you but when you spin around there’s no one there. “I think I’m cracking up…” You don’t intend to say the words out loud, but apparently you did as they hang heavily in the air before falling away. If you’re going crazy Alex probably figured it out long ago anyway. You're probably just tired, you decide, and when you think about it you realize you are actually absolutely shattered and so take yourself to bed.

Now you’ve settled in to the routine of living here, it’s beginning to genuinely feel like normal life, and you find yourself thinking you wouldn’t mind if this was your normal life now. You’d miss playing in the band, sure. But at least you still have your friends supporting you; that hasn’t changed. In fact, they seem closer.