disclaimer: i love italics.


13th of June, ABC

Today I came to Armvale Bowling club prepared.

Not in my bowling skills, not in any physicality.

I am prepared to destroy boredom.

I brought my earbuds.

The past two sessions of Monday mandated misery - quality name, I know - have been about as boring as batshit. Surprisingly, the riveting gameplay of lawn bowls can be tiresome to watch after some time.

Over the past two weeks I've sat for an elapsed time of over two hours at the ABC watching Miss Haine's clock tick trying not to gauge my eyes out of my face.

I can't even talk to anyone either.

Alice is too busy texting "jaspie-pie" to have any form of conversation with me. She's told me over the week that they've already said 'i love you' and are thinking about the logistics of a skype call marriage ceremony.

I guess I could talk to Eric about his NFT girlfriend but to put it kindly, I'd rather shit out all my intestines.

I could talk to the enigmatic green-eyed, bronze-haired god sitting not too far from me…

No. I couldn't.

This leaves me idly staring into the funeral advertisements on the other side of the lawn and contemplating whether I want to be buried or cremated. Waiting for compulsory physical education to be over, and also my life to be over.

But not this week.

This week I am equipped with 617 downloaded songs and 28 meticulously curated playlists to keep me entertained.

So far I've been listening to some of my recent favourites, Venus as A boy, Norman fucking Rockwell (Alice put me onto that one.), Gand all time favourite, Genesis.

Alice always berates me for not sticking to one genre, but considering Alice has a nine hour playlist of only Lana Del Rey that she regularly listens to in its entirety , I ignore her 'advice'.

I'm fucking cool! Fuck you Alice! I have a good taste in music!

Yeah, maybe I am a complete music snob with an intense individuality complex.

Spurring on from this idea, I decide to predict and analyse every other person in the ABC's music taste to boost my own self asteem.

Alice, complete whore for Lana Del Rey. Spends her nights worshipping a pink candle and mumbling the words, "it's you, it's you, it's all for you, everything I do." Also a female manipulator.

Eric. Hastune Miku's number one fan. Exclusively listens to japanese hyperpop, maybe some video game soundtracks on the side. Has an anime body pillow - I guess that's not a prediction but a fact.

Abe. Rod Stewart. That's it, just constipated, aussie, country music 24 hours of every day of the week. My worst nightmare.

Ms Haines. Definitely an Abba junkie, I can completely imagine her gettin' down to some dancing queen at the bingo night. I cannot fault it either, Mamma Mia is not my comfort movie for nothing.

Mrs Dane. I'm inclined to say death metal because of her satanic nature, but I think her middle-aged, tracksuit wearing, PE teacher-ness rules it out. Maybe she gives into stereotypes and has Physical by Olivia Newton John constantly playing in her head.

Miscellaneous year nine girls. Their cameltoes from their too-high school PE shorts and caked on mascara is leading me in the slightly slutty direction… Maybe some Ariana Grande or something… Is that too judgemental?

Over Competitive year 10 boys. They don't listen to music. They're not interesting enough.

Edward. Totally mystifying and dark, constantly wearing earbuds. Probably something cool and alternative like My Bloody Valentine…

"What are you listening to?"

I gasp out loud as I'm pulled from my analysis by a smooth bass voice. I look to my left for the destination of said voice, to see the aforementioned Edward waiting on my reply.

"Um.. shit," I open my phone to see the current song playing, "Lovefool, the cardigans."

Accurate hahaha…

Edward nods in what I think is appreciation, meaning he respects my music choice.

HE RESPECTS MY MUSIC CHOICE!

"What are you listening to?" I ask him in reply,

"Uhh, the smiths." oh.

The only thing going through my head right now is, redflagredflagredflagredflagredflagredflag

I believe it was alice that once informed me about 'male manipulator music'. A subgenre that is usually enjoyed by questionable men. Some examples include Weezer, Radiohead, Neutral Milk Hotel, but most importantly, The Smiths.

"Oh cool, I like the smiths." I respond clumsily. I mean it's true, I like the smiths, but that does not make it ok for Edward to enjoy them.

I suppose that's a bridge I'll have to cross at a later date. Oh well.

"Morrisey is kind of a wanker though." I add, trying to continue the conversation.

"Yeah." tough crowd.

Edward looks back down at his phone, seemingly changing the song.

"What are you playing now?" Good conversing Bella!

"Uhh, fade into you."

"Holyfuckingshitilovemazzystar" I word-vomit all over Edward.

He raises his eyebrows in slight shock, - maybe even fear - and nods slowly, looking back at the lawn in front of him.

"Do you want one?" Edward asks me, holding out his unused, right earbud to me.

"Yeah sure." I mumble, taking said earbud and forcing it into my ear.

Edward turns back to the lawn, aimlessly staring at Eric attempting to juggle his bowls. He exudes complete and utter nonchalance and is back to his previous casual state.

I study Edward's sculpted and angular side profile and memorise the small bump on his nose, the slight part of his lips and the long dark lashes that frame his eyes.

It only then dawns on me that Edward just gave me one of his earbuds and we're listening to Mazzy Star together.

It also then dawns on me that I have the biggest fattest teenybopper crush on Edward Masen and need to go home and set up my shrine for him.


notes: thankyou for the reviews, keep them coming i love hearing feedback! also thankyou, PCCTwiFF23 for notifying me about an error in the last chapter, it has been updated! for clarification it is Edward Masen and Alice Cullen. they're unfortunetly not related.

updates will probably be every 3 or so days because i'm lazy and bad a managing my time.

thankyou for reading c: