Party 'til you pass out / When the party's over

2.26

'Maybe you should record something with me again for the new album,' I then said.

'Oh, hell no,' she immediately answered. 'Nuh-uh.' Alison shook her head.

'Why not? Last time was fun,' I tried again. She gave me a side eye.

'For you, maybe. I've never been so fucking uncomfortable in my life.' I chuckled and shook my head while finishing the eggplant. We just randomly talked and bantered a bit while cooking for another while, until the bell rang. I wiped my hands and walked up to the panel at the front door to open the gate and then the door.

'Aye!,' Nicholls hollered with a grin when he got up to the door. 'Are we still social distancing?'

'Fuck social distancing,' I said, pulling him in a hug. It felt good to see him again. I greeted Chloe the same way and led them into the living room. Alison seemed really happy to have guests over and greeted them excitedly, and when I had handed them a drink we sat down on the couch.

'Oli, I know I keep saying it every time we are here, but the view from your living room is so gorgeous,' Chloe sighed, staring outside into the green hills. I smiled.

'I know. Main reason why I bought this house.'

'Totally understandable...' She kept looking outside for a while, then got up to talk to Alison in the kitchen when Nicholls and I started hitting it off about music.

'You should hear this raw track Jordan and I just finished,' I said to him.

'Well, fucking show me then,' Nicholls said. I shrugged, finished my drink and nodded towards the studio room. We got up and left the girls catching up over wine at the kitchen island.

'Okay, so –' I ticked the space key on the key board and the computer came back to life. 'I just wanted to add something to the album about what has been happening in the world lately, and came up with this.' I opened a track called Parasite Eve. 'It's the raw version, so don't hang on it too much, but –' I looked up at Nicholls, and I saw he was already listening intently. I smiled and let my head softly bob on the beat.

'Mate, we should really get together with the lads to talk about this album. I feel like our online meetings aren't covering the vibe enough,' he said when the track finished. 'I'm feeling it so much better when we're together.'

'Same,' I said, leaning back in my chair and looking at the computer screen. Nicholls looked around a bit and pulled my notepad from the desk, scanning it through for a moment. His eyes lingered on the lyrics I had scribbled down, then he looked at me.

'How have you been holding up?,' he then asked, leaning down on the desk and putting the notepad down. I looked from it to him and shrugged.

'Fucked up,' I said. Nicholls gave me a small smile.

'Obviously,' he said, looking at the lyrics again. 'Why didn't you talk to me? Or any of us?' I shrugged again.

'Everyone's been busy with themselves and their family's safety enough already, in the past two months,' I said. 'No need to worry about me.'

'Hmm,' Nicholls just said. 'You're my best friend. You could've come to me.'

'Alison's been there for me.'

'Alison deserves a break from your dark moods sometimes too.' His words struck me more than I cared to admit, and Nicholls realized when I gave him a hurt look. 'I know she won't, but she does. I love you, bud, but you can be a real pain in the arse when you're going through something. And Alison was stuck with you in quarantine.'

'She didn't mind,' I retorted, knowing she did.

''lright, if you say so.' It fell quiet and I bit my lip. Alison should not have been the only one I had been relying on so heavily, but on the other hand, she had never showed any sign of it being too much on her. 'But just talk to me, or any of the lads, if it gets too dark in that head of yours again.' He gave me a stern look and I nodded to keep him satisfied.