Oh Calamity!

A few days later I walked home from school and didn’t know what to do, I had a detention but I couldn’t tell Alex, no matter what I did they would find out, I walked trying to think of the best way to do it and realised there was no best way, I said hi to the guys and ran to my room to get changed I hesitated and grabbed my bag to go do some homework, I sat down next to the guys and got my book out, I kept going to tell them but didn’t know how to say it
“What’s up?” Jack asked
“Erm”
“Ash?” Alex asked sitting up, I knew I looked guilty, I reached into my bag and handed Alex the detention slip,
“I’m sorry” I said unable to look at him, worrying what he would say,
“What is it?” Jack asked confused at my face,
“She got a detention” Alex said sounding almost normal,
“What for?” Jack asked
“I forgot my homework” I said quickly
“Forgot or couldn’t be bothered?” Alex asked
“Literally forgot it, it’s on my desk, I just forgot my book and he still gave me detention” I said talking quickly hoping if I explained myself fast enough he wouldn’t get mad
“Go get it” Alex said, I ran to get it as fast as I could, and handed him it out of breath
“I swear I did it, it fell out of my bag on my desk this morning!” I said getting worked up
“hey I was just checking, its ok we all mess up every now and then, make sure you hand it in tomorrow morning” Alex smiled
“I am out tomorrow around that time I can just pick you up after detention”
“Why?”
“Save you walking?”
“Fine, but it’s for half an hour”
“I know, that’s what time I will be finished, I will pick you up at the school gates ok?” I nodded and did my work. After detention I walked out with everyone else.
“Look the looser is walking home alone” Laura laughed, clearly planning something, I was never happier Jack was picking me up, I looked around I couldn’t see him,
“What she doing now?” someone asked her,
“Probably waiting to cry to her uncle” she laughed I ignored them, and seconds later Jack pulled up beside me, I jumped in
“What’s up, why are they all standing there?”
“Just being annoying just drive please” I sighed,
“I can say something?” he suggested, looking lost,
“Just go” I said not wanting to cause more problems, he drove off and we sat in silence
“Are they starting again?” he asked quietly,
“No, I never see them, it’s just because I was in detention with them” he looked unsure but believed me, we pulled at home, I sat down and watched some TV,
“Do you have homework?” Jack asked,
“Some but it’s for Monday, most of it’s for Tuesday”
“Would you say that to Alex?” he laughed
“No but you are more reasonable” I huffed making him laugh
“Will Alex be reasonable when you are working on Saturday and Sunday when you know he wants it done early?”
“Fine” I sighed, I got my books out and started working
“Good girl” he smiled and walked off, he brought me a cup of tea, I thanked him and worked a little harder,
“So how is school going?”
“fine I’m getting better grades, so I feel happier now, even if I don’t really have friends” I said finishing the work for Monday, I put it away and got the other stuff out,
“What does not really mean?”
“I don’t know some people in my class are ok, but people don’t really talk to me that much” I said not looking at him, trying to concentrate, he was going to want to talk about that
“They don’t talk or you don’t?”
“Both” I said
“Have you tried?” he asked,
“not much but I’m happy how I am, I don’t want more drama and stupid stuff, if it happens it happens but I’m happy how I am right now”
“Ok, but if you want to talk about it you know you can, I know it feels awkward talking about this sort of thing but I am always here”
“Thanks Jack” I smiled then concentrated on my work,
“Ok I’ve got to go make a phone call, FINISH your homework then do what you like, and I will be upstairs ok?” I nodded and concentrated on my work, I finished what I needed to but he wasn’t back so I kept working, and did everything I had, I sighed and put it away, I sat and watched the TV.
“Hey sorry, I was so long”
“It’s ok” I smiled “what were you doing?”
“I had a few business calls to make, don’t get many of them but if I don’t do it our management get really moody with us well me” he laughed
“Well if it’s important” I laughed
“Yeah Alex gets really annoyed too cos they bug him to make sure I do it” he laughed
“I can imagine” I smiled,
“Anyway, I’m done are you?”
“Yeah”
“Great now we can relax”
“What we doing?” I asked
“Whatever, film, guitar, just watch TV and hang out anything you like”
“Ok” I smiled getting comfortable. Jack put his arm around me and we sat watching TV.
“What do you want for tea?” Jack asked
“Anything”
“there’s a pile of menus in the kitchen go pick one” he smiled, I got up and grabbed a handful, I sat down looking through them,
“I want a taco”
“Want to go to taco bell?” jack grinned, I nodded in agreement
“Come on” he laughed, we grabbed our stuff and Jack drove us, Jacks phone started ringing
“Check who it is?”
“Alex” I said looking at it,
“Answer it” he said laughing at me ignoring it,
“Hey Alex”
“Ash?”
“Yeah Jacks driving us to taco bell for dinner”
“Oh, how was school”
“Fine”
“Have you did your homework?”
“Yes!” I complained
“Ash I’m just checking”
“Ok sorry, you excited for your date?”
“Yeah” he said sounding like he was trying to hide it a little,
“hey pass me the phone” Jack said once we were parked, I passed him the phone and they had a quick call but managed to talk without giving anything away, I waited knowing Alex needed to know I was ok and things were sorted, or he would just be paranoid all night, Jack eventually hung up.
“Everything ok?”
“Yeah” Jack smiled.
“Ok let’s go!” Jack said, he ordered our food and I sat down, we sat talking joking around, he wound me up the whole time but it was fun, until I looked up and saw Laura walk in, I looked down hoping she wouldn’t see us, if she said something Jack would go mad,
“Hey what’s up?” he asked,
“Nothing” I smiled looking up trying to pretend I was fine
“You are the worst liar, what’s wrong?” Jack asked looking around
“Is that Laura and her friends?”
“No” I lied
“Ash!” he warned, he hated when I lied to them
“Fine it is, and I don’t want you to make a big deal”
“We can leave, I’m done anyway”
“No its fine” I smiled and took a sip out of my drink not wanting to rush him,
“Come on” Jack smiled and grabbed my hand we walked out,
“Look it’s the looser!” Laura laughed seeing me, but not Jack
“Oh my god it’s Jack!” her friend shouted
“Yes and I might have stayed to talk if she hadn’t said that, I’m not staying with people who call my best friend a looser”
“Your best friend? She’s your band mate’s niece, you look after her to be nice”
“actually I spend time with her voluntarily, she is practically my little sister” I glared at him for that, “and I love her, do not expect me to put up with any crap, or Alex for that matter, we know what has been going on and we will sort this if you keep going, come on ash” Jack said putting his arm around me and walked me out
“You didn’t need to do that!” I said as soon as we were outside
“Yes I did, her friends like us, they aren’t going to stand with her after that, did you say their face when I said I wouldn’t stay because of her? They hated her, trust me” he smiled, we drove back
“Hey you want to play guitar?” I nodded, we spent a lot of time playing
“Why didn’t you tell me she was there?”
“I wanted to avoid what happened”
“You should still tell me, you are not the adult here, I protect you, and you don’t need to protect me” he smiled
“I know, I just didn’t want it to happen”
“I handled it didn’t I?”
“Yes” I said reluctantly,
“So will you start telling us and let us handle these problems?” he smiled, I sighed
“I will try”
“And I will drag anything out you won’t” he said with a straight face,
“Can we stop talking about her and watch TV?” I complained
“Ok I’m sorry” he smiled, we stuck rubbish on the TV then got bored and Jack kept changing the channel
“Pick one or I take that off you!” I warned laughing
“Hey that’s you!” I said
“Oh yeah we filmed that before, erm before you came over” he laughed,
“You can turn it over if you don’t want to piss Alex off” I laughed, then stopped when I realised I swore, and wasn’t sure if he was going to react,
“Hey I don’t care if you swear around me but Alex will, so watch it” he warned
“Sorry but I couldn’t think of a better word” I laughed
“Fine, and nah I knew this was televised I didn’t say anything too stupid” he laughed and left it on for me
“I’m keeping this in case I’m wrong though” he laughed holding the remote in the air, I watched them playing, they looked the happiest I’ve seen them, Alex looked the most relaxed,
“Who’s that singing at the back?”
“Oh that’s flyzick he’s our tour manager, you will meet him, and well the rest of the crew at some point they will visit or we will have a meeting or something”
“Oh cool, you guys look good on stage, Alex looks a lot more relaxed” I said quietly
“Yeah, he does on stage, hey why did you say that like it was a bad thing?” I didn’t look at him
“it’s not because of you, he is like that on stage more than off, and its more him losing his sister than you causing anything so stop thinking that” he smiled
“He looked happier last weekend” I said wondering if I was allowed to talk about that
“Does that bother you?”
“No it makes me happy, but it’s weird he keep stuff from me, hey he swore!” I laughed
“Stop changing the subject” he laughed
“But he says I’m not allowed to he does!”
“on stage, part of why he doesn’t want you to watch this stuff, we are idiots on stage and he doesn’t want you to think you can be off, anyway, yes he’s keeping you from it, he is worried they will break up and you will get attached, they have been together before and it was very on again off again, and he doesn’t want to include you in that”
“But you said they never dated”
“Ok we are not talking about that, like I say it was complicated, it seems to be more serious, as soon as Alex is ready to include you he will, if it does bother you as much as I think it does tell him? It might make him think about it more, I think he’s over reacting, but it’s his decision, I don’t think I would introduce you to anyone unless it was serious, but if you kept asking about them I know I would cave” he laughed
“Why?”
“Because we are push overs, because we love you, and if something like that was bothering you I would try and put it right”
“Oh” I said quietly thinking
“Can I know anything about her?”
“Like what?”
“What is her name, Tay? What does she do, how does Laura know so much about her”
“Yes its Tay, and as much as I could answer that, can you wait and ask Alex tomorrow, if they are properly dating I want him to answer you now, he needs to”
“Ok” I said disappointed, I knew he wouldn’t,
“Hey I am bringing this up to him, either he answers these questions or I will” he smiled,
“Oh ok” I smiled, Jack started changing channels,
“Wait was that Alex?” I said confused
“No” Jack said clearly lying,
“What was that?”
“Alex did a video with another band” Jack explained “it was a year ago”
“Put it back”
“What band is that?”
“We are the in crowd, we toured with them for a while” he explained
“Oh right” I said watching the video, Alex had his arm around the girl a lot
“Is that?” I said thinking it couldn’t be,
“Yes, so that’s one question you asked she’s in a band”
“Oh cool” she smiled,
“Feel better?” he laughed
“At least I know what she looks like, she looks nice” I smiled, feeling like I knew a little more about her although I didn’t know much,
“Yeah she is, I like her anyway, we will talk to Alex tomorrow” he smiled, I nodded
“Ok” I smiled, he changed channels again and only left it for blink or green day,
“Seriously put something on for longer than a song!” I said sick of Jack, he ignored me laughing and I took it off him and found a show to watch
“Hey give it back” he moaned
“Nope I warned you” I laughed and put it down, he tried to grab it but I stopped him
“Give it back” he said with an evil look in his eye
“No, you were being annoying and I warned you!” I laughed moving back a little, he poked me in the side making me jump
“No!” I laughed, he tried to grab it but I stopped him he grabbed my arms in one hand and grabbed it,
“Too easy” he laughed, I tried to take it back but he stopped me
“Hey!” I complained, I tried again and he wrestled me down,
“Now say you are sorry for stealing the remote” he laughed quite happy with himself
“No, you were being annoying and I did warn you!”
“Fine” he grinned ticking me I tried to kick him but he was too heavy, I squealed as he found my ticklish spot
“Nooo” I laughed
“Help”
“No Uncle Alex to shout for” he laughed, I huffed
“Fine I’m sorry I took the remote off you for being indecisive when I warned you to stop but you did it anyway to be annoying”
“All I needed was I’m sorry” he laughed and let me up, I jumped up and slapped him
“You are so annoying” I complained
“Well don’t steal the remote, we all wrestle each other when we steal it”
“But your so much bigger than me it’s not fair” I complained making him laugh again
“Then don’t steal it”
“Then pick a show and watch it”
“It’s my TV I can do what I like” he grinned, I sighed frustrated
“Fine I will leave this on, I was just winding you up” he laughed
“Thank you” I laughed, we watched it quietly,
“Are you just enjoying this or are you huffed with me?”
“I’m watching it, I would have argued more if I was pissed, sorry huffed because I’m 5”
“ok calm yourself down” he warned, “just because I am looking after you doesn’t mean there are no rules, yes I don’t give a fuck if you swear really, but if we both get too comfortable and do it around Alex we are both dead, and it doesn’t mean you can give me attitude like that either”
“Sorry” I said feeling a little bad and surprised he swore like that, I really wasn’t used to it,
“Its ok, I would have reacted the same if I was treat like that” he smiled, I nodded he put his arm around me and I got comfortable.

Notes