Oh Calamity!

The next day I had double art, the teacher stood at the front of class,
“ok class we are starting the human form section of the class, I want you to go print a photo of a celebrity or someone you want to draw off the computers” my teacher said, everyone ran to the computers, I could see them printing pop singers and models, then I had an idea I could draw my uncle I saw loads of pictures when I searched the band last night, I searched all time low, pictures of all the guys came up making me smile, I laughed at their poses, Jack really was an idiot sometimes, I searched for Alex, knowing I could draw him easier I knew his face better, I picked a nice one of him and printed it out “ok to see where you are at I want you to draw the whole image in pencil, no colour no paint just sketching pencil” she said, I got to work she went round helping people who were struggling, then a girl on my table looked over
“You drawing Alex Gasgarth? I’m drawing Jack” she said showing me her attempt, I smiled thinking his eyes weren’t that shape, and his smile is a little bigger, I shook the thoughts off, it looked a lot like the picture, the picture was a weird shot of him,
“It’s good” I smiled
“So you like all time low?” she asked, I almost said I hadn’t heard much but drawing them would be weird and saying I’m their family was worse
“Yeah” I smiled
“Hey you have a weird accent where you from?”
“Just outside of London, near Essex”
“Hey that’s where Alex lived” I stopped myself saying I know my mum lived in that house she showed me it, but it had been sold when she pointed it out,
“Oh yeah” I smiled,
“So why you move here?”
“Erm, my mum, she um died in a car crash, I moved in with my uncle”
“Oh I’m sorry, you liking it here?”
“Kind of its all new, and I’m the weird new kid” I shrugged
“It gets better” she smiled, I worked on my drawing more,
“Hey I didn’t get your name”
“Ash” I couldn’t say Gasgarth, it would be too obvious,
“hey I’m Laura” she smiled, I smiled back, I finished my first drawing and was allowed to start a new one, I got one of Jack this time, I worked part from memory, part from the picture,
“Wow you are good” Laura smiled
“thanks” I said embarrassed, the bell went and I went to my next lesson, no one talked to me in science so I worked through everything, and didn’t get homework, then I saw Laura in the last lesson of the day, math and sat next to her, I got out my books when she saw the name tag
“Your names Gasgarth?” she asked
“As in Alex? His sister just died too, he’s not?” she said her eyes wide, I was unsure of what to say
“He’s my uncle, but don’t tell anyone” I begged
“Wow, what’s he like?”
“Like all family a pain but I love him”
“I thought he would be really kind”
“Well he is but it’s hard, and he is being careful not to let me slack”
“Like not getting in trouble for talking in lessons, shh” our teacher shouted, I looked down, and got on with my work, I liked math I was good at it so didn’t get homework, I ended up with none all day, I walked out with Laura
“So do you speak to the rest of the band?”
“When they come over”
“What’s Jack like” she said grinning,
“he lives with us, I don’t know how to describe him, a pain isn’t quite strong enough and alex complained if I use any stronger words” I laughed
“Really?”
“Well at times, I guess he’s kind of great but I don’t know, look I’ve got to go Alex will worry if I’m not home”
“hey give me your phone I will put my number in, you can text me if you like” she smiled I nodded we exchanged numbers, I got home and went to my room and started drawing, I preferred drawing people and worked on my pictures of Alex and Jack, I put them away just as Alex came in my room,
“You done your homework?” he said seriously
“I didn’t have any it was to finish what we did in class but I worked through it already”
“Really?”
“Yes” I said annoyed he was questioning me, he stared me down
“For god sake I will prove it look” I said getting out my books in my bag, see finished,” I said and dropped them on my desk
“ashleigh do not talk to me like that” he said sounding mad, I looked down, he had never sounded angry at me before, “I’m allowed to check what work you have and do not expect to get attitude” I looked down, Alex had never really shouted at me before he normally got frustrated and walked out,
“I’m sorry” I said not looking at him “you basically called me a liar and I worked hard to finish stuff in class” I said not looking at him
“Its ok ash I didn’t mean to talk to you like that” he said softening his voice,
“you want to come watch us?” he asked hopefully, I shook my head and sat at my desk, he sighed and left, I could hear him through the wall singing, I sighed and worked on some of my art again, and found some more pictures to draw, I was putting it all away when Jack came in
“Jack leave me alone” I sighed, I had my own sketch pad out and doodled, shapes and shading patterns not really thinking about it,
“Ash come on” he said at my door,
“I don’t feel like coming down today, just leave me alone” I said not wanting to talk,
“ash stop it, so Alex got mad, it was the first time you gave him attitude, he wasn’t used to it, don’t tell me to go away either, you know our deal, just because you are mad at Alex doesn’t mean I’m not going to come talk”
“Fine what?” I sighed
“Why did you give him attitude anyway?”
“I don’t know, I got sick of him going on about work, when I worked hard and he didn’t believe me, I would barely have homework at home because I normally finished it at school anyway, I just thought when I told the truth he would listen”
“he does he just worried you were going to stop working when you just started, give him a break its hard for him too” Jack said a bit more to the point than normal, he sighed “I mean he normally gives you a break when you do something wrong, so don’t do this to him, its killing him” that made me feel guilty
“Well he hasn’t come up”
“Because he never shouted at you like that before, he doesn’t know what to do, he’s worried if he comes up he will upset you more”
“But I don’t want to go down and talk” I sighed
“fine I will send him up, do not argue” he said seriously, he left shutting my door, I heard him run down the stairs, then Alex walk up I sighed as he walked in
“Ash?” he said gently,
“Hey” I said quietly, I didn’t know what to say to him,
“look I’m sorry for not believing you and shouting, but I can check if you have work or not, with what has happened I will want to check every now and then, but I don’t want you talking to any of us like that, and don’t sulk in your room it doesn’t solve anything” I kept looking down,
“Come on ash don’t be like that” he said walking over to me, I looked at him, I could see the worry on his face, I sighed
“Sorry” I smiled, it didn’t feel real but it seemed to cheer him up,
“It’s ok come here” he said putting his arms out I stood up and hugged him, I sighed and cuddled into him, I needed the comfort
“I got the photos out, do you want to look at them alone, or do you want to wait till the guys go and I can look at them with you?”
“Is it ok if you look at them with me?”
“Of course I told you that you can ask me to do anything” he smiled
“You want to come down?”
“fine” I smiled and followed him down, I sat in between Alex and Jack, Jack smiled but didn’t say anything, the guys said hi, talked for a little then left feeling the awkward atmosphere, Jack didn’t move though, he refused to take a hint,
“Jack we are going to be doing something personal” I said he trying to make him leave
“Go ahead I don’t mind” he smirked
“Jack she is serious, are you staying or not?” Alex said seriously,
“I will go if you want me to?” he smiled
“no its fine” I shrugged, I wasn’t really bothered by him being there so Alex went and got the box for me, I sat down and took the pictures out I sat looking quietly,
“You ok” Jack said quietly sitting next to me,
“Yeah” I lied looking at the photos, deep in thought,
“Really?” he asked, I refused to look at him, “ash? Look at me” he said seriously, I glanced up, but he saw I was crying, and cuddled me, I sighed, Alex walked in and saw us and ran to my side, Alex and Jack told me stories about my mum when they were younger, eventually I went to bed early too upset to handle it all.

Notes