Running on Adrenaline

Art was getting more and more productive when i finally realised what i wanted to do. I held a pile of portraits, portraits made from my own imagination. I felt like each person i drew reflected what i wish i could be.

Hannah looked at the faces and shook her head.

“How do yeh get the eyes so deep?” she wondered.

I shrugged and pilled them up placing them in a large folder.

When art was over i dreaded the thought of having to explain mathematic concepts to a very stubborn student. But i pushed these thoughts aside.

Oli was sitting with his books ready for the lesson.

“Alright” i said as i sat down “What do we need to cover today?”

He balanced the pencil in his mouth and spoke with it in there “Trig. What’s that?” he said referencing to the large folder.

“Art stuff” I simply answered. I took my notes out and began explaining them to him; he just nodded and every now and then would start doodling while I was talking.

“Dude” he snapped back “C’mon you’re not gonna get it if you don’t listen”

“I’m listening; I just like to draw when I listen”

I just sighed, if he still failed, it wasn’t a reflection of me, but rather of his inability to focus.
“Times up” i announced, he looked greatly relieved as i packed up.

“Band practice?” he asked, and i nodded a little happier than last time.

“Mind if join yeh?” he asked.

I took a few moments before I laughed out loud, enough for the librarians to shush me.
“Look i know it sounds weird, but the rest of the guys are going to a party and im not in the mood”

“How do i know you’re not spying?” i asked, i felt like i was 10 years old.

“How are our bands even similar?” he made a valid point “Do yeh think I’m gonna start singing or something?” he smiled.

I crackled a chuckle “Point taken, but I’m pretty sure the band would murder me if I brought you”

“I’ll tell them I made yeh” he made up his mind and waited for me to lead him to the basement.

I was worried about bring Oli, but I was hoping that maybe the band would understand he was actually bearable when you gave him a chance.

Luckily Brian wasn’t there to make the situation worse. But Tom and Jeremy did give me a look. Hannah seemed more relaxed about it, spending that day with Oli.

“Why is he here?” i heard Jeremy whisper to Hannah.

“He’s a decent person when he’s not dating Heidi” Hannah said out loud for the room to here. Oli bit his lip. “You understand righ’?” Hannah confronted Oli.

“i guess” Oli shrugged and then sat down.

I then walked over to the microphone and gave Jeremy a warning look, Tom came over to me and nudged me.

“Wha’ is he doin’ here?”

Oli was talking to Hannah so I answered Tom in hushed tones “He’s just a little down cause of Heidi, he asked to hang with us”

Tom’s face softened a little and he just walked away picking up his bass. I looked at Oli and he made a face, it was like he knew something I didn’t know.

We then continued by playing and stopping constantly to argue about the bridge of the song.
“I’m telling you, if you change the key the audience won’t respond well” Tom argued.

“Can we just try?” Hannah asked, Tom sighed and counted us in.

Surely enough it was catchy as hell, everyone agreed with Hannah, including Oli. Tom just sighed quietly allowing the changes. The vocals in the bridge turned into a chant, that i hoped the crowd would join in on.

When we were finally happy with the final touches Oli looked positively bored, he was lying down looking up at the ceiling.

“Did you think it was gonna be fun?” i asked him.

“No, by the way, nice choice with the change on key in the bridge, sometimes Tom can be indifferent just cause he wants to be” he shrugged and handed me my art folder.

“Did you look?” i snatched it from him.

“Maybe” he said sheepishly.

I sighed, what was the point of getting mad? “What do you think?”

“They’re good” he simply said. Then everyone then signalled they were ready, the lights went off and we all exited.

Oli would every now and then shove me in the dark way up the stairs, i would shove him back and Hannah would tell us to cut it out.

When we finally reached the hallways we all parted our separate ways to head off to our rooms.

I was unfortunate enough to witness Heidi alone in the room. This meant she could confront me and I really wasn’t in the mood for her, well when was I ever?

“Hey” she greeted a little coldness in her voice.

“Hi” I simply said, rummaging around to find some pyjamas.

“Did yeh tell Oli to stay away from me?” he confronted.

“I may have”

“Can yeh stay the fuck out of it? It’s none of yeh business” she stood up.

“I’m pretty sure it’s the whole school’s business” I snapped.

She growled and came over to me to shove me, I stood firm and took a deep breath, i didn’t like fighting back, and she wasn’t worth it.

“Heidi, stop it” i said through my teeth.

She took the birthday card from my mum and scrunched it up in one hand; she then grabbed the clothes from my hand and threw them on the floor.

“Heidi, I fucking mean it”

She then reached out to my necklace and tugged on it, it easily unhooked and she took it in her hands.

I just stood there eyes wide open and she was honestly saved by the knock.

“I needed to ask yeh something” Oli walked in and saw Heidi; he looked back and forth between us. And while Heidi was distracted i grabbed my necklace from her hands and walked out of the room.

I heard a heated exchange of words between Heidi and Oli, walked briskly down the hall and ran into the person I truly needed right now. I bumped shoulders with him.

“Wow” he took one look at me “Another rough night?” James asked with something lit up in his mouth.

“Yeah”

He handed me whatever it was and i gladly took a drag. We walked outside where we were free from the eyes of everybody else. I didn’t want to have to do this, but it just took me away for that little bit.

“What am I doing?” I groaned “I shouldn’t be doing this”

“Neither should I” he stated “But sometimes its okay” he tried to reason.

“I’m off” i finally said after a short hour. I stumbled all the way back up to my room and stumbled in. I just fell into bed shoes and all, holding my necklace tight in my hand.