Painting Flowers

Just as Jack was setting down the phone that he had found in the pocket of the sweatpants he was wearing, the door to the bathroom burst open making him jump and fall to the ground. He groaned as he sat up and saw a terrified looking Addie standing there talking a mile a minute and waving her hands around in the air. But he couldn’t understand a word that she was saying because he had no idea how to read lips, and now was really thankful that he had learned sign language with Soph when they were kids because otherwise he would have been screwed right now.

Addie, calm down. I can’t read what you’re saying. Jack signed once he pulled himself up off the floor.

She began speaking again but this time he noticed that she was speaking slower. But it’s still didn’t help. He had no idea what she was trying to say.

Addie, I can’t understand you. I’m not Sophia. I can’t read your lips. Just sign whatever the hell you’re trying to say.

What do you mean you can’t read lips? Phia, you’ve known how to since you were a kid. What the hell is going on with you? You look like you’ve seen a ghost. Did you have another night terror?

I’m not Sophia. I’m Jack. We somehow switched bodies in the middle of the night. And what do you mean another night terror? Soph gets those? Is she ok?

Addie rolled her eyes as she started to say something back to him again but went back to speaking and not signing. How the hell was he going to get her to understand that he wasn’t Sophia? If he wasn’t able to convince her soon this was going to turn into a nightmare. He was already freaked out that he was somehow a girl now, and now he had to convince Soph’s best friend and sister that he had magically switched bodies with her. Yeah, this was going to be a long day.

Addie, I told you. I can’t read your lips. You have to sign. That should be proof enough that I’m not Soph. She can read lips perfectly and I can’t. All I can do is sign.

That got Addie to shut up. She stared at him for a few seconds trying to figure out what to do next and he tried to wait patiently while rubbing his head where he had smacked it on the floor when he fell.

So you’re telling me that you’re suddenly not Phia and that you’re Jack? He sighed, nodding to her hoping that she was finally getting it. What’s going on? Why did this happen?

Addie’s attention was suddenly turned to the closed door behind her and she turned around to open it and Kora walked in. They began to talk and Jack just rolled his eyes not even bothering to try. It was usless. He was horrible at reading lips and it wasn’t going to change any time soon.

As they continued talking, he could only guess that Addie was explaining to their tour manager what was going on with him, he began to think of how this all happened. Then he realized something. He was now Soph and he had no clue how to change it. True he had known for a while that he wasn’t in his own body anymore, but it was then when he really realized what that all meant. He had to pretend to be Soph and continue the tour. This wasn’t good.

He didn’t even know how to play drums. Sure Rian had tried to teach him a few times but with his short attention span and lack of understanding the true concept of playing, he never really got it. He always admired Rian for playing so well. To him all it really looked like someone banging a bunch of drums and somehow making a beat. But there was so much more to it and he had no clue how to do it.

He must have said something out loud since he felt someone touch his shoulder and he looked up to see Addie standing in front of him with a worried look on her face.

What?

He cleared his throat and figured he should try to get used to speaking without hearing his voice since Kora was also standing in the bathroom glaring at him. He figured she thought this was a complete joke and Addie and Soph were just messing with him.

“I don’t know how to play drums. What the hell are we going to do about playing?” Jack asked trying to ignore the fact that he could only feel his voice in his throat and not being able to hear it.

Shit. Um do you know drums at all? I mean Bram knows Phia’s parts so maybe he could teach it to you. Addie signed and spoke at the same time so Kora could keep up with the conversation.

Are you two being serious right now? Addie signed for Kora who had finally really looked at Jack for the first time.

“Yes Kora, Addie is telling you the truth. Please just trust us. The longer it takes you to realize we’re telling you the truth, the longer it’s going to take to figure out what we’re going to do about the drum situation. I seriously have no idea how to play drums.”

But Bram does.

“What?” Jack and Kora said at the same time.

Bram does. He knows how to play drums and knows Phia’s parts. So we just explain what’s going on and he can teach Jack his parts on the guitar since Jack already knows how to play. Addie explained as Jack bit his lip.

It could work. He did know how to play guitar and even though he couldn’t hear anymore it didn’t mean that he couldn’t play. Hell, there were plenty of deaf people around that had amazing musical talents that looked past the disability and still played. It could work. It would be a little weird for a while but it could work.

Finally Jack nodded, looking up to Addie who smiled. Ok, let me go get the boys so we can explain what’s going on. How long do we have until we play tonight?

Kora glanced at her phone, Um about five hours. Do you think that’s enough time?

“Yeah probably,” Jack said quietly as both girls nodded and then went back to their room to get the day going. They had a long day ahead of them….