We Can Do Anything ♪ kickthestickz

V

PJ turned the recording off with a flourish, grinning as everyone applauded. "That was amazing," Chris told him, leaning over the desk.

"Thanks!" PJ beamed at him, clicking a few things on his laptop and saving the file. "Now we just need to edit the two together and we're done."

Jamie handed him the SD card with the sound recording on as PJ opened his editing programme and checked the file. "If I just layer them, it should all line up," he said, inserting the SD card and opening the file he wanted.

They'd recorded the sound while PJ watched the video, so when he combined them it worked perfectly. He grinned. "Shall we watch it?"

The team (and Chris) gathered around the laptop and he pressed play. It had turned out better than PJ had expected – he was always somewhat surprised when he watched his own films. He glanced around to see everyone else's reactions, and saw Chris looking completely mesmerised, eyes glued to PJ on the screen, and chin resting lightly on his hand.

The bell rang in the middle of the video, but they stayed watching. It was only short, and they'd already seen it filmed, but they didn't want to miss the ending.

Wow," Chris breathed when it was over, and PJ only just heard him over the comments of his team.

"That went better than expected," PJ said, standing up and starting to stuff things back into his bag. "Thanks, guys."

"You're welcome!" Sophie gave him a quick hug. "Call us as soon as we're filming again, okay?"

"Of course I will," PJ said, giving Jamie and Louis one-armed hugs. "I'll send you the file for this one later."

"Thanks!" she called, already halfway out of the door with the other two. "See you later!"

"Bye!"

When they'd left, PJ leaned back against the wall, sliding down it until he was sitting on the floor. "God, that was exhausting."

"Didn't you enjoy it?" Chris asked curiously, coming to sit beside him.

"Of course I did! But directing, acting and doing a voiceover all on my own is pretty draining, y'know?" PJ leaned his head back and looked up at the ceiling, closing his eyes.

"You okay?" Chris asked, leaning his head on PJ's shoulder and staring at the ceiling too.

"Yeah," murmured PJ, absent-mindedly intertwining his fingers with Chris'. They sat together for a moment in comfortable silence until PJ suddenly sat bolt upright. "Shit!"

"What's wrong?" Chris asked, sitting up too, but not letting go of PJ's hand.

"My mum needs me home, I have to look after her, dammit..." PJ continued incoherently mumbling as he let go of Chris' hand and ran to his bag, stuffing the remaining papers in frantically and slinging it over his shoulder.

"Hey, Peej, I'll come with you," Chris called, picking up his own bag and following his friend as he ran out of the room. "Wait!"

"You can't come," PJ said as Chris caught up with him.

"Why not?"

"Because, um, because..." PJ's ability to lie seemed to be failing him, and Chris watched, concerned, as he panicked. "Because we're having the house decorated."

Chris grabbed PJ's sleeve and pulled him round so they were face-to-face. "You are a liar, and you aren't leaving this school until you tell me what the problem is."

PJ stared at the floor, hating himself for being unable to lie. How could he possibly tell Chris – someone who wasn't even one of his closest friends, although they'd known one another for years – that he didn't have a mother to take care of – that she'd left a few months ago?

"There isn't a problem," PJ eventually snapped. "I just don't want to talk to you."

He left Chris there, alone in the hallway and staring at the ground.

oops