Before it ends

So I need your advice...

I pulled up into Ashley's drive way after school. I didn't see any car, so I doubted her parents were home and the house practically shook with the sound of her stereo. I knocked but the door was already open. The house looked empty, except for the wild vocals coming from up the stairs, I headed for the room it was coming from.
"Who are you?" A small boy, at least up to my knees stood in front of me.
"Hi I'm Ashley's friend," I smiled down at the boy. He had brown gingery curls and held a small toy train in his hand.
"She's in there." He pointed to the white door along the hallway. "If you could get her to stop trying to sing that'd be great. Thanks matey." The boy walked away and closed a black door behind him. The name 'Louis." was written on the wood. He looked at least 4, his eyes were a fiery orange colour. I smiled, there was definitely a bit of Ashley in him. They both looked way to small to have such big brains. Or egos.
"Ashley?" I opened her bedroom door to find clothes everywhere. Ashley wore pink fluffy trousers and a white woollen jumper with  pink letters spelling: meow. I'm guessing these were her pyjamas. Her back was turned to me and she was jumping on her bed.
-Ashley couldn't sing
That was a fact I knew now, but it wasn't her voice I was paying much attention to. Her hair was curly and wet, she must have just come out the shower. It flashed around and jumped to the beat of the song, somehow always finding its way back, sitting perfectly on her shoulders.
I smiled and stepped into the room, making a point of closing the door.
"Ugh, Louis get out." I dodged the flying pair of jeans. Ashley turned around and scowled, her face softened with recognition and she turned down the music.
"Sorry," she smiled gently "I thought you were-"
"Louis? I'm not." She shook her head.

"Noted."

"So why am I here Ash?" I stepped forward but didn't sit down, there was nowhere to sit. It was a mess. There was no doubt about it- but an organised mess. Shoes all dumped near the door, tops on the bed, pants in front of the wardrobe. You can tell a lot about a person by their bedroom.
-Ashley's good at hiding things, she acts like she's got the whole world sorted out. She doesn't, she's only human.
"Umm sorry." As if she read my thoughts she started cleaning up her room. "It's been a long day." I shrugged and went over to her desk. She cleared the chair and I sat down. "Umm, I've been tearing my hair out trying to find what to wear for my Roosevelt intro day."
"Wait you got into Roosevelt Academy of Art. Shit." She smiled.
"I'm kinda in," she continued tidying  up her clothes. "In around three months I have to submit three art editions." What where art editions? "Let me explain, I have to give in a video, a picture, anything to show what arts I'm into,"
"So what arts are you into?"she stopped for a minute and then looked up at me.
"Don't laugh." I smiled at this. Wrong thing to do, but I did.
"See your already smiling and I haven't even told you what it is yet."
"I won't laugh I promise." I held back a smile and put one hand to my heart. She looked weary, and then she rolled her eyes and went into her wardrobe.
"Well when I say 'the arts' everyone thinks performing right? Not so much in this school. They have classical arts e.g a writing course and they have visual arts-"
"As in drawing and stuff?"
"Exactly."
"Well what ones are you doing?" Ashley pulled a huge- I don't know what it was. It was square, big and covered in black cloth.
"I'm doing, musical arts, writing" she bit her lip before continuing " and visual." She pulled the cloth away and released a canvas. There was a drawing on this canvas. It was a snow storm, in a wood. The trees were being blown along with waves of her brush and somehow the painting made you eyebrows crease, and you stomach drop just by looking at it. Like you were there, in the painting, alone and cold. The world seemed to spin in this storm. Flecks of black, grey, brown, white, all put together to make something so beautiful.
"It's amazing."
"Thanks." She covered it up and put it back in her wardrobe. I'm guessing she didn't show many this. I was happy she showed me.
"So what do you want me for? I mean I'm okay with a guitar but I could never paint like that, or play to the academy's standards.
"I know, I'll play I just need you to sing."
"And what makes you think I can sing?" She covered her face and stepped towards me. She held my hand, hers were warm. Hayley's were always cold.
"Don't freak out. " she released my hand and smiled. "My aunt may or may not know the principle who may or may not have talked about your file which may or may not have mentioned you got accepted into Scholars music academy before you moved." It took a while to cancel out the 'may not' and actually understand what I was being told. Once I understood I didn't really have a response.
"Okay."
"Wait what?"
"Your forgiven." I looked up at Ashley and smiled. "Is that all?" I began to get up.
"No ass hat."  She pushed me back down in my chair "I have to write the song that I play. I have the notes just not the words."
"Well I don't write songs."
"No but you sing em'"
"Not any more."
"Please." She did that whinny voice that Hayley tries- its supper annoying. "As you saw from my little performance earlier, I can't actually sing. "
Great. Just the predicament I needed.
Just help out a friend Ryan.....
Hayley won't like this....
We are just friends.....
Hayley won't like this...
She needs you, don't be a dick....
Hayley won't-
"Fine I'll do it."

"Awesome. You're the best,you're the best, you're the best."

"I know." I teased, Ashley laughed "I mean you really can't sing. Without me, there is no way you're getting in."
"Whatever." She rolled her eyes and went to lay on her clothes, that I'm pretty sure is covering a bed.
"So what instruments do you play?"
"Oh. Piano, guitar, drums, flute and I'm learning the violin."
-Ashley is wayyyyyyyy smarter than she lets on.
"Wow."
"Thanks."
"So your writing piece, can I read it?"
"Umm." She looked uncomfortable at that question, like I was prying to deep.
"If you don't want me to I don't have to. You know what forget about it." And for a moment I thought she'd turn to me and say 'no it's okay. You can read it. You'd be the first though.'
But she didn't, she simply gave me a small smile and stared folding the pile of clothes by her wardrobe,
"So after school. Monday's. You meet me here and we practice."
"Okay."
"Great." She shot me one last thankful smile.
"Gr- awesome." I smiled back took that as my cue to leave. I closed the door behind me and heard the radio rise again.
"It was worth it." The small man was back- Louis I figured.
"Pardon?"
"The few seconds you were in there you got the" he moved closer to Ashley's door "Wicked witch of the west to lower her stupid voodoo boy calling."
"Shut up Louis, go talk to your own friends." Ashley voice came from behind her door again.
"Then turn down the music"
"No."
"Yes."
"No." I left them on the landing, almost sure they carried on long after I left.
:::::
Who else has a brother like Louis??
What are you guys thinking about this project they're working on?
Any Ryshley fans out there?
Xxx- thanks for readinggg