Suck It And See | A. Turner

[Chapter 9]

Time had passed, and Jade had seemed to adapt well to life in Sheffield. Despite her home life not getting any better, she quickly learned she had Alex, Matt, Jamie, Andy, and Sasha to depend on for anything she needed. They had taken her in and made her feel as though she'd known them for years, working, playing, laughing, and just trying to survive through their last year of high school together.

Meanwhile, the impromptu band practice had grown... unpredictable, to put it lightly. Alex taught Jade as much as he knew about the guitar, and she tried to teach him how to draw in between sets. Unfortunately, as the days passed, Glyn seemed less and less interested in participating in their fun. They'd make plans to meet in someone's garage and just hang out together, and Glyn would show his face as often a hooker would in church.

By the time late November had rolled around, the leaves had fallen and left the trees uncomfortably bare, and the blue skies had faded into a dull and lifeless grey, cloudy blanket. The winds picked up in pace and temperature and the cold air was enough to make one's bones shiver. Jade had quickly turned in her punk t-shirts and converse trainers for thick knit sweaters and boots. Unfortunately, however, her uniform restricted the opportunity for girls to wear trousers to school.

"Summertime and the living's easy

And Bradley's on the microphone with ras m.g.
All the people in the dance will agree
That we're well qualified to represent the LBC
Me, me and Louie run to the party

Dance to the rhythm it gets harder"

Jade sketched slowly in her notepad, her mind slowly numbing with boredom. Alex was reading his textbook, tapping his fingers in time to the beat of the radio, Matt was sitting on the drum stool while playing with his own game boy, Jamie was trying to tune his guitar, and Andy seemed to be having a nap on the piano bench. All that was missing was Glyn. They were well past the half-hour when they had originally agreed to meet for another jam session, and Glyn was nowhere to be seen. He wasn't even answering Matt's texts.

Jade let out a soft sigh to herself out of mere boredom. Her eyes kept slipping shut, and for a brief moment, she felt herself drift to sleep. However, she was suddenly awaken by an unfamiliar voice harmonizing to the Sublime song.

"Oh take this veil from off my eyes

My burning sun will someday rise
So what am I gonna be doin' for a while
Said I'm gonna play with myself

Show them how we come off the shelf"

Jade's eyes slipped open and she turned her head, her eyes falling onto the lanky, moppy-headed boy reading in the corner, unconsciously singing to himself. Jade had never heard him sing before, and she was pleasantly surprised at how good he was. Too good, good enough to not just be flunked to backing vocals.

"You can sing?" she asked him, waking the other boys out of their trance. Alex looked up with mock horror in his eyes as he'd been caught out.

"Erm -- no," he replied.

But Matt merely scoffed at his wimpish answer, "'E can sing, Jade, 'e just choose not teh," he said.

"Yeah," Andy huffed, "'E's shy,"

"I ain't shy!" Alex snapped at them, "I just can't sing. I mean -- I'm okay, but I'm not great or anyfing,"

"'E's full a' shite," Jamie told Jade.

"I am not," Alex said, "Glyn is just the better singer,"

Andy shrugged with a hum, "Can't be the better singer when he can't even be bothered to show up for practice,"