𝐄𝐏𝐇𝐄𝐌𝐄𝐑𝐀𝐋 - 𝐆𝐄𝐎𝐑𝐆𝐄 𝐃𝐀𝐍𝐈𝐄𝐋 [✓]

𝟏𝟐. 𝐀 𝐅𝐀𝐕𝐎𝐔𝐑

𝙵𝙴𝙱𝚁𝚄𝙰𝚁𝚈 𝟸𝟶𝟶𝟾 | 𝚆𝙸𝙻𝙼𝚂𝙻𝙾𝚆

It was becoming an increasingly rarer occurrence for Elizabeth to find the time to visit the boys in their rehearsals. Her college timetable was pretty lenient and a lot of it matched up to Georges, but everybody else was busy with their lives. Matty, having dropped out of college, was wasting time kicking about town doing nothing in particular and smoking copious amounts of weed. Adam and Rebecca were off at Manchester University, living together in a shared flat in the uni halls. Adam chose to study Biochemistry and Rebecca was studying English, sure that she'd become a primary school teacher someday due to her love of children. Ross was currently in his second year of college, sometimes seeing Elizabeth and George around when he wasn't in his lessons. He chose three A-Level subjects, Music, Physics and Psychology and had his sights set for Salford University to study music. 

The group were truly starting to grow up. 

It was a treat for them all to spend the weekend in the Healy house once more. They practised a growing setlist of songs, ahead of some gigs they had booked in the coming months dotted around Manchester, they were beyond excited for it. 
Elizabeth took up her usual spot in the corner, zoot in hand and puffing away while humming the lyrics, until Matty spoke to her through the mic.
"I know you're into photography and that, can you take some photos for us to put on MySpace?" 

She nodded eagerly, desperately needing a project for her coursework folder. "What do you have in mind?" 
The question sparked Matty to go onto a long drawl about the image he wanted the band to have, it screamed emo which amused the girl as his look was as far from emo aside from the few band tees. He donned Buddy Holly glasses and a quiff, but that aside he was all about the black and white aesthetic.
"Also because people keep turning us away because we don't have a 'big enough online presence', which I think is bullshit but whatever." he shrugged, not showing how disheartened he truly was by struggling to get signed.
Once he finally stopped talking, ignoring comments from the rest of the boys joking about his ideas, Elizabeth nodded and headed home to get her camera. George following her because he 'fancied a walk and a smoke'. 

Elizabeth could tell something was up with him from the way he was so eager to get out of that room, usually never wanting to leave his three best friends and dying to rehearse with him. She didn't want to pressure the boy, knowing he wasn't one to talk emotions. She couldn't stand the silence any longer though, speaking up "Right then, what's up G?" 

He attempted to cover up what his facial expressions were blatantly saying, he looked like a sad puppy dog and Elizabeth knew it. "Nothing, I'm fine. Why do you ask?" 
His much shorter friend chuckled and rolled her eyes at him. 
"Because you've had a little frown on your face for the last ten minutes and you practically ran out of that room. Something is wrong with you mate." 

The way his hands dragged down his face and he huffed, she knew she was right; but it wasn't like she needed anymore clarification. "I'm just stressed out because of all this getting signed shit Matty won't shut up about. He's so determined to make it bigger than just us lot and I don't know if we're cut out for it." 
Elizabeth tutted and stopped in her path, about to give him a mix of a scalding and a pep-talk. George knew this was about to go down and he wasn't looking forward to it, he hated when Elizabeth put her brain to work because everything she said made perfect sense and he also hated being wrong.

"Are you joking! George haven't you seen how much you're growing on MySpace, Matty is just being Matty and getting ahead of himself." he tried to interrupt but was met with a stern look and finger on his lips, "You guys are getting so much better every time you rehearse, you've got shows booked for the next few months! Sure they're not big shows but you're still getting out there, exposure and that is what you need."

He nodded, every fibre of his being hating being told off by his best friend. "Yeah but-"
"No buts. I don't know if Ross ever told you or if he was even sober enough to remember but at Leeds I told him I can see you up on that stage in a few years." 
He let out a cackle-like laugh that Elizabeth hated yet loved at the same time. "I'm serious." she whined, tugging at his hoodie arm. 
"I even bet him fifty quid on it and you know how much weed fifty quid could get me, if you're not headlining Leeds festival one day then I can't claim you as my friend." she delivered her words plainly, firmly believing in them.

"Alright well one step at a time yeah, I mean we're almost out of college Liza. I don't know what to do with my life. Uni is a no go because it's so not worth it and I need money obviously-"
Elizabeth rolled her eyes as if everything made perfect sense to her, "Then you can get yourself a job, just apply and get something on the side but keep making time for the band. It's your passion, you love music G and you can't throw it away because you're scared of the future."
He tried closing himself off as per usual, "I know but the future is a good reason to be scared."

She laughed at his words, knowing that he wasn't wrong. "Everyone is scared of the future, I'm shit scared. Becky's off at Uni and she knows she wants to be a teacher and I'm pissing about with a camera doing odd shifts in a cafe to afford a better lens. Our lives are a bit of a mess really when you think about it."
He chuckled, leaning into her slightly as he walked towards her house to pick up said camera. 
"You're not just pissing about with a camera, you're good at photography! You're gonna go far I'm sure of it." 
"If you say so Danes." 

Matty welcomed them back into his house with an exasperated sigh, "Took you long enough!" 
Elizabeth acted offended at his words, "Guess I'll just leave then, you'll have to pay someone else to take your shitty photos."

"They're not shitty." "They'd do a better job than you." George and Matty said at the same time, a chuckle coming from Matty's mouth with his words but George meaning the compliment he paid her. She rolled her eyes at their antics and got to working her magic behind the lens. 
"I'll edit them good at college so they're not gonna be black and white now, because everyone knows shooting in colour is just better." they all nodded at her geeky camera comments, pretending to know what she was going on about as she threw about words to do with the 'exposure' and 'apature'. 

After nearly an hour of group shots, images of the band in action, close ups and portraits the girl thought she was done. Her SD card soon unable to hold anymore images. "You can film some videos while you're here if you want." Matty threw in, after she thought she was finally done with taking the photographs. 
"Are you going to be paying me for this Matthew?" she retorted, slightly fed up with him and wanting to go to sleep more than anything. 
He shook his head and thought, "I can pay you in weed if you're interested?"
Everyone laughed at him and his slight ignorance. "Then the answer is not today love."