Watercolour

Six

Alex's P.O.V

I checked my phone for about the hundredth time that hour... I don't know what I was expecting to have changed; it was gone 2am. I was still awake, lying staring at my ceiling. I had tried to distract myself from the fact that I was still up but I couldn't stop thinking about what Lucas had said to me the other day. I couldn't get it off my mind.

And I couldn't sleep.

I sat up and walked over to my window. The street was dimly lit by the lamp posts that were sparsely spread up and down the pavement. I sat there, perched on my window ledge, looking out into the darkness. It was so quiet; the only noise that could be heard was the ticking clock that hung in the landing. I could never sleep with a ticking clock in my room, but tonight I was so hot that I had to keep my door open slightly.

I reluctantly pushed myself up and walked out onto the landing. I stood in front of the clock; relishing in the cool air from downstairs. I reached for the clock and gently took it off the wall. I trod down the stairs and placed the clock on the dining table. I then filled a glass from the tap and headed back upstairs to my bed.

*

I stirred hazily and moaned from the tapping sunlight against my face, wondering how long I'd been sleeping. I blinked, shut my eyes, and blinked again. I yawned and eventually managed to fully open both eyes. My mind was fuzzy with the last remnants of a dream being chased away by the realisation that I was awake again; the details faded fast as I tried to recall them. With a mental sigh I allow my brain to focus.

The early September sunlight cut the room in half and I saw dust-motes dancing in the wall of light. I pulled my duvet up over my head to keep it out but it wasn't going to work; my brain was awake now.

After waking myself up with a shower, I opened the door of my wardrobe and stared at my small selection of clothing. It was mostly jeans, t-shirts and hoodies; which is most probably what I was going to end up wearing again today but I opened up my laptop to check the weather report for the day anyway. 'Humid with bright skies.'

The last thing I needed was to be stifling in the hot air. I slid on my boxers and pulled out my thinner pair of jeans and a white t-shirt. I forced my feet into my socks and shoes, tied up my laces and went downstairs. Both my parents were still in bed and would probably stay there until after I'd left the house. I grabbed myself some breakfast before packing my rucksack and heading out the door into the, already humid, October air.

Lucas' P.O.V

When I reached the community hall they were waiting outside the doors, having a conversation that was making them all smile. I looked around realized that I was the last one to arrive as my sister had stayed at her friend's house the night before.

"Sorry I'm late guys," I apologised.

Dan reached into his pocket and handed me a strip of paper with his contact details on it. I unlocked my phone and copied the information over.

"Okay, guys. Let's get going. Has everyone got everything?" Dan asked. We all nodded and started walking down the high street to the tube station. Dan was up front talking to Jace and Charley, followed by, my sister, Jemma and Rachel. Nathan, Alana and I took up the rear chatting about last night's football game.

"Lucas..."

"Yeah," I replied

"Did you watch the game last night?"

"I watched the Arsenal game up to half-time. Why?" I asked.

"Oh. Nathan's saying that it was Walcott who scored, but it wasn't, it was Wilshere," she said.

"No, it was Walcott," Nathan protested.

"Right, I'm checking," she said pulling out her phone.

"Ha! I told you" Alana exclaimed after a few minutes. She shoved her phone in front of Nathan's face. "Wilshere... Jack, bloody, Wilshere."

Once we'd reached the tube station, we all tapped our oyster cards and went down onto the platform. The train journey was over an hour long meaning that we had to change trains three times. To keep ourselves distracted from the extremely long and boring journey, we played too many games of word association. I was always the first one out and either Jace or Rachel would win. Eventually I gave up and just watched the others play.

Alex's P.O.V

After getting off the train, I caught the next bus. I reached the back of the bus to find that there was only one seat left and just to my luck it was the one that stank of urine. I decided to stay standing. A few stops down the road, the bus stopped and on stepped a boy that looked about my age. Unlike everyone else, he skipped the broken step. He had brown hair and green eyes. He looked up at me then to the seat behind me.

"Not going to sit down?" he asked pointing to the manky seat. I looked back.

"Um, it kinda smells like piss," I said quietly.

"Oh. Makes sense," he confessed.

I unlocked my phone and started texting Alana, telling her that I'd finished work and had just got on the bus. I unzipped my bag to get out my headphones and put them around my neck before plugging them into my phone and putting my phone into the pocket of my hoodie.

The bus jolted forward causing me to slam into the side of the boy. He reached out his hand to stop me from falling any further and then slowly helped me back to my feet.

"Thanks," I said awkwardly.

"That's cool, um..."

"Alex" I replied.

"Cool. I'm Harvey, by the way."

"Okay..." I looked down to the floor and moved my feet from side to side. A minute or later Harvey stretched his arm out to reach for the bell. When the bus came to a stop we walked down the aisle and off onto the street.

"Are you following me?" he joked.

"No. I'm go-" My phone rang. It was Alana. "One sec."

"Hey, Alana."

"Hey, could you stop off at the corner shop for a bottle of water, please? Lucas forgot his."

"Yeah, sure... I just got off the bus, so I'll be at there in about five," I explained.

"Okay, we're leaving the station now, we'll see you in a bit," she said before hanging up.

"Sorry, what were you saying?"

"Not much," he replied. "Not to be nosy, but where are you going?"

"No, it's fine... I'm going to this youth day thing," I answered.

"So am I... what are the chances of that?"

"Oh, cool. So where are you from?"

"I live in a place called Northfall... you know the road tha-"

"I know Northfall, that's not far from where I live... do you know Newford centre?" I asked.

"Yeah... that's like a 15 minute walk from my school."