"Nat do you want to play some music with me?" Alex asked as they all left the room.
"You sure your up to it man?" Nat asked kindly.
"I hope so," Alex said a bit sadly.
"Hey it's ok if your not, you didn't get any sleep last night," Nat said patting his brother on the back..
"I know but I want to play some music," Alex complained.
Nat could see Alex was in a whinging mood. But Nat wanted to play with his brother.
"Same here bro." Nat said smiling. "Do you want to play with the band?"
"Yeah, I missed having them around," Alex said following Nat to the room where all the instruments were.
Alex went and sat down at his drums. He began experimenting while Nat txted the rest of the band.
Rosalina was first to arrive.
"Hey Alex," Rosalina said smiling at him.
The rest of the band walked in a second later.
"Hey," Alex said looking up from his drums.
"What song do you want to play Alex?" Rosalina asked softly.
"Body I Occupy," Alex mumbled.
"You sure you up to man?" Qaasim asked.
Alex looked annoyed at the question.
"He wants to do ok," Nat said stepping in.
Alex counted them in before they started to play. Everyone shot glances at Alex to start off with, but as they grew comfortable they did it less and less.
After 'Body I Occupy' they played 'If That's Not Love'
"Before you know it we are there, On top of the world…" Nat trailed and off and stopped playing as he registered that Alex had stopped playing.
Everyone stopped playing and looked at Alex to see him slumped over the drums asleep. Alex chose some odd places to sleep, Nat remembered when Alex was five he fell asleep face down in a pizza when he was at the hospital.
Nat pulled out his phone and snapped a couple of pictures.
"Nat what are you doing?" Rosalina hissed annoyed.
"I'm doing what Alex want's, He would rather me act like he was not hurt," Nat explained.
"Does that mean we can prank him?" Thomas asked.
"I guess as long as it doesn't hurt him… he just wants to feel normal." Nat said.
Qaasim grinned devilishly and pulled out a vivid. He snuck over to Alex and began drawing Alex a moustache. Alex began to stir so Qaasim backed off.
Alex slowly looked up, he was looking pretty dazed.
"Why do I smell felt tip pen?" Alex asked lethargically.
Rosalina laughed at Qaasim's handiwork, unfortunately he had only managed to draw on one side of Alex's face.
"What?" Alex asked confused.
"Nothing…" Rosalina said trying to conceal a smirk.
"Lets get some lunch," Nat said, he wanted to wait a bit to see Alex find out.
Alex slowly stood up, he was confused as to what everyone was trying not to laugh at.
Juanita was helping make lunch with Big Ella when she saw Alex enter with the band following behind him.
"Have a nice sleep Alex?" Juanita said dryly.
Alex was really confused now.
"How did you know I feel a sleep?" Alex asked, he was embarrassed enough that he had fallen asleep on the drums.
"Just a feeling," Juanita smirked, she knew Alex would appreciate what they were doing.
Alex went outside and sat down at the table, where everyone else was.
"Enjoy your sleep buddy?" His dad asked him smiling.
"How does everyone know I fell asleep," Alex asked getting a bit frustrated, he thought it was only for a couple of minutes.
"Because some one drew on your face," Little Grace said laughing.
Abigail pulled out a mirror and handed it to Alex.
"I'll get you guys!" Alex said trying to sound angry, but they could all see how much Alex appreciated such a minor thing.
They all laughed.
"Just trying to make you feel better bro," Nat said ruffling Alex's hair.
"Thanks guys," Alex said sincerely.
Over the next week, Alex seemed to have even more mood swings, to even greater extremes. No one but Big Ella knew he had started drinking Lemon Lime soda again to try and ease his pain.
Alex was drinking the last can, in his fifth twenty four pack that day. He heard someone opening the door and threw the can behind the bed.
"Alex what have you been doing in here, you were supposed to be getting dressed for the concert, we have to leave in ten minutes." Nat said a bit stressed.
"What's the point I suck," Alex said heavily.
Nat didn't want Alex to know that he was right, over the last week Alex hadn't got a single song right in practise.
"No you don't man, Your just going through a difficult stretch," Nat said calmly.
Alex didn't respond and slowly got dressed before leaving with everyone to go to the concert.
Alex felt horrible afterwards, he knew he had done nothing right and yet people still applauded him. Nat looked at his brother concerned.
Alex had disappeared of to bed while everyone sat around talking. They were really concerned about Alex, there was something not right about him.
They eventually all drifted off to bed, except for Alex he continued to drink soda.
