Jatp one shots 2

Why they keep me around

1995
Reggie's POV

The phone rings and I quickly run to it before one of my parents can answer it, knowing it's probably one of my bandmates calling since I'm running late for practice. "Hello?" I say.

"Reggie, are you coming to band practice?" Luke asks. I hear muffled noises and voices on the other end but can't make them out.

"Yeah, I am I'm sorry I'm just running late." I say. "I'll be there in like ten minutes."

"Okay, see you soon." He says 

"See ya." I say and hang up.

I grab my bag and head to the back door to sneak out without my parents seeing because they don't really like me going out or me hanging out with them. They don't really like my friends too much, and always tell me they aren't my real friends.

Unfortunately, my dad was in the back room and I couldn't get out unnoticed.

"Hey, where you headed off to?" He asks.

"Nowhere." I say. "Just...just thought I'd get some fresh air."

"Then why do you have your bag?" He questions. 

"Uh.... it's my ninja turtle shell." I say. I think I'd make a great ninja turtle, they love pizza, I love pizza, I'd fit right in.

"You're going to hang out with your band aren't you?" He sighs in disappointment like I've failed him somehow.

"Yeah." I confess looking down at my shoes. "I have band practice, and -"

"I don't care." He cuts me off. "I've told you a million times they aren't really your friends."

"But-"

"I don't wanna hear it." He snaps. "I told you they only keep you around to make themselves look smarter than they actually are. Every friend group as the one friend they only pretend to like so they can laugh at the expense of their stupidity."

"Well I don't think-"

"You're really gonna stand there and tell me I'm wrong?" He says. "I'm the adult I think I know more about this than you."

I just nod my head. What if what he's saying is right? What if they, what if they really aren't my friends and they only keep me around just to laugh at me.

I can't shake the thought from my mind. I've been friends with Luke and Bobby for eleven years, and Alex for thirteen. I've known them my whole life, what if it's all been fake this whole time?

"Yeah, you're right, um I'm just gonna go upstairs to my room." I say, telling him what he wants to hear. I'm not staying in my room, I still have to go to band practice, I can't bail on them. Even if what he said is true, and I'm not really their friend, they're still my bandmates and they're still my friends and I can't let them down.

I head to my room and make sure to close the door behind me. I pull my window open and throw my bag out, then jump down. Grabbing my bag, I head around to the front and hop on my bike. Taking a short cut through the trail in the small wooded area, I make it to the studio in no time.

"Hey, sorry I'm late." I say walking into the studio and shoving everything my dad told me in the back of my brain. I can't think about that right now because then they're just gonna ask me what's wrong and I don't wanna talk about it.

"It's cool, ready to get started?" Luke asks. I nod and set by bag down and grab my bass. I keep it here for safe keeping, things tend to get broken in combat at my house.

"Let's work on the new song Long Weekends, I think we could work on the melody bit." Alex suggests.

We agree and begin working and fine tuning the melody and even re-wording some of the lyrics to make it flow with the music better. We work on perfecting the song for hours. Hopefully we'll be able to add it to our set list when we play the Orpheum next week.