Thunderbirds: Artistic Angels

Chapter 1

"Um, John?"

The blonde haired boy turned his head away from his telescope in surprise to see his immediate younger brother standing in the doorway of his room. He was wearing a blanket over his shoulders which draped down his body like a cape with his arms wrapped tightly around his beloved sketchpad.

"Virg? What are you doing up so late?" John asked, swiveling around in his chair to get a better look at his weary brother.

"I could say the same about you but I know you're nocturnal." The twelve year old replied, gently closing the door behind him and crossing the room to sit on the edge of John's bed.

John wheeled his chair a little closer to the end of his bed and kicked his legs up to rest them on the stump of his bedframe. "I know, but you're not. You sleep like the dead. So what's keeping you awake, kiddo? Is there something on your mind?"

Virgil cringed and shook his head slowly. John gave the chestnut haired boy a worried look. "Virg... I'm here to help. You can tell me anything. You know that, right?"

Virgil nodded his head, but didn't say anything for a while. He remained still on the bed, apparently deep in thought.

John respected his younger brother's decision to remain silent and wheeled his chair back over to the window, peering into his telescope to gaze at the constellations that danced across the sky above. He had recently been studying them for a Science project, which he found to be most enjoyable as he had always been drawn to the stars.

"I can't do it."

The blonde teenager looked up as his brother's voice cut through the silence and saw that Virgil was now sitting in the fetal position on his bed, his back against the wall and his head resting on top of his knees. John was immediately by his side. "What do you mean?"

"Art! M-My art course! I hate it!" Virgil squeaked, burying his head deeper into his knees in grief.

John tilted his head in confusion. Virgil had worked so hard to persuade their father to allow him to study art instead of completing an engineering course because he knew that he'd enjoy it more as art was his passion, so this new knowledge bewildered John completely. "Why's that?"

"I-It's just... not what I expected. My classmates don't like me so don't talk to me, but that I can deal with. It's-"

"Your classmates don't like you?" John interrupted. "Why's that?"

"Oh you know how it is." Virgil snorted. "I'm a rich Tracy, which automatically means I'm a snob. They don't even want to try to get to know me, so whatever, you know?"

John nodded his head in understanding. It had always been the way.

Virgil continued. "The content of the course and modules aren't very... enlightening. I thought the course would allow us more artistic freedom, but it doesn't, which leads to me being berated for taking a different approach to everything Miss Turner suggests."

"I see." John said, processing the information being given to him. Normally Virgil would have gone to Scott with his plight, but their older brother was away on a school field trip, leaving John with some rather large footsteps to fill regarding the big brother department.

Virgil cut through his train of thought. "John, you mustn't tell dad about this! Please! If he found he'd be really angry with me!" He pleaded.

"Virg, dad wouldn't get angry about this. He supports all of our decisions, no matter how much he opposes them. He may not agree with them all, but he will always support us. I know that for a fact. If you're unhappy doing this course then you should tell him. He'd be more upset with you if he knew you were unhappy and hadn't spoken to him about it." John advised, putting a hand on his little brother's shoulder.