Alex Carter: A Red Band Society Fanfiction

Never Going to Change

"So, here we are," Holly said perkily. She lead Kara and Dash into a large set of rooms, open and white. "What do you think?"
"Yeah Dashiell, what do you think?" Kara said, slightly taunting him. She was still a little annoyed he wouldn't tell her why they were there. She also wanted to see just how well he could pull this off.
"The lines. They're a bit expected."
Kara raised her eyebrows, impressed.
"But," Dash continued, "I think we could shake things up a bit with some texture." He gestured toward the back wall. "For example this wall is just screaming for some impudent wallpaper."
Kara smiled to herself, rather surprised at his confidence.
"Now, if you'll excuse us, I'll need some time alone in the room, to get a better feel of the space," Dash added, continuing to work his magic.
"It's just how he works,"Kara added, reassuring the overly perky realtor. How her moms put up with her she had no idea.
"Of course, I'll leave you two alone," she said walking out the door.
Kara whirled on Dash. "Now can you please tell me what we're doing?" He shook his head in awe of her persistence and the annoyance it caused him, and walked out into the hall. A nameless door conveniently a few feet down the hall from Apartment 5c, was their ticket out. Dash stepped out the door and onto the roof, with Kara following behind, still very confused. Dash threw his bag down and unzipped it, revealing at least a dozen spray paint bottles.
"Oh, you're a vandal," Kara said finally understanding. Dash ignored her knowing that if he tried to explain himself she would laugh in his face to cover up either her understanding or her lack thereof.
"Would you step back?" Dash asked, impatiently shooing her out of the way.
As he worked, she watched silently, for the most part.
"So, are you like an artist or something?" Kara finally asked. Dash nodded, not taking his eyes off his work, but wanting to encourage the closest to accurate thought she'd voiced all day.
Dash stepped back to admire his work. "Wow. That's shockingly good," Kara stated, with actually real emotion infusing her voice.
"I know," Dash replied, smugly. It felt good to surprise her for once, considering she constantly acted bored with everything. It was nice to finally get to see the real her, and not the person she constantly pretended to be.
"But I mean, why here? I mean, nobody's ever going to see it," Kara questioned. Dash shook his head. She didn't get it, but that's because he never told her. He didn't tell anyone of his plan, because no one expected him to think the way he did. The thoughts that lead him to vandalize this wall were thoughts that belonged to someone like Alex. But just because he didn't voice them doesn't mean he didn't have them.
"Is this like a Banksy thing?" Kara asked, interrupting his thoughts. This question truly surprised Dash.
"You know about Banksy?" Dash asked, incredulous.
"Whatever, you know about impudent wallpaper, surprises all around," Kara responded nonchalantly.
He looked at her with a new found appreciation, shaking his head in disbelief. She smiled at him, satisfied with his reaction.
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Nurse Jackson sat at her desk and looked up as my father walked inside. She shifted her glance to my mother as he found her. "What is it? What happened?" My father said when he reached her. But my mother wasn't about to give him any answers.
You see, she had just found out that my father had secretly been coming to see me. You can't blame him, really. I know I don't, I need my dad. However, due to my current condition, I couldn't really voice this opinion, and so my mother had it in writing that my father wasn't allowed to see me.
I think she convinced herself it was for my benefit that she do this, but I think it was really because she couldn't bear to see him, knowing he was the reason I was comatose.
"How long did you think you could keep this from me, Nick?" My dad put on what he hoped was a confused face, but my mother wasn't buying it.
"What do you mean? You know about the contract, I'm not allowed here!"
"I know you've been coming here. I found one of your little origami animals!"
My dad slumped his shoulders in defeat.
"Does it even matter?"
"Of course it matters, Nick!"
"C'mon we both know that restraining order was cr*p!"
My mom shoved away from the wall she was leaning against and began to walk down one of the main hallways. She sat down at a table near a wall of windows. "If I took it to court I would've won and you know it!" My dad persisted, sitting across from her.
"But I didn't. I didn't because I have been too busy hating myself for what I did, more than you could ever hate me! Now tell me what they said about Charlie," my father urged.
My mother looked down, upset. My dad could tell this was an unhappy subject, so he softened his stance a little. "Look, I am sorry if my being here has upset you, but honestly, what difference does it even make anymore?" My father looked at my mother, and her sad eyes met his.
"Things are never going to change," my father finished. He looked at his wife, and saw the walls she'd stacked against him begin to crumble.