daycare // hemmings

twelve- dogs and drumsticks

Tobie heard Luke's guitar before she heard him.

Since all four boys were constantly asked for music, they were always writing. Tobie would wake up in the middle of the night because Luke was shuffling around the room, pick in his mouth, looking for a pen and a piece of paper.

Ashton had a drum kit downstairs in the studio, and he tried to get Tracy to play, but Tracy was never good at drums. Tobie, however, must've been a drummer in her past life because she could do just about everything Ashton did. 

"You want I'll take you there, you tell me when and where.." 

Tobie stood outside the door, listening to him brainstorm. She had a cup of coffee in her hands for him and was wearing his red and black flannel because he stole the blue one back. Kip sat at her feet, and everyone else was gone. Tracy and Michael had a doctor appointment, and Ashton and Calum took Jamie to the studio. 

She waited until he stopped playing to knock on the door, and he let out an exasperated, "Door's open."

She handed him the cup and sat on his bed, and he smiled. "I could use some of this."

"I thought so." Tobie said. "Working hard?"

"You could say that," he said, leaning back against the headboard. His eyes were red, and his hair was flat, which meant he didn't sleep very well.

"You should take a break." She said. "Watch a movie or something."

He turned his head to look at her, finally giving up. "Okay. What do you suggest?"

"Nothing too serious." She said. "Just a kind of shits and giggles thing." 

"Gotchu." He said, going to stand up. Tobie pushed him back down. 

"You stay here. I've got a movie." She said. 

He rolled his eyes but stayed put, switching from his Blink 182 top to a hoodie. Tobie waked out of his room and into the living room, grabbing "The Breakfast Club" off the shelf. She walked back upstairs, pushing his door open again, and laughed softly at what she saw. 

Kip was laying under one of Luke's arms, the other under his head. His eyes were closed for the first time Tobie had seen in weeks, and he was snoring, meaning he really was asleep. She knew that when he was quiet he wasn't actually asleep. 

She closed his door and went back downstairs, heading to the kitchen. There really wasn't any food to eat, and, a little disappointed, she went to the living room. 

Pip was sitting on the couch, one of Ashton's drumsticks in her mouth. Tobie knew that this wasn't a good idea, and she approached the dog slowly, hands out to grab the stick. "Hey, Pip. Can I see that? Please-"

With a bark Pip jumped off the couch and ran down the hallway, knocking over the end table and smashing a lamp. Tobie cringed, figuring Luke was awake now, but ran after Pip, yelling, "Get back here!"

She lunged on Pip in the studio, trying to catch the dog, but Pip squirmed last second and Tobie crashed onto the symbols, scaring the dog into dropping the drumstick. Tobie yelped, knowing she'd have a bruise there tomorrow. Regardless, she dropped Ashton's drumstick on the music stand and pulled Pip by the collar out of the studio, shutting the door behind her. 

She locked Pip in her cage, scowling. She waited for Luke to show up on the stairs, but it didn't happen. Kip didn't even come downstairs. 

Tobie went to check on them and they were in the same position as before, more or less. The only difference was that Kip had one ear up. But that was it. 

She shrugged, walking back downstairs. 

;

When the boys got home, they had a sleeping Jamie, armfuls of Chinese food, and a very grumpy looking Calum, who said that the people in the restaurant asked him the orders in Chinese, thinking he could speak the language. 

Tobie shrugged. "Maybe they thought you were their cousin." 

"Fuck off, Tobie." Cal said, but he was smiling.

"Hey, uh, Tobie?" Ashton called. 

"Yes?" She replied, helping Tracy unload the food. Michael handed Jamie to Calum, who brought her upstairs to her room. 

"Why is my drumstick chewed apart?" He yelled. 

Tobie turned to look at Pip's cage, and the dog had figured out a way to get out. She groaned, slapping her head. 

Tracy saw where Tobie was looking and started laughing. Cal caught on, and so did Michael, and pretty soon Ashton got it. 

When Tobie started to make a plate she felt someone wrap their arms around her waist and hum in her ear. She turned her head to see Luke smiling sleepily at her. "'Ello."

"Hey," she said, smiling. "Someone slept well." 

"Mm," he said, sighing and closing his eyes. "I smelled food." 

"But you didn't hear me chasing the dog?"

"You chased the dog?" He asked.

She raised an eyebrow. "Are you kidding me?"

He giggled, stretching his arms out. "I take it I missed something?"

She rolled her eyes, kissing his forehead. "I can't believe you some days."

He smiled and stole a dumpling off her plate. "Calum!" 

"Luke!" Cal answered. 

"Tell your cousins they did a good job!" 

"Fuck you!"

Tobie turned and looked at Luke fully, a huge grin on her face. "You're such a dick."

"I know," he said. He stole another dumpling and kissed her on the cheek. "But you like it."

She rolled her eyes. "Take my damn plate, why don't you?" 

He grinned. "Thanks babe."

She handed him her plate and ruffled his hair before heading to the staircase. She was ready to get out of these dog slobbered clothes and into some sweats and one of Luke's shirts. 

On her way to the bathroom she passed Jamie's room, so she made a stop. Her door was partially open so Tobie slipped through, looking for where Cal put her. 

But Jamie wasn't asleep. 

She was in the middle of her bed, holding her head and crying. There was a puddle of Tobie didn't know what on the floor and Kip was laying at her feet, head in her lap.

"Jamie, kiddo, hey," Tobie said, walking over to the bed. "What's wrong?"

"M-my head really hurts," she said, wiping her eyes. "And I don't feel good."

"Okay, it's okay, c'mere." Tobie said, holding her arms out. She scooped Jamie up and brought her to the bathroom, telling her to stay where she was, and if she felt sick again to go in the bathtub. 

She ran downstairs, grabbing Luke from the dining room table. "Come on, you have to help me."

"Tobie? What-" 

"Jamie's really sick. And I don't think it's a bug."