From underdogs to top dogs

Chapter 28

"Are we just doing this to laugh at my expense?" Asked Skye, slightly irritated. The group were filming a video and it was a reacting to their outtakes.

"Pretty much." Marshall laughed just as one of his mistakes played on screen;

He took a step towards Everest, stared her dead in the eye and laughed shaking his head and walking off screen "What's my line?"

The group howled with laughter as Marshall slowly turned red. The screen turned back to Marshall and Skye in the background.

"Oh no." Skye faceplamed as she recognised the video and had never let her slip up down.

She walked up behind Marshall and leaned over his shoulder to sing her line but tripped and fell face first onto the table. Marshall stood up and walked away, crying with laughter while Skye stayed resting on the table contemplating where it all went wrong.

Back on the sofas, the group were still laughing - even Skye.

"Oh my life." Chase breathed, wiping away a tear. The next few outtakes were literally loads of Chase and Skye trying to act serious and sometimes angry towards each other but they just fell about laughing.

"I swear if we were having a real argument, we would just laugh." Skye giggled.

"Yep."

They looked at the screen and it was a really old clip, from their first music video.

Everest was playing solo basketball and on the first take, she caught the rebound and turned around before bursting out into laughter.

"Sorry, Zuma's pulling faces at me."

Take two: Ev aimed and shot the ball but the rebound hit her full force in the face.

Skye had fallen off of the sofa tears falling down her face.

"Oh my god I'm dying!" She cried, clutching her stomach which was now aching.

"Yeah yeah give over." Everest blushed.

The screen showed Skye and Everest now. It was their music video for I really like you.

They were taking lively steps, almost skipping towards the camera at the start of the chorus. That was until Everest tripped and grabbed onto Skye to try and stay up but rather pulled the blonde down with her.

"My back was killing me for a week after that!" Skye giggled.
The screen changed to Chase and Skye again. They were looking at the camera checking that everyone else was ready.

"Action."

Chase and Skye turn to each other and looked like they'd had a fight. Chase sang his line.

"Must be stupid-" before he could continue, Skye squeaked and stepped back.

"What was wrong with that?!" Chase looked at her.

"You're not meant to spit in my eye!"

"Sorry."

"Cut!"

"Chase that was gross." Marshall looked at his best friend who sat across from him.

"It was an accident."

"I had to wash my eye out for twenty minutes because that tiny bit of garlic that had been stuck in your tooth flew into my cornea!" Skye hit him with a pillow and reached for a drink.

"Imagine how I feel!" Rocky spoke up. "Remember the time when - oh hang on here we go." He nodded to the laptop. The group looked at him confused but then turned their attention to the laptop. Again, it was an old video and Rocky and Zuma were in the shot waiting for their cue:

"Action." Chase said from behind the camera.

Both the boys sang their line: "but if you close your eyes-"

unfortunately, the group had had lunch just before filming so Zuma accidentally burped right in Rocky's face, causing him to turn away and gag.

"Oh my god Wocky I'm so sowwy!" Zuma gasped.

"Good! Bloody hell your breath reeks!" The grey haired boy coughed.

"None of you have to deal with that now do you?" Rocky folded his arms.

"Well..." Chase started, nervously looking at Skye. "I kinda do." The entire group looked at the blonde who was innocently sipping a can of coke. She looked at her friends.

"What?"

"Skye I thought you were lady like." Marshall teased. He instantly regretted his decision when the blonde downed the last of her can, swallowed, burped and blew the air in his face. Marshall had his eyes closed but still had a deadpan look on his face.

"Does that answer your question?"

"Gross." Marshall muttered, making the others laugh.

"You know what?" Rubble thought out loud. "I'm glad we're all like this now. We're not scared of what people think about us anymore and we've stopped letting it get to us."

The group thought about it and all but Chase smiled. Instead he looked distant.

"You're right." Tracker smiled. Rocky stood up and turned the camera off to save the battery. He cast a glance at Chase and noticed his state.

"You ok Chase?" He asked, snapping his friend out of his daze.

"Hmm yeah I'm fine. Just going to the bathroom." He stood up and walked out of the basement, tugging the sleeves of his hoodie. He had suddenly started wearing them all the time in the past few weeks. Skye stared after him.

Why's he not using the bathroom down here? She thought, a frown on her face.

She followed him quietly and heard his near silent cries. No one else was around, just them: the gang was in the den and her parents were out.

"Chase?"

"What Skye?" He mumbled from the other side of the door.

"Open the door now. I'm not stupid."

"No."

"Chase I kn-"

"No Skye."

"Chase!" It was unlike Skye to raise her voice. The lock clicked and the door opened, revealing a teary eyed Chase to his girlfriend. She walked in and perched on the edge of the bath. Spotting the blade on the sink, she threw it into the bin and looked back at Chase.

"I thought you'd stopped this?" She asked gently. She wasn't angry, rather disappointed that he felt the need to do this. Chase looked down at his feet, ashamed of himself for his actions.

"Roll up your sleeves." Skye stared at Chase, who's hoodie covered his arms.

"Huh?"

"Show me your scars."

"Why?" Chase still hadn't looked at his girlfriend. She stood up and walked to him so they were chest to chest. Skye held one of his hands and rested her other on his cheek, forcing a gentle eye contact between the two.

"Because I want to see how many times you needed me and I wasn't there."