"CAN'T STICK"

AUGUST 23:  03:23  MADISON COUNTY  

The bustle of the school bus came from the front and the back as James and Ben were seated in the middle,but James was not disturbed(though he hates noise)as he was more concerned with his conversation with Ben. He looked out the window of the school bus ;because of the statement Ben uttered before continuing his questioning

"So you mean without an hobby one cannot discover his talent?" James asked,looking back at Ben.

"Yes...surely yes" Ben conformed. James waited and then said

"No,it's not true"

"It's true,your hobby can even be your talent" Ben added

"I agree with that... but that statement that says I can't discover my talent without it...is not correct"

"Ok..suit yourself" Ben said as he looked out the window and arose "I'm home" Ben informed James.

"Ok man...see you tomorrow" James informed

"Tomorrow is a Saturday,have you forgotten?" Ben asked James

"Oh..forgot that, we'll chat on whatsapp then" James told Ben,as Ben fell onto the chair infront of him because the bus driver halted the bus

"See you then" Ben told James as he walked out of the bus, telling some of his friends in front goodbye

James then retired to his phone,as he has not gotten home yet. He entered the chrome app on his phone,to Google search something...

WAIT,LET ME EXPLAIN THE TYPICAL JAMES

James is a grade 9 student that loves being alone(a thing he developed because of himself being the only child of his parents),he is not really interested in making friends(that's why Ben is his only friend). One if the things he love doing is reading and he likes trying new things.

"What kind of hubby should a grade 9 student develop" James searched on Google

He got an answer on a list that says

1. Music

2. Writing

3. Reading

4. Knitting and crocheting, he hissed when he got to this( please know I'm not underestimating this kind of hobby...or talent)

5. Astronomy

6. Photography

7. Walking,hiking and running

8. Painting and drawing. The bus made him lean forward as it halted to alight a student.

He sat back,closed the app and switched off his phone screen,he then looked sideways( unknowingly). His look met a girl and she was listening to music, undisturbed and she looked cool that way. James then looked out the window and thought

'I think I love music also' he thought immediately ( he does not even have a earpiece).

"Yeah..I love it". 

FEW MINUTES LATER

The bus halted infront of his house and he rushed out... 

On getting home,he pushed the door open and entered the house,rushing to meet his mum in the kitchen.

"I'm home mum" James informed as he sat on the kitchen dining chair.

"Howdy" Mrs Smith asked,as she took a plate,ready to dish his lunch. James aroused from his position and ran upstairs to get ready for food.

He pushed his room door open(as he do keep it open always,except when he is in: privacy dude) and dashed in. He immediately changed into his house clothes. He ran down stairs and met his lunch,in the kitchen. 

"So mum" he said as he picked the tool for eating up,and then continued "What is the coolest hubby?" He asked, childishly. His mum who was having her lunch already,answered readily 

"Music"

"Music,as in?" James asked, laying down the spoon in the plate.

"Listening to music,singing, writing songs" Mrs Smith explained, almost smiling

"Okay...so do one need to have an hubby to discover one's talent?" James planted

"Hmmm..not sure about the answer on that....but I think yes" Mrs Smith germinated

"Oookay" James answered,and continued his food seriously.

SATURDAY 13:57

James sat on his bed as he unpacked the earpiece his mum got for him from the grocery store minutes ago and got it to work. He plucked it to his phone and started listening to the music he downloaded the night before. Few minutes later, he was moving his head to the rhythm of the music blaring from the speakers attached to his ears. 

"Maybe I can get my talent from this" he said amidst the music. 

15:20

James was aroused by the sound voice of his mum.

"Ma?" He said as he woke up. He looked around him and then at his earpieces,now tucked under his armpit with the music still playing,his phone was hanging from the bed,thanks to the earpiece connected to it.

"Lunch is ready" Mrs Smith informed from her position outside the room

"Okay ma" he replied. As he stood up and corrected the disordered. He left all on his bed after pausing the music and headed downstairs.

MONDAY 8:02

"Whatsup Ben" greeted as Ben joined him in the school bus,going to school. The snow was falling.Ben showed some of his friends pleasantry before replying James,as he took the vacant seat James prepared for him,beside.

"Hobbilistic..I got a new hobby" James informed,with surety.

"Cool...so what's it...but wait,is that word in the dictionary?"

"Not sure about that ..but anyway the hobby is 'listening to music' "

"Nice,that's a popular one" Ben said

"Yeah man"

"So...where is your earpiece?" Ben asked

"Oh..forgot it at home"

"Hmmm...Not really sure that's your hubby...look at Jane" Ben informed( the girl James saw in the bus the other day,that made him interested in music) " she's always with her earpiece"

"Sure" James confirmed "Not sure it's my hubby...but I'm not suppose to be written off it just like that"

"It's not your hubby" Ben repeated

"I think so...cos I didn't even listen to music throughout yesterday...and I was really less busy" James confirmed

"So..think about something else" Ben informed

"What's yours?" James asked

"Chatting,and categorically typing"

"Hmm."

4:35

James looked at the earpiece coiled under his desktop table for a few minutes before suddenly remembering that he has a task he must accomplish.Sandra,a girl from his grade 5 class,who is now in his class. She knows he use to draw a lot and asked him to help her draw and paint a horse onto an A4 sheet of paper ( he hasn't sketched anything in almost three years now). He rolled up to the left side of his bed and reached for his bag which was placed on the floor beside it. He unzipped it and took the sheet of paper(sop) Sandra gave to him for the project. He took his pencil from it's fixed position in the bag and then rushed to his desk,pushing some dudes out off the way;but no damage was made. He brought his pack of color pencils from a drawer in his desk and placed them beside him,got a book bigger than the 'sop'(he does not have a drawing board) and places the 'sop' on it. He then took his smartphone and googled the image of a horse on motion.

5:02

He took a look at the 'sop',but it is now 'horsy sheet of paper'. He painted the horse in the beauty of white,gave the mane a light brown mix,darkened the hoofs and then planted the motioning horse in a green field;it was daytime in the horse world.

"Cool" he said,before going downstairs to show his mum. He got there in no time and met her on the 'food network' channel. He got behind her unnoticed(his room accesses the sitting room from behind) and put the 'hsop' infront of her face,blocking her view of the TV. She sat up immediately and collected the creativity

"Wow" she exclaimed,looking at him

"You have not done this in years...I thought the gift has left you" she continued,confessing her fear

"No...it can't" James informed

"This is wow." Mrs Smith said and started looking around the room "so where are we going to stick this to...or is it for your room?" She said.

"None of all...it is for a friend mum" James informed, gently collecting it back.

"Really?!" Mrs Smith asked as she returned to the TV

"Yes mum...exactly for a friend" James informed,as he walked away. He then took another look at the TV and saw one of the presenters take a spoonful from a dish infront of her.

"It looks delicious" James approved,and then rushed to call his dad on the phone,he forgot his phone on his matress

TUESDAY

The market day of the inhabitants of snow land is on and their hustling and bustling did not allow James the ultimate view of Ben exiting his home for the bus,a weekly routine.James then got his new drawing book out from his bag,his pencil and his pack of color pencils,ready for Ben's questioning.

Ben entered the bus as the door opened automatically,showing the inconvenience of the flying snow. He greeted as usual and met his seat....as usual.

"Hey man" he did it first before James replied,and then they shook hands,almost spilling all of James' tools.

"Wow,so what do we have here"Ben said,taking his seat.

"The tools...for..my..new... hobby,man" James informed before an interruption came from the behind,it was directed to Ben.

"Hey Ben" a redhead boy called,with red cheeks,a red cap...that's enough.

"What's up man" Ben replied,repositioning towards him

"So have you decided on joining the football team?"

"No man...I told you I ain't got no time for that" Ben informed

"But you said you'll think about it...you'll love this team"

"No..thanks man"

"I'm the captain...I can put you wherever you like...I just want you on my team" by now they already got the attention of some afront students( I think by the description of the captain you should know the color of the team's jersey). 

"No...don't you get it" Ben reacted,before returning to James.

"So...what were we saying?"

"About my new hubby?" James said,redhead was still talking;but not aloud.

"So your new hubby is drawing?"

"Yeah...check this out" James opened his drawing book and gave the 'hsop' to Ben,just for a check-it-out.

"Hmmm... AWESOME!" Ben exclaimed.

"Sure you are gonna stick to this and discover your talent?"

"....yeah man" James said,looking towards the door as the bus came to an halt. As the door came open, Sandra boarded,with the hood of her coat,alongside with her shoulders covered with snow,she shook all off and headed into the bus, greeting.

"Here she comes" James said

THURSDAY  5:43

The wind managed to get into James' room through the passage in the window and it made the black color pencil roll far into the darkness of his bed's underneath. James covered the book he was reading and pushed it to the behind of his desktop. He then took his smartphone and chatted Ben

"Can we go for a walk...or a ride?" James chatted,and he got his answer in 1,2,3.....

"Yeah man,I'll come over....not doing anything"

"Ok" James replied and kept his phone in his pocket. As he stood up to go downstairs,he crushed a color pencil and then saw his drawing book fallen beside his bed,with 2 out of the 5 artworks he made during his hobbilistic period displayed. He looked away and opened his door,to go,but he met his mum one step away from his door

"Whatsup mum?" He asked

"Just came to tell you I'm heading to Mrs Will's birthday party." Mrs Smith informed,peeping into his room

"Okay ma...I'm also going for a walk with Ben" James informed, walking out of the way for her to get a better view of his room.

"Why is your room so scattered?" Mrs Smith asked,as she discovered some color pencils on the floor,a drawing book abandoned beside James bed, his covercloth almost fallen off the bed and so..much...more

"You know me mum...I only clean during the weekend" James informed as he walked down the stairs,leaving his room to mum.

"But it has never been this scattered".

"You mean you are not interested anymore" Ben asked James when James told him he has lost zeal for drawing

"Yeah man..." James answered as they cycled on.

"How about that!" Ben exclaimed

"I just can't get my hobby man" James said 

"But you are a genius..and genius reads a lot...that means you read a lot,therefore your hobby is reading" Ben demystified and halted his bike,and then placed his legs on the floor,at the same time,James who was on speed suddenly had to stop,and he knows applying his brakes so sudden will make him fall over so he made a C-turn cleared snow off his trail,thereby returning to Ben.

"What do you mean? James asked

"Wow..awesome" they heard someone say and they both discovered the source of the 'wow'. They looked leftward of Ben and the rightward of James and saw someone protected in winter attire running towards them;with a camera hanging from....his...her...the person's neck.

"That was amazing" Nick said as he got to them. Nick,a classmate to James and Ben(though he is friend with Ben only);a dude in love with photography,just took a shot of them.

"I just took a shot of you two...hi Ben,it's me Nick" he informed as he unleashed his face from his hood.

"Man... Nick... whatsup..James,meet Nick" Ben said

"Sure I've seen you before... but don't know anything about you" James said, puting his gloved hands out for a handshake from Nick. Nick collected it and hurried to explain the situation

"Well,what happened was...I have been over there" he pointed to his previous position,a bench positioned few feets away from the scarcely busy tarred road before continuing

"...waiting to take a beautiful shot of cyclists...and the stop you guys made; got me my goal"Nick completed, smiling

"How?" James asked. For an answer, Nick connected his Canon EOS M50 Camera to his phone and sent the picture hurriedly before displaying it to them

"See" he added. He turned away from them and made them see the screen of his phone. The picture showed Ben,with his gloved hands up in the air,an exclamation face and a halted-slanted bike alongside a bent leg...James was caught has he made the C-turn,creating an arc of snow and a trail of snow for the camera to capture. The background killed it,as it featured blurry falling snows and a beautiful day from the brown street light.

James fell in love with it immediately.

SATURDAY  9:35

James got his camera bag and contained it with it's official responsibility. He took his smartphone and hurried out ( He already cleaned his room up so he walked out freely without trampling on anything ). He rushed downstairs after closing his door and told his mum.

"I'm going out,mum"

"To where" Mrs Smith asked as she used the washing machine.

"To take some shots"

"With your phone?" Mrs Smith asked almost shouting

"No ma,dad got me a camera yester night" James said already opening the exit

"Ok...but come home before 3"

"Ok mum...love you"

"Love you too"

2:49

James finally took a seat on the grass and looked at his collection of pictures

"Nice" he commended after flipping through all of the taken. He relocated the pictures to his phone and send some to Ben,on WhatsApp

"Cool...who took these.. Nick?" Ben asked in a reply

"No. I took them" James replied proudly

"Really?...don't tell me this is your new hobby?"

"Sure it is man...I love this" James replied as he strapped his bag to his back and stood up for the ride home

"No...you don't love it...you like it" Ben chatted back. James got on his bicycle before replying the message

"You don't get it man...I love it"James said aloud,as he typed aletters

MONDAY

James dropped his spoon and left his food as he hurried to meet the school bus at it's supposed bus stop:woke up late today as he forgot to set his alarm clock,he slept off while checking the shots he took after church.

He hurried and told his mum

"Bye mum"

"Bye...love you" immediately she said this,the alarm James set for a reminder to take his camera along to school rang.

He took his smartphone out to cancel the alarm and saw its label ' take the camera' 

"Shit" he yelled and immediately ran to recover it

"I'd rather lose the bus than forget my camera"

WEDNESDAY

"You did not bring your camera today,whatsup man?...maybe...oh you forgot it right?" Ben asked James in the bus,in the way to school

"No man...I'm not interested anymore" James informed

Ben sighed and rested his back,while James sat forward,looked out the window and said

"I think I need a counselor" James said,as the snow outside drew something like an amoeba on the window preventing it from painting James face white;imitating pointilism.