The six of them sat silently in the motionless van, Martin ran his hands down his face, he needed Zoë to calm him down, to stop him.
"I'm sorry." Ollie said, at last.
"So am I." Ryan responded, looking down and concentrating on his shallow breathing.
"Fucking hell.. Ryan... why didn't you tell us? -why didn't you tell me?" Breathed Lucy, her wide eyes glimmering with tears.
"I didn't want any of you to treat me any differently." Ryan defended, his jaw shivering.
At last, Ollie spoke, still facing the front,
"How long?" He gulped.
"I-I'm not sure exactly.. but it's most likely going to be less than three years." Ryan admitted, his heart rate high.
Ollie looked to Martin, who still continued to look out the window.
"Did you know about this?"
Martin looked down, his eyes tense,
"Sir, did you know?"
He nodded in response, not wishing to speak.
"And you didn't even think to tell us?" Jemma added,
"-I told him not to." Ryan intruded,
"Mr McCafferson- h-how dare you?! y-you spoke about what we were going to do- you talked about our future when you knew we wouldn't have one!"
Martin watched the cars over take him through the rear view mirror, as he tried to refrain from shouting.
"Of course you can have a future!" Argued Ryan,
"A future without you is not worth living in!" Insisted Lucy.
"We should have known about this from the start!" Shouted Cloda,
"Sir I swear if you don't say anything right now I will walk out of this van and I'll never come back." Threatened Ollie, facing Martin, who remained still and facing the front, his breathing heavy. He looked down to his wrist, that had obviously started bleeding again under the saturated bandage.
"Right then. Fuck this." Uttered Ollie, suddenly opening the door and beginning to step out.
"Ollie no!" Yelled Jemma.
"Stop!" Cried Martin, at last, making Ollie face him again.
"What." He uttered with closed teeth and a deadly gaze.
"What the hell do you think you're doing?!" Martin shouted, not persevering any longer.
"Walking the fuck out! What's the point on trying to make this band any better if it's only going to last a couple months!?"
"Your best friend has just told you he's got less than three years to live and you're just gonna walk away?! Grow the fuck up!"
Ollie sat back down and leaned back against the chair, "why didn't you tell us.." he sighed,
"Put yourself in my shoes. My student's just told me he's got terminal cancer and asks me not to tell anyone and not to treat him any differently. What would you do?"
Everyone remained silent before Ollie spoke,
"You're right.." he muttered, "you're always fucking right.. that's why Zoë fell for you, that's why you got a bloody job as a teacher and why you've got us here.. you're just always fucking right."
Martin turned the engine on and looked to Ollie,
"Close your door." He ordered, sternly before Ollie did what he was told and Martin indicated out again, feeling sick with internal rage.
"Ollie just drop it." Sighed Cloda.
Ollie stood up and walked down to the back of the van, sitting down on the back seats on his own where tears began slide from his painful eyes.
Martin looked at Ollie in the rear view mirror, knowing him well enough that he could tell when he was genuinely angry, or in this case, getting angry in lieu of admitting how upset he was.
His phone began to ring, and he picked it up hesitantly before realising that it was Zoë who was calling, he answered it, pressing the phone between his ear and his shoulder as he drove.
"Hey." He greeted, in a rather muted tone.
"Martin.. I have no idea how to begin to tell you this.." was Zoe's whimper of a response.
"Fuck.. what is it?" He asked, with a dreadful undertone.
"Y-your house.. it's completely.. gone." She breathed,
"You what?"
"Your house- it's been knocked down. It's just rubble.." she told him,
"W-What?! A-are you- f- shit.. are you sure?! T-there was some demolishment in the street adjacent... y-you could be at the wrong h-house."
"I'm not at the wrong house, Martin. Your car is parked outside." Said Zoe, in a calm voice, much juxtaposing with Martin's utter panic.
"W-What..." he breathed, his hand slowly covering his mouth as he felt himself breaking.
Ryan, knowing that Martin needed a break, stood up and put a hand on his teachers shoulder, looking to the wheel. Martin mimed 'thank you' to him and kept a brief hold of the wheel as he stood up and Ryan took his place.
Martin walked down to the seat adjacent to Ollie and lay down.
"I've contacted the site demolishers to see who gave them the okay- they said it was the owner.. I assume that would have been George." Zoë informed him,
"Site.. that's all it is now.. a site." Uttered Martin, "it was my home.."
"I'm so sorry, Martin." Soothed Zoe, "I really am."
As his tear duct began to water he tried to smile, "my fucking Martin guitar was in there."
Zoe gave a slight laugh, "oh Martin.." she sighed, "I fucking love you."
"I wouldn't if I were you- but I guess that's why we get along." Sighed Martin running his hands through his hair and sighing as the tears broke, "Zoe please tell me you're taking the piss."
"I'm sorry Martin. I wish I was."
Martin's breathing was unsteady as he covered his mouth and slowly his strength began to crack.
"A-are you coming back tomorrow?" He asked her, feeling desperate to see her.
"Im actually coming back a day early- I'm on my way to the airport right now, my flight is in a couple hours, I'll be with you in Florence as soon as I get there."
Martin's mouth dropped slightly, "r-really?" He asked,
"Course, honey. I think you need a hug." She responded,
"Yeah I think I do too." He told her, feeling a warm tear slide down his cheek.
"I'll see you in about five hours." She told him, "I'll give you a call."
Martin looked around before quietly breathing the words, "I love you," into the phone.
"Love you too- just hang in there, Martin."
Martin nodded, hanging up and putting his phone down on the ground covering his face with his hands and wiping his tears away.