Chapter XXII

LUKE'S POV:

As the boys walked down the stairs I quickly tried to catch up to them after talking to Julie. I couldn't wipe the smile off my face, something about her always kept a smile on my face. I still had a pang in my stomach for how I acted when I found that song, I really shouldn't have yelled at her. Stupid, stupid Luke. I knew that I needed to apologise to her, I will when we go on our date. As I reached the end of the stairs I noticed Reggie and Alex had walked to the kitchen, obviously telling him that we were going to be out in the garage.

"Night Mr Molina." I called out to him as I opened the front door waving the doors to come with me.

"Night guys, and remember it's Ray!" He shouted back with a subtle laugh.

I walked out the door while the boys followed behind, shouting their own goodbyes to Julie's dad. Reggie being the last one to leave shut the door behind him.

"Well that was an eventful night," Alex commented.

"Definitely." I answered by turning back to look at him.

As we walked towards the garage there was an excitement, fear and hopefulness all at the same time. As I reached the door first I flung them open and beelined to flop down on the couch. The guys made their way in taking their usual spots sitting around the coffee table after they had shut the doors.

"Well that was definitely an interesting night." I spoke up when we all got comfortable.

"Yeah sure was," Reggie spoke up while looking over at Alex with a wide smile.

"Oh yeah definitely," Alex replied, moving his eyebrows up and down.

"Yeah, I still can't believe that Ray and Carlos can see us now. I wonder if other people can see us now?" I questioned, ignoring their usual odd behaviour.

"Yeah we can't believe a lot of things."

"Yeah Alex I'm wondering a lot of things too."

"What are you guys going on about now?" I asked, getting a feeling of where this was going to go.

"What are we talking about Reggie?" Alex asked with a knowing voice.

Before Reggie could reply I needed to try my hardest to change the topic of conversation. "So what did you guys do today?"

"Well I went to hang out with Ray but he wasn't home so I went down to the beach for a bit." Reggie answered so easily.

"What about you Alex?" I asked.

"Oh...uh I went to see Willie."

"Dude that's so good, how was it seeing him again?"

"Yeah it was good, he's hiding out from Caleb though so he's not having the best time but...uh...yeah...he's good." Alex coughed and stuttered his way through his answer.

"Oh yeah...hmm only good." I sat up smirking, I knew there was more to the story than what he was letting on.

"Yeah it was good." Alex looked down trying not to smile.

"How good?" I asked him trying to find out what really happened.

"He kissed me." Alex shouted out.

Reggie and I sat there completely shell shocked. While we tried to process what happened, definitely wasn't the answer I thought I was going to get. When Reggie and I came back we both jumped up congratulating Alex with hugs and high fives.

"Dude that's amazing. We are so happy for you." Reggie spoke after he finished his hug with Alex.

As we all sat back down Reggie spoke up, "tell us everything, how did it happen?"

"Well we were at our special place and I was pretty nervous and Willie thought that I might not like him that way. When I told him that I did like him that way he cut me off and pulled me in for a kiss. It was amazing." Alex gushed.

"Dude that is amazing." I concluded.

"Hey! No fair Luke. This was about you. You aren't changing the subject that easily." Alex piped up sitting up straighter.

"There's nothing to talk about though." I answered preparing to try and move away to busy myself with something else.

"Oh yeah sure..." Reggie piped up, looking very skeptical.

"What? There is nothing going on." I assured them.

Alex looked over to me, "oh so we didn't see you wrap your arm around Julie in her bedroom, or see that you guys weren't fighting when we came into the garage like earlier or that you had your hand on her knee during most of dinner."

I looked down, I hoped that they wouldn't have noticed. It wasn't that I didn't trust them, I trusted them with everything, they were like my brothers. It was just that I didn't want it ruining the band when I didn't even know what Julie and I were just yet.

"Luke it's okay, you can tell us anything. We wouldn't get involved in whatever is going on with you and Julie. That is your business." Reggie moved over sitting next to me on the couch.

I looked over at Alex, almost asking for his permission to share what was going on without fear of any judgement.

"We are always here for you buddy." Alex spoke sitting on the other side of me on the couch.

"We uh...we got into a huge fight and then it got all sorted out. We had a few moments, I don't know. They all got interrupted so I don't really know if there is anything there yet. I did kinda ask her out on a date tomorrow." I mumbled the end of my sentence.

"What was that last part?" Reggie asked.

"I kind of asked her out for a date tomorrow."

The boys jumped up immediately, I don't know if it was shock or excitement. "Are you serious?" Reggie and Alex asked at the same time.

"Yeah," I smiled looking down at my lap.

The boys pulled me up into a group hug excitedly. I couldn't help but feel the exact same way. I had butterflies filling my stomach.

"Oh my God, what the heck have I done." I spoke up.

Quickly the boys let go of me, worried plastered across their faces.

"No...no not like that. I don't know what to wear? Where do I even take her? I did not think this through, I haven't even been on a proper date since I was like 14 and that wasn't even a real date." I started freaking out.

"Don't worry Luke we'll help right Alex."

"Of course. We got this guys, let's start planning."

I sat down around the coffee table with the guys. Alex had run off to get pieces of scrap paper while Reggie had grabbed another bag of my spare clothes that had been left up in the loft. This didn't even feel real yet here I was planning my first date with Julie. I was actually going on a date with her. This was everything I had wanted since I heard her sing Wake Up in the garage that first day. Her voice just captured me and wouldn't let me go. Part of me felt that she was the reason I was really back here, almost like I was meant to know her.

JULIE'S POV:

When Luke had disappeared from my doorway I rushed to my phone quickly calling Flynn before I was going to go to bed.

"Hey Jules. What's up?"

"Uh I have some stuff to tell you, I really need your help."

"Of course, what do you need?"

"Luke kind of asked me out tomorrow."

"What Julie? You know how I feel about the whole Luke thing, especially because he's dead and all but if you are happy then I'm happy."

"Flynn I seriously need help, what do I wear? I've never been asked out before."

"Julie, you have the most amazing style you've got this."

"But do I do casual, fancy, old school, trendy. I don't know."

"Okay, okay deep breath. Here is what we do, plan something cute and sweet but also works if you are sitting or walking a lot."

"Wow Flynn you are honestly such an expert. How do you do that?"

"It's just a gift."

"Okay what about my black short overalls with the lavender long sleeve top, with white converse."

"Julie, that sounds amazing."

"Oh and Nick showed up during dinner, but he hasn't been acting like himself. The guys think it might be Caleb."

"Wait what? The Caleb? The one who tried to get rid of the guys? How is that possible?"

"I don't know."

"Julie...what if this is getting dangerous?"

"I am scared Flynn. But if this is something to do with my mum and the guys then whatever is going to happen, whatever fear I have to fight through is worth it. This is all somehow connected to my mum and I love these guys like family. I will fight for them." I shockingly had so much bravery in that moment.

I knew that when it came to these boys they were a part of me, their music was connected to my soul now. Anything that affected them was my problem too. We would get through this together. We are stronger together, the guys said so themselves. Together we are undefeatable. 

OH MY GOODNESS GUYS WE REACHED 16K OVERNIGHT - THANK YOU GUYS SO SO MUCH. IT MEANS SO MUCH TO ME HOW MUCH YOU GUYS ARE LOVING THIS STORY. I'VE BEEN LOVING WRITING THIS FOR YOU GUYS. LETTING YOU KNOW THAT BY THE BEGINNING OF NEXT WEEK I WILL HAVE OFFICALLY FINISHED UNI FOR THE YEAR!!!! I'M NOT GOING TO PROMISE TO UPDATE MORE THAN ONCE A DAY IN CASE I GET BUSY BUT HOPEFULLY THERE WILL BE UPDATES A COUPLE TIMES A DAY 😊😊

QUESTION OF THE DAY: HOW OLD ARE YOU GUYS? I'M KINDA CURIOUS - I'M 20 

- COURTNEY