next chapter is the epilogue!
okay, i apologize in advance bc i genuinely don't like this chapter all that much. but i wanted to wrap everything together so the epilogue could flow smoothly
idk i'm sorry if it sucks, you guys can let me know in the comments
enjoy!
"She writes music?"
Luke cringed at the loud volume of Alex's voice. They were on their way to Julie's house, where she invited them for a jam session in her garage, which doubled as a studio. He knew it must be challenging for her, given that it used to be her mom's. And now that he knows everything he knows about her, he's even more thankful she decided to share that part of her life with him.
"Oh buddy, she's your dream girl."
Luke grinned wolfishly. "I know, right?"
As Luke parked his jeep in front of her house, he ran around back to grab his acoustic and Reggie's bass. Obviously Alex couldn't bring along his whole drum set, so he brought his portable stool which doubled as both. Julie was waiting outside her garage, smiling brightly at the sight of them. She was wearing a light blue dress with a white t-shirt underneath and Luke momentarily stopped to admire her beauty. Of course, he was just wearing his usual clothes; a black band t-shirt, black jeans (with the chain because fuck Alex and his nineties style bullshit) and a plaid jacket.
"Jules!" Alex cheered, shoving his stool into Reggie's unsuspecting arms so he could run over to wrap Julie in a hug. He was so much taller than her, she was literally suffocating into his chest, but it was the warmest hug she'd received in a long time. "I've missed you," he told her quietly, "and I need to hear all about your date."
Julie raised an eyebrow, but she was still squished in his embrace, so he couldn't even see it. "Are we seriously doing this again? I know you heard everything already."
"Yeah, but that was from Luke's perspective," he explained as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "I have to play both sides. I hate not knowing everything."
Julie chuckled, pinching his sides until he let go of her. "We'll talk later," she promised and he beamed.
She gave Reggie a hug as he walked by, careful to avoid the many instruments he was carrying. She opened the door to the garage for them, but stayed behind to wait for Luke.
"Hey," she greeted him shyly. He was sporting a large smile, and little did she know how much he just wanted to forget about his best friends in the room over and spend his day watching Netflix on the couch; complete with cuddling, snacks and of course, making out during the uninteresting parts. But as he heard Reggie groan from inside the garage, he knew that wasn't a possibility… today.
"Hey yourself," he replied smoothly. His tone was smooth, but his words? He was kicking himself for opening with that. "You look fantastic, Jules." Ah, that was better.
He leaned in to place a kiss on her cheek (much closer to her lips than anywhere else) and she inhaled sharply. Having him this close to her made her brain stop working. He pulled back with a smirk, noting the blood rushing to her cheeks.
Julie smacked his shoulder in response. "Don't get cheeky with me, Patterson."
He raised an eyebrow at the use of his last name; it brought back memories from the first night they met. "I can't help it," he sighed dramatically, "you're just so pretty."
Julie turned away, mimicking as if she was about to throw up. "You crossed the line from sweet to just downright corny. And I don't do corny, Patterson."
"Stop calling me that," he pouted, reaching out to wrap an arm around her waist. "My name is Luke; I even wrote a song about it. Wanna hear it?"
Before Julie got the chance to reply (not that she was about to; his proximity once again fried her brain), she heard banging coming from inside the garage. "Can you two lovebirds hurry up? It's too early for me to be throwing up!"
Luke rolled his eyes at his best friend, but pulled Julie in behind him.
"This," Reggie starts, admiring her grand piano, "is a work of art. Do you play?"
Julie slightly hesitated to answer, but Luke squeezed her hand reassuringly. He trusted these boys with his life; she could too.
"I used to," she whispered sadly. "My mom taught me. She lived for music; she taught me how to play and we used to write songs together. She passed away over a year ago, and I haven't played since."
Alex frowned, and Reggie reached out to place a comforting hand on her shoulder. "We're so sorry, Julie," Alex replied. He wasn't too familiar with loss, but he knew at this age, it couldn't have been easy. He can spot the hurt on her face; just looking at the piano brought back the best and worst memories of her life.
Out of the corner of his eye, Luke noticed a music sheet placed on the piano's stand. Detaching himself from Julie, he slowly sat on the piano bench and studied the song. There was an inscription at the bottom clearly signed by her mom. "She left that for me," she explained, feeling the emotion start to affect her voice. "I haven't been able to — I don't know how —"
"Can we help?"
It was merely three words, but her chest was constricting and her breathing stuttered. With a gentle hand, Luke reached out for hers. She hesitantly took it, and took a seat next to him. He surprised her by beginning to play the keys while Alex and Reggie took the hint and situated themselves behind their instruments. It took her a moment, but with a comforting glance from Luke, she took a deep breath and focused on the lyrics in front of her.
here's the one thing
i want you to know
you got someplace to go
life's a test, yes
but you go toe to toe
you don't give up
no, you grow
Julie's focus was elsewhere; she was getting lost in the music and the familiarity of it all. Luke was sitting there in pure awe, her angelic voice filling the room powerfully. Alex and Reggie were amazed. How the hell did Luke get so lucky in finding his dream girl? Because there was no doubt in their minds after this, that Julie wasn't perfect for him.
Julie moved in closer to him, joining him on the piano. He was failing to keep his jaw closed.
and you use your pain
cause it makes you you
though i wish
i could hold you through it
i know it's not the same
you got livin' to do
and i just want you to do it
Julie's expression filled with emotion as she truly listened to the lyrics her mom left for her.
so get up, get out, relight that spark
you know the rest by heart
Luke was absolutely done for.
He knew in that moment, as she started to belt out the chorus, that she was never getting rid of him now.
wake up, wake up
if it's all you do
look out, look inside of you
it's not what you lost
it's what you gain
raising your voice to the rain
wake up your dream and make it true
look out, look inside of you
it's not what you lost
relight that spark
time to come out of the dark
wake up
wake up
"Julie," Alex gasped, unable to contain himself. "Julie, that was amazing."
"That was the best thing I've ever heard in my life," Reggie gushed, "I'm sorry Luke; you're great but she has the voice of an angel."
Luke watched as Julie blushed madly, busying herself with gathering the papers on the stand. He was assuming she hadn't sang in front of anyone for a while, and this was probably extremely intimidating for her. "Jules," he whispered lowly, but she still struggled to maintain eye contact.
With a quick look to his friends, they made up an excuse about having to disappear for a bit. Julie was too distracted to pay any attention to their excuse, much less to the fact she was now alone with Luke.
"Are you okay?"
It was the only thing he could think to ask, but he already knew the answer.
"I don't know," she replied honestly. "I haven't done that in so long. I'm not sure how I feel about it."
"Well, you were amazing," he blurted; there was no other way to phrase it. "Honestly, I had no idea you could sing like that."
She giggled nervously, finally turning on the bench to face him. "I'm a little rusty."
"No, it was perfect. You're honestly my dream girl."
He wasn't meaning to tell her that, because it's a little on the embarrassing side. But she was staring at him with her big, brown eyes and all logic disappeared from his brain.
"Am I?" She grinned, moving in to nudge his shoulder with hers. "That's adorable, Luke."
For once, he was the one blushing and he needed to take the focus off his reddening cheeks. Hoping off the bench, he grabbed his acoustic and turned back to her. "I want to show you some of Sunset Curve's songs," he pulled an overused notebook out of his back pocket.
Julie eagerly reached for it, excited, but Luke pulled it back.
"You have to sing with me," he negotiated, eyebrows raised. "That's the deal."
She rolled her eyes but conceded. "Alright. Hit me with it, Luke."
Julie and Luke spent the better part of two hours flipping through his notebook of songs. Julie was absolutely mesmerized by his talent, and she couldn't help but think of his future and how bright it will be. Not only for him, but for all of Sunset Curve. They were a force to be reckoned with. Eventually Alex and Reggie found their way back (and they brought iced coffee — Julie had never loved anyone more than in that moment). Before they left, Luke mentioned they were playing another gig tonight. It was a small one, at a local under twenties bar, but he wanted her to be there; Luke had a devious idea planned.
Julie promised to be there, along with her entire entourage.
When they met up later, Flynn had already reserved a table and was waiting expectantly. She dealt with the boys so often, sometimes she went a little stir crazy; it was nice to have some girls around for a change. When the boys took the stage, Julie was just as mesmerized as the first time. They played different songs than last time, and they had only gotten through two when they announced the next one would be their last.
"We're gonna shake things up this time!" Luke hollered into the microphone, his eyes meeting Julie's. She furrowed her brows, wondering what the hell was happening. He hadn't mentioned they were going to do something different for this show. With a side glance at Flynn, she saw her actively avoiding Julie's gaze.
Her skin started prickling.
Luke shared a knowing glance with his boys, and brought his mouth to the microphone again. "Ladies and gentlemen, please help me welcome to the stage: Julie Molina!"
When her name left his mouth, she nearly fainted.
Her jaw dropped in disbelief and she was instantly shaking her head no, shrinking deeper into her seat. But her friends were right there next to her, and their words were just as encouraging as Luke's puppy dog eyes. With a deep breath, she found herself making her way up onto the stage. She debated murdering Luke, right here in front of all these people, but there were far too many witnesses, so she'd wait for later.
Julie walked by Reggie, shooting him a terrified expression. He grimaced, motioning to Luke with a head tilt.
Luke was setting up another microphone on the left side of the stage for himself. Alex sent her an encouraging thumbs up with a vibrant smile. "Luke, what the hell? I can't do this!" She hissed, meeting him halfway.
"Yes, you can," he asserted. "You were on fire earlier today, and I'm sorry if this seems selfish, but the world needs to see it."
Julie casted a look to the expectant crowd. "What am I even going to sing? I don't have anything prepared, Luke."
He grinned, leading her to the main microphone in the middle of the stage. "You can sing Bright. It's perfect for you."
"Luke, I don't know…"
"Julie, you got this."
With a deep breath, she closed her eyes and let the music fill her.
sometimes i think i'm falling down
i wanna cry, i'm callin' out
for one more try
to come alive
and when i feel lost and alone
i know that I can make it home
fight through the dark
and find the spark
Julie opened her eyes, revealing the crowd. She was absolutely terrified, but as she looked across the crowd and spotted Nick and Carrie smiling proudly, she knew she could do anything she set her mind to.
life is a risk but i will take it
close my eyes and jump
together i think that we can make it
come on let's run
Luke jumped into the chorus with her, and he couldn't take his eyes off Julie. She was perfect in every way. She started off performing so shy and conservative, but as the song progressed, she was electric. As he sang the second verse, she was right there next to him, feeling the music in her soul. And when it came to the bridge and she held her microphone out to him, he realized just how amazing they truly sounded together.
The audience seemed to agree as well, because when they finished the song, everyone was on their feet, cheering. For a moment, she was frozen in the middle of the stage; she could not believe she had just performed like that in front of a crowd. But then she felt the boys nearly tackle her to the floor in a giant hug and she's perfectly aware that it happened and she absolutely rocked it.
"Julie, you were amazing!"
"That was so rad, we rocked the pants off this place!"
Julie didn't realize she was crying until she pulled away from the hug and was met with their worried eyes.
"Oh god, she's crying," Alex groaned, "Luke, do not bolt like you usually do."
Luke rolled his eyes, punching Alex in the shoulder. "Shut up, bro. I'm not going anywhere."
But then Julie started laughing, and it only confused them further.
"I genuinely don't understand girls," Reggie sighed, placing a comporting arm around Julie's shoulders. He had no idea what was happening, but he knew human contact usually helped.
Alex snorted, "can't get 'em either." When Reggie turned to him with an exasperated glare, Alex threw his hands up in defence. "It was purely a joke to make Julie smile. And look, it worked!"
"Hey," Luke murmured quietly, "are you okay? Was that too much? Did I mess something up?"
Julie shook her head, struggling to find her voice. When she cried, her voice crackled and sounded like a fourteen year old boy going through puberty; she didn't need them to see that after her rockstar moment, even though she was already crying.
"No, it's not that," she explained. Reggie was still holding her close and Luke had absentmindedly grabbed her hand sometime earlier; god, she had just met these boys and they already meant the world to her. "I just — I never thought I'd be able to perform again. Not after my mom. But — you guys," her voice broke slightly, "thank you."
Luke tugged on her hand and pulled her into his chest. He could never deal with criers, much less girls and even worse, Julie. He would gladly spend the rest of his life making it so that she never had to shed another tear again. The boys joined in on their hug and soon, the rest of their friend group was up on the stage with them.
Julie stayed tucked into Luke's side as she listened to their friends gush about their performance. Flynn was talking a mile a minute, about how it was going to be the next big thing as soon as she posted it on their YouTube channel tomorrow. Carrie was nearly in tears at the power and strength her best friend exuded on that stage, and she couldn't be happier for her. Even Nick, who absolutely hated seeing her wrapped around Luke, had absolutely nothing negative to say. It was obvious that Luke and the guys were going to be prominent in Julie's life and he was ready to get on board with that. On a high, Willie and Alex suggested heading down to the Karaoke Café to let off some steam; there were absolutely no complaints.
Upon arrival, Carrie and Nick were on stage before the rest of the group was even seated. It had been a while since Carrie performed, what with school and everything else going on, so she was really looking forward to this. Nick, on the other hand, was definitely not, but how could he say no to his very convincing girlfriend? Flynn promised to film the performance so it could be used as a bonus for Dirty Candy's followers.
The song Carrie chose, unbeknownst to Nick, happened to be Time of My Life from Dirty Dancing, and while he actually wasn't half bad, Carrie was the real star. She absolutely dominated the song and had the whole group on their feet cheering; even the others in the audience were enjoying it.
Reggie had insisted he go on next, solo. Luke and Alex were slightly surprised, considering they're mostly a package deal, but Luke was personally enjoying his time with Julie. They were sat side by side, Julie actively leaning into him as he held his arm around her. They jumped to their feet quite a lot to cheer on their friends, but somehow, they always found their way back to that position. Julie was absentmindedly playing with Luke's fingers, admiring his calluses and the hard work he clearly puts into the band, when she heard the opening notes to Old Town Road. Her neck snapped up towards the stage, as did the rest of her friend group's as they looked on in horror.
She couldn't help but admire Reggie's confidence as he rocked that song (even though they were cringing like all hell). And you best believe, they were all on their feet giving him a standing ovation at the end. Since Reggie got his moment, Alex insisted on his own (Willie would never be caught dead on the stage, so Alex had it all to himself). Julie was expecting something pretty wild and dramatic; it was Alex, after all. So, she was only a teeny bit surprised when the soft opening of My Heart Will Go On started playing.
It was one of her all-time favourite songs, so she quickly found herself on her feet belting out the words. When Alex pointed at in her direction, Carrie, Flynn and herself giddily made their way up on stage. With the four of them and their uncontrollable giggles, it wasn't as professional as it could have been. But Julie couldn't remember feeling more at ease during a performance before in her life. Next up was Flynn, who absolutely showed everyone up with her rendition of God's Plan.
She easily got everyone on their feet for her performance; the room roared to life at the familiar line that nearly everyone in the place knew.
she said, "do you love me?"
i tell her, "only partly"
i only love my bed and my mom, i'm sorry
As Flynn's epic performance came to an end, Luke turned to Julie with a cheeky smile. "We're up next, babe." Julie raised an eyebrow at the new nickname. "Get used to it, it's my thing."
She could feel her cheeks reddening and the instant hot flash that swept up her body.
"What song should we do?" She asked instead, to distract herself from her body's betrayal.
With a quirked eyebrow and a smirk, Luke responded, "already got it locked and loaded. Come on."
He grabbed her hand and dragged her up the stage, ignoring Julie as she asked what song they were even singing. When the opening notes to You're The One That I Want blared through the speakers, a large grin spread across Julie's features. Luke took their only microphone for the first verse, dancing around her as he sang; he was a true crowd pleaser. Julie took over for Sandy's part, making sure to embody the sass her character displayed in the movie.
Their friends watched and cheered them on in awe. Anyone in the room, even the strangers who didn't know them, could see the chemistry between them as they sang. This performance was so freeing, so natural; by the end of it, they were just laughing to each other as Luke pulled her off the stage.
They decided to call it a night, with Luke whispering into Julie's ear that he'd drive her home. Alex had made some comment about not doing anything he wouldn't do, to which Willie exposed him by replying "that's not much." Alex had retaliated by jumping on his back as they made their way down the street.
Luke and Julie's drive home was complete with the windows rolled all the way down as they belted out the lyrics to classic songs. As Julie took a breather and watched Luke in his element, she couldn't help but thank her lucky stars (and her mom - Julie's positive her mom had something to do with this) for blessing her with this boy and everything he was.
She didn't know where this would go and if it would last, but she was excited to find out.
As he walked her to her door again, he couldn't stop smiling.
"You're smiling a lot," she observed, leaning against the front door.
He let out an adorable chuckle where his eyes crinkled. "Can you blame me? Tonight was perfect."
"It really was," she sighed happily.
"Only one thing would make it better though."
Julie furrowed her brows. "What's that?"
"I'm sorry I don't have a big elaborate plan," he chuckled, "I just have me and —"
"That's enough," Julie interrupted. Luke's eyes snapped up to meet hers in surprise and she momentarily stopped breathing. "That's enough for me. You're enough for me."
A large smile spread across his features. "Do you remember the first night we met? How you didn't even want to tell me your name?" She nodded shyly, giggling. "I guess we're lucky I'm so charming."
"Your point, Luke?"
"Julie, will you be my girlfriend?" He asked and she stopped breathing again. He looked so nervous, despite everything they'd already been through together. Only an idiot would say no to this sweetheart. "I want all of it. I want to be exclusive, and I want to tell everyone you're mine. But not like in a possessive way because feminism is everything and you're obviously your own person but—"
She interrupted him by surging forward and kissing him.
"You talk so much sometimes."
"Is this a yes?"
"Wasn't it obvious?"
"Not really, no. Can you make it a bit clearer?"
Julie kissed him again, giggling as he wrapped her up in his arms, in quite possibly, one of the best moments of his life.
what did you guys think?
i'm genuinely sorry if it sucked... it felt more like a filler chapter than anything, but i promise the epilogue will be better... tbh i think it's my favourite chapter so far
also, all the songs used in karaoke are not mine or the show's!
- wake up by julie molina
- bright by julie and the phantoms
- time of my life from dirty dancing
- old town road by lil nas x
- my heart will go on by celine dion
- god's plan by drake
- you're the one that i want from grease
hope i did this justice... thank you all for sticking around! your comments mean more than you know!
see you all soon for the last round
stay safe everyone x