Author's note: Title from Everybody's Lonely by Jukebox the Ghost because, you know, Jukebox the Ghost.

This is very loosely based on the vague memories I have of Raise Your Voice. I've made some changes to the relationship Julie has with performing in JatP, partially as a nod to RYV.

Also, Bobby and Carrie just aren't related in this. Maybe Trevor Wilson and Bobby are different people? idk it's really not that important for this.

Even after the fact, Luke would never admit this, but since he normally didn't pay attention to strangers, he probably owed Reggie a big thank you.

It wasn't like Luke didn't notice people when he was in public. But he'd always felt that his brain operated with stereo channels. One channel paid attention to the world around him and the other was totally devoted to music: thinking about the songs he was working on, analyzing music he heard or remembered, brainstorming new lyrics. And if he was honest, the two channels were far from evenly balanced. Either people had to be talking to him directly (preferably about music) or something big had to happen for him to pull focus from the music channel.

Reggie also seemed to have two channels: one for regular life and the other for attractive people. Hanging out with Reggie meant subscribing to an endless livestream devoted to the topic of "who is pretty and exists in my field of vision?" Which often made being in public with Reggie a bit of a nightmare.

So naturally, it all started because they were in public—or in the semi-public space of the Los Feliz Conservatory of Music's dorm—watching people move in for the summer music program. It was the boys' third year at LFCM, so by now they were old hat and had been able to skip the move-in tours and orientation. Basking in their seniority, Luke, Reggie, Alex, and Willie were sprawled out on the long couches that spanned the atrium, observing the parade of arrivals checking in at the front desk.

"Can you pull a muscle from winking too much?" Reggie asked as he rubbed his face.

Alex raised an eyebrow at him. "You don't actually have to wink at everyone you find attractive. It's probably creepy."

"Oh no, is he making us look creepy by association?" Willie cuddled into Alex's side, more invested in his reunion with his long-distance boyfriend than in whether they were actually being tainted by Reggie.

"I'm laying groundwork for potential relationships. These two months fly by-I need to be efficient."

"That definitely makes it sound creepier." Alex made a face. "Luke, back us up."

Luke was staring at the ceiling, trying to work out whether he wanted to switch some of the plural pronouns in the pre-chorus of "Bright" to singular pronouns. It took an aggressive nudge from Alex and a moment of replaying the conversation he hadn't really been listening to for him to contribute.

"If you have to explain why what you're doing isn't creepy, you're being creepy. Also, most of these people were here last year. They already know us."

"I like it," Alex chipped in. "It's like we've got a summer music fam."

Carrie chose that exact moment to strut toward the check-in desk with the other members of Dirty Candy.

"… plus Carrie."

"Hot take," Reggie said. "We hate her and she hates us. Carrie is what makes it a real family."

Alex and Luke burst out laughing. Willie, the only one in the group who had a good relationship with his parents, let out the nervous giggle of not being sure if you can laugh at someone else's dark joke.

Reggie sighed loudly. "How else do you get the attention of pretty people?"

Alex glanced down at his boyfriend. "How did I get your attention?"

"You were on the wrong part of sidewalk."

Reggie nodded. "Hmm, assume I don't think assault is a meet-cute."

"Honestly, I noticed him in the band days before I ran him over."

Alex's jaw dropped. "What? Did you run me over on purpose?"

"It was probably 50% 'got distracted by how cute you are' and 50% 'my board rejects LA streets.'"

Reggie shook his head. "This is all very adorable and obviously I ship it, but let's stay focused. Luke and I are here to woo."

Luke, who had mentally slipped back to the problem of the plural pronouns, did a double take. "Luke is here to improve his vocal performance and composition skills."

Reggie let out a loud sigh. "Instead of ganging up on Reggie and his dreams, can someone-"

Realizing that he wouldn't get to focus on his lyrical problems until this was sorted, Luke snagged Reggie's bass case and tossed it at him. "Willie noticed Alex in the band. So, let's be in the band."

Reggie leapt to his feet with a grin while Alex groaned. "The RA is going to hate us. I hate disappointing the RA."

Luke chucked Alex's drumsticks at him. "C'mon, count us off, boss."

While Luke and Reggie got their instruments ready, Alex arranged their luggage around himself as a makeshift drum set, sighing dramatically. But when Luke jumped up on the couch and strummed the opening of "Now and Never," Alex flashed him a grin. "One, two, three!"

As they launched into a very haphazard performance, part of Luke's soul soothed. That was more like it. Luke the person always felt slightly out of sync with people. Luke the musician felt complete and confident with musicians and the audience.

The new students turned to eye them, some appreciative and some exasperated (hey, book gigs by doing, right?), while the staff looked torn between annoyed about the disruption and relieved that something interesting had actually happened on their shift. And if the occasional giggles were anything to go by, Reggie was indeed sending off some winks.

Running around on a couch wasn't quite as easy as on a firm stage, but there was something pleasantly bouncy about it, especially in the extra cushy sections closest to the dorm's main entrance. Luke started jumping up and down, screaming the chorus to anyone who wanted to listen (presumably everyone?)… and no longer paying attention to where the couch ended.

His legs hit the back of the couch and, without his permission, he started to fall backwards. He desperately swung his legs over his head in a very fumbled back flip, landing loudly and clumsily on the other side of the couch. But before he could celebrate his extremely improbable landing, the girl who had had the misfortune to walk in just as Luke was landing let out a huge scream. Which only terrified Luke into screaming right back.

And that was how he met Julie.

Songs/musical references in this chapter:
• "Now or Never" (obviously)