The weekend quickly came rolling in with the two teens prepping for their first date. Since they would be attending the viewing of an orchestra, Jamie considered wearing something casual with a dash of formality. In his room, he stared himself down in the mirror, looking over his evening attire: a maroon dress shirt left untucked with the top button undone, a pair of brown straight down trousers and black dress shoes. His heart pounded nonstop as the time drew closer, beads of sweat forming near his thin brows. Jamie's stare lingered in the reflective glass as unsettling thoughts about tonight began to fester. Was asking his best friend to go on a date turning out to be a mistake? Today, or this week at least, marked a month and a half after meeting Luna, and since then, their relationship as friends was as steady as a set of music scales. The last thing he wanted was to jeopardize the bond he had with her; to end the date on a sour note.
These fearful outcomes circled his head like buzzards, waiting to for him to call off the date and scavenge what would be left of his value of Luna and of himself...
… No.
He mustn't let his past mistakes determine his future. Luna was the only girl that mattered in this moment, and her happiness was to be the singer boy's first and only concern. He had to follow the music in his heart, and the song plucking his strings lead him to go onward and beyond.
"Jamie, are you ready? If you are, we should probably get going if we want to pick up Luna before the concert!"
Rosalita's reminder and his now bolder determination were like arrows of pure light; dissolving the skittish outcomes into nothing, leaving the boy with only Luna's warm and wooed smile in mind, hoping it be how tonight's date would conclude.
Luna stared at the mirror hanging on her door, checking out her newest outfit. Leni had worked her magic and made an entirely new dress for her little sister's first date with Jamie: a light purple ensemble, with fancy earrings and necklace to boot. Luna was definitely not used to wearing something so fancy, but she wasn't going to turn down such a generous gift from her sister, and there was no denying that Leni knew how to make it fit perfectly. The exposed shoulders made her feel a twinge of nervousness, hoping it wouldn't accentuate her flat chest.
"Knock-knock~" Luna's mother said, peeking her head in and gently rapping the door. Standing underneath the jamb, Rita let out a soft gasp upon seeing her daughter in such a stunning dress. "Oh sweetheart, you look beautiful~"
Luna blushed as she quickly covered her exposed shoulders, skittish of even her own mother seeing her in such an unusual attire. "You... you don't think it's too much, Mom?"
Rita shook her head. "I think it's perfect." She stood next to Luna, looking in the mirror with her. Noticing her daughter's reluctance to show her shoulders, she placed her hands on Luna's, giving her a gentle and reassuring smile. "How do you feel about your first date?"
Luna quivered, letting her hands fall down from her shoulders as her mother looked down on her reassuringly. "I feel... I feel... exposed. I'm not used to this kinda stuff, Mom. I love rock and roll. I'm a 'wanna put another dime in the jukebox' kinda girl, not a sit quietly at a concert person."
"It feels weird to be stepping out of your comfort zone, doesn't it?"
"Y-yeah, I was kinda hoping we'd go to a movie, or maybe a louder concert that's not surrounded by fancy people. I never thought of it much when we were just getting to know each other, but... I'm kinda worried that he might think I'm low class cuz I'm not from the rich side of town like he is."
"Honey, after that night at Banger's & Mosh, I think it's safe to say that you have nothing to worry about." Rita smiled, planting a soft kiss on her daughter's head. "Regardless of classes, Jamie seems to know you well enough, even after all the time you two spend together playing music and hanging out. Shouldn't that be put into consideration?" She massaged Luna's shoulders tenderly, slowly bringing her into a warm and comforting embrace. "If you two are really close, tell him how you feel."
Luna hugged her mom back, feeling a blush of envy as her embrace brought her mother's ample bosoms in contact with her own chest. She knew it wasn't anyone's fault, but she couldn't help but feel cheated in the genetics department.
"Is it normal to have second thoughts, even when you're excited to go?" Luna asked, feeling a bit shameful of her flustered thoughts about the date.
Her mother nodded. "Of course, dear. I was a nervous wreck for my first date with your father. There were many times when I probably should've just stayed home and let the night pass. I was excited to finally meet and talk to him, but I also worried about how things might've turned out if we weren't on the same page. I took a deep breath, stepped out the door and got the guts to have our date." Rita bit her bottom lip softly as her mind went down memory lane on that fateful night. "I wouldn't be surprised if Jamie's more nervous about this date than you are." she chuckled.
Luna sat down at the edge of her bed, pondering deeply what would have been if Rita chose not to take the plunge and forge a relationship with Lynn.
Wait... I wouldn't even be here if she was acting the way I am!
"Wow, Mom. I'm so used to seeing you and Popstar the way you are now; I wouldn't be able to think of you as someone so nervous about being with him."
"I felt more confident afterwards. And it got easier and easier with every date your father and I had. I hope to think that you and Jamie will have the same thing going on." Rita smiled, seeing her daughter's face lit with realization. "So what'ya say? You feeling a bit better about looking forward to your date~?"
Luna smiled, kissing her mom on the cheek as she stood up.
"Yeah. Let's rock the concert hall!"
A black sedan cruised steadily through the suburbs of Royal Woods. Jamie sat in the backseat with his focus passed the window, watching the houses and trees flying by. The sun was just above the horizon, its fading light mixing a pallet for the beautiful twilight. Though his eyes saw what was outside the car, his mind was looking beyond the reality with Luna in his thoughts. His thumbs fidgeted as his foot tapped against the car's floor rapidly, arriving to his first destination shortly. The closer he and Rosalita were getting, the more worries filled his head. Through his nervousness, he swallowed spit, praying for nothing to go wrong. The last thing he wanted to do was to disappoint Luna... again.
Rosalita hummed along to the latest SMOOCH album playing on the car stereo. She looked back towards Jamie, feeling a sense of pride in the young man, even if they weren't related. Something about seeing him so nervous made her feel confident that he was choosing the right girl to go out with.
"I remember when you were a little toddler, Jamie. I would watch you while your parents went off to work, and every day you would ask me to play your favorite Disney movie: The Little Mermaid." She chuckled, remembering fondly the little 4-year-old enthusiastically mimicking his favorite songs and scenes from the classic movie.
Red immediately splotched Jamie's face as he bashfully covered his eyes. He remembered most of his past when he was no less than four. Even as a toddler, he enjoyed the thrill of singing. It was about the time when he was six that he began to practice and play the piano, but singing was his deeper passion. But by the time he reached to eleven, puberty started to take its toll on his voice. For a few years, his voice was nothing but embarrassing cracks; the primal source of his mockery. The agonizing humiliation… all because of his voice. Once he realized he could sing again with his golden voice, he kept it secret for three years.
"Seems like yesterday, you, Mom and Dad found out I could sing again..." he bit his lip. "Sorry I kept it from you guys for so long..."
"No problem, sweetie. I knew you were going to be a natural singer from day one. It was your business to figure out when you felt comfortable to share it with the world. Speaking of comfort..." Rosalita chuckled a bit to herself. "I see you're looking less than comfortable back there. Don't worry, if you get nervous just do as that cute crab always said and... Kiss De Girl." she finished her tease with a thick Jamaican accent.
Jamie let out an embarrassed groan as he leaned forward, covering his eyes again. "Come on..." he begged. "Please don't go there. It's already bad enough that I'm nervous about this date, but using Disney from my childhood as dating advice?" He took a deep breath, trying to keep his composure. He reached down to his side and picked up a single rose wrapped in clear plastic and a ribbon. "Why do I feel this way? I've known Luna for a month and a half, and I've never been this nervous around her before."
"Sorry, I thought a bit of teasing might ease up the tension. Maybe you feel differently for her because you see this as a new chapter about to be written. Just remember one very important thing if you ever feel nervous: she said yes for a reason, and that reason is because she wants to be with you. And that's what's most important, no matter what you two see yourselves as."
Jamie smiled all the way through Rosalita's talk. Every word that came out from her lips was the truth. "Yeah... I want to be with her too~"
The car turned into Franklin Avenue and rolled past a few houses until it slowed down and parked by the curb in front of the Loud house.
Here I go... he thought as he climbed out from the car, making his way down the concrete path and up the porch steps. His heart beat twice as fast as he was walking. Hiding the rose behind his back, he approached the door and stood before it.
Get it together... You've been here so many times... why does it feel like this is my first visit...? After tugging his collar, the boy lifted a hand and reached forward. As the doorbell rang, he stood there silently, waiting for an answer.
The doorbell echoed through the Loud house, resulting in a stampede of footsteps as ten curious faces looked out the front window to meet the visitor, even though they all knew exactly who it was. Luna cast her siblings a silent annoyed stare as she answered the door.
Jamie looked very handsome in his formal outfit, catching Luna off-guard and throwing her into a silent blank stare. Lynn gave her sister an encouraging shove in the back, causing Luna to fall off balance and stumble onto Jamie, nearly knocking the both of them off their feet.
Flustered and blushing. Luna regained her footing and brushed herself off with a nervous laugh. "Fancy bumping into you here," she said with a skittish smile.
"Y-yeah..." Jamie stammered, brushing his arm. He returned the same optical gesture, staring at Luna's wardrobe for the evening. A brighter blush lit his face, realizing how absolutely stunning the rocker girl was.
Luna's siblings peeked out behind from the window, glued to the glass as they watched the meeting go down.
"T-this is..." The singer boy cleared his throat, presenting the single rose to Luna from behind his back. "Ahem... this is for you...~"
A choir of "Awwww"s could be heard through the window, each Loud sibling smiling at the gesture as the shy boy handed a rose to Luna.
"It's just like on Dream Boat~" swooned Leni.
"Please," Lola rebutted as she rolled her eyes. "If this were Dream Boat, Jamie would be kicked off on night one. The nice guys get eaten alive out there."
"Hey!" Lana interjected, punching her twin in the shoulder. "Don't jinx this. We want Luna to have a good time, right?"
"Of course," replied Lynn, cracking her knuckles. "But I'll be on standby just in case; he's already made her cry once."
Luna gladly took the rose, her cheeks mimicking the petals as she twirled it nervously in her fingers. "T-thanks, dude!" she said, more of a squeak than a sentence.
Jamie's face muscles stretched further, unable to contain his pleasure of seeing Luna all flustered and timid. The tone had shifted to a whole new level. It was so unusual to see Luna nervous at all. Every day, she would always be seen outgoing and confidence, but tonight, she was as red as her given rose. Did asking her out on a date change her that much? Taking another breath, his eyes glanced over to the car where Rosalita was patiently waiting, enjoying the courtship herself.
"Well, are you ready to go?" he asked.
Just before Luna could reply, Lori stepped forward, turning the rocker girl around so she and Jamie were facing the door. "Smile!" Lori said, quickly snapping a picture of the couple. Their faces on the picture, however, was far from a smile, but merely surprised with a twinge of discomfort. "Hmmm, maybe we should try another one."
"Come on, Lori. Just let them go already." Lincoln stepped in, handing Luna a small cooler bag of soda cans and water, along with her acoustic guitar. "Here, you don't wanna forget this. I packed your favorite and some others that Jamie might like too."
Luna's eyes were spotty, not just from the flash of the unexpected camera, but from trying to blink herself back to the reality that they had a concert to get to.
She took the cooler and ruffled Lincoln's hair. "Thanks lil' bro. See ya later!"
Luna turned towards the car, thanking Jamie as he opened the door for her.
"Helloooo~" came the voice of Rosalita as she turned around to peek at Luna. She smiled back at the maid, happy to see her again.
"Staying out of trouble, Miss Rosa?"
"Oh, I try my best," Rosalita responded with a giggle.
Jamie smiled, always pleased to see Luna and Rosalita get along. He climbed in last and shut the car door next to him while Rosalita pulled out from the driveway. Jamie and Luna turned their heads towards the rear window, watching her siblings rush out to the lawn, waving good-bye and good luck.
Unable to resist the urge to mess with Jamie one more time, Rosalita turned her head to speak to the young couple in the back.
"Which way is it to the Makeout Point, Jamie? That's where we're going, right?
Jamie buried his face in his palms, letting out a low groan. "Rosalita, please stop...!" He leaned over as his foot tapped rapidly against the car floor.
Luna froze for a moment, but started laughing uproariously at Rosalita's joke. Noticing Jamie's nervous posture, she reached out and patted his back, trying to figure out the right pace between making her touching of Jamie's back seem sincere, but not overly intimate too soon.
"You ok, dude? She was just joshin' ya."
Jamie nodded in his hands. He raised himself back up in his seat with his cheeks remaining red. "Yeah, I know..." He turned to Luna with a small smile, a little more comfortable and relaxed now that she was there with him. He was quick to change subjects to ease the awkward tension. "Snacks and the blanket are in the trunk, so I hope you'll have fun."
"It's gonna be awesome! Thanks again for taking me!" Luna thanked Jamie with a one-armed hug, squeezing his shoulder.
Jamie bit his smiling lip. The warmth radiating from Luna filled his insides with a fuzzy delight. Luna kept her hug into his shoulder as he glanced over to her guitar. "I'm curious," he said. "why did you bring your guitar with you?"
"I always bring the old unplugged girl whenever I go to the park. There's something special about playing outdoors in a place like that." Luna struck a few quick riffs on her nylon baby, finding it comforting to play away her nervousness.
As comforting as the drive was getting, the car had already made the stop to their short-distanced destination. Rosalita parked near the curb of the large park, allowing Jamie to step out first from the street side and jogged around, opening the curb side door for Luna. The housemaid opened the trunk for Jamie to get the rest of their things.
"Have a good time, you two!" she smiled happily. "I'll pick you up in a couple of hours!"
Luna picked up the blanket and cooler, waving the kind housekeeper off as they headed into the park. A good crowd had already gathered, but many patches of grass were still ripe for the taking.
"Let's find one towards the left side, where the string section will be sitting. They don't carry as far as the big brass instruments do when playing outdoors."
"Agreed," Jamie nodded.
The two wandered through the gathering crowds as people started to settle down at their places on the grass. Luna was expecting the park to be a cornucopia of fancy folk, but instead was surrounded by most of the casual and familiar residents of Royal Woods: friends, couples, and families. A few fancy looking patrons were there to enjoy the orchestra as well, but less of them to overwhelm her fear of standing out like a sore thumb in the field of high society. It was as if a great weight was lifted from her shoulders, easing her to relax. Perhaps this night was going to go smoothly after all.
It was a few minutes until showtime; the many instruments exhaled their soft and beautiful tunes, despite the lack of effort in being in sync with one another. Jamie helped put down and spread the blanket in a spot near the strings section with a good angle to see the whole orchestra. He and Luna sat close together, spreading their food and drinks for the evening.
Luna eased back and relaxed, helping herself to some cheese and crackers and cream soda. Although not her favorite, classical was still a very enjoyable music for her to listen to, especially when it's live. Seeing other couples snuggling up on the grass made Luna both nervous and inspired to make a move. She scooted a bit closer to Jamie, their legs and hips just baaaarely touching as she tried to play it off all cool-like.
Jamie noticed this minor advance from Luna, all too nervous about wanting to take it a step further. Classical music always relaxed him , and perhaps this night would help him do so. Everyone on the grass applauded for the entering conductor, taking a greeting bow for the crowd. In one swift movement, turned to face the orchestra with his arms raised and a baton in hand. His hands then swung slow and steady as the orchestra altogether played in perfect harmony, beginning the show with the first movement of Mozart's Symphony number Forty.
Luna leaned in and whispered in Jamie's ear, mostly out of courtesy not to interrupt the other concert goers, but also for an excuse to practice getting a bit closer to her date. She could feel her chin begging to rest on his shoulder and her arms longing to grasp his leg, but she resisted the urge by hovering her chin mere millimeters above his shoulder.
"Classic choice. Mozart's a great opener for concerts like these."
"No kidding." Jamie smiled, leaning his head into Luna's, almost touching cheeks. "Mozart's my favorite composer."
With the strings varying their strokes and volume through the number, Jamie let loose the tension in his body, working up the courage to get in closer with Luna. Carefully, he picked himself up by his hands and moved in nearer. He let out a shuddered breath as their hips, arms, and shoulders touched. It was unusual though... They would often hug and sit close together back when they were friends. Of course, they wanted to take their relationship to the next level, so every touch was new and very intimate territory. The singer boy's mouth ran dry as soon as their skin touched. He was quick to wet his mouth with some water near his leg. A slight discomfort, however, sat in his stomach, making him wonder how Luna felt about sitting close to the point of their skins touching.
Luna's exposed shoulders felt goose bumps over Jamie's shoulders touching them. She suppressed a quiver as she gently leaned into him. By now, she was pretty sure that she was attempting to get more comfortable with him, and it seemed to be working out. Luna could feel herself relaxing around him, glancing a look in his direction as the piece finished, the sound of applause covering up her nervous giggle.
The soft, low vibrato of cellos heralded the next piece of the concert: Tchaikovsky's Marche Slave. Luna's goosebumps gave an encore appearance as she heard the low and imposing intro to one of the best pieces from her favorite composer. She perked her attention back to the stage, watching the enthusiasm from the conductor as he commanded the powerful piece, as if the music were strong waves crashing into a rocky shore.
Letting Tchaikovsky's piece run wild in his imagination, Jamie's mindset unfolded the scenery of a Spanish town, a young and daring couple performing a dramatic and slow tango. Eventually, the couple took the shapes of Luna and himself. Remaining in their formal attire, it was the rocker girl that took the lead in their tango, locking the stem of a freshly bloomed rose between her teeth. The conductor jerked his hands in place for the built up with the cellos, trumpets and trombone. The best thing one could do with music was paint a moving picture in their imagination. As the music got deeper and deeper, so did Jamie's yearn to be closer to Luna, as if the music controlled the strings attached to him, boiling the boldness and confidence within him. Like a spider, his hand crawled on the blanket with his fingers as its legs, carefully climbing on and settling on top of Luna's hand.
Luna jumped a bit, noticing Jamie's clever use of the music and rhythm to spur his advances. Not only did she approve, she was impressed. Luna encouragingly squeezed Jamie's hand, turning towards him and giving him an 'I see what you're doing' smile.
Using Tchaikovsky to pierce through all that nervousness? Well played, Little Freddie...
Jamie looked back to her, shrugging his head with a timid blush and a ditzy smile. But that smile settled into a softer more contented one. He gestured his eyes from Luna to his shoulder, granting her easement to rest her head on it.
The piece of Tchaikovsky was ended with a booming and triumphant finale as the seated audience applauded loudly. The conductor turned the page to the next number, one Jamie wasn't expecting. The man faced the string section and shivered his baton. They answered with an unsettling vibrato of high single notes from the violins. Jamie's skin ran cold to this eerie music, but he squeezed Luna's hand tighter as the violin's vibrato's wounded with the trumpets and trombones making themselves present. This went on for a few bars… then came the iconic thundering roars of the entire brass section, making the boy jump in his spot, almost an inch off the ground. This composition was all too familiar to his pounding heart and ears…
Mussorgsky's A Night on Bald Mountain...
Luna's body shivered in anticipation as the chilling piece wound up the audience. She could also feel the involuntary apprehension from Jamie's body, too. Gladly taking refuge under his shoulder, Luna leaned in and whispered in his ear.
"You're not afraid of ol' Chernabog, are you?"
Jamie bit his lip hard. "M-maybe a little..." he whispered back, shivering slightly. This was indeed a song monsters and demons could dance to in ritual around a hellish fire on a dark mountain with a winged devil figure manipulating the darkness and evil all around him; filled with nightmares beyond the light's touch.
"Don't worry, I'll protect you~" Luna cooed as she leaned closer and wrapped her arms around him.
Jamie blushed furiously as he was now in the arms of his date. The nightmarish melody grew louder and more demonic, his heart racing faster and faster as if he was expecting monsters to come out from the bushes to scare everyone. He scooted closer to Luna, now touching everything from their shoulders down to their thighs. The singer boy wrapped an arm around Luna's waist, too frightened by the music to even feel a drop of nervousness about the intimate contact with her.
Luna gasped a bit on Jamie's chest, her warm breath passing through the layers of his clothes and gently, barely touching the hairs on his bare skin. She responded to her date's more confident touching by laying one hand on his shoulder and the other on his waist. She giggled mischievously as she ran her hands up and down those two areas, her fingers moving in tune to the music, playing her date like a human cello.
Jamie's very being trembled to the orchestra's booming strings and brass as they built their way up higher and higher to the hellish climax of the piece. His spine shivered to Luna's rhythmical strokes to his shoulder and back as if to tease him. What terrified him was that he could feel the deeper music from her fingers. With the final blares of the brass and strings, they altogether dropped as if they were falling down and down into the ground back to Hell, ending with the strike of the gong, simulating a great blast of fire. The orchestra remained silent for a few bars... until the distant sound of a church bell began to ring... again... and again... and again... Bows and strings whirled with the coming of light into their song, easing the many trembling hearts among the settled patrons before them.
Luna exhaled sharply, the cold air of the coming twilight emphasizing the chilling mood of the piece. The conductor bowed again as the applause died down and faced the audience.
"Now that you've all been nice and shook up by one of the scariest pieces of music Mussorgsky ever wrote, let us end this concert with a piano concerto to lift your spirits, and to grant you a safe voyage home, hopefully away from Bald Mountain." the conductor chuckled as he motioned for the orchestra to depart. As the players packed up their instruments, a black grand piano was wheeled onto the center stage, a lone pianist taking her bench to applause from about half the crowd that hadn't packed up yet.
Luna directed her attention to the stage, trying not to pay attention to how rudely a majority of the concertgoers were packing up before she even got a chance to play. Unfazed by the crowd, the player struck her first keys of the ivory beast, and Luna's ears were in love.
A great warmness filled Jamie's heart, listening to the beautiful echoing of the piano's keys. He kept his ears open, trying to memorize every note and chord playing, hoping to play it himself sometime. A smile grew across his face, turning to Luna as if the song was guiding him towards her like in some form of trance. He kept a hand around her waist, pulling her closer to him, resting his chin on her warm, smooth and perfectly freckled shoulder. He could finally relax after the last composition. No longer was he nervous in a closer bond with Luna in this new relationship. Perhaps this was what he needed.
Luna's head bobbed hypnotically as she became entranced by Senneville's simple, yet incredibly soothing piece. Although she was practically playing the 'everybody clean up' song for the concert, the pianist played with passion and soul, something Luna could always recognize and greatly appreciate.
Jamie's gentle touch snapped Luna out of her trance, her eyes still a bit clouded and distant as she stared back at him.
"It's... it's beautiful~" she cooed softly, leaning into Jamie's embrace and gently stroking his feathery soft hair as he rested on her shoulder. Something about the piano's soft but vibrant dance had an effect on Luna's sense of touch, causing her to feel an extra aura of warmth from her date. She could hear his relaxed breathing as vividly as the piano, giving her a second source of ease and comfort. It was as if her first love, music, was opening up the path for what might just be a new love.
Jamie's mind brightened with each of the player's fingers jumping back and forth to the higher and uplifting notes. He imagined himself playing the piece on his piano, as the large instrument gave him a sense of serenity and bliss. Whenever his fingers tapped each of the keys, he lost himself in the music without a care in the world. But that night with his hands off the keys, as if the piano was playing itself, he was lost in the comfort and longing of his date. His hand on Luna's waist stroked her tenderly, grinning to feel her fingers run through his hair. He closed his eyes, seeing the vivid bright colors of the music before him taking the shapes of clouds and the wind of spring and summer. Nipped by the faint and alluring scent coming from Luna, he took a silent sniff in, savoring each tickle it gave his nose. The boy found happiness through the whole piece, sharing his love with music for the girl he was falling for.
Luna's mind swam in emotional aether, waves of feelings cascading, like silver wine flowing through the atmosphere, gravity all but nonsense as her dreamy gaze fell once again upon the boy cuddled up close to her. To think that both of them were, just moments ago, too nervous to even brush their shoulders together, now possessed enough comfort to be feeling each other in a delicate, but vivid way. Jamie's smile, as well as his daring gesture of smelling her, sent Luna into a slightly giddy smile. This level of careful intimacy, of delicate courtship, was alien to the girl who was so used to the fast-paced rock and roll style. She was used to boys being straight to the point, bypassing the steps like crazed bulls in china shops to get what they wanted. Like the other boys from her past, Luna could practically smell the hormones raging in her suitor, but the restraint and gentleness he was showing her made her feel more special than she had ever felt on a date before.
The two teen musicians cuddled together throughout the entire piece, being one of the few concertgoers still remaining at the very end of the song.
The player finished her piece with the final faint taps to the high noted keys until they faded away. Jamie and Luna were the first to stand up and applaud loudly for the player, who gestured to them happily and satisfied.
Within a few minutes of packing, the bandshell and park was empty with the lampposts lit and the sun gone from sight. Jamie and Luna remained alone together, wanting to stay longer on their blanket.
"That concert was wonderful~" Jamie said, pulling Luna into a deeper cuddle. "It wouldn't have been if it was just me."
Snapped back to reality, Luna hugged Jamie to help reassure herself she wasn't in a dream. "Thank you for taking me. This is the best date I've ever been on."
Jamie's smile grew brighter, pulling Luna into another hug. Then, came a small buzz vibrating between against each other. Without breaking the tender hold just yet, Jamie retrieved his phone, receiving a text from Rosalita:
-( How's the concert? )
Luna caught glance of his message, letting Jamie get his other back to tap into the screen keys:
( It just got done. Luna and I had a great time! ^^ You can come pick us up now! )-
-( That's wonderful to hear! I'll be there in ten minutes! :) )
( See you then! )-
Jamie put his phone back into his pocket, returning his attention back to Luna. "Well, Rosalita's gonna pick us up in ten minutes. What do you wanna do in the meantime?"
Luna pulled out her acoustic guitar, eyeing the empty stage with the same eagerness that a painter would see from a blank canvas.
"I gotta try that stage out."
Hopping up to her feet, Luna practically bounced her way onstage, strumming her guitar to an upbeat and gentle tune that reverberated the feelings she had about tonight's date as she started to softly sing.
"Isn't this... suuuuch…" she started. "A beautiful niiiight? Woah~ We're underneath a thousand shining stars… Isn't it nice to find yourself somewhere different? Woahh... Why don't you let yourself just be wherever you are~?"
The bandshell amplified her voice and guitar. Jamie heard both clearly, sitting on the blanket and listening to Luna's soft and soothing melody, not even daring to look away. He couldn't, not from a personal show. Watching with half closed eyes, he supported his chin with his hand as he relaxed, taking notice that her eyes never averted from him. It was as if she was singing to him.
Luna's fingers skimmed the nylon strings with a delicacy she rarely showed when performing. Normally she would be amped up and ready to belt it out loud when she stood on stage, but having a lone audience member pacified her desire to crank it up to 11. One thing was for certain: there would be no stagediving on a crowd of just one. Smiling at Jamie's enraptured face, she switched keys and tempo without skipping a beat as she moved to another song.
"Life and death and love and birth, and peace and war on the planet earth. Is there anything that's worth more, than peace and love on the planet earth? Come on and sing it with me, the words relate to the key. If it's a pattern, if it's a pattern, then just repeat after me…"
Jamie chuckled at this change of tunes, but enjoyed them all the rest. There she was: Luna Loud, the girl to bring him out to the crowds; the girl who pulled him out from the fort of isolation he built himself overtime; and the girl who stood up to his fears and made the man the better singer. Girls he usually knew had sweeter and higher voices, but Luna's was unique. It was her own, and didn't take it for granted. He would've continued to make that mistake for his own if it wasn't for her, thankful for the many things she had done for him. What he was thankful for most of all, was that she was the first real friend he made in a long time. And perhaps one day... they could be more than just friends.
Jamie kept the same allured smile and his ears wide open, remaining entranced by her solo performance.
Luna continued her Steven Universe streak by letting out her desire to pump things up and kicking it into a cover of I'm Just a Comet. It was no secret that this song was Luna's favorite out of the whole show's soundtrack, especially since it was all about the ambition to live the rock and roll lifestyle with a confident and cocky demeanor. As she reached the last part of the song, Luna resisted the strong urge to slide downstage on her knees, remembering for a moment that she was not her usual outfit. She settled for walking slowly to the edge of the stage, staring at Jamie as she struck the last chord of the song.
"I'll fly like a comet… soar like a comet… crash like a comet… I'm just a comet~"
Jamie immediately stood up, clapping his hands together loudly, making sure she could hear it. As Luna took her bow, a car with lit headlights pulled in nearby: there was their ride. Jamie folded up the blanket and took the empty soda cans, water bottles and snack wrappers to the nearest garbage and recycling cans. With everything put together and placed in the trunk, Jamie and Luna made their way into the car, sharing the backseats together once more.
Rosalita turned to them with a sly smirk and the desire to hear everything.
"So, how did it go, you two~?" she asked.
"It was awesome!" Luna exclaimed, probably a bit too loudly for being in the car, but the rocker girl had been way too quiet than she's used to, so she had to let something out. She threw up her rock horns for extra emphasis.
Jamie and Rosalita smiled at her usual enthusiasm, pleased to know she had the best time out of the both of them.
"We had a great time." Jamie replied. "Thanks again for driving us."
"My pleasure, sweetheart~" Rosalita chuckled.
It was a quarter to nine by the time they made it back to Franklin Avenue, pulling up to Luna's house. Jamie stepped out from the car first and offered her a hand. With it accepted, he escorted her to the porch once she had her cooler bag and guitar. All that time, their hands were in a tender lock.
"This is been a wonderful night~" Jamie said, smiling sweetly and looking into her glimmering eyes. "I'm so glad you came."
"I'm glad I was able to help scare those nasty Mussorgsky demons away, hehe." Luna gazed back, looking back at Jamie's adorable face.
So..." she started off squeaking nervously, but soon found her confidence to stare up at him with a soft coo in her voice. "Should we make this a regular thing~?"
Jamie held both her hands as he kept his alluring gaze upon her timid face. On that bandshell, she was the rocker girl once again, and now she was as fragile as her purple-colored floral counterpart. "Would you like to make this a regular thing~?"
Luna squeezed Jamie's hand, unable to even speak the three-letter word that was begging to come out. While her lips quivered, she lunged forward and found a better use for them: by kissing Jamie firmly on the cheek and pulling in for a tight hug.
The planted kiss stunned the singer boy just as he was pulled into a firm embrace. Shaking breaths escaped from his nose while the hairs on the back of his neck stood, tingling immensely. Quickly shaking off the shock, he wrapped his arms around Luna's waist and rested his chin on her shoulder. The wind blew past the slightly wet spot where her lips touched his cheek, sending a blissful chill.
"Is that a yes~?"
Eyes glistening at the enthusiastic response from his body language, Luna nodded, her tongue finally free to speak again. "I'd love that~"
The familiar chorus of 'awww's from the nosey siblings sounded off from the front window. Luna rolled her eyes, but with a good-natured smile on her face. Right on cue...
"Ha! Pay up!" came the triumphant voice of Lana, holding out her palm flat to her twin. Lola grumbled, taking a dollar bill out of her teddy bear and slapping it begrudgingly into the mechanic's hand.
"Never bet against love, little sis." swooned Lori, feeling immense pride at Luna as she watched her make the first move and kiss Jamie.
"Jamie and Luna totes make such a sweet couple~" Leni grinned giddily, clapping her hands together lightly.
The singer boy's cheeks reddened at this, averting his eyes towards the street. "So um..." he stammered, slowly looking back to Luna. "I'll call you tomorrow?"
Luna nodded eagerly. "Totally. Goodnight, dude!" She reached over and hugged him tightly.
Jamie happily accepted the hug, pulling her in tighter. "Goodnight!" he exclaimed just as Luna waved him good-bye before closing the door behind her. Waves of pride and success from his first date ran through his body. He strutted down the steps and back to the running car where Rosalita was waiting. The ecstatic boy jumped in, letting out a huge blissful sigh,
As soon as Luna was through the door, she was met with enthusiastic congratulations from her siblings. Lynn punched her on the shoulder, while Luan had Mr. Coconuts make kissy faces and move his eyebrows. Leni clapped her hands excitedly and Lori patted her on the back. It was always good to know she would have their everlasting love and support.
Later that night, while Luna was getting ready for bed, a knock came at her door.
"Luna? May I come in?" her mother asked from the other side.
"Sure thing, Mommasita."
Rita stepped in and closed the door behind her for a little extra privacy, not that it was a full guarantee in this house. However, with Luan still in the bathroom, it was enough for a mother and one of ten girls to have a secluded discussion. Catching a swooned glance from the loudest Loud, the matriarch could tell how her date went, but still wanting to hear it from Luna herself.
"I take it your date with Jamie went well~?"
"It was perfect~! There was all this great music, I got totally in the zone and everything just... just felt right, ya know? I didn't feel like I was being taken on a trip through the fast lane, I felt free to be myself. Jamie feels like he'll treat me right, and... I think that's what I really need right now."
It was all she needed to hear. Rita kept her proud and joyous peer upon the rock star, fighting the urge to pull her into a motherly bear hug and let out an immature squeal of excitement. Instead, she pulled Luna into a softer embrace, in which the young Loud gladly accepted.
"I'm so happy to hear you say that." she said, lightly ruffling Luna's hair. "I knew you two had something special. You had a rocky start, but you guys came out closer than ever."
Hearing her mother echo what she was already thinking drew Luna into a sense of comfort she desperately needed. As well as the date went, she still carried seeds of doubt in her mind, but her mother's voice helped to blow the worries away.
Luna hugged back, her cheeks flushed and warm from the encouragement. "Thanks, mom. I'm glad you feel that way, too."
As much as Rita wanted to keep this tender moment with her daughter going, her personality quickly changed from being a mother to a young high school girl, eager for more details as she took a seat on Luan's bunk. "Soooo... was Jamie the bigger worrywart like we thought?"
Luna sighed, feeling the tension dissipate in the room as soon as Rita got more comfortable. She crossed her legs and nodded, easing into gossip territory.
"Definitely. But he was super cute when he got all flustered. Rosalita enjoyed teasing him too!"
Although Luna wasn't ready to divulge the details to her siblings just yet, she found comfort in telling her mother, probably because she knew she had less chance of her blabbing than her sisters. Luna told her all about their spot at the concert, how they managed to become more comfortable the more the music played, and her impromptu solo concert after everyone else had left. By the time she mentioned the look on Jamie's face when she gave him a surprise kiss on the cheek, Luna was out of breath and blushing brightly, experiencing a couple hours' worth of emotion in just a few short bursts of sentences.
All through her daughter's summarized blooming exchange of passion and emotional thrill, Rita kept the same beam on her face, perhaps even a larger one upon Luna's conclusion. She felt the leftover energy from the date emit from the girl, not yet surrendering to exhaustion. Always jamming and never tiring; the true lifestyle of the rock star. As far as Rita knew, Luna would no doubt want to go out and beyond with Jamie after a night of music and the comfort in each other's company. Compared to her last relationships that left her lingering with a broken heart and reopened wounds, this one would bring her forward, and from the looks of things, Jamie wasn't intending on letting her go anytime soon.
"It sounds like you two are really taking another step further into your relationship." the missus implied, taking her daughter's hand in a warm motherly hold. "I mean, if that's what you want to do."
"I... uhh..." Luna stuttered as the excitement bubbled over for an answer. Looking back at her mother's face, she could see only support and patience staring back at her, but the rocker girl also knew that what sat before her was one of only two souls who knew every detail of her love life. Rita had seen Luna's best and worst moments when it came to her dating history, including more than just one instances of talks that only a mother and her daughter should hear. As much as she believed the happiness in her expression upon recounting tonight's date, Luna also worried about what the past did to change the present. Just the simple gesture of holding her hand had shed all of Luna's protective layers, showing the excited but scared girl underneath all the rock and roll, the same girl who had come stumbling back with a broken heart multiple times for her mother to heal. She couldn't help but feel naked when discussing these matters with her, but Rita's hands have never felt to fix her heart when she needed it most, so the truth was the least Luna could do to repay her.
"I really think this is my chance," she whispered, feeling a weight lift off her shoulders as the layers that made up Luna Loud began to reform around her in slow motion, still holding tight to her mother's hand.
"Don't let him go~" she smiled. Rita ran her thumb over Luna's hand in tender strokes, catching a trembling smile and a glittering yet almost tearful glance in the teen's eyes.
"C'mere, honey~" Her voice was warm and smooth like melted chocolate as she pulled her daughter into a hug only a mother could give. Luna nestled her head into her mother's chest, squeezing tighter in this special moment between a parent and her child. Rita ran her fingers through the rock star's dark hair, planting a soft kiss on her forehead.
"Eep!"
Rita's hug was so strong and sudden, Luna felt like a moon caught in a planet's gravitational pull. Although the rock star's teenage instincts prodded her to resist the affection and double check to make sure nobody saw, the overwhelmingly positive impression of her first date with Jamie dulled Luna's sense of embarrassment enough to relax and let them both enjoy the moment. Trapped in her mother's bear hug, Luna reflected on how lucky she was to have such a loving family that would help nurture the seeds of this budding new relationship so that it could grow into something beautiful.
The young couple stared blankly at the flier almost in a form of hypnotic trance. Luna snuggled warmly under Jamie's chin; heart-shaped pupils took refuge her eyes in remembrance of that romantic night.
Jamie kept her close as his mind jumped to the last hour of that night after returning home, his parents waiting up to hear how things went. Of course, being the timid and awkwardly reluctant boy that he was, it took a few minutes before he could finally spill the beans. It seemed the confidence built to even make any form of physical contact with Luna couldn't substitute as working up the courage to give the details without timid hesitation kicking in.
Despite the disappointment of them having to work late and not having two extra tickets to view their little date from afar without the kids' knowledge, Alan and Marie couldn't have been happier with their son. It was the best they've seen in him, and they would have the rocker girl to thank when given an opportunity to do so. To make things more awkward, they locked the already flustered boy into a hug sandwich, coddling him in near happy tears… well, with his father at least.
The harsh ding of the bell mercilessly shot through the couple's ears, snapping them out of their recollections and back to reality. Only a few precious minutes left until they had to march back to their different classes, Luna to math and Jamie to biology. A sharp tug on the back of her shirt jerked Luna even more awake as she was spun away from Jamie and turned towards her kidnapper: Miss Milanto, the math teacher.
She gave the couple a silent 'I'm watching you' gesture before walking back to her classroom. Sheepish from being torn away in the middle of the room, Luna blushed and rubbed behind her head sheepishly.
"Guess that's my cue. Don't wanna get stuck being called on for every question again."
Jamie peered over Luna's shoulder, squinting his eyes in a bitter stare towards the math teacher after her rather unconventional method of grabbing his girlfriend's attention.
"It's probably better than dissecting a pig fetus with a stomach full of your dad's good cooking…" he chuckled weakly, trying to ease the sudden tension. Glad to see Luna show even a little smile, he brought a quick peck to her lips; wishing Miss Milanto had seen it, all the while being shot with a defiant glare from the more buoyant and confident singer.
He's so cute when he tries to act all rebellious... Luna swooned to herself. You're the sweetest little punk rocker, lover boy~
Luna playfully rubbed Jamie's hair, smiling at his cute act of defiance.
"See ya after class, dude."
"I never can say good-bye, girl~"
Luna warmly chuckled. "Looks like my song language is rubbing off on ya. I'm proud of ya, luv~" With that, she took her leave to math class, leaving the boy to gather his things before making his way to the biology lab.
He made sure to take the orchestra flier with him, carefully putting it in one of his school folders to prevent any crinkling or bent corners.
Maybe I'll start a scrapbook… he thought as he strolled down the hallway with the rest of the students passing by.
… and those Mick Swagger tickets would make a perfect addition too.