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"Oh, there ain't no rest for the wicked,"

"Money don't grow on trees,"

"I got bills to pay,"

"I got mouths to feed,"

"There ain't nothing in this world for free..."

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Luke's POV

(Song-Now or Never-Show version)

The blazing sun beat down on Luke's back, searing his skin with its scorching embrace. Sweat trickled down his temple as he strummed the chords of their song on the borrowed guitar. Behind Luke, Alex cracked his drumsticks together, counting them in.

"One, two, three!"

"Take off! Last stop! Count down till we blast open the top!" Luke sang. "Face first! Full charge! Electric hammer to the heart!"

The anticipation in the air was palpable and the energy surged in response as the band began to unleash their music on the eager crowd.

Luke had decided to trim down the song for this particular performance considering the slim chances of being able to play it in its entirety. Bobby, their temporary rhythm guitarist, had given Luke a heads-up the day before about a potential gig opportunity. A well-known local band was scheduled to perform at noon in the town square, and if the boys were fortunate enough, they might have a shot at "testing out" their instruments before the band took the stage. Fortunately, luck had been on their side because Sunset Curve found themselves shredding in front of a bewildered yet intrigued crowd while the other band and their security were enjoying lunch just two blocks away.

The rest of the band joined in, Alex's drumming adding a pulsating energy to the performance. "Clocks move faster, 'cause it's all we're after now! Oh."

The crowd before them was by far the biggest they'd ever played for, dozens of townspeople of all ages cheering them on. A flood of teenage girls had fought their way to the edge of the shaking wooden stage, red faced and screaming, straining towards the musicians. Despite the mob, any nerves he'd had stepping into the spotlight quickly dissipated as Luke lost himself in the music.

In a flashing moment he closed his eyes, reveling in the intense pride for his band and all they were accomplishing together, however small. Their synergy was undeniable, creating a sound that was greater than the sum of its parts. Their harmonious collaboration brought their music to life, captivating who Luke thought safe to call their fans.

Reggie joined Luke, sharing his mic. "Won't stop climbing, 'cause this is our time, yeah." The other boy's eyes were bright and shining, but despite the beaming sun his pupils were dilated. He was feeling the adrenaline too.

Luke playfully shoved Reggie away, going solo. "When all the days felt black and white those were the best shades of my life!"

As Sunset Curve harmonized, Luke squinted against the glare of the sun, noticing something unusual. His vision cleared to see hulking figures approaching them at an alarming pace. Though they were still distant on the cobblestone road they were most definitely a cause for concern; the other band's security guards.

He cast a warning glance towards his band mates, who nodded in response. They each played with even more bravado than before. With sweat streaming down his face, Luke channeled his passion into each strum of the guitar. The summer heat became insignificant in comparison to the fire that burned within his soul.

"Don't look down," they harmonized, "'cause we're still rising up right now. And even if we hit the ground!"

"We'll still fly. Keep dreaming like we'll live forever, but live it like it's now or never!"

Security was upon them, forcing their way through the remaining throngs of the crowd. Luke felt his band growing apprehensive but he stood his ground, refusing to leave Now or Never unfinished. Four or five men, all dressed in black suits and all over six foot scaled the dark, splintering wood on the front of the platform. Luke broke away from his mic, wrestling one back over the edge while Alex and Reggie sang.

"We ain't searching for for tomorrow-"

"Tomorrow!"

"'Cause we got all we need today-"

"Today!"

Luke jumped back in, dodging a man with the size and the hair of a gorilla. He laughed, his heart hammering at the pace of the music, "living on a feeling that's been running through our veins-"

Reggie flicked his head after sending a guard rolling, slicking his sweat soaked hair back, "we're the revolution that's been singing in the rain!"

The quaint square echoed with rhythmic clapping and the satisfactory snap of Alex's drumsticks. Houses of all sizes lined the clearing, and Luke could see mothers and children and fathers and grandparents, all hanging out of their windows or on their terraces, cheering on the performance.

"Don't look down-"

Luke flipped his guitar, wincing when he accidentally nailed the gorilla-man in the face, "'cause we're still rising up right now!"

Sunset Curve strummed together once in a grand flourish, causing the sound boxes screeched in agony and burst into smoke. Even the guards paused for a moment.

Luke bounced on the balls of his feet, alight with a passion that only music could spark. "And even if we-"

"Hit the ground!" Security was grabbing at them in desperate attempts, trying to get them away from the microphones. "We'll still fly. Keep dreaming like we'll live forever, but live it like it's now or never."

Luke stopped strumming and released the guitar, which sent reeling the man that'd been trying to pull him back. He took the mic in hand, a wide grin splitting his face.

"It's now or never!"

"Now or never!" Reggie and Bobby shredded the last three chords as the song ended.

There was no chance to soak up the applause, the cheers for their antics, or the love declarations. As soon as they slipped away from the instruments and security, Sunset Curve was throwing themselves off the stage into the hoard of people, shoving their way through reaching arms and sweaty bodies. Leaving behind yet another success.

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Luke's lungs were screaming for air, squeezing his chest and suffocating him by the time they'd evaded the guards. Now that he thought about it, running so far in weather so hot, with no fuel but adrenaline in his aching body hadn't been the best idea. He'd begun to wonder if he was actually seeing heat waves or if his vision had begun blurring.

Unsurprisingly, everyone agreed to a break. They took up station next to a smooth stone wall, hoping to find some refuge in the shade.

"Dude that had to be the tightest we've ever played!" Reggie wheezed, stripping off his jacket and fanning himself. His soaked white shirt was halfway translucent, and like the rest of them malnourishment had gifted him a lean frame, yet dangerously so. "Literally too, since we were almost arrested."

Luke nodded absently, holding back from what he really wanted to say. He allowed his head to fall back against the wall as he breathed, in and out, in and out, every intake clearing his chest a little more. He watched the busy market street before them through narrowed eyes. Women and their daughters bustled back and forth with baskets of flowers or goods to sell. Paperboys and merchants called out to the heedless. Shopkeepers charmed customers, slapping the hands of the hasty homeless. After years on the streets Luke had fully come to believe that he could never fully let his guard down. There was always one of two things to watch out for: a resource to steal, or a rich man to run from. Actually, make that three. He also attracted the occasional wayward girl, who's rich father he'd then have to run from.

He lifted his shirt's hem to dry his skin of the sweat pooling on his brow. Nonetheless it almost immediately re-condensed, dripping from the planes of his face as if it wished to be raindrops.

Reggie and Alex complemented each other on their performances and Luke fist bumped Bobby, sending him on his way. Bobby wasn't a full time member of Sunset Curve since he actually had a life and a job. He was just a cool guy that occasionally landed them gigs and gave them leftover pastries from his parents' bakery.

Once Bobby was gone Luke really tried to maintain his patience as Alex and Reggie enthused about their performance. Usually he would've been hyped, but their circumstances were finally wearing him thin. His frustration eventually boiled over.

"You know what would be nice? Actually getting to enjoy our fans. Not having to disappear right at the end." Luke snapped, snatching a fresh apple off a stand when the seller was preoccupied. "Yeah it's about the music, but what it's really about is connecting with people through the music."

"Well until we find a way to land a gig that pays, you know, so we won't be poor thieves anymore, this is how it's gonna be. We've dealt with it for this long, we can do it for a little longer." Alex was the one to get Luke in check, slipping around a chattering couple. He noticed that Reggie had almost immediately begun to avoid him, which he often did in the face of any sort of aversion. It made Luke feel bad enough to shut his mouth.

"I know, I know. I'm just sick of it," he growled, allowing his attention to drift elsewhere. Something caught his eye as he took a bite of his apple.

He snatched a poster off a light pole as they passed, studying it, heart leaping. He opened his mouth to say something to Alex and Reggie but decided to wait until they got home. He folded the sheet and stashed it in his pocket, an idea forming in his head while they weaved through the city.

Chapter One chicos! Woo!

Pity weighs my heart for gorilla-man...but honestly, who messes with a guy holding a guitar?

Anyways, what idea do you think Luke is stirring up? Do you think his plan will be, A-Phenomenal, or B-An absolute idiotic, what the hell were you on, do you have a death wish type thing?