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During statistics, Luke attempted to get Alex’s attention for the fifth time by throwing an eraser at his head. He was unsuccessful. It just bounced off his full head of hair. It wasn’t like Alex was enraptured by his math lesson that he couldn’t answer Luke’s text. He was just too busy texting Willie or looking at pictures of him and Willie together. Whatever it was, it had to do with Willie. That was pissing Luke off.
“Gimme your pencil, Reggie!”
“What…why!” Reggie asked, “I’m doodling a picture of us as dogs.”
“It’s an emergency.”
“You just want to hit Alex.”
“That’s my emergency.”
Reggie sighed and handed over his pencil. Luke never appreciated his art, whether it was his serialist drawings or his country music. “Fine, but you owe me a pencil.”
Luke threw the pencil a few rows in front of him and swatted Alex on the back of the neck.
“Ow!” Alex hissed, turning around. “What?”
“Reply in group chat dipshit!” Luke hissed back. “Band practice has been changed to 9, Reggie and I have a late shift at the Orpheum.”
“Can’t miss out on that overtime, dude.” Reggie gestured to his worn winklepickers. “Daddy needs a new pair of shoes.”
“Daddy needs to go to the dentist.” Luke corrected him.
“Hey!” Reggie defended, moping. “That’s what I’m sensitive about.”
Luke rolled his eyes, “Anyway, be on time Alex.”
“I always am…” Alex whispered.
The professor loudly cleared her throat, demanding their attention. “Mr. Patterson, I am reclaiming my time.”
Alex turned back around, and Luke glared at the back of his head.
“I aLwAyS aM,” Luke mocked him. “He’s such a liar!”
“Mr. Patterson!”
Luke wasn’t wrong. Alex and Willie had been dating two weeks before the band noticed changes in him. He started arriving a few minutes late to band practice and leaving a few minutes earlier. He was always tired after a gig and didn’t have time to celebrate afterward. Or worst he spent their songwriting sessions smiling at his phone. It wasn’t excessive but it was a noticeable difference from the Alex they knew.
Julie and Reggie were cutting him some slack. First loves were a lot to handle.
Luke was on his last nerve.
+++
That night Alex planned to see a movie with Willie at 7. It was just enough time to see the movie and be at practice on time. It was a proper official date. They were doing actual activities couples do, as opposed to breaking into the planetarium or something. They were seeing a drive-in movie, illegally of course. Willie had gained access to the roof of the building in front of the giant screen. There was always a risky element on their dates. Alex didn’t hate it. The element of danger kind of thrilled him.
He was enjoying The Lost Boys quite alright. Their heads were rested against one another. They shared a tub of convenience store popcorn. Every once a while they would laugh at an outdated reference or smile at the blatant homoerotic tension between the leads. It’s very rare you see a guy get seduced to the dark side by another guy.
“That was pretty hot…” Alex commented, “Subtextually.”
“I don’t know bro,” Willie shrugged. “I like my homoeroticism a little textual.”
“Really?” Alex asked, smiling coyly.
“Really,” Willie leaned in and captured his lips. Very early on Alex realized this kiss was different from all the kisses they have had before. It was deeper. It was passionate. Willie’s tongue slid between his lips and his hands cupped the back of his neck to bring him closer. Alex moaned, and just surrendered to kiss. It was like he was being pulled underwater.
It must have been what Michael felt like being inducted into the Lost Boys.
It when on like that for a while, an intense make-out session.
Time flew as they enjoyed every moment of it. Alex hadn’t realized when it had turned nine because Willie’s lips were latched onto his pulse and his hands were buried in Willie’s shirt as he ran his hands up and down his sculpted back.
They would have carried on being hot and heavy for a while longer if Alex’s phone hadn’t gone off.
[ Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club's Band Plays]
For once it wasn’t Caleb.
“Bro, Ignored it,” Willie whispered against the skin of his neck.
His heart wanted to ignore it
His body wanted to ignore it.
But his mind knew it was Luke’s ring tone. This meant business.
There was a band meeting tonight and he was late again.
Damn it.
Just when he had worked up the courage to unbutton his shirt.
+++
Alex walked into the garage at 9:45. He rushed but he couldn’t control traffic or the L. A bus system. It was quiet and well-lit. Reggie and Luke were around the table mulling over lyrics.
“Look who’s finally here…” Luke snarked when he entered.
“Sorry, guys I got held up…”
“Against a wall by Willie…”
Reggie chuckled, then felt guilty when he saw Alex’s reaction.
“Anyways,” Alex glared at Luke. “How far along are you with the new song?”
“We’re finished,” Luke slapped his notebook closed.
Alex felt a stab to his chest. “Without your drummer?”
“Drumming is so 90s, we’ll just stomp our feet,” Luke snarked.
“Real funny.”
“Like your performance lately.”
Alex marched up to look and stared him down. “So, I have a life outside of this band…maybe you should get one.”
Luke flared his nostrils. He was a volcano about to erupt. “It’s called dedication, maybe you should try it sometimes.”
Alex huffed and crossed his arms. “Maybe you should stop being chicken shit and ask Julie out already.”
“I’m chicken shit?” Luke gasped, poking Alex in the chest. “Who set you up? You couldn’t even tell him your name!”
“I have anxiety!”
“I HaVe AnXiEtY!”
“Guys shouldn’t we –
“Stay out of this Reggie!” They cried in unison.
Reggie zip his lips and sat back down. There was blood in the water and these two were sharks.
“You said you were happy for me!” Alex's eyes became glossy. He hadn’t meant the fight to get this far. He didn’t mean half the things he said.
Stubbornness overtook Luke. “This is exactly why we broke up, you’re so fucking emotional!” He screamed at Alex, refusing to back down. “It’s distracting!”
“Then I’ll leave!” Alex’s voice was higher than usual, and his eyes were glistening with tears. He was on the verge of crying. He stormed out of the garage.
“Good, go! You’re always leaving anyway. And don’t come back!” Luke’s voice trembled too. He groaned aloud and kicked over a chair when Alex was out of sight.
“What just happened!” Reggie cried out as he watched his best friend and two bandmates storm off after they destroyed their decade-long friendship. Julie entered moments later with a plate of snickerdoodles and met Reggie crying while holding one of her stuffed animals.
“It’s happening again,” Reggie cried, rocking back and forth. “They said it wouldn’t happen again but It’s happening again!”
+++
Next week Luke doesn’t sit next to or close to Alex in the few classes they have together. He makes a big show of wandering around until he and Reggie can sit as far away from him as possible. “There are some empty seats next to Alex,” Reggie urged, tired of being dragged around and used as a pawn to hurt his best friends. This was just like his parent’s divorce.
“I rather stand,” Luke growled.
He didn’t get that option. “Mr. Patterson please take your seat,” His professor ordered, waiting for him to sit so the class can begin.
“Luke,” Reggie begged, lips quivering. “There are two seats right next –
Luke ignored Reggie and raced to a single free seat at the back. “I guess I’ll sit next to my buddy Nick here.”
Nick’s eyebrows furrowed in confusion. They were casual acquaintances at best. “You never talk to me.”
“I’m talking to you now aren’t I,” Luke slumped into his seat. When Alex glanced back at him, he loudly asked Nick, “Want to join a band? We’re looking for a new drummer.”
Nick appeared genuinely interested and started rattling off his musical credentials. He was a friendly guy. Luke sadly only half listened. He was too focused on the reaction it would get out of Alex.
He got the reaction he wanted.
Alex rolled his eyes and turned back around.
It didn’t feel as good as he expected.
Reggie was forced to sit somewhere in the middle, next to people who won’t get him. This was their senior year all over again! This can’t go on any longer.
+++
[While the professor rattles on about philosophy, Alex dwelled on a crisp memory of the first time he became friends with Luke.]
It was during P.E, they were choosing teams for kickball. The grass was green, the sun was scorching hot and bigotry was in the air. They were down to the last two students, a knobby knee kid on crutches and Alex. Daniel Heffernan was giving the new kid (from Oklahoma) a hard time.
“I’ll take anyone except blondie,” He joked, calling over the kid with crutches. He wasn’t even allowed to play, so Heffernan was choosing to be one player down instead of choosing Alex.
Alex looked on the verge of tears. Heffernan and his friends noticed and started laughing.
“We’ll take him,” Luke declared, walking over to Alex, and taking his hand.
“Why would you pick him?” Heffernan asked in the middle of a laugh. “He’s a cry baby who plays like a girl and he has a backstreet boys lunch box!”
“Well, he isn’t a Dickwad. Like you, Dickwad!” Luke cursed.
“Luke Patterson!” His P.E teacher chided, “Detention for Swearing!”
“Yeah…yeah…”
“Thanks,” Alex said, sniffling. His eyes were filled with admiration.
Luke wiped the tears from Alex’s face with dusty hands. “Don’t thank me. Let’s go kickass!”
“Yeah!” Alex said, cheering up.
They lost. Heffernan was right, Alex had never played kickball before and wasn’t very good. Luke still picked him for every game. He even took the time to practice with him on the weekends. They became fast friends over their love of music and acceptance of each other without question.
As a kid, Luke never quite understood why he was always defending Alex, but he knew it was something he needed to do, and it wasn’t something Alex should never be ashamed of.
End Flashback.
+++
Back in 2021
Luke doesn’t come to Molina Family dinners when he knows Alex is there. Alex did the same thing days before. It was particularly hard for Reggie to experience. He would just move food around his plate and mope. It was scary. Julie noticed and made up her mind to meditate.
“Dinner is nicer than usual, quiet,” Ray remarked.
“It’s because Luke isn’t here,” Carlos said, sadly. Luke and Reggie were the big brothers he always wanted. Lately Luke has been too angry to spend any time with him and Reggie was semi-catatonic.
Ray chuckled, until Julie glared at him, “He said it. Not me.”
Reggie sighed morosely and stirred his cold spaghetti.
“That’s it!” Julie snapped, turning on Alex. “When will you too stop being children…don't you see what you're doing…you ruined a perfectly good Reggie. Ya gave him depression.”
“Luke’s the one who kicked me out of the band for being late!” Alex raised his voice, and that got a stern check from Mr. Molina. That is not the way to behave at the dinner table. He settled down immediately.
“You guys can talk this out,” Julie begged. She assumed Alex would be the more reasonable one. “You can’t let this stupid hissy fit ruin years of friendship.”
“Tell Luke that…” Alex pushed his plate away from away him and got up. “I’m suddenly not hungry. Thank your Mr. Molina, the pasta was delicious.”
“It’s a pleasure having you Alex,” Ray said. He was not getting involved in this drama.
“Can I have his desert?” Carlos asked, hoping to get two slices of cake.
“Not now Carlito,” Ray chided.
After Alex left, Julie leaned over to Reggie who had his hand on his chin and eyes fixed out the window sighing. He looked like a dog that had been kicked. He didn’t deserve to endure this.
Julie patted his back, “Reggie we are going to fix this. It’s time to initiate Operation: Getting the band back together.”
Reggie immediately bucked up, smiling. “I thought we were going to vote on what to call it. I suggested Operation: Condor!” He used his best action movie voice.
“Flynn and I recognized your suggestion,” Julie pulled out her phone. “But given that it’s a stupid suggestion, we’ve elected the ignore it.”
“But it’s so cool.”
She rolled her eyes.
“Condor!”
“Silence or I recast your role!”
+++
[While Julie and Flynn finalized their plan, Reggie thought back to the day Alex came out to the Band]
They were freshmen in high school, a Sadie Hawkins dance was coming up and every guy was desperate to get a date. Everyone except Alex was desperate to get a particular cheerleader to ask them out. Unfortunately, head cheerleader Crystal Masters was determined to ask Alex out. She had been trying to get him to ask her out all year. She found his disinterest in her to be cool and sexy.
Alex’s bandmates found him hiding in the library’s reference section, the day before the dance.
“Dude you’re late for practice,” Luke said, after spotting him cowering behind a huge encyclopedia. “We only have the music room for an hour!”
“I can’t go there.”
“Why?” Reggie asked, eating the French fries he had snuck in his jacket. He wasn’t missing lunch. He’s been banned from the library for that very reason.
“Crystal is on the hunt for me,” Alex said, distressed.
“Then go home genius,” Luke said.
“She knows where I live!” He whisper-screamed, “My parents will make me take her to the dance if she asks me in front of them.”
Luke and Bobby laughed, piling into the tiny dusty room. “I wish she were trying to jump my bones. she won’t even look at me!” Bobby said, enviously. He hadn’t learned that girls love aloof men yet.
“Just tell her no,” Luke said, not seeing the problem here.
“But she’s so nice,” Alex whined, pouting. “What if she cries?”
Luke winced and recoiled in horror. “Dude don’t make her cry. Let her down gently,” An idea came to him suddenly. “Tell her you’re going with someone else already.”
“Who would I bring?” He asked, unable to think of anyone who wasn’t a known blood relative.
“How about Reggie’s sister?” Bobby asked.
“Hey!” Reggie shot that idea down. “Stay away from her.”
“And she’s 11!” Alex argued, he was desperate but not desperate enough to bring a middle schooler. That was social suicide.
“Go with Reggie,” Luke said, sitting precariously in a chair. “He’s definitely going alone.”
Bobby laughed way too hard, holding his stomach.
“Am not!” Reggie stuck his tongue out at the naysayers and gestured to the braided friendship bracelet on his hand. He had created an entire outfit around it. “Melanie Lopez asked me, and she even made this for me.”
“Reggie has a date and I don’t,” Bobby groaned, collapsing dramatically onto the floor. “What has the world come to.”
Luke laughed at all their expense. He had high school all figured out. The secret was ‘Don’t care’ about anything. “We could just skip the dance and go somewhere cool…like that music festival on the beach…”
“Didn’t you say yes to Lisa from Algebra?” Alex reminded him. The spunky class president had asked Luke a month before the dance was officially announced. “She bought a designer dress and is getting her hair done at that fancy new salon my mom goes to. She’ll kill you if cancel.”
He flinched at the thought. Lisa was cute but very deadly. Luke always liked a girl with a bit of fire in her.
“She’ll just put his iPod on the top shelf,” Bobby ribbed.
Lisa from Algebra was 5’10 and did some part-time modeling. Dating a model was good for Luke’s rock n’ roll cred but he was sick and tired of the short jokes. Alex laughed, forgetting his troubles for a second.
“Don’t want my help?” Luke sneered, “Then man up and tell Crystal the truth!”
That did it.
That statement changed the entire atmosphere of the room. There being a truth meant Alex was currently lying. It implied further he was living a lie.
“What truth?” Reggie asked, feeling like he was the only one missing the plot. “What’s wrong with Crystal…she’s nice…hot…and always smells super good.”
Bobby was also curious. He thought only a brain-dead idiot wouldn’t want Crystal Masters: Head Cheerleader and even Reggie wanted her.
Under the unwanted scrutiny, Alex appeared vulnerable, and a bit afraid.
Reggie and Bobby stared at Alex expectantly. They both wanted to be let in on the truth. Why would anyone not want Crystal Masters: Head Cheerleader. Luke hung his head. He was bubbling over with guilt. He hadn’t meant to put Alex on the spot like this. They had never talked about it explicitly because Alex wasn’t ready. He respected that, but sometimes his temper made him say stupid things.
“Ignore me, Alex,” Luke quickly pleaded, “You don’t have to explain yourself…to anyone.”
“…I think I want to…” Alex’s voice was smaller and younger than his fifteen years.
He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He was tired of every time romance or sex came up with his friends (and it was often) he’d have an existential crisis. He wasn’t sure of a lot of things in this world, but he was sure his friends loved him. They wouldn’t throw him away over something dumb like who he was attracted to.
Alex stood up in front of the guys, straightening his shirt instinctively as if hewas going present before the class. “Reggie…Luke…Bobby…guys…I don’t want to pretend to want Crystal Masters…or Avril Lavigne…. or any girl for that matter…because I’m gay.”
“Whoa…” Bobby gasped, “Explains…a lot.”
Luke slugged Bobby in the arm. “Show some manners Dickwad!”
Reggie's surprised expression turned into a warm smile. “Oh, buddy!” Reggie ran over and wrapped his arms around Alex. He hugged him tightly. “Is this alright? It feels like a hugging moment. I felt like hugging you.”
Alex chuckled and returned Reggie’s hug. Luke joined the hug, wrapping his arms around the two. “I’m proud of you, man.”
Alex breathed a sigh of relief. A heavy restricting weight had lifted off his chest. He could finally breathe. “I love you guys…”
“Since you’re not using it….” Bobby interrupted. He was never one for the touchy-feely. “Can I have Crystal’s number?”
Luke growled, “Bobby read the room!"
End Flashback.
+++
Back in 2021
Over a week had passed and Alex hadn’t attended a single band practice. He didn’t feel welcomed there. He spent most of his days catching up on coursework and chilling with Willie whenever he was free. His mind was still preoccupied. Even at a roaring LA Lakers basketball game, he was out of it. His mind was elsewhere.
“Earth to hotdog,” Willie snapped his fingers in front of Alex’s face.
Alex shook off the disorientation. “Sorry, I guess I’m out of it.”
Willie nodded. His shoulders slumped. He was now self-conscious. “If you don’t like basketball, we could have snuck into a…um…Britney concert…”
Alex grinned. His smile brightened up his face. “Thank you for trying to pander to me.”
“Anything for you,” He cooed.
“It’s not the game,” Alex laid his head on Willie’s shoulders. “It’s the band…” It’s Luke. He refrained from saying. Willie had a bit of a jealous streak, he didn’t want to complicate things just yet. “…I think I’m losing them.”
Willie rubbed comforting circles on his back. “I’m sure you guys will work it out,” He pressed a kiss to Alex’s temple.
Sighing, Alex stared off at the game. He didn’t care for basketball, but he liked being near Willie and seeing him happy. They were at that comfortable point in their relationship. He just wished he could have both, an amazing band, and a cute (but unofficial) boyfriend.
+++
Band sessions were quiet and uninspired without Alex. It just felt like they were missing something. Luke felt like he was missing something. He wasn’t being fair to Julie and Reggie. He wasn’t giving it his all. He was just moping around the Studio in his underwear and eating junk food.
While halfway down a tub of strawberry ice cream he thought of Alex and the first time they kissed. He tasted like strawberry ice cream then too.
At the end of their Junior year, a month before Winter Formal Alex started receiving secret admirer letters in his locker. At first, he thought it was a girl because it was neat handwriting on pink stationery, but after a couple more letters he learned it was a guy. The admirer addressed Alex as Romeo and himself as Mercutio. Apparently, he fell in love with Alex during their shared AP literature class after he saw the way Alex responded eagerly when the teacher discussed Queer Theory in classical works.
The letters raved about how he thought Alex was insightful, sensitive, and hot. It used skillful prose to talk about how Alex was different than all the other guys that just fell asleep during class, how Alex had a mature quality about him, and how Alex’s smile just lit up a room.
These letters had Alex in a tizzy. He would spend hours reading and re-reading them. Luke, Reggie, and Bobby were forced to listen as he theorized who his secret admirer could be.
- Suspect #3 was a meathead football player named Tyler, he was on the list because he always chose to sit next to Alex during class. Alex didn’t factor in that it was because he could more easily cheat off of him.
- Suspect #2 was Ambrosio, a foreign exchange student from the Philippines. He was on the list because Alex once heard a Mariah Carey song coming out of his mp3 player. He had to be gay. Alex didn’t factor in him having good taste.
- Suspect Numero Uno was Zander. Zander seemed the more logical option. He was smart enough to easily slip in all the classic lit references into his letters, he had black painted nails (during a time were it wasn’t so popular) and shoulder-length hair and he often talked about his idol being Freddy Mercury. He was perfect.
“I’m in love,” Alex sang, doing his little ballet dance in the music room during practice.
“You haven’t met him,” Luke pointed out.
“I say it’s a girl,” Bobby said.
“Don’t be a party pooper, you guys…” Reggie said, waiting for Alex to read more of the beautiful letter. He was more of a romantic than Alex was.
What Alex didn’t factor in was that meathead Tyler (and his other Jock friends) hiring Zander to write a bunch of secret admirer letters to Alex because they thought it would be funny. It happened to slip that Alex was gay, and these assholes wanted to have ‘fun’ at his expense. They weren’t planning to hurt him or anything barbaric like that, just scar him with trust issues and insecurities for life.
Sadly, Luke didn’t find out the plot until the night of the Winter Formal. The last letter had told Alex to wait under the bleachers at eight to finally meet Mercutio and seal their relationship with a kiss. Alex had been waiting there for two hours when Luke found him, his knees to his chest, holding his letter.
“He’s not coming, is he?” Alex asked when Luke approached. His eyes are red, he’d been crying.
“He isn’t…real,” Luke admitted, forgoing the more hurtful details. “This says nothing about you.”
Alex sighed and laid back on the grass. “I just wanted to have something normal…be normal…”
Luke walked over and lay beside him. “You’re better than normal.”
“You, average teenager guys have it good…you know?” He was asking life itself more than Luke. “You get to go on dates, you get to tell the world they're yours and you go through the milestones of life like they are nothing…”
“I take offense at being called Average.”
“Luke, I’m sixteen and I’ve never been kissed!”
“Plenty of sixteen years have never been kissed,” Luke argued, he then struggled to think of any of their friends who have never been kissed. Even their class year’s designated loser ‘Arnold’ had gotten a kiss from Adrienne during their performance of beauty and the geek. “Dating and kissing isn’t that important to the teenager experience.”
“You can talk,” Alex huffed, sticking his tongue out at Luke. “You’re the Ferris Bueller of the school and I’m probably Cameron. I’m going to die alone and miserable.”
Luke pushed closer to Alex on the grass, staring into his eyes (they were lit well by the field lights). Their faces were inches apart. “I always thought Ferris and Cameron had a thing…chemistry.”
Alex blushed bright red and fidgeted.
“I guess I see it…” Alex thought back to the scene of Cameron pretending to drown so Ferris could come and save him. He assumed the assholes tricking him didn’t show up to mock him in person because Luke threatened them. He glanced over to his best friend and whispered with a smile, “Luke Patterson…you’re my hero.”
Luke snorted.
Alex smiled.
Before either of them knew better, Luke’s lips were pressed to Alex’s. Like everything else he did, Luke kissed Alex without thinking. He kissed him because he wanted to make him feel better. He kissed him because he wanted to see what it would feel like. He kissed him because he didn’t want to live in the alternate dystopian universe where he passed up an opportunity to kiss his very cute friend, on the damp grass of a football field, under the stars.
It was a messy kiss. It was a little too uncertain, a little too wet.
Alex hadn’t been kissed before, so he didn’t know the protocol, he just laid there and let Luke do whatever. It was a few seconds before he realized he could go with his gut, relax, and just do what felt right.
‘Kissing your best friend’ comes more naturally than either of them would care to admit. They didn’t think of whether this said anything about Luke’s sexuality. They didn’t think about how they were ruining their newly bought outfits rolling around in the grass. Scary enough, neither of them thought about how this would affect the future of the band.
End Flashback.
+++
Back in 2021
Days later Alex busted through the doors of the Studio, his chest was heaving and his eyes wild with worry. Less than a minute later Luke came bursting in behind him. They glanced at each other and asked simultaneously. “Where is Reggie!?!”
Reggie was laid on the couch. He was drenched in a cold sweat, holding his stomach, and moaning in pain. He was a wreck.
“Oh shit,” Luke sprung into action.
“Hang in there Reg!” Alex shouted. The two of them rush over to his side, nearly tripping over each other and their instruments.
When they made it to Reggie’s side, the door of the studio slammed shut and there was the sound of the locks being hatched. Before they registered the strangeness of the situation, Reggie leaped up and wrapped his arms around them. “Miss you guys!” He cooed.
It took a few seconds for the guys to comprehend what was happening. Reggie wasn’t hurt. This wasn’t a real emergency. This was Operation: Let’s get the Band back to together AKA Operation: Condor. They were instantly enraged.
“What the fuck Reggie!” Alex pushed him off.
Luke slapped him upside the head and began throttling him. “You lying piece of shit! I thought you were dying!”
“I’ll kill him!” Alex was helping Luke shake the life out of Reggie.
Reggie might have been getting his ass kicked, but his friends were doing it together, as a team. He smiled all the way through. It brought back great memories of movie nights and video game tournaments.
Operation: Let’s get the band back together Aka Operation: Condor.
- Text the guys something crazy but entirely in character for Reggie had happened: “Reggie got hurt fixing his amp in the rain. Come quick! I’m calling the ambulance.”
- Wait for Alex & Luke to come running
- Lock them in a small space and do not let them out until they make up.
It was nearly half an hour of throttling and shouting before Alex and Luke collapsed out of tiredness. How could Reggie do such a thing? It was so manipulative and conniving. They suppressed how impressed they were.
“Dude I was crying!” Alex said, hyperventilating and holding his knees. “I was in class!”
Luke was drenched in sweat, “I ran here from work, you psychopath!”
“It brought you back together,” Reggie said smiling, his skin was red from slaps and his clothes were disheveled. He looked like he had been run over by a herd of wildebeests. But he was happy, his plan was working. “I wrote us a new song!”
“I’ll write your eulogy!” Luke bared his teeth and launched himself at Reggie, but Alex held him back. It was useless. This is what Reggie wanted, he knew nothing brought friends closer together than a common enemy.
“Let us out now Reggie,” Alex said slowly, huffing and simmering. “And I won’t let Luke loose on your ass.”
“No!” Reggie yelled, appearing the most serious that they have ever seen him. He stood before his best friends, grabbing a hold of both of their hands. He looked them in their eyes. “Guys our band has survived worse than this. Luke’s parents forbidding him to play in the band. Alex’s parents being controlling bigots. My parent’s divorce. Bobby screwing us over, going solo, and stealing our music!”
The two froze.
His voice no longer had its non-threatening comedic edge. Alex and Luke were forced to listen, forced to take him seriously. “No matter what, we made it through. We’re more than a band. We’re family. You’re my only family. I don’t want to lose another family…”
The tension and aggression in their posture melted away. All that remained were two sad men, making their best friend very sad because of their stupid fight. It wasn’t worth it. It was never worth it.
“He’s right,” Alex admitted, taking hold of Luke’s hand.
Luke took the first step. He addressed Alex, his eyes filled with the knee-weakening passion he’s known for. “I’m sorry for blowing up about you spending time with Willie. I just felt like you were leaving us behind,” He had that tremble in his voice that showed he was sincere. “I was scared you didn’t think the band was important anymore. I was dumb.”
“The band means everything to me,” Alex confessed, easily, like he would his own name. It went without saying. “It’s just I haven’t felt this way about someone since…us. I missed out in my teen years, while everyone got to make it to all the milestones. I wanted to be in love. I end up being irresponsible and flaky, I’m sorry.”
“You, flaky and irresponsible,” Luke chuckled, “That’s a first….”
“I don’t know,” Alex shrugged, with a little smirk. “You’ve always been dumb.”
Luke poked him in the chest. “Watch it, we’re making up, I’m being considerate.”
“I appreciate that. And I promise no guy is going to get between us.”
“Imagine Willie being our Yoko Ono,” Reggie interrupted.
Alex and Luke laughed harder than they have in weeks, pulling Reggie into a tight hug. As Reggie was sandwiched between them, they covered him with kisses…to make up for the slaps and all that throttling. He deserved heaps of loving.
+++
While the band made up the three of them reflected on the last huge blowout that rocked the foundation of their band, their family.
Not long after he turned 17 Luke got expelled from school. Luke had been skipping school and certain classes for a very long time then. It became too excessive to ignore. He had decided he didn’t need high school or college because he was going to be a Rockstar. Many rockstars had been dropouts and never regretted it. His parents were furious. Luke fought with his mom every other day.
He ran away not long after. He spent those few months couch surfing and doing part-time work for cash. His parents may not support his dreams, but he was certain he didn’t need them.
When Alex’s parents found out about Luke’s reputation, and what Alex was doing out late on school nights (playing gigs in 21 and over clubs) they forbid him from ever seeing him. They had allowed Alex to hang out with the guys and be in a band because they liked him doing masculine things and making friends with boys his age, but they drew the line at associating with a ‘loser’.
He and Luke still snuck around together.
Hell, Luke spent most nights at Alex’s house, sneaking in after his parents were asleep and leaving before they woke up.
They had a smooth system going.
It was particularly shocking when Alex’s parents came home early from a trip visiting Alex’s grandaunt in Florida, to find Luke (The Patterson’s troubled boy) sleeping shirtless, spooning their son, in bed. He had spent the night. He had spent several nights in Alex’s bed for the past month, quietly discovering the depths of their friendship. This time they were caught slipping.
Alex woke up to his mother screaming and crying about his lost future and his walk with Christ. She was sure this was the end of his life. From then on, he was going to end up doing drugs and living in Detroit (no clue). He didn’t quite understand, she was hysterical.
Now his dad he understood loud and clear, he told Luke to get off his property and stay away from his son, and if Alex ever associated with him, he’d cut him off financially. Luke left peacefully to protect Alex, despite Alex wanting to stand his ground.
Luke was out of a guaranteed place to stay.
Alex slowly crawled back into the closet for his own safety.
All the while Reggie’s parents were going through a horrible divorce and bitter custody battle. He didn’t want to be used as a pawn to hurt either parent anymore, so he emancipated himself. He left to wander California with Luke.
They were just seventeen, Alex was still sixteen at the time.
It was a hectic time.
They needed the band and their friendship more than they needed to test the tremulous waters with a new relationship.
Everything was so heavy, and they were completely different people who handled things differently. Alex was willing to forgo a few rights and privileges to stay at home. His parents never treated him the same, but they would foot his bill to get his life started. He hoped that would be enough.
Luke didn’t have the courage to face his mother again. Not after all they said to each other.
Luke was the first to admit it after he and Alex had a particularly rough week of fighting. “I don’t think we’re working.”
“No, we aren’t,” Alex agreed, it stung his throat to admit it. He’d expected to spend the rest of his life in love with his best friend like romantic comedies said he would. The breakup was mutual, but Alex took it the hardest. He didn’t know there was a future for him outside of Luke.
"I'll always love you."
"Always..."
They managed to put the shambles of the band together. They focused on just the music. They began becoming hometown sensations, playing the club circuit. They even booked a gig at the Orpheum! The night they were supposed to play the manager of the club suddenly fired them. He and the band were given a cease and desist letter from a music executive. They were no longer allowed to perform under the band name ‘Sunset Curve’ or allowed to play the songs of their newest solo artist Trevor Wilson aka Bobby.
Bobby had betrayed the band and had been secretly recording a solo EP with a record label while the other guys were having their lives fall apart before them.
They didn’t have the support of their parents or Luke’s lyrics notebook to prove that they had written the songs. They never had the time or money to go into an intense legal battle. He won.
Even after a devastating betrayal. The band survived. Their friendship survived. Their family survived, flourished, and grew.
Like a phoenix rising from the ashes, Julie and The phantoms was born.
End Flashback.
+++
Back in 2021
“I hope you and Willie last,” Luke said, leaning on Reggie, who was asleep in between the two. "You should bring him around sometimes, Bitches love rock bands…”
Alex chuckled, also using Reggie’s unconscious body as a pillow. “I will.”
“What’s he like?”
“He’s pretty cool…really hot…really chill…” Alex searched for the right words. He just found synonyms for temperatures for some reason. “Tender…he’s really tender when I need him to be.”
“He sounds perfect,” Luke remarked, very supportive and mature. There wasn’t a hint of jealousy.
Alex whistled low. “Not entirely…he’s great…but he has one flaw,” He grimaced and made the universal sign for small.
“What’s the problem.”
“He hasn’t really made things official. We don’t have labels.”
“OH, a bad sign,” Luke winced, “I do that all the time.”
“Dog!”
“Jerk!”
The two laughed, softly as not to wake up Reggie.
“One more thing…”
“Bad in bed?”
He received a quick thwack on the stomach. Alex sighed, mustering up the strength to confess. “He still calls me, bro.”
“No way,”
“Yes, way!”
“On dates and shit?”
“Right after intense make-out sessions.”
Luke choked back laughter. “You’re so hot, bro…”
“Stop!”
“A little harder, bro~”
“Luke, I swear.”
“Oh god, I’m coming,” He fake moaned, loud, and trashy. “Bro!”
Reggie’s comfort was forgotten.
“I hope you shrink four inches overnight!”
“Take that back!” Luke smacked him in the face with a pillow. Another more fight ensued.
At the sound of raucous laughter, Julie unlocked and flung open the door to the studio. She was smiling and patting herself on the back. “Have they made up yet? I heard laughing! That’s a good sign!”
As if he was a sleeper agent, Reggie jumped up out of sleep and flapped around. “Operation condor is a success!” He squawked imitating a condor.
“I swear to god Reginald if you say condor one more damn time!”
“CAW CAW!”