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bobby thinks it’s somewhat ironic that he met his boys at different times.
they were all friends before they met him, alex and reggie having met in elementary school, and then they met luke, and then bobby in late middle school.
in eighth grade science class, he met an anxious boy with blonde hair. they had never met before, it was bobby’s first year in that district, but he was kind.
his name was alex, and he talked about music with bobby. even though alex played the drums and bobby played the guitar. those conversations brought them together, and soon, they were good friends.
after a few times staying over, doing homework in his big garage, hanging out, bobby considered them good friends.
one night, in the summer, alex showed up to the garage. bobby was in there already, watching a movie, but when he saw alex through the door window, bobby paused it.
alex was pacing, and as bobby got closer to the door he could hear his steps.
when bobby opened it, alex flinched, and took a worried step back. bobby tried to put on a calming smile, but gave it up to speak.
“alex? what’s going on?” bobby asked.
“i just needed to take a walk? i ended up here, but don’t really want to go back.”
“what’s wrong?”
“it’s nothing, i just needed a break,” alex said, but the way he was pulling at his sleeves said otherwise.
bobby stopped asking, just gestured at the door for alex to come in. they sat down on the couch and ended up watching the tv.
“you can stay over, if you want?” bobby asked, when the movie was over.
“are you sure?”
“yeah dude, it’s too late to walk home anyway.”
alex nodded, and bobby went back to his house to get blankets and a pillow. he waited at the doorway for a moment, and opened it to find alex, staring his arms.
they had too many bruises for it to be an accident.
but bobby didn’t want to interrupt him, so he knocked before entering.
“alex? i’ve got your blankets!” bobby said, loud enough for alex to hear, but not loud enough to startle him.
“thanks, dude, i really appreciate it.”
“it’s not problem. i’m going to go inside, but if you need anything, i’ve got water in here and some snacks too.”
“goodnight, bobby,” alex said.
“goodnight. if you ever need to come over again, you’re welcome here, okay?”
“okay,” alex responded, and bobby shut off the lights.
-
bobby met reggie during his math class freshman year, after being assigned to sit next to him.
he had heard a lot about reggie from alex, but they had never officially met. once they did meet, they got along well.
reggie was both loud and quiet, full of energy, but it wasn’t overwhelming, it was balanced, somehow.
he would make funny jokes in between explaining to bobby the correct way to write down a formula.
since they were both in the advance math class, they did homework together, and soon bobby had another friend to hang out with in his garage.
even with all of this balance, bobby couldn’t miss how agitated he would get when he needed to go home.
“do you want to sleep over?” bobby asked one night, when parabolas kept reggie over longer than he usually did.
“that would be really fun!” reggie said, before backtracking, “but i have to get home, my parents are super mad at me.”
“i wouldn’t bike at this time of night, and i have phone in the house if you want to call them to tell them you’re not coming home tonight, but if you really need to go home you can.”
“now that i think about it, they probably wouldn’t notice that i’m gone, let’s do this!” reggie said, oblivious to the weight of what he just said.
“reg, what?”
“what do you mean, what? do i need to go home?”
“no, actually, the opposite, what do you mean they won’t notice?”
“they’re fighting? they got mad that i interrupted them and got in the way of it, but they’re so focused on each other and their fight that it’ll probably be fine!” reggie responded nonchalantly, “do you have star wars?”
“that’s not good, reg,” said.
“it’s fine! i’m usually at luke or alex’s houses anyway,” reggie said.
“if you ever need to stay over in the garage you can, okay?” bobby said.
there was an awkward pause, so bobby spoke again.
“want to watch a new hope?”
-
once bobby had become friends with reggie and alex, luke started to talk to bobby too.
he played guitar, and was more dedicated than bobby had ever seen someone. soon after, luke asked if bobby could join their band.
bobby knew sunset curve didn’t need a rhythm guitarist, it was unnecessary, especially because this group was already complete with luke on lead, but he appreciated the gesture.
one day, luke came over to show bobby his new songs, and entire notebook full.
they were brilliant, luke was a songwriter unlike bobby had ever heard or met, and he knew, just knew that luke’s music would change lives.
bobby was glad his studio could be a home for this music, to have the chance to create something with people that were incredible friends, even though he hadn’t known them for long.
“when did you start guitar?” luke asked, after the sharing was done.
“i think it was fifth grade,” bobby responded, “you?”
“around the same time,” luke said, “if we’re going to be practicing here, can i leave my notebook on a table or something?”
“sure,” bobby said, “if you don’t mind me asking, why here?”
“my mom says that i’m wasting my time on music,” luke explained, with air quotes, “every time i write, she tells me to put it away, or lectures me about school, and i’m just tired of it.”
“that’s really shitty dude, i’m sorry,” bobby said, “you can keep the notebook here as long as you want.”
“thanks, dude,” luke responded, “do you mind if i show you something i haven’t written down yet?”
“show me, i’m excited to hear it.”
-
sunset curve wasn’t just a band, they were a family. when their friend group fully united, bobby got used to seeing a friend or two turn up in the middle of the night to escape a family that was merely biological.
whether it was alex, overwhelmed with worries about if his sister would be okay when he finally cut contact, to fully remove himself from his parents’ biblical smothering.
or reggie, who spent so much time putting on an expression that didn’t worry others, that he would exhaust himself.
or luke, who lived with bobby until the day he died, because his mom refused to compromise on music, without even listening to it.
bobby and his garage, now studio, had become their home, their family, with a promise of forever, and he missed them.
there was so much to put away, it felt like his boys’ belongings were staring as intensely at him as he was staring at them.
he began folding up clothes to stash up in the loft, a shirt that luke himself made sleeveless, the leather jacket that the paramedics had salvaged from reggie’s body, and a whitney houston shirt of alex’s.
the other day, rose had made one of her wise, kind comments about his memories. that maybe the spirits of his boys were watching over him, and the sentiment was nice, but that didn’t help bobby feel any better.
on his worst days, the memories felt sentient. like that day had turned into a monster, that resided in the studio and intended to make his livings days hell.
on his best days, it just stung, having to remind himself that his friends weren’t coming back.
bobby put each boy’s clothes into the bags that they had used, when they stayed over at the studio.
bitterly, he realized the amount of goodbyes he’s had to say to them, but still can’t seem to let go.
maybe he doesn’t want to let go.
he slung alex’s blue bag up the loft stairs, and realized this was another goodbye.
“i love you guys, i really really miss you. wherever you are, i hope you’re okay.”