Stuck In Reverse (Luke Hemmings)

Prologue: New Beginnings

Prologue: New Beginnings

-Age 9-

"Mum, why won't Julie sing with me?" eleven-year-old Harry asked.

"She's just nervous about people hearing her, is all." Mum said from behind the closed door, where I sat listening to the two argue.

"But she'll never sing with me," Harry pouted. "She's got a lovely voice, Mum. We've all heard her here. So why won't she let people in town hear her too?"

"Harry, love, she's just afraid." Mum assured him. "For now, let's just be lucky that we've been able to hear her sing."

-Age 13-

"You're still our number one fan, right?" Harry asked me, and I looked up at his fifteen-year-old self.

"Of course," I assured him. "Why wouldn't I be? There's no one crazier for you then me."

"You know," he said, "We could always use an opening act."

"No," I shook my head. "Nonononononononono,"

"Come on Jules," he begged.

"No, Harry," I told him. "I've told you once and I'll tell you again, there's no way I'm going up there."

"Fine," he sighed. "Just cheer loud for us,"

"And I'll be advertising the t-shirts," I told him, looking down at the White Eskimo shirt that I wore. "Now go be awesome,"

-Age 16-

"Ready for filming?" the guy asked us, and I looked up at Mum, who looked as though she was about to cry.

Here was Harry, somewhere inside the building, eighteen years old and getting ready to perform a sold out show at Madison Square Garden. He did it.

And here we were: Mum and I, filming a small part that would end up in their movie that would come out next August, This Is Us. Ever since Harry became famous, the paparazzi and everything have been crazy, and that's what scares me: I hate being in the spotlight. I don't know how Harry does it all the time.

"Action," he mouthed, and Mum began speaking.

"I do miss him, all the time," Mum said, looking down at me. "She's all I've got left now." she said, hugging me and smiling. "Don't ever leave home, Julie!"

"I won't," I told her, smiling.

"I mean it," she said. "I can't handle all this,"

"And we're good," he said, "Thank you Ms. Cox, and Juliette,"

"Please, just call me Julie." I told him, "And if you put the subtitles with the names in the movie, please.. just Julie."

-Age 17-

"You ready for this?" Harry looked at me and Gemma as we entered the church, looking around in awe.

"No," I shook my head. "Well, maybe,"

"This is finally happening," Gemma said. "I can't believe after all these years, Mum and Robin are getting married."

"Well believe it," Harry said, "Because it's happening."

****

"I now pronounce you man and wife," the minister said, Robin looking down and placing his lips on Mum's, and the room burst into applause, Gemma and I clapping loudly from the side with the rest of the bridesmaids.

-Present Day, Age 17-

"Juliette!" Harry called from downstairs, and I cringed, grabbing my suitcase and walking down the stairs.

"Don't call me that," I sang, giving the suitcase to him.

"Had to make sure you heard me, Julie." he said, taking it from me and I followed him out to the car as he put it in the trunk of a limo, one car I will never get used to riding in.

"I thought I told you to never leave home," Mum said, holding her arms out to hug me tightly.

"I'm not leaving," I told her, hugging her tighter. "I'll just be gone three months,"

"And then you're off to University," Mum said, not wanting to let me go. "My baby girl, this is all happening too fast."

"Mum, I promise, I won't be gone long." I told her. "You won't even have time to miss me."

"Julie, I already miss you," she told me. "But you're going to make a great assistant stylist for the boys."

"Lou's taught me everything she knows," I told her. "And at the same time, I'm making money and keeping the boys under control. So it's a win-win for you."

"Come on Jules, we got a plane to catch," Harry said, hugging the both of us into our little group hug.

"I'll miss you two," Mum said, finally letting us go, and Harry shrugged an arm around my shoulders, leading me into the car and shutting the door behind him, Mum waving to us frantically from outside as the limo drove away.

"You know, this could be a whole different scene." Harry said, looking out the window as the small town of Holmes Chapel went by in a blur.

"How so?" I asked him.

"You could be coming with us as the opening act, not part of our crew." he said.

"You've been saying this for years, Harry." I told him. "But it's not working. I just don't like crowds of people hearing me."

"But your voice is great, Jules." Harry said.

"Sorry," I told him. "It's not happening."

"Anyways," Harry said. "Welcome to tour life, Julie."