End of May // Luke Patterson

01

Luke stepped closer to Rose before saying, "Yeah, he had a hamburger for lunch."

Reggie smiled and swatted Bobby's shoulder in a friendly manner. He followed Luke out. Alex followed shortly after. Ruth walked out after them, wanting to keep an eye on her boys.

As the three boys exited the building, Luke said, "That's what I'm talking about!"

Reggie chuckled and Alex asked, "The smell of Sunset Boulevard?"

"No." He chuckled. "It's what that girl said in there tonight. About our music, all right? It's like an energy. It connects us with people. They can hear us when we play." He pulled Reggie and Alex closer to him. "I want that connection with everybody."

"Then we're gonna need more T-shirts," Reggie told him.

Luke snickered before saying, "Let's go, boys."

Reggie walked up to a group of girls and handed two of them a T-shirt. "Ladies." He rejoined his bandmates.

"Reggie, wait!" a girl cried before letting out a squeal.

"Oh my God," girl two said. "Reggie!"

"Oh my God! Hi, it's me!"

Reggie waved to the girls with a smile.

The boys made their way to a hot dog vendor.

"Man... I can't wait until we eat someplace where the condiments aren't served out of the back of an Oldsmobile," Alex said, walking up to the man cooking the hot dogs. "Hey... Sorry, I go some pickle juice on your battery cables."

"No problem," the man replied. "It'll help with the rust." He clapped Alex's shoulder and chuckled.

"That can't..." The man chuckled again. "Okay." Alex walked back to his bandmates. "What?"

Ruth frowned. "Oh, how I wish I was here or that you three could see or hear me. This is a really, really bad idea. I always said hot dogs were gross. This just proves my point."

The three made their way inside a building and sat on a couch.

Reggie sighed happily.

"This is awesome, you guys," Luke said. "We're playing The Orpheum! I can't even count how many bands have played there and then ended up being huge." He leaned back as Reggie chuckled lightly. "We're gonna be legends! We have to make Ruthie proud." He held out his hot dog. "Eat up, boys. 'Cause after tonight, everything changes."

Ruth winced. "I have a feeling you'll be biting your words soon, Luke." She looked up at the missing poster of Luke above his head. "I bet they still miss you more than you know."

The three toasted their hot dogs and bit into them. Reggie licked his fingers.

Alex glanced at his bandmates before saying, "That's a new flavor."

"Chill, man," Reggie told him. "Street dogs haven't killed us yet."

Ruth winced again. "Oh, Reggie. Those are famous last words if I've ever heard them."

Luke bit into his hot dog for another bite.

A siren wailed outside. A horn honked repeatedly.

Ruth watched as the boys were put on stretchers. Selfishly, she wished they'd join her and instantly felt bad for having such an awful thought.

She blipped away and made her way down a long corridor, soon hearing crying.

Ruth opened the door to see the boys sitting with confused expressions. Alex had tears in his eyes.

Reggie looked up and grinned. "Ruth!" He ran to hug her.

Ruth looked between them. "You can see me?"

Luke nodded. "Yeah. I've missed you, Ruthie. We all have."

"I've missed you too." She swatted her brother's arm. "That was for the hot dogs!"

"Whoa!" Reggie cried. "Wait, you saw that?"

"Yes. And I wish I could've told you not to eat them because poisoned hot dogs always ends well."

Luke gave her a small smile. "I guess we've gotten more reckless without you."

"I'll say. I swear, the three of you share one brain cell. And Alex carries it most of the time. Alex, you okay?"

Alex wiped his eyes and nodded. "I'm okay. Kind of. It's good to see you again, Ruth."

"You as well."

"How do we get out of here, Ruthie?" Reggie asked.

She shrugged. "Well usually you need a reason. You three were my reason. Now I don't know. I think we just have to wait."

"For how long?"

"I don't know." She paused, hearing an electric guitar and smiled. "Maybe that's all about to change."

The boys listened and Luke glanced at Ruth as he took her hand and said, "I hope you're right."

But the music they heard wasn't being played by the right person. Not just yet.