𝐉𝐔𝐒𝐓 𝐅𝐎𝐑 𝐀 𝐌𝐎𝐌𝐄𝐍𝐓 ― l. patterson ✓

SEVEN: admitted crushes

Emilia stopped in her tracks as Flynn continued to run down the hallway. She shook her head with a small laugh.

"Guess we've got our first gig," Julie announced.

"Guess so," Emilia breathed out.

Her stomach erupted in butterflies again, and it wasn't from Luke this time. It was from both nerves and happiness. They had their first gig in front of the entire school at the dance. Emilia could only hope it would go over smoothly.

𐄁𐄙𐄁𐄙𐄁𐄙𐄁𐄙𐄁𐄙𐄁𐄙𐄁𐄙𐄁𐄙𐄁𐄙𐄁𐄙𐄁𐄙𐄁𐄙 ♔ 𐄙𐄁𐄙𐄁𐄙𐄁𐄙𐄁𐄙𐄁𐄙𐄁𐄙𐄁𐄙𐄁𐄙𐄁𐄙𐄁𐄙𐄁𐄙𐄁

AFTER SCHOOL, EMILIA stood in Julie's studio with Julie, Luke, and Reggie (she had no clue where Alex was.) While Julie watered the plants behind the piano, Emilia had her hip leaning against the side of the piano as she absentmindedly flipped the pages of her songbook through her fingers. The two of them had given Luke and Reggie the flyer to show them what Flynn had done.

(Can Emilia just say how ridiculously good Luke looked in his bleached denim jacket for a second? Because boy, did he rock it.)

"We're playing a school dance?" Reggie asked. "Sweet!"

"It's not exactly the Strip," Luke commented.

"And you're not exactly alive, so maybe you should be happy we have our first gig."

"Em and I weren't exactly in love with the idea at first either, but it could be a great way for us to build a following, right?" Julie encouraged.

Reggie nodded. "Yeah. Yeah, we need to play wherever we can, whenever we can."

"No, you're right," Luke agreed. "Let's rock those kids' faces off and then play the clubs."

Emilia's eyebrows knit in confusion at that. She admired Luke's enthusiasm, but her and Julie were only sixteen . . . there was no way they could play clubs at that age.

"And then record a single that gets a billion streams?" Julie continued.

"I don't know what that is, but hopefully it gets us a manager and a tour," Luke replied.

Emilia chuckled. "Sometimes I forgot that you didn't experience the twenty-first century."

"And then we release a bunch of hit albums," Julie finally finished.

"Put out a country album that does surprisingly well," Reggie suggested. Emilia blinked at him. "I shred on the banjo, so . . ."

Julie pointed to him. "Then I'll learn how to fiddle."

Emilia raised her hand. "Dibs on the harmonica."

The three of them fist-bumped.

"What if I wanted to be the harmonica?" Luke protested.

She stuck her tongue out at him. "Sorry, babe. You snooze, you lose."

His face slightly turned red from the nickname. He poked her side, making her dive away from him. Luke had a satisfied smirk on his face as he spoke up again. "And before you know it, we're being inducted into the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame."