If I Die Young | Julie and the Phantoms (o.h)

Prologue

Hollywood, 1995

For Aspen Daile, life in 1995 was the best it had been in the past seventeen years of her life. Being the band manager for Sunset Curve certainly hadn't been on her life planner a good few years ago but even now she wouldn't change it for the world.

With a clipboard tucked in one hand, Aspen stood in the middle of the Orpheum Theater, her right foot tapping mindlessly as the boys performed, Now or Never, for the final song of their soundtrack. She didn't quite know what had possessed her when she had first agreed to be their band manager. It was after all one of the few logical decisions made by the boys throughout the years. But with the amount of time she spent in the garage, songwriting and practising with them on top of her 'organisation and people skills' as Reggie had called them, she had been the perfect and only candidate, but wrangling four teenage boys around was hard enough. 

But everything always went according to plan, at least when Aspen was around, and she wasn't going to let their gig at the Orpheum to be the first on the list of failed gigs. 

She watched the boys singing in front of her fondly, performing the song better than they ever had before, rolling her eyes slightly at the wink Luke sent in her direction. 

Aspen suddenly jumped slightly at the feeling of a hand curving around her waist, only to relax at the sight of a familiar face in her peripheral, and with the sound of her best friend's laughter over the music, Aspen knew exactly who the two that had joined her were. 

"You guys made it!" She shouted, turning around, still watching the stage behind her, looking for any minor mishaps as unlikely as they were. 

"Yep, sure did," Delaney Wright shouted in return. "Although we nearly didn't, thanks to that one."

Theo Monhagan lifted his hands in surrender. "I promise I would get us here before the soundcheck ended and I did, didn't I?"

"Yeah and arrived just as they are doing the last song of the soundcheck." Aspen retorted with a snort, leaning back into her boyfriend's embrace. 

"And we've got the entire show tonight to watch them perform it all over again."

"How are you and the boys feeling, Aspen? Have you even eaten today or too busy moving that lot around?" Delaney asked leaning forward, as the song moved into the bridge, the trio pausing their conversation to clap along with the boys, Aspen sending a huge smile in their direction. 

"Oh, you know me, the usual. All of them are full of excitement for tonight though, even I can't control that." Aspen returned to her best friend with a grin. 

"Yeah, this is a big deal." Delaney agreed. "Are you coming to dinner with us?"

Aspen's eyes widened slightly before grimacing. "Yeah, about that. . ."

"Oh come on!" Delaney exclaimed. 

"You aren't coming?" Theo asked with a raised eyebrow, looking down at his girlfriend. 

"Yeah, I can't come, unfortunately. I need to fix up a few things around here before the show. But I promise once this gig is over, I'm all yours." Aspen promised. 

Sunset Curve finished the final chords to the song, sporadic clapping coming from Aspen, Theo and Delaney as well as the staff dotted around the theatre preparing for the packed show in just a few hours. 

"Wasn't too shabby, boys," Aspen remarked sarcastically, starting forward to meet them at the bottom of the stage. "Although let's try not sweating so much that's there's going to be puddles on the floor. Don't need you lot slipping over."