[Wake Up]
Hollywood - July 22, 1995
Sunset Curve played their song Now or Never.
Ruth watched with a smile and said, "Well done, boys."
"Whoo!" a girl cheered. "Excellent!"
"Sounds great, guys!" a guy complimented.
"Whoo!" another girl cheered.
"Yeah!"
The band members laughed before Reggie said, "Thank you! We're Sunset Curve!"
"Too bad we wasted that on the soundcheck," Bobby stated. "That was the tightest we've ever played!" He and Luke bumped elbows.
Luke turned to face the front. "Wait until tonight, man, when this place gets packed with record execs." His expression fell. "I wish Ruth could've been here to see it."
"But I am here," Ruth said as she walked up to Luke and tried to take his hand. Her hand phased through his and she let out a sigh. "You guys will make it. I know you will."
Reggie said, "Alex, you were smoking. I wish she could see us too."
"Oh no," Alex replied. "I was just warming up. You guys were the ones on fire."
"Shut up. Could you just own your awesomeness for once?" He held up a finger.
"Huh? All right, I was killing it."
Luke chuckled and shook Alex's shoulders. "Okay, well, I'm thinking we fuel up before the show. I'm thinking street dogs."
"Ooh!" Reggie said.
"Yes," Alex agreed.
Ruth's nose wrinkled. "Hot dogs are disgusting."
Reggie chuckled. "I can hear Ruth now saying how gross hot dogs are."
Luke nodded. "Yeah, she always made fun of us for liking them."
The four jumped off the stage and Bobby started walking off.
"Hey, Bobby, where you going?" Luke asked.
"I'm good," Bobby told him, walking up to a girl cleaning a table. "I could never hurt an animal."
"You guys are really good," the girl complimented.
"Thank you," Luke replied.
"I see a lot of bands. Been in a couple myself. I was really feeling it."
"That's what we do this for." He clapped Bobby's shoulder. "I'm Luke, by the way."
"Hi, I'm Reggie," Reggie said.
"Alex," the blond introduced.
"Bobby," Bobby stated.
"You can't see me, but I'm Ruth," the blonde said.
The girl smiled while Luke stuck his finger in his mouth before sticking it in Bobby's ear. "Nice meeting you guys. I'm Rose."
Reggie pulled out a CD. "Oh, uh... here's our demo. And a T-shirt. Size beautiful."
Alex let out a groan.
Rose held the T-shirt up to herself. "Thanks." She shouldered the T-shirt. "I'll make sure not to wipe the tables down with this one."
"Oh, good call," Alex said. "Whenever they get wet, they just kinda fall apart in your hands."
Bobby turned to his bandmates. "Don't you guys have to go get hot dogs?"
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.