Look at the photo to see how the demo
looks like
also, check out my new fic "end up here"
it's going to be really good
T W E N T Y S I X
I hate accidents except when we went
from friends to this
LUKE AND THE GUYS BURSTED IN PEYTON'S KITCHEN, SCARING THE HELL OUT OF ELLA.
"What's your problem?"
"This is an emergency! Where is Peyton!?" Asked Julie as Luke left a big box on the kitchen island. "Peyton!"
"Tay!" Screamed her boyfriend as he looked for a knife. "Come downstairs, Maddy Whittier!" He yelled, stabbing the box and opening it. "Could someone go get her fast?"
Alex nodded before he ran upstairs quickly. Ella stood up from her chair and walked towards her boyfriend, who was excitedly waiting for Luke to open the box.
"What's all of this?"
"You'll see," replied Reggie with a smile.
And with that, they heard Peyton screaming.
"Alex! Alex put me down! Alex!"
She was on her pj's, being carried by Alex on his shoulder.
He put it down next to Luke and she glanced at everyone confused. "What's going on?"
"Look what arrived to your office at the studio," said Luke, showing her the box.
"You are going through my mail?"
"This isn't your mail!" Yelled Alex. "It's addressed to Sunset Curve's management team."
"I'm Sunset Curve's management team."
"And we are Sunset Curve so we win," intervened Luke, opening the box. "Oh my God!"
Luke grabbed one of the CD's from the box and showed it to his bandmates and manager, and everyone went crazy.
"Our demo!?" Exclaimed Julie as the rest looked inside of the box, noticing at least fifteen more copies. "Oh my God!"
"It's so pretty," whispered Peyton looking at the CD. "And purple."
"That's your face!" Yelled Reggie pointing at Alex's face. The blond nodded, excited. "What are we supposed to do with all of these CDs?"
Ella grabbed the envelope that was inside of the box and read it out loud.
"Here are the first copies of your album Social Casualty for you to give to your family. The album will be released on November 13th on streaming platforms and stores. We will send you more copies during the week for you to sign. Enjoy, Columbia Music Records."
"So this is for us!?" Asked Luke, glancing to the inside. "This is awesome."
"I want one!" Exclaimed Peyton, grabbing an album. Ella was quick to do the same. "If each one of us takes one, there are twelve CD's left."
"Three for each one of us," said Julie to the band and each grabbed three CDs. "I'll give one to my dad and Carlos, other one to Flynn and the other to my aunt."
"I'm gonna give it to Willie, my sister and the other to my parents," let them know Alex with a smile.
"Well, Ella already has one so I'll give these to my parents and my cousin," said Reggie with a smile.
The band glanced over at Luke, who just chuckled.
"I'll give one to Carrie, I guess. With the rest, I don't know what to do."
"I think my mom would like one," said softly Peyton and Luke smiled at her, giving her one of his CDs. "And you can have two for yourself. One for your car and the other for your room."
"Yeah, you are right," he said in a whisper, putting the CDs in his backpack. "Well... we have an album!" Everyone cheered when he said it. "I still cannot believe it."
"Me neither!" Yelled Alex. "Let's go celebrate!"
"Let's get some milkshakes at that place down Hollywood Boulevard," offered Julie and the guys nodded.
"I'll catch you guys later," said Luke as everyone walked to the door. "I have to do something. You can take my truck."
He threw the keys at Alex and the blond nodded, everyone following him. Peyton turned around to look at her boyfriend.
"Everything alright?" He nodded.
"Yeah... I'll see you at the milkshake place." She smiled at him before leaving.
Luke turned around and walked outside through the back door, crossing to the side towards his house's kitchen door, knocking two times before his mother opened.
She was surprised to see him. After he bolted the other day, she expected him to not appear again. But he did. He was standing there.
"Hi... I... brought you guys something," he said. His mother moved aside so he could come in, but he shook his head slowly.
He took from his backpack one of the albums and gave it to her. She looked at it for a few seconds, in surprise.
"It's our album. Goes out on Friday. It is the 13th so watch out for Jason Voorhees, though." He joked, and his mom simply smiled. "Right... Uhm... I should go."
"You can stay," she told him and he shook his head.
"No, uhm, the guys wanted to go celebrate the album and I already promised to them I would so..."
"Luke." He couldn't even look at her, he was just staring at any other place in the house except for her eyes. "Come home. We... I miss you."
He dry swallowed before looking at his feet.
"Bye, mom," he said quickly before walking away.
Luke has never liked walking. Walking makes him think. While he drives, he focuses his mind on the music, on the road, on Peyton by his side. While he walks, there's nothing keeping him away from his own thoughts.
Was it the right choice to leave his mom? Was she ever going to listen to that demo? Would they ever be okay again?
Was it a good choice to stay in LA? Or was it better choice going to New York? Is Peyton going to break up with him?
Luke stopped in his tracks. Why did he think that?
Peyton and him are okay. They've been dating for a more than a month now, they've never been better.
But, what happens when she gets in that plane?
As he entered the shop, the first of the group he saw was Peyton. She was standing in front of the counter with a big smile, waiting anxiously for that milkshake that would arrive anytime soon. Her fingers were playing as drumsticks as he hit the counter, making music.
He smiled widely, walking towards her slowly and wrapping his arm around her waist, surprising her.
"You scared me," she whispered and he chuckled. "Where were you?"
"Oh, I had to call my aunt. It's her birthday today," he lied.
He knew if he told her she would tell him to go back to his parents. And he didn't want to have that conversation in that moment.
He wanted to celebrate with his girlfriend and don't worry about anything else.
/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
After Heartbreak Girl played on the radio, Sunset Curve has gained popularity real fast. And the news of their new album titled Social Casualty didn't spread quietly.
The album included a cover of Seventeen by Troye Sivan, sang by Julie and Luke as a duet. Luke picked the song because he overheard Peyton listening it when it came out two years ago. She played it on loop for three hours and Luke had it stuck in his head since then.
Luke and Julie, being the co-lead vocalists of the band, their names were the most talked about. Both had gained popularity on social media and so did the band.
They were celebrities now.
Small, but celebrities.
And now, at the countdown of the realize of Social Casualty, the group awaits for the clock to hit midnight so they can download their own songs.
"I just want to say a few words," said Luke with a smile. "First, that I feel like Jamie Lee Curtis in Freaky Friday." The group laughed. "And second, I want to uhm... congratulate the band because we wrote thirteen songs in a week. More than a half of the album. And it's amazing, I have no idea how we did it," he chuckled. "We were like Hugh Grant and Drew Barrymore in that movie."
"What movie?" Asked Reggie to Ella, but Luke still continued.
"You guys are my Breakfast Club, my partners, the Cameron to my Ferris. I... I love you guys."
Nobody paid too much attention to those words except for Alex, who knew that he has never said them before. The blond smiled at his best friend, raising his red cup towards him.
"Love you too, man."
"Love you, Luke," said Julie.
"Love yah, bro" replied Reggie and Luke smiled.
"Hey! Fifteen more seconds."
Everyone stared at the clock as the seconds went by. Thirteen more seconds until the album hits every streaming platform.
"Hey Luke..." He turned around to look at her as the rest shouted the countdown. "Come to New York with me."
"What?"
"Happy Album Release Day!" Screamed the rest as Ella ran towards the computer and starting playing the new album towards the speakers.
I Don't Want to Be filled the room as Luke and Peyton looked at each other.
"What?" He repeated the question and she just shrugged. "You want me to go to New York with you."
"It looked like a good idea at the moment."
"You convinced me to stay in Los Angeles and now you want me to go to New York with you?"
"I don't know, Luke, now that you say it that way sounds like a terrible idea."
"It is." She looked at him. "It is a terrible idea. Did Ron Weasley came up with it?"
"Hey," she claimed, hitting him softly on the chest. She didn't find it funny. "You don't have to be mean."
"I'm not— I'm not being mean. For the first time I'm actually being the smart one in this relationship. For the first time I'm Ronald Miller instead of Cindy Mancini. You have to give me some credit."
"Wow... is that crazy for you to go to New York with me? I thought that was your plan A?"
"Peyton, I can't go to New York. The guys won't follow me. Columbia definitely won't follow me. We just released our first album I can't bail now. I'll be Pete Best."
"Who's Pete Best?"
"Exactly," he replied. "Look, let's go upstairs and talk about this. I don't want everyone to hear us."
"Why? Are we gonna fight?" She asked as Permanent Vacation started playing. "Is that what's going to happen?"
"Let's just go upstairs," he asked her again softly, and both walked upstairs towards her room.
When they entered, Peyton closed the door behind them. She quickly turned around to look at him, who was already sitting on the bed. She sat next to him, both looking at the wall.
"I don't want to fight," she said.
"Me neither."
"My parents used to fight all the time."
"I know."
She breathed in deeply and he did the same.
"Do you want me to go to New York?"
"No, I want you to stay in Los Angeles."
"Then why did you ask me?" He controlled himself so that his voice would sound calm all the time.
"Because I was mad that you didn't want to go to New York."
He looked at her confused. "Huh?"
Peyton exhaled, turning around to look at him. She noticed how he looked confused at her confession.
"I don't want you to come to New York because I know you will be miserable without the band. Yet, you didn't pick New York, and it made me feel... like I was your second choice."
"Peyton..."
"You are my first choice, Luke, okay? And when I wasn't yours... I don't know, it's kinda selfish but... I figured it would take longer to convince you, I guess."
Luke stared at her for a few seconds before he grabbed her hand, caressing softly the back of it with his thumb.
"I love you."
Peyton raised her eyebrows in surprise.
"I love you," he repeated in a softer tone. "I've loved you since I was a kid, since I first saw you through that window. And I regret not saying it the moment I knew how I felt."
She stared at him for a few seconds in silence before opening her mouth.
"I love you too... that's what makes this so hard..."
/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
"Now that your band has made popularity over the entire country and in social media, we are thinking a tour around USA," said Fallon from Columbia Music Records, pointing at the cities where the guys would visit. "What do you say?"
"That's... amazing," whispered Reggie, looking at the red dots all over the map. "I've always wanted to go to Seattle. They have ferryboats."
"And you'll definitely board one," told him Fallon, making the boy smile. The other guys nodded, looking at the map. "Miss Swan?"
Luke turned around to look at Peyton, who was staring at the map carefully.
"I love the idea. A summer tour is always good." Fallon smiled. "Sadly I will be in New York by that time, but my sister and the band's publicist will be joining you."
Fallon nodded. The reunion was dismissed and everyone grabbed their stuff, walking away from the conference room.
"A summer tour. You know what that means, right?" Asked Alex to the guys. "A tour bus."
"I've always wanted a tour bus," whispered Reggie, making Luke smile.
"Are you sure you can't join us Peyton?" Asked Julie to the girl and she shook her head.
"I'm sorry guys, I wish I could. But trust me, you are going to have a lot of fun with Flynn and Ella," she told them with a tiny smile. Luke interlocked his fingers with her, and she trembled at the touch but then relaxed. "Why don't we go to the movies to see if there's anything good?"
"Please, if you pick something released after 10 Things I Hate About You, I won't see it," let them know Luke, but as usual, they ignored his movie demands.
Both Luke and Peyton stayed behind the guys as they walked, still holding hands.
"So... the tour is in four months." Peyton nodded. "You leave in less than that."
"Luke, we agreed—"
"I know what we agreed on," he was quick to interrupt, surprising her. "I just... it's not fair."
"I know it's not fair, Luke."
"Can't we just... try to work it out?"
Peyton looked over at him. He was staring at him, almost begging with her eyes.
"Luke..."
"I know... I know..."
POP CULTURE REFERENCE GUIDE
"Come downstairs, Maddy Whittier!"
This is the main character of the 2017 drama film Everything, Everything. It's about Maddy, who suffers from a severe immunodeficiency disorder, is forced to remain indoors. She falls in love with Olly, who lives next door, It stars Amandla Stenberg as Maddy and Nick Robinson as Olly.
"Goes out on Friday. It is the 13th so watch out for Jason Voorhees, though"
Jason Voorhees is the villain of the movie Friday the 13th, which is a 1980 American slasher film produced and directed by Sean S. Cunningham. Its plot follows a group of teenage camp counselors who are murdered one by one by an unknown killer while attempting to re-open an abandoned summer camp.
"First, that I feel like Jamie Lee Curtis in Freaky Friday."
Freaky Friday is a 2003 American fantasy-comedy film directed by Mark Waters. It stars Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsay Lohan as a mother and daughter, respectively, whose bodies are switched by a mysterious and magical Chinese fortune cookie. During one of the final scenes of the movie, Jamie Lee Curtis (interpreting Lindsay Lohan's character) gives a toast that makes the mother and daughter change bodies again.
"We were like Hugh Grant and Drew Barrymore in that movie."
Music and Lyrics is a 2007 American romantic comedy film written and directed by Marc Lawrence. It focuses on the relationship that evolves between a former pop music idol (Hugh Grant) and an aspiring writer (Drew Barrymore) as they struggle to compose a song for a reigning pop diva.
"You guys are my Breakfast Club."
The Breakfast Club is a 1985 American teen coming-of-age comedy-drama film written, produced, and directed by John Hughes. It stars Emilio Estevez, Anthony Michael Hall, Judd Nelson, Molly Ringwald and Ally Sheedy as teenagers from different high school cliques who spend a Saturday in detention with their authoritarian assistant principal.
"For the first time I'm Ronald Miller instead of Cindy Mancini."
Ronald Miller and Cindy Mancini are Patrick Dempsey and Amanda Peterson's characters in the film Can't Buy Me Love (1987). It's a story about a nerd at a high school in Tucson, Arizona, who gives a cheerleader $1,000 to pretend to be his girlfriend for a month.
"I'll be Pete Best." "Who's Pete Best?"
Pete Best is an English musician known as the Beatles' drummer before the band achieved worldwide fame.
"Please, if you pick something released after 10 Things I Hate About You, I won't see it"
10 Things I Hate About You is an American romantic comedy film directed by Gil Junger and starring Julia Stiles, Heath Ledger, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, and Larisa Oleynik. In the story, new student Cameron (Gordon-Levitt) is smitten with Bianca (Oleynik) and, in order to get around her father's strict rules on dating, attempts to get bad boy Patrick (Ledger) to date Bianca's ill-tempered sister, Kat (Stiles). This movie was released in 1999, and according to Luke, that's the last good movie before the 2000s.