The Other Side of Hollywood | Luke Patterson

TWENTY-TWO✨

The rest of the evening, I felt on edge, worried that at any moment, either A, the boys would get hit with a jolt in front of me or B, Willie would poof in and explain everything to them; I just needed to get through tonight, and then everything can go back to normal.

"Hey, I'm gonna go wait in the audience," I informed Luke, wrapping my arms around his waist from behind as he tuned his guitar; besides my own internal worries of anything going wrong, it seemed like fate was finally on my side for once.

"Okay," Luke hummed, looking back at me; even though Julie and the other two boys were in the room, Luke leaned in, placing a chaste kiss on my lips.

"We're gonna talk to them about the club soon, right?" I ask in a quiet voice; Luke turned around on the stool he was sitting on, now facing me directly.

"Yeah, of course," He nodded, smiling at me reassuringly; I let out a breath, smiling at him gratefully, I am so ready for this whole façade to be over, "I think we're going on soon, I'll see you after."

"Break a leg," I winked at him playfully before poofing out of the studio and into the crowded audience outside of it. Tons of kids all around Julie's age mingled and chatted, anxious to see their classmate and her "hologram band." I moved to the side, walking through the crowd until I made it near Luke's mic stand.

"Julie and the phantoms," I flinched in surprise as Maya poofed in beside me, squinting slightly at the band name written across the garage in flowers, "Not gonna lie, that's a pretty catchy band name."

"What are you doing here?" I asked her, shaking my head in amusement; I assumed she was at the club, about to start performing for all the members.

"I wanted to see what all the hype was," Maya shrugged, "and I'm too impatient to wait for updates." I chuckled, now that sounds more like Maya.

"Well, after tonight, I won't have to come back and forth delivering updates," I inform her, smirking proudly.

"Shut up," Maya exclaimed, slapping my arm excitedly, "they agreed to join Caleb's house band?"

"Sort of," I responded, shrugging my shoulders; Maya's excited expression faded, and she gestured for me to go on, "Okay, so Luke and I are kind of back together," I mumble, looking at my hands.

"Wow, you work fast," Maya nodded, I scolded her, shaking my head, "sorry, continue,"

"and I told him, I don't think we can work if we're constantly in different places," I continue explaining; Maya smiles brightly once more, "so he agreed that he and the boys would come to the club, part-time."

"Part-time?" Maya laughed, shaking her head in amusement, "oh, you're screwed; we both know Caleb does not do "part-time" aren't you worried the boys are gonna hate you?"

"They'll probably be mad for a little bit," I shrug, I didn't doubt the boys would be upset with me when they learn the truth, but it's Luke, Alex, and Reggie they can't stay mad at; me for long, right? "They'll get over it though, I mean, Alex will have Willie, me and Luke can finally be together, and Reggie is too sweet to stay mad at me forever."

"Hmm," Maya hummed, thinking over everything I'd just told her, "I hope your right," She finally said; Maya, who is usually snarky and sarcastic 24/7, looked at me seriously, almost as if she was worried about me, weird.

"I am," I nodded confidently; sure, I had a few doubts, but there was no use in dwelling in those, not when everything was going so well; the boys will be at the club in no time, and once they are everything will be okay.

"What's up everybody," Julie's best friend, who I learned was named Flynn, spoke into the mic, "time to put your hand up, do a little dance, yup." She rapped, "here's a new anthem from Julie and the Phantoms." The audience applauded as the studio doors were pulled open, revealing Julie, who smiled brightly at everyone as she walked up to the grand piano in the center of their makeshift stage.