Sweetheart (A Juke Fan Fiction)

Chapter 4: "I don't gawk."

Hey everyone! Welcome back to Sweetheart. We are over the sadness for now. This chapter follows Luke, so I hope you enjoy it!

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"Watch it, Carrie."

Luke watched the two girls run out of the classroom, and he couldn't help but feel sympathy for Julie. He had known her when she first started high school, even helped her to her first class, but he saw the girl that had a bright future ahead of her dim after her mother's passing. They used to be partnered for every project. Then one day, Julie just stopped showing up. Usually, it was him who never showed up, but he did every day that school year, just for her. Yeah, he liked a girl that he probably had no chance with, but what can a man do? He watched her bright, spunky personality change to nothing. She didn't even talk in class anymore. Every project that was assigned, she was alone.

When he watched her run out of the room, something inside him changed. He knew he needed to get to know her, and be there for her. So, after class was dismissed, he headed to her locker. She wasn't there. His head whipped around trying to find any clue that she had been here. A voice behind him stripped him from his thoughts.

"She's not here. She went home early."

Luke flipped around to see Flynn, Julie's best friend.

"How do you know I'm looking for her?" He questioned her.

"Oh please. I've seen the way you gawk at her when she's not looking."

"I don't gawk."

"Yeah, you do."

A beat of silence passed before he spoke, yet again, to her.

"Well, can you let her know I was looking for her. And tell her that I hope she's okay?"

Flynn's sigh was very small, but still noticeable. "Yeah. I guess I could do that." She turned and walked away.

Luke thought back to last week. He hadn't meant to eavesdrop when Ms. Harrison told Julie that today was her last chance, but he was sure glad that he did. He knew what he had to do. It was going to take some convincing, but he was sure he could do it.

That night at band practice, Luke stopped a little earlier than normal.

"Something wrong?" Alex asked.

"No- uh, yes- maybe," Luke stuttered.

His friends looked at each other with confused looks, and Luke felt the need to explain himself as fast as he could.

"Well, I think we should let Julie join our band."

"Say what?" Reggie's mouth dropped open, he didn't know Luke could talk the fast.

"I said, I think we should letJuliejointheband."

"One more time," Alex said.

Luke took a deep breath before speaking again.

"I think we should let Julie join the band," he said slowly this time.

"Julie, the girl who hasn't played or sang anything in a year?" Alex questioned.

"Julie, the girl Luke likes," Reggie corrected.

"I do not like her!" Luke huffed.

Alex and Reggie looked at each other.

"Yeah, you do," They said in unison.

"You talk about her all the time. It's always Julie this and Julie that. Don't lie to us," Alex demanded.

"I just think she has a killer voice and she would totally rock being in our band," Luke defended.

The next day at school, Luke scoped the campus for Julie. He had to get her alone to tell her the exciting news. Of course, now that she's out of the music program, she wasn't in his first period anymore. This was going to be harder than he thought.

After third period, he cut her off walking to her next class. He pulled her to the side of the hallway while she shot him a look he couldn't quite describe. Was it confused or happy? He might never know.

"Julie! I want to invite you to join the greatest band of all time, mine!"

His face lit up as he said that. Who wouldn't want to be in a band with him. Music is everything to him and it should be to everyone else. Unfortunately, if he was reading her face right, that wasn't Julie's thoughts.

"Luke..."

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What do you think Julie's answer will be? Leave a comment below! See ya next week!