Sweetheart (A Juke Fan Fiction)

Chapter 25: "Distract the people at the counter."

I know! I know! I forgot to post for 2 weeks in a row! Homework has been the WORST, so now here we are posting on a Thursday because I'm not going to be home on Friday. 

Okay, enjoy. Spoiling, but I'm just too excited because I'm writing the chapters where Luke and Julie FINALLY get together and it makes me so soft :)

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"... I'm going to dance with Nick this time."

What? She stared into his eyes for like 5 minutes to choose him? Luke nodded his head and walked away to find someone who didn't have a partner. Was she still mad at him? Is that why she chose him over Luke? So many unanswered questions. This was the worst birthday ever.

The whole time they were learning the dance, Luke couldn't stop watching Julie and Nock. They kept talking and it looked like he was trying to flirt with her. That made Luke's blood boil. To make things worse, at one point, she kinda fell on top of him. Luke had to admit though, it was pretty funny when Nike fell to the ground.

---

After school, Alex suggested they go to Cafe Mocha. They sat at a table in the corner, and Luke was just ranting about the dance class until Alex cut him off.

"Luke! I didn't invite you here to hear about all your jealousy problems."

Ouch. That's a little harsh.

Alex continued. "I heard there's a music showcase here tonight, and we need to see if we can get on the list."

"Nice! Way to think outside the box, Alex! We could sing Finally Free!"

"Um, Luke? Alex? Aren't you forgetting? Julie quit the band," Reggie spoke up.

"Once we tell her about signing up for this, she will have to come back!" Luke said, excitedly. "Now, how do we get on this list, Alex?"

"I don't really know. I was just hoping if we talk to the guy at the counter he'd know?"

"Okay, let's go." Luke said, standing up from the table and making his way to the front counter, his best friends right behind him.

"How can I help you guys, today?" The man asked.

"Could we sign up for the music showcase tonight?" Luke asked.

"Sorry, but the music showcase is by invite only, and if you wanted to sign up, you had to do so by, like last week." He said before turning away.

Luke turned away to face his friends. "Well. That was a bust."

They started to walk away, then Luke caught something in his hindsight. The list for tonight's performers. He snatched Reggie's arm and spoke into his ear.

"Distract the people at the counter."

Reggie nodded, and went back up to the counter. He said something about pizza and puppies, but Luke didn't listen because he was too busy signing 'Julie and The Phantoms' up for tonight's showcase. It was a success, by the way. His plans usually were, when he's lucky. Let's hope he has enough luck to convince Julie to join the band again.

---

"Shh! She's coming!" Luke said.

"We weren't even... Ok..." Alex complained.

Once Julie turned the corner, they broke out into a three-harmony super duper sorry song that Luke had come up with in five minutes. Not much time for the apology, but a lot of thought put into it. After they finished singing, Reggie spoke up.

"In case you missed it, we're really sorry."

Julie still wasn't smiling. Did she not like it?

"Yeah... I... I got that part," She responded.

Luke spoke up in an attempt to make her see how sorry they were.

"Julie, it wasn't ok that we flaked on the dance last night. We know we let you down."

"Yeah, and none of us wanted to disappoint you," Alex added. "You're the best thing that's happened to us since... well, I don't know what, but you get the point."

"So, in hopes you'll rejoin the band," Luke stepped forward towards her. "We booked a new gig."

"A mega important, life-changing gig," Reggie said as Luke handed Julie the flyer for tonight's gig. She definitely couldn't say no now.

He had to make this sound like the best gig there could ever be.

"Check it out. Tons of managers go here to listen to new bands. All we gotta do is blow them all away and we're living the dream."

"So this means a lot to you, huh?" Julie asked. "Kinda how playing in front of our whole entire school meant a lot to me."

"Sounds like sarcasm," Reggie observed, then gasped and whispered loudly towards Alex. "I'm starting to think our plan isn't working."

"Look, we know we messed up," Alex apologized once again.

"But, we need you in the band," Luke finished.

Luke doesn't remember exactly what she said, but he knows it ended with one of the most hurtful things anyone has ever said to him.

"There's only one thing that you care about, and that's yourself."

Those words may have hurt, but what hurt worse was that she turned and walked away. She left them standing in the doorway of the garage.

"Dude, she didn't mean it," Alex tried.

Luke didn't want to hear any of it now. He turned, gave them an apologetic look, and then bolted down the sidewalk and headed towards his house.

The fact that he wanted to go home said enough. He loves his best friends, and he likes Julie a lot, but what she said was so hurtful that he wanted to go back to the fake happy place. It was still his birthday, and he probably was wanted home for cake anyways.

After getting home, his mother promised that she would have the cake finished soon, so he went to his room. Luke will admit, he cried. This is 2021, it's okay for guys to cry! Just... don't tell Julie, okay?

"Oh, honey! What's wrong?" His mother asked as soon as he walked out from his room to have his birthday cake.

Luke sniffled. If she asked, he would probably start crying again.

"Nothing," He finally answered. But, he broke down again. "Let's just blow the candles out, okay?"

His mother nodded, and brought the cake to the table. As always, it was chocolate cake with chocolate frosting, his favorite. After the 'Happy Birthday' song was finished, Luke blew out the candles, and his mother sliced the first piece for him. He doesn't remember anything else after that, just that he saw the bushes outside rustle a little weirder than normal, but nothing was normal today.

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Poor Lukey :(

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