•Asher POV•
After spending the night at Flynn's, I decided I'd have to go back to the studio and face the boys.
So now, here I am, hiding in the loft again, clearly facing my problems head on.
They've been talking about an apology they had planned, all morning. The sad part is, I know it's not gonna work. Julie is one tough girl to crack.
Speaking of Julie, I see her coming to the studio through the window so I decide to have some fun of my own and magically transport a tomato into my hand. It's a trick that Willie taught me.
As soon as Julie opens the door, the boys break out into song.
"We're sorry!" Reggie sings.
"So sorry!" Alex continues.
Luke sings the last line. "We're super duper crazy stupid-"
"Sorry!!" The three boys sing together.
I throw my tomato directly at Reggie's head. "Boooo!!!" I shout.
"Ow!" Reggie yells in slight pain before turning serious again. "Yeah, I guess I deserved that."
"How long have you been up there?!" Alex shouts.
I snort. "Long enough to hear you groove to Lady Gaga."
"Hey, I may not know much about this timeline but I do know one thing." He says. "Lady Gaga is an icon."
"Yeah!" Reggie shouts. "Get Woke!"
"I don't think your using that word right." Alex tells him.
"Are you sure, cause I-"
"Guys!" Luke interrupts, successfully shutting them up. "Julie, it wasn't okay that we flaked on the dance last night, we know we let you down."
"Yeah, and none of us wanted to let you down." Alex adds. "You're the best thing that happened to us since we became ghosts."
"Sooo...in hopes that you rejoin the band, we booked a new gig." Luke tells her nervously.
"A mega important, life changing gig." Reggie announces while smiling brightly at Julie.
"Check it out." Luke says. "Tons of managers go here to listen to new bands. All we got to to is blow them away, and we're living the dream."
Julie looks up at Luke with fake interest. "So, this means a lot to you, huh?" She says and I poof down beside her. "Kind of like how playing in front of my entire school meant a lot to me."
I already know where this is going, but the boys really let her down so if she's gonna be mad at them, then so am I.
"Sounds like sarcasm." Reggie muses out loud. He then turns to Alex with an over exaggerated expression, and whispers way too loudly in his ear. "I'm starting to think our plan isn't working."
Alex ignores him. "Look, we know we messed up..."
"...but we need you in the band." Luke finishes.
I scoff. "Of course you do, because without Julie, no one can see you guys playing!"
"You know, I thought the music we were writing was special." Julie tells them. "But you're too obsessed with your past to even care."
"I do care!" Luke shouts in defence. "Our band has a real chance at greatness, I'm not gonna let that get away from us, again."
"Uh huh, right so then why did you bail on me to get back at Trevor?" She fires back.
"And Andrew." Reggie grumbles bitterly.
"I'll tell you why." Julie continues. "Cause there's only one thing you care about and that's yourself! None of you even bothered apologizing to Asher!"
"I'm sorry, Asher." Reggie says, softly.
Julie storms out and I go to follow her before remembering something and turning around to face the boys. "Hey, Luke." He faces me with a questioning look. "Happy Birthday."
I then follow Julie out the door.
We end up just going to the living room where Julie attempts to get some of her homework done.
"Hey, Julie...can I show you something?"
•••••
"I never knew Luke was hurting so much." Julie says, as she watches Luke, watching his parents.
I brought Julie to Luke's parents house cause I know he goes here all the time and I guess I wanted her to see in Luke what the rest of us do.
"It's even worse because when he died, they left things on bad terms." Alex says from beside us. I got Alex and Reggie to come too. "His parents didn't want their seventeen year old in a rock band so...he left. He never got the chance to make up with them."
We all watch as Luke's parents light the candle on Luke's birthday cake and Luke blows it out. His parents seem confused by this but relight it again and this time Luke blows out the candle with them."
"He was so angry at Bobby because if he gave Luke the credit then his parents would've known his dream was worth chasing." Reggie says and we all just sit there and take in Luke's sad eyes following his parents every move.
"So, will you give us another chance?" Reggie asks softly before turning to me. "You too, Asher. Julie's not the only one we let down."
I smile, glad to have been included in the apology. I share a look with Julie and we both turn to the boys, smiling. "Let's do this." Julie says.
We all poofed back out to the studio and practiced for hours before Luke showed up and joined us. Eventually, it was almost our time to perform so we all poofed over to the cafe, except for Julie who drove.
Oh no. Great, Dirty Candy is playing.
"Whenever I walk in the room
All the focus on me
The way I talk the way I move
They all want on my team
Not tryin' to brag, brag
But I'm flawless
I'm taking over your playlist
Ain't perfect but I can't miss, yeah
The party don't start 'til I walk in"
Alex suddenly poofs onstage and start dancing with Carrie.
"I'm stealing all the attention
Don't get me started on mentions, yeah
Some might say I sound conceited
They don't get the shine that I get
Some get jealous
They can't help it
They wish they were me"
He poofs off, back beside us.
"You having fun out there?" Julie asks, amused, as the music keeps going.
"it's not my fault." Alex excuses. "It's uh...it's my feet."
"Uh huh, sure." I say.
"Put me back in, coach." He whispers to himself before poofing back onstage.
"But all I see is all eyes on me
When I grow up I wanna be me be me
I'm my own goals just talking honestly
Must have won the lottery
Ain't no one as hot as me
Stealing looks its robbery
Everywhere I go all eyes on me
I keep the party going all night, all night
I set the trends that you all like, all like
I make an entrance when I don't try, don't try
'Cause all I see is all eyes on me"
We all laugh at seeing Alex having fun. It's nice.
"I only lead I never follow follow
I never open 'cause it's my show, my show
Don't know if people think I'm shallow, shallow
But all I see is all eyes on me
Hey."
YOU ARE READING
Regret || Reggie Peters
FanfictionTW: Abuse, Gaslighting, Death, PTSD, Alcohol ~~~~~ Asher Mercer is in trouble and he doesn't know it. Reggie Peters does. Reggie notices everything about the older boy and yet he doesn't know how to help him. When Asher moves away, Reggie is faced...
