𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐍𝐆𝐄 𝐎𝐅 𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐓, luke patterson

twenty nine

T W E N T Y  N I N E

don't call me kid, don't call me baby

     ALEX, REGGIE AND JULIE WERE STARING AT LUKE AS HE BOUNCED AROUND THE STUDIO WITH THE BABY ON HIS ARMS.

"So... this baby is not yours?" Julie asked, making Luke roll his eyes. Reggie proceeded to look at his fingers as he counted.

"Nah, it's impossible." Luke stare at Reggie for a few seconds in confusion. "I'm dating her sister! She tells me stuff."

"Anyways..." said the guitarist. "No, this isn't my baby. Do you think I would actually name my daughter like Alex?"

"I think it's a beautiful name," intervened Alex, making Luke scoff.

"I'm taking care of little Alex while Peyton picks up Ella from the library. Apparently, this little girl likes me more than she liked Tay and she can't really enter the library with a crying baby."

"And why are you exactly taking care of the baby for her?" Questioned Julie. "That's boyfriend stuff."

"No, it's friend stuff."

Alex approached Luke and played with the baby's hands while Julie stood in front of the guitarist.

"No. Offering to change plans when your friend is babysitting is friend stuff. Helping her on taking care of the baby is boyfriend duty."

"I'm not... the baby cried every time she picks her up. I didn't have the heart to tell her that little Alex here hates her."

"I don't hate, Peyton." Luke turned around to look at the drummer, who, when realized what he said, stood quiet, returning to play with the baby.

Luke glanced at Julie, starting to bounce again, making the baby laugh.

"She thinks the baby is me," admitted Luke, confusing the rest. "She thinks that I hate her and I'm not happy when I'm around her. Just like Alex." He looked at Alex. "Baby Alex," he clarified.

"Yeah, I got it that time."

The guitarist looked at Julie again. "How do I tell her that babies hate her?"

"How would you tell Reggie that babies hate him?"

"I would tell him that babies hate him. Just like that."

"That's how you tell Peyton."

Luke scoffed. "I'm not gonna tell her like that. It's rude. It's going to hurt her feelings." She changed the baby of sides because his arm was getting tired.

"And you don't care about my feelings?" Asked Reggie, making Luke glance at him.

"It's different. You are Reggie, she's my girlfriend... I mean," he was quick to catch the error. "My ex... my friend. My best friend! She's... She's Peyton. I don't want her to think that babies don't like her because then she won't want babies of her own."

Not even him believed that.

Ella and Peyton walked through the door, his eyes connecting with her. She looked at him with a tiny smile before directing to the band.

"Guys... We have some news." The band looked at the sisters with curiosity. "I've already informed the label and... Ella will be your manager from now on."

"What!?" The four yelled, surprising the sisters.

"That's not the reaction I was expecting," whispered Peyton.