✓ | line without a hook, reggie p.

CHAPTER ONE

Annabelle felt her feet practically levitate above the ground as she danced gracefully across the floor. The classical music that played reached into the depths of her soul and pulled out puppet strings from the top of her tight bun, controlling her ever so beautifully. She had no other thoughts than her, her feet and the music. Her arms were outstretched and her fingertips moved gently in the air as she twirled. As she was about to land her assemblé, her music was stopped and she fell to the floor. She let out a loud groan when she landed, angrily looking up to see who had interrupted her.

When her eyes landed on the three misfits, she shook her head and looked back down to the floor. "What is it now?" Annabelle asked. The boys walked over to her with a look that read, are you serious? Annabelle looked up and her eyes scanned the three that were dressed and tensed up. "What?"

"The Orpheum, Belle!" Luke yelled at his close friend. "We play the Orpheum tonight, hello! One of the biggest nights of our lives and you forget? We have soundcheck in like an hour and we thought that when we got to the venue that you would already be there, but guess what? You weren't! So Alex made us drive all the way back to get you. You're lucky you have a brother that loves you."

Annabelle squeezed her eyes shut and pointed at Luke, "Right, right! I'm sorry, guys. Give me a second and I'll be right out." Luke and Reggie nodded and headed out of the studio room. Annabelle caught her brother's eye as she stood up from the ground and walked to the corner of her room to grab her duffel bag. "I'm sorry, Alex. You know how big my next performance is for me, I just lost track of time."

"I understand." Alex nodded. "I just figured — hey, maybe my only sibling and only family member who hasn't betrayed me would actually put me first for once. It is something that older sisters do, you know? They remember their little brother's important, life changing events." Annabelle let out a sigh and walked over to her younger brother, wrapping her arms around him and reaching on her tippy toes to place a kiss on the crown of his head.

"I promise I'm going to start being better. You know I'm nothing like the rest of our family. Come on, I'll change when we get to the venue." Annabelle told Alex as they released one another and he wrapped an arm around her shoulders, her left arm going around his waist as they walked out of the studio room and joined Luke and Reggie on the way to the rusty, old van that they managed to put together enough money for.

When they got into the van, Alex was asked to drive and Luke called shotgun — which lead Reggie and Annabelle alone in the backseat. Reggie didn't mind it, of course. Lord knows he has had a crush on the beautiful, green eyed ballerina since the day Alex introduced them to her. He cherished any lone moment he had with her, even if they were very limited and very short timed.

"Hey Belle," Reggie whispered to her. Annabelle looked his way and gave him a smile, making his heart skip a beat and the giddy feeling that he usually got around her to make its way back. She whispered back, "Hey Reg. Do you mind if I put my head on your shoulder? I'm pretty tired." Reggie shook his head and leaned more towards her so his shoulder was easier access. Annabelle leaned closer and put her head on his shoulder, reaching for his hand so she can fidget with his rings.

"How is the dance coming along?" He asked her, watching her as her cold hands turned his rings around. He felt her shrug and he got the hint that she really was tired - - she didn't even want to form the words to say how tired she was. He carefully leaned his head against hers and when he didn't hear a complaint come from her, he decided to leave it there. Eventually, the two fell asleep.

Before long, they reached the Orpheum. Alex pulled the van to a stop in the back of the venue and he and Luke immediately hopped out. When they realized they weren't being followed by Annabelle and Reggie, their walk came to a stop before they jogged back to the van. Luke pulled open the back door of the van to reveal the two fast asleep. He chuckled softly and turned to Alex. Alex looked at the two and smiled sweetly. "Awe.. yeah no," his smile quickly dropped as he grabbed the water bottle that Reggie had beside him and poured the tiny last bit that was left onto him. Reggie immediately snapped up, as did Annabelle.

"What the hel- what was that for?" Reggie asked. Alex narrowed his eyes at Reggie and jutted his thumb over his shoulder, "Hands off my big sis, Reggie." Reggie sighed and climbed out of the van. Annabelle followed him out, beginning to try and walk beside him, but Alex picked her up and placed her beside himself instead.

——

Annabelle looked at herself in the dressing room mirror. She could hear the boys' voices from back there and she mouthed the words to Now or Never to herself. She pulled on one of Alex's yellow hoodies that she had stolen from him over her loose tank, the hoodie only falling onto her black ripped jeans just a slight bit.

She pulled on a pair of boots before she left the dressing room. Annabelle walked out to the general area, catching the boys talking to who seemed like a waitress. She jogged up to them. "Oh! And this is Annabelle! She's not apart of the band, but she might as well be." Luke introduced her. Annabelle smiled at the girl and gave her a slight wave.

"Don't you guys have to go get hot dogs?" Bobby - - the band's fourth member - - asked them. Annabelle raised her brows at his attitude, looking at Alex who only rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, he had a hamburger for lunch." Luke nodded, the rest of them chuckling as they followed him out the side of the venue. "That's what I'm talking about."

"The smell of Sunset Boulevard?" Alex asked, making a disgusted face.

"No," Luke chuckled. "It's what that girl said in there tonight. About our music, all right? It's like an energy. It connects us with people. They can feel us when we play. I want that connection with everybody."

Luke had pulled Reggie and Alex closer. Reggie smiled, "Then we're gonna need more t-shirts." Annabelle hadn't even noticed him pull out the shirts from his bag until then. She hummed to herself and watched as he handed them to two girls. "Ladies," he smirked before jogging off to catch up with Annabelle and the boys.

"You'll be the death of me, Reginald." Annabelle snickered as Reggie walked beside her. Reggie nudged her shoulder and the slightest blush crept onto her cheeks. She decided to take a risk. "But hey," Reggie looked at her as she spoke, the two of them stopping and maintaining eye contact as she smiled, "maybe by your side wouldn't be too bad of a place to die."

Reggie felt a zoo rumble in his stomach as the blonde beauty in front of him let those words roll off her tongue. He blushed wildly and stumbled over his words before he shook his head and wrapped his arm around her, "You will be the death of me, Annabelle Mercer."

The group of teenagers eventually found a hot dog corner, the four just satisfied that they would finally be feeding their hunger. After she got her own, she followed Reggie and Luke to the couch, sitting right between them. She placed one of her legs on Luke and rested her head on Reggie's shoulder.

"This is awesome, you guys. We're playing the Orpheum. I can't even count how many bands have played here and then ended up being huge. We're gonna be legends!" Luke raised his hot dog, "Eat up, guys. 'Cause after tonight, everything changes."

They all simultaneously took a bite of their hot dogs. Annabelle quickly made an odd face, the crunchiness of the hot dog not being very normal. "That's a. . New flavor and texture."

"Chill, Belle, street dogs haven't killed us yet."