STARDUST ⭑ LUKE PATTERSON

fifteen

"WELL, I'M STILL HERE," Emmy sighs. She turns to Luke as they stand on his parent's front porch. "Guess that wasn't my unfinished business."

"We'll figure it out. You'll cross over with us," he reassures her.

"You can't even guarantee that we're gonna all be together in heaven, or wherever we end up."

Luke tsks, head tilting at her. "C'mon, Emmy. We gotta stay positive and hope we don't end up in the third circle of hell, while you're in the fifth." She slaps his upper arm, Luke laughing at her reaction.

"Oh, so you think because I let you see me all vulnerable back there, you can make comments like that," she teases.

"You know it's safe to be open with me, right? There's no part of you I'll ever not like."

Emmy pauses, giving him a side eye. He returns it with a dopey grin. She scoffs, turning towards his front door. It looks the same, not weathered down at all. Funny how some things don't change.

"So, how often do you come here?"

"Pretty much everyday," he admits, looking away from her and to the doorbell. He clears his throat, looking down. "They, uh, made me a cake for my birthday."

"Chocolate?"

"With the single blue candle."

A silence falls over them, and Emmy already knows what he's thinking about. If Bobby gave him the credit, then his mom would know it wasn't all for nothing. Mrs. Patterson would have known that her son was a successful musician. Now, Luke might never get the chance to show her the truth. His time was limited.

Emmy hated touching. She always has, and maybe a part of her always will. Luke didn't. She knows this. Swallowing her distaste, she exhales deeply, hand finding his like two magnets.

"Emmy..."

"It's okay," she reassures. Her thumb rubs the back of his hand. He can't help but feel genuine relief. "Your hands are still sweaty."

Luke rolls his eyes, Emmy laughing softly. She hears footsteps coming up the driveway, hand slipping from Luke's instantly. A cold rush falls over both of them.

"Julie?" Luke says aloud, seeing the lifer walking up to the pair of them. "What are you doing here? How do you even-"

"I followed you here, um, on your birthday," she admits.

Luke clicks his tongue. "So much for boundaries, huh?"

"I-I'm here to do something for you. I know how it feels to want to talk to someone you care about and not being able to. I feel it everyday because of my mom," Julie explains, voice so genuine Emmy wanted to wrap her up in a blanket of appreciation.

Em didn't know much about Julie and why she could see the boys, moreso why she could see Emmy. However, it all has to be connected somehow.

Luke nods, pressing the doorbell.

Julie smiles in relief, nodding her head with promise.

Luke's dad answers the door, Emmy shocked to see him so old. He smiles at Julie in confusion, but he was welcoming as always. Luke's hand twitches. She looks down at their hands and the way their knuckles brush, but neither of them move. A moment of brief eye contact is shared, and Julie's inside.

She's explaining how she practices and writes music in Luke's old studio, Mrs. Patterson walked in. Emmy frowns, remembering how often she'd stay up and talk to her in the living room when Luke was asleep. He always told her how weird he found that, but he was lying. He loved it.

"This is Julie," his dad introduces. He explains to his wife what Julie had told him.

Nervously, Julie reaches into her pocket, a folded piece of paper in her hands. "Um, I found this song that Luke wrote. It's about a girl named Emily."

"I'm Emily," Luke's mom says, face creased with solemn curiosity.

"Unsaid Emily," Emmy mumbles, Luke taking a sharp inhale.

"Yeah," he breathes out shakily.

Julie hands it to his mom, the latter taking it with trembling hands. The paper shakes in her grasp, hand flying to her mouth as she reads over the crumpled sheet of music. Mr. Patterson rests a hand on her shoulder, peering over her head with watery eyes.

Luke was spiraling. He couldn't quite describe how he felt watching his mother hold back heart wrenching sobs because of something he wrote. He keeps trying to squeeze his eyes shut, trying to choke back the pain and remember that he was here and this was his reality.

It was like he was having an out of body experience, and there was nothing holding him here. Luke could float away for all he knew.

Then, he felt it. The warm feelings of someone's hand in his, but not just anyone. Emmy's fingers take his gently, pulling him to her, and resting her head on the side of his arm. Her cheek smushes against him, purple hair in his peripheral vision.

And he's anchored.

He sighs serenely and squeezes. She does the same in response.

"Thank you," Emily croaks, holding the paper to her chest.

Luke sniffles, letting the last of his sorrow fall in the form of salty droplets. Without another thought, he takes Emmy and they flash out of his childhood living room.

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

onlyphans:
guys this book is almost over can u believe it, i only wrote nineteen chapters