Dear Dahlia // B1

[3]

-two days before I met them-

"Alex?" I picked up the drumsticks and held them in my hands. At the bottom, I saw the name A. Mercer written in sharpie. "Alex Mercer, huh?"

I set the drumsticks down and look back at the guitar case. I found a small name tag on it that said Hello! My name is LUKE. The handwritten portion was terrible, but I could still read it. Another sticker was next to it that said Patterson, in the same messy handwriting.

"Luke Patterson and Alex Mercer," I nodded and smiled to myself. I read Luke's name over again, then another time.

"Luke Patterson," I whispered to myself, feeling my eyebrows pull together.  "Patterson?"

I pulled my phone out and quickly googled Luke Patterson. The first thing that showed up was a photo of a missing persons poster. I clicked on it and zoomed in. Sure enough, Luke Patterson was typed on it in bold font. Age 17, about 5'8" and went missing December 1994. 1994?

I went back to the main search and looked up Luke Patterson 1994. Another article popped up, but this one was called "Tragic Accident Kills Teenage Band Members."

I clicked on the link and read.

Sunset Curve, a band hoping to make it big in Hollywood, lost three of its four members on December 17, 1995. Reginald Peters, Alex Mercer, and Luke Patterson were hours away from performing at The Orpheum when they were killed by a serious case of food poisoning. All three boys were only 17 years old and still attending high school here in Los Angeles. May they rest in peace.

They rest of the article was garbage and didn't even mention the boys again. I could feel a tear slip from my eye. I didnt even know I wanted to cry. It's not like I knew these people. They died before I was even born and people die all the time. I looked around the loft again and grabbed Alex's drumsticks before going back down the ladder.

I slipped them into my pocket and left the garage, deciding it was best to sleep inside for the night.

*****

-the day I met them-

"Dahlia, wake up," Julie tapped my shoulder.

"I'm awake," I mumbled.

"Then get ready," she said. "We still have school today, ya know."

"Yeah," I rubbed my eyes and sat up on the bed. "Good luck today, by the way."

"Thanks," she replied, stepping away from me and toward the door. "You too."

"Thanks," I nodded once and she walked out of the room. I walked over to my closet and put on a dark red top and navy overalls. I grabbed my folder from mine and Julie's desk and my backpack.

"Good morning, Dahlia," Dad greeted me as I walked down the stairs.

"Good morning, Papa," I said, walking over to him and kissing his cheek.

"You and Julie both have your big performances today," he smiled. "Exciting!"

"Mine isn't really a performance, Papa," I laughed. "I just have to turn that in." I pointed to my folder, which was sitting on the counter.

"Well, either way, good luck to both of you," Dad said, kissing the top of my head. "I love you."

"Love you too," I quickly wrapped my arm around his torso and gave him a small side hug before walking to the door and slipping on my shoes on. Julie followed and we left for school.