Neptune

Chapter 24 | The Argument

After Luke has slipped into the car without permission, and after his grand introduction, everyone else is still silent.

However, Jamie seems to be the one who is quickest to compose himself, because he's the host here, and he has to be professional.

"Oh my God, Luke! What a pleasant surprise!" The way Jamie says his sentence sounds genuine, though, like he doesn't hate the new idea that has struck Luke's mind.

Luke lets out his charming laugh, the one showcasing his dimples and echoing the sexy voice that can make girls stare at him with opened mouth, just like I did when I first saw him.

I wonder how many new fans he will have after this scene is aired.

I hate to say this, but now that I see Luke and Jude side by side, he makes Jude's presence dim. Jude—the world's heartbreaker, the image of the bad boy every good girl dreams of, ruined and dangerous and covered with tattoos—looks like a kid when he sits next to Luke.

Jude's presence is overshadowed by Luke's powerful aura that he carries everywhere he goes.

Wait. What am I thinking? This is not the time to compare those guys, Cassie.

Jamie gasps at the camera. "Guys, can you believe this? This is off the script. I'm telling you the truth. I'm not lying!" he squeaks, and I can imagine the viewers laughing when they watch this later, whether on TV or YouTube.

"What's up, Jude?" Luke greets Jude in front of the camera, sounding casual, and I wonder how he can hide all the coldness and bitterness he showed Jude in the studio.

A glance at the rearview mirror lets me know that Luke is offering a handshake to Jude.

"What's up," Jude says back. He's doing pretty well in hiding his annoyance too, but if we really listen to it, there's irritation in his voice.

Jude shakes Luke's hand, but I don't miss the slightest gesture of him tightening his grip, as if he wants to break Luke's hand.

Unfortunately for him, Luke grips his hand even firmer, and Jude winces in pain.

My jaw drops. Oh, God, can we edit that part?

I turn to look at Jamie, and we share the same worried look. However, again, Jamie is quick to be all funny and bubbly and shiny again, talking randomly about driving around the town on this beautiful day.

Next, my song fills the air, and Jamie squeals. "I love this song. What a perfect song for a perfect reunion."

He does a good job of distracting us from the tension, brainwashing the viewers into thinking that the three of us are indeed getting along.

I start to sing, together with Jamie, and I'm glad that it's calming me down. Jamie is so funny, mimicking my gestures as we sing, and I indeed have fun with him.

When we finish our song, I notice that Jude is silent. He was supposed to sing my song too, but I guess that he's still pissed with Luke almost breaking his hand.

His mouth is zipped, and his face hardens, as if he's trying to control his emotions.

Luke, however, produces an annoying hum as he looks out the window, like he's enjoying the view of New York City.

We continue our journey, and when it's time to do a karaoke session with Jude's song, Jamie speaks, "Next, we're gonna play Jude's songs. Which songs should we play, guys?"

I'm not sure whether I should answer right away, but I can suggest some of his songs that I love.

However, before I can open my mouth, Jamie beats me, "What do you say, Luke? Which songs from Jude do you enjoy listening to?"