imagination || julie and the phantoms

twelve

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THE MANSION BOBBY LIVED IN WAS UNLIKE ANYTHING CHARLOTTE AND THE BOYS HAD EVER SEEN.

Windows made up almost every wall, overwhelming the high-ceiling rooms with sunlight. Outside, there was a giant rectangular pool lined with bathing chairs and tables filled with folded towels. The green grass was perfectly trimmed and had sprinklers watering every inch.

The living room was bigger than Reggie and Charlotte's old bedrooms combined, holding white leather couches and a giant flatscreen television surrounded by a whole DVD collection. A poster of Bobble covered the entire wall above it while others were filled with frames. Most held records and photos from his sold-out concert tours. Multiple guitars hung in random spots but made Luke scowl.

Reggie stood at the bottom of an open staircase, Charlotte beside him with crossed arms. Just being in the mansion made her uneasy but seeing Bobby's face plastered around the slick space caused her to be physically sick.

"Bobby's house is ridiculous!" Alex announced after observing the man's state-of-the-art kitchen and stopped to see another musical achievement on the wall. "Ugh, have you seen these platinum records?"

"Platinum?" Reggie echoed in shock.

"Half of these should be ours," Charlotte grumbled, finally leaving Reggie's side to examine the fireplace. Her face fell further from seeing a double-platinum record dedicated to Imagination. Even though she didn't know the song, it and all of the success belonged to Luke. Bobby was living the life Luke deserved.

She knew, though, even if they all survived that night and lived their dream, she and the boys wouldn't be living in the same way Bobby did. He clearly adored the glamour and expensive road. He could always buy the newest instruments and equipment, even before they died. They had to rummage through the clearance bins of music stores and save every penny so they could join music competitions and fix broken strings or keys. They spent nights in the studio while Bobby lived comfortably.

Now, he gained a legacy and money to make a positive difference, yet based on what Charlotte saw, he hadn't done anything - not even write a check for a charity. Everything was so self-focused.

"He recorded My Name Is Luke," Luke interrupted Charlotte's thoughts from where he stood near a decorative dresser, his voice laced in anger. "My name is Luke!"

The thick front door opened before any of the other three could reply, snatching everyone's focus. A man walked in clothed in leather and a red feather necklace. Dark shades covered his eyes. His brown hair pushed back to curl around his ears and matched the scruff on his chin. He might've held more wrinkles but Charlotte and the boys recognized him.

Trevor strolled in without a care in the world, unknowingly past his former bandmates. He paused on the third step and called out to his only daughter. "Hey, Carrie, I'm gonna meditate!"

"He wears sunglasses indoors," Reggie judged, disgusted as he looked at Charlotte. "You had a crush on a guy who wears sunglasses inside."

"It was high school," Charlotte defended, unaware of how Luke's scowl deepened as he eyed the man. "It's not like we dated!"

"He did want to ask you out, though," Alex pointed out over Carrie's response from the den. "Right around the time, we started rehearsing for the Orpheum."