The 4th Phantom// Julie and The Phantoms

Safe Place

Autumn's P.O.V.
(Somewhere between 1993-1994)

I heard a knock at the door and opened it to see my bandmate Reggie.

"Hey what's up?" I ask.

"The sky," he says, giving me his signature smile.

I sigh, "And that's my cue to close the door." I start to close it, but Reggie sticks his foot out to stop it.

"Sorry, it's just...my parents are fighting again and I know you said that if I ever needed a place to stay I could come here," he explained.

I give him a sad smile, "Of course, come in. I wasn't actually going to close the door."

He walks in and I close the door, "I know," he says, "you like me too much." Adding a wink, he walks in and sits down on the couch.

"So where's everyone else?" He asks.

"Alex went to go buy some more drum sticks, not that he needs any more, and my parents are out on a date night," I respond.

"So it's just me and you?" He questions.

I try to hide the blush that covers my face, "I mean I just told you everyone else that currently lives in this house is not here, so yeah."

I sit down beside him and he puts his arm on the couch behind me and then starts to stare at me.

"What are you doing?" I ask.

"Let's have a staring contest," he suggests.

I figured we had nothing better to do so I agreed. Reggie ended up winning, but it was only because I was afraid I would start blushing again if I kept staring into his eyes.

"Now what do you want to do?" He asks,

"You know, I don't have to entertain you, right?" I say.

"Yeah, but what else are you going to do?"

I hate to admit it, but he had a point. We decided to go up to my room to work on some music. Reggie started to play something new he was working on and it sounded really good, but it was more country than anything the band made.

"What's it called?" I ask.

"I'm not sure yet, I'm thinking something about a horse?"

I laugh, "Well when it sounds as good as that, I don't think you really have to worry about the title."

He smiles at me, "Anything you've been working on lately?"

"Oh uh...no, I mean kind of," I say. I had been working really hard on a specific song, but for certain reasons I wasn't going to be telling Reggie about it. Lucky for me there was a few other songs I had started lyrics for.

I opened the draw on my bedside table and pulled out a notebook were I wrote down my songs. I flopped down on my bed and Reggie did the same beside me. I opened to a page and showed him the lyrics to a song.

"I think this could really work, maybe even make it onto an album one day."

"Really?" I ask excitedly,

"Totally, it's definitely got the Sunset Curve vibe to it."

"Thanks, that means a lot Reg." I say. We stare at each other for a moment. Okay, it was definitely many moments. I felt my heartbeat start to speed up and I wondered if he was about to kiss me. I had feelings for him for a little while now, but I didn't think he felt the same about me. Maybe I was wrong.

"What's going on?" I hear a voice ask from my door. Reggie and I nearly jump off the bed in shock. I look up to see Alex watching the two of us.

"I was just showing Reggie some of the uh songs I have been working on," I try to explain.

"Yeah, okay, whatever you say. Anyway, I have the the money mom and dad left to order dinner. What do you guys want?" Alex asks.

"Pizza!" Reggie yells before I have a chance to respond, "If it's also what Autumn wants," he adds after, looking toward me with puppy dog eyes.

"Pizza is fine. I wouldn't want to deprive Reginald of his main source of happiness," I reply.

"Oh trust me Pizza isn't my main source of happiness," he says looking back at me.

I furrow my brows at him. Did he just say that? Does he mean that-

"Music, makes me happy. Obviously all of my friends make me the happiest," he corrects.

Right his friends, that makes more sense.

The rest of the night goes quickly with the three of us hanging out. The next day Reggie is getting ready to leave.

He gives me a big hug, "Thanks for letting me stay here again."

"Of course, you are welcome anytime," I say.

"See you guys later," he says smiling at us one last time before walking back to his house.

I close the door and see Alex staring at me.

"What?" I ask.

"Oh, nothing," he says, walking back to his room. I swear he can be so weird sometimes.