𝐆𝐇𝐎𝐒𝐓 𝐎𝐅 𝐔𝐒 , 𝐋𝐔𝐊𝐄 𝐏𝐀𝐓𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐒𝐎𝐍

8 - parents suck

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

2 0 2 1

"BOBBIE WAS RIGHT ABOUT one thing," julie grumbled as she walked back in the garage, where the gang were all making friendship bracelets together, "parents do suck."

bobbie had said the words back in 1996, after the death of the three boys and you were spending the night at his house, talking about how rough the boys lives must've been.

and it was hard to disagree with.

julie had just gotten in trouble for something carlos had done, and was physically fuming from the ears.

"yes ma'am!!" alex said.

"we all know what that's like jules." luke nodded.

"um, i'm gonna have to play the-dead-mom card on all of you!" julie retorted, "i mean, at least your parents were living!"

"oh, ok." alex scoffed, "never-accepted card."

"always-fighting card!" reggie chirped.

"kicked-out-of-MY. HOUSE. CARD." luke spoke slowly, making everyone around him giggle.

"okay, we've all had it bad." you spoke, finishing up your bracelet and slipping it onto lukes wrist, "let's remember not to compare."

"facts!" julie high-fives you, smiling.

"we should start a novel!" you gasped, "how to deal with crappy parenting 101!" you cheered, and everyone laughed, "everyone, what's your secret?"

"music, obviously." luke scoffed.

"beating up my drums." alex nodded.

"honestly, i tried to just hide my true feelings about my mum's death as much as i could." julie said, and everyone nodded in sincere understanding.

"i would just hide under my bed." reggie had tried to make a joke, but no one laughed.

"it's ok, it's funny." he laughed more, "i made a little fort under there, enough blankets where i couldn't hear the screaming, or anything else. i would chill under there for hours."

"what would they fight about?" julie asked as she finished up her bracelet as well.

"anything. me, money, the house." reggie shrugged, "there was never a time where i couldnt hear them speaking to each other."

"i'm so sorry." you touched the boys back, and he gave you a soft smile.
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1 9 9 4
reggies pov

reggie would continue to watch as the walls holding his parents love for each other fall down, and he would feel the hope getting sucked out of the, now broken, home.

and reggie would continue to break with them.

his parents would spend so much time fighting, they wouldn't even realize he was home. that he'd walk in from school already crying, and leave crying the next morning.

or that he wasn't home, the calls from his parents when he crashed at lukes every night to make sure he was there started dwindling down day after day.

"i'm sure they just know you're with me." luke would try, "i mean this is the third night this week."

"maybe youre right," he'd say, "thanks again." but he knew the truth. something told him their own problems deterred their minds from worrying about reggies.

as he'd try to fall asleep those nights, hed try to think of the moment when his parents love for each other ended. but hed either give up or fall asleep before the answer would come.

and the nights reggie would spend home, he'd find himself under his bed. shielding away some of the screaming, he'd have just enough clarity to write songs. unfortunately, hiding away from the harsh voices outside his door did not give him escape from his feelings.

but, through time, he was able to turn his feelings into words, and those words into songs.

he'd write countless songs, sketching his favorite lines on the walls and trying to lessen his sobs.

he'd wish one day his parents would find his sketches, and maybe that would be the day they'd listen to him. that they'd notice him.

but now, 25 years later, his house had been turned into a bike shop. he'd wonder what had happened to his sketched words, to his sketched out pain.

he guessed that those walls had been broken down too, just like everything else.
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2 0 2 1
your pov

"i miss those nights though," luke said, referring to him and the bassists many sleepovers, "those were always so fun."

"yeah, you really had my back back then." reggie smiled over at him, and luke smiled even more.

"i was happy to."

"you had all of our backs back then." alexs eyebrows raised, "i spend a night or twelve at the patterson's house. i mean, you must have scoliosis or something by now." the whole group laughed.

"he's just a strong one." you smiled, leaving a kiss on his cheek, "he would never leave anyone behind." he smiled over at you.

"it's what i do." he said, "and half the time id call you over," he smiled at you, "you always knew how to say the right thing."

you smirked, "it's what i do."

"another thing you do," alex eyed you, "is deflect attention off of yourself," your eye brows raised at that comment, "i mean, you've had a crazy past, but you barely ever talk about it."

the boys knew. everything. it was a known fact, but not one that you wind constantly bring up. being in love with luke and singing with the boys were much better topics.

you shrugged, "i wouldn't say it was worse than what you guys went through-"

"uh uh uh!" julie pointed a finger at you, "no comparing remember!?" you both laughed.

"i guess mine was a bit crazy." you sighed as you thought, "i'm just glad it had ended happy before my life became anything but."

luke squeezed your shoulder, and you struggled to find a starting place in the tangled web of your life.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───