Mine - Luke Patterson (PRE JATP)

Chapter 12

I loved every second of that. I guess Luke was right. It did come naturally. And thank god it did. I stood just in front of my mic looking out at the crowd of kids I knew, but didn't really know. They had always known me, but never knew me. I had completely changed everyone's image of me in the few minutes we had on stage. And it felt great. The guys came out from behind their mic stands and Alex came down from the drum stand and walked forward closer to the edge of the stage I followed, standing between Reggie and Luke. They both grabbed my hands and we all took a bow together. We walked of stage together and as soon as we got back stage I couldn't hold it together, but not like break down crying, more like five year old got a puppy for Christmas. I swear a probably jumped six feet in the air.

"So I'm guessing you had fun?" Luke said seeing the look on my face. I spun back around to face the group and said,

"That was the most fun I've ever had in my entire life! I can't believe I just did that, that I ever said I didn't want to do that, that I- wow I'm just rambling at this point aren't I." 

"Just a tad." Alex said tossing me a water bottle from our cooler.

"Okay this has to be said, you two," Bobby said pointing at me and Luke, "on the second song when you bounced back and forth, was like something I've never heard before it was amazing! It didn't sound that incredible in rehearsal." 

"I know I was thinking the same thing!" Reggie said.

"It might be the adrenaline rush talking but we did sound pretty good together." Luke said while we all took a seat on the couches they had back stage.

"Yeah we did." I said softly.

"So does this mean you're going to stick around?" Alex asked.

"Yeah, I think so, I mean, only if you'll have me." I said sarcastically.

"With a voice like yours and writing talents like yours, I'd say yeah we want you." Reggie said.

"Then yeah, I think I'll stick around," I said leaning back on the couch.

"I mean it's not like you have anything else going for you." Luke said taking a drink of his water.

"Okay thats not cool." I laughed.

"Just to be clear, we don't have any intentions on staying for the rest of the dance do we?" Alex asked.

"I sure as hell don't, I'm going to steal some cookies from the snack table then I'm out of here, considering I'm y'alls ride I suggest you come with." I said. 

———

Later that night, I had finished dropping the boys of, because they actually let me give them a ride home this time, I had picked up my sister once again and we had gotten home and I immediately headed upstairs, snagging some leftovers from the kitchen on my way, I said good night to my mom and sister, even though it wasn't even ten o'clock, showered, changed into sweatpants and a t-shirt, and brushed my teeth and hair, and headed to my room. I sat at my desk looking out over the empty, lit up street, and felt something. I don't really know what yet. Relief, happiness, content, I don't know, but it felt good.

—————

Thursday, October 15th, 1994 It's been a few weeks since the dance and since Sara went back to college. I was with the guys every single day. Luke had taken the band into what he called 'ambush mode' we had a gig to play every other day at least, sometimes more. He took us to anybody who would let us in. We went to a book club last week, that was interesting. We had mastered 'Bad Romance' and 'Now or Never' at this point and Luke recently showed us one of his newest songs that he called 'crooked teeth'. I don't exactly know who or what it's about but I think I have a decent guess.