MUKE short stories

bad omens ♪ 9

Luke kept his eyes on the stage. It was the second month of rehearsals so the music and singing did not need to be perfect, he just needed the story and the songs to match.

They all agreed that Jet Black Heart and other sad songs matched the New Moon storyline better than they did the Twilight one, so they made their spin and merged the first two books into one.

Luke had yet to tell Michael his drama club was performing three of his songs because he knew Michael would want to be there in the audience.

A Grammy-nominated, worldwide famous rock star in a small school auditorium would take away the spotlight from his students and they deserved the spotlight.

"How are you and Michael?" Ashton asked randomly. He was there to supervise some of the more acrobatic dance moves and to make sure the students warmed up before the rehearsals. Luke knew he was there to supervise him.

"I'm well. I presume Michael is good as well, but you'd have to ask him." Luke answered without taking his eyes from the stage.

"I meant how are you two? Are you getting along well?"

Luke finally looked at his best friend and frowned. "Why are you asking me those questions?"

He told Ashton about the concert they went to. He told him Annabella saw them together. He didn't tell him about Michael's weirs speech about doing everything he could to protect Luke.

Ashton carefully observed Luke's reaction but then just shrugged his shoulders. "I don't think I ever saw you listening to Jet Black Heart. Even last month when they were practicing you made an excuse to get out of the room."

Luke didn't realize that before Ashton said it. He thought about it for a moment before speaking up. "I guess you're right. Me and Michael being friends resolved a lot of things. I no longer have a minor panic attack whenever someone mentions him. But that's strange."

"Why?" Ashton asked after screaming at students that they must warm up again for their second rehearsal.

"My biggest fear has always been people will find out about us. Partly, because of the NDA I signed but also because I know my privacy will be non-existent after people find out."

"What changed?" Ashton asked. "Last time I checked the NDA still applied and he is still famous."

"It's something he said to me," Luke could feel himself blush. "He said that my safety is his priority. When we didn't talk, I forgot that at the end of the day, he was Michael. Same Michael I married. We didn't get a divorce because we hated each other. So why would he want to see me suffer?"

"I thought about this before," Ashton admitted. "You know I hate the guy. I'll never forgive him even if you will. But I do believe that if he ever wanted to use you, I'd be to promote his first album. Yet he never did. He never said anything about who it was written about. And I know a thing or two about PR, he must have fought hard to keep it that way."

Luke nodded. "I think so too."

He knew sooner or later Annabella will come to him.

"Hello," he smiled at her as she walked over nervously.

"Hi, Mr. Hemmings."