Julie And The Phantoms Collection

We Were Meant To Be Stars

"That's a new flavour" Alex's negative and curious voice of reason reached Reggie and Luke's ears, the drummer was too cautious for his own good but his bandmates agreed with him this time, Luke nodded slowly and his chewing slowed before he watched the bassist Reggie take a massive bite out of his hot dog and chewed "relax man, these street dogs haven't killed us yet." When you're in peril, a bad situation or even one that feels life threatening but isn't the worst thing you can do is say something negative, people would say you're giving the universe ideas. That you're testing fate and yet Alex and Luke just shrugged, silently agreeing with Reggie and eating away.

Luke had his hood up to hide his face from the missing posters his parents had painted everywhere, they littered walls, bars, clubs, parks, streetlamps and even some cars. Luke never knew his parents to be so rule breaking. The brunette was glad he had his hood up and all his layers on as the air was strange tonight, colder than usual yet no breeze, as if the air was still, the universe waiting with baited breath. Reggie was tucked up in his leather jacket acting like it was all he'd ever need, as if even in some blizzard his leather jacket would save him from hyperthermia. Alex was sat happily on Luke's left, the hoodie he wore was originally white but now it was pink and Alex's parents were pissed over a simple colour hence why Alex wore it, trying to be proud.

The Orpheum line was long, people lining up to see Sunset Curve, a boyband of troubled teens who found something they were all good at, it would be their big shot and set them for life. Luke was born to rock, Reggie was born to bounce around on stage, Alex was born to smash those drums and Bobby was born... To do a lot of things, music was a new thing of his but the boys encouraged him regardless because maybe in time it would be his thing too, after all no one is naturally gifted in instruments as you have to take the time to learn them. The people in line were mostly girls with a few boys scattered here and there, either way they were people who believed the band would put up a worthy performance tonight and that was enough encouragement.

Reggie was a fast eater and he had eaten over half his hot dog before they had even reached the couch so naturally his stomach was the first to rumble when the hot dog didn't agree with him, the bassist groaned and burped, one hand reaching up to rub his stomach only for him to hiss in pain and withdraw his hand. Luke watched with wide eyes "you okay?"
"Yeah just don't think that hot dog liked me" Reggie tried to joke but his voice dropped an octave, almost croaky now, the bassist licked his lips and swallowed before he did this again. His mouth felt like sand paper, he got up from the couch and spun on his heel to search by the foot of the couch for a bottle of water but of course they all left their bottles at the stage.

"I don't feel so good" Reggie murmured to himself, he didn't rub his stomach this time as it was too tender to touch, he leaned over to throw up drawing a grossed out groan from Alex but nothing came out. His stomach felt like it was going to explode and his legs felt like jelly, Reggie sat down on the floor before he slowly lowered himself back and gazed up at the stars in the pitch black sky. They were going to be the stars, they were going to go on stage and shine, he needed to feel better soon! That's when Luke leaned over the side of the couch and actually threw up, the brunette groaned and coughed, his hot dog remains tossed among the couch to be abandoned as he dry heaved. Alex groaned and almost gagged at the sight of Luke before he leaned over the couch and did throw up, Reggie watched both his friends throw up through sudden blurred vision.

His eyes narrowed as Luke became two and his eyes flickered to Alex who was now three, Reggie held out his hand to try and use the momentum to throw himself into a sitting position but his eyes grew wide at the sight of five hands. Reggie's vision was blurred and panic coated his face, he opened his mouth to call out to his bandmates but his dry mouth betrayed him, his face felt weak and... Numb. He couldn't feel his face! He tried to sit up but his stomach felt like concrete and he couldn't move so when he needed to throw up all he could do was roll his head to the right and let his guts empty themselves. Luke had flipped over the couch, sat in front of it and slumped over, struggling to hold himself up before he fell forward on his stomach.

His hands shaking and legs numb, his stomach felt like concrete dragging him down to the ground and yet he crawled over to Reggie who laid motionless in a pile of his own vomit "Reggie! Reggie!" His voice sounded strained as if he hadn't drunk in days, suddenly he burst into a fit of coughs and threw up over his arms, he spat and gagged, coughed and wheezed for air. Once he finished throwing up Luke continued his crawl to Reggie, his elbows and stomach protested about being dragged along the streets but Luke paid no mind as he rushed to his brunette friend.

He pulled himself up once at Reggie's side, noting the strange red in Reggie's vomit and he hoped it was ketchup "Reggie! He called again, his hands grasping Reggie's shoulder and shaking him "Reg? Reggie?!" Luke coughed and his whole body felt heavy, his vision blurred and his words became slurred, he couldn't call out to Reggie anymore as his mouth wasn't his to control. Since Luke was already on his stomach so he didn't have far to fall, his hair touched the pavement below him and his arms gave out, Luke fell beside Reggie, his breathing ragged and panting heavily, his eyelids fluttering as he lurched forward and began to throw up but unlike Reggie Luke couldn't turn in time and began to choke.

Alex watched his friends lay motionless on the ground and watched from the couch, watched because he felt too heavy to move, like all his bones were made of iron and his blood was made of weights themselves. He was resting his head on the armchair of the couch, his blurred gazed fixed on Luke and Reggie, he hadn't called out because he couldn't stop throwing up. His vomit caked the couch and Alex didn't have time to feel ashamed, his friends on the ground were now blurry shapes and his eyes slanted, his breaths came out ragged like a panic attack and he began to throw up again. Despite resting on the couch and leaning at an angle Alex didn't have time to breathe and it just showed that Reggie's attempt that Luke had been robbed of was fruitless, the puke would take your air away either way.

Sirens echoed down the street and Alex's panicked gaze lingered on the blur with flashing lights, he watched what he assumed to be paramedics file out of the ambulance and began to talk but he couldn't keep his eyes open. His nostrils burned from the stench of his own bile and indigested food, his lungs were oxygen free and he was suffocating silently, unable to cry out for help. Unable to scream. Reggie was the first who was in the ambulance, Luke followed and Alex felt himself be lifted up but then everything slipped away and everything was weightless, suddenly he didn't feel so heavy anymore.

Botulism was the diagnosis.

If someone had called an ambulance sooner, if someone was there to just hold their heads so their airways were clear.... "Emily" Mitch Patterson's voice called to his wife softly, she was clutching Luke's shirt and had been crying into it since the police arrived and when they left she refused to let go, staring out the window like Luke would come back, like he'd just cycle back on his bike with a bright grin and waving his song book. Yet he didn't and he wasn't going to. The sky was a dull grey, the rain pattering the porch, the universe crying. Mitch's hand wrapped around Emily's shoulder and he leant down, kissing her head but Emily paid him no mind "I could've held his head" she whispered "when he was little he'd throw up more just the smell of his own puke" she chuckled but it was hollow and a single tear rolled down her cheek. "I wish I was there to hold his head again" she gulped "if he didn't run away we would've been invited, we could've saved him" she whispered and snotted into Luke's shirt clasped in her hand. "We could've saved those boys" she croaked "I could've saved my boy."