BRIGHT; JULIE MOLINA

PROLOGUE

Out of breathe, Mei puts her microphone back on the stand. A light coat of sweat covers her forehead. Her father's wedding band fitting loosely on her finger. Her and the rest of her band, Sunset Curve, just finished a mic check for their concert tonight. They finally got their dream, they are playing the Orpheum Theatre. 

"Whoo!" yells a girl from the ground clapping her hands. "Yeah!"

"Thank you! We are Sunset Curve" says 

"My blood is pumping I'm so excited" says Mei with a smile as she looks at Luke. 

"Wait until tonight, when this place gets packed with record execs," Luke says walking to the front of the stage imagining the crowd.

"Alex, you were smoking!" says Reggie. 

"Oh no. I was just warming up. You guys were the ones on fire."

"Alex, take a compliment. You were really good up there," says Mei putting her arm around his shoulders. 

"All right. I was killing it," Alex says making everyone laugh. 

"Well I'm hungry and we should really eat before the show" Luke states grabbing his jacket and jumping off the stage. "I'm thinking street dogs" 

"Yes" 

"Ok" 

"I'm down" 

The band jumps down from the stage and walks over to the girl who was cheering for them. Mei thought she was beautiful, but so did the other boys.

"I'm good," Bobby says walking over to the girl. The band stands next to him with tired smiles on their faces. "Vegetarian. I could never hurt an animal." The girl completely ignores him and looks at Mei.

"You guys were really good," 

"Thank you sweets," Mei replies with a cheeky smile. 

"I've seen a lot of bands. I've been in a couple myself. I was really feeling it,"

"That's what we do this for. I'm Luke, by the way." 

"Hi, I'm Reggie" 

"Alex"  

"Bobby" 

"Mei"

They all introduce themselves all of them swaying back in forth unable to stay still. 

"Nice meeting you guys" says the girl. Luke gives Bobby a wet willy. 

"I'm Rose" says the girl. 

"A beautiful name for a beautiful girl" Mei says with a wink. Reggie sets down a copy of their demo and a merch t-shirt. 

"Here is a t-shirt" says Reggie. Rose picks up the shirt and holds it to her chest. 

"Thanks guys, I'll make sure not to wipe tables down with this one" 

"Good call. Whenever they get wet, they just kinda fall apart in your hands," says Alex. Mei face palms herself. 

"Don't you guys have to get hotdogs?" says Bobby trying to get rid of his friends so he can talk to Rose alone. 

"Yeah" says Luke in disbelief. "He had a hamburger for lunch." 

Luke, Reggie, Alex and Mei walk out back and out into the cold night air. 

"That's what I'm talking about" says Luke. 

"What are you talking about?" Mei says while Reggie laughs. 

"The smell of Sunset Boulevard?" says Alex with a questioning smile. 

"No. It's what that girl said in there tonight. About our music all right? It's like an energy. It connects us with people. They can feel us when we play. I want that connection with everybody." Luke says wrapping his arms around his friends. 

"Then we're gonna need more t-shirts," says Reggie making them all laugh. Reggie goes up to some girls who are outside the theatre and hands them some t-shirts. "Ladies"  

The band walks across the street and go to their street hot dog place. 

"Hey Rex." says Mei gretting the owner. Eating hotdogs out of an old car isn't the ideal dinner but it's what they got. The band makes their hotdogs which are in the trunk of Rex's old car. Mei fixes a hotdog with just ketchup and mustard. 

"Hey man, I accidentaly spilled pickle juice on your battery" says Alex. 

"No problem" says Rex. "It helps with the rust" he says while laughing. Alex turns back to his friends and sits down next to them on the couch. 

"That can't be safe," says Alex to Mei. Mei and Luke shrug their shoulders. It's not like anyone has died from a street dog. 

"Man I can't believe it" says Luke. "We are playing in the Orpheum."

"We are going to be legends!" Mei says messing up Luke's hair. "To the Orpheum!" she exclaims, raising her hotdog to the sky.

"To the Orpheum!" the boys reply as they all take a bite out of their hotdog. 

"Thats a new flavor," Alex says chewing his hotdog. Mei nods her head in agreement. 

"Don't worry about it. Eat up. Cause after tonight, everything changes." says Luke taking another bite. None of them knew how true that statement was.