Rose's Journal

Chapter 28: The Memory

tw // underaged drinking

Reggie, Luke, and Alex all went back to the studio after Flynn's. There was something so comforting about them all being back together, yet there was this undeniable tension in the air. It couldn't be defined by a single emotion or moment in time, but a collection of everything that had happened over the past 24 hours: Reggie kissing Luke, their fight with Julie, Alex's breakup with Willie, Alex kissing Luke, and finding out that they were victims of a demonic sacrifice. No one knew what to say, what was relevant, or if they should just forget most of what happened. They would say little things back and forth, random thoughts and ideas, but the discussions were always short. It had never been like this for them before: conversation always came so easy to the three of them. They could talk for hours about anything and everything, but today they could barely exchange two phrases. They all had their own reasons and heartaches that made that day hard and talking to their other bandmates even harder.

"So, are we just going to sit here in silence all day?" Alex asked. As much as he didn't want to talk about things, the silence was making him even more anxious.

"Why don't we rehearse? We can put a CD on, so if someone comes in, they'll just think it's the CD," Luke suggested. He needed to play. It always cleared his mind, and that's what he needed right now.

"Which song?" Reggie asked, going over to grab his base.

Luke paused for a minute. He began to think about all the songs he wrote for Sunset Curve: they were all about Alex or Reggie. He couldn't play those now. It was easier to sing them when him and Alex were done and over, and when he believed that Reggie didn't like him back. Now those feelings from 1995 were coming back to haunt him. They were dormant when he thought that he might have feelings for Julie and when Alex was with Willie, but now they were a lot to process. He wasn't in love with Alex anymore, but when they kissed, he was reminded of that guilt he felt when Alex's parents kicked him out. He was confused for a little while about the way he felt until he looked at Reggie when they walked out of the Hollywood Ghost Club. Maybe there was still feelings there for Alex, but his feelings for Reggie were stronger, so strong that he buried them for the longest time, only to be brought out when writing songs. Which brings him back to why he can't play them now. He needed to leave.

"Guys, I'm sorry. I need to go clear my head." He grabbed his acoustic and poofed away. He couldn't be there with them: not now.

Alex and Reggie both looked at each other as Luke left. He was gone so fast that they couldn't even stop him. They both figured it was their own fault, but the other didn't know that.

"Wow. We had one hour back together," Alex sighed. He hated that people kept leaving. It was beginning to eat at him.

"Yeah." Reggie sat down on the ground. "Where do you think he ran off to?"

"I have no idea. All I know is it's probably my fault."

"No, it's definitely mine, so don't worry about it."

They both looked at each other again, both confused. "So, what horrible thing did you do?"

Reggie sighed and shook his head, "I kissed him." Reggie put his face in his hands, feeling the redness fill his cheeks out of embarrassment.

"Join the club," Alex said, joining Reggie on the ground.

"Wait a minute, you kissed him too?" Reggie asked. He wasn't mad at Alex, but he couldn't help but feel jealous and slightly hurt that Alex kissed Luke too.

"Yeah, it was stupid," Alex said, laying down on the ground, "I shouldn't have done it, but I had just broken up with Willie, and... I don't know I guess all this happening made me feel like I was back in 1995, and a little bit of those old feelings crept back. We're done, and we both know and accept that, but I think there will always be something there. But Luke loves someone else now, and so do...," Alex cleared his throat and his tone turned to a panicked one, "I mean, did I."