#(Luke is like 'who cares nobody will see' for .3 seconds before Julie tells him she's not kissing him again until he does)

[innytoes]

21 + 46 and Reggie/Alex/Willie?

Dystopian AU + Blind Date

Anon I am so sorry but I cannot not make this pun. This is a Day of the Triffids AU. Basically, everyone who saw a mysterious asteroid shower woke up blind the next day (which is a huge portion of the population since everyone was really hyped about it). Also there's walking plants who will murder you with their tongues and then feast on your corpse.

Considering the chaotic mess the world was, they'd done alright for themselves, really. It probably helped that the band had been super tight beforehand, and that Carlos and Reggie had been super into zombie apocalypse movies. It was really not that big of a stretch to turn a zombie apocalypse plan into a 'my entire family and the whole world is blinded' plan.

In the beginning, Reggie had been the only one in their group who could see, and that was pure dumb luck. He'd forgotten what day it was, worked a full shift at the coffee shop, worked on the song he'd wanted to show Luke later, and then crashed like thirty minutes before the meteor shower was supposed to start, sleeping through all of it.

So yeah, in the beginning, it had been rough. Terrifying. Getting around as a sighted person had its own perils. Plenty of people were willing to get really violent for their chance at a sighted person to lead them around. They'd quickly worked out a system: Luke up front, Reggie subtly steering his shoulders through squeezes. That way, they moved like the others, didn't attract unwanted attention.

It was better when they'd linked up with Flynn's family. Flynn's mom was blind, had been most of her life. She'd helped the others, taught them how to get around. She's started teaching them braille. Alex' little sister, Stevie, and Carlos were picking it up quick as anything. She also loved to garden, so over the summer they'd turned a lot of the available front yard space into edible plants. Reggie's job was to do the morning patrols, finding and burning any triffid podlings that had taken root before they could become dangerous.

That's how he'd found Willie, who had been crouched in front of one of the tomato plants, shoving them in his mouth. He'd spoken before he could think about it, scolding him about not waiting until they were ripe, and Willie had shrugged and said 'they're red aren't they'. Both had realised their mistake almost immediately, but before Willie could run - or skate - away, Reggie had offered him a place to stay.

Willie fit in with their little group perfectly. He was friendly, funny, and just the right amount of chaotic. He was also beautiful, and kind, and great with kids. His laugh was the prettiest sound in the world and he knew how to get pretty much anyone out of a funk. So yeah, Reggie was smitten.

But when he’d seen Alex and Willie grow closer, of course Reggie had taken a step back. Alex deserved the world. Besides, Reggie had other responsibilities, he shouldn’t waste time mooning over some boy. He’d done it before, pushed down his crush on Alex even before the whole world fell apart, and now that was just a dull ache. In time, the same would happen with Willie, and he could move on and be happy for them.

It would be easy to hide his feelings, he figured, since only one person was around to see him. But one day Julie had followed him out during his morning patrol and confronted him about it in the most gentle way she could, and he’d spent an hour just crying in her arms. She’d urged him to talk to Willie and Alex, hinting that there might be feelings there as well, but he’d blown her off, taking her hand and describing the gardens to her while he weeded out any problems. They’d only gone back when Julie had promised his voice didn’t sound all wobbly and hoarse.

He’d forgotten to check if his eyes were still red and puffy. Because of course he had. He hadn’t had to worry about what he looked like in literal years. Which Willie of course noticed. Which had lead to the whole thing coming out anyway, Julie dragging Luke out of the studio by his ear so they could have some privacy.

They’d been dating ever since. And it was perfect. Except dates in the post apocalypse were really more ‘having dinner in the garage alone’ or ‘going to pick the tomatoes together’. It was dangerous to go outside of their little fenced off corner of the neighbourhood. It was hard for Alex to get around in the empty houses on the street, because he hadn’t memorised where everything was.

Still, on the nights the spent together on the pull-out sofa in the garage, the privacy was heaven. Curling up against Alex, playing with Willie’s hair, kissing them both without fear of being interrupted by his little brother or Luke who had an amazing song idea, it was bliss. Tonight, they were discussing things they missed from before the apocalypse. Willie missed skating competitions, and the internet. Reggie was sad they’d never make the next season of his favourite show. Alex sighed, and said he missed the beach.

Which was totally a fixable thing. It had taken them a few weeks, talking to the others behind Alex’ back, making sure everyone was okay with their day trip, preparing the safest route. Willie was the one who usually went outside their neighbourhood, scavenging and skating around. He’d mapped the safest route to the safest beach, getting rid of as many triffids as he could along the way.

But then the day had come. Ray had waited for them at the door, giving him a hug. Reggie had clung to him, nervous. He didn’t want to leave them alone. He’d been responsible for their safety for so long, it felt wrong to leave. Which was exactly why he should, Flynn’s mother had told him firmly, the week before. “Are you sure you’ll be okay?” he asked.

“I’m sure,” Ray said. “You boys deserve this. Go have fun. And Reggie...” He paused, and Reggie tensed. “Remember to wear sunscreen.” Ray winked at him, squeezing his arms before ushering him out of the door. 

The walk to the beach was long, and slightly tense. Willie had a make-shift molotov cocktail in one hand, and Alex’ hand in the other. Reggie was on Alex’ other side, quietly leading them around debris and muttering a running commentary of what he saw around them.

They set off at first light, so they didn’t really run into many people, and they were mostly able to avoid the ones who were out, only stopping to make polite conversation with a group of women lead by an old lady with a guide dog. They told them that the beach seemed to be clear today, as Rover hadn’t alerted once while they heard the waves. They even let Reggie give Rover a quick pet, and Alex joked that whatever happened, Reggie’s day was already made.

When they could hear the waves, Willie climbed one of the palm trees to scout the area, declaring Rover was right and it seemed to be all clear. As soon as they hit the sand, Alex laughed, stopping. He yanked his shoes off, and Reggie smiled, shoving them in his backpack while Willie pulled Alex towards the waves.

They played in the sand and the water for hours, taking turns floating on their backs, splashing at each other, just sitting in the surf and letting the waves crash over them. Kissing each other with salty lips. Eating the lunch that Flynn’s mom had packed them. Laying on their backs and soaking up the sun. Maybe even spreading out the big towel they’d packed and... taking advantage of the privacy they had (after they checked and reassured Alex there was nobody around, of course).

And when they got home, salty and sated and happy, they were welcomed with open arms, a home cooked meal, and a good bit of healthy teasing when the first thing Reggie said when asked how it had been was: “I pet a dog!”

[blush-and-books]

she lives in daydreams with me

3+1 in which julie’s daydreaming spreads to luke, too. title and inspiration from she by harry styles. 

a gift for my fellow fantoms on this beautiful clowngate.

a/n: this isn’t meant to be tied to/inspired by blissful reveries by noblealice on ao3, but it’s a great fic that i love and it’s a julie daydream fic so i may as well link it because you should check it out!!! 

Luke noticed that sometimes, Julie would completely zone out. 

It wasn’t often that she did it around him, but while she would try and study her pencil would be moving on the paper but her eyes would not be focused. Or when she would be washing the dishes, a faint humming could be heard under her breath as her hands mindlessly rinsed the plates and placed them into the dishwasher. 

“They’re daydreams,” she whispers into the nearly pitch-black garage one night when they stay up, despite their exhaustion, just to be with each other. “I had them a little when I was a kid. It was how I got inspiration for a lot of songs.”

Julie’s voice raises to a higher pitch at the end of her sentence. It’s a familiar sound to Luke, now -- most of her little vocal cues are -- so he turns on the floor to face where she’s lying on the couch, and brings his hand up to her bare ankle.

“They’re musical?”

“They were, and then… They weren’t. I daydreamed a lot after my mom, but it was mostly her walking through the front door like she never left.”

He doesn’t have to say anything. He just needs to be there.”

“And then,” Julie continues, “after I met you, the music came back.”

His heart skips a beat. He knows she meant “you” as in him and Reggie and Alex, them as a collective unit; but it’s a fun little dream of his own for her to just be thinking of him. 

Lightly, his thumb skates across her skin. “I’m glad. If anyone should have music in their life, it’s you, Julie.”

“Do you ever daydream?” Her voice is quiet. She’s probably falling asleep.

There’s no reply. So it’s just the two of them, in the dark, with his hand attached to her because now that he can feel her like this he doesn’t want to stop until he has to. His hand is just barely on her ankle, but with every trace of his fingers back and forth along the curve he marvels at his ability to do it in the first place. 

A smile pops at the corners of Luke’s lips. “Not really,” he tells her. “If I did… They probably wouldn’t be musical, like yours.”

“Then what would you do?”

He stares, fixed, at his hand on her leg. 

“The stuff I want to do, but can’t.”

nine in the morning, a man drops his kids off at school; and he’s thinking of you (like all of us do)

It’s a few days later when Luke realizes that something is off. 

A simple Wednesday morning, when Julie darts into the garage before school with her backpack bouncing on her back as she runs up to each of them for a hug. Luke is the final recipient. 

He enthusiastically throws his arms around her just as tightly as he does every morning, because in his heart, he wishes she could just stay. It’s ridiculous, and selfish, but he longs for the ability to lay on the torn old couch with Julie at his side and never have to leave. 

“Writing when I come back?” 

Her eyes are gazing up at him, round and wide and hopeful as her arms stay latched around his neck. Safely, he keeps his hands at her hips and doesn’t allow himself to consider letting them go anywhere else. 

“Won’t you have homework?”

She rolls her eyes. “Yes, but I also have a song I want to work on and I won’t be able to focus until we finish it.”

Ironically, it sounds like one of the excuses he would give his parents long ago. Once the music was out of his head, he would tell them, then he could focus on homework. 

(He didn’t.)

“You’re turning into me,” he jokes at her; to which she laughs with a bright and beautiful smile right in front of his face. His eyes can’t help but slip their focus to it. “Music before school? What happened to your dad saying ‘school first?’”

“I’ll tell him I’m going to the garage for peace and quiet.”

God, she’s making this harder and harder. For months, she was the one scolding him about her need to focus on school; and so he trained himself to come across as (marginally) less eager. But now that she’s bouncing on her tiptoes and her head is lifting right in front of his face as she teases fibbing to her dad to write with him, he doesn’t think he has much restraint left. 

“How about…” He begins, trying to find something neutral to say. “How about you see how much homework you get and then decide what you want to do first?”

“Since when did you-”

The sound of Ray honking for Julie to come out ends their back-and-forth. It Luke looks close enough -- which he is, because why would he have anything better to do right now than look at Julie -- he can see her disappointment. “Go on, Boss. Your ride’s waiting. I’ll see you after school.”

Carefully, she slips from his arms and wishes them a final goodbye before hustling out of the garage. 

And Luke collapses onto the couch the second she’s gone. 

“You okay, man?”

“He’s fine, Reg. Just an idiot.”

Luke’s arm, that was covering his face, slides up so that he can glare at Alex. “Hey! Rude. Why am I an idiot?”

“Because all you do is agonize over Julie instead of talking to her.”

His forearm comes back down, blacking out his vision. “No point.”

Moments of quiet pass between the three boys, and eventually, the telltale sound of his bandmates poofing out of the room is faintly heard. Luke is left alone, on the couch. 

He doesn’t know how much time passes where he sits in his self-made darkness before the garage door is opening again, and Julie is standing in the doorway, looking adrenaline-rushed and practically glowing. Luke, being Luke, jumps up from the couch in surprise.

“Julie! Hey, uh… What are you doing here? Didn’t you leave for school?”

Her grin is almost fake, it’s so blinding. “I forgot something.”

Unprompted and unexpectedly, Julie is confidently making her way towards him before softly resting her hands on his jaw and pulling his lips down to hers.

Even through his all-encompassing shock, his hands somehow find their way to her waist, and then her back, and then her hair. She’s pulling him down to her, so he’s kind of uncomfortably arched over her but he doesn’t care one bit. Just the same as this morning, she is pressed against him from head to toe but this feels so much better. 

He’s trying to keep it slow and soft so that he can savor every moment of this random, welcomed action; but Julie’s asking for a quicker tempo. Her hands are skating across his shoulders and running up to his hair, pulling him down even farther, and he finds himself grasping at her thighs to lift her up and make things more comfortable but she’s pulling away before he can. 

Once they part, she shyly takes her bottom lip between her teeth and Luke almost steals her away and begs for more. “That was it,”  she mumbles, and then the car horn is echoing out front again, and-

Luke shakes awake.

--

he takes a boat out, imagines just sailing away (and not telling his mates)

He knows it’s a daydream almost immediately -- a long period of staring at a blank journal can do that to a guy -- when Julie suddenly appears and dangles car keys in front of him. 

She’s only just got her permit. She can’t actually drive independently yet. 

But he’s spent time on more than one occasion considering what they can go do together when she can.

“You ready for a break, Rockstar?” She asks with a coy smile, and it’s just more confirmation that it’s a fantasy. Julie has only ever called him “Rockstar” once. 

But he already likes where his imagination is taking him, so he puts the journal on the coffee table and poofs over to her. “Born ready.” 

Her hand tangles itself in his, and she enthusiastically tugs him from the studio into the sunny daylight where her dad’s car sits in the driveway. “Carlos and Dad and Tia are at a baseball game,” she grins, almost proudly, “so you and I get to have an adventure.”

God, this really is a dream. Julie isn’t as impulsive as he can be, but he occasionally finds himself wanting at the idea of going MIA for a day. Just a day. Less than 24 hours, even, with Julie by his side and nobody around who knows them or their situation. Julie and Luke against the world, against life and death, and whatever comes next. 

“Lead the way, Boss.”

Nearly within the blink of an eye, they’re on the PCH, speeding down the asphalt with loud music blaring from the speakers. With the windows rolled down and the humid but fresh air billowing around them in the car, it was all too easy for Luke to imagine that he was…

Alive.

This should have been them in 1995 -- him and Julie, him and the boys, all of them together and feeling the rush of being a group of stupid teenagers who love each other. 

He knows his hair is getting ruffled as he tilts his head back against the leather headrest, closing his eyes to directly face the air blowing into him. Maybe, through this dream, just for a moment, he can be human. 

“This is so fun!” Julie screams next to him, and his face just breaks into a grin because it is so fun. She sounds so full of joy. It’s his favorite sound.

While a part of him wants to hold the daydream in this moment, with the sun hitting his legs and Julie’s hair chaotically whirling around her head; he decides to let things keep going. A moment later, they are pulling into a nearly empty parking lot on the beach. 

Their seatbelts click and slide from their chests. Julie’s hand firmly latches around his wrist and proceeds to sprint with him laughing hysterically as he trails behind her, the ocean shimmering in the distance. The moment that their feet splash in the saltwater, Luke takes the chance to pull Julie into his arms by her waist and lift her up; droplets popping up from the water in a cyclone of laughter.

There’s already sweat layering both of their foreheads, but Luke feels honored that he’s standing close enough to her to be able to see it.

Hours -- or, what he assumes are hours -- pass by with water lapping their legs and Luke licking the salt from her shoulder in a move that started as a joke but was really just another ridiculous fantasy fulfilled. After he tries to splash her particularly roughly, she squeals and turns away; turning back to reveal a dripping wet face behind a curtain of hair.

Even though there’s a glare in her eyes, it’s playful. And she doesn’t fight him when he walks up to her, lifts the hem of his loose-fitting tank, and swipes across her cheeks to catch most of it.

The blush on her cheeks could be blamed on excessive sun, or the affectionate gesture, or-

“Luke?”

It takes less than a second for Luke to be back in the studio, back in front of the blank page, back in his reality. 

And Julie is in the doorway. 

Her cheeks aren’t  pink, her legs aren’t bare, her skin isn’t sweat and seawater sticky. It was just a regular school day for her. 

She still glows.

“Luke?” He hears her say again, and it’s the final nail in his coffin. 

“Yeah, sorry. I was zoning out there for a sec.”

Her curious smile relaxes, and she takes the unspoken invitation to enter the garage  and throw her backpack down next to the couch. Her eyes quickly find the journal, “write anything good?”

“Not a word. Didn’t have my partner.”

The line earns him a friendly shoulder-nudge. It’s not much compared to what he just had, but it’s something. 

Only, his impulsive brain tells him he needs more. 

“Can we go to the beach one day?”

Refocusing her gaze from the open notebook to his face, she amusingly furrows her eyebrows. “I mean… When I have my license, totally. Whatever you guys want.”

“I…” Shut up. Stop here. “I was thinking you and I, actually. Just us.”

“Oh.” He knows that “oh.” It’s the same one she gave him when she was flustered in the school hallway. He can’t tell if it’s a good or a bad sign. Her fingers are twitching against her legs and her eyes avoid his, but a part of him sees his daydream bleed into reality when a pink hue dusts her cheeks. “Just us.”

“Yeah, if you’re-”

“I’d love to.”

Her mouth zips shut like she didn’t mean to say it. But he’s already smiling at her, and probably sporting a blush of his own, and he knows he doesn’t even have a funny remark  to say in response. 

All he can do is count the days until Julie gets her license.

--

and she sleeps in his bed (while he plays pretend)

Sometimes, when Julie is gone, he’ll just… Go to her room. 

It’s not weird. 

He doesn’t snoop -- well, he tries not to -- but everything that’s out in the open is there for his eyes to take in. This way, he gets the little intricate details of what makes Julie Julie that would otherwise take years to learn about a person. 

Today, when he poofs in, the bed is unmade. Normally she makes it before leaving for school, but on the rare occasion that she is running late, it will remain in disarray until her return. 

Unless, he…

No, no, boundaries. 

But it’s just a little favor. And it’s not like she can kill him or anything right?

Once again, his impulsivity dominates the argument. And he’s suddenly wrapping her sheet in his fists and tugging it up and over her pillows, followed by the comforter. 

With each puff of air that brushes his face from the falling sheets, he catches a bit of her peach perfume. 

The action of making a bed feels so distant to him, but he remembers having to do it himself like it was yesterday. He was too careless to tuck anything in or smooth anything out -- it was just a simple tugging of his sheets to cover the mattress. If he had Julie around back then, pulling him back from the precipice of his relationship with his parents and making music that Bobby wouldn’t steal, then she probably would have shown him how to make his bed more presentable for when she came over.

In front of him, the bed he's making doesn’t look like Julie’s anymore. 

It looks like his. His old twin bed at Mitch and Emily Patterson’s house, his old bedroom tucked in at the end of the hallway. Every shade of blue and gray and yellow feels so familiar but only a little off; like his brain is vaguely reconstructing his home with blurred edges and familiar memories.

“Your bathroom is surprisingly clean,” a familiarly warm voice says from behind him. Julie stands in his doorway, adorning an ethereal flower-patterned dress and clunky black combat boots. 

The strength of the daydream takes over when she approaches him with a smile and his hands, on instinct, find her hips. “I don’t know why you’re shocked. I’m not a slob.”

“Well…” They both chuckle at her tone. “I thought that with your parents out of town, everything here would be falling apart.”

“Well, you’re here, so that could never happen.”

Her smile is the one thing that he knows he got exactly right in this reconstructed environment. He will always know Julie.

The smile that he leans down to lightly kiss is the same smile he sees when they know they have a catchy chorus on their hands, or when she gets an A on a test, or sometimes just when she comes come to say hi to them. It’s pure Julie joy.

“Now that you’ve made your bed since I was in the bathroom,” she murmurs as they pull away, “can we take that nap we were talking about? School was exhausting.”

Tiredly, her head falls to his chest. It’s such a small, warm gesture; but it sends his heart soaring painfully into the wall of his ribs. “Of course, Boss.”

With a gentle touch, he pulls back the covers of his bed and gestures for Julie to crawl in first. She waves him off, trying to tug at the laces of her boots so that she doesn’t sleep in her shoes, but Luke is quick to prop himself on the edge of the bed and lift her foot to her knee. 

“Such a gentleman,” she mocks him, but there’s no venom to her voice. In fact, she’s looking down at him like she loves him. 

He slowly helps her slip her foot from the boot with a soft grip on her ankle. “For you, anything.”

Charged, quiet beats pass between them as he finishes work on the other shoe and instantly scoots over to make room on the bed for her to lay next to him. He can make out a small, pleased smile as she does so; rolling over to cuddle into his chest and tangle their legs the moment that she is able to do so. 

He feels her take a deep breath against his collarbone as he pulls the sheets up to cover them both. “It all smells like you,” she sighs as she exhales.

“Is that a good thing?”

No verbal response -- just a nod, and the sight of her fingers curling into the edge of the sheet and pulling it up right under her nose. “You cozy, Boss?”

Her melodic hum vibrates against his sternum. Parents out of town, cuddling with his girlfriend, playing music -- this was the dream. 

Truly, because it fades around him the moment the recognizable sound of a car rolling up the driveway hits his ears. 

And he’s poofing down to greet Julie, acting as if he doesn’t have all of these wants and needs in his head that all go back to her.

--

It’s a late night, it’s after a gig, and adrenaline is still running fast through Luke’s nonexistent veins. The elevation is still carrying him across the walkway as he recalls the way he shredded his solo and the audience leapt to their feet in roaring applause. 

Sometimes, just to spend a few more minutes with her, Luke will walk Julie to her front door after a gig. She’ll send her dad inside and tell him she was going to “call” the guys, when really they would be partaking in a celebratory band hug before they all cleaned up and retired for the night. 

Tonight was one of those nights, and the cobblestones felt like clouds under Luke’s shoes. 

“Jules, you don’t understand, that high note? I didn’t think it could get better, but something about the lights and the crowds and-”

“It was your guitar solo that kept the audience hyped, though!”

“I think after you swung your wrecking ball voice at them, they would have listened to anything afterwards. You don’t get how magnetic you are, Jules.”

The two of them step up her porch, lingering on the top step. Even though he’s been looking at her all night, post-concert Julie has messy makeup and wild hair and he still sees the flashing lights of the stage reflected in her eyes. She carries the energy of performing with her everywhere she goes.

They’re closer than he realized. He can see the exact dark clouds under her eyes where her mascara has rubbed off, and the strands of hair dotting her hairline, and-

“Luke…”

He doesn’t know what she wants to say, but he doesn’t care. “You’re magnetic, Julie, really. It’s like magic. Nobody can resist you.”

The energy crackles against his fingertips, because he can feel himself twitching to touch her. 

It’s true -- she’s magnetic. He’s leaning in closer and closer with every passing second. 

But she’s the one who makes the first move.

It’s expected and it isn’t when her hands dart from her sides to his neck to his hair and guide him to her as if he would need any help finding her. His hands waist no time in pressing up against her back, bringing her body against his in a way he only feels in hugs-

Only this time, their lips are colliding, and he almost convinces himself this isn’t real.

It’s a sudden and beautiful situation that he’s sure he could only conjure in his daydreams that he has her to blame for in the first place. He’s probably laying on the couch in the studio replaying the look on her face when she hit the high note in question at the gig, and how the gasp she let out at the end propelled him into his solo like he’s never played it before. 

There’s no way he’s making out with Julie right now. 

And he doesn’t mean to vocalize his hesitation, but as her mouth breaks from his with deep breaths that are muted versions of the gasp from the gig, the words tumble from his mouth. 

“Is this a dream?”

With a confused mirth in her eyes, she scrapes the back of his neck with her fingernails and it’s almost tantalizing enough for his head to lull back. 

Please let this be a dream so that he doesn’t wake up tomorrow realizing he did all of this on the Molina’s front porch. 

“I don’t think so,” Julie whispers through her grin. Her fingers apply pressure on the back of his neck, wanting him to come back to her lips probably as much as he wants to come back, and she leans farther into him with their faces barely an inch apart. “But even if it is -- isn’t it a wonderful dream?”

As her mouth parts underneath his and he coaxes another gasp out of her, he agrees -- it is a wonderful dream. 

Tags: @willexx @bluefirewrites @pink-flame @lydias--stiles @constantly-singing @fighttoshinetogether @babydagger28

[fiddlepickdouglas]

Viva Las Vegas, Pt. 18 -Chemistry

Summary: Sunset Curve Alive AU, Willex, what will they do?, 2.5k

@trevor-wilson-covington is the bestie who makes these lovely edits, we stan supportive friends

Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7, Part 8, Part 9, Part 10, Part 11, Part 12, Part 13, Part 14, Part 15, Part 16, Part 17

“Two, three, four!” Alex counted off and the band sprung into action inside the studio. The one good thing about the drums was that it made him hyper aware of every limb on his body. There was no room for distractions or intrusive thoughts when he was keeping time. It was almost like the euphoria of being dizzy, only without the dizziness. He could be okay in this state for a little while - just long enough to reset his mind and declutter itself.

As they finished their take, they heard a familiar voice from the sound booth.

“Sounds incredible boys!”

Caleb. There went the whole ‘reset and declutter’ thing he had going.

Each of the guys looked around at each other, knowing they would have to do their best to pretend they didn’t know anything. This was the first time they were seeing him since Alex had given the news to the rest of the band. None of them had actually discussed what they would do the next time Caleb happened to stop in. Setting down their instruments and slowly filing into the sound booth, they all greeted Caleb, trying to appear happy to see him.

“Let’s hear that playback, shall we?” he said as they all sat together. He pressed a few knobs on his soundboard and they all listened closely to their own song. It was just gonna be another session with notes on where they could dub vocals here and there or duplicate tracks to fill things out - it had to be normal, Alex prayed.

“And let’s stop here for a minute,” Caleb was saying after getting into a couple minutes of the track. “Reggie. What happened to the bassline?” Reggie sat up, blinking at being called out. “That’s not what was on your demo; why did you change it?”

Reggie’s face had already fallen as he made flustered attempts to respond.

“I-I...I just liked that line better...I think it fits the style and the direction of the song,” he stammered, shoulders slumped, avoiding eye contact. His hands came together in his usual fidget - the one he did when he got yelled at. Alex saw Bobby’s hand curl into a fist.

“Alright, alright, trust me,” Caleb placated. “I understand, probably more than any of you, why improvising a part feels so good. I wouldn’t host a jazz club if I didn’t get that. But here the difference is that no one knows your songs yet, boys.”

“We’ve had faithful fans for years,” Luke interrupted.

Caleb cut him off with a mere look. Shutting his mouth, Luke scratched the back of his head nervously. After taking a breath, Caleb simply let out a sigh.

“Boys.” His tone was really drawing on the charisma, Alex noticed. “My job in helping you reach the stardom that you all one hundred percent deserve is to help you create a footprint on the walk of fame. A footprint means as beginners we can’t mess with the core elements that make your brand. These songs need to stay consistent until we have thousands of fans singing back to you in the audience the very lines you wrote in your humble garage. They need to know the first few seconds of that drumbeat and recall who you are on the radio. They are going to learn those basslines and those chords and add them to their own repertoire while they aspire to be legends like you! Don’t you see how important that is? I know. Playing around is fun; experimenting with new ideas and sounds is the whole reason we’re here. But from now on, I want you boys to stay in one lane, and I will match your speed.”

Eyeing each other warily, they all awkwardly murmured and nodded to agree with him. None of his words had been all that comforting. Alex was stuck thinking about how Caleb had made an appeal to every single one of them and somehow been right on the nose. It was like he could read their minds and it felt rather invasive.

“We’ll remember that,” Alex told him. He knew the other three were battling with their fight or flight responses and it would be suspicious.

“Oh, good,” Caleb replied. “I can see we’re having an off day, but maybe Alex can get the rest of you on board. Let’s run that song again.”

Exchanging glances, the guys stood up and headed back into the recording booth.

“Man, chemistry sucks,” Bobby complained from his seat in the armchair in his garage. Books were spread out around him, as well as about a dozen crumpled up pieces of notebook paper. “Reggie would get this.”

Alex looked up from the history homework he’d been focused on. He was gaining such an ear for whenever Reggie or Bobby mentioned one another and it made him laugh inwardly. For now, though, he had to hide the smirk.

“Well, I would call him, but he’s taking care of his sister tonight.”

“Yeah, I know. I don’t want to bother him anyways.”

This was one of the rare occasions where it was just Alex and Bobby together. Usually at least Luke would be around, but he was out on some date with Julie and there was no telling when he was expected back. Bobby had been helping Alex with history for a little bit but about half an hour ago remembered his own homework in a panic. Now they were both having trouble focusing. Their time in the studio that morning was clearly still on both of their minds.

“Hey, did Reggie tell you we were playing for his cousin’s wedding?” Alex asked in a non sequitur fashion.

“What?” Bobby said, finally sitting up and tearing his eyes off the diagram he was making. “No, he didn’t. Since when was that happening?”

“I’ve known for a couple weeks,” Alex told him casually.

“Oh.” Bobby looked down at the floor. “Any reason you haven’t mentioned it until now?”

Alex shifted in his seat on the couch at the suspicion in Bobby’s voice, but tried to play it off with a shrug.

“I just forgot. We’ve had a lot going on since he mentioned it to me.”

It did the trick. Still, Bobby sat in thought for a while, playing with his tongue inside his mouth absent-mindedly. Alex physically bit his own tongue to keep himself from asking what was on Bobby’s mind and pretended to turn his attention back to his history work. There was a long, static pause.

“Reggie’s been really weird lately,” Bobby said.

“Is that so?” Alex didn’t look up this time.

“Yeah. I mean, he’s always been goofy and everything, but I mean, he’s been unusual even for him. You know what I mean?”

“I guess I haven’t been paying as close of attention.” Alex flipped a page in his text book. “But I’ll take your word. Are you worried about him?”

Furrowing his brow, Bobby frowned in thought.

“I’m not sure,” he said. “I mean, I always worry about him, you know, cuz of everything he deals with at home. But I don’t know...this is different.”

“Is it because of what Caleb said today?”

“I didn’t like that either, but no, that’s not it.”

He looked so serious that Alex couldn’t find it funny anymore. Actually, Bobby seemed so distressed by it that it was making Alex distressed.

“Hey,” he said with concern. “Why do you look so bummed about it?”

He received a glance as though a great weight sat upon Bobby’s shoulders. It was so familiar it shot him in the chest. His friend looked so lost and uncertain, so afraid to speak his mind. And Alex thought Reggie had been conflicted. It was a little worrying.

“I think you actually know what's going on, huh?” Bobby said in resignation.

Nope. Now it was just frustrating. Alex sat up and looked at Bobby directly.

“Okay, I know expressing yourself isn’t your strong suit, Bobby, but please say it out loud. You can do it. Especially with me.”

His friend’s eyebrows knit together even further, trying to convince himself to get it off his chest. A minute passed, and finally he shut his chemistry book, set it aside, and faced Alex.

“I have feelings for Reggie.”

Thank god.

“Good job! You’re officially the last to know!”

Bobby’s face fell into a confused expression.

“What?”

Alex merely shrugged. They were so helpless, but luckily he was better at trying to solve others’ problems than his own.

“I had to let you come to your own conclusion. It was exhausting; you took forever.”

Bobby folded his hands and fidgeted with his thumbs.

“How long have you noticed?”

“Technically? Since before playing at the Pearl. But that’s when it really started to be obvious.”

Smirking, Bobby just bowed and shook his head.

“You know,” he began. “When I was first getting to know you, I didn’t trust you. Luke and I were already so close, and he introduced me to you and Reggie and you two already were such good friends. For a while I couldn’t figure out when you were being sarcastic or serious and I didn’t want to admit I was too sensitive. Reggie helped me figure out the difference and I just sort of dropped anything I was upset about.”

Alex listened carefully, nodding at his words.

“And now you’ve started getting all personal because you know I’m the most trustworthy one here, right?” he half-teased.

Nodding, Bobby smiled a little.

“I guess this is the part where you tell me to get my crap together and tell Reggie?”

“Yep,” Alex said. “But go at your own pace. The last thing I want is you two making things even weirder than they already are by trying to discuss things when you’re not prepared. Don’t get me wrong, I think it’s great, but don’t forget the rest of the band in the process.”

“Oh, yeah,” Bobby pondered. “You have a point. Speaking of weird business, I’m still not cool about us pretending to go along with making the album while knowing what we do about Caleb.”

“Me neither, but I think Luke was right. We’re just being careful.”

“Since when is Sunset Curve careful, though? We would just set up and play wherever we could until we got chased off the property, and then we’d just find a new location the next night.”

“The difference is we were nobody fifteen year olds who didn’t have contracts signed. You said it yourself, we could risk losing the rights to our own music if we break things off.”

“We read the contracts, though, right?” Bobby insisted. “I made sure we did. I don’t remember anything that seemed too controlling in them.”

“Would we have known what to look for?” Alex responded.

Sighing heavily and flopping back into his chair, Bobby stared up into the ceiling. It felt like no good answer could be given. Alex was frustrated too, but he remembered what Tía Victoria had told him as well. He believed Willie, of course, especially since Victoria hadn’t actually seen or spoken to him. She hadn’t been able to get a sniff of Caleb’s true nature, and she was a professional investigator. If Caleb could fool her that easily, he’d tied their hands while they willingly held them out.

“Bobby,” Alex started. “What are you thinking?”

“I’m thinking we should stop laying ourselves on the ground and letting him walk all over us. None of this ‘establish the brand’ B.S.”

Straightening his posture, Alex sat up and folded his hands. That was exactly what he wanted to do, too. Even if he didn’t know anything else about Caleb, the way he’d gone after Reggie had left a sour enough taste in his mouth. Before he could say anything else to Bobby, Luke stepped into the garage.

“Guys, I was thinking - ” he started.

“You wanna go after Caleb too?” Bobby said.

“Whoa, how did you know?” he sat back in surprise.

“Bobby and I were just talking about it,” Alex told him. Luke raised his eyebrows as he flopped onto the couch beside Alex.

“Were you guys mad when he singled out Reggie, too?”

“Yes!”

“Nobody shames Reggie like that!”

“Bobby, you should go cheer him up,” Luke suggested. “We all know you’re in love with him.”

“Oh my god!” Bobby cried, throwing his arms into the air in exasperation. Immediately he stood up and gathered all his books. “Just for that, I’m turning in you guys. Have a nice night, Alex. Luke, I hope it’s cold.” He stormed out of the garage and into his house while Luke and Alex simply laughed together.

“I, uh… I already gave him a speech about it,” Alex told Luke, smirking.

“Thank you!” Luke cried. “I know they tease me about being dense but at least I go for what I want! And so do you!”

Smiling at the acknowledgement of him and Willie, Alex slowly started packing up his homework. He could finish it tomorrow night.

“By the way, how was hanging out with Julie?” he asked.

Placing his arms behind his head, Luke got that dreamy far-off look on his face. The ‘Julie on the mind’ look. He smiled like he’d seen an angel and the angel had smiled back in kind.

“Oh, she’s awesome. She’s way better at roller skating than me. I wish there were two of me just so one of us could hold her hand while skating with her and the other could sit down and watch.”

Alex made a face at the odd visual, but he understood what Luke was talking about. He wondered what he and Willie looked like from an outside perspective. Did they look as happy as he felt? Did Willie bring out something in him that he’d never seen in the mirror? Or even something the rest of the guys didn’t know yet? That was something he really wanted to discuss with Willie now.

“I can’t wait until her mom gets out of the hospital,” Luke was saying. “I want to learn everything she can teach me. She told me she took two years just working on the production of an album for her band. Imagine what we could do with our songs if we had her in the studio instead of Caleb.”

“Wow,” Alex commented. “At this point, I really wish we were working with the Molinas. At least they seem to get us.”

Luke looked at him and Alex knew he’d heard all the underlying meaning in that sentence. All the guys had been accepted by Julie’s family in a way none of their own seemed capable of. Alex almost wished he hadn’t said it out loud because it only tempted him to forget about heading home.

“Maybe one day, we will, Alex,” Luke said, giving him an encouraging smile.

He chuckled as he shouldered his backpack and headed out the door.

“Yeah. That’d be sweet.”

[troped-fanfic-challenge]

AUTHOR REVEAL of the JATP ROUND 3: CANONVERSE FICS!

The Tropes:

Secret Places

Neighbors

First Kiss

Time Jump

————

Just say you won't let go (Rated G) [Julie/Luke] by @fanfics-she-wrote

Summary: Hey, Julie

You're the heart and soul 'round here, it's plain to see

in which Julie has a second chance with her boys, and then another

we will fight to shine together (bright forever) (Rated G) [Bright Lighting Guy/Rob from the Orpheum] by @screamin-amuseum

Summary: “Hey,” Chris says, walking up to the boy. “What are you doing?”

“Oh,” he puts the dandelions down and stands up. “Hi. I’m trying to make a flower crown, but I don’t remember how.”

“Cool. I’m Chris, I live--” he points to his house. “Over there.”

The boy gives him a lopsided smile. “I’m Rob. I’m staying with my grandparents for the summer.”

~

or: the rob/bright lighting guy fic literally nobody asked for but i wrote anyways. enjoy gays, bring ur tissues

what happened when (Rated G) [Alex/Luke] by @janaikam

Summary: Before Julie and the Phantoms, before the guys became ghosts, before Sunset Curve -- they were Luke and Alex. Not 5 feet apart cause they're totally gay.

who cares if one more light goes out? (in a sky of a million stars) (Rated T) [Ray/Rose] by @tonightthestarsalign

Summary: Rose moves in across the street when he’s eight and she is seven. Their parents push for them to play together, because that’s what parents do. They’re not wrong about it though. The two of them get on like a house on fire and some of his happiest memories from his childhood are just him and Rose, sitting in the large oak tree behind their houses. Hidden up in the branches, between the millions of dark green leaves, they played together.

or: The first and the last time Ray ever kissed Rose.

we can forget the world (just you and me) (Rated T) [Alex/Willie] by @sunsetcurbed

Summary: “This was the first place I ever came out to someone,” Alex says, spinning around and taking in the tree house.

together we can take on the world (Rated G) [Alex/Reggie] by @comeonpeters

Summary: Alex Mercer meets Reggie Peters on October 8, 1983, which means that two days have passed since Reggie's sixth birthday, because Reggie is a Libra according to the magazines that his mom reads when she gets Reggie to paint her toenails. He’s also just moved to Los Angeles, California from his hometown of Gatlinburg, Tennessee, a small town in the mountains, and he’s told Alex Mercer about all of this in the three minutes that they’ve known each other, and he might be the loudest, most obnoxious boy that Alex has ever met, and he absolutely has to be Alex’s new best friend.

The Peters family moves in down the street from the Mercers in 1983, and so begins the rest of their lives.

Long Live (Can I start another life with you?) (Rated T) [Julie/Luke] by @smolfangirl

Summary: It’s all too much for one day: first a muffin, then more heartbeats. Julie just needs some time to think. If Luke runs after her to sit by her side so she doesn’t lose it, she won’t complain.

Except afterwards, he starts acting weird. Very weird. And months later, she’s tired of letting him keep his distance.

She can’t do this. Not right now. Not today.

She jumps back on her feet.

The excited grin falls from Luke’s face. She doesn’t try to catch it.

“I – I think this is too much. I need some time. Alone. Sorry.”

Then she runs. She runs past the calloused fingers reaching out to her. Past Reggie and the door, past carved pumpkins on porches and Cornelia Street.

She just runs.

Roses (Rated G) [Emily & Luke, Alex/Luke] by @americanhoney913

Summary: It becomes a sacred place she shares with her son. Mitch is usually off at work from dawn until six o’clock, but Emily’s working from home for now. She works as a florist’s shop right outside the neighborhood. So she brings home seeds and little flowers and other cuts from the store; she and Luke will spend hours out in the dirt, planting seeds and making mud pies and Luke will babble about whatever happened in daycare and make up stories about the different flowers.

Somewhere Only We Know (Rated T) [Nick/Carrie] by hufflebibin

Summary: Nick Danforth-Evans met Julie Molina when he was six years old. He had no idea how much an impact that afternoon would have on his life.

___

A journey through Nick Danforth-Evan’s life as experienced in the safety of his backyard hide away.

The Itty Bitty Details (Rated T) [Alex/Willie] by @williexmercer & @futurearchaeologyprof

Summary: “Did I forget to mention William, I also get your soul,”

Willie could feel a stinging feeling and a purple stamp appeared on his hand. When the stamp appeared he could no longer remember who Alex was. The name meant nothing to Willie now.

Or 5 times Willie knew Alex and one where Alex knew Willie

you’re the only one who makes me (my wildflower) (Rated T) [Bobby/Reggie] by @willexxmercer

Summary: The tree was Reggie’s safe space, and Bobby was his safe person. He could escape all his troubles there, except for one nagging thought - did he have feelings for his best friend?

Dying complicated things.

because i’ve known you so long, i know every cadence and what they mean (Rated G) [Alex & Julie, Julie/Luke] by @tmp-jatp

Summary: Alex and Julie have always lived right next to each other. Through highs and lows, they grow up together. Also, 5 times Luke kisses Julie and it doesn’t count plus 1 time Julie kisses Luke and it does count.

Alternatively, the Juke 5+1 fic from Alex’s POV. Strap in, folks.

Someday (I’ll See You Again) (Rated T) [Alex/Willie] by @kybee1497

Summary: They’re wrong. Alex, you are not a failure. You’re incredible. You’re smart. You’re funny, and the best friend I could ask for. You’re a wicked talented drummer and you have a beautiful voice. And more important than all of that, is that you’re you, Alex. And the you you are is wonderful, and lovable and perfect. If your parents can’t see that, that’s their own fault. But I swear, Alex. If you’re afraid of them, I need you to tell me. You have to be safe.” Willie’s voice had gone desperate by the end. Alex deserved to know how freaking amazing he was and the fact that his parents didn’t bother to tell him, and actively worked to tear him down instead, was infuriating.

But Willie also worried about him. He’d worried about Alex since the first time he heard Mr. Mercer shouting through the window, a worry that never really went away. Not with the way Alex automatically straightened up when his parents were mentioned, as if he could hear his dad lecturing him about appearances from miles away. Not with the way Alex looked when he was with them, perfectly pieced together and falling apart at the seams, eyes distant and shoulders tense. Willie was pretty sure he had worrying about Alex etched in his bones by this point.

The Energy Never Dies (Rated T) [Gen Fic] by @americanhoney913

Summary: Well, I ain't always right, but I've never been wrong

Seldom turns out the way it does in a song

Once in a while, you get shown the light

In the strangest of places if you look at it right

--- Scarlet Begonias, Grateful Dead

Four moments across time in the loft of the Molina's garage.

————

All the Winners can be found here.

We hope you enjoy these fics from our fabulous Fantoms! Make sure to leave kudos and comments to show them some love! And don’t forget, if you missed the initial writing deadline you can still submit your fics to our Non-Anon Collection at any time! Thank you all so much for participating this round! Now that winners and authors have been revealed feel free to post about your fics, create artwork for it, if you like, and don’t forget to tag us!

We hope you all will join us for the FINAL Round of the TROPED: JATP Event!!!! The prompt drops at Midnight tonight!

[notsosmexy]

Heavens Love || Reggie x reader

Chapter four of ‘Heavens Love’ 

Part 1 // Part 2 // Part 3 // Part 5 

A/N: OOooOo we back! Enjoy!

Word count: 3k

Taglist

Wanna be added to the series taglist? Just send an ask!

You walked up to your locker and put your code in. Once you had all your books, someone tapped your shoulder, making you turn around quickly. To your surprise, it was Carrie. She pointed at something not too far away and left. You arched your brow but looked at where she had pointed. 

It was Julie, singing in the middle of the hallway, doing some amazing dance. You wanted to stop her, so she didn't embarrass herself. But you couldn't move. You could tell she didn't mind, or she didn't notice. Either way, you stared at her like everyone else. Her eyes were closed and she had a huge smile on her face.  

You leaned on your locker with a smirk, when she came to get her books. She gave a small smile and took her headphones out. A boy who you had seen once or twice, tapped her shoulder.  

'Are you done?' visible confusion could be seen on her face. You suppressed a laugh. ' Can I have those back?' he pointed towards Julie's back pocket. 

'Oh..' she grabbed them and gave them to the guy. She turned on her heels and faced her locker once again. You and Julie were both laughing and you could hear Flynn running up to you both. 

'Omg Julie!' she smiled. 

'Whats up?'

'Nothing, glad to see you back to your…weirdo self' You laughed

Julie rolled her shoulders and gave a small chuckle 'Thanks?'

Flynn playfully rolled her eyes 'So, how's the band? Still hot? Still talented? Still..dead?' 

You put your head in your hands. 'Flynn..' you couldn't help but laugh a little. 'They can't be… undead'

Flynn shrugged her shoulders 'We're undead' you blinked once or twice. What goes on in this kids brain? Is all you could think.

Julie looked between both you and Flynn. 'Anywayssss, Luke and I spent all weekend writing songs… wanna hear some of them?' 

'Duh!' you and Flynn both said. Julie nodded her head and you both walked towards the music room. On your way there you saw Carrie form the corner of your eye. You gave a small wave but she didn't seem to notice, instead she was looking at something or someone in front of you. You stopped in your tracks and followed her gaze. Your eyes went big once you realized who she was looking at.

'Could be nothing' you tried to reassure yourself. You ran to the music room, to make sure you didn't miss any of Julie's music playing. 

'So this is-' 

'I'M HERE!' You shouted while panting a bit. You weren't the greatest at running you had it admit. Flynn smiled and Julie cleared her throat. 

'Right, here's the first song them and I wrote.' she sat down at the piano. 'Here's some of the chorus' she started playing and you smiled. It was amazing and had a fun beat to it. 

'Wow! I like it! Def Gaga vibes' Flynn stated. You nodded your head to show you agreed. Julie smiled. 

'Now um...here's something me and my mom were working on' Your smile faltered a little. She started playing once again and once again, you love it. You could tell Julie worked hard to get it right. 

'thats- that's beautiful' You and Flynn said at the same time. 

'Now,' Flynn smirked at Julie, changing the subject. 'You have a crush. And this name is Luke.'

'And he's a ghost!' you finished her sentence and Flynn pointed towards you. Julie's mouth fell agape.

'What? No! Luke's a ghost.' she stated, but you knew Flynn wasn't having any of it.  

'A cute ghost.' Flynn stated.

Julie scrunched her nose up. 'with a perfect smile.' she finally gave in.

'Ha! We knew it's you said to Julie while Flynn high fives you but missed. You rubbed your shoulder where she accidentally hit you and she gave a quite sorry. 

Flynn looked back at Julie, you doing the same. 'Just don't get hurt'

'Obviously you guys have a connection' you added. 

'Everyone’s been talking about when you're going to play again' Flynn put her hand on her hip and took out her phone. 

'Lucky for youuu…' You waited for Flynn to finish.

'Your marketing team has been way ahead of it.' Flynn smirked and gave a small flick of her hair.  

'I… I don't have a marketing team.' Julie gave you both a confused look. 

'Yes you do!' you pulled out a flyer from your backpack and Flynn did some jazz hands.

'No wait-' 

'it's all over the school!' before Julie could protest again Flynn's phone buzzed. 'Sorry, it already has 66 likes' you. Shook your head with a smile.  You and Flynn walked don't, leaving Julie behind. You could hear her telling you guys to wait and you both just laughed. 

As you all walked down the hallway to get to your class, you once again saw Carrie. She didn't seem to care that you were walking past. She was busy on her phone, like always, but you could tell something was different. 

'Guys, go without me, I gotta do something.' Both girls looked at you but nodded their heads. You waved goodbye and turned around to go see Carrie. She was walking towards the bathroom and you knew this was  going to be so awkward.

You walked into the light pink washroom and stood in front of a mirror. You waited a couple of seconds and soon enough Carrie walked out. She gave you a small glare, but it seemed fake. 

'Carrie, you don't need to pretend it's just me and you. Nobody else.'

She licked her lips and thought for a moment. She sighed and nodded her head. 

‘Hi Y/N’ she mumbled and turned to look at herself in the mirror. 

You nodded your head slightly and looked around. ‘So, I uh, I saw you staring at-’

‘Don’t’ Carrie quickly interrupted. ‘Its nothing. I don’t- i don’t like her’ She looked like she was going to cry. ‘Even if I-i did, she’d n-never like me’ 

You gave her a sad look and opened her arms. She practically ran into them, her arms around your neck. She smelt good, like honey and sugar. Her cold wet tears were hitting the cloth on your shoulder. Every single one slowly crept through the fabric, making your shoulder wet. After a while she let go and stepped back. She gave you a small smile and rubbed her eyes.

‘Sorry’ She sniffed. You shook your head and gave her a small toothy grin.

‘Don’t be… i’m sure she likes you to’ To be honest you had no idea if Flynn did. She’s never been one to talk about who she likes. She’d never even spread Carrie a glance after… the thing happened. 

‘Maybe…’ Before either of you could say anything else, the bell rang. You both walked out of the bathroom and went  your separate ways. The whole time you were walking to your class, you couldn’t stop thinking about...everything. There was Luke and Julie, Willy and Alex, Flynn and Carrie and You and Reggie. Too many people were falling in love.

****

‘I wasn't in love with the idea at first as well, but it'll be a great way to up our following.’ Julie was watering the plants, while you, Luke and Reggie stood around the piano. Reggie gently put the paper down and nodded his head a bit.

‘Ya, ya! We can play wherever we can and whenever we can’ Reggie stated and a smile had grown on his face. 

‘And then, you guys put out a new album!’ You said happily and Reggie snapped his fingers and pointed at Julie. 

‘Than release a country album’ You shook your head. ‘That does surprisingly well’ He turned towards you but you keep shaking your head. Julie gave Reggie a look and Luke looked a little disgusted. ‘I shred on the banjo so...’ Reggie shrugged his shoulders and acted like it was no big deal.

‘Then i'll  learn how to play the fiddle,’ You said jokingly and Reggie gave you a side hug. 

‘And before you know it, we're being inducted into the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame.’ Luke gazed into the distance. He snapped out of it once Reggie started talking. 

‘But one of us isn't there’ you stared at him, half confused, half emmussed. ‘ Because we had a blowout in 2032. My moneys on Alex, he's just to sensitive.’ he shrugged his shoulders and you laughed quietly. 

‘Let’s get rehearsing!’ Luke pushed himself off the piano and spun on his heels. You turned around but remembered Alex wasn't there. Julie must have read your mind cause the next thing she said was exactly what you were going to say.

‘Wheres Alex?’

‘We can start without him.. He’ll be back soon’ Luke reassured you all. You leaned against something and watched them all get ready. Reggie gave you a wink and they all started playing. You blushed and looked at the ground for a few seconds. 

Once you lifted your head again, you heard a poof and Alex was suddenly through the door.

‘Hey Y/N’ you smiled and gave him a wave. 

‘Dude, where have you been?’ Luke stopped playing and let his guitar dangle. ‘We need to practice.’

‘Oh, really?’ Alex looked at Julie, his eyebrows scrunched together. ‘For what?’ 

Before anyone could answer, the door opened only to reveal Flynn. She was wearing her vibrant pink beanie, her lock necklace and the jean jacket you gave to her last year.

‘Dance news!’ she practically screamed while doing some weird pose. ‘I don't have a date but, I'm so psyched to see you guys perform!’ 

‘Oh man! We're playing a dance?’ Alex whined and looked at the guys. 

‘Course, man’ Luke sat on a red chair. ‘That's how we get a following nowadays’

‘Ya, get with the program Alex’ Julie mocked and Luke playfully scoffed. Flynn looked at you and Julie.  

‘What? They guys are here?’ she tutted and flipped her hair casually.’Hey guys!’ she waved in the opposite direction.

‘Other way, sweetie’ you said, giving her a taunting smirk. Oh was all she said and turned to wave at them. All  of them waved back, not that she could tell.

‘OK, well, now that Alex has graced us with his presence-’ you cut Luke off.

‘You should start practicing!’ You threw your hands in the air and Julie looked amused. ‘Wanna stick around?’ You turned around and asked Flynn. 

‘Im supposed to blow up 500 balloons for the school dance..’ she sighed but smiled. ‘This sounds way more fun though’ you all laughed. 

‘Hey Julie!’ Carlos walked into the studio and you heard Luke sigh. ‘Remember those orbs in dad's pictures? I...I think their ghosts.’ You turned to the boys with wide eyes, them doing the same to you. 

‘But don't worry!’ He slammed the pictures onto the piano. ‘ This room is...is’ he did a whole 360. ‘This room is clean. I'm not getting the ghost tinglies’ He whispered the last part like it was a secret. 

‘Wrong again little dude’ You all gave Reggie an amused look. Suddenly Carlos started yelling. 

‘Have no fear! If they come back I will protect you! Because I am the man of this house!’ Carlos stated, looking proud of himself.

‘Isn't dad the man of the house?’ Julie asked. 

‘There can be two’ they both chuckled. ‘Dad needs all the help he can get right? Now, according to the internet, salt burns their souls out.’ Everyone turned towards each other with panic written all over their faces. ‘A little sprinkle will keep them from ever coming here’ He threw it everywhere and some landed on Alex.

‘No! Oh! Oh god im…’ he looked at his hands. ‘Im fine. I'm totally fine.’ he raised his head with a proud smile. 

‘Oh! Carlos you know who's hungry? Me and...Y/N. Why don't you salt us a path to the kitchen’ You gave Flynn a look and shook your head. 

‘No, I need to-’ before you could continue, Carlos took your arm and started dragging you along, while salting a path. 

‘Don't worry Y/N you won't miss much!’ Your boyfrie- Reggie yelled behind you.

@tclerateit @sarcasticallywitty15 @killingbxys @calltothewild @well-hes-just-too-cute​ 

[comeonpeters]

and so it begins

also on ao3

@troped-fanfic-challenge round 2 contribution

Theme: Fluff

Trope 1: Exes

Trope 2: Time Loop AU

Trope 3: Camp Counselors 

Trope 4: Prank Wars

It’s the first day of their second week at Camp Carolling (they’re spending an entire month, and they’re getting paid to be there!) when Reggie gets a little lost in the woods. It’s cool! Alex was also with him, so he has the kids, because Alex Mercer does not get lost, so Reggie is in the clear on that part. There’s a reason why he paired up with Alex for a lot of the wandering through the forest bits of the counseling misadventures, and it’s not just because Alex is his best friend in the whole world (no offense, Luke, but Alex really had laid a claim on him their first summer by dealing with his eccentricities by treating him just the same as everyone else), but also because of Alex’s excellent sense of direction, which had not rubbed off on Reggie at all, unfortunately. And it’s not to say that Luke isn’t also his best friend in the world! Or that Julie isn’t too! It’s just that Alex is his favorite, and Reggie really wishes he had stuck closer, because boy he doesn’t know where he is. 

He’s walking past a rock that’s shaped exactly like an egg when he notices it. Not the egg shaped rock, though he notices that too, obviously, because it’s shaped like an egg, but the cabin. There’s a cabin. On the Camp Carolling property. 

That can’t be allowed. But it can’t be new, either, because how would they have moved an entire cabin onto the Camp Carolling property without someone noticing? Someone would totally have noticed someone lugging all of those stones and logs into place, even if the forest is made of stones and logs, they still had to be moved from their original places to this one place, and really, they shouldn’t have some random stranger around all these kids. And, Reggie is an employee. It’s, like, his job to keep these kids safe. Right? That’s how it works, right? It’s only his second week being a counselor, and he’s not really sure how good he is at it. He’s only eighteen! Maybe he shouldn’t be the one investigating some creepy, middle-of-the-woods cabin at all. Maybe he should go get Alex-

It’s the thought of bringing Alex back here, the thought of Alex or Luke or Julie having to investigate something scary that has him investigating it himself. He can tell them about it when he gets back. Everything will be fine. There’s probably nobody out here anyway, right? Maybe it’s just an old cabin, like from before the camp plot was even bought, and Reggie is worrying over nothing. He’s acting like Alex! He’s being silly. 

A bush of flowers, the bulbs burgundy and nearly the size of Reggie’s hand, grows near the door of the cabin. They’re healthy enough that somebody is obviously taking care of them, hedged back from the door in a way that is most likely intentional, but Reggie still tells himself that he’s not going to get an answer as he knocks, ever so gently, on the door. He tells himself that he is only doing so out of caution. He’s doing it out of a professional obligation. This is his second job (the ice cream shop that he works at during the school year is his only legal job, seeing as Sunset Curve gigs and Julie and the Phantoms shows aren’t really consistently enough to count as a regular job, he thinks), and he is a good employee, losing Lex and the kids beside. He knocks on the door a second time, and it rocks gently open, though no one has opened it for him. 

Christ on a bike, that’s creepy. 

“Come on in then, dear, the tea’s almost done,” a voice calls from inside, a woman’s voice that sounds ancient. A shiver runs down Reggie’s spine, but he steps in anyway. It’s polite, right? He’s been invited. It’s not like he’s a vampire or anything, he doesn’t have to be invited to go into places, but it’s rude not to go into places when you’re invited, but anyway- The little cabin has unfinished stone and wooden walls on the inside as well, squat and homey, and Reggie feels a wash of warmth run over him that he hasn’t felt since-

He hasn’t felt this much at home since Bobby kicked them out of the studio. Playing at Julie’s studio (their studio now, her and Ray, her dad, they’ve reassured Reggie that it’s as much his home as theirs if he wants it to be, but it still doesn’t feel that way) still doesn’t feel… it doesn’t feel like this. This reminds him of his grandmother’s house back in Tennessee, the way it felt when she would set her guitar in his lap and put her fingers over his and teach him how to play. He should probably say something. 

“Um. Hi. I’m Reggie. I’m one of the counselors at Camp Carolling? Do they- do they know you’re out here? I didn’t think anyone was supposed to live out here,” he says awkwardly, tripping over himself as he stands awkwardly in the entryway. There’s a counter and cabinets between the entryway and the kitchen, so he can’t see the ancient-sounding woman who called him in, but he doesn’t want to come further into the cabin, even as homelike as it feels. He picks at the flannel wrapped around his waist nervously, wanting to bite at his nails, but Julie just painted them, and she’s asked him to stop biting them when she’s just painted them, and-

“Oh, they know me, dearie. Come have a seat, won’t you? As I said, the tea’s nearly done, and I’d love to have someone to drink it with. You look like you could use a good cup,” the lady says as she steps past the counter, and Reggie nods, blinking. She’s very small, is his first thought, looking at her. He’s not a tall guy, he knows that (even if he does love making fun of Luke for being half an inch or so shorter than him, and even worse with Reggie’s boots), but he has to look very far down to make eye contact with the cabin lady. She can’t be more than five foot even. Maybe four foot ten? She has about five inches of braided hair piled on top of her head, which adds to her height, but beneath that, she’s very, very small. It’s distracting. He doesn’t realize that he’s just lingering beside the table until she taps on it, gesturing toward the chair across from her and the tea set between the two seats. 

“Have a seat, then,” she repeats, “and have a drink with me. Everything will be fine, Reginald. You’re welcome here.” He doesn’t normally like it when anyone besides Alex (or, before, Bobby) calls him Reginald, but in this case, he finds himself relaxing into the seat offered, grabbing the kettle to pour tea when she gestures for it. Everything is… fine. Everything is calm. The tension rolls out of his shoulders for the first time in months. 

It’s weird. It’s really weird. It’s nice. 

“Thank you for the tea. This is nice,” he says once he’s had a sip of the flowery drink, smiling easily. He’s never been a tea guy, but he’s never had this kind of tea before; he should ask what kind it is. She smiles back, and it’s a warm feeling to be smiled at by someone so much older than him, like being smiled at by Ray, or Emily in the rare times she actually remembers she likes Reggie (when she remembers that he’s a good kid and not just a bad influence, because he swears he’s a good kid), or when his grandmother would smile at him. The lady puts down her tea cup with such an air that Reggie puts down his own, feeling as if there’s something that is about to be discussed. 

“Reggie, dear, there’s something we need to talk about,” she says, and he knows he should be confused (they don’t know each other, why do they have something to talk about?), but instead, the calm remains. The feeling of the cabin, the hominess and the settled feeling, it remains. 

“Okay,” is all he says, a little dazed, and she is still smiling, so he can assume she isn’t angry with him. It’s a bit of a sad smile, now that he thinks about it, but still not angry. As long as it isn’t angry, right? 

“You’re deeply unhappy, my boy. I could feel it as soon as you knocked on the door. You are a sweet, good boy, and you do not deserve all of the unhappiness that has made a home of your heart. I would like to give you a time to free yourself of your unhappiness. Would you accept?” she asks, offering something which confuses Reggie massively, but he can’t muster up his ability to panic. He knows he has the ability to panic. Where is it? Did he leave it with Alex? Where is Alex? Where is Luke? Where is Julie? Doesn’t he have somewhere to be? How can he accept? 

“What do you mean? Accept? What about you? Do you need anything?” he asks, because he doesn’t want her to do anything, to put herself out, when he could do something for her. You don’t know her, something in himself reminds him (it sounds awfully like Bobby, but he doesn’t think in Bobby’s voice anymore, he told himself he wouldn’t-), but he pushes it down. She smiles and pats his face. 

“It is your instinct to give that makes you so able to receive without judgement. Do you accept?” she asks again. Everything feels really weird. He doesn’t think. He can’t. 

“Yes.” 

He’s stumbling out of the cabin not a second later, fuzzy and dazed, like a force not his own is pushing him out. He notices a sign below the bushes of flowers, Take one!, it says, and so he picks a flower. He’ll take it to Julie. She likes flowers. She’s always liked flowers, and he likes making her smile, so at least then this whole thing will have added up to something, because he has no idea what just happened. At least the camp knows about the cabin, according to the lady in the cabin. Is she the best source? Jesus, now that he thinks about it, she might not be the best source. 

He’ll ask Alex and Jules and Flynn. They’re better at logic than he is. He doesn’t know what’s going on. He stumbles back to the egg shaped rock and picks a direction and hopes for the best. He’s only walking for a few minutes when he hears it: Alex’s voice above the hum of the kids is the best thing he’s heard all day. It can’t be right- he knows he wandered way further away from Alex when he was on his grand adventure to find the cabin, but he doesn’t care at this point. He just wants to find his way back to a familiar face, get back in the swing of things and forget this ever happened. He knows when Lex catches sight of him, because the mix of annoyed and fond might as well be patented. 

“You could have told me you had to take a leak, Peters. Did you get lost or something? Distracted by the flowers? You’ve been gone like fifteen minutes,” Alex says, and it only takes that much to make Reggie feel like his entire world has tilted sideways. Fifteen minutes? He’d been gone hours. 

“I thought- fifteen minutes?” he asks, his voice so strained it nearly breaks. Alex snorts, rolling his eyes. 

“Thought you were quick, huh? Come on, we gotta get the kids back before Julie has them for arpeggios and scales,” the blond says, clapping him on the back and keeping his arm around Reggie’s shoulders as they herd the kids back toward the central grounds. He makes the executive decision to put everything that’s happened for the past several hours (fifteen minutes??) out of his mind, focusing instead on Alex and then Julie (she does like the flower, though she gives him a weird look, and cradles it to her chest) and then Luke and their new friend Nick when he meets up with them for guitar lessons with the kids, and he just puts it out of his mind. It’s not that important. Everything is fine, right? Everything is calm. They’re at Camp Carolling! They’re counselors at Camp Carolling, just like they always said they would be. It doesn’t matter that they’re a member short and they’re all feeling the absence, because he still has his boys and his Julie and his Flynn and his family, and they’re not leaving, even if one member did. 

Everything is fine.  

It’s the second day of their second week at Camp Carolling (they’re spending an entire month, and they’re getting paid to be there!) when Reggie feels like the bottom is dropping out of his stomach. They’re integrating with the other side of camp today, rhythm and dance (where Alex would have gone if Reggie and Luke hadn’t convinced him to skate on his mad singing skills alone), and that means… Bobby’s a rhythm guitarist. And a dancer. If they’re integrating with rhythm and dance, they’ll see Bobby, if he bothered to come. Which is a tossup, really. Ever since he quit Sunset Curve, it’s not like Reggie knows him at all, so what does he know about what Bobby Wilson is going to do with his summer, with his life, what does he know about Bobby Wilson at all? 

“Reckon we’ll see him today, boys?” Luke asks, arms over Reggie and Alex’s shoulders as he pulls them both in beside him. Julie looks at them apprehensively, chewing on the side of her lip and looking like she might indulge in her own nervous habit of chewing on her knuckles. She’s not supposed to, because it’s the thing that she’s not supposed to do as long as Reggie doesn’t chew on his nails, but he won’t begrudge her either way. 

“Why does it matter if you see him, guys? We have a new band, and besides, it’s not like you guys have even talked about him since he left! Just… ignore him if you see him, okay? It doesn’t have to be a big deal. He left you guys. If you don’t want to talk to him, you don’t have to,” she says, talking in bursts like she does when she’s upset, and Reggie doesn’t want Julie to be upset about this. He knows that she worries about the fact that they were in a band before her, that she worries about them missing Sunset Curve, but she’s family. Ray and Julie and Carlos are family. He loves them. He stands up and puts his arms around her, pulling her so close he nearly pulls her off the ground, pulls her so close she squeaks. 

“Love you, Julie,” he says simply, and then he lets her go. A simple reassurance for a simple reassurance. You don’t have to talk to him for you don’t have to replace him. As much as he’s loved Bobby Wilson since he was thirteen years old, he loves Julie Molina too. She’s like a sister. 

“Love you too, Reg. I just… don’t want you to feel obligated to him, okay? You’re not,” she reiterates. He kisses the top of her head. 

“I know,” he lies, because he is. In a way, he thinks he always will be. They separate anyway, all of them going their own ways for their camp jobs, because they can’t always stay together. He has to work with other people sometimes, despite the fact that his comfort zone will always be with the people he arrived at camp with. Ray dropped them all off together, called him mijo and kissed his forehead and everything. Sap. He piddles around and does his job and high-fives Nick when he sees him and stops dead in his tracks as soon as he sees Bobby Wilson in the flesh, because what else is he supposed to do? What else can he do? Bobby has a guitar slung across him and no smile in sight, even though he used to smile every time he saw Reggie, and Reggie has no idea what to do with that. He has no idea how to fix what Bobby Wilson broke in him. 

"Hey Reg," the other boy says, slightly hesitant, and Reggie's lips remain pursed for a moment before he gives a nod of acknowledgement. No obligation. No fighting. Just acknowledgement. Nothing personal. 

"Bobby," he replies, and Bobby blinks. He knows why; he can't remember the last time he actually called the traitor by his name either. It's always been Bee or Bobbers or Bobbin or some other nickname dripping in affection. Not anymore. He watches as Bobby's expression shutters back to a close. He tries not to let it break his heart. 

"Right. I'll- um. I'll be anywhere else, I think," Bobby says, a stutter taking him over in a way that it hasn't since some of their first gigs (turns out, huddle style interviews with a dozen small-time fans are as good as speech therapy, better if the years of it not working were anything to go by), and something in Reggie wants to reach out, wants to comfort him, but he lets the anger, the bitterness, burn over it. He lets Bobby walk away from him all over again. No obligation. Nothing personal. Nothing, nothing, nothing. He watches Bobby’s back, looks at his suspenders because there’s no uniforms for counselors here, and he almost wishes there was because looking at them makes him think about popping them against Bobby’s skin like he used to, grinning and laughing, and he almost wants to cry. 

No obligations. Nothing personal. 

The day is mostly inconsequential after that. Alex met a dancer named Willie who really swept him off his feet- literally, to hear the tale, and Reggie does hear it. He meets Willie too, though briefly, at dinner, and hears about Willie’s friends. He’s friends with Nick, which is cool. He’s also friends with Bobby and Carrie, which is less cool. The rest of Carrie’s band also apparently followed the Wilsons to camp, which is just great. It doesn’t matter. He doesn’t bother telling the boys and Julie about seeing Bobby again, because it doesn’t really matter. It’s inconsequential. It was barely a moment. 

The next morning, it’s announced that they’re integrating with the other side of camp. Rhythm and dance. Again. He turns to Luke, a question on his lips, when Luke throws an arm around his shoulders, and Alex’s too. 

“Reckon we’ll see him today, boys?” Luke asks, pulling them in just as he had the day before, and- it wasn’t the day before, was it? It was one of those freaky dreams that Reggie’s read about. He and Bobby used to read about conspiracy theories before- well, before. He’s read a lot about déjà vu and prophetic dreams, he’s just never personally experienced either so heavily before, and he’s sure that it will go away soon, it’s just-

“Why does it matter if you see him, guys? We have a new band, and besides, it’s not like you guys have even talked about him since he left! Just… ignore him if you see him, okay? It doesn’t have to be a big deal. He left you guys. If you don’t want to talk to him, you don’t have to,” Julie bursts out, and Reggie wasn’t paying enough attention to her mannerisms this time, but he gets up and hugs her anyways, squeezes her just as tight because he loves her and he knows her and he needs her just as much as she needs them. She’s the rock to his hard place, you know? That doesn’t really make sense, but it’s his vibe. He hugs her real tight, tight enough to pull her off her feet, just a little. 

“Love you, Jules,” he says, because he means it. He kisses the top of her head, because he means that too. She sinks into him, just a little, before he releases her. 

“Love you too, Reg. You don’t owe him anything,” she says, and it’s worded a little different than the dream, but it means the same thing. He kisses the top of her head again, just for good measure. She rolls her eyes and shoves him off, laughing. He likes making her laugh. It’s always nice. He doesn’t bother lying this time. 

When they all separate, he’s a little less assured that everything was a dream, because things are still the same. Nick still high-fives him, and everyone still asks him to do the same things, and everything is still the exact same. He doesn't know what to do, so he does exactly the same things that he did yesterday morning (last night in his dream?), down to letting himself trip over the front porch step on the cafeteria walkup. Alex had done a presentation on the butterfly effect once for an English class (their teacher had let them choose a movie or book to analyze against a scientific theory related to it, it was a really interesting project actually-) 

Reggie is almost ready to dismiss his strange sense of déjà vu when Bobby walks up to him again, an even more direct line than he had taken in Reggie's strangely prophetic dream. 

"I think I had a dream about seeing you again last night," is the first thing that Bobby says to him, and it's freaky enough to make Reggie feel really weird. He's never been excessively great at covering up his expressions around the boys either (and Bobby is still one of the boys, damn it, Reggie can't stop the years of safety and security that Bobby held in his own two hands), and he knows that he's showing his slight panic. 

"Was the rest of the morning exactly the same too?" he asks before he can stop himself, before he can remind himself that he and Bobby don't go together anymore, that Bobby left. Bobby grabs onto his wrist desperately, though never hard enough to hurt. Reggie wants to scrape out how much Bobby remembers about him, wants to take it all back, because no one else has known him as well as his boys (besides the Molinas, because they know him inside and out and he would put that on a billboard). He has to tune back into Bobby’s angry desperation, how it covers his fear. 

"It fucking was, Reg, what the hell is going on?" Bobby says, eyes blazing, all that fear fear fear so plain where Reggie knows only he can see. He shakes Bobby off of his arm easily. He desperately tries to ignore how hurt flashes over Bobby’s expression before he covers that one too. 

“I don’t know, dude. I don’t think anyone else knows, though. Luke and Alex didn’t seem to think anything was weird this morning, and Julie didn’t act any different either, and she’s the smartest of us,” he replies, shrugging a shoulder. He doesn’t want to tell Bobby about the creepy cabin and the definitely-not-a-witch. He doesn’t want Bobby to say the same thing everyone has always said. He doesn’t want Bobby Wilson to finally tell him that he’s being stupid. Bobby recoils slightly. 

“You guys brought- Julie came?” Bobby asks, and Reggie doesn’t have to ask how he knows who Julie is. Julie and the Phantoms, their band, has been all over social media lately. Flynn is a pretty baller social media manager, and it hasn’t been a secret that three quarters of the former Sunset Curve, a punk band, had suddenly turned poppy when they got a new lead singer. It’s been something of a sensation. And, it’s not like Julie wasn’t their friend before Julie and the Phantoms happened. It’s just that Bobby was never really close with her in the first place, and the four of them found each other in a lot of wreckage. A lot of fucking wreckage. Reggie shrugs again. 

“We told her about the promise we made as Sunset Curve, to come back to camp and be counselors ourselves, and she asked if she could come too, even if she wasn’t part of the original promise. We made a decision as the three of us. Wasn’t too sure we were going to see you here, to be honest,” he says, more honest than he means to be. He can’t look at Bobby, suddenly, and he picks at his fingers, plays with his rings, peels at the bandaid Luke had just put on him last night. Too vulnerable. Too much. Shatterglass and eggshells. He still doesn’t bite his nails. He promised Julie. He’ll keep his promises to Julie. 

“It was a promise,” Bobby says. Reggie snorts, again before he can stop himself. 

“So was everything else, Bobbin. Didn’t seem to matter then.” He pushes off the wall he’s leaning against, intending upon going back to the cabin and sleeping for the next hundred permutations of this day should there be more (he watched the Tuesday episode of Supernatural during Alex’s phase, unfortunately), but Bobby catches him by the hand. 

“I’m sorry, Reg,” he says, far too close to Reggie’s ear, nearly pressing it into Reggie’s skin. Reggie nearly breaks being so close to him. He pulls away anyway. 

“Shoulda said that a while ago, Bee. Shoulda never left,” he says, and it’s like the world resumes around them (it never stopped, everything was still happening, it’s just like the world stops when he’s caught within Bobby’s atmosphere), because he loses Bobby easily within the raucous of the camp. 

He listens when Alex tells him about Willie. He encourages him to talk to him again. He meets Willie and doesn’t make a big deal about Willie being friends with the Wilsons. He still doesn’t mention seeing Bobby. Then, after dinner, because he can, he climbs into bed with Luke, even if he’s about fifty percent sure he’ll wake up in his own bed on the same morning once again. Luke welcomes him with open arms and even more open cuddles, curls around him like the little octopus he is, sweaty and gross and exactly what Reggie needs. He tucks himself beneath Luke’s chin and falls asleep to the sound of Luke’s weird sleep humming, familiar and warm. 

He wakes up in his own bunk, just as expected. Alex has his hands on the edge of his bed, just as he has for the past two mornings (the same exact morning), and he knocks their heads together gently to wake Reggie up. Of all of the ways he could repeatedly experience being woken up, it’s one of Reggie’s favorites; it’s not one that Alex or Luke regularly indulges in, being as other people don’t think it’s normal or socially acceptable or whatever, but by the time Alex wakes him up, most everyone else has emptied out of the room; he’s actually running late, and typically, Reggie would be freaking out. Because it’s his third time living through the morning, he’s half tempted to just drag Alex back into bed with him. 

Instead, he does what he’s supposed to do. 

“Good mornin, Lexi,” he says as he has both of the other mornings, and Lex hits him with a pillow, just as expected. It’s only across his stomach, so it’s more fond than anything. That’s what Reggie tells himself, anyway. Alex pulls him out of bed then, shoving clothes at him until Reggie dresses himself and follows Alex out of the cabin in a semi-orderly manner, tying his flannel around his waist as he makes it out of the door. Julie falls into step with them as they make it up the cafeteria steps, linking her arm with Reggie’s as she has the last two renditions of this morning, but it still makes Reggie smile. Luke has already gone up ahead to meet up with Flynn, masterminding the summer rotation of Julie and the Phantoms advertising before breakfast and the announcement that they’ll be mingling with the other side of camp today. 

He already knows the morning is going to be the same. He knows it in his bones. He didn’t wake up in Luke’s bed this morning. 

“Reckon we’ll see him today, boys?” Luke asks after the announcement comes, and it confirms Reggie’s suspicions for sure. He goes through the motions of the conversation completely, not leaving anything on the floor because he’s not going to half ass a conversation with his friends just because he’s had it before. He loves them, and he’s not going to let Julie be insecure about her place with them just because of some repetitive day- what if this is the last time or something? He couldn’t do that to her. He high-fives Nick when he sees him and does his job and goes through the day. He sees Bobby and opens his mouth to speak, but Bobby beats him to it. 

“My dad asked me to leave Sunset Curve. Told me to, really.” 

That’s the first different thing he’s heard all day. And it’s enough to stop him midstep and nearly make him fall into the hi-hats they’ve got lined up against the wall of the rhythm cafe, except that Bobby catches him, because Bobby is the one who said it, because of course Bobby was. Bobby is the only one who could have said that, because Bobby’s dad is Trevor Wilson, extremely famous solo artist and general rock star, and no one else has ever left Sunset Curve successfully (Alex had tried, once, when he thought he was dragging everyone down, but they had talked him off that particularly wall), and-

“What?” Reggie asks, and the crack in his voice should be embarrassing, but he can’t dredge up the feeling. All he has is the sinking feeling of despair, because if Trevor asked Bobby to leave, then they’ve been letting him have this distance, this horrible fucking space because they thought he wanted it and- they’re supposed to be a family. 

“He said that he would sponsor Sunset Curve if I left and did a successful solo album first. If he could see our potential for himself. I’m almost done with it, so I should be able to make it on my own. Even if I don’t have Sunset Curve anymore,” Bobby says, the last bit tacked on like an afterthought, like a bitter aftershock. Reggie puts his hand on Bobby’s arm. It’s the first time he’s reached out to him in a long, long time. Bobby seems to realize this too, and when he looks at Reggie, the vulnerability in his eyes makes Reggie ache. 

“You left us, not the other way around, Bobs.” Fuck, that’s cagey. More defensive that he means. Bobby gives him a bitter smirk, opening his mouth, but Reggie squeezes where he holds Bobby’s arm still. “You didn’t explain. You didn’t say anything. You just left. You never talked to us,” he says, his voice calmer as he goes further. Bobby’s expression crumples, screwing up around his mouth. 

“You didn’t stop me, Reg! When I said I was leaving, you didn’t try to stop me. Not like we stopped Alex. Not like you would have stopped Luke. Not like we would have stopped you. A rhythm guitarist is replaceable, you know, you guys were never as attached, so don’t act like you weren’t happy I was gone,” Bobby pushes out the words like they’re insistent against his throat, and Reggie pushes himself against Bobby’s chest when they’re done, forces himself under Bobby’s chin and makes Bobby hug him. He pulls Bobby against him and hugs him none too gently, hugs him like he wanted to when Bobby left, because he was fucking devastated when Bobby left, it destroyed him when Bobby left, but he didn’t want to make Bobby stay somewhere he didn’t want to be. He pushes himself up against Bobby because that’s how they’ve always talked best, not looking each other in the eye but still close enough to feel each other’s heartbeats, and he both loves and hates how easily Bobby relaxes against him as soon as he’s close. When he speaks, he does so quietly, more gently than he’s been with Bobby in a year’s time. Only had to do today a third time to start talking like he should have been for a year. 

“I wanted you to stay. We wanted you to stay. But fuck, it hurt when shut us out, when you kicked us out. We thought we were family, Bee. Sunset Curve was our family, you were our family. We were supposed to have each other’s backs and you told us that you wanted out of our family.” 

“I didn’t want to kick you guys out. It just… it happened so fast, and you just packed up and left. I wanted you to keep using the garage, even if it was without me. But, Sunset Curve was family, and I was leaving Sunset Curve,” Bobby says, like that explains anything. Reggie wants to both pull Bobby so close that the other boy lives inside of Reggie’s own ribcage, and pull far enough away that he can punch Bobby in the face. 

“You’re an idiot, Bobby Wilson,” he says, stroking Bobby’s hair. As soon as he says it, Bobby tenses up. 

“What?” the other boy says, voice hardening again. Reggie scritches his nails along Bobby’s scalp. 

“You’re an idiot if you think we didn’t love you. We still do, even if we’ve been mad, and hurt, and whatever else for the past year without you, which has sucked, by the way. You’re our best friend, and the fact that you just left us, barely any explanation, and didn’t speak to any of us at all? Definitely aggravated some abandonment issues, yeah, but we still fucking love you. Honestly! You’re an idiot. Can’t believe you,” Reggie says, pulling Bobby even closer when it seems like Bobby might pull away or might not know what to do, because he can’t let Bobby pull away again. Not physically or emotionally or socially or ever, ever again. Bobby’s arms finally wrap fully around Reggie, delicate and unsure, and Reggie hums, satisfied. He’s missed this. Missed Bobby. 

“I knew Luke wouldn’t let me leave if it was for this. But I couldn’t waste the opportunity. My dad has a lot of connections that we might not have been able to make on our own,” Bobby says, but even the argument sounds like it has the air punched out of it. Reggie hums again, noncommittal. 

“He probably wouldn’t have let you leave without a fight, no, because anything your dad can do for us, we can do on our own talent, Bobbins. I know that you’re scared of never being able to make it, and I know that you think your dad can help us, but we’ve always agreed that we didn’t want to make it like that. Why did you think doing it like this would make things different?” he asks, making sure to keep his voice soft and the accusation out of his tone. He doesn’t want Bobby to puff up, because if Bobbers gets defensive, this conversation isn’t getting anywhere. He might as well have a conversation with a brick wall. He’s not the most intelligent former member of Sunset Curve (that honor goes to Alex, probably), but it’s better that he’s here than, say, Luke. Luke would definitely have started a fight by now. 

“I just… I wanted to help. And then you guys didn’t talk to me, and you made a new band so quickly and everything changed so fast, and the new album was all I had, Reggie, and Carrie told me that I should just work on that and say fuck it, so I just said fuck it, and maybe I shouldn’t take emotional advice from a Scorpio, but I didn’t have you guys at the time, so I just- I wasn’t- it was,” Bobby stops and starts and then stops all together, and that’s all it takes for Reggie to realize that Bobby is probably about to start crying. Reggie tucks Bobby’s face against his neck and presses his own face against Bobby’s hair, pressing a kiss into it naturally, just like he does with Julie, because the Molinas are even more affectionate than, say, Sunset Curve, and Julie and the Phantoms has become a codependent place to live too. He wants to make Bobby safe there too. There’s something he has to say first, though. 

“We didn’t reach out because we thought you didn’t want us to, Bee. When you walked away, I promise we wanted to follow you. At the very least, Alex and Luke did. It… hurt me. A lot. When you left. Sunset Curve was the only family I had before the Molinas. Alex had his sisters, and even when they fight, Luke’s parents still love him, and you have Carrie, and Trevor, in his weird way, when he wants to care. But I don’t- they don’t love me, Bobs. Not even Michael, not really. And when… when you left, they took care of me instead of thinking about you, and I’m sorry. I’m really, really sorry.” It had taken Ray months to get him into a therapist who got him to admit that his family sucked. It’s weird to just say it now. It’s only been a month and a half since he said it in therapy. Bobby squeezes him a little too tight, but Reggie doesn’t tell him to let go. It’s kinda nice, actually. 

“I shouldn’t have left. I’m really, really sorry, Reg. I love you, and it wasn’t ever about- I’m sorry,” Bobby struggles through apologizing, and it’s obvious he’s crying now. It makes something crack in Reggie’s chest, like a ridge is forming beneath the plates of his crust, tectonics shifting as it quakes. He kisses the side of Bobby’s head, wants to kiss his face, and that’s not a new thought. He pushes it down just like he used to, lays it to rest within him and does not give it a grave marker, slides it down beneath the rest. They’ve probably been too close for too long. They’ve probably done that a lot over the years. They probably won’t stop, if they’re going to be mending their friendship. 

That’s okay, he doesn’t mind. 

“I love you too, Bobbins. Everything’s gonna be okay,” he says, and it almost feels like it actually will. He loves Bobby Wilson, and for the first time in a year, thinking so doesn’t burn in his chest. Bobby pulls away from him and gives him a smile, and there it is. That same old problem. 

His love for Bobby is like a car in that starting it seems impossible if you don’t know how; it’s sat dormant for months without an experienced driver. Luke and Alex have walked around it for the past year, tapped on the glass of its windows, have had no idea how to even open the doors without a key in hand. It’s just a hunk of metal really, but if you have the key (Bobby’s smile in the ignition, just ready to sink his teeth in), it’s the easiest thing in the world, just a turning of metal within another piece of metal, just a spark, and everything comes alive, all of the noise and heat, and there he is, there’s all the love in him, everything alive in Reggie, and it’s there and ready to go and rolling down the hill, 40 miles an hour, 50, 60, as fast as anyone will let him before they hit the breaks. All of the fear of being hurt takes the backseat as Bobby slides into the driver’s seat, Reggie taking passenger because he’s never been in control of this. It’s okay, though. Bobby’s never been a reckless driver. He’ll be careful enough. Reggie has always been so ready to hand himself away to this boy. 

Same problem, same solution. Reggie shoves his love into himself and gives Bobby a smile of his own, offering him his hand as they exit. Bobby’s smile slides into a grin, but he shakes his head. 

“Unfortunately, we’ve both got work to do, Reg. I’ll see you later? Tomorrow maybe?” he asks, and they both know that tomorrow might not come. Reggie nods anyway, entrapped by that fucking grin, the sharp canine that overlaps over one of his other teeth, every little thing that Reggie has ever observed about Bobby coming back into sharp focus. And, god, he loves him. Jesus. 

“I’ll see you tomorrow, Bee. Love you,” he says, and he walks away from Bobby feeling ten pounds lighter. It almost scares him when Bobby catches him by the hand halfway out of the door of the rhythm cafe, spinning him around and pulling him a little closer than they’ve ever gotten so quickly, and Reggie knows he’s blushing before he even sets himself to rights. 

“Sorry, just. Love you too,” Bobby says it like he’s following an impulse and then he kisses Reggie on the cheek (he’s never kissed Reggie on the face before, always kept it to his hair or his shoulder or his hands or-) and disappears out the door. Reggie blinks, standing stock still for a moment as the feeling rolls over him before he follows Bobby out of the door, the other boy already lost in the din of the camp. He goes about the rest of his day with a little more pep in his step, catching things before they fall and all of the things he maybe shouldn’t do for the butterfly effect of it all, but he just can’t help it. Everything looks a little brighter on the other side of the tunnel. He sees Bobby across the campground a couple of times, but never really close enough to engage, just enough to fluster himself. He needs to talk to the boys and Julie and Flynn. 

The soonest time he gets to see all of them is dinner that night, when Alex tells them all about Willie. Reggie doesn’t interrupt, and he gives the same advice he’s given the last two times (“You should totally talk to him again! In fact, where is he? Hey! Are you Willie? You should come eat with us!”), but afterwards, he tells everyone that he talked to Bobby. And the table goes strangely, eerily silent. 

“What do you mean you talked to Bobby, Reg? I thought we were gonna be cool about it,” Luke says, looking at Reggie mostly but looking at Julie a little bit, probably because he doesn’t want to hurt her feelings. Reggie doesn’t want to hurt her feelings either (and he won’t, not even for Bobby, but Bobby is important too), but he’s not going to keep this a secret from her either. 

“I am being cool about this! Bobbert apparently got convinced by his dad to make a solo album so that his dad would sponsor Sunset Curve, and Bobby didn’t think that he could tell us because you wouldn’t let him leave, but he didn’t want to squander the opportunity or whatever, but then he was really Bobby about it and got in his feelings, but we were also in our feelings, so overall Sunset Curve era communication skills were really, really shit and honestly we all owe our lives to Flynn and Julie, but furthermore, it’s my vote that we engage Robert T Wilson in a prank war, as he has wronged the former members of Sunset Curve, but he is still a former member of Sunset Curve himself, and dude, he cried on me earlier,” he ends out strong, because he knows nothing is more convincing that Bobby fucking Wilson expressing an emotion. He doesn’t realize he’s speaking more to the table than he is to his friends until he’s done speaking, but when he looks up, Luke and Alex are both just looking at him, Luke’s eyes wide and six shades of puppy dog, his smile just starting to curve upward, and Alex giving that shy smile like he’s just seeing Reggie. 

“Are you sure, man?” Alex asks, and Reggie knows why. He knows that half the reason that Alex and Luke held such a huge grudge against Bobby was for hurting him, and he knows that despite all of their implications and joking, everyone knows that he is the delicate one, not Alex. He bites his lip and looks at Julie, who gives him a smile, one that doesn’t even look hurt. Flynn is smiling too, so Julie must really not be hurting; Flynn is never good at covering up when Julie isn’t alright. She gets too mad. 

“I’m sure. So, what do you think we should do?” he asks, and that sets them off. Flynn has a lot of opinions for someone who has never participated in a Sunset Curve prank war, but she argues that it’s not a Sunset Curve prank war, being as all four members of Julie and the Phantoms (and their social media manager) plan to participate, and Reggie can’t help his smile when they say that. He likes the idea of having Flynn and Julie in on this too, can’t stand the idea of having a separation between the lot of them again, and it makes him smile even wider when Willie throws in an opinion too; Bobby has apparently talked about them some, and this might help. This might help. Thank God. 

“We are not going to just pie the guy, that’s so lame,” Flynn says, and that breaks Reggie out of his head. He puts his hand on their shoulder. He knows they’re right, that it’s the kind of shitty prank a bunch of thirteen year olds would produce, but well-

“We should definitely pie him. That was how we used to start our prank wars because when we were kids- or, well, it was just a few years ago, when we had first met, we were thirteen, and Bobby smacked me in the face with a banana cream pie in the doorway right over there,” he points to the cafeteria doorway where Bobby had ambushed him, the fond memory washing over him. It had been a dare from one of the other boys at camp, and Bobby had regretted it immediately when he thought Reggie was going to cry (he wasn’t that sensitive, he just had whipped cream in his eye!), but when Bobby decided to hang out with him instead of going back to hang with the other boys, Reggie wasn’t even mad about the pie. He just started pranking Bobby back, and brought Luke and Alex into it too, and that’s how they got started. Hearing this, Flynn nods. 

“Okay. Do you still know where the camp keeps their pies?” they ask, and Reggie breaks into a grin, nodding back. 

It would probably look suspicious if they all got up from the table, so Flynn makes Luke, Alex and Willie stay. Reggie winks at Alex when Willie isn’t looking, making the other boy blush a pretty pink to match his signature hoodie. It’s always charming to leave your best friend with your other best friend, who happens to be his ex-boyfriend, and his pretty obvious new crush. Reggie leaves with Flynn and Julie, glad that he’s not make small talk with that crazy crew (not that he’s ever made small talk with Luke and Alex; they would probably just end up one upping each other with who could tell Willie the most embarrassing story about Bobby the fastest, seeing as he’s had a year’s time to tell Willie stories about them, should he so please). He links his arm with Julie as he usually does, who links her other arm with Flynn, even if they make a conspicuous picture together. Flynn has told him that one of the best ways to be inconspicuous is to be conspicuous in other ways all together. 

He’s not sure if they’re right, but he’ll take it. 

“Okay, so they’re back there in the fridge, sweets are on the right hand side, pies are usually in the bottom. I can absolutely guarantee about thirty seconds,” he says, and then he lets go of Julie, pushing Julie and Flynn into the kitchen as he catches sight of-

“Hey Marge!” he says brightly, injecting excitement into his voice and making sure not to look in the direction of the door he just pushed his friends into. If he gives them up, they’re all fucked. Luckily, Marge just looks as excited to see him as she always does, just as excited to see him as she’s looked since he was tiny and thirteen and adults liked him so, so much more than kids ever had. 

“Reggie, my love, where have you been? You haven’t come to see me at all this week. I almost didn’t think you were coming back,” she says, and then they’re off. He talks about the band for as much time as he can; Marge doesn’t really understand the social media kickoff they’ve been able to get, but she likes how excited he gets, so that’s nice. He asks her about her kids, her grandkids, even the nieces that used to come around to camp just to visit every couple of weeks that he can just barely remember the names of- he’s good like that. He’s not sure how long they’ve been talking when Julie comes up and grabs his shoulder, sliding him a smile before turning her charm on Marge. 

“Hi! I’m Reggie’s friend, Julie. Is there any chance I could steal him from you?” she asks, all smiles and barely there pretty girl laughter, and Marge just smiles back at her, giving her a nod. 

“Reggie has been telling me all about your band, so I could hardly keep him from one of you three. It’s wonderful to meet one of you. Come back and see me, my boy,” she says, and she kisses Reggie on the cheek, and then she goes back to the kitchen. It makes Reggie feel warm, and he wishes he hadn’t come to see her just to steal a pie; it makes him feel dirty. That only lasts for a minute as Julie pulls on his arm, giggles bursting out of her chest as Flynn rejoins them, slipping out with a pie in hand, cling wrap still holding it together. A smile takes over his face as well as he puts his arm around Flynn’s shoulders, snagging the pie with his other hand. This is his prank. He’s gonna do it. 

That’s what he thinks, at least, until Alex steals the pie from his hands, putting on the table in front of himself. 

“I wanna do it. And I want you to be standing behind me, and I want Luke to be there too, for maximum drama potential. Listen, we’ve been plotting it out, work with me here,” Alex says, both hands on the table in front of the pie. Reggie considers it briefly, but decides, well, all three of them should be involved, and then both Flynn and Julie could be there for it too. And Willie could do the lead in. At the suggestion, Willie grins. 

“I’m in,” they say, bumping his wrist with Reggie’s own. Then, they just set the plan in motion. The lot of them actually have to eat their dinner at this point, seeing as they’ve been talking and plotting and planning when they were supposed to be eating, so they rush through their meal and get up in shifts; he and Luke and Julie get up and go sit on the cafeteria porch first, sitting on the railing to shoot the shit and talk, killing time while the rest of the plan goes accordingly. Willie moves to sit with Bobby about halfway through the meal, unlacing his fingers from Alex’s hesitantly, though the rest of them pretend not to notice. Flynn and Alex move to linger by the door, surreptitiously disguising the pie in Alex’s jacket as they stand to talk behind the shadow of the alcove. 

It’s all coming to a head when they can all hear Bobby’s voice. 

“Wills, I don’t see the point in getting back into conspiracy theories, dude. They just don’t interest me that much any-” Bobby is cut off as he steps out of the doorway of the cafeteria, pie hitting him directly in the face as he sputters. He’s looking around wildly and his eyes catch on Alex first, then Flynn, then Luke, before finally landing on Reggie, who gives a loose fingered wave and a smile. He watches the way that it settles over Bobby exactly what this means (because after the first pie, they’ve never used pies on anyone but friends, they’ve always been a good natured prank, a sweet prank), and he watches as the anger and fear twists to wonder and Bobby looks more open than Reggie has ever seen Bobby Wilson ever look in public, and he looks so open Reggie could cry. The wonder gives Bobby his smile back and, covered in whipped cream and newfound joy, he waves back. 

By some unfair deity and miracle, he’s never looked more beautiful. 

“I’ll get you back for this, you know,” Bobby says, his head tilted up like he’s speaking to Alex, but he still hasn’t taken his eyes off of Reggie. Alex snorts. 

“Sure, Bobbers. Just like we’ll get you back for leavin’ us for a year just because your dad told you to. Shut up,” Alex says, and the tension that’s settled over the group leaves as soon as Alex wraps his arms around Bobby, uncaring of the pie that gets on his jacket, dissipating even more as Luke joins in, dragging Julie, who is laughing, in with him, and Reggie comes too, because this is all he’s not let himself want for the past year, and he snags Flynn and Willie just because he can, making their group hug a seven person event that includes five of his closest friends, himself, and one person he’s just met. Which is awesome. He can’t imagine what it’s like to be Willie right now, hearing about them vaguely for a year and then being dragged into this, but you win some, you lose some, right? 

“I am gonna get you back, you know? I wanna make that clear. And Willie, even if you think Alex is cute, you’re on my team,” Bobby says after a minute of allowing affection on his person, and Reggie can’t help his helpless laughter as the group breaks apart as Alex and Willie separate, unable to look at each other directly. 

“Can’t let us have one moment, can you, Wilson?” he asks as he comes face to face with Bobby again, his eyes sliding over Bobby’s face with a near obsession. He holds himself back from reaching for Bobby, though his fingers twitch to touch him again. Bobby grins at him, biting his lip in a way that makes Reggie stare without really realizing it. There’s still whipped cream on Bobby’s forehead. He should not be charmed by this. 

“We’ve already had our moment today, wouldn’t you say, Peters?” the other boy says, which sounds much more suggestive than crying in front of each other, but alright. He and Bobby had always had a somewhat flirtatious friendship, but this is… something else. Even when he wanted to… even when he and Bobby were… Jesus. 

“There’s an energy here. I’d say there’s an energy here, right?” Flynn stage-whispers to Alex (who still won’t look at Willie through anything but the corner of his eye) and Julie (who is enjoying all of the energies here and is leaning against Luke, who doesn’t seem to mind at all, blushing himself), who nod conspiratorially. Reggie hates that he can feel himself flush immediately. Bobby just slings an arm over Reggie’s shoulders, kissing Reggie’s temple and making Reggie wonder quietly at how comfortable they’ve already become again. 

“You hear that, babe? We’ve got energy,” Bobby says, almost directly in Reggie’s ear. Reggie hides his face against Bobby’s collar, but that only serves to put him closer to Bobby’s person, which only flusters him more, which is sincerely a vicious cycle, he must say. Carrie and her friends choose that moment to exit the cafeteria, which they’re still kinda semi-blocking the door of, which means that she sees, well, everything that’s going on right now. Reggie goes to pull away from Bobby, seeing as this is Bobby’s little sister (only a year and a month of difference, and adoptive, but, well), but Bobby holds onto his waist. Carrie looks Bobby up and down and then gives Reggie an even quicker once over, barely lingering over him before going back to her brother. 

“So you’re back in with these losers? No more crying into pints of dairy free ice cream?” she says, her tone cutting and a little cold, but Reggie knows Carrie better than that. He’s known her since she was twelve, he’s seen her cry over a Little’s Pet Shop purse being out of stock, and he helped Bobby figure out pre-ordering when they were fourteen so that they could make sure that it never happened again. Bobby just gives her a smile. 

“We talked it out, Care. However, you are on my team for the prank war, so I will be needing your mind,” he adds, giving her a smile that Reggie finds charming but he imagines Carrie probably finds annoying (he’d probably find something like it annoying on Michael, as is the condition of older brothers, so), and Carrie sticks her tongue out. 

“Fine. But if I’m participating, I plan to win. Detach yourself from loverboy and let’s go,” she says, pursing her lips. If Reggie could stop blushing, that would be beautiful. Luke, however, has other ideas, and catches Bobby by the shoulder before he can make it down the steps. He drags him over to the side of the cafeteria like that’ll dull the sound any, and like it’s not then easy for all of them to hear every single word that comes out of Luke’s mouth. 

“If you ever hurt Reg again, I’ll break both your ankles and your guitar, dude. I love you and you’re one of my best friends, we are family, but you weren’t here for the past year. You didn’t see what happened to him. I don’t know what’s going on between you two, but dude, take care of yourself and take care of him,” he says, and then there’s a moment of silence, and then Bobby is shoved back into view. He looks a little shaken up, and he takes Reggie’s hand as soon as he sees him, looking at Carrie for a moment, and she nods. Reggie looks at Flynn and Julie, suddenly unsure of himself, and they both nudge him along as well, and so he lets Bobby take him down the path to the rhythm cafe, which seems to be becoming a thing for them. It’s private, which is something. 

“This evening has gone very differently from the previous two,” he says in an effort to break the tension, maybe to distract Bobby from what Luke said, maybe because he doesn’t want to talk about it. Bobby squeezes his hand. 

“Reg, buddy. Babe. Come on. What did he mean?” Bobby asks, and Reggie wants to linger on word choice here, he really does, but Bobby’s looking at him like he doesn’t really have a chance to linger here. Reggie takes a deep breath. 

“Shit, I- things hit me hard, when you left. I closed off. Luke and Alex didn’t know what to do. Things were getting even harder at home, and Julie was letting me stay over more, and so we were hanging out more, and that’s when the music started happening, but it was hard, you know? I needed you, I guess. You needed us too, I know that now. But I didn’t then. I just knew that I needed you and you weren’t there and I didn’t think you wanted to be there either, and… I missed you a lot,” he explains, poorly, and he can’t look at Bobby when he talks, but he doesn’t feel confident enough to pull Bobby close now. He’s wiped the whipped cream off off his forehead by now, onto his hands and then his jeans, and Reggie wonders what it would be like if he could look at Bobby and not wonder what it would be like to kiss him. It’s harder to press down the thought now. 

“I’m sorry I left, Reg. I love you so, so much,” Bobby says, his nose resting gently against Reggie’s own, and Reggie doesn’t know when Bobby moved so close. He doesn’t know when his other hand grabbed onto Bobby’s shirt, he doesn’t know when Bobby’s breath ghosting over his face started feeling right, and he certainly doesn’t know when Bobby’s I love you started feeling like something different than what it felt like before. But he doesn’t know. He can’t know for sure. 

“I love you too, Bobbins. I love you too,” he replies, because of course he does, and Bobby rubs their noses together, smiling gently like Reggie isn’t getting something, and then he dips in to kiss him, slowly and gently, gently, gently, gently. Bobby’s hand is holding Reggie’s face like he’s something made of spun glass and sure things, like Reggie is made of everything important in the world, and Reggie’s hand stays fisted in Bobby’s shirt, his other hand with fingers clinging to Bobby’s own. They kiss slowly, like they have all the time in the world, like they didn’t waste a year not talking to each other, like they don’t have two diverging paths in front of them, like they don’t have a prank war to plan and two separate sides to be on, and like they’re not eighteen years old and they couldn’t be going much faster and making much rasher decisions. 

He feels like Bobby’s taking them cruising down a backroad, holding his hand over the gearshift while they watch the trees go by. He could stay in the car forever with this boy. When Bobby pulls away, he doesn’t go far, not this time, just sets his forehead against Reggie’s and breathes. 

They just breathe together, and the closeness feels like coming home. 

“I’m still gonna prank you, you know,” Bobby says, because he can’t deal with one single emotional moment. Reggie gives him a brief little peck of a kiss just because he can, and he’s delighted to see how it makes Bobby blink, even given how they’ve just kissed, and he’s only doing it again. 

“Wait, you’re cute. I always knew you were, but you’re, like, actually cute all the time, aren’t you? That’s sweet,” Reggie observed, surprised by self-proclaimed-at-fifteen ‘badass’ Bobby Wilson being cute when Reggie so much as kisses him, and he’s even more delighted when Bobby goes from pink to a red that rivals even Reggie’s own flushing tones. It takes Bobby a second to even be able to speak. 

“Reg, I swear. Take that back. I am not- you’re cute. Not me. Don’t- I- Shut up,” Bobby trips over himself, trips over his own words, flustered, and it warms Reggie’s chest so thoroughly he feels fit to burst with it. He leans in and kisses Bobby again, never so glad as now that they’re so close in height, because it’s so, so easy to just kiss this boy who’s very, very kissable in the first place. Bobby kisses him back and pulls back just to kiss him again, and again, and then on his cheek, and then his nose, and his other cheek, and his forehead, and Reggie is laughing even though he doesn’t mean to, and this might be the best day of his life. He’s so happy he feels like he could float away, adrift with the wind, but he has Bobby still holding onto his fingers and wrapped around him, and he’s so, so happy. 

“I love you,” he says again, and he’s never meant anything with more of himself. Eventually, he and Bobby have to separate and go to their own cabins, which actually means that they're going to plan their own wars, but dear God, for this moment, he’s standing too close to a boy who loves him back to think about how the night will end and the day might begin again. When they do leave each other, Bobby presses him gently against a wall and kisses him goodnight, and Reggie cups his face when he does it, just to remind him that Reggie is holding the world when he does it too. Instead of asking questions, Luke and Alex go directly into planning mode, charting the course for a few pranks and ribbing him just a little for how mussed his hair is, cracking a joke or two about sharing a bed now that he’s taken or whatever. It’s so normal that Reggie feels like he could crack right open, and when he goes to sleep in his own bed, he falls asleep easier than he has all year. 

He wakes up to a new morning the next day, a bed full of silly string, and a note from Bobby. 

I told you I would. Come find me? 

And so it begins. 

(When he remembers, he does, eventually, try to find the cabin again. He gets so far as the egg shaped rock before getting so disoriented he nearly passes out, and he decides that it simply is not worth it. He already has his miracle.)

[crazy-loca-blog]

Personal thoughts on… 2019 releases (Part II)

Note: As the title says, these are just personal opinions on Choices books and chapters. Of course, you may agree or disagree with them, I only use this platform to express my thoughts on what I read every week.

Welcome to the second part of this three-part post. As I said in the first post, I will include current releases and books that were released on 2018 but finished in 2019. The list is organized in alphabetical order and it doesn’t include the VIP Books (as I don’t have access to the feature) or the seasonal books (as I’ll talk about them in another post, after all of them have been fully released). You may see Part I here.

PS: I’ll do my best to upload Part III today (Dec. 31), but I can’t make any promises because I won’t be home on New Year’s eve.

Desire & Decorum, Book 3 (August 4, 2019 - December 1, 2019): This is the only wedding book that made real sense to me this year… and it’s definitely my favorite wedding book of the year. It was the perfect closure for a series that didn’t convince me that much at first, but that I learned to love over time. We had this whole new plot with Harry that was a little weak, but at the same time it was a smart move, as it helped to keep a balance and to not overcharge things with the wedding. But can we just talk about the final chapter? It was simply adorable, I loved every part of it (honestly, I haven’t heard of anyone complaining on the final chapter yet). If I have to criticize something, I’d say the writers went too far with Mr. Sinclaire. The man went through hell in the first two books, I thought they would give him a break in the third one… I was so wrong! But overall, I really liked this book, the new characters such as Harry, Briar’s mom and Hamid’s mom gave some fresh air to the story and new plots such as matchmaking Luke and Anabelle’s sister were a nice twist. I’m pretty happy with this book.  

High School Story: Class Act, Book 1 (October 8, 2018 - January 14, 2019): New cast, same school. I couldn’t actually say if I like or dislike this book more than the previous series because I actually feel it’s just impossible to compare them. The writers had a very difficult work to do, as they needed to make this cast different from the HSS one within the same environment, and I’d say they succeeded. Not only you can see the problems are different, but also the way they address their relationships is different, and it’s quite evident that they are younger kids that are transitioning into their teenage years more than teens thinking about graduating and going to college. We also went from this super popular MC and being prom king/queen to a MC who embarrasses himself/herself quite often and whose friends (except for Rory) are probably amongst the most unpopular kids in school. Finally, the fact that the story focuses in one specific school area (the theatre club) was a pretty smart move to not make this story a mess. So overall, it’s not one of my favorite books, but I enjoyed reading it and I appreciate the writers’ effort to make this series different from the first one.

High School Story: Class Act, Book 2 (February 11, 2019 - May 20, 2019): This is the theatre book where theatre is not seen anywhere. I’m not sure if this is the weakest book in the series (I think I still need to realize how Book 3 will end in a few weeks), but I admit I had to review the chapters’ summary because I couldn’t even remember what the book was about. The plot was simply lame, there are no big highlights in the story, we spent like half of it in the middle of a fight between Rory and our twin because they both want to be school president (can we talk about the fact that Maria is graduating?) and we appeared on TV. Our MC simply didn’t shine or did anything truly remarkable during this book. If it weren’t for Ajay’s parents’ divorce and the role our MC played on supporting his/her friend, this book would have been easily forgotten.  

High School Story: Class Act, Book 3 (October 30, 2019 - Present): Honestly, I’m not a fan of mixing both HSS gangs in Book 3. It feels weird not to be able to control a MC that I was able to manage in the past. I also understand all the hype for going to London, but did we really need as many people as we see in this book? Where are people like Natalie or Danielle? I mean, I don’t like them, but they’ve belonged to this group since day 1. Anyway… I’m guessing this is the way the writers found for us to say goodbye to this series. After six books, I think it’s the perfect time to put High School Story to rest for a while, before it becomes a mess. Even though there are some chapters left, I can already tell what my favorite thing about this book (and this series) is: the issues these kids have to face in their personal lives are serious stuff. In the past, Rory’s mom had cancer and Ajay’s parents got divorced, and now we talk about Skye coming from an abusive family and our twins trying to find their roots. That was enough. I don’t think we needed Rory and Ajay facing new problems in this book. Instead, I would have preferred to see Rory working with Maria or Ajay dealing with the fact that he became “the man of the house” after his parents’ divorce. The idea was to see them “growing” throughout the series; unfortunately, this hasn’t happened yet.

It Lives Beneath (October 10, 2018 - January 30, 2019): This is the only book in the list I haven’t read… and there is a very specific reason for it. When It Lives In The Woods was first released, I noticed that a lot of the screenshots people were posting included spiders… a lot of them. As an aracnophobic myself, I just couldn’t even begin the first chapter of that book. Then, It Lives Beneath was released and I noticed that there were some characters from the first book, so I said “mmm… maybe I do need to read the first book because it might be linked to the second one”, so I never read it. However, I have to agree with the fandom on the fact that we need more mystery and horror books in the app. Sure, I’m a sucker for romance books, but at the same time, I’m totally capable to understand that we need more diversity in terms of books. So I’m totally waiting for this series to be revisited in the future, the fans deserve it.  

Mother Of The Year (August 30, 2019 - Present): This God-tier book is one of those gifts that you don’t expect to be that nice, but it ends up being a treasure. It definitely climbed up in my personal list and went straight to the Top 2 of my favorite books in the app. Nobody had much hope on this story, but we ended up meeting an adorable daughter, a mom that was a warrior, three LIs that were simply adorable, one of the best BBFs that Choices has given us and Luz Mendez, probably one of the best characters in the app. Overall, the plot and the characters (even the evil ones!) were so real and relatable that I have to admit I went through every single possible feeling while reading the book… I laughed, I cried, I screamed, and I got mad at times. And of course, my heart broke when we realized that this was a standalone book. But do I really want it to become a series? I’m not that sure. There is a part of me who wouldn’t like to see a second book because the ending was so precious that I wouldn’t like it to be ruined with a second book. On the other hand, I love the story so much that it makes me sad to realize we won’t be getting anything new from these beautiful people. However, I think the story is perfect to make a Christmas or a Halloween special, focused on the kids… maybe even a summer book! This book definitely deserves to be revisited in the future.  

Nightbound (April 24, 2019 - July 31, 2019): I’m not surprised by the end of Nightbound, but I’m definitely sad. I had problems trying to understand the book at first because I’m not the type of person who’s into supernatural and magical stuff (I have to admit this also causes me some problems even when trying to understand the plots in books such as Bloodbound and The Elementalists, despite I think those are good series). I may even have to replay it to fully understand it. But there are some things that are pretty clear to me: the book is well written, the book is good, the book has awesome characters and most importantly, the book is DIFFERENT, something that this fandom has been asking for a long time now. So I was quite shocked when the writers said the book wasn’t doing as good as they thought. Does this book deserve a sequel? Absolutely! Even though I think it got a proper closure, I also think the plot has a lot of potential that could be explored. As that won’t be happening, I really hope to see some of these characters in Bloodblound 3, just as we saw Cal in Bloodbound 2.  

Open Heart (February 22, 2019 - June 7, 2019): Sorry, but right now I think my opinion will be completely biased because this is my absolute favorite book in the app. There’s just nothing I don’t love about it. The balance between the romance and the professional stories is one of the bests (if not the best) in the app, the characters are well written, the medical plot is interesting and it addresses many of the current conflicts in health care… it’s just a masterpiece. On the romantic side, it doesn’t matter if you go straight to Bryce or Jackie or if you preferred the slow burn with Rafael (actually, can he be considered a “slow burn”?) or Ethan, the writers took their time for the MC to befriend them, we got to deeply know these people (except for Bryce and Jackie… I’m so waiting to know more about them!) before making a choice, and not all of the romance stories ended up with happy endings and fairy tails, so yeah… it’s my perfect book. Can’t wait for the second one!

Passport to Romance (March 20, 2019 - June 19, 2019): Probably my biggest disappointment of the year. The idea behind this story seemed nice, we could have learned about so many places, we could have laughed about so many of the troubles that people travelling on a budget face, we could have had a series instead of a standalone book. Instead, we got a MC who was always late, who seemed to be quite irresponsible with her job, who lived a life of luxury and who suddenly became BFF with people he/she had just met. Come on, they were nice people (even though at some point I just wanted to make Elliot disappear), but again… we had just met, it’s not like you can’t live without them. On top of that, I can’t even remember how many times this gang violated some rules… sure, Yvette was happy, but it might have cost you an expulsion from Europe, which is not nice if you’re a travel blogger. Let’s add up the non-sense of some situations. I know that books are supposed to be a mix between fiction and reality, but I think they went too far this time. I mean… why would the coach allow Ahmed to travel with a group of strangers instead of travelling with the rest of the team? Especially if he’s a professional athlete and he’s competing in an important championship... sorry guys, but there’s nothing I can rescue from this book.

Platinum (May 30, 2019 - September 19, 2019): This is definitely one of my favorite stories this year, and sorry… but I will never get over the fact that this is a standalone book. This book is so unique in so many ways… for the first time, we heard voices and we heard people singing… we also got Avery and Raleigh, two LIs that were gender customizable… the secondary characters were gold… the plot was so cliché but so attractive at the same time… and I could continue. Reading it every week was a real pleasure, you were actually waiting to find out what would happen the next week, and at some point, it seemed like it was the only book that people talked about. However, creating this book was expensive, and well... that just sucks. It would have been so nice to see our MC touring with her friends, taking new risks, visiting new places, and receiving the rock star treatment that she deserved. This book still has a solid fanbase (especially in Tumblr), so it’s just sad it won’t be revisited in the future.

[getseriouser]

20 THOUGHTS: One thought, one Nathan Buckley

SO I tend to try and avoid Collingwood too much, not because of bias as I feel I am as objective a passionate barracker as there might be, but because who wants to hear Caroline Wilson talk too much about Richmond, Dermot Brereton talk too much about Cyril Rioli or AFL house talk too much about how this is definitely the last time one of their executives is deeply remorseful for ‘insert misconduct here’?

It can get boring.

But in realising that whilst it was a bloody decent weekend of footy, and I can tell you all about how Geelong are still as lucky as Mars bar at a Diabetic convention, or that unless the Giants get their best players back asap they’ll be underprepared and shaky come September, or that because of last Friday and their respective runs home (seriously check them both out) that I now have Essendon taking St Kilda’s spot in the finals, it’s time to address the elephant in the room.

What do Collingwood do with Nathan Buckley, and who is their next coach?

I’ve been asked where this piece is, so let’s do it, let’s get it out of the way so we can then move on to an exciting finish to the season… until Ed does something about this which of course we’ll address it then at the time.

Firstly should he go? Yes. Why? Because where this year has shown some of the most promising signs that Buckley can crack it with this list and maybe next year is that year the Pies finally head back up the ladder, the fact I said ‘maybe’ and ‘finally’ paints the picture.

Looking back, the form displayed in Round 3 against the Swans, Round 8 against the Giants and even Round 12 against Melbourne were all admirable. Two of those games were close losses, and sadly some of the close losses this season had they been wins might have changed the overall narrative, perhaps.

Three losses under a kick, seven losses by under 20 points, the Pies have been really competitive a lot of the time. But I’m sure the Portugese police really looked hard for Madeline McCann but she hasn’t been found and that’s all that matters to her parents.

Point being, we can point to excuses, reasons, mitigating circumstance all we like, but in the end the results of the three weeks prior to the win over the Gold Coast point to a side that needs a freshening up in order to succeed, not persistence with the current plan.

Someone said that the true definition of insanity is to try the same thing over and over and to expect a different result. A very smart someone indeed.

Whilst I wouldn’t expect the same result, far from it, but this feels a bit like the 2014 Bulldogs. Shortly after the end of a disappointing season, one where they finished 14th with seven wins, after winning eight and five the previous two years, the club replaced Brendan McCartney with Luke Beveridge, traded Ryan Griffen out for Tom Boyd, and set about replotting their course.

The next year the Dogs came out and won four of their first five, won eight from nine after the bye and finished sixth with 14 wins. They won one more home and away game last year and we all know about their September.

Sure, there were some list changes, they trade out their captain for a yet-unproven no.1 draft pick who then went on to be seen as best on ground by two of the five judges in last year’s Grand Final, but largely Beveridge got 28 home and away victories in two seasons with a very similar group to the team that won 20 games from the previous three.

Some, a lot, who knows how much, but McCartney’s work has to have played a part in their success last year, it can’t all be down to the input of Beveridge once he took over the reigns. But what’s key is that there was a change of coach, a revised direction, a new look, a new voice, and that appears to be what turned a list with potential into the potent side the Dogs became, and the team that broke a 62-year drought.

This is ultimately what needs to happen at the Holden Centre. This is not like Melbourne before Paul Roos where he was frogmarched in by the AFL for a blank cheque to fix a rabble. The 2017 Collingwood list is miles better than the 2013 Melbourne list. This would not be a project; require a long term rebuild.

Coming into 2017 Collingwood had the 11th youngest list, only one spot below the reigning premier, but the sixth ranked list for average games per player, the exact same average as you guessed it, the reigning premier.

Sure, there are list deficiencies, but the Bulldogs won a premiership with two key backs, one a Geelong delistee two years prior, the other a pre-season draft pick from 2012. Zaine Cordy was a premiership centre-half forward in his 11th game.

The right coach makes a difference. The right coach gets the job done with what’s at his disposal. Take a look at Alistair Clarkson, his Hawks were completely shot two months ago and the rebuild was on. Hold the phone, after impressive wins against Sydney and Adelaide, both on the road, you can already see them rebounding back into the finals sooner rather than later.

Buckley appears to need luck to succeed. He finds genuine excuses it seems, valid reasons for failure, but Beveridge made the finals in his first year where missing them could have been justified. Clarkson defeated the Swans and Crows within a month where the jury would have understood if he had been smashed by both.

That’s why Buckley’s time is up. He will put together some very inspiring wins as coach, he will show runs of form where you go “hang on, here come the Pies”, like 2015 and 2016 where he compiled 8-3 starts both years.

But he would need too much to go his way or too much time to compile a year where it ‘all’ comes together and he makes finals. Let alone win a flag.

So, who replaces him, and how.

The latter first, that’s simple – he isn’t sacked, he will transition into a new role. Whether Buckley owns the narrative or Eddie McGuire and the club does, but there’ll be an announcement where he will be thanked for his service and an acknowledgement made that he is moving on to the next part of his professional career, a new job he has probably already half lined up be it in football or indeed back into the media – he is immensely talented and will have a bevvy of suitors.

The press will use the word sacked but the stubborn McGuire will huff and puff and hijack that as best he can.

Now, the successor.

Two schools of thought, experienced or untried, and the second option is straightforward, but I put forward the Ross Lyon precedent.

Fremantle from inception until the 2011 season were not to be taken seriously. West Coast’s far poorer neighbour, they were showing no signs of promise and going nowhere. Mark Harvey had coached the side to a nine-win season, not awful but again, the Dockers, who cares?

Then bang! Ruthless! As soon as the coach of the mighty Saints, a club who had missed the Grand Final for the first time in three years, had been eliminated in the finals by Sydney, the once-flimsy Dockers took everyone by surprise and poached Ross Lyon from nowhere, the best coach in the land at the time.

Their ascension since is well documented, making the Grand Final two years later, losing by 15 points to the juggernaut Hawthorn but had they kicked straighter who knows?

That was a move pulled by at the time a club with sixteen years existence. Carlton won the flag in their first year. Fremantle were still a relative nobody.

Collingwood boasts to be the biggest club in the land. Who says Freo pulls better punches when it comes to serious coaching appointments. Remember who coached the Pies pre-Buckley, and how they secured him from the juggernaut Eagles in the late 90s? Exactly.

So who can Ed and his merry men headhunt? Clarkson is seemingly out of the question. You don’t see Chris Scott or John Longmire done anytime soon, but hey, these are the names they’d be looking at and who’d categorically say they couldn’t pull off such a coup. Alan Richardson is interesting, former Pie, doing great things, but under contract so it could be tough going.

Paul Roos is the obvious one. Said he wouldn’t coach again, then money talked, the fire within burned too bright, he got the Dees up and going again in a fixed three year term. He seems a sucker for a challenge, especially when the dollars help too.

This year, first year out of club land, he was to take the year off, but has committed to the media on multiple platforms and done enough to suggest he is gettable, vis a vis he isn’t spending tonnes of time out of the country and unavailable basically.

If the AFL can coerce Roos into a short-term project like the Dees, with enough cash, the incentive from Ed and co. to take on a different challenge, getting the Pies contending within three or four years, something he was never going to do at Melbourne, with more cash, must be more likely than not.

Don’t bank on it, because it’s the slightly enigmatic Paul Roos and who knows what’s going on behind closed doors. But Roos’ commentary partner on Sunday radio, Wayne Carey, gets the feeling there’s smoke around the potential link between the premiership coach and the Magpies. And who is to question the greatest player many of has have witnessed?

Take the agony out of the equation, of a succession plan that hasn’t brought the club success (mind you, only four clubs have won flags since the Pies saluted in 2010, its hardly a drought), the outlook for the Pies can be easily re-configured by the promise of Paul Roos heading a list with capabilities.

Add in the Collingwood war chest that can lure a name or two to further bolster the playing list for 2018, 2019, and as far as the Pies’ Board will be concerned it will all be looking rather swell again.

The only thing that derails this would be if Buckley somehow wins five or six of their run home and Eddie can’t see the wood from trees, and we jump on the merry-go-round once more in 2018… in fact, watch that happen now, bloody hell…

 (originally published July 21)

[atttitudeofgratitude]

FRIDAY!, July 14th, 2017

TODAY I CAN: - [x] Daily Word  WE ARE ALL CHILDREN OF GOD. - [x] LOVE ❤️ It's not raining! Mornings with Houston 😇 and R ❤️ - [x] Meditate 😌💨 - [x] Journal 📚📖🖊📝 - [x] COLORING!🖍 - [x] GLUTES 1 - [x] GLO 🔆 - [x] Happier 2017! - [x] MOVE 🏃🏼‍♀️😍❤️ Be Brave! Take a second to celebrate the fact that this run is whatever you'd like it to be. Dance it out on street corners or take in the scenery. Run with joy and gratitude. 🎶🙏🏽🙌🏽✝️🎶👯 - [x] DANCE!👯 - [x] RUN 🏃🏼‍♀️😍❤️! - [x] Daily Word - [x] JOURNEY ** NOTE FROM MUM 😇💛✨👯 - [x] Articles - [x] Pictures - [x] Podcasts! Side Hustle, Running Vegan radio - [x] Instagram 1 - [x] The Word for you today! "YEAH BABY!" - [x] STRENGTH 💪🏽 ** I AM STRONG 💪🏽 - [x] STRETCHING - [x] YOGA 🤸🏼‍♀️ HEADSTANDS! - [x] GLUTES - [x] FOAM ROLLING ** I think I'll just be happy today From Ms. Coller!❤️😊💛✨ - [x] Find yoga! Thanks, prayers are always good. I am doing fine, just waiting to get even better. Love you, poppa It seems like the absolute perfect fit for you and your high-energy, never-ending positivity. Your posts always make me smile when I see them. — Rowan!💜 - [x] Shower - [x] Find yoga! - [x] EAT - [x] 3:00 CLASS! CANCELLED! - [x] Wipe out shower - [x] Laundry ✔️✔️ - [x] Water plants - [x] Mail - [x] Newspaper - [x] Garbage WALKS!, Productivity! - [x] RTA Article! HOUSTON HOME 😇😊💛💙✨ Dinner with family!❤️💛✨ - [x] DISHES WALK WITH HOUSTON😇💛💙✨ - [x] STABILITY BALL WALK OUT 😊 - [x] Tomorrow! - [x] BE GRATEFUL 🙏🏽🙌🏽✝️ - [x] LOVE MYSELF 😍❤ AIR RELAX, journaling! GOD GOD's WORD - [x] ZEPHANIAH 3:17 - [x] SLEEP 😴💤 Equality WE ARE ALL CHILDREN OF GOD. Physicists tell us that every particle is connected to every other particle in the universe. The same is true for humanity. Nobody is separate or set apart. No one is superior or inferior. We all come from the same Divine Source. The inner light that births us and sustains us also unites us in a spiritual purpose, which is to grow and change and be. The essence of every soul is revealed as our inner spirit in which we are all one. How can we best access this God-oneness, which guides and heals? When we take a moment to focus on the heart, we find our connection to every other soul. In our oneness with God, we find our oneness with every other soul along the path of life. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and ... your neighbor as yourself. —Luke 10:27 Be Brave! Take a second to celebrate the fact that this run is whatever you'd like it to be. Dance it out on street corners or take in the scenery. Run with joy and gratitude. - [x] Happier 2017 Questions to Ask Yourself Gifts play an important role in our relationships with other people. * What's the best gift you've ever given? Received? * Do you like to be surprised by a gift, or to get something you've asked for? * Do you like getting gifts — or is it not very important to you? * Are you good at choosing gifts for other people? Some people have a real gift for gift-giving. - [x] Journey Praying in Any Season Rejoice always, pray constantly, give thanks in everything; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. — 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 Scripture says, "Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, who does not change like shifting shadows" (Jas. 1:17). That verse doesn't mean that only the gifts that are good and perfect in my eyes are from God. Rather, everything He allows into my life (including disappointment and pain) is a good and perfect gift, coming from my Father of insight and understanding, who knows what is ultimately best for me. How I want a simple, childlike faith that honors God as Lord over every good experience and yet trusts Him during the hurtful experiences, too. Can you thank your "All-Knowing, All-Loving Jesus" for whatever He brings into your life today? Trust that as you walk into it, He is right there walking into it before you. Thank You, Lord, that You see the tears of a disappointed heart about to learn to trust You more. 5  Lord, you alone are my portion and my cup;
    you make my lot secure. 6  The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places;
    surely I have a delightful inheritance. 7  I will praise the Lord, who counsels me;
    even at night my heart instructs me. 8  I keep my eyes always on the Lord.
    With him at my right hand, I will not be shaken. 9  Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices;
    my body also will rest secure, 10  because you will not abandon me to the realm of the dead,
    nor will you let your faithful[a] onesee decay. 11  You make known to me the path of life;
    you will fill me with joy in your presence,
    with eternal pleasures at your right hand. — Psalm 16:5-11 As I fall more in love with Jesus, I pray my expression of joyful worship will be pure and exuberant ... ! In Colossians 3:13 we read, "Just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you are also to forgive." * And, perhaps most important, pay attention to how you feel throughout. The body often sends signals when something is going right or wrong. It’s our job to tune in to them. * Remember that no diet approach is magical. What matters is what works for you. God is the same yesterday, today and forever. He loves us. He loves you, and His love is poured over us in abundance when we are in a trial. "Joyful are those who obey his laws and search for him with all their hearts." -‭‭Psalms‬ ‭119:2‬‬ ** The more you glow, the more others glow back. From early on, social conditioning tells us that by dimming our glow others will like us more; @We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? ACTUALLY, who are you not to be? Your playing small does not serve the world. There's nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do...And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same." ~Marianne Williamson 
✨Don't cap your radiance any longer! unlock your glow to its full brilliance 🙏 Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, 'Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?' Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others. — Marianne Williamson ** WELCOME TO THIS MOMENT "Life is simple. Everything happens for you, not to you. Everything happens at exactly the right moment, neither too soon nor too late. You don't have to like it... it's just easier if you do." 💛✨🌎 "Whatever is overflowing within you will spill out when you are bumped." ~Indian Proverb
 Let's all do the external world a favor, and fill up our inner reserves of peace, happiness, love, caring and compassion... YOUR HEALTH IS AN INVESTMENT, NOT AN EXPENSE I can't even count how many times Ive heard women say "its too expensive" in relation to health and fitness whether it be the gym or a PT or something in between. However, I have also seen some of the same women then go out and buy themselves something expensive like a dress that they only wear ONCE. Your health is an investment and it is the longest term investment you can make.... you may not see results immediately, but what you are doing now, your future self will thank you for! Don't ever expect anyone to do the work for you. The only person who can change you, is you *** Very grateful we are alive, healthy and together Today God is with you "But they were not able to recognize who he was." Luke 24:16 TM When you face a crisis, it’s easy to lose perspective. It happened to two of Christ’s disciples on the Emmaus Road. Discouraged about His death, they were “going over all these things that had happened. In the middle of their…questions, Jesus came up and walked along with them. But they were not able to recognize who he was” (vv. 14-16 TM). When you take your eyes off Jesus, you start to feel helpless about your situation. Dr. Michael Youssef says, “Facing a major crisis, I tend to be the kind of person whose vision becomes blurred. My perceptions are shot. My contemplations are one-sided. I often shut out the very people who can deliver me, just like those two disciples…Their vision was blurred about the person who was walking with them and talking to them. The one whose death they were mourning was alive…but they didn’t realize it because their focus was on the wrong thing.” But everything changed the minute they recognized Jesus. “Within the hour they were on their way back to Jerusalem. There…the two…told…how Jesus had appeared to them as they were walking along…and how they had recognized him as he was breaking the bread” (vv. 33-35 NLT). Note the words “within the hour.” In an instant, they went from fear to courage, pain to joy, and despair to hope. Paul wrote, "I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened” (Ephesians 1:18 NIV). When you stop focusing on the problem and fix your eyes on Jesus, you get 20/20 vision and you’re filled with hope.