Prologue
December 3, 1995
"You are a bad movie plot."

~

    Erica could hardly understand what Alex was talking about as she let her eyes follow her best friend's brother down the hall. Luke was well aware of Erica's little-big crush on his twin, but she wasn't aware of that. So Erica would stare across the hall at the younger Patterson boy, as Luke tried, and failed, to set them up. Reggie was standing next to her, following her gazes as best he could.

    "Yo! Eri! Don't get so air headed" Erica gave him a look, "Stop staring." Reggie closed his locker, throwing his arm over his friend's shoulder, "Even I know he's hot. But, you gotta play it cool. Or at least not obvious. And watching him, as he talks to his jock friends is VERY obvious."

    Erica groaned, "I know. But Luke would kill me. I mean, Best friend's brother and all that. It's like a bad movie plot."

    Alex shook his head, "You are a bad movie plot. Look I will see you in a bit. In the mean time, actually remeber your at school." Erica rolled her eyes, waving her friends off, before sending Adam one last glace and making her way to class.

~

    "Hey Mom." Adam yelled throw the house, knowing his father still wasn't home. His mother looked up from her knitting and sent her son a smile. Adam slowly opened the fridge, before leaning over the kitchen counter, "I'm gonna guess nothing new on Luke?"

    Emily Patterson sighed, "I'm sorry honey. I don't know what else to tell you. We've tried everything. If we find anything your be the first to know."

    "This isn't the giving up talk right? Because I hope you know that if your giving up I will walk day and night till I found him on my own." Adam poured out a glass of milk. Some of the white liquid spilling over and ending up on the counter.

    "Yes, Adam I know that. And I'm not giving up. I'm just saying we keep getting the same information everyday." Emily went back to her knitting project that rested in her lap.

    The younger Patterson boy put the milk back in the fridge, "I'm gonna head upstairs." Emily just nodded to her son as he truged up the stairs. His voice defeated.

    For a second Adam stopped by Luke's room, just staring into it. The blue wall and grey bedspread were all he could see through the half open door. And out of the conor of his eye he could see the window cracked open.

    With a sigh Adam pushed open the door, closing the window. His hand stoped before his head when he felt a pice of paper taped to the window lock. In chicken scratch that could only be idetifyed as his brother's the black pen read Adam, check your bed.

    And so he did. Adam sprinted down the hall to his room, slamming the door shut behind him. On his bed was a unsealded envelope, over stuffed if he might add. Slowly Adam slinked across the room to his head, pulling the items out of the envelope.

    Dear Dumbass (Adam),
    I know you most likely hate me at this point. But I have good news. Really good news. News that can prove this is worth something to Mom and Dad. We got a tour, starting at (Drum roll please) THE ORPHEUM!
    Okay so I know you being you migth not know what that is, but Eri and I talk about it enough for you to guess. So yeah, we got this huge gig. Best part. I snagged you a VIP ticket. Sadly no plus one (do you really need a pulse one when you drool over my best friend?) Either way, the ticket is tucked into this mess.
    Love the better twin (Luke)

    Adam laugehd to himself, his body shaking a few times with it. He dugged around in the paper till the ticket fell from the folds. It was glazed over, and in the background of it was Sunset Cruve's faces pasted across it, black fading covering the half showing date and time, and VIP written in white lettering.

~

    Erica sighed at her little brother sitting on the front porch. She looked to the driveway, seeing her father's car missing. "Hey Nicky."

    "Don't call me Nicky. It's Nick. Bottom line."

    "Yeah, whatever Nicky." Nicholas was only four years younger than his sister but she still treated him like he was six. "What's got you outside?" She looked around at the porch. The tin roof canapé that hung over it, and the foot tall cement block that the Adairs counted as a pouch. All that rested on it was a single metal table and a old rocking chair. The chair was what Nicholas was sitting in as he wrote on the uneven three legged table.

    "The house stinks, I can't think with the damn smell and I have half an essasy to write for class tomorrow."

    Ercia rocked back on her heels, readjusting the strap of her backpack. "Come on."

    "What?"

    "Come on. Today's finally rehearsal befor we play the orpheum, and I just decided you're coming with me. If you need too, I'm sure Bobby's mom will let you sit inside and do your work. She's nice like that."

    Nicholas laughed, pulling his bag from the cement and sticking his paper inside it before following his sister down the road and over to her friend's house. Not that he would ever understand how she could only have friends of the opposite gender. But at least they were all fun to be around.

~

    Adam cursed himself when a picture fell from the wall, geting his parents attention. Both Patterson parents turned in their seats from in front of the television. "Hey, Dad. How was your day?" Adam hid the ticket in the pocket of his jacket, and tucked his penny borad under his left arm. He didn't plan to sneak out, he just wanted the ticket on him at all times for two reasons, one then there was no chance of his father finding it, and two then he wouldn't lose it.

    His father turned his head, "Good. Can I ask where you're going?"

    Adam scoffed, "Oh you know. Just me and the guys. Hanging out. Great thing about being a team. You'll friends. You know, k-kinda..." He rubbed the back of his neck with his free hand, "Kinda like a band." He hinted to his brother. The one place Adam didn't want to look made him think it was where his brother was. He couldn't bring himself to look at Bobby's place. To think about the fact that his brother found more comfort in his friends and music over him. He couldn't bring himself to accept that.

    Emily sighed, standing fron her chair, "You're not on this again on you. I told you if we hear anything, you will be the first person to know."

    Adam sighed, "Yeah I know what you said. You've said the same thing everyday I come home. I just don't get why you couldn't support him. If you just trusted him, we wouldn't be in this mess." It was almost taboo to say Luke's name since he ran out, at least around Mitch Patterson. Two weeks and everyday Adam wished he knew where his brother was. He tried his best to milk it out of Alex, Reggie, Bobby and most of all Erica, but none would budge. Meaning he was in the one place Adam wished he wasn't.

    "Don't talk to your mother that way." Mitch scolded his youngest son, standing as well. "Now go back upstairs or tell us the truth."

    "Okay fine. I meant to go and look for Luke... BUT only becuase we've hit the two week mark as off," He checked the clock on the wall, "An hour ago. Police give up after two weeks."

    Mitch sighed, of course his son was right, "Go upstairs Adam. We'll look as a family tomorrow when it's light out." With a sigh Adam made his way back up the stairs. At first he huffed in defeat until her walked passed the closed door to Luke's room.

    Adam through back to early that day when Luke left him a note. The boy must have climbed in threw the window. And if Luke could climb in, then Adam could climb out.

    Slowly Adam opened the door, shutting it behind him even slower. He unlocked the window, tossing his penny board out of it. Quickly Adam grabbed one of Luke's a million jackets from his closet before climbing out the window himself, shutting it behind him. If only he knew that was the last time he would step foot in that house. At least step foot in it when he was alive.

He meant to come home before sun up. He meant to make it back he really did. But by the time Adam had given up for the night, he would have had to leave for the bus. So he road his board to school, flashing different smiles. Letting a genuine one linger on Erica Adair as he rode by. He meant to go home before he went to school, because he knew he was going to the Orpheum right after school. He meant to go home the night before. He meant to say goodbye.

~