CHAPTER FIFTY

TILL FOREVER FALLS APART — ASHE & FINNEAS
So this is it, that's how it ends
I guess there's nothing more romantic than dying with your friends

JULY 22, 1995.
EIGHT HOURS BEFORE.

THE WORST DAY of Olivia Montez's life started out as the best.

She woke up with a smile on her face. There was a slight breeze coming in through her open window and memories of the night before brought a blush to her cheeks. The empty space beside her was still warm, meaning that Luke hadn't been gone for long.

With a content sigh, she rolled out of bed and got ready for the day. As she moved around her room, her eyes landed on the garment bag hanging on the back of her door containing her outfit for later that night.

The day was finally here. Everything Sunset Curve had worked so hard for was finally within reach and in eight hours, they'd be playing the most important show of their careers.

There was a scratching noise at her bedroom door which caused Olivia to cross her room and open it. On the other side was Solo. He thundered into the room and jumped onto her bed, tail wagging as he waited to be pet.

Olivia let out a laugh and scratched his stomach. Moments later, Mikey appeared in her doorway. "Breakfast is ready," he said, walking into the room. "Are the guys coming over?"

"Yeah," Olivia nodded, glancing at her clock, "they'll be here soon."

The pair headed down to the kitchen and as soon as Sylvia's gaze landed on her daughter, she let out a loud gasp.

"There she is!" Sylvia gushed, dropping what she was doing to hug the girl. "My little estrella!"

"Mom," Olivia groaned, squirming against her hold.

"What?" The woman defended. "Can't I be proud of my daughter for selling out a stadium and going on tour?"

"Our tour is local and it's not a stadium, Mom," Olivia chuckled as she stepped away. "It's a theatre."

"Yeah, whatever. It's still sold out." She waved a dismissive hand before gesturing to the back door. "Go get Luke, I made those blueberry pancakes he likes."

Muttering something about her mother liking Luke better than her, Olivia left the house and made her way to the garage.

At the sound of the garage door opening, Luke looked up from where he laid on the couch. He gave her a toothy grin, watching as the golden sun lit up behind her to form a halo around her head. "G'morning, trouble," he greeted.

Olivia playfully rolled her eyes as she stepped over one of the random articles of clothing the boys failed to pick up from the floor. "Good morning, headache," she replied as she lifted his legs up so she could sit on the couch with him. She faced him with her back against the armrest and stretched her legs out between his. "Breakfast is ready and the boys will be here soon, you should probably get ready."

Luke nodded and put an arm under his head. He admired the sight before him with a soft gaze.

Olivia spotted the expression on his face and a smile slowly started to spread across her lips. "What is it?" She asked quietly, ignoring the fluttery feeling erupting in her stomach.

He paused, stunned by the girl in front of him. "I'm just really lucky," he replied, shaking his head with a smile. To find love in a beautiful soul was one thing, but to find his best friend within that soul made him wonder what he did to be so deserving.

He got up and pulled his shirt off. "Tonight is going to change our lives," he said as he grabbed a random shirt, sniffed it, and pulled it on.

"Rose said it's going to be packed with music execs," Olivia said, recalling what her cousin said about her new job. "There's no way we're walking out of there without a record deal."

"God, I hope so." He gave her a once over and saw her fidgeting hands. "Nervous?"

"Try terrified," she corrected. "This is the most important show we've ever booked and I have this feeling in my stomach like something's going to go wrong. What if I mess up? Or freeze? Or forget the lyrics—"

"Hey, hey, hey. None of that." Luke stepped forward, crouched in front of her, and rested his hands on her knees. "We put our all into getting here. We're going to kill it tonight. You're going to kill it." He stared at her intently with the desire to calm her uneasiness. "After all this time, you are still the most talented person I have ever met. You're not going to mess up, or freeze, or forget the words. And if you do, that's okay because we'll be right there to help you through it. Nothing bad is going to happen, and if it does, we'll handle it together, okay? I promise."

Olivia hesitated. "I just don't want to disappoint you guys."

Luke shook his head. "You're not capable of doing that."

She let out a shaky exhale and nodded, taking his words to heart.

Trust and reassurance.

Luke pulled her in for a kiss, his eyes bright and full of adoration. "I love you," he said, his gaze still trained on her lips.

Olivia smiled. She'd never get used to hearing him say that. "I love you too," she returned, getting up from the couch. "Now come on, my mom made blueberry pancakes." She took his hand and pulled him to his feet.

"Oh, I love those!" He exclaimed as they walked out of the garage.

The pair entered the kitchen to see their bandmates (and Kat) sitting at the dining table. Each of them had their own plate and were digging into the breakfast Sylvia had cooked for them. Olivia paused in the doorway and shook her head. They really were her mothers honorary children.

After breakfast, the five teens headed back to the garage to practice until the time they were supposed to go to the Orpheum for soundcheck. Hours passed in a blur of excitement and before they knew it, they were packing their belongings into the back of Reggie's car.

Halfway through the process of packing, Olivia rushed over to the bushes and emptied her stomach of her breakfast. The boys ran over, worry written across their features as Luke collected her hair out of her face.

"You okay?" Alex asked, handing her a stick of gum once she was finished.

Bobby narrowed his eyes at her. "You're not going to run off before we head on stage, are you? Because if you are, please let us know so we can lock you in the green room."

Olivia shook her head and took the gum from Alex. "I'm good," she promised before gesturing to the car. "Let's go."

The boys took her word for it and finished packing their instruments.

One by one, they entered the car, but before Olivia and Reggie could get in, he took a hold of her wrist. She looked up at him with a questioning gaze.

"Hey, you'll be fine," he reassured with a soft look. "The second the lights go on, it'll be like any other show we played. Here, drink up." He passed her his water bottle and got into the car.

Olivia smiled at the gesture and opened the bottle.

THE DAY ONLY got better. Their soundcheck ran smoothly and left them with high hopes that their actual show would be the best they've ever performed.

"Do you think we went too hard?" Olivia worried as the final note of Now or Never rang throughout the venue.

Bobby nodded in agreement, sliding his guitar strap over his head and placing the instrument on a nearby stand. "It's too bad we wasted that on soundcheck, that was the tightest we've ever played."

Luke grinned and placed his guitar next to Bobby's. "Just wait until tonight, man." He turned to the empty theatre. "This place is going to be packed with record execs!"

He bounced on the balls of his feet, buzzing with energy and excitement. His hair was stuck to his forehead and beads of sweat dripped off his skin, illuminated by the stage lights.

Olivia wiped away her own sweat and beckoned Alex over to join them downstage.

"Alex, you were smoking!" Reggie exclaimed, patting his chest. The other members of the band nodded in agreement.

"I was just warming up," Alex replied modestly.

Olivia rolled her eyes and stuck her microphone back onto its stand. "Shut up and admit you were great."

Alex glanced at her before a slow smile grew on his face. "Alright!" He caved. "I did awesome!"

A chuckled left Olivia's lips as Luke shook the blond by the shoulders. "That's more like it," she mused, walking over to stand by her boyfriend.

"I don't know about you guys, but I'm starving," Luke exaggerated, still out of breath by his performance. "We should fuel up before the show. I'm thinking street dogs."

The boys cheered as Olivia led them off the stage. She could see Rose wiping down the booth in the middle of the room and wanted to say hi. It seemed that Bobby had also noticed the older girl's presence.

"You guys go without me," he said, breaking away from the group with a dismissive wave.

"What? Why—" Olivia turned to look at him, but her face dropped when she saw the way he was looking at Rose. "Oh, no. Bobby, leave my cousin alone," she warned, the band's ongoing bet running through her mind.

Bobby ignored her and approached the older girl, leaning against the table she was cleaning. "I'm a vegetarian," he stated, obviously trying to flirt.

Olivia gave him an odd look. "You had bacon at breakfast," she deadpanned.

"No, I didn't," Bobby said quickly before turning to Rose again. "I'd never hurt an animal."

"Tell that to the pig."

Rose tried to suppress a smile at her cousin's attitude. Luckily, the rest of the band approached. "You guys are really good," she told them with sincerity in her voice. "I see a lot of bands, I was really feeling it. You're better than I expected and that's saying a lot."

Luke slug his arm around Olivia's shoulders. "That's what we do it for," he grinned. He stuck a finger in his mouth before jamming it in Bobby's ear. "It's good to see you again, Rose."

She chuckled. "You too, Luke."

Olivia shook her head at the two boys before turning back to her cousin. "Rose, this is Reggie and Alex," she introduced, pointing each of them respectively, "and Jane Goodall over here is Bobby. Boys, this is my cousin, Rose."

"It's nice to finally meet you," she mused. "Livy and Luke have told me so much about you."

Bobby leaned forward, resting his hands on the table again. "All good things I hope."

Olivia reached over and hit his arm. "Dude, stop flirting with my cousin."

"Ignore them," Alex said to the older girl. "That's what I do."

Reggie handed her their CD. "Here's our demo," he said with a charming smile. He dug around in his bag before brandishing a white t-shirt with their logo on it. "And here's a shirt, size beautiful."

"Thanks," Rose replied, her gaze softening. She didn't have the heart to tell him that Olivia had already given her a copy of the CD and a t-shirt in each colour available. "I'll make sure not to wipe the tables with this."

"Yeah, good call." Alex nodded. "Whenever they get wet, they sort of... fall apart in your hands."

Rose slowly nodded before turning to Olivia. "Are Mikey and your mom coming?"

"Yeah and Mikey's girlfriend—Alex's little sister. They're coming earlier so you'll probably see them. Mikey wanted to get a look at the sound system." She squinted at her outfit. "Hey, is that my vest? I've been looking for that since Christmas."

"I, uh, borrowed it," Rose weakly stated.

"That's a funny way of saying stole." Olivia raised her brow before letting out a laugh. "I'm kidding, you can have it. It looks better on you anyway."

Bobby turned to his friends and with a tight lipped smile, he asked, "Weren't you guys getting hot dogs or something?"

Olivia looked over at Alex and Reggie and nodded towards the back entrance. With her arm around Luke's waist, she pulled him towards it and shot Bobby a look. "Come on," she said to the boys, "let's leave Bobby to be rejected in peace."

Before the group could leave, Luke shifted his attention to Rose. "Whatever you do, Rose, do not give him your number," he advised before patting Bobby with his free hand. "And he had a burger for lunch."

Before Bobby could retaliate, the group of four was already halfway to the door. Olivia looked over her shoulder and shouted, "It was a double cheeseburger!" She threw her head back with a laugh as Bobby flipped her off.

The first thing they saw when they walked out of the Orpheum was the long line of people waiting to enter. With a wide smile, Olivia got her friends' attention and pointed at it.

Reggie grinned and dug through his bag. He handed her two shirts and together they jogged to the line, giving the shirts to the last four people. By the time the group of girls processed that two members of the band they were about to watch just came up to them, Reggie and Olivia were already crossing the street with the rest of their friends. Both of them smirked as they listened to the girls freak out in the distance.

"I'm totally winning the bet," Reggie said, watching as Luke wrapped an arm around Olivia kissed her head.

"You wish," the couple replied in unison.

SAM AND ELLA'S Hotdogs was not the type of place champions went to celebrate a sold out show. It was in a sketchy alleyway and while the couple running the business were very nice, it didn't make up for the fact that you assembled your hot dog in the hood of their car.

"Post-show meal is on me," Olivia said, leaning against the car as she watched the boys assemble their hot dogs.

The boys looked over at her. "Really?"

"If it means we don't have to eat out the hood of a stranger's car again, then yes. Alex can agree, right buddy?"

He nodded, accidentally getting pickle juice on the car's battery. "Oh yeah, definitely."

Luke rolled his eyes and led them over to an empty couch.

"Livy, you're not eating?" Reggie asked, eyeing her empty hands.

"No," she sighed. "I'm too nervous to eat, I don't think I'd be able to keep it down."

The second the group sat down, Luke's expression melted into one of awe. "This is awesome, you guys! We're playing the Orpheum!" The happiness in his voice could only be described as pure joy. "I can't even count how many bands played there then made it huge. We're gonna be legends! Eat up, boys, because after tonight, everything changes."

They raised their hot dogs into the air, but before they could take a bite, Olivia stopped them. "Wait!" She exclaimed, causing the boys to look at her in question. "I was going to say this before we go on stage, but I know you'll be too fired up to listen, so I'll just say it now." She smiled and looked each of them in the eye. "I wanted to thank you for not giving up on me. I don't know where I'd be without you. I love you, guys."

"Aw, Livy," they cooed, nudging her arms. "We love you too."

She shook her head with a smile. Sometimes you meet people and it's so clear that you were meant to be in each others lives. They come out of nowhere, in the strangest ways, under the weirdest circumstances, and they make you feel alive. They make you believe in something whether it be coincidence or fate. It was like that with them. Luke was the love of her life, Alex was her confidant, Reggie was her partner in crime, and Bobby was her brother. They were her family.

The boys did a toast to their success and bit into their hot dogs.

"Is this a new flavour?" Alex questioned, pausing to inspect his food.

"Relax," Reggie said dismissively, "street dogs haven't killed us yet."

"Key word being 'yet'," Olivia cautioned with a side glance. She was reminded of the night in Griffith Park and how food poisoning would be an awful way to die.

The four of them discussed the probability of Bobby getting Roses number and after about ten minutes, they stood up to leave. Beside her, Luke faltered and Olivia noticed how uncharacteristically quiet he had been. Usually, he'd be the first to poke fun at Bobby. She looked up at him and saw his face devoid of colour.

"Luke?" She called warily, taking a hold of his clammy hands. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," he insisted, wiping under his now runny nose. He wasn't going to let whatever sickness it was that he contracted ruin their night.

Olivia gave him an unsure look and brought a hand up to his forehead. He had broken out into a cold sweat. "You don't seem fine. You're really hot."

He gave her a weak smile. "You're not too bad yourself, trouble."

She frowned at his attempt to minimize his symptoms. "I'm serious, Luke. You have a fever."

He shook his head again, but it only made him dizzy. "I'm fine," he pressed, voice low and shallow. "I'm..." He tried taking a step, but his legs gave out as his foot met the pavement and he collapsed into Olivia's arms.

"Luke!" Olivia shouted, nearly falling over as she caught his weight. She set him on the ground as gently as she could. Her eyes scanned his figure, gaze full of panic. She knew something was wrong. She could feel it in the pit of her stomach and the sight of his pale skin and shaking body only confirmed it. "Guys," she said, looking up at Reggie and Alex, "get help!"

Luke looked up at her through his blurry vision. All he could feel was a dull pain, spreading through his body like a wildfire. It was like nothing he had ever felt before. But maybe the panic amplified it, because somewhere in his soul, he knew what was happening.

Every stage of grief happened in a single moment.

Denial.

I can't be dying, he thought to himself. This is just a really, really bad stomach ache.

Anger.

Out of all the food in LA, why did I have to suggest street dogs?

Bargaining.

God, if I get through this, I swear I'll be a perfect saint.

Depression.

I don't want to die.

Acceptance.

I am dying and there's nothing I can do about it.

What a cruel twist of fate that the best day of his life should end up his last.

In his racing mind, all he could focus on was his parents.

He hadn't made it right with them. There were so many things that he didn't get to tell them. He thought he had more time.

I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry.

They weren't bad parents, not in the slightest. He had gotten lucky in that regard. They were amazing and he never got to tell them how many nights he spent riddled with guilt for running out on them. For making them feel like they weren't amazing, like they had messed up. Because they didn't mess up with him. They loved him so much. And he loved them too. But he didn't tell them, not nearly enough, and now he was out of time.

Then Olivia came up.

His eyes met hers in the moonlight, just like they had when they first saw each other's hearts that fateful night on her rooftop. But this time, he was dying and her face was painted with heartbreak.

Some people say that when you die, your life flashes before your eyes, but all Luke saw were memories of him and Olivia.

Loving her from afar. Meeting her in detention. That night on her roof. Writing songs. Lunch with his parents. Sneaking through her window. Their first kiss. Griffith Park under the stars. Peaceful mornings under her bedsheets. The quiet charm that graced her existence. Her passion for melodies at the heart of the band. Her shy smile that drew people in, because if you looked closely, there was a hint of mischief that sparked innocent curiosity.

He loved her. He loved her. He loved her.

And he was leaving her.

He was breaking his promise.

No one would be there to bring her coffee in the morning or give her advice. No one would be there to call her pretty or hold her at night when her insecurities got too loud. There'd be no one to write songs with her or help her explain her thoughts. No one to tell her about the stars and remind her that she's the brightest one. And no one, especially not Bobby and his abrasive nature, would be there to pick up her broken pieces.

"I'm so sorry, Olivia," he whispered, his body starting to fail him.

He was slipping away. Farther, and farther, and farther away. The only thing he found comfort in was the light of Olivia standing above him, his own personal angel guiding him home.

From the moment he first laid eyes on her, he knew that she would mean something to him. She owned his heart and consumed him endlessly. He had the best time falling into love with her and he was glad that he got to hold her, that he had the privilege of being hers, even if it was only for a little while.

With his head on her lap and his pulse coming to a stop, he knew that no heaven nor paradise that awaited him could ever compare to Olivia Juliette Montez. She was his happiness. She was his peace. She was the peak of his existence.

As he let out a soft breath, his heart thudding its final beats, he smiled. Because he knew his last moments would be spent in the arms of his love.

He used his last remaining strength to rest his hand on her cheek and with the ghost of a peaceful smile, he uttered his last words.

"I love you... I love you... I... love... you..."

How he wished he had more time with her.

Maybe in another lifetime.

The words fell from his lips and his hand fell from her face. With his final breath, tears flowed from Olivia's eyes. "Luke," she called, her voice cracking in fear.

"Luke?" A part of her hoped that this was some sick joke and he would open his eyes and give her the smile she had fallen in love with. She shook his shoulders but received no response.

"No, no, no. You can't— You—" She cradled him close to her chest and shook her head in despair. "Please, baby," she whispered. "Please, don't. I love you, please don't go. Please."

She placed her ear above his mouth and her heart dropped. He wasn't breathing.

"Alex? Reggie? Guys, he's not breathing. He's not—" Olivia looked over at Alex and Reggie, too absorbed in her grief to notice that they looked as sick as Luke did before he collapsed.

Alex stood in silence, eyes locked on Luke. There was a grave look on his face, almost as if he was seeing his own future.

He couldn't move. He couldn't think. He couldn't breathe.

The world was moving too fast around him.

"Alex! Al— Alex!"

He rocked on his feet before falling to the ground beside her.

Olivia's hand shot out just in time to catch his head before it hit the pavement. He was unconscious, but luckily, still breathing.

Olivia shouted for help and she could see multiple people around her speaking into their cell phones.

"Livy..." Reggie called weakly, staggering towards her. "I don't feel so good."

She turned to him and saw that he looked just as heartbroken as she did. They both knew what was coming.

He made his way over and sat across from her. He could feel his body giving up on him and he was so incredibly tired.

Olivia placed Alex's head down and took a hold of Reggie's hand.

"Olivia, I don't want to die," he croaked, eyes swelling with tears. "I don't want to die."

"You're not going to die." She couldn't tell if she was trying to convince him or herself. "The ambulance is going to get here and take you to the hospital and you'll be fine. You, Alex, and Luke."

He leaned forward and Olivia wrapped him in her arms. "Liv, I— I'm scared."

"I'll be right here," she said, cradling his head as his chin dug into her shoulder. "I promise."

He slumped against her moments before the ambulance got there.

The next twenty minutes were a blur. She could only remember bits and pieces. Telling the paramedics that she was Reggie's sister so she could ride in the ambulance, calling Bobby, cancelling the show they had worked so hard to book, being forced to stay in the waiting room, fighting the doctors to tell her what was going on—it was all a blur.

Currently, the hospital staff had her filling out forms and giving the police her statement. Olivia couldn't sit still. She needed to do something. The waiting was killing her.

Another twenty minutes passed before a group of doctors came out to the waiting room.

"Miss Peters?" They called, slowly approaching her.

Olivia looked up, almost forgetting that she told them she was Reggie's sister.

As soon as her gaze landed on the group of white lab coats, her heart shattered in her chest. They tried to remain stoic, but the ghosts of grief on their faces were unmistakable.

Olivia knew Reggie was gone before the doctors even opened their mouths to speak.

They ushered her to a quiet corner.

"Miss Peters... We're so sorry. We did everything we could, but we were too late."

The sentence that confirmed the end of Reggie's life snuffed out any flame of hope. "What about the others?" She asked in fear.

"I'm afraid we can't disclose patient information to non-relatives—"

"Please," she interrupted. "Alex is my family and Luke is the love of my life. Please, I need to know."

There was a second of silence that felt like a lifetime.

"I'm so sorry."

In that moment, Olivia's reality came crashing down around her. It was like the world took a deep breath, and then Reggie, Alex, and Luke were gone, and then it never let out that breath again.

Olivia Montez was not a fool. She knew that there were some things in life that were simply uncontrollable—other people's opinions of you, the weather, cats, the list goes on. Unfortunately, death happened to fall under that category. Death doesn't discriminate between sinners and saints or the young and old. Death will curl its boney fingers around the doorknob of life and take, and take, and take until there's nothing but an empty space that used to be called a home.

You can't control death, but god, how she wished she could. If she could, she'd be playing a sold out show with her chosen family, not grieving them alone in a hospital waiting room.

She nodded, unable to trust her voice, and a wave of sadness washed over her. The doctors left her alone and the silence seeped in.

A single thought wormed its way into her mind: What about me?

Olivia knew it was selfish of her to think of herself at a time like this, but she couldn't help it. They are—were—her boys. She couldn't live without them. Before she met them, her life was a bleak grey, devoid of music and soul. The second she met them, her world burst to life.

But they were gone now.

No more dancing with Alex or jam sessions on the beach at Reggie's house. No more sneaking out in the middle of the night with Luke. No more light to brighten her days. All of the light and all of the good left with them.

With the doctor's words, her world returned to its cold opening act.

She held it together long enough to give the hospital all the information they needed to contact the boys' parents. She didn't break until Bobby and Rose rushed into the room, breathless and their faces full of of worry.

Bobby's eyes landed on Olivia. She looked up with a broken expression. He didn't need confirmation to know that their friends were dead.

He slowly walked up to her, his shoulder slumped in sorrow. His arms wrapped around her and her legs gave out. Her body was wracked by sobs as they sunk to the floor. He held her tight, holding her head as she let herself fall apart.

It was just the two of them now.

When Olivia was out of tears, she pulled herself together and explained what had happened. As she recounted the events, Rose took her phone and called Sylvia.

By the time Olivia's mother got there, the room was void of any crying. Olivia and Bobby sat next to each other silently, refusing to move until the Peters, Mercers, and Pattersons got there.

Mikey and Kat approached them and Olivia felt dread flood her body. Taking the thirteen year olds by their shoulders, she sat them down and crouched in front of them. As gently as she could, she broke the news.

Kat and Mikey were crying in each others arms when the boys' parents finally stumbled into the hospital.

Olivia watched as they were escorted through the halls with brokenhearted stares that heavily resembled her own.

Half an hour later, when all was said and done, Olivia returned home.

Without a word, she got out of the car and slowly walked to the garage. She pushed the doors open with shaky palms and stepped in. It was like she stepped into a museum—a silent home to what once was.

Reggie's half eaten pizza was still on the table.

The drumsticks Alex broke earlier that day were still on the floor.

A pile of Luke's clothes were still beside the couch.

Being in the garage they spent ninety percent of their time in only made her feel worse. It was nothing but a reminder that they were never coming home. She was surrounded by the ghosts of them, wrapped in the blanket of their memory and haunted by regret.

Like harsh waves crashing over a sea wall, tears flooded her eyes. She hadn't realized she let out a scream of agony until her mom barged in. She hadn't realized she collapsed to the ground until her mom held her in her arms.

The boys were gone, but somehow she felt like the one who died.

RAE SPEAKS !

reggie @ olivia:

funny how olivia's nickname sounds a lot like live, isn't it?

one more chapter left plus the epilogue!