CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

ACT MY AGE — ONE DIRECTION
I won't act my age
No, I'll still feel the same around you

THE NEXT DAY, Olivia woke to the sound of her blinds banging against her window. Her eyes opened, squinting at the change in light, and she saw that someone was trying to climb through it. She would've thought someone was breaking in if she didn't recognize Luke's shoes.

Her gaze moved to the ceiling and she felt like the room was spinning. Her head was pounding and nausea climbed up her throat. Memories of the night before flooded her mind as Luke wrestled with her curtains.

"You do know we have a front door right?"

Luke dropped in and straightened himself out, shutting the window behind him and closing the blinds so the room dimmed. He turned to the girl and saw that she was covering her face with her hands, all wrapped up in her blankets. "Where's the fun in that?"

Olivia kept her eyes closed, the only indicator of where Luke was being the sound of him snooping through her belongings. "What are you doing here?"

"I had to make sure you didn't die on me overnight," he said, walking over to her bookshelf. He didn't have the chance to look around last night. "How you doing, trouble?"

"Well for once, you're not the cause of my headache. I'm never drinking again." Her hands moved from her face and she saw that Luke was going through her old journals. "Luke, put it down."

Luke did as he was told, making a mental note to come back to the book, then made his way over to the bed. He kicked off his shoes and plopped onto the bed, stomach down. His head was propped onto his hands as he looked up at the girl. "Hungover?"

"Mhm." Olivia nodded, shifting over to give him more room. "Thank you for taking care of me last night."

"Anytime, Liv." His voice was soft and airy, his gaze holding a dreamy twinkle. Even with the remnants of a long night etched on her features, she still looked as beautiful as ever.

Olivia tried her best to ignore the way her stomach burst with butterflies at the thought of him lying in her bed and the sudden nervousness she felt about their close proximity.

Luke repositioned himself so he was laying beside her and looked at her with a puzzled expression. "What did Christa say to you?" He asked, curiosity stemming from the moment he saw her take her first shot. "You were talking and then suddenly, you're stealing drinks and dancing on tables. I mean don't get me wrong, I'm glad you were having fun, but you don't drink that much that fast over nothing."

Olivia shrugged and wrapped her blankets tighter around her. She felt no need to lie or hide the truth. "She said all these things about me, you and the band, and I just..." A heavy sigh escaped her lips. "She got under my skin. And I knew that's what she was trying to do, but I let her get to me anyways."

"What did she say?"

"Basically that I'm a waste of space and nothing without you or the band." Her eyes locked on the ceiling above her, unable to watched Luke's reaction.

"That's crazy!" Luke exclaimed with furrowed brows. He sat up a bit, so he could see her face better. "You have to know that's the farthest thing from the truth, right?"

Her hands came up to hide her face. "A part of me does," she admitted, her voice coming out slightly muffled. "But the rest of me isn't so sure. And it's hard to keep thinking I'm a priority when I keep being treated like an option."

Luke was about to say something, but stopped when he saw she still had more to say.

"I mean, take my dad for example. He's been ignoring me for the past year and all of a sudden, he wants to get back in touch. But it's like, why now?" Her hands fell back to her side and she sat up slightly, just enough to be eye level with Luke. "I've been trying to get a hold of him for so long, but he picked up the phone so I just gave up. And now that he's the one trying to make contact, he expects me to welcome him with open arms? Like I'm something he can put on a shelf and pick up when it's convenient?"

She shook her head with a scoff. "And then Jason..." She didn't have to get into what happened with him. "It's not hard to see a pattern."

Luke shook his head, upset by her words. No matter how many times Olivia confided in him, he was still unable to comprehend the fact that people willingly pushed her out of their lives. "Anyone who doesn't pick you is an idiot. If it were me, I'd pick you in a heartbeat. It's not even up for discussion. The band feels the same way, trust me—Don't give me that look." When he looked up at her, she was giving him the exact unconvinced stare he was expecting to see.

"What look?" She knew exactly how she was looking at him.

"The look that says you don't believe me." Luke sighed before his mind went to all the reasons why Olivia would always be his first choice. A small smile grew on his face at the thought of all these things he couldn't live without. "I'm serious, Olivia. You are the most talented person I know. The band would be hopeless without you. Fuck what Christa says. You're everything and then some."

There was a small part of her that believed him but she knew if she admitted it to herself, her mind would run wild with a billion ways to self sabotage. "You're just saying that because I'm sad."

"No, I'm saying it because it's the truth." He raised an eyebrow. "Name one time me or the guys have ever treated you like an option."

He got her there. No matter how hard she tried to name an instance where the guys treated her as a second choice, she came up empty handed. They had plenty of opportunities to leave her in the dust—they could've left her in the washroom and gone on stage without her countless times, they could've formed a band without her, they didn't even need to be her friend outside of the band. But they never did any of that. They made sure she was okay to perform, reassuring her and banishing her doubts like the monsters under a child's bed. They told her time and time again that performing without her wasn't an option.

Reggie always drove her to school and brought her a cup of coffee, just because he wanted to. Alex made it a point to check on her, randomly asking if she was okay throughout the day. Bobby appointed himself as her personal bodyguard and made sure she ate when a gig was coming up. And Luke listened to her, actually listened to her, and he never once made her feel stupid for anything she did.

None of the boys had to do the kind things they did. Never once did they make her feel like an option.

Luke could practically see the gears turning in her head and he knew he had her beat.

Olivia knew that she'd never be able to name a time the boys treated her in a way less than she deserved, and bit the inside of her cheek. "Wipe that smirk off your face, Patterson."

He gave her a toothy grin and reached out to lay his hand on her arm. He'd always be there to lift her up, that much he promised himself. "We love you, Liv. We meant it when we said you're stuck with us."

She shook her head, a small smile on her face. Even through the thick comforter she laid under, she could feel his touch on her arm and the burn of her skin because of it. Their eyes were locked on each other and the room fell silent, the only noise being the faint radio from the kitchen below them.

Olivia's hand found its way to her necklace. Luke told her she shined like the sun, but what he failed to realize was that he was sunshine personified, lighting up her darkest corners and leaving warmth in his wake.

The sound of her phone ringing burst their bubble of brilliance.

Luke rolled off the bed and returned to the bookshelf of old journals and knick knacks while Olivia reached over for the phone sitting on her nightstand with a grimace. The ringing was far too loud for her today.

"Hello?"

There was shuffling on the other end. "Hey, Liv."

Reggie's voice was cheerful as it always was, but Olivia couldn't help but notice the underlying tone of sadness that accompanied it.

"Hey, Reg!" Olivia greeted happily, forcing herself through her hangover in hopes that her energy would rub off on him. "What's up?"

From across the room, Luke looked over with raised eyebrows. "Reggie?" He abandoned the book he was looking at and jumped onto the bed. "Tell him I say hi."

Olivia let out a 'hmph!' as the brunet boy landed with half his body on top of her. "Luke!" She gave him an incredulous look as he tried to take the phone from her. "Quit it!"

"I wanna say hi!" He whined like a child before moving to sit beside her. He crossed his arms over his chest and pouted, causing the girl to sigh and hand the phone over.

Luke's pout disappeared and was quickly replaced by a beaming expression. "Hey, Reg!" He held the phone in between him and Olivia so she could hear as well.

"Hey, Luke. You're at Olivia's?"

"Uh, yeah." Luke scratched his head, hoping the boy didn't read too much into his visit. "Just wanted to check on her, see if she's still breathing after last night."

Luckily for him, Reggie was too preoccupied by his parent's argument to speculate anything about Luke and Olivia's possible romantic relationship. There was stomping coming up the stairs, just outside Reggie's door, followed by a desperate plead and a snide comment.

Olivia and Luke shared a look of concern as they listened to the Peters family argue through the phone. "Um, what's up?"

Reggie took a quick intake of breath. "Do you guys wanna do something?" His words came out faster than normal. "Maybe get some food and go to the beach? I'll drive."

Luke raised a brow. "But you live on the beach, wouldn't it make more sense for us to come to you—"

"We'd love to, Reg," Olivia interrupted, remembering that night a few weeks ago when Reggie's parents came home fighting. She could picture the look on his face and how he'd rather be anywhere else. She gave Luke a warning look and he immediately understood the situation at hand. Neither of them were strangers to a strained home life, Olivia having lived through a messy divorce and Luke constantly arguing with his parents about his future. "You'll call Alex and we'll call Bobby?"

"Yeah, sounds good." Reggie nodded, forgetting that they couldn't see him. "I'll pick you up in fifteen."

"Aight, see ya." Luke hung up the phone and turned to Olivia. "What do you think that was about?"

Olivia got out of bed and shrugged. "He'll tell us when he's ready." She moved around her room, walking to her closet to pick out an outfit for the day. "I'm gonna change. You call Bobby." She left to room and headed to the bathroom down the hall.

Luke dialled the Wilson's number and got up from the bed. He walked over to her desk, eyeing her CD collection as he waited for the call to pick up.

"Hello?"

"Bobby, it's Luke."

"Sup, bro."

"We're grabbing food, you in?"

As the final word reached Bobby's ear, his dad and his girlfriend, Jenny, walked into the room he was in. His face formed a frown when they noticed him on the phone and he put his mediocre acting skills to use. "What?!" he shouted dramatically into the phone. "Oh my god, I'll be right there!"

Luke furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. "What?"

"Sorry, Dad! I can't go, there's a band emergency! Yeah, it sucks, maybe next time? Okay, bye!"

"Dude," Luke called, "what are you talking about?"

Bobby waited for Jenny and his dad to leave the house before letting out a relieved sigh. "You just saved me from going horseback riding with my dad and his girlfriend."

Olivia walked back into her bedroom as Luke burst out laughing.

"You were going to go horseback riding?"

"Ha, ha. Laugh it up."

"You're like a little cowboy!"

Olivia assumed he was still on the phone with Bobby. The image of Bobby 'I'm-so-tough-and-only-wear-dark-colours' Wilson riding a horse was enough to make her snicker.

"Who was that?" Bobby asked, catching the sound of someone feminine. "Are you with a girl right now?"

Olivia rolled her eyes and tossed her old clothes onto her bed. "Hey, Bobby!" she said, loud enough for him to hear. She winced, forgetting how sensitive she was so noise after her late night out.

"Was that Olivia?"

"No, it was a ghost," Luke answered sarcastically. "Yes, it was Olivia."

"Tell her I say hi." Bobby paused, his eyebrows furrowing and the gears in his mind turning. "Wait, you're with Liv and you're asking me to get food with you guys? You want me to third wheel?"

"What—No!" Luke shook his head, glancing over at Olivia to gage her reaction. He seemed to forget that she couldn't hear what Bobby was saying and pictured a blush washing over her cheeks since she was turned away from him. He hoped that the idea of dating him didn't bother her. He brought his attention back to the boy on the phone. "Just get ready, we'll pick you up in thirty minutes."

By the time the band picked up Bobby, everyone knew about him going horseback riding. The moment he got into the black BMW, he was greeted with southern accents and Reggie's rambling about country music. He even went as far to play his mixtape on the stereo.

Alex and Olivia groaned, both sensitive to loud noises and bright light. "Turn that down," Alex said, reaching over to turn the volume dial.

Reggie smacked his hand away, leaving the blond to stare at him through narrow eyes.

Olivia leaned between the two front seats and turned the music down, her eyes squinting as she moved away from the dim back seat. "It's a little loud, Reg."

"It wasn't even past level ten!" Reggie protested, glancing at the other boys in the rearview mirror.

Luke shrugged. "They're hungover, dude. Everything's at level ten to them."

"Yeah, like THIS!" Bobby took Olivia by the shoulders and shook her violently. She let out a small scream and turned to hit him across the chest.

"Don't be a dick!" She shuffled closer to Luke.

Reggie pulled into a parking spot and the five teens got out. Santa Monica Pier seemed to be a lot busier than they anticipated with people taking full advantage of the nice weather and holiday break.

Luke grabbed his guitar from the trunk and the group headed to the closest food vendor.

"Why couldn't we go to the movies, or hang out at the studio?" Alex questioned as they neared the hotdog stand. His eyes squinted at the bright sun, making Olivia glad that Luke reminded her to bring a pair of sunglasses. "Or I don't know, do something that isn't so bright?"

"Because fresh air is good for you, Alex." Luke wrapped an arm around Olivia's shoulders. She tensed at the gesture and he feared that he might've overstepped. But just as he was about to remove his arm, she relaxed.

Alex paid no attention to the pair and took a deep, dramatic breath. "Ah, the fresh air of Santa Monica Pier. Nothing like the smell of salt water and fryer oil."

Bobby rolled his eyes and swiped a pair of sunglasses from a nearby booth. "Here," he said, handing it to Alex.

Alex gave him a look, but took them anyways. "Thanks, klepto."

Reggie chuckled at them and stopped in front of the vendor. "Five hotdogs, please." He turned to Alex. "You know, I'm surprised you even agreed to come out. You were pretty far gone last night."

"Yeah," Bobby nodded, "I've never seen someone throw up that much and we're friends with Olivia."

She smacked his arm. "Hey!"

"What? It's true, you throw up almost every gig."

"I didn't last time!"

Luke took the hot dog from the guy cooking them and gave Bobby a look. "You gotta admit," he said, taking a bite out of his food, "she's been getting better at keeping it down."

Olivia gave Luke a look of appreciation.

"I don't even remember throwing up," Alex confessed. "All I remember is talking to Bobby and the rest is a blur." He spent the better part of his morning freaking out about it, scared that he might've done something embarrassing in his intoxicated state. Unfortunately, it seemed that he did.

"Dude, you were cock-blocking me so hard." Bobby's head fell back as he groaned. "You talked to me and Allie for, like, a half hour before Olivia took you dancing."

When the five of them all had their food, they found an empty bench to sit on.

"Yeah, and then you ended up dancing on the table," Reggie added.

"Oh, my god," Alex shuddered at the mental image. "I'm never drinking again."

The group continued to fill Alex in on the events of the night before, leaving him with a large frown fifteen minutes later. His behaviour wasn't that bad, but the thought of someone's only memory of him being him drunk off his ass and screaming TLC lyrics made him shudder.

"You know what will cheer you up?" Luke grinned as he unzipped his guitar bag. The other four already knew the answer. "A song."

He strummed a few chords before singing a melody that sounded awfully like an Irish gig. The others gave him confused looks before smiles grew on their faces and laughter spilled from their lips. Reggie got up from the bench, pulling Olivia with him, and the pair danced around carelessly.

Luke stood to the side, carrying the tune before singing words that were so ridiculous Alex had to cheer up.

"When I'm fat and old and my kids think I'm a joke, cause I move a little slow when I dance!"

Olivia broke away from Reggie and moved over to Alex, leaving her hands out for him to take. "I can count on you after all that we've been through, cause I know that you'll always understand!"

Luke gave the blond a look. "Come on, Alex."

Alex looked at each of his friends, spotting an expectant grin on each of their faces. He sucked in a breath and put his hands in Olivia's allowing himself to be pulled up.

They continued their song and danced around the wood bench, paying no attention to the small crowd forming around them.

"When I can hardly walk and my hair is falling out," Bobby sang, laughing as Reggie and Luke whistled his melody.

Olivia jumped onto the bench, singing to the boys in front of her. "We'll still stay up 'til morning," her eyes trailed to the dancing crowd around them and her smile grew, "we'll throw the after party!"

Luke stood in front of the bench so Olivia could use his shoulder to help her jump down. "Oh, yeah! Oh, yeah!"

"I won't act my age, no, I won't act my age! No, I'll still feel the same and you will too, hey!"

Luke played the last chord, leaving the group a giggling mess with flushed cheeks. He looked to the crowd, their awestruck expressions being the first thing he noticed. He could feel the connections they made.

The group thanked the people who were kind enough to put money in Luke's open guitar bag and gave each other a look. With the shrug of their shoulders, Olivia turned to them and said, "Thank you! We're Sunset Curve!"

"Tell your friends!"

RAE SPEAKS !
not me giving bobby kleptomaniac tendencies 😭✋🏼

bobby in a couple years:

also luke constantly reassuring olivia because he really wants her to see herself the way he sees her :''''')