CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

STORY OF ANOTHER US — 5 SECONDS OF SUMMER
This surprise ending I'm depending on
Could be the story of another us

SUNSET CURVE ENDED up sleeping over at the Montez garage, figuring that it was a good idea since they had to meet early the next morning anyway.

At seven thirty in the morning, they packed their instruments into the back of Bobby's car and headed to the competition venue. The drive was slow and they got there just in time for check in.

The day was filled with a lot of waiting as each band went through an individual soundcheck. By the time it was Sunset Curve's turn, it was already late afternoon.

Olivia found herself faced with a bundle of nerves settling in the pit of her stomach, but she pushed it down, ignoring it the best she could. The soundcheck went by perfectly, only adding to the band's excitement. Despite the reassuring practice and the support of her friends, she still couldn't shake the bad feeling creeping up her spine.

Before the band knew, it was 6 o'clock and the long line of family members, friends, managers, and music executives outside the venue were allowed to enter. Sunset Curve was seated backstage with the other bands as they watched their front woman and drummer pace back and forth in front of them.

"They're so nervous, it's almost making me nervous," Luke muttered to the boys beside him.

Bobby and Reggie nodded before the former got up from his seat. "Guys," he called to the anxious teens. He glanced down at his watch. "Why don't we go find Kat and Mikey? They should be here now and they'd want to wish you good luck, right?"

Reggie stood up, helping Luke to his feet as well, and agreed with Bobby's statement. The younger kids would definitely help distract them from their nerves.

Luke left to find Mikey, while Bobby and Alex left to find Kat. When they returned, they were met with a panic struck Reggie. While Reggie was ranting about his latest country song, Olivia had managed to slip away right under his nose.

Time was ticking closer and closer to their call time. Six bands had gone on stage while they looked for Olivia and they feared that they wouldn't be able to find her in time.

"This can't be happening again," Bobby muttered, pacing in worry alongside Alex.

"Relax," Luke said, fiddling with his bracelets. "We'll find her." Except this time, he wasn't sure. Every performance they had where Olivia disappeared, they found her in the washrooms, sick to her stomach. This time, the washrooms were full and she was nowhere to be found.

Just then, Mikey and Kat came running into their green room. "Guys, guys!"

The older teens turned to them expectantly. "Did you find her?"

Mikey nodded, slightly out of breath from running. "She's in the back alley."

Sunset Curve shared a look before running off. "Oh, shit."

In their mission to find Olivia, they nearly knocked over the member of stage crew that was coming to let them know they were on in ten minutes. This news only caused them to run faster.

"Liv?" They called as they burst through the back door of the venue. They couldn't find her in the back alley. It was too dark and she decided to wear dark clothing that night. "Olivia?"

There was a distinctive sound of someone gagging that gave her location away. Under the streetlight, Olivia was hunched over, throwing up the little food she had eaten today.

"Liv!" Luke called, running over to her. His hands swept across the back of her neck as he collected her hair, holding it away from her face.

Alex turned to the two twelve year olds, instructing them to get a water bottle for her. They went gladly, not wanting to watch Olivia hurl.

The boys surrounded her, concern etched over their features.

When she was finished, she looked up at them. Under the moonlight, she looked pale and sickly. There were streaks of tears on her cheeks. "The washrooms were full, so I came out here. I needed air," she said weakly. "There's a lot of people in there and I—"

They all looked away as she threw up again.

"That's disgusting," Bobby muttered, his nose scrunching up as he looked away.

Reggie gave him a look. "Bobby, go help Mikey."

"What—"

Alex narrowed his eyes. "You're not helping. Go."

Bobby muttered incoherent complaints under his breath, patting Olivia's shoulder before heading to find the twelve year olds.

When Olivia was finished for good, she turned to her friends with a sorry expression. "We've never played a crowd this big, I don't think—" She swallowed hard and shook her head. "I don't think I can go on."

Luke stared at her before turning to Alex and Reggie. "Guys, can you give us a sec?"

Alex and Reggie nodded, but before they turned away, the blond drummer dug through his pockets and pulled out a pack of gum. After their third performance, he made it a habit to carry one around for Olivia for times like these.

Luke took it with a small 'thanks' and popped a piece into Olivia's hand. Alex gave her a sympathetic smile as she put it in her mouth, then spun around to give the pair privacy.

Luke's hands came up to Olivia's cheeks and he wiped her tears away with his thumbs. "Olivia Don't-know-your-middle-name Montez, you see this?" His fingers grazed her neck as he picked up her necklace. The two charms matching the ones on his bracelet dangled in front of her. "When I gave it to you, what did I tell you?"

Olivia looked at the miniature sun and music note, the memory of him outside her window flashing in her mind. "You said that I shine like the sun," she said with reluctance.

"That's right." He nodded, dropping the necklace back on her chest. "Look at me." His hands cupped her face so she could focus on him and how serious he was. "Olivia, I can guarantee you that you are the most talented person in that building. So whatever nerves you have, pack them away, because your song is amazing and so are you."

She let out a shaky breath, her eyes avoiding his. "I just have a bad feeling about tonight."

"Liv," Luke said, this time in a softer tone. He didn't continue until she looked at him. "You once told me that you believed in me more than you've ever believed in anything else before. Is that still true?"

She gave him a weak nod.

"Then trust me when I say that you've got this. I believe in you just as much as you believe in me, so trust me, okay? We've got this. You've got this. We'd never let you fall."

Seconds of silence passed before Olivia made a sound. "Juliette," she said, letting out a shaky breath. "My middle name is Juliette."

A grin slowly worked its way onto Luke's face. He knew that her words were a sign of her acceptance. "Olivia Juliette," he mused, testing the name on his tongue. "That's a little bit of mouthful."

The corners of Olivia's mouth turned upwards, causing Luke to chuckle. He leaned in, placing a kiss on her forehead. "Well, Olivia Juliette, are you ready to do this?"

"As ready as I'll ever be." Olivia turned her head and looked at the other boys, who were now joined by Bobby, Kat, and Mikey. They gave her reassuring looks as they made their way over to the pair and pulled them into a group hug. When they separated, Olivia took a swig of her water and put her hand out.

"Legends on three?"

Everyone put their hand in, sharing grins as they did. "One, two, three, legends!"

THE BAND STOOD side stage as Harmony Lane finished their song. The five teens hated to admit it, but the band before them was really good. They had the sound and the stage presence, but the one thing they lacked was the right attitude. Their cocky superiority complex could be felt by the audience and more importantly, the judges. Sharing a look, the five teens knew that Harmony Lane didn't stand a chance.

When the song was finished, Harmony Lane walked off the stage and passed Sunset Curve with smirks firmly planted on their faces.

Christa White stopped right in front of Olivia wearing a vicious sneer as she looked down at her. "It's a big crowd out there," she said, her voice smooth like honeyed poison, "try not to choke."

Before Olivia could bite back, the rival singer bumped her shoulder into hers, walking off with a villainous chuckle.

A crew member came up to them and motioned for them to get on stage. The band gave their lead singer a reassuring glance laced with concern once they saw her face blanch. She hadn't looked this nervous about a gig since their very first one at the Halloween dance. Maybe it was because the stakes were higher, or maybe it was the crowd size, but whatever it was, it washed away all of Olivia's confidence.

"Go set up," Luke said to the other boys. They nodded, leaving Luke to give Olivia one last pep talk. When he turned to face her, she was staring at the crowd with a terror struck expression on her face. He stepped in front of her to block her view and got her to look up at him. "Olivia, I know you're scared and usually I'd give you an out, but half of the band is already on stage, so it's a little too late for that now."

Seeing that his words didn't help, he tried a different approach. "The day after our first gig, you had this song idea about living like it's now or never. That untouchable feeling you talked about?" He pointed to the stage where the boys were stalling their set up to give Olivia more time. "It's right there, on that stage, waiting for you to come and take it."

Olivia's eyes turned away from him. She looked behind him at the crowd, her eyes catching the pressing expressions of her bandmates. Her gaze returned back to Luke's.

"It's now or never, Liv."

She nodded, one undisputed fact in her mind: Sunset Curve deserved to be heard.

"Okay," she said, determination riddled through her voice, "let's go be untouchable." Before Luke could bask in her triumph, she was already pushing past him and walking into the stage.

Olivia got set up, adjusting her mic stand to her height. Luke followed behind her, throwing her a proud look as he went to plug in his guitar. The boys shared grins, knowing that they had a strong chance of winning a record deal tonight.

"Hi, we're Sunset Curve," Olivia started, staring out at the crowd. She could only see the first few rows, the stage lights and smoke stopping her from seeing any further. In the first row was hers and Alex's families (though Alex's mom didn't come to support him, but then again, when did she ever?), and in the second row was Harmony Lane. In the middle of the venue was a table of four judges. Olivia knew they were there, but she was glad they were out of sight, masked by the blinding stage lights. "This is our song Story of Another Us, hope you like it."

She looked over at Luke and Bobby, then gave them a nod. The opening riff to the song started to play and Olivia grasped the microphone in front of her.

The lyrics she had long perfected spilled out of her mouth like rich champagne. A movie played before her eyes of all the events leading up to the creation of this song. Her father was at the forefront of her mind.

Memories are pay-per-view
It costs too much to think of you
I'm hanging by a thread

As the song progressed into the second verse, Olivia's eyes locked onto her mother's. Anyone else in the audience would assume that this was a break up song. Jason, who was standing next to his own mother, believed that it was about him. He couldn't be more wrong.

An epilogue before we're done
A sequel to what we've begun
I'm hanging by a thread

Sylvia knew better. Olivia's heart had only been broken, completely shattered, once. The pain behind her voice and the lyrics of what could've been were too intense. This song was about Olivia's father, Anthony.

And now before our hope is lost
My heart is here at such a cost
Tell me if you wanted it at all

The older woman gave her a soft nod, proud that her daughter was able to write and perform such a song. Because maybe if things were different, or maybe in another universe, another version of their family would still be whole.

I got a long-term plan with short-term fixes
And a wasted heart that just eclipses
And I push my luck from trust to dust enough
That's the story of another us

Olivia took the microphone off the stand and moved closer to Luke. The chorus rang through the air, charging the crowd with excitement. If the winner of the competition was determined by the audience, Sunset Curve would be the winner without a doubt.

Draw me beside you

As Olivia sang with her eyes locked on Luke's, she couldn't help but feel a nagging sensation in her gut. She pushed through it, but she could feel it climbing up her throat. The nervous bundle in her stomach always disappeared after the first chorus when she grew comfortable on the stage. They were approaching the bridge now, so why did she still feel it? Why was it so different this time?

Where I'll be to remind you

In the crowd, making his way through the second row, was man wearing a tailored suit. He had just come from work, nearly earning himself two speeding tickets in fear that he'd miss his daughter's performance.

We're still first in line for

Olivia turned away from the guitarist and faced the crowd again. Her eyes landed on a tall figure shuffling through the crowd. She watched as he leaned in to kiss a young girl's cheek before turning to the two younger boys next to her.

The front row of last resorts

Olivia's heart dropped as she watched them. Her eyes flickered between Christa White and the man next to her. Her gaze then flickered to Jason. The only thing he had to offer her was a guilty look in his eyes.

Olivia looked like a deer in headlights, frozen in shock and despair. Her bandmates shared panicked looks as she missed her cue to sing the next line.

The first person to follow Olivia's line of sight was Luke. He tilted his head in confusion, wondering why she was staring at Christa's dad like she had just seen a ghost.

The second person to follow Olivia's gaze was Sylvia. The woman felt her own wave of dread as her eyes landed on her ex-husband.

The man looked up, confused by the band playing with no lyrics. His eyes widened when he saw who was on stage. It was his daughter, his other daughter. The daughter he left in favour of the family he had while living a secret double life.

Their eyes met and the hurt in Olivia's stare was unmissable. Tears began to pool in her eyes.

Shaking herself from her thoughts, Olivia was brought back to earth. She sang the next words like she hadn't missed her initial cue, though the tear falling down her cheek was a sign that she had.

One last-ditch, a new beginning
So take this heart put yourself in it
This surprise ending I'm depending on

Christa White being her half-sister was definitely not the surprise ending Olivia wished for when she wrote this song.

Olivia pulled herself together long enough to finish the song, but the moment the final note rang out, she ran off the stage.

She didn't bask in the glory of thunderous applause. She didn't stick around to find out who won, because she knew it wasn't Sunset Curve. She froze in the middle of their performance, missing her entry by four bars—a mistake that the music executive judges surely picked up on. She didn't want to see the disappointed looks of her friends. What she wanted was to leave, to get as far away from Christa and her father as possible.

The boys of Sunset Curve watched her, puzzled as she exited stage left. Suddenly the applause of the audience didn't seem as important. They quickly unplugged their guitars and followed after her.

Sylvia turned to the Mercers, asking them to watch a confused Mikey as she left to find her daughter.

Anthony watched as his ex-wife sped past him, pushing through the door that lead backstage. He ignored Christa as she asked where he was going and followed after Sylvia.

Out in the back alley, Olivia was trying to talk herself off the ledge that was her oncoming panic attack. Hunched over with one hand on her chest and the other on the brick wall, she tried her best to calm her erratic breaths. She couldn't focus on a single thought. Her mind felt like a crowd of people all talking to her at one and it was so, so loud.

"Olivia," a voice called, cutting through the noise.

Her eyes shut, wishing that she could be alone for one second longer.

"Mija."

Sylvia placed a hand on her back with caution, testing the waters of the girl's temper. She let out a small huff when her daughter flung herself into her arms, sobbing on her shoulder.

Sylvia placed a kiss on her daughter's forehead. "I'm so sorry, my love," she whispered, cradling her head. She had nothing to apologize for, she just wished that she could take away her pain.

"Olivia?"

The two Montez women looked up, both wearing expressions of anger.

"You need to leave," Sylvia snapped, her voice sharp and firm. She turned Olivia away from him, shielding her from any pain that the man could inflict.

Anthony stepped closer to them, shutting the venue's back door behind him. "I just want to talk to her, Sylvia."

There were moments in one's life that could easily be pinpointed as the direct cause of a resulting event. The moment Olivia found out her father cheated on her mom, the moment she found out he had been living a secret life with a family the same age as her and Mikey just across the city, the moment her father walked out to be with them. These were those moments that led to Olivia's anger.

"Talk to me?" Olivia started, her voice calm and dangerous like the air before a hurricane. She pulled away from her mother, taking slow steps closer to her father. "If you wanted to talk to me you would've reached out before Christmas. You would've—" She winced at the sound of her voice cracking. "You would've picked up my calls last year!"

The man shut his eyes tightly, knowing that he deserved her anger. "I know," he answered, ignoring the glare his ex-wife was giving him. He approached her like she was a wild animal. "But I'm here now."

"And how long do you plan to stay?" Olivia snapped. She could feel tears stinging in her eyes.

The back door opened to reveal Christa. Behind her was Jason and the rest of Sunset Curve. They were all bickering with each other, Christa having followed her father while the rest followed Olivia.

The chaos of noise settled as their eyes landed on the sight in front of them.

Christa stepped further into the alleyway, her expression confused but quizzical. Her eyes flickered between Olivia and her father. "Dad," she called out warily. "What's going on?"

"Christa, not now," Anthony said, his eyes still on Olivia.

It was clear that Christa was oblivious to the fact that they were sisters.

Olivia turned to the group, her eyes landing on Jason. He was staring at her with an immense amount of guilt. He had to have known about this. He and Christa grew up together, he's met Olivia's father on multiple occasions, he knew that they had the same dad. He knew and he didn't tell either girls that they were related.

A second betrayal from Jason Cummings.

When no one answered her questioned, Christa took another step forward. "What is going on?" she demanded, searching for an answer to a question she'd probably regret asking.

Olivia turned back to Anthony, taking slow steps backwards towards her mother's waiting arms. With a fire of spite blazing in her eyes, she spat out the words, "Maybe you should ask your dad."

Taking that as a sign of impending doom, Sylvia took her daughter by the arms and guided her down the alleyway to the street where she parked her car. She left Olivia in the front seat and when she returned with Mikey by her side, the family of three retreated to their house in silence.

RAE SPEAKS !
and there's the twist, christa and olivia have the same dad