Story of My Life (J.A.T.P)
Warnings: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Mentions of Parental Death
Pairings: Luke Patterson x Julie Molina
AU: Everyone lives, no one dies (minus Julie's mom, for plot, of course)
In honor of the fandom growing again, and the possibility of a second season, have this little story.
Written in these walls are the stories that I can't explain
I leave my heart open but it stays right here empty for days
Luke always watched Julie from afar, admiring the girl from a distance. His friends always made fun of him for it. Especially Alex, who later on became quick friends with Flynn, Julie's best friend.
But, he never talked to her, he knew she knew who he was. He was sure Alex told her a story or two about him to embarrass him. But he never talked to her, he always clammed up whenever she was around.
Luke was content with admiring her from afar, staying quiet as he watched her interact with everyone around her with an energy that could never be contained.
Everyone loved her, that was the thing. Julie was kind to everyone, always helping out people who needed it. He couldn't even count the amount of times she went out of her way just to make sure a stranger passed a class.
She told me in the morning she don't feel the same about us in her bones
It seems to me that when I die, these words will be written on my stone
But he watched her light dwindle, fade over time. No one around her seemed to notice, except maybe Flynn. He could see the way her smiles stopped reaching her eyes, and watched as she stopped going to play a random tune on the piano in the middle of class.
But soon enough, she stopped trying to put on a front. It was like a switch flipped and she stopped caring. The light left her eyes, she stopped helping people out, she even distanced herself from Flynn. Well, she tried to. But Luke knew that Flynn was way too stubborn to let herself be pushed away.
He didn't know exactly what happened, but from the whispers in the hallway it seemed that her mother passed. When he found that out, he felt his heart break for the girl he adored so much.
A piece of him seemed to break every day as he watched Julie become a shell of her former self. He hadn't seen her touch a piano or hum a tune in almost a year. He yearned to hear her angelic voice once more, but alas he didn't know her, nor did she know him.
And I'll be gone, gone tonight, the ground beneath my feet is open wide
The way that I been holdin' on too tight, with nothin' in between
Luke wanted to be able to help her, to bring back the life and energy that she had lost. But he couldn't, he couldn't find the words. He couldn't figure out what to say to her. How he would start the conversation, he had so much he wanted to say but he didn't have the ability to form it into words.
He sat at his desk every night, thinking about the beautiful girl who had lost her spark. The girl that had to grieve over the loss of such an important figure in her life. The girl who had stolen his heart without even realizing she had.
He wished he could tell her the way she made him feel, but he knew if he ever got the courage to he wouldn't say it. He couldn't tell her, not while her wounds are still so fresh. If there was a way to make her happy again, he'd do it. He'd do anything to see her smile again.
Luke went through pages and pages of his notebooks, crumpled up papers overflowing in the trash can that rested under his desk. But he couldn't find the words, he couldn't figure out how to explain the storm that was going on in his head. He didn't know how he could help her.
The story of my life, I take her home
I drive all night to keep her warm, and time is frozen
In a perfect world, Luke saw himself and Julie smiling and writing songs that they sang together. Their friends surrounded them and helped bring their songs to life. In this world, they knew each other and they loved each other deeply. But sadly, a perfect world doesn't exist.
So instead, Luke was going through a funk. Everyone could see it, his friends were worried. He hadn't written a song in months, and his last one was barely a song if he was being honest. He couldn't write, his brain was in scrambles and everything he had written down wasn't good enough.
This went on for long enough that even Reggie had told Luke that maybe it was time to take a break from the band. That's the moment that Luke felt his heart completely shatter. He knew he had to do something, he had to get out of this funk.
But his mind was only filled with Julie, filled with the ghost of what the girl used to be. Overflowing with ways he could help but also the anxiety of being rejected. Filled with longing and anguish for this girl that he had never spoken a word to. He couldn't figure out what to do.
The story of my life, I give her hope
I spend her love until she's broke inside, the story of my life
Eventually, his friends started to give him space. They still hung out with him, gave him ideas of how to get his rhythm back. But they just gave him a bit of space, which Luke was immensely grateful for.
He still watched Julie from afar, finally, after a year it seemed that she was opening up a bit more. She was smiling again, joking around with her friends. She stopped pushing people away, started helping people out again. But she didn't touch the piano.
He saw the longing in her eyes whenever she passed the piano in Music class. He also saw when Mrs. Harrison stopped Julie one day to talk after class. When he saw her leave, dejected and nervous, he knew what the conversation was about.
The need to help her had finally grown too strong, he knew he had to do something. He couldn't watch her be kicked out of music, even if she was having a hard time singing. His choice was solidified when she choked the next day, starting to play a tune only to not be able to get the words out.
Written on these walls are the colors that I can't change
Leave my heart open, but it stays right here in its cage
As Julie ran out of the class after Carrie's particularly harsh comment, Luke had finally had enough. He got up, sending a glare towards Carrie, "That's a new low for you Carrie, real mature of you."
He saw the way her eyebrows furrowed, Luke never got upset. He was a pretty energetic, gung-ho type of guy. He never glared at people, and he definitely never was rude or talked back to someone if it wasn't directed at him or his friends.
But he still walked out of class, after Julie, much to the surprise of all of their mutual friends. He looked both ways, trying to figure out which way Julie turned, seeing her curly ponytail turn around a corner at his right.
He was quick to follow, and once she was finally in his sights he spoke, "Julie, wait!"
At the sound of his voice she turned around, shock evident on her face once she realized who called her. He wasn't surprised that she reacted that way, he never spoke to her despite their mutual friends.
I know that in the morning, I'll see us in the light up on the hill
Although I am broken, my heart is untamed still
"Luke?" She asked, tilting her head as she looked his figure up and down, making Luke scratch the back of his own head.
"That's my name." He mumbled, becoming shy once they were face to face. "I just, I wanted to say to not give Carrie any mind. I'm sure you'll be able to sing again soon."
Julie smiled sadly, shaking her head, "Thank you for that, but that was my last chance."
Luke furrowed his eyebrows, a frown appearing on his face as he looked at Julie. "I'm sure they'll be another, you're way too talented for Mrs. Harrison to give you up."
Julie sighed gently, her eyes flicking back to something behind Luke before going back to him, "I appreciate the encouragement Luke, and I really hope you're right." She mumbled before walking past him.
Luke turned around to watch her walk away, towards Mrs. Harrison. From the look on the music teachers face he knew that it may be the last chance for Julie. He knew he had to figure out a way to make sure she didn't get kicked out of the music program.
And I'll be gone, gone tonight
The fire beneath my feet is burnin' bright
When Luke sat at his desk that night, he finally knew how to word how he was feeling. He finally knew what to write, and that's what he did. He wrote, he put words to how he felt. The want and need to help Julie, the adoration he felt for the girl he barely knew.
When he finished writing, he was quick to message his bandmates that he finally finished a song. A song that he actually loved, one he was proud of for once.
Alex was the first to reply, expressing his happiness that Luke was able to get his groove back and Bobby was quick to second that. Reggie of course just sent a bunch of keyboard smashes that caused a small smile to form on Luke's face.
They ended up meeting later that night, meeting up at Bobby's garage and finding out what melody and music they could add to this song. They worked hard, and were happy that they would have it ready for the pep rally at the end of Spirit Week.
The way that I've been holdin' on so tight
The next day, Luke went up to Mrs. Harrison, giving her a small smile, "Hey Mrs. H, I was wondering if the offer to play at the pep rally was still open for us?"
He could see the way that Mrs. Harrison's eyes lit up at that, "Of course it is, you can perform after Carrie and her group."
Luke grinned at that, nodding at Mrs. Harrison before going back to his friends. It seemed that while he was gone, Flynn and Julie had ended up joining the conversation.
His eyes ended up meeting Julie's and he gave her a shy smile before turning towards Bobby, Alex and Reggie, "We're in."
Reggie was quick to bring the 4 of them into a hug, wrapping his arms around all of their necks and pulling them towards him, "The band is back!!" He exclaimed, causing Bobby and Alex to laugh.
Luke looked back over towards Julie, noticing how she smiled softly at the boy's actions. He grinned a bit before finally pulling away from Reggie, clapping his shoulder as he did, "We still will need to practice, we've only played the song once."
"You finally were able to write a new one?" Flynn asked, raising an eyebrow towards Luke. Julie seemed surprised by this, obviously unaware about his current creative block.
"I had a bit of inspiration." He replied, forcing himself to not glance over at Julie as he said it. But Alex just rolled his eyes, letting out a soft laugh.
"That's one way to put it." He said before turning his attention to Flynn, "He wrote a love song."
Luke felt his cheeks heat up as he awkwardly scratched his neck, "There is no way, actually?" Flynn asked, grinning a bit as she looked at Luke.
"Yeah, it's actually really cute! A bit sad, but it's such a mushy song!" Reggie said, smiling brightly, "Like one of those cheesy one-sided love songs you hear on the radi-"
"Alright alright, enough with that, would ya?" Luke said, wanting to turn the attention off his song and the implications of it. He wanted it to be a surprise. He looked towards Julie once again, realizing she was already looking at him. He smiled a bit towards her before looking away once more.
The story of my life, I take her home
I drive all night to keep her warm, and time is frozen
After that day, Julie and Luke seemed to finally get closer. Surprisingly it wasn't because of Luke, but because of Julie herself. She went out of her way to walk up to him after class, and pair up with him instead of Flynn in their shared Biology class.
Flynn didn't mind, instead pairing with Alex seeing as he usually paired up with Luke. All these things made Luke beam, brighter than he had before. It was embarrassingly obvious to almost everyone how infatuated he was with Julie. To everyone but her that is.
Julie herself seemed a bit happier, even offering to help Luke write another new song. She didn't sing it, but she did hum along to the melody he came up with which surprised Luke immensely. He ended up gifting her the lyric and music sheet, saying he'd rather hear her sing it when she was able to again.
He didn't notice the way Julie's heart almost leapt out of her chest when he said that. He didn't see the way her eyes practically formed hearts at the fact he'd rather wait for her to be ready so she could sing it instead of doing it with his band.
He couldn't tell that all these little things, all these small subconscious things he always did with people he cared about slowly made Julie feel less empty. He didn't realize he was helping her find her music just by existing by her side.
The story of my life, I give her hope
I spend her love until she's broke inside, the story of my life
The pep rally was close, Luke was feeling more and more anxious by the day. There was no way for Julie to know that the song was about her, but he still felt nervous at the fact she was going to hear it.
He yearned deeply to know what she would think of it. Would she hate it? Would she love it? Would she not think anything of it at all and just be counting down the minutes until she could go back to class?
He knew the last thought was ridiculous. Julie was too much of a compassionate and kind person to not have her full attention on the band's music when they performed. But the knowledge of that didn't ease his worries.
His friends were quick to notice his nerves a few hours before the pep rally started. Alex was the one who decided to confront him about it, seeing as he himself knew what nerves Luke was feeling.
"Hey bud, you doing alright over here?" Alex asked, making Luke jump up from his thoughts, staring at his friend like he gained two heads in the last half-hour since they had talked.
"Yeah." Luke finally answered, wringing his hands together as he glanced off to the side of the room, "Just pre-performance jitters."
Alex nodded hesitantly, pursing his lips in thought before he responded to Luke's obvious deflect of his original question, "She's going to love the song, just don't think about it too much." He said before walking away, pretending not to notice the way Luke's shoulders sagged in relief at the assurance that it'll be alright.
And I've been waiting for this time to come around
But, baby, runnin' after you is like chasin' the clouds
Before Luke knew it, he was on the stage, staring at his peers looking back at him from the bleachers. His eyes scanned the crowd, trying to find the familiar set of curls among the students. Soon enough he found her, sitting next to Flynn and Willie, smiling at him.
Luke shyly returned the smile before averting his attention away from her, "Hello, Los Feliz Bobcats! Thank you for having us today at the Pep Rally, we really hope you enjoy the few songs we've got today."
Bobby was quick to join in next, grinning and winking at the crowd as he spoke, "My good friend Luke here wrote all the songs from deep within his heart, so please show him some love for that!" Applause was quick to follow, seeing as Bobby was the more popular person in their band.
"Without further ado! We are Sunset Curve!" Alex said, causing Reggie to quickly chime in, "Tell your friends!" Laughter settled over the students before they eventually quieted down at the start of their first song.
Luke felt his nerves quickly vanish as he sang, his song for Julie wasn't until the end, and this he was extremely grateful for. He could lose himself in the music he spent ages on writing and composing to the best of his abilities. Smiling and running around the stage as he sang his heart out, having to force his laughter to stop when Reggie made a face when they harmonized on the same mic.
This is what he missed, performing, the cheers of the people around him as they learned the chorus as tried to sing along for later verses for the songs he hadn't yet released and sang for the public.
He caught Julie's eye multiple times throughout the first couple of songs, and he knew she loved them. He saw her eyes light up when she realized she knew the song, mouthing the words, but he knew she wasn't singing. He'd recognize her voice among the crowd that harmonized before him.
Soon enough, it was time for her song. He waited for his classmates to calm down a bit before grabbing the mic and pulling it closer to him, "This last song is a bit slower... Don't get me wrong, the chorus is obviously still upbeat- But..." He subconsciously glanced towards Julie's direction, "This song is one that's close to my heart, I wrote it for someone I've always admired from afar."
He smiled a bit, looking at his shoes before shaking his head, "Sappiness aside, I really hope you all enjoy it. Here's our final song, Story of my Life."
As he performed, he couldn't help but look at Julie. He didn't care if he was being obvious, and by the way her smile seemed to brighten as she listened to the words that he sang to her, he didn't think she minded either. He never wanted to see her smile fade ever again.
When they finally finished, they all bowed, smiles never fading as they stepped off the stage. Mrs. Harrison was quick to take their place, saying her final speech before sending the kids back to their classes.
The story of my life, I take her home
I drive all night to keep her warm, and time is frozen
Luke wasn't sure what he expected as he checked the strings on his guitar, not yet having unplugged it just yet. But he definitely didn't expect to hear a piano start to play a few feet away from where he stood in the wings of the stage.
He glanced over, recognizing the cords that started to play, but he was surprised to see Julie sat at the piano. She glanced over at him, not too surprised to see him staring in awe back. She sent him a nervous smile, and he was quick to give her a beaming one back, mouthing the words 'You got this.'
That seemed to be all she needed, smiling softly before she started to sing the song they had written together. She had quickly caught the attention of the students and teachers, pausing in their leaving to watch the girl in surprise.
Luke could see the way Julie stared at the keyboard, her voice still a bit timid, not the usual loud and bright voice he missed dearly. He glanced at his bandmates, and by the way they were all reaching for their instruments, it seemed they had the same idea.
So soon enough, the boys joined on the stage, joining in on the music. Julie was surprised, but obviously happy at the surprise addition to her performance. Soon enough they were singing together, smiling and dancing around each other.
Luke and Julie's voices harmonized beautifully, not that it was much of a surprise. It was obvious that they would, you could ask anyone with a musical bone in their body and they'd say it was clear they would sound amazing together.
It was clear that Julie didn't expect the reaction of the crowd when they finished, surprise evident on her features as she stared at the crowd that was cheering and clapping in front of her. Luke smiled softly, glancing towards the crowd as well. When he noticed the principal and Mrs. Harrison whispering, he knew that this might be Julie's chance to get her spot back.
He placed a hand on her shoulder, heart melting just a tad when he saw her bright smile directed towards him. He said nothing, instead motioning towards their teacher and principal who seemed to want to speak with her. He watched as she walked towards them, nerves already showing just by how she walked away from him.
The story of my life, I give her hope
I spend her love until she's broke inside
Luke sat nervously on his truck in the school parking lot. He hadn't seen Julie since the end of the pep rally, he was worried that it hadn't worked out well for the girl.
His friends were sitting in front of him, but he barely paid them any mind. He stared into the sky, watching the clouds pass as he chewed at the skin by his fingernails anxiously.
After what seemed like hours, he felt the hood of his car move slightly, signaling someone had sat down beside him and successfully breaking him out of his trance so he could look next to him. Julie sat there, smiling fondly at the boy.
"Julie!" He said, immediately standing up so he could face her properly, "Tell me, how did it go? Did you get in trouble? Did you get kicked out?? Are you rejoining the music program? DID YOU GET EXPELLED??"
Julie laughed softly, placing a hand on Luke's shoulder to calm him down a bit, "Slow down, cowboy. Nothing bad happened." Luke felt his face light up at those words, waiting patiently for Julie to finish, "They were able to pull some strings and add another spot so I could rejoin the program, as long as I was sure I wouldn't choke again after this."
Luke couldn't help the smile that grew, immediately moving and wrapping his arms around the girl, "I am so happy for you, you deserve it Jules." He felt her arms wrap around his middle, melting into his embrace. He knew he wanted to stay like this forever, but he knew it wasn't likely.
"So, that song you wrote." Julie started, pulling away a bit so she could see his face, "Who was it about?"
Luke felt his cheeks heat up, glancing away for a second before returning his attention to Julie. He was about to answer, but by the grin that was growing on Julie's face it seemed like she already knew. He groaned in annoyance, resting his head on her shoulder as if to hide his embarrassment.
His suspicions were confirmed when he heard her beautiful laughter hit his ears and her hand came to pat his back, "It's alright, rockstar. I like you too."
Luke glanced up at Julie, tilting his head to the side instead of lifting it up so he wouldn't have to lose the close contact he craved from the girl, "Do you?" He asked, his voice soft as he scanned her face as if to try to guess if she was lying or not.
"Have for a while now, I thought I was being pretty obvious." Julie responded, her smile softening at the hesitant look on his face. His own smile finally appeared, pulling Julie close once again and burying his face in her neck.
It turns out he did end up saving her, just like he wanted to since the beginning.
