The Lead Guitarist //Reggie Peters

Chapter 31: Playing the Orpheum

Ok, guys, I want to wish you all a wonderful Thanksgiving even though I'm posting this at like 10:21 PM. 

Ash's POV*

Julie was pacing back and forth in the studio while I was sitting on the couch, just looking at her. "Julie, your pacing is making me anxious." I told Julie since she's been pacing for the past 10 minutes. 

"I''m sorry, Ash. Do you think they can really do it?" Julie asked me as I stood up from my spot on the couch, walking over to her. 

"Julie, those boys are idiots and they'll find a way to make this happen...probably with Alex dancing somewhere during this plan." I said to her as I put my hands on her shoulders. 

"Ok. Yea, you're right. They can do this." Julie then said, putting her hands on my shoulders as the boys finally poofed back in from their mission. "Oh my gosh! What took you guys so long?" Julie asked the boys as Julie and me looked at Alex, Luke, and Reggie. 

"Did Willie do it?" I then asked them as I let go of Julie's shoulders. 

"Did you talk to them? Did they watch the video?" Julie continued asking the boys. 

"Woah." Reggie said, trying to stop Julie from asking so many questions. 

"Did they like us? Are we playing? Can someone answer? Why is no one saying anything!" Julie continued shouting as all three boys looked at her, overwhelmed with her rapid-firing questions. 

"Woah! That's a lot of questions!" Reggie exclaimed as Julie stopped asking questions. "Luke, you wanna take this one?" Reggie then asked him as he nodded.

"Take a seat." Luke told me and Julie as the two of us sat down on the couch. "It's fine. Everything's fine." Luke continued as he, Alex, and Reggie all knelt down in front of the coffee table.

"Yea. You should be getting a call right...now!" Alex then exclaimed, motioning to Julie's phone which was sitting on the coffee table, but nothing happened; I looked at Julie before we all looked at Alex. "Ok. Right...now!" Alex exclaimed again and after about three seconds, her phone started to ring.

"Yea!" Julie exclaimed as the two of us high-fived.

"Nailed it." Alex then said as he, Luke, and Reggie all low-fived.

"Answer it!" I then told Julie as she looked at me.

"Oh! Um..." Julie started, clearing her throat as she answered the phone call, putting it on speakerphone, "Hello." She said in a cheery tone.

"Hi, this is Tasha from the Orpheum in Hollywood." The woman on the phone started as we all jumped up, celebrating; Julie and I jumped up onto the couch, hugging as the boys all danced around. "Is this Julie of Julie, Ash, and the Phantoms?" the woman then asked as the five of us froze in our tracks; Julie and I stopped hugging as she picked up her phone, taking it off speakerphone and holding it to her ear.

"Yes, it is." Julie responded as the boys started celebrating again; Julie and I stood on top of the coffee table as Luke and Reggie got into position to, what it looks like, pick up Alex. "Yea, totally!" Julie then exclaimed as Alex ran at the two, jumping and they caught him, lifting him up above their heads. "Thank you so much!" Julie continued as she ended the call. "We're doing it!" Julie shouted as Alex and I air high-fived.

"We're playing the Orpheum!" I shouted as Julie and I then high-fived.

"Yea!" Alex exclaimed as Luke and Reggie started spinning him around. "I'm swimming!" Alex then exclaimed, moving his arms and legs as if he were swimming.

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"I'm so stoked." I said to Julie, smiling as we walked out through the back door, our costume bags in hand which have our outfits for tonight inside.

"Me, too." Julie responded as we walked down the pathway to the studio. "Excited, but nervous." she continued as I nodded. 

"I feel that. If it makes you feel better, the Orpheum holds less people than our school gym does. So that means our biggest performance was Bright." I then said to Julie as we walked up to the studio. 

We opened the studio doors, walking in to see Alex, Luke, and Reggie all gathered around the piano. "Are you ready?" she asked the boys as all three of them looked at us; I looked at the boys, my smile fading as I saw the look of nervousness and pain on their faces.

"What's wrong? Are you guys ok?" I asked the boys.

"Yea. We just got rocked pretty hard by one of those jolt things." Alex told me as he and the others walked over to Julie and me.

"Pretty sure I ghost peed a little." Reggie then said, standing next to Alex.

"But we're fine." Luke added on, smiling at the two of us.

"Actually, guys, I'm a little nervous. I mean, we're playing the Orpheum." Julie then pointed out as we all agreed with her; I looked at Reggie, seeing him looking at me with a look of sorrow on his face since we both know this will be one of the last moments we see each other before the boys cross over.

"Reggie, can we talk for a sec?" I then asked him as he nodded.

"Of course." He responded as he walked over to me; the two of us took a few steps away from the others as I saw Luke walk over to Julie. I put my costume bag on the couch as I stood in front of Reggie, the two of us only a few inches apart. "What's up?" Reggie asked me.

"Um...can you do me a favor?" I asked him as he nodded.

"Anything for you, Ash. You know that." Reggie responded, smiling at me as I let out a deep sigh.

"When you cross over, if you see my parents, can you tell them I said thank you...for everything? And that I love them?" I asked Reggie as he nodded.

"Of course I will." He told me, smiling lightly as I smiled back; I then reached for Reggie's hand, my hand passing through his, but he got the idea.

"Guys, band circle." Luke then told us all as Reggie and I joined the others. I stood in between Reggie and Julie as all three boys held hands while Julie and I held hands; I hovered my free hand above Reggie's and Julie hovered her free hand above Alex's as we all looked at Luke. "We don't know what brought us here, but... what we do know is, you're stars, Julie and Ash." Luke started as Julie and I looked at all three boys, chuckling lightly, smiling. "And just because this is our last night together, it doesn't mean we won't be watching you two from above...or..." Luke continued and at the end, he motioned to the ground, talking about Hell; we all ended up laughing at the Hell reference. "Now let's go rock this show. Let's give 'em a night they'll be talking about 'til the sun comes up." Luke then said as we all laughed, nodding. "Legends on three." Luke continued saying, sticking his hands out.

"One..." Alex said, putting his hand on top of Luke's.

"Two..." Reggie then said, putting his hand on top of Alex's.

"Three..." Julie and I both said, both of us hovering our hands over Reggie's.

"Legends!" the five of us then exclaimed, throwing our hands up; we all started laughing again as a horn honked from outside.

"That's my dad. He's driving me and Ash there, so we'll see you guys soon." Julie said to the boys as I walked to the couch, grabbing my costume bag before Julie and I walked out of the studio; Julie and I then stopped as we turned around to look at the boys again. We smiled at them, laughing lightly as Julie grabbed her costume bag, the two of us walking out of the studio, towards Ray's car. 

This story is quickly coming to an end with only a few chapters left 😭. I had a lot of fun writing this story, so please comment, vote, and follow!

StarWarrior...signing off!