Chapter Text
The floor near the bar is sticky beneath her shoes as Julie Molina shifts her weight from one foot to the other, fiddling with the thin straw floating in the coke she’d ordered from the barman in an effort to give her hands something to do while she waits.
It’s been so long since she’s stepped foot in music venue, she hardly knows what to do with herself. And even though she can’t spot the stage from where she’s standing at the back of the room, the fact that she knows it’s there still makes her feel a bit apprehensive. The idea of live music just hasn’t felt the same ever since her mom died.
But Julie’s here for Flynn and if there’s anyone she’d brave discomfort for, it’s her best friend.
“I didn’t realize it was a venue— you don’t have to stay if you don’t want to,” the other girl had said when they’d first walked into the lounge on the outskirts of Silverlake.
“It’s fine,” Julie had assured her, forcing a grin onto her face. “It’s just for a bit right? Until you meet that blind date of yours and you’re sure you don’t need to make a quick getaway?”
“Yeah, but Jules—“
“I promise it’s fine,” Julie had said, cutting Flynn off and shooting the girl a warm smile. “I’ll be right here— just in case you need me to rescue you.”
Flynn had left her right where Julie said she’d be waiting at the corner of the bar-- but not before pulling her into a fierce hug and proclaimed her to be the best friend ever. Flynn’s date had shown up shortly after, and then, there had been nothing left for Julie to do but wait.
She chances another glance at Flynn just in time to spot her friend tug on one of the large hoop earrings she’d donned for the night. It’s the signal that she’s been waiting for— a subtle sign from her bestie to let Julie know things were going well and that she was free to leave.
Heaving a sigh of relief over surviving her discomfort, Julie drops a few bills on the bar before she unsticks her boots from the sticky floor. She weaves her way between the bodies that are already crowding the cramped space before slipping through the same door she’s pretty sure she’d come in from when she had Flynn had first arrived.
It’s a bit of a shock to discover that the door in question isn’t an exit at all, but an entrance that leads into the back half of the lounge. The smaller room is packed to the brim with bodies, and the atmosphere within is so electric, it leaves Julie feeling a bit disoriented as a large group files in behind her. She allows herself to be pushed further into the room, figuring it makes more sense to swim with the current of bodies funneling in behind her until there’s enough space for her to turn around and head back out. It’s not until she moves further into the space that Julie catches sight of the last two people she’d ever want to run into. Her stomach drops when her eyes land on Nick— her ex-boyfriend (for lack of a better word)— and his new girlfriend Carrie Wilson, who’s shamelessly draped over him in a way that makes Julie feel queasy.
She’d wanted Nick for as long as she could remember growing up, but just when it seemed as if things were starting to get good between them, her mom had gotten sick and the news had turned Juile’s world upside down. After that, silly school girl crushes and romance just didn’t seem as important as they had before she’d been forced to come to terms with the fact that her mom’s days were numbered. And Julie hadn’t ever been naive enough to think that Nick would wait for her— especially not when she couldn’t give him a straight answer as to when she might be ready to get back to whatever it was they had together. She also hadn’t been foolish enough to believe he wouldn’t ever move on after she’d taken herself out of the running for his affections. But the fact that he’d chosen to move on with Carrie— the one person who never missed an opportunity to tear Julie down? She’d never say as much to anyone other than Flynn, but the news that Carrie and Nick had rekindled their high school romance after running into each other one day on the university campus they all shared stung more than she cared to admit.
Julie whirls around quickly at the sight of the picture perfect couple, but not fast enough for Carrie to miss spying her from across the room as though she’s a shark who’s caught the scent of blood in the water. She spares another glance over her shoulder through her wild, curly hair, and catches a flash of the blonde girls’ teeth as her lips pull back into a cold smile.
“Busted,” Julie thinks to herself as her heart kick into overdrive.
There are too many bodies in the room— too many people blocking the way to the only exit— but Julie’s not about to make Carrie’s pursuit of her any easier. She picks her way through the crowd, squeezing between bodies as swiftly as she can, hoping to put as many people between herself and Carrie and Nick as possible. She might not make it to the door in time, but Juile hopes that buying herself a bit more time will give her a chance to prepare for the inevitable interaction that seems to be mere moments away from occurring.
As she moves, Julie finds herself thinking about how she wishes she weren’t alone. She wishes for Flynn. Wishes that she’ll look over to the bar and miraculously spot her best friend sitting at one of the stools waiting for her, ready to back her up, and ready with a clever comeback to combat whatever it is Carrie will throw at her this time. She knows Flynn won’t be at the bar, but it doesn’t stop Julie from desperately sweeping her gaze over the countertop for any sight of her friend anyway.
And just as Juile finds herself wishing for the sight of a friendly face— any friendly face— she might be able to cling to for a little bit of moral support, she sees them: two guys who seem to be around her age. One in an orange beanie and a shirt he’s clearly cut the sleeves off of himself, and another with dark, slicked back hair who’s sporting a well-worn black leather jacket despite the toasty temperature inside the venue. It’s the familiarity with which they interact with one another that first draws her eyes toward them. There’s something about their energy that just reminds her so much of the way that she and Flynn operate when they’re together, and it’s that similarity that she clings to as her feet carry her forward toward the two strangers in question.
Her first thought is to approach the guy in the leather jacket, who hasn’t stopped smiling since she’d spotted them. He seemed friendly enough— kind, even— from what Julie can gather just by looking at him. But her plans are derailed almost instantly when she sees the boy in question clap his friend on the shoulder before disappearing into the crowd with an energetic spring in his step. And then there’s just the sleeveless boy in the orange beanie whose looking a bit glum as he spins a spare coaster on its edge between his fingers. She sends a silent prayer up to whoever might be listening as her feet keep moving forward. She hopes, against all odds, that the stranger’s feeing generous (or at least, chivalrous enough to help her out of a jam for a few minutes.)
“Hey,” she says as she sidles up to the bar next to him. He straightens, replacing the frown on his face with a small smile that puts her a bit more at ease. “Sorry to bother you, I’m—“
She hears Carrie calling out her name from somewhere behind her and the sound of her sickly sweet voice sends a pang of dread through her. It also makes Juile realize that the time for niceties is over. She flings her arms around the stranger’s neck before she loses her nerve, and the boy pressed against her stiffens for only a moment before one of his own arms comes up and loops around her waist.
“Whoah,” he utters in surprise right near her ear. The warm, breathy chuckle that follows sends an involuntary tingle down her spine. “Have we met before?”
“No, sorry,” Julie says, pulling back as she flashes him the brightest smile she can muster.
It’s the first time she’s really gotten a good look at his face, and it causes the request that’s moments away from spilling out of her mouth to get lodged in her throat. He’s sort of beautiful up close in a way she hadn’t been expecting. His eyes, which she’d assumed were brown from far away, glimmer and shift in color in the lowlight of the bar, but it’s his smile that really throws her for a loop. It’s perfect in a way that seems almost unfair, and it momentarily makes her forget why she’d thrown herself at him to begin with. But then she remembers Carrie and Nick, and it’s like she’s just been doused with a bucket of ice water. It’s enough for Julie to get a grip on her thoughts, and get on with the reason why she’d thrown herself at him to begin with.
“I know this is going to sound kinda crazy-- I promise I’m not crazy!—“
“Well, we’re all a little crazy,” he quips.
Juile ignores his interjection and barrels on. “But, could you maybe pretend to be in love with me for a few minutes?”
The stranger blinks at her as though still trying to process the words that have just rushed out of her mouth.
“Um…what?” he asks through a nervous laugh.
“Look, I know we don’t know each other, but I really just need some help? So can you please just pretend to be my boyfriend? Because my ex-boyfriend is here with his new girlfriend, who also happens to be my arch nemesis, and I really just need someone to be my human shield for like, two seconds, so…will you do it?” Julie asks quickly, wondering if he can hear the desperation lingering along the edges of her voice.
He stares at her in equal parts amusement and confusion. It’s a combination that Julie might have otherwise found incredibly endearing in any other situation. Right now though, when time is of the essence, it just makes her feel all the more anxious as she waits to see if the stranger before her will put her out of her misery. He hasn’t made any sort of move to push Julie away— to shrug her hand off of his shoulder, or to remove the arm he’s still got looped around her waist; she hopes desperately that the fact that he hasn’t done either is a good sign.
Julie finds herself holding her breath as he opens his mouth as though ready to give her an answer, but the bartender returns at the same exact moment, pulling his captivating eyes with their many colors away from Julie’s own, drawing them instead down to where he’s set a red solo cup down directly in front of the stranger before her.
She chances a quick glance behind her and locks eyes with Carrie, who grins at her like the cat who’s just caught the canary as she continues to work her way through the crowd with Nick in tow.
“I’ll pay for your tab!” Julie blurts out in a moment of desperation, squeezing the stranger’s arm in an effort to get his attention. She knows it works when his eyes snap back up and lock with hers.
“Look, I— you—whatever your name is,“ the boy starts. “You’re very cute, and I’m very flattered? Can’t say I’ve ever had anyone ask me to be their fake boyfriend before, but it’s not really a good time for me so…”
He gives Julie an awkward pat on the arm as he stands from the barstool he’d been occupying.
“But I hope you enjoy the show!” He says the last bit as an afterthought, offering her one last parting grin before disappearing into the crowd just as his friend had done moments before.
She hardly has time to harp on how quickly she’d been dismissed before she hears Carrie’s sickly sweet voice calling her name from behind. And Julie grits her teeth, taking one final deep breath before turning to face the last two people she’d wanted to see.
Carrie, as always, is immaculately dressed in a coordinating pink ensemble that Julie (begrudgingly) thinks becomes her. And Julie hates herself for feeling more than a little self-conscious about the way she’s dressed in comparison. She hadn’t thought much about what she’d had on when when she’d accompanied Flynn here tonight, and changing out of the cardigan and the purple, butterfly printed sun dress she’d worn all day to school hadn’t even crossed her mind. She hand’t ever expected to stay out long enough for it to matter. She’d also never expected to run into anyone she actually knew.
“Julie! I told Nick I thought I’d spotted you here, didn’t I babe?” Carrie says in a high pitched tone.
“Hey, Julie,” Nick says slowly, offering her a warm smile from Carrie’s side.
“I’m surprised we ran into you,” Carrie continues. “Aren’t you usually holed up at the library for the most part?”
“Not as surprised as I am to see you,” Julie replies, adopting a sarcastically cheerful voice. “I thought for sure you’d turn into a pumpkin if you ventured anywhere east of the 101.”
Julie grins triumphantly when she sees the smile on Carrie’s face falter.
“Well, Nick wanted to check out the band playing here tonight, and how could I possibly say no to this face?” Carrie asks, cupping his chin with a perfectly manicured hand before planting a lingering kiss onto his mouth.
Julie averts her eyes, suddenly becoming incredibly interested in the wood grain on the well-worn floor beneath her feet, glancing back up only when she hears Nick awkwardly clear his throat.
“So…did you come here with Flynn?” he asks in an effort to make conversation.
“No, actually I’m here with my boyfriend,” the words leave Julie’s lips before she can even think to stop them.
“Your boyfriend,” Carrie repeats flatly.
“Yeah!” Julie exclaims.
The sound of her voice coming out high-pitched and strained is enough to instantly make her regret her decision to lie in the first place. But Carrie’s presence, and the way she’s hanging onto Nick as though he’s her newest designer bag, had clearly been enough to make her forget a huge flaw in her plan. And the flaw is simply that Julie’s never been terribly great at lying to begin with. There’s no turning back now though, so Julie does the only thing she can do and presses on.
“You um…you both just missed him actually— my boyfriend— he was just here. At the bar. With me,” she says, gesturing to the vacant barstool that had previously been occupied by the boy she’d hoped would have been her unexpected white knight. “Maybe you two saw him while you were coming up to say hello…?”
Nick’s brows pull into a frown and the grin plastered across Carrie’s face grows impossibly wider.
“The guy who was just at the bar is your boyfriend?” Carrie repeats.
“Uh huh,” Julie nods. “It’s pretty new, but we’re pretty crazy about each other.”
“Let me get this straight,” Carrie says cutting her off. “The guy at the bar— the one who’s on stage right now— you actually expect us to believe that that’s your boyfriend?”
It takes a minute for Juile to process what Carrie’s just said, but her eyes are faster than her brain, and they’re quick to shoot over in the direction Carrie’s pointing to. Her stomach sinks when she looks up at the stage only to find the same stranger she’d flung her arms around— the one in the orange hat, and the cutoff shirt, and the perfect smile— speaking into the mic as he fiddles with the electric guitar strapped to his front.
In her panic, Julie can’t quite wrap her head around what he’s saying when he addresses the crowd, but she doesn’t miss the sound of Carrie’s voice in her ear. She sounds triumphant as she speaks, loud enough for Julie to hear above the roar of the crowd. “Next time you try and make up a fake boyfriend, maybe try picking someone that’s a bit more attainable, Molina.”
Julie has every intention of turning around— of facing Carrie and Nick and hoping she can figure out a way to play all of this off on the fly. But then the stranger on stage is staring directly at her and it’s impossible for her to look away. Even from a distance, she finds herself captivated and frozen by eyes, the color of which she can’t quite describe.
“We’re going to play a new song for you tonight if that’s alright,” he says from up on the stage, his gaze never leaving hers. “This one’s for my girl. She’s the one in the pretty purple dress over at the bar— and I really hope she likes it.”
And Julie has just enough time to hear the disbelieve in Carrie’s voice when she blurts out a well timed, “What the hell?” before the band on stage comes alive and drowns out the rest of the noise in the room.