Julie tossed and turned, the sheets tangled around her legs. Sleep wouldn’t come. Instead, the same frantic question looped in her mind: *What if they’re gone?* What if she woke up tomorrow and the boys had vanished, leaving only echoes of shared music and whispered promises? She’d been stewing in this anxiety for hours, her head throbbing with the possibilities. Finally, she gave up and flicked on the bedside lamp.
She needed a distraction. She needed… something solid.
She slid off the bed and went to her mum’s trunk, the one she rarely touched. It smelled like lavender and old dreams. Her hand reached inside, searching for a specific shirt. She didn’t bother sorting through the other clothes, just gripped the familiar cotton and pulled it out. The white fabric felt cool against her palm. Across the chest, stitched in looping cursive, were the words *Sunset Curve*.
Julie sat on the floor, the shirt clutched tight, tracing the letters with her fingertips. How could her mum be connected to the band? How could *she* be connected to them?
A knot tightened in her stomach. Were they lying to her? Everything felt unstable, like a house built on sand.
She pushed the thought aside and let her mind drift back to the performance, to the music. She began to hum the melody of “Edge of Great,” letting the notes fill the silence. The memory flooded back, vivid and sharp.
***
*Flashback – Julie’s POV*
The piano keys felt warm beneath my fingers as I launched into the intro to “Edge of Great.” Flynn’s words echoed in my head: “You make all the music you want with Luke, but he’ll always be a phantom.” “The key is avoiding those big, beautiful, dead eyes.” I focused on my goal, took a breath, and started to sing.
*RUNNING FROM THE PAST* *TRIPPING ON THE NOW* *WHAT IS LOST CAN BE FOUND, IT’S OBVIOUS*
I pictured a rubber ball bouncing back and forth, the energy of the song building with each note.
*AND LIKE A RUBBER BALL* *WE COME BOUNCING BACK* *WE ALL GOT A SECOND ACT, INSIDE OF US*
The boys rushed the stage, joining me in the song. The crowd roared with energy, their faces lit up with excitement. I couldn’t help but smile along with them.
*I BELIEVE* *I BELIEVE THAT WE’RE JUST ONE DREAM* *AWAY FROM WHO WE’RE MEANT TO BE* *THAT WE’RE STANDING ON THE EDGE OF* *SOMETHING BIG, SOMETHING CRAZY* *OUR BEST DAYS ARE YET UNKNOWN* *THAT THIS MOMENT IS OURS TO OWN*
I moved around, belting out the lyrics with Reggie, hyping Alex on the drums. My eyes kept darting to Luke, but I forced myself to look away, to pretend he wasn't there. It felt like a physical ache, a constant tug-of-war inside me.
*‘CAUSE WE’RE STANDING ON THE EDGE OF GREAT* *(ON THE EDGE OF GREAT) GREAT* *(ON THE EDGE OF GREAT) GREAT* *(ON THE EDGE OF GREAT)*
*‘CAUSE WE’RE STANDING ON THE EDGE OF GREAT*
Luke flicked his head, beckoning me closer. I pursed my lips, refusing to meet his gaze, continuing to sing without moving a muscle. This was the hardest thing she’d ever done.
*SOMETIMES WE GOTTA LEAN* *LEAN ON SOMEONE ELSE* *TO GET A LITTLE HELP* *UNTIL WE FIND OUR WAY*
I glanced at Luke and back at the crowd, trying to focus on anything but the heat of his eyes.
*I BELIEVE* *I BELIEVE THAT WE’RE JUST ONE DREAM* *AWAY FROM WHO WE’RE MEANT TO BE* *THAT WE’RE STANDING ON THE EDGE OF* *SOMETHING BIG, SOMETHING CRAZY* *OUR BEST DAYS ARE YET UNKNOWN* *THAT THIS MOMENT IS OURS TO OWN*
*‘CAUSE WE’RE STANDING ON THE EDGE OF GREAT* *(ON THE EDGE OF GREAT) ON THE EDGE OF GREAT* *(GREAT, ON THE EDGE OF GREAT) ON THE EDGE* *(GREAT, ON THE EDGE OF GREAT)*
*‘CAUSE WE’RE STANDING ON THE EDGE OF…*
Alex and Reggie disappeared into the shadows as Luke began playing an electric guitar riff. It was beautiful, but the intensity of his gaze was intoxicating. He moved closer to the piano, and I couldn't help but stare at him. His eyes lit up as he returned my gaze.
*I BELIEVE THAT WE’RE JUST ONE DREAM* *AWAY FROM WHO WE’RE MEANT TO BE* *THAT WE’RE STANDING ON THE EDGE OF GREAT* *SOMETHING BIG, SOMETHING CRAZY* *OUR BEST DAYS ARE YET UNKNOWN* *THAT THIS MOMENT IS OURS TO OWN*
*‘CAUSE WE’RE STANDING ON THE EDGE OF GREAT* *(ON THE EDGE OF GREAT) ON THE EDGE OF GREAT* *(GREAT, ON THE EDGE OF GREAT) ON THE EDGE* *(GREAT, ON THE EDGE OF GREAT)*
*‘CAUSE WE’RE STANDING ON THE EDGE OF…*
As the song ended, Luke was beside me on the piano bench, his face inches from mine. I could have lost myself in his eyes forever. But then, he was gone, vanished without a trace. And I already missed him.
***
Julie shook off the memory, pushing herself to her feet. She couldn’t sit here anymore, lost in a fantasy. She needed to stop thinking about Luke. It was pointless. She didn’t even know how much time she had left with him.
She packed the shirt back into the trunk and returned to her bed, turning off the light. Still, sleep wouldn’t come. She sat up, grabbed her red notebook from the bedside table, and began to write out the lyrics to “Perfect Harmony,” hoping to exorcise the ghosts of her feelings for Luke onto the page. Maybe if she could get it all out of her head, she could finally fall asleep.