Thank you @angel_of_darkness for the beautiful poster of Minnie & Luke!

Please remember to vote.  It's chapter 99 ya know ;)

Chapter 99: Lucky

~Millie's POV~

Backstage was buzzing with the excitement of performers waiting to go on stage and the thrill of those who had finished, ready to unwind. I returned to the artists' room, still claiming to be Jake's lyricist.

The room was a lot messier than the last time I saw it. Clothing, make up, glitter, empty cups and beer bottles were all over the place. I saw Jake's guitar on a seat.

He was standing by the free drinks, talking to the rock band that went on stage before him. Their outfits were as different as blue cheese and broccoli, which is a weird comparison I know. Jake was casually dressed, while the others were in sparkling bell bottoms.

Blue cheese and broccoli, it's what comes to mind.

"Jake?" I said, awkwardly interrupting their conversation.

"Hey!" he greeted me with an excited smile, grabbing two beers off the table and saying goodbye to the other singers, "See you on the dance floor. Come on, Mills, let's roll."

That rock band really got into his head quickly.

He led the way out of the backstage area. I couldn't get a word in, because the music was so loud, and strangers kept calling out to him. Jake's song has made him popular tonight.

He handed me another beer and tried to lead me into the crowd on the dance floor. I grabbed his arm to stop him.

"What was that song about?!" I exclaimed.

"You should know. You inspired it."

"So it was about me?" I confirmed, dreading the answer. I didn't want that to be the answer.

"First verse was inspired by our families and the second one was inspired by you," he said.

"I thought we moved on from this. Why are you singing about me like there's an us?" I asked, feeling upset that our friendship was getting between my relationship... again.

Luke left because of it.

"Why are you upset?" he asked, lowering his beer when he realized how distressed I was, "I thought the lyrics sounded nice."

"But they create more tension between the three of us. Wouldn't it be nice if we could all get along? Now Luke's-"

"Woah, woah, Millie, back up," Jake replied, raising his hands, "That song wasn't about me trying to get with you. I'm a musician. I take inspiration from reality, but I invent it from there. Sure, I liked you before, but then you started dating my half-brother and that's that."

"That's that?"

"Sort of," he smirked, "I'll still tell you what I think. Do I think you deserve better than him? Yes. Am I going to tell you that? Yes," and then he unexpectedly lowered his voice, "But am I going to destroy something that makes you happy? No."

There was something in the air between us. I couldn't tell if it was sincerity or sadness or something else entirely. Jake has been through a lot of pain and that's what brought us so close – I'm the closest person to understanding what he's going through and vice versa.

But I believed that he was really looking out for me.

So I let it go and tried to turn the mood more positive.

"I'll wait for my royalties then," I joked, and nudged him playfully, "You used my lyrics!"

When you're seventeen and you don't know what your dream is. Those were the lyrics I texted Jake after my date with Luke. Luke had inspired those words, when he told me about his knee and the dreams he wasn't sure he wanted to chase.

I'm sure he'd hate knowing he contributed to Jake's song.

Jake grinned and raised his phone in his hand, "I have a backup song with a lot more of your lyrics. One day, I'll bring them all out."

**

I tried not to dampen the mood. I waved my arms in the air and put on a frozen, creepy smile as we danced. But Luke was on my mind the entire time, and the conversation we were meant to have was weighing down on me. How could he just leave like that?

The whole point of our last conversation is to have more open communication and then he just walks away?

He didn't even leave a message. Can he really get that annoyed from a silly song?

After a while, I gave up pretending to enjoy myself. There are only so many times I can do the ocean move before everyone realizes I'm drowning.

Jake was having the time of his life on the dance floor with the other performers and his new fans. I'm glad I came to see him tonight, I'm glad to be able to support him, but I'm ready to go home and cry.

I waved bye to Jake and walked off the dance floor. I couldn't see Austin... but then again, I couldn't see the bartender he'd been flirting with either...

"Trouble in paradise?" Stacey's head appeared in front of me.

"How would I know?" I asked, annoyed to see her, "Where's paradise?"

I didn't understand what she was doing here. Not many people from school were at this bar tonight, and those who were, were here for Jake.

"It's such a shame that the arrogance has gone to your head," Stacey said, and the way she was projecting, made me see that she wasn't really talking to me.

She was trying to prove herself to Bianca and Oma. Stacey is one of those people who never seem to go away, like an annoying fly hovering around good ice cream.

"Take a hike, Stacey," Bianca called out.

While Stacey was busy replying to Bianca, I walked away. I'm not sure why Bianca intervened, but I didn't have the patience to find out.

"Hey Millie, wait," Jake reached out to me, squeezing between people on the dance floor to reach me.

I was surprised he'd come after me. He was sweaty from all the dancing. I felt his hand on my arm.

"They're about to announce the winners and I want you to be here," he urged me, "Whether I win or not."

"I can't stay, Jake. Sorry, I'm not feeling great."

"Is it my brother?" Jake asked and sighed, "He's being an assh*le again, isn't he? Luke overreacts all the time. If he's bailed, it's not our fault."

"I'm not chasing after Luke," I promised, "I'm going home."

Jake took it sadly, "Alright. Thanks for coming though."

"You sang amazingly," I said, "Really, screw the label, you shouldn't doubt yourself. You'll be on a much bigger stage someday and I'm willing to bet the $10 I have left on that."

"Thank you," he answered, "Thank you for being here for me, Millie. I know you have a lot going on, without taking on any more emotional stress, but you took on mine. You supported me. I haven't had much of that in my life."

"That's what friends are for," I smiled, and started to walk away before my own emotions overwhelmed me.

I was already on a thin rope trying to deal with my shaky relationship with Luke and now, with what Jake was saying...

He called out, "Luke is lucky to be with you."

I paused, surprised by what he blurted. It was the first time I've ever heard someone say that Luke is lucky to be with me.

I know Jake is biased – I mean, he hates Luke – but still. I've never heard that before. I've only ever heard how lucky I should feel to be with Luke, how I don't deserve Luke, how one day Luke will realize that he deserves more than me. This felt different.

I hate to say it, but it felt good.

I felt a tear come to my eye and tried to blink it away. I didn't believe what he was saying, but it still hit me.

"Thank you," I squeaked, walking off the dance floor.

I passed by Bianca and Oma, who didn't notice me. They had just sent Stacey off and I caught a part of their conversation which surprised me even more:

"Finally, B. You're being nice to her," Oma said.

"Not really," Bianca replied, "I thought she was spineless and relied on Luke for everything, but then she stood up to me and I kinda respect that. So I think she deserves more than rats like Stacey bothering her."

Woah. That was a conversation I never expected to overhear.

**

Home was warmer now that my mom, Flora and Doz were living there. The lights were on and the sounds of people around me were comforting. It was a relief to see food in the fridge and to know that, if anything happened, there were more of us to handle it.

Flora was cleaning the dining table, while yelling on the phone to her on-again, off-again boyfriend Matt. I used to see Matt at the Coffee Bean every morning, back when I could afford it. I remembered the first time Luke and I had gone there together: when I said something about the constitution and Luke threw it back in my face.

I miss those coffees.

Doz had headphones on, probably to drown out the sound of the yelling. He was wearing a yellow t-shirt and red tracksuits as he lay on the couch. He threw up a peace sign when I walked by.

"Is that Millie?" mom asked from the kitchen.

I walked in to see her sitting on the counter with a martini in one hand. She was in work clothes, with her heels discarded on the kitchen floor.

"You know I'm not stupid, Millie. You said that burglars broke in and stole our alcohol, but we both know who the real thief is."

Her accusation landed on me.

"Do you know how many bottles are missing?" she asked, pointing at her alcohol cabinet, "I keep count. I've been battling my demons for a long time now, so I know how much alcohol I have in the house at any minute on any given day. And you have gone through two bottles of tequila, one bottle of cheap wine and two of my miniature whiskey bottles."

I didn't have the energy to deny it. It was true.

The week days have been long, lonely and difficult. The nights have been worse. I wish I had more will power, but I thought a drink could help me relax. I'd turned to her special cabinet during those dark hours. I didn't like the taste, but I forced myself to drink it – out of anger, out of self-hate, out of the desire to forget. It didn't seem like a lot at the time.

Mom sipped her martini and chuckled, "Like father, like daughter."

I saw an olive in her glass, and it made me think back to Austin. He was probably at the party still, having a good time.

"Did you hear what I said?" she asked, seeing how I had barely blinked after her comment.

I tried not to hear it.

Mom didn't know how much Mr Dawson had told me about my father. And for whatever reason, I cared less about what my mom thought. Now that I knew she was capable of leaving me at home weeks with no contact, no money, nothing. I felt distant to her.

"Mom," I said coldly, "Whatever I am today, is because of you. You raised me."

She may hate me, but I wanted her to know that I am only a product of her parenting.

I've clung to the memory of my dad because of the reality of life with my mom. It used to be my escape, thinking my dad would come on a white horse to take me away. But he left. And at least she stuck around, sort of.

"Don't I know it," she replied, sliding off the counter, "I thought you were the smart one, but after today, I can see your future. You're throwing it away by spending your time with Luke Dawson. Your grades are slipping, you're suspended and now you're being sucked into their dark, twisted games. A family like that only cares about one thing: themselves."

"Our problems started long before the Dawsons," I said, starting to walk away.

I couldn't handle much more of this. I knew I was at my breaking point.

She took another swig of her martini. "I've taken care of you when no one else wanted to. I sacrificed my youth to keep this roof over our heads."

I was about to leave the kitchen when it was like all the weakness in me snapped and anger came in its place.

"Why do you hate me so much?" I confronted her.

"I don't hate you. You're just spoiled."

"Then how could you leave me here all alone?!" I exclaimed, "After the break in, you cared more about what happened to the house than to me. I was hungry! I was scared! And I'm trying to understand why you didn't take me with you?"

"Don't overreact. The world doesn't revolve around you."

"You took Flora!"

"Because," she replied simply, ignoring everything else I said, "You remind me of your father."

**

I sat in my room, letting the ugly tears come out. I wish I was stronger. I wish these things wouldn't hurt me, but they do. I'm an emotional wreck and I've been this way for weeks now.

No wonder Luke and I have been fighting so much.

I sat at my desk with the lamp on. I was trying to glue the sole of my shoe back together. I didn't have enough money to buy a new pair, so I've been gluing my shoe back together every few weeks. Every time it rained, my feet would get soaking wet.

I tried not to cry. The conversation with my mother, the suspension, Luke...

I squeezed my eyes shut and tried to think of something happy. I put the glue on the table.

I was happy that Jake was realizing his dream. It gave me comfort seeing others rise out of bad situations. He said I inspired him to write the song, but now I'm inspired by him. If he makes it out, that represents us. That means I can too.

I picked up my phone and checked his Instagram story to see the fun he was having at the bar. He tagged me in a photo and I scrolled through it and the other photos I'd been recently tagged in. The photos of Dubai and Bianca's puppy love comment.

And, suddenly, the two worlds collided.

Jake's song lyrics and Bianca's comment.

The shock rocked through my system. I dropped my phone into my shoe, jumped out of my chair and headed towards my closet. With shaky hands, I rummaged through my clothes until I picked up a shoe box I had stashed in the back.

If I was right ...

I sat on the floor, folding my legs, and placed the cardboard box in front of me. I never thought it would come to this.

I'd stashed every single piece of evidence I had from the blackmailer in this box. I opened it.

The cleaned jersey was folded on top. I took that out first. Then there was a notepad full of clues and alibis I had collected from people at various moments in time. I dug into the box and pulled out the first letter I had received.

It was in a pastel blue envelope. Written in capitals, was the blackmailer's first threat:

STAY AWAY FROM LUKE AND JAKE,
UNLESS YOU WANT TO SEE THE LENGTHS I'LL TAKE,
TO END YOU.

PUPPY LOVE DOESN'T LAST,
BUT PHOTOS DO.

STRIPPERS AND HOES,
MAKE EASY FOES.
SLEEP WELL MILLIE.
(from Chapter 47 of PND)

I've read it a hundred times before, but this time, two words stood out. First line, second paragraph:

Puppy love.

I was still on the floor and crawled back to reach my phone in my shoe. I stretched, grabbed it, opened it and checked Bianca's comment on the photo of Luke and me.

Puppy love.

I looked back at the letter. And then back at the phone.

And back at the letter.

Same words.

Bianca. It's been Bianca all along.

I lowered the letter and my phone to the floor and sat back, in shock.

Holy jumping mother of a weasel

Puppy love is not a super common phrase. We write things every day, texts, essays, emails... she must have forgotten what she wrote all those months ago.

"What do I do? I don't know what to do!" I said, my voice getting increasingly loud as I started to panic.

I stood up, looking around my room, not sure of my next move. This wasn't exactly hard evidence, but it was a lead. It had to be!

"OH FLIP!" I flapped my hands in the air.

My bedroom door opened, and Flora poked her head inside, "Everything ok?"

"All good," I replied, pretending like nothing was wrong. I was standing with one shoe on, and my hands raised like a bird's.

She shrugged and closed the door, but not before I heard her on the phone telling Matt, "It's just my sister being weird again. Nothing new."

Nothing new?  Not from this view.  

I had to find Luke.  I don't know why I felt like I was running out of time, but I had to find him.

A/N: 99 problems but this chapter is done #Ice-T! What d'you think? That puppy love comment came back round didn't it...

And chapter ONE HUNDRED will be out in 2-3 days! Jeez, this story is LONG.  If you want the preview, the memes and the countdown... they'll all be on my IG (@natalieinacorner). Plus allll the blackmailer theories you've been sending me mwahaha

See ya! :)

Btw I slept 4.25 hours last night. Was it productive? No. Do I feel good about it? No. Will I do it again? Yes, tonight probably. Bye!