͏͏͏͏b͏͏r͏͏i͏͏g͏͏h͏͏t ͏͏t͏͏o͏͏g͏͏e͏͏t͏͏h͏͏e͏͏r

011. breaking through

"I don't what?" Carrie Wilson asked as she walked up to the two girls. "Steal your spotlight at the Orpheum this weekend?"

Julie gave Flynn a weird look before looking at her ex-best friend. "Uh-- no. My band's already played at the Orpheum. You were literally there."

"Huh," Carrie said, faking confusion. "Doesn't ring a bell."

Julie rolled her eyes and said, "Boy, am I surprised to hear that."

"Oh, and Julie," Carrie said, lightly Julie's arm, "if you think you can win Nick away from me, you're mistaken. Sooner or later, he'll come crawling back to me. Just thought you should know."

Julie choked on a laugh. "Yeah, that's fine with me. You can have him back, Carrie."

"Why?" Carrie asked, faking sincerity. "So you can be the next embarrassing singer without a boyfriend?"

Flynn glared at the high school mean girl and said, "She doesn't need a boyfriend, Carrie. Unlike you, she doesn't need the approval of boys to make her feel better about the person she really is."

Julie agreed and said, "Yeah. I think that's your cue to leave, Carrie. And maybe get a life while you're away."

Carrie rolled her eyes before leaving and said, "Aw, that's so kind of you, Flynn. You two really are Beevus and Butthead. The two stupidest humans alive!"

Luke glared at the annoying blonde as he walked up to Julie. "Is she bothering you, Jules? I told you, I can be your bodyguard. No one gets to you without going through me."

Flynn snickered. "No offense, Luke, but Julie doesn't need you to be her knight in shining armor. She's already got Nick."

"Funny joke," Luke said with an obvious fake laugh. He then turned back to Julie. "I'm serious, though. I'll haunt her if you want. Or better yet, I'll get Alex to. He'd have a blast with it."

Julie smiled. "That's all right. Hopefully, I'll be done with all of the Carrie and Nick drama today after I break the news to him."

"What news?" Luke asked with a flirty smirk.

"Oh, you know, the usual," Julie said with a shrug. "That he's insane if he thinks I'm going to date him after the way he acted on Friday. I'm not really interested in someone who talks like an old man. Or that any old freaky magician might've messed with."

"And that's why you have me," Luke said as he slung an arm around her shoulder. "Because I'm not either of those things."

Julie rolled her eyes and smiled. "Okay, well I have to get to class. I'll see you guys after I talk to Nick."

"Good luck, Jules," Flynn said supportively.

"Yeah!" Luke called. "Kill his hope on the dance floor!"

***

During lunch, Julie walked up to Nick and said, "Hey, sorry to interrupt, but can we talk now?"

He nodded and said goodbye to his buddies before walking to an empty table to talk to just Julie. "So, uh, why didn't you just ask me to take you home when you got sick?" Nick asked.

Julie looked down at the table and said, "You were really nice at first, Nick, but you scared me. You started talking with a really strange annunciation... and I just kind of got scared off. I'm sorry I didn't tell you I was leaving. I just wanted to get out."

"But... are you feeling better now?" Nick asked.

Julie nodded. "Yeah. Yeah, I'm feeling a lot better."

"Can we continue this conversation near the front office?" asked Nick. "I forgot my lunch this morning, so I ordered off of Doordash instead."

Julie hesitantly shrugged and looked up. "Sure. Just let me tell Flynn that I might be a little later to join her and the guys."

After she'd told Flynn she was walking with Nick to the front office, they continued their conversation.

"Julie, I really like you," Nick said, nervously rubbing the side of his neck, "and... and I can tell you're not being completely honest with me. Why did you really leave on Friday?"

Julie swallowed nervously and hardly managed to tell the boy the truth. "Nick-- if I'm being honest-- well, I just-- I thought you might hurt me. You threatened me if I threw up in your car, you'd do something."

"Oh, Julie," Nick said with a more raspy-sounding voice. "I shouldn't have taken you for such a fool."

Julie looked at the teenage boy suspiciously. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Come with me to get my food," said Nick, "and I will explain everything."

"Uh... okay," Julie said as they continued walking.

A few minutes later, when they walked close to a side exit of the school, Nick forcefully grabbed Julie's wrist and said, "Come with me if you ever want to see your ghost boys ever again."

"Let go," Julie said as she tried to pull her wrist away.

"This is not the time for games, Miss Molina," Caleb said in Nick's body as he pulled the girl away.

"I SAID LET GO, YOU JACKASS!" Julie screeched at him.

Even though it was far from the cafeteria, Luke faintly heard her shout. He stood up and told the guys, "We have to go. Now! Julie's in trouble!"