FAR FROM NORMAL ── REGGIE PETERS

15. LET DOWN AGAIN

"You know me!" Flynn smiled before nodding towards her DJ table and muttering something about having to get back. Ashley watched her go and jumped when she felt a hand on her arm. She turned to see Julie looking at her, a look in her eyes which screamed, "I know there's something wrong."

"You're thinking too much," Julie said it as she looked Ashley in the eyes.

"How do you know?" Ashley wasn't going to deny it. Julie knew better.

"Your hands." Julie lifted one of Ashley's hands up so she could see them.

Ashley barely ever noticed herself trembling nowadays but Julie always noticed it. Ashley's hands were dithering lightly and the girl balled her hands into fists to try and hide it. It didn't take much to set her off and that frustrated her.

"Ash Attack, they'll be here." Ashley never much got flashbacks these days, but when Julie called her by her nickname, Ashley's mind flashed back to the night of her sophomore year talent show when Julie had called her by the nickname for the first time. "It won't happen again. They know how important this is to us."

"But what if they're not?" Ashley's voice was soft as she spoke against the music, tone laced with panic and worry. "What if it happens again? What if they don't show up? They know how important this is to you and-"

Julie cut Ashley off by placing both of her hands on her wrists.

"Don't think like that." Julie was looking at her still. "They will be here."

Julie sounded so determined that Ashley had to believe her.

"Is everybody fired up for Julie and the Phantoms!" Flynn's voice burst from the mic on stage and Ashley almost flinched because she hadn't been expecting it. She had been so far away. "Great, keep that fire 'cause that's later. We're a bit behind schedule but don't worry, just enjoy these mind-blowing beats."

Julie and the Phantoms. What a helluva name, Flynn.

Flynn took her headphones off as she bounced towards the girls again.

"Julie and the Phantoms?" Julie was looking at Flynn, a small smile on her face. "What about Ashley? Did you forget that she's apart of the living too?"

"Jules, don't fret." Ashley was smiling now, still seriously impressed with that band name, so much so that the unsettling feeling in her gut had vanished momentarily. "If I have to pretend to be a phantom and sacrifice the chance to have my name in the band title for that to be our band name, I'll do it.

"F Money, you've impressed me again."

"I always do." Flynn was grinning smugly. "I had some free time in French class. Jules, you'd better like it because Ashley does and she's one half of the living of this band. I've registered it on Insta, Snapchat, Twitter..."

"No, I love it." Julie placed a hand on Flynn's arm. "Just as long as Ash is completely okay with it, that's all. She has the power to make the decisions too."

"JuJu, trust me." Ashley shook her friend lightly. "I'm completely fine with it. So much so, look, my hands have stopped trembling since I heard the name."

Ashley lifted her hands to show Julie that the trembling had settled.

"Well, in that case, I definitely love it." Julie smiled as he bumped Ashley's shoulder with hers. "But I'd love it more if the actual Phantoms were here."

Ashley had noticed that too, that it had been a while and the boys still weren't around. She hoped there was a good reason for their absence.

"Hey, you know what this band name means?" Ashley was trying to break the sudden tension which had surrounded them all. "I can start calling my brother a phantom and he can't tell me to stop because it's in the band name."