Butterflies: A Julie and The Phantoms Story

Episode 1, Part 1: Now or Never

California, 1995

I woke up to the house completely empty; a single stream of light peeking through the curtains of my room. I sat up quick and looked at the alarm clock, noticing the knot in my stomach, but quickly sighed a breath of relief when I realized I wasn't needed anywhere for another couple of hours. A small smile played across my face as I pulled the curtains back, swinging my feet over the side of my bed and into a pair of slippers. (Yes, I know what you're thinking: I'm THAT girl)

I pushed on my glasses that were originally sitting on the side table before walking over to the mirror that was propped up in the corner of my room. Today was the day that we would be playing the Orpheum.

I should probably go into more detail before I start using the word "we," shouldn't I? Well, you may not know this, but I'm in band. Sunset Curve, tell your friends. :) (Wow, Reggie is really starting to rub off on me, huh?)

Anyway, Sunset Curve was formed about a year ago and we started out then as just a cover band in a member's garage. Once we started acquiring a following, Luke, our lead guitarist and singer, and I started dabbling in writing some of our own songs. Me being the slight pessimist I am (thanks, Dad), I had my doubts about the whole operation and didn't really see it taking off. But to my surprise, it did.

You see, I have MANY priorities in my life, and my parents didn't want me to be in the band anyway, so I kind of didn't take it seriously at first. It was really just a creative outlet for me since I stopped taking music classes and playing my instruments after my freshman year of high school. There was just too much on my mind between school, sports, and my family. My father was always the one to want me to do something physical and that's why I started swimming. So, that and my straight A's took up EVERY ounce of time I had left in my day. But then one day, I saw this flier posted on a bulletin board outside my homeroom at school: a band was looking for another member. I decided to take my acoustic guitar, ironically a gift from my father, and head over to the auditorium where the auditions were taking place.

Unfortunately, I was too late. I had rushed in as the band and their new bandmate, Bobby, were packing up their equipment. "Wait! Wait!" I desperately said aloud to no one in particular as I searched the seats for anyone else who was late like me. "Is it over?"

Luke, a strikingly handsome boy whom I had known for a while prior to this meeting, turned around quickly and a smile played on his face. I may be a little over dramatic when I say this, but it was one of those moments where there were actual butterflies in my stomach. "Sorry, but yeah, already picked a member." He said, pointing to Bobby. Man, I already wasn't fond of Bobby since he was kind of known as a annoying player around school, but I had never wanted to slap him more in that moment.

"Please," I begged him, "You have no idea how important this could be to me." I looked at him, my eyes pleading. He sighed slowly looking at Alex, the drummer, and Reggie, the bass player, and then down at the guitar I was holding (which, by the way, I had been drawing on and painting on a lot, so that was embarrassing). Alex and Reggie both nodded as if saying, "The more the merrier." Luke gestured to me to start playing.

I brought the guitar to my torso and frantically thought of what to play before stumbling on a quick melody I wrote a while ago. I didn't have lyrics to it, but I was hoping my playing would be good enough. "Hm," Reggie said, "Never thought a girl would be better than you, Luke." he said with a laugh as Luke punched him in the side.

"You've got the spot. Kristen, right?" I smiled and nodded as I noticed he remembered who I was after taking a few classes together in our years in high school.

"You can call me Kris." I always hated the name 'Kristen,' so I had decided from an early age I would known solely as 'Kris.'

He reached out his hand for me to shake, and as I took it, he said, "You can play guitar along side me and Bobby, and I don't know how you are vocally, but I'm sure you would be a big help there as well."