Our Connection • • Julie and The Phantoms

Chapter 23: "Show off"

"I can't believe how much a show off Luke is." Julie says as we walk down the hall together. I shake my head and look around. "He was just doing it because Josh egged him on." I tell her and open my locker. I grab my books and turn towards her. Luke walks behind me and wraps his arm around my shoulder. I lean into him and smile softly. Alex walks over to us.

"Willie just told me something kind of unsettling." Alex says, looking at all of us. "What?" I ask curiously. "Caleb has taken a sort.. of interest in Y/n. He wants to know why she can make us appear to lifers without being dead and powerful." Alex says, Luke looks at me concerned and holds me closer. I rub his side a little to assure him I wasn't going anywhere.

"Y/n saw him." Julie speaks up. All the guys look at me shocked. "You saw him? And you didn't tell me?" Luke asks, looking at me. "It was when I was mad at you guys. I completely forgot about it." I say honestly. Caleb did visit me. I remembered it now. Between the boys missing the show, getting stamped, and finding out I could make them visible, it was easy for someone to forget they saw another ghost. Caleb was powerful enough to make the boys be seen by lifers but he was dead. That's the difference between him and I. "Luke, don't leave her side. Got it?" Alex tells him sternly. He nods quickly. "I don't need to be protected. I can handle myself." I say and cross my arms. Alex and Luke glance at each other. I glare at them when I notice the glance. "You may be dead but i'll kill you again." I point at them both before starting to walk away. Luke quickly follows me, catching up to walk beside me. He does his usual thing and takes my hand. We walk into the lunch room together.

"Hiiii! I'm Carrie." Carrie steps in front of us, completely ignoring me which was usual. She holds her hand out for Luke and puts on a sweet smile. Luke had seen how she acted towards us when she couldn't see him. Now that she could see him, she was switching up. "No thanks." Luke says and wraps his arm around me again before walking around her. "You're in a very touchy mood today." I laugh softly once we sit down. He looks at me and grins. "I have the chance to show you off, i'm doing it." I feel a slight blush on my cheeks when he says that. I lean my head on his shoulder as listen to the crowds talking around us. Reggie comes crashing into the table excitedly.

"Pizza day!" He says before shoving the slice of pizza into his mouth. I laugh softly at him and Luke shakes his head. Alex sits on the other side of me. I nudge him gently and he smiles at me. "Is that a new fanny pack? I love it." I tell him, messing with the straps a little. "Really? I didn't think anyone would notice.." He looks down at it and smiles lightly. Alex was too pure for this world. Reggie was just as pure, just add extra adorable into the mix. I look at Luke. Luke was different. He was extremely confident and knew exactly what to say all the time. He was most likely the comfort the boys got before they died. But they were his comfort when he needed it, especially when he left his parents.

"Enjoying the pizza?" Flynn asks, sitting next to Reggie. He looks at her and nods quickly. "Yes. Want a slice?" He offers her. She smiles and takes one. Flynn was very happy she could see the boys now without music. She could have actual conversations with them and I could kinda tell she was leaning towards Reggie. They found themselves talking together a lot more than the rest of us. Julie was still hung up on Nick. Since he was broken up with Carrie, they were pairing up together for projects a lot more. That didn't give Carrie an invitation to come after Luke though. I didn't seem to have to worry about that though. Even while Luke was talking or trying to grab a slice of Reggie's pizza, his hand stayed in mine. It was comforting. I didn't even think about what Luke and I considered ourselves. We were.. friends? That held hands? Occasionally cuddled? I don't know. We haven't gone out on a date nor has he asked me. We didn't call ourselves boyfriend or girlfriend. We just hung out? A part of me wanted to ask him. But another part of me wanted him to ask me. I mean that's tradition right? Boy asks girl. Sometimes it's alright to mess up the stereotypes and the girl can ask. I just really wanted him to ask me. Especially because it's Luke. He isn't going to do it normally. He's going to think of a Luke way to do it. I just had to wait. So that's what i'll do. I'll wait until he asks me to be his girlfriend.