I get through the day and I walk upstairs. 2:45. Okay, fifteen minuets until I have to talk to Alex about it. The fifteen minute flew by quicker than anything else ever. I hear a small tap on my window and I jump. Alex smiles sympathetically. I smile back but I am not sure how I feel at the moment.
"Not inside. Up there." I say pointing up as i climb out of the window. I changed from my skirt into a pair of grey sweat pants and took my jacket off, so at least I was comfortable in the since of clothing. I sigh as I sit on the small ledge. I look at the skyline and stare for a moment.
"That was Jay Wilson, my ex boy friend. He did not like that I changed after my mom died and when I broke up with him he made it his mission to get me back. What never it takes." I sigh. Alex huffs.
"You know, I am not sure I like that guy." I smile and giggle softly.
"I dont think I do either." I say rubbing my wrist it still hurts. The bruise still visible.
"Can I see?" He asks innocently. I move my braclets that hide it from the naked eye and he just frowns.
"Actually I hate this guy. You dont deserve that." He says. We were silent after that for a moment just enjoying the company of each other.
"You know, somehow, since you guys showed up the voices in my head almost stopped talking." I say not thinking.
"Voices?"
"Yeah, um, since my mom died I have had these voices in my head talking to me, telling me how terrible I am and that I am not worth the time. Always pointing out the worst." I say looking at my feet.
"Hey, they are not speaking the truth. You are worth the time. At you are in Reggie's eyes." He laughs.
"What?" I ask.
"Oh, nothing." He says.
"No, what do you mean in Reggie's eyes." I say mimicking him.
"Well he talks about you all the time. The last time I heard him talk about something the way he talks about you, well... I have never heard him talk like that." Alex says. I smile feeling hear rise into my cheeks.
"Do not tell him I told you that. Or I dont think I will ever be able to talk to anyone ever again." He says. I laugh.
"Secret is safe with me. As long as mine is safe right you." I say.
"Always." He says. I smile. I like not having the voices fill my head.
Alex poofs off the roof and I stare at the horizon for a while and before I know it I hear dad yell for us for dinner. I climb back down and into my room. I change into an oversized tee and fixing my braclets before running down the stairs.
"How was your say at school, M?" Dad says yo me as I sit down at the table.
"Good. How was work?" I say.
"Fine. Care to tell me why I got a call from Jay Wilson asking for my permission to take you out?" Dad says. Julie shoots her head and Carlos makes a face.
"Please tell me you said no." I wine.
"I did, but why did he call? I thought that you did not like anyone?" Dad says.
"Dad I don't like Jay. I mean I did but not anymore. He is a butt." I say making Carlos laugh.
"Okay... are you sure?" He says making a face.
"Dad I promise, and if i liked anyone it would definalty not be Jay Wilson." I say. I see Alex in the window. He smiles and gives a slight smile. He winks and points to the studio. I nod and point to my food. He gets it and walks away. Julie nods. Dad and Calros are oblivious to everything.
We finish eating and I take Julie and we go out to the studio. They poof in scaring me and Julie.
"Hey guys." I say.
"Hey." Alex says.
"Band meeting." Luke says.
"Um, okay." Julie says confused. We sit at the coffe table and we act professional for a moment before I look at Alex who starts to laugh uncontrolably and that makes everyone else laugh.
"We are so not proffesionals." I say through a laugh.
"No we are not." Luke says we calm down and dad comes out here.
"So um, I see you guys are quite happy." He says. We have lap top open in front of us.
"Yeah. We just got off the phone with Flynn." Julie says pointing to the laptop to explain the whole fit and why we are out here talking to the screen.
"We are just going to hang out, now." I say wanting him to leave.
"Okay, I got the hint. Don't stay up to late." He says. He closes the door and me and Julie laugh again.
"So when do you think we will be able to play again?" Alex says.
"Um, I don't know. I think we might actually have to have a name and you know a way to get a gig before we can play one." Julie says.
"Or we could call Flynn?" I say looking at Julie. "I mean she has her ways." I say and as if it was like she was called she runs through the door.
"How is my favorite sisters on the planet?" She says throwing her hands in the air.
"Perfect. You?" Julie says.
"Fine. Hows the band? Still Hot?" She says.
"Well, I don't know, are you still hot?" I ask looking towards the boys knowing she can't see them.
"Oh, they are here. Oops." She says with an embarrassed look they just laugh. I laugh at her.
"It is fine. Your not the only one who thinks they are cute." Julie says giving me a smirk. I roll my eyes and the boys give me a look. "No." I say looking at the guys. They all look at me again with a look that is very annoying. "I do not. Leave me alone." I say as the all come rushing foward. They set there heads on there hands and stare at me. I laugh. "Oh my gosh. You are idiots." I say. Reggie looks hurt. I frown. He perks up. I roll my eyes.
"Yeah, okay. Well whats up?" Julie says to Flynn.
"Well, Your marketing team is trying to get you guys a gig and I was coming to tell you about it and I wanted to see my girls." she says.
"Marketing team? We don't have a marketing team." Julie says. Flynn looks hurt before she points at her self.
"Um yes you do."
"A gig, really? And seeing you is a plus." I say.
"Yeah, it is not confirmed so no spoils but yeah a gig." she says. I squeal.
"A gig. That sounds nice." I say. We laugh and then the boys poof out. Flynn, Julie, and I hang out for a while. Just talking and hanging out. We talked about the band and how we are doing before Julie brought up Nick.
"What about him?" Julie says looking away from us both.
"Yeah, what about him?" I say moking her. She looks at me.
"What? I don't like him anymore is that the end of the world." She blurts.
"You don't like him anymore. When did this happen?" Flynn says standing up.
"Um... when I figured out that he like really likes Carrie." she says unconvincinly. She stands and walks towards the piano.
"Yeah, not going to work. What is the real reason?" I say following her. But the boys poof back in saving her from explaining.
"Hey want to play something? I am bored." Luke asks.
"Sure." Julie says entusiastically. "We can practice some of the songs that we wrote last weekend." She says grabbing Luke's song book and handing it to him. I smile.
"You saved her from explaining her crush stories to us." I say when Reggie and Alex look at me funny picking up on her wierd behavior.
"Hello? What is happening? I am still here you know." Flynn says from her seat on the couch.
"Yes Flynn, we know. We are going to play something with the boys." I say.
"Oh okay, my mom just messaged me and told me I had to come home. So... that whole not liking Nick thing is not over though." She says pointing at Julie.
"Bye." We yell after her as she walks out. We start to play a song that has no name. It still needs a little work but I am liking it so far. We start to jam a little bit. But we are cut short by my phone ringing.
"Sorry guys. I am not sure who that is, just a second." I say walking towards the couch were it was sitting. I answer it before even looking at the name. Bad idea.
Hey cutie. So when is your dad going to let me take you on a date?
I cringe. Ugh. Jay Wilson. I make a face. I hang up before turning back around. Julie gives me a smile and Alex gives me a look that asks a question I really don't want to answer. He knows it was him by how tense I was and I could hear him sigh from across the room.
"Who was that?" Julie asks.
"It better not have been..."
"It was a wrong number, some random guy talking about a date. It was nothing." I say almost too quickly. Alex gives me another look but I brush it off and pick my guitar back up.
"Okay then, lets play some more." Julie says starting back in from where we left off. We all jump back in and it was like it never happened but Alex and I shared a few looks that made me know that he was going to bring this up after we practiced. I really would rather not talk about it though.
-Time Jump-
(after practice)
"Hey, I am going to my room." Julie says.
"Okay, I'll be in later." I say knowing that Alex wanted to talk.
I am unplug the aux chords and wrap them up but I am interupted by Alex walking up to me.
"Maddie, can we talk?" He says seeming mad.
"Not if it is what I think it is about." I say walking to put the aux chord in the basket.
"Well too bad. I am going to talk anyway." he says. I'll give him this, he has more confidence when he is looking out for someone.
"Fine. Talk." I say already annoyed, turning towards him.
"Maddie, why in the world are you letting the guy do this to you? I mean you let him call you and then you are like a differnet person. You let him in your head. He is telling you lies and feedin the voices. It is not healthy. I don't think that you should let him in any more. Ditch him. Get rid of him." he almost yells.
"Hang out with Reggie." He says after a moment. I blush.
"There it is. My theroy is true." He says with a smile.
"What do you mean therory?" I ask.
"You like Reggie." he says a little too loudly. I look at him with a look.
"Alex, shut up." I say.
"Ha, you do." He says.
"Fine. Maybe a little bit." I say looking down. He smiles.
"Hey, it is a good thing. I am happy for you." he says.
"Well, it is complicated. I'll give it that." I say rolling my eyes. "I mean he is freaking ghost. But he is a cute ghost." I say making Alex smile again.
"Wow. I can not belive this. I have a friend who does not smell like BO all the time now." Alex says after a moment of comfortable slience.
"I guess so. I have to say it is nice to have someone to talk to that is not my sister. Trust me I love her but it is just nice to have a new set of ears." I says with a smile. We laugh. Julie walks back in.
"So, um, hey I know she is amazing and all but I need to steal my sister back." Julie says walking into the studio. "Dad says it is bed time." She says putting quotes over his words. I laugh.
"Night." I say to Alex standing up and walking out with Julie.
"So want to tell me what that was?" She asks.
"What do you mean?" I say.
"When did you and Alex become all buddy buddy?" She says.
"A few days ago we talked and we just... I don't know... it is just nice to have someone to talk to." I say.
"Yeah. Plus it is not a bad thing that all three of the ghosts in our band are cute." She says. We laugh. We walk through the door saying goodnight to dad and Carlos and splitting to go to our rooms. I smile as I change into pjs.
I can not remember a time since mom has passed that i have been this happy. I pulled journal out of my bag as I walk over to my bed. I started a song today during class and I think it may turn out really good. I start to write some lyrics before I realize I wrote this song about Reggie. I wrote a love song.
"Oh no." I say closing the book. I open my door and run down the hall to Julie's room. I knock on the door.
"Come in." She says quietly. I walk through and run to her bed.
"Major crisis. I think I have a crush on one of our band mates." I blurt as I plop down by her feet.
"Wow. It is awfully late for this conversation." She says sitting up in her bed.
"Yeah, I know but I was writing, like I always do before i go to bed and I ended up writing lyrics well I wrote them like a love song but when I was reading them back I was think about one of our band mates." I say really fast, unable to breathe.
"Calm down. Deep breath. Which memeber?" She says.
"Um... Reggie." She smiles.
"I knew it. Perfect." She say. I smile again.
"Okay, so what is the problem?" She says.
"The problem is I have a crush on a ghost, that I can almost guarantee does not like me back." I say.
"Yeah... okay." Julie says rolling her eyes.
"What was that for?" I ask.
"He so likes you." She says. I roll my eyes.
"Okay. Well I need to rant. Thanks Jules. I am going to bed." I say standing back up and walking back down the hall and into my room. I plop onto my bed and smile. I set my journal on my nightstand and turn my lamp off. I turn and fall into a blissful sleep.
The next morning I woke up to Julie shaking me awake.
"Good morning, M. Time to get that ghost." She says. I giggle.
"Yeah okay. One we have school, so no. Two, he is a ghost so no. And three, I am not going to ever ask a guy out a day after I get a crush on him." I say standing up walking over my closet. Julie walks out of the room muttering something to herself. I laugh.
I decide on a simple outfit. Black shorts and a blue sweater with black combat boots. I pair my sun and name choker necklace combo with it, like always. I slide my journal into my bag and walk down stairs. Guitar in hand and backpack on my shoulder. I smile at my dad who is drinking his coffee like normal.
"Morning Dad." I say.
"Goodmorning honey. How did you sleep?" He asks. I smile.
"Amazing. Actually." I say pouring a glass of orange juice.
"I am glad. What is the plan for today?" He asks.
"Um, school... then probably studio with Jules." I say then I take a drink.
"Okay. Well, just know that I am glad that you are back into playing. I am ecstatic. But... I still want to see you. I like you you know." He says. I laugh.
"Yes, dad but we are trying to get back into the groove I feel if we stop now we are going to fall out. Just a little longer then we can slow down. Okay?" I say walking over to him.
"Okay." He says wrapping me in a hug. I hug him back. We let go and I look up the stairs. Julie is normally down by now.
"Jules you coming?" I yell up. No response. I run back up the stairs. I knock on her door. No response. I open it and she is not there. I tuned back down down and out the door. I tuned to the studio. She is sitting at the piano playing the same few chords over and over to the song we were working in yesterday.
"Oh my gosh. If you are coming out here. Tell someone. You gave me a heart attack." I say. She looks up.
"Sorry. But I figured it out when I woke up this morning and had to come fix it." She says playing it again. She's right she fixed it. I smile and give a small chuckle.
"Well tell me more about this crush thing anymore discoverys?" She asks turning to me.
"Nope, just the fact that he..." I am cut off by a whoosh and I immediately stop talking.
"Goodmorning." Alex says.
"Morning." Julie says to them, while I wave. I look at Reggie and stare for a moment to long. Julie elbows me in the side and I look at her with a look but she returns it with the same. We look at them with smiles.
"Julie figured out the problem with the song we were working on yesterday." I say breaking the silence.
"Oh, let's here it." Luke says. Julie plays the chords and Luke plays imaginary guitar to it and nods. "It's perfect." He say and Julie and him lock eyes. They stare at each other. I break it up by elbowing her in her side. We look at eachother again the same way we did before.
"Okay, we are going to be late." Julie says. I look down at my watch and my eyes go wide.
"Crap. Bye guys." I say grabbing my bag off the floor and running for the door. I swear I heard Reggie say something but I kept going. I could not be late.