HO HEY
LEE AND CARLOS sprinted to the kitchen when they heard rock music. Julie and Lee were the only ones to know where it was coming from.
"What's that?" Carlos was the first to ask. Lee resisted the urge to say 'ghosts' but knew that either Julie or Ray would scold her.
Julie stood up from the table, "We must have left the stereo on in the garage. We should go turn it off." Both girls ran out back, Lee following Julie, and Julie ready to use Lee's ability to touch ghosts to beat the three up.
When they walked in, Lee bobbed her head to the music. They were really good. She remembered Julie mention they were a band on their way to the house earlier.
"Guys! Guys, stop!" Julie yelled over the music but she was ignored as everyone else in the studio jammed out. Luke noticed the girls and slowly walked to Lee and bobbed his head with her.
"Enough! Stop! Cut it out!" The brown haired girl waved her arms around for them to stop. Reggie was the first to listen, then Alex. Luke was lost in the moment with Lee until the guys coughed loudly.
When Luke finally paid attention to Julie she spoke with her arms crossed, "The whole neighborhood could hear you."
"Yeah. It was loud and it was awesome." Caroline sang out the word awesome in a high pitch tone. The band smiled and laughed while Julie sighed.
"I thought I told you to leave," Julie hissed.
"Wait. People can hear us play?" Luke asked astonished. Reggie and Alex were also shocked and the drummer — Alex — stood up in surprise.
"Yes! And so did my dad and my brother!" She added.
"W-W-Wait. Wait." Alex started as the guitarists put their instruments away. "So, only you two can see us. Only you can touch us." He points to the blonde. "But everyone can hear us? I mean, what kind of ghosts are we?" He asked rhetorically.
Luke was jumping for joy, "Who cares, man? People can hear us play!" He fist bumped his boys.
"We might be dead, but our music isn't." That's a little dark, Reg. But I like it!
Ray slowly opened the door and took a step in. Caroline was smiling too hard at the boys in front of her that she didn't realize until Julie greeted, "Dad!"
"Hey." He smiled at the girls. "Just making sure you two are okay."
"Yeah, I'm fine. We're fine. I just had to turn off the CD player." Julie is great at making excuses off the bat.
Ray turned to his left and saw the boys' equipment, "Wait. Is this the junk that was in the loft?"
"Junk?" Luke offendedly asked deaf ears.
The boys watched carefully as Ray walked to the drums and hit them with his fingers making finger prints. "Some of this stuffs in pretty good shape." He lightly stepped on the kick drum and played with the cymbals. "Hey, maybe we can make a couple bucks." Mr. Molina suggested not knowing of the three angry boys around him.
As he continued to play, Alex got agitated, "What? Yo, stop touching my drums." He turned to the mans daughter, "Tell him to stop touching my drums." Julie looked at Lee for help. What's she supposed to do?
"I liked that song you had on." Ray walked around the drums and back to the girls.
"Sweet! We're Sunset Curve." Luke promoted. I guess he and Ray are on good terms now.
"Tell your friends." Reggie said happily. He always seems happy. No one is allowed to make him sad. Ever.
"Did you think on playing again, Lee?" Said girls eyes widened at the spotlight being put onto her. It was hard to ignore the boys questioning stares. "I know you have your own set at home, but you're always welcome to play here. Just like old times."
"It's just an old CD I found." Julie brought the attention back to her for Lee. That girl hates having all eyes on her.
"It's a really old CD." Lee tried to suppress her smile when the boys heads snapped to her offended. "Like, ancient times."
"Ancient?"
"Well, still, it's nice that you're listening to music again. Both of you. Out here you can play whatever you want, whenever you want." Ray moved his hands around and they accidentally when through Reggie and Luke's stomach's.
"Oh! That's nice!" Reggie sighed.
"Stay out of this." Julie said through gritted teeth forgetting that her dad can't see the ghosts.
"I-I'm sorry, honey. I didn't..."
"Oh no, no, no, no. Not you. I mean... Uh... Er... You know, give us a minute." She grabbed her dads hand and brought him out of the studio. Coming back in, she shut the door.
"He likes our song." Luke spoke giddily.
"Oh yeah. He doesn't count. He's a dad." Alex whispered sadly.
"Do I count?" Lee raised her hand. She liked the song a lot.
Luke turned to her, "You like the song?" She nodded happily.
"Why can't you guys just be normal ghosts?" Julie snapped them out of it. "Hang out at an old mansion. I hear Pasadena's nice. Ugh!" She walked back outside on her way to her house and Lee followed. She doesn't trust herself around Luke anymore.
While walking Julie asked Lee, "What was that at the table, earlier?"
Lee's face went red at remembering the incident, "I don't know, but it felt like I was the OC in a Draco Malfoy fanfiction or something."
Walking up the steps together, Luke practically apparated in front of them. "Aah! Stop that. I'm serious." Haha, Sirius.
He cautiously stepped forward, "Oh, I'm sorry."
Julie crossed her arms, "What do you want." It didn't go unnoticed by her that Luke's eye sight quickly snapped to her best friend who's face is still red from the previous topic.
"I know this is all completely insane, but you do know how rad this is? People... Actual people can hear us play."
"Yeah, it's just I've just had a really, really awful day." Julie nibbled on her bottom lip and Lee rubbed her friends back.
"Well, I'm sorry you had a bad day, but three guys just found out that they had a bad 25 years, and then they found out that the one thing- the one thing they lived for in the first place they can still do. That's pretty rad."
"You're right." Julie looked towards Lee with an annoyed feature on her face. "What? He is." She turned to Luke, "It's just..."
"Her bad day. I know." He sighed and turned away before looking back at the two best friends, "Look, I'm sorry we came into your life, but... what I just felt in there actually made me feel alive again. We all felt alive again. Even you."
Both Caroline and Julie looked down at their shoes. He was right. Again.
"So, you can kick us out if you want, but we're not giving up music. We can play again. That's a gift no musician would ever turn down." The girls remained quiet. "You gotta know that. Clearly, your mom is into music. And so are you." He motioned to Julie and then Lee.
"Was." Julie gulped. "She passed away."
He realized he messed up, "I am... so sorry."
"Yeah, we... we didn't know." Alex and Reggie are standing to the girls left. How long have they been there?
Julie sighed and looked at her best friend. "It's all right." She shrugged. "You guys haven't seen her anywhere, have you? From wherever you're from." She asked the ghosts hopefully.
"Um... No. No, I mean, you two are kind of the first people we've seen." Alex admits. Both Julie and Lee look down again.
"Yeah, but she's not dead, so it doesn't answer her question." Reggie's obliviousness to the situation made Lee snort quietly.
"Yeah. I think she knows what we mean." Alex looked at his friend in disbelief. Read the room, Reg. He turned back to the girls, "I'm sorry for your loss."
"Sorry I got mad. You guys are kinda good."
"Kinda? Y-Y-You know that's like 25 years of rust just getting dusted off." Luke stammered to Julie.
"Yeah. Do you guys play the piano and drums too?" Reggie asked.
"No." Julie denied. "No, I don't play. That's my moms stuff in there. But, Lee here would always play." She nudged her friend with her elbow.
"No way. She's an amazing songwriter." Luke compliments Julie's moms abilities.
Both girls nod solemnly, "She was. Wait. How would you know?" Julie asked.
Luke began to stutter, "There's a song on the piano. If it's hers..." He pauses. "Your mom was really talented." Julie smiles and starts to walk away.
Caroline turned her head to Julie and whispered, "J, please don't make them leave. They're funny and can play music. Not to mention, hot."
Julie stopped walking and turned back to the boys, "I guess... if you need a place to stay, you can stay in there." She motions to the studio.
"There's a bathroom in the back and a couch that turns into a bed if you still use any of that stuff." Lee adds.
"Dibs on the shower!" Reggie raised his hand. "I just really like showers and sometimes the occasional bath."
"Same!" Lee agreed and went in for a fist bump that Reggie happily obliged to. "Sometimes I forget you guys are ghosts when this stuff happens." She muttered.
"This..." Julie shook her head, "This is just too weird. Yeah."
As Julie opened the gate to go back to her house Lee said, "I'll see you ghosts later. Bye!"
><><><
Caroline didn't walk home. Ray refused to let her walk all the way home at night in the streets of Los Angeles.
He ended up driving her home because her father was probably asleep and wouldn't hear the phone ring. He's a deep sleeper.
Because she didn't walk, she didn't have time to think about today until she was trying to fall asleep.
Her and Julie can see three ghosts from a band. She is the only one able to touch them. People can hear their music. Those ghost are now living in Julie's garage.
Plus, she's pretty sure Luke was flirting with her. That would be weird since he's dead and they just met. Is Lee attracted to him? She hates to admit it but, yeah. When she thinks about the fact that if he was alive he'd be her dads age it gives her the creeps.
><><><
She turned off her alarm. Lee didn't want to wake up. She went to bed late last night due to her overthinking and it feels like she only slept for three hours.
She did her normal morning routine and then waited outside for Liam's jeep. When he hadn't showed up, she went to text him. Scrolling through their texts she realized that she told him she's going with Julie and Flynn today.
Lee groaned as she ran back inside to change into sneakers for the walk. She definitely wasn't wearing heels but the shoes she was wearing just aren't meant for walking a couple blocks.
Sprinting back down the stairs Lee saw her sister getting ready for Nick and his older brother to pick her up. Nick doesn't have his license but his brother is in online college so he's always home.
"Hey. Good luck." Carrie smiled at her twins words of encouragement.
"It's a spirit rally. I don't need luck." Lee jokingly scoffed and rolled her eyes at her sisters cockiness. "But, thank you."
"No problemo. But now I have to walk to Julie's and I don't want to be late to school. See yah!"
Caroline left the house so fast that she didn't even hear her sister mumble, "One day I wish for you to be on that stage. Hopefully with me."
><><><
Lee was running to Julie's. It's a good thing she changed into her sneakers. She wouldn't have made it if she didn't.
When she made it to the front of the house she heard music. Her mind first went to the boys. But when she heard that voice. She knew she was mistaken.
She just stood there and listened. It has been so long since she has heard that voice. Even longer since she heard that piano being played.
As she heard Julie finish playing the song. That's when she noticed that she had been crying. She missed all the times they would sing and write songs together. It's good to have her back.
She was snapped out of her proud moment when she saw Flynn sprint walking to the Molinas house with tears in her eyes.
"Flynn?" Said girl stopped where she was and wiped her eyes.
She grabbed Lee's hand, "C'mon, it's about Julie."
Lee followed her friend into Julie's backyard. She secretly waved to the boys who were outside the garage as she silently walked behind her sobbing friend. They waved back, of course, but they looked terrified at the crying girl.
When the two walked in, they saw Julie sitting on the piano bench. Flynn looked at her solemnly and said, "We need to talk."
"Are you okay?" Julie noticed not just Flynn but also Lee's tear stained cheeks.
"No, I'm not okay! You just got kicked out of music!" Flynn admitted.
"What?!" Lee asked concerned. This is not good.
"Yeah. I've been up all night thinking about what I was gonna say. Might've drank seven sodas, but... I need to get this out." Sounds like Flynn.
"Wait." Julie put her hands up. "I have something to tell you—"
"No, it's my turn to talk. You can't give up music. Your musics like a gift, that would be a tragedy. So, you're basically, like, canceling Christmas, and I love Christmas!"
"Flynn, I—"
"Uh-uh! When we were six, we promised to be in a band together. Triple Trouble."
"I never agreed to that name."
"Yeah. She agreed to Terrific Trio." Lee argued.
"I didn't agree to that either."
Flynn sighs, "That's not the point. Jules, if you leave the music program, we'll be apart forever. That's just what happens. We already barely see Lee at school. We'll have different lives and make new friends."
Julie shook her head at her friends antics, "That's not true."
"You're right. I won't be making any new friends. The only time we'll contact each other is when we'll be liking each other's posts on Instagram. Every time I'll be hitting that little heart, my heart will be breaking because my best friends left me, and... Do you have any soda? My head hurts."
"As dramatic as ever." Caroline sighed from beside the girls.
"Can I talk now?" Flynn nodded. "I just played the piano and sang again."
Flynn looked at her shocked, "What? Why didn't you just say so?"
"Geez, I don't know. Maybe it was your seven sodas." Lee said sarcastically.
"I'm so happy for you!" Flynn cheered and Lee nodded enthusiastically in agreement. "And us!" The girls giggled. "Look at you, looking all, I don't know, alive again."
"Alive again? Julie was never dead. She is not a ghost. Ghosts? I didn't say ghost. There are no ghosts here. Nada." Lee's rambling stopped when she saw Julie's face telling her to shut up.
"How did we get on the topic of ghosts?" Flynn asked. "Have you had seven sodas, Lee?"
"Uh, haha, so funny. Julie, what made you play again?" Lee got the attention off her.
Julie looked at the piano where music sheets were. "I found this song my mom wrote me." She gave the girls the papers. "I was so afraid to play it. Anything involving music reminds me of her."
Lee started rubbing Julie's back. "Me too," she whispered.
"And then I woke up this morning... realizing that's why I should play it. To keep her memory alive."
"Aw! Come here." Flynn opened her arms wide as they all went into a group hug. She broke the hug with a gasp, "We need to tell Mrs. Harrison you can play again so you can stay in school and my life won't be that sad picture I just painted for you." She grabbed ahold of both girls hands, "One down, one to go. Triple Trouble lives again!"
"Not our band name." Both Julie and Lee said as they grabbed their bags to go to school.
"I gave you both T-shirts in the 7th grade that says otherwise."
All three girls walked out of the garage, hand in hand. When Julie went to close the door she greeted the ghosts, "Oh hey!"
Flynn and Lee turned back to her but only Lee knew who she was greeting. Because Flynn was looking at her weirdly, Lee decided to help.
"Ho... Hey... Ho... Hey..." She started to sing Ho Hey by The Lumineers. The girls used to sing it all the time when they were younger.
The plan worked and they got Flynn to join in, "I belong with you. You belong with me. In my sweet home." They kept singing as they briskly walked away from the boys.
Said boys walked through the garage door and Luke pulled a book out of his pocket. It was the first thing he could pick up as a ghost and hasn't dropped it since.
Reggie lightly nudged Luke, "I wonder why Julie didn't tell us she could shred on the piano?"
"And why Lee didn't tell us she could sing. Did you hear her when she walked away with Julie and that other girl?" Alex asked them.
Luke looked down at the leather book in his right hand, "I heard. Saw it too." He mumbled the last part as he thought about all the song lyrics he read last night when looking through Lee's book.
Down <Luke Patterson>
(🎤) T TIME!
Are you a part of any sports teams? 👉
I have been on 10 in total throughout my life so far, but I only really play tennis now.
><><><