[Unsaid Emily]
A horn honked.
"This is awesome, you guys," Luke said. "We're playing the Orpheum! I can't even count how many bands have played here and then ended up being huge. We have to make Emilia proud." He chuckled. "We're gonna be legends. Eat up, boys, 'cause after tonight, everything changes."
Willie sighed and moved to sit next to Alex who was sitting on the Orpheum stage and asked, "Is this seat taken?"
Alex sighed heavily before saying, "This whole thing sucks."
"Yeah, I messed up."
"No, it's like you said... you know you didn't have a choice. I mean, Caleb owns your soul."
"No." He inhaled sharply. "No, still, I know what he's capable of. I brought you guys right to him. When you guys asked me, I should've just skated away."
"I would have still followed you."
Willie chuckled lightly. "Man... I would do anything to take back what I did to you." A jolt buzzed and Alex groaned, causing Willie to wince sympathetically. "I am so sorry. I mean, did you guys figure out what your unfinished business is?"
Alex scoffed. "Not like it's gonna happen. We have to play here."
"The... the Orpheum?"
"Yeah, I mean, we were two hours away from getting on that stage the night we died."
"You guys were gonna be legends."
"We were."
---
Julie was being bombarded by people asking for pictures.
Nick walked up to Julie and asked her out, but Julie rejected him, as she said didn't want a relationship yet.
Flynn walked up and said, "Well, that wasn't just a "What's up?""
"Nick wanted to go on a date." Flynn gasped. "And I said no."
"What?"
"You know what you said. I'm don't want to go on a date yet."
"Aww! My baby's all grown up!" She chuckled. "She's choosing to gawk over a not-couple who don't really exist, but she's all grown up."
"But they do exist. To me. And they might just be air, but we connect in so many other ways."
"You are the most watchable three I've ever seen. It's always nice to see Ruth and Luke duet."
"Yeah, it is. But it's not just singing. When we write, we're drawing from the same pain. We each know how it feels to lose our moms."
"Do not make me cry. I'm having a really good eyeliner day."
"It's just... Luke and Ruthie are hurting so much, I wish I could help them."
"Maybe you could write them a song! That would make them feel better!"
"Oh my gosh, Flynn, you're a genius!" She started walking toward the exit.
"Julie, you still have class."
Julie turned around. "Right. Like I said... genius." She chuckled.
---
Reggie and Ray were sitting at the kitchen table. Ray had his laptop open.
"Hmm... Wow!" Reggie said. "Ooh, I like this one. It's got a good composition, buddy."
Alex popped in next to Reggie, let out a loud sigh, and asked, "What are you doin'?"
"Eh, I needed a pick-me-up, and hanging with Ray always does the trick."
Alex looked at Ray who was staring at his computer and asked, "Does it? Okay."
Carlos walked in holding a box and said, "Dad, I have a ghost update."
"Okay, this could be interesting." The ghosts looked at Carlos.
Ray looked up before saying, "Really? Come on, Carlos. We've talked about this."
"I know you're not a believer, but listen to this."
"Do I have a choice?"
"No."
Reggie smiled and pointed to Carlos. "You go, little man."
"After Julie played with her hologram band last night, I couldn't sleep."
"Those songs do get stuck in your head," Ray commented.
Reggie glanced at his bandmate. "He likes our new music too."
"Ah, still doesn't count," Alex muttered.
Carlos continued. "I learned on YouTube that ghosts haunt because something's bothering them. So to get rid of them, you gotta find out what crawled up their ghost butts!"
Reggie giggled. "He said "ghost butts.""
"Language," Ray warned.
"Sorry," Carlos apologized.
"Sorry," Reggie said at the same time.
"So, I searched the house for clues on who used to live here. And I found a bunch of old stuff in the garage. What I learned is we're being haunted by a ghost... who had a dream." Reggie and Alex looked at Carlos.
"Okay," Ray replied.
"A dream that never came true." Alex and Reggie began getting nervous. "A dream that was cut short... by a tragic accident." He stood, making Reggie and Alex even more nervous; both had wide eyes.
Without looking back, Alex said, "Okay, you... don't actually think..."
"Our house... is being haunted... by a very talented... chef." Reggie and Alex let out a relieved sigh.
"Looks like somebody fell asleep watching Ghost Hunters and Chopped," Ray teased.
"You know how there are two restaurants in LA that claim they've invented the French dip? Guess what I found in this shoebox?" He pointed to the shoebox. "A recipe... for a third French dip!" He pulled out the recipe card.
"No way!"
At the same time as Ray, Reggie exclaimed, "No way!"
"It was invented in 1905... by a guy who... dreamed of a soggy sandwich," Carlos informed. "But died before he could share his gift."
"Ah... the gift of dipping," Ray and Reggie said.
Reggie glanced to Alex. "It's like we're the same person."
Alex snickered. "Just like!" He shot a slightly dirty look to Reggie.
"So we gotta make his sandwich, and we gotta eat it," Carlos told his father.
"Oh, then, he'll see his dream realized and finally leave this world for good," Ray replied.
"So are you in?"
"Yeah, let's make a dream come true."
"All right." He picked up the recipe card.
"I do love French dips." Ray shut the laptop and he and Carlos walked away.
"I'm gonna miss them," Reggie said.
"Me too," Alex agreed.
The two disappeared.
Unbeknownst to the two, there was a Sunset Curve CD and a picture of Ruth and the band, as well as Ruth and Luke, in the box.
--
Luke and Ruth appeared in front of his house. They looked to the side and saw Julie.
"Luke! Ruth!" Julie called.
Luke and Ruth frowned. "What are you doing here?"
"Okay, look, I... I just want to know more about you, and you know, just curious. So I came here on your birthday last week."
"You were spying on me and Ruthie?" Luke argued. "Even after your speeches, you were spying on us?"
"I'm sorry. I know it was wrong. I'm worried about you two. I get it. I know how hard it is when you want to speak to someone you love and can't. I feel that way every day."
"I don't even know what I'd say to her if I could see her, even if she could hear me. Or what I'd tell Ruthie."
"Yes you do. You've already said it. And I'm sure you've already told Ruth in a way." Luke gave her a confused look. "Trust me."
Luke and Ruth rang the door and Julie asked, "Luke, Ruth, what are you two doing?"
The door opened to reveal Luke's father.
"Hello?" Luke's dad asked. "How can I help you?"
"Hi, I'm Julie," the girl replied. "Uh, I believe you had a son named Luke."
The man smiled and replied, "Yes, that's right. And you are again?"
"Julie Molina," Julie replied. "Your son's band used to play in my family's garage?" The father's head tilted. "Um, I came across this song he wrote and figured you might be interested." She pulled a paper out.
"Uh, yes. Please come in. I'm Mitch." He let Julie in.
"Nice to meet you," Julie said.
Luke entered the house after a small nod from Julie.
As Julie closed the front door, Mitch asked, "Can I, um, get you something?"
"Oh, no. I'm good," Julie replied. "Thank you."
Julie noticed a picture and picked it up. "Is this your son?" The picture was of young Luke and his parents.
"Yeah, that's Luke when he was two."
"Do you have any other children?" Julie asked.
"No."
"Did I hear the doorbell?" Luke's mother asked as she walked up.
"Hi, hon," Mitch greeted. "This is, um, Julie."
Luke's mother smiled. "Oh, hi, Julie! Oh, that's a beautiful sweater."
"Thanks," Julie replied. "It was my mom's."
"Julie lives in the house where Luke and the band rehearsed," Mitch explained. "She was just telling me she found a song Luke wrote."
"It's a song about a girl named Emily."
"Oh, I'm Emily," Emily Patterson replied. "Luke often spoke of his friend Reggie's twin sister."
"Then I think your son may have written this song about you, and possibly her," Julie said, giving Emily the song.
The Pattersons' looked at the paper in awe.
CHRISTMAS 1994
The Patterson home was decorated with Christmas lights. Presents were scattered underneath the tree. Luke and his mother were going back forth as they argued.
Words that Luke would forever regret escaped his lips.
Luke had his things in his black bag and blue guitar sleeve.
He sped down the driveway on his bike while his mom called his name over and over. Emily sobbed as she watched her son pedaling away. Mitch pulled up in his car and watched his wife.
Emily turned and sobbed into her husband's shoulder.
EARLY 1995 (?)
Luke sat in the garage sitting on a beach chair writing in his notebook. He scribbled lyrics.
He brought his notebook to his lap as he leaned back. He sat up suddenly and put his notebook on his makeshift table. Everything had suddenly clicked. He was finally able to write about the girl he'd wanted to write the song for, but never had the strength to. If he wrote for his mother, he figured he'd be able to write it for Ruth.
He strummed his acoustic guitar in the middle of the garage as he sang the lyrics he'd just written.
MID-1995
Luke hid behind a tree while watching his parents. He missed them a lot, but he couldn't go back. He wouldn't. He'd left without the intent of returning. Had Ruth been there, she would have made him go back, and even gone with him, but she wasn't there. He brushed the thought of her away. Months later, it was still too painful to think about the girl he loved.
GARAGE
The four members of Sunset Curve learned the song. Luke sang as they slowly changed chords on his guitar and Reggie's bass.
Luke was desperate they learn the song so his mom could one day hear it, be proud, and hopefully forgive him. He hoped Ruth, wherever she was, would be proud of him as well. He'd started it the night shortly after she'd gotten sick again and couldn't write any more after she'd died until he ran away from home.
JULY 22, 1995 - NIGHT
That night, the band would be playing at the Orpheum.
Emily was knitting while Mitch read a book. Red and blue lights flashed in their faces.
Mitch and Emily stood at the sight and silently sobbed. They dropped everything and cried in each other's arms.