GRACIE CAME HOME TO HER PARENTS pulling in separately. she could already tell they were mad from seeing her enter the house at nine pm. she silently walked through the doorway, taking her shoes off and dropping the keys onto the counter.
"hey jayj, you hold the fort down?" she asked softly, ruffling his hair.
he nodded, pausing the tv which played star wars, "oh yea. someone walked by the house - but don't worry, me and ani barked till they ran off." she laughed, not even doubting his words.
"listen, mom and dad just got home, so they're pretty upset with me." he gave her a confused look which she shook her head to, "why don't you go bring ani upstairs to finish the movie? i can make some popcorn after, if you want." his eyes lit up and he nodded, turning the tv off.
"wait-" he turned back just as his feet reached the stairs, "will you watch it with me?"
she nodded with a small smile, "course. now go." his loud footsteps were followed by the clacking of nails on the ground. gracie watched as her dog's tail zoomed around the corner after her brother with a sigh.
the garage door opened and she winced, preparing for the numerous disappointed words that were bound to spill from her parents mouths about her grades and responsibility.
gracie awoke the next morning in jj's bed. he was snoring loudly making her roll her eyes. she peeled his limbs off of hers as quietly and slowly as possible before leaving his room for her own.
she rubbed her eyes while she changed, trying not to think about her parents warnings of making her switch to a public education if she failed the music class. they almost took her phone, but she ultimately convinced them with the reminder that if they did, they wouldn't be able to track her on life360.
the morning was slow for her, but she tried to look good - it made her more motivated. she perfected her makeup and did a half-up half-down, tying a pink bow around the rubber band. she smiled in her mirror, tilting her head as she adjusted her crop top to line up with her jeans.
despite her slow movements, gracie still had time to spare, so she was able to walk to julie's house and text dylan to pick her up there.
by the time she reached the nice home, a song was flowing from the garage. she paused on the driveway, slowly walking up the pavement to peer through the windows. julie was sitting at the grand piano, playing effortlessly and beautifully. but what caught gracie's attention was her voice - it was even better than she could've imagined. her range was beautiful and she sounded perfect. she smiled, adjusting onto her tip toes to see through the window more clearly.
she only heard a minute or less of the song, but gracie was left smiling after the last chord rang out. she looked creepy, she realized.
a whoosh sound made her jump and spin quickly with her phone held in front of her. luke put his hands up, "you gonna try to attack us every time you see us, princess?"
his sly smirk made her glare harden, "princess? i'm not a princess."
he shrugged casually, "you're wearing a bow."
"i'm just a girl!" she huffed, "bows are pretty."
luke suddenly grinned, leaning against the garage doors casually, "you're pretty." she gave him a side-eye, standing on her toes again to look through the window at julie.
"why don't you go in there?" alex asked watching the blushing girl struggle to see.
"she's crying, i don't know if i should." she mumbled.
"she needs a hug - dude, why'd you even stop me?" alex turned to luke confrontationally. the girl turned also, crossing her arms as she waited for the brunet's response.
"bro, a ghost hug isn't the feel good moment that you think it is, all right? trust me, what julie needs right now is just a bit of privacy." luke said, shaking his head.
"sounds like you're projecting." gracie shrugged.
"yea," alex gestured to her, "you know what? i think you poofed us out because you can't handle when people cry." gracie frowned softly, giving luke a sad look which he huffed at, "i should know," alex continued, "i cried in a room for twenty five years and i didn't get a single hug from either of you!"
gracie gasped, looking at the other boys accusingly. luke scratched his head, looking away while reggie frowned deeply.
"all right, bring it in." reggie tried, but alex held a hand up.
"don't touch me!"
reggie raised his brows, taking a step back, "this is why no one hugs you."
"i'd hug you." gracie frowns up at alex, "i love hugs."
alex turned to the girl, a sincere expression on his face, "thank you."
"ok... i think the first thing we should do once we get the courage to go in there, is ask julie why she lied about playing the piano." luke planned, rubbing his hands together.
"yea - don't ask her if she's okay or anything." gracie shrugged, sarcasm dripping from her voice.
"yeah... you know, maybe tell her how amazing she is?" alex added on.
"yea, course, bro." luke smiled at the blond. gracie rolled her eyes, her ears perking up when she heard sniffling coming from the path from the house to the garage. she ignored reggie's comment about ghostbumps to listen in, a soft gasp escaping her throat when she saw flynn sob as she walked up to the garage.
"flynn? what's wrong? are you okay?" gracie asked softly, pretending like she just got there. flynn looked up in slight surprise before she cried harder. she felt a sliver of annoyance crawl up her back before she felt a happy feeling surge in her stomach. flynn had remembered what julie said about gracie seeming lonely and was actually happy to see her, even if she felt embarrassed for crying in front of the blonde.
"i need friends!" without warning, she pulled gracie into the garage where julie was just reading the music sheet for the song she just sang and played.
gracie yelped, scrambling to catch her phone when she lost her handling on it. she let out a breath of relief with her phone gripped tightly, looking up to smile softly at julie.
"carlos told me you'd be out here." flynn said, holding gracie's wrist, "we need to talk."
julie's small smile fell and she gave the girls a confused expression, "are you okay?"
"no, i'm not okay! you just got kicked out of music! and you -"
she turned to give gracie an accusing look, "i just became friends with you and now you're gonna fail out of the class!"
gracie's eyebrows scrunched up in offense before she grinned, "we're friends?"
flynn ignored her to keep talking, "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."
"oh man, i hope you don't become an alcoholic." gracie said sincerely, placing a hand on flynn's shoulder.
"wait, i have something to tell you-"
"no, it's my turn to talk." julie and gracie shared a look from her tone.
"you can't give up music. your musics like a gift, that would be a tragedy. so, you're basically, like, cancelling christmas, and i love christmas!" gracie watched the girl talk with an entertained smile.
"flynn-" julie tried.
"nuh-uh!" the shorter girl immediately rebuked.
julie sighed as flynn continued, "when we were six, we promised to be in a band together. double trouble."
gracie gasped as julie muttered, "i never agreed to that name."
"i'd totally listen to you guys." the blonde inputted.
"thank you! but - that's not the point," flynn sighed, "jules, i'd you leave the music program, we'll be apart forever. that's just what happens. sure, we'll see each other in the hall sometime, but... we'll have different lives, make new friends."
julie frowned, "that's not true."
"should i be here?" gracie asked in a whisper.
"yes!" the two replied, giving her confused faces.
"you're right, actually, jules. i won't be making any new friends. the only time we'll contact each other is when we'll be liking each others posts on instagram." flynn pulled up her hand, mimicking scrolling on instagram.
"and each time i'll be hitting that little heart, my heart will be breaking because my best friend left me, and..." she groaned, pressing a hand to her head, "do you have any soda? my head hurts."
"probably because of the soda." gracie said lightly. flynn shot her a look making the blonde smile nervously.
"can i talk now?" julie asked, smiling.
"fine." flynn mumbled.
"i just played the piano and sang again." gracie clapped her hands despite knowing, jumping up and down.
"what? why didn't you just say so?" flynn asked, her grip on gracie loosening until their hands fell apart.
"i was trying, then your seven sodas kicked in." julie retorted.
flynn gasped, "i'm so happy for you! and me!" the girls giggled, and flynn's expression softened, "look at you, looking all, i don't know, alive again."
gracie had stopped jumping to watch the best friends from a distance.
"right? it's like i drank seven sodas." she said with a laugh.
flynn rolled her eyes with a smile, "what made you play again?"
julie paused, standing up with the music sheet she had been holding. as she handed it to flynn, she said, "i found this song my mom wrote me." gracie walked over, peering over flynn's shoulder to read the lyrics.
"woah." flynn scoffed in amazement.
"it's beautiful." gracie whispered.
"i know. i was so afraid to play it. anything involving music reminds me of her. and then i woke up this morning... realizing that's why i should play it. to keep her memory alive." the girls chuckled.
"aw! come here!" flynn squealed, hugging julie. gracie continued to read the song as flynn gasped, "we need to tell mrs. harrison you can play so you can stay in school and my life won't be that sad picture i just painted for you!"
gracie looked up, gently setting the sheet onto the piano. she touched the instrument, eyeing the keys while flynn continued, "my girls back. double trouble lives again!"
"not our band name." julie reminded her.
"i gave you a t-shirt in the seventh grade that says otherwise." flynn smiled.
"you coming?" gracie looked up, nodding to julie. she eyed the grand piano once again before following the girls who had their arms linked.
she immediately saw the boys pretending to have not been paying attention, acting strangely to avert attention from them.
"oh, hey!" julie greeted without thinking.
gracie 'uhmed' before saying, "hi!"
"let's hustle!" julie said quickly, "you coming with us, gracie?"
"uh-" a black bmw pulled up making her cheeks redden, "that's - that's dylan, actually."
"okay! bye!" julie waved as flynn smiled. gracie glanced at the boys, smiling slightly. luke was watching her with his eyebrows knit together like he was trying to read her while the other two casually waved.
gracie tossed her bag in the back before hopping in the passenger seat. dylan handed her her tea, sipping his own coffee. she thanked him just as he began to drive off and she switched the stations around.