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Magnolia Grace Doran was someone who strongly believed in justification and deeper understanding. Did that ever interfere with her papa's strong belief in religion? No, because she also had hope for miracles and fate, something otherworldly that only someone of higher power could provide.
It seemed that fate had tied her down to several different events all at once, tossing the girl around like a ragdoll. The world around her was different, her reality shifting to something only movies and TV show try to grasp. She could be seen, people who would walk through her without a second thought could see her. The concept alone seemed scary and confusing as it was, but why now? Why not then while she was dancing her heart out? Dance was her life, the reason she breathed and perfected her technique and skill for years.
Why did that all change while she sang and played an electric guitar? Playing an instrument she barely touched since she was thirteen was tied to her soul, the reasoning behind it was insane.
After leaving Los Feliz High School, the four spirits returned back to Julie's garage, all watching as Alex paced the room. After Magnolia had sworn her revenge, the three boys were on board with whatever idea she had, but nonetheless all agreed to get back to plan their next move.
"I think he's practicing his model strut." Reggie noted, watching Alex pace before them back-and-forth, running his fingers through his blond locks rather stressfully. The three ghosts sat on Luke's couch across the room, eyes watching the rational member of Sunset Curve make a hole in the floor.
"He's so nervous, it's making me nervous." Luke commented, bouncing his leg as he fiddled with the rings on his fingers. It looked as though the blond drummer was a troubled mother, catching her young and idiotic children doing something they weren't supposed to do. Technically, they all did something they couldn't do, especially as ghosts.
Their one job was to remain unseen.
"You're making me too dizzy. Just tell us what's up." Magnolia reasoned, rubbing her temples with her index fingers. Alex stopped, gathering his thoughts for a second as he looked at his bandmates and Magnolia carefully, obviously heavily thinking about the predicament they were all in.
"Okay, you guys know I don't handle change well." The drummer began, squeezing his hands into fists before sighing. It seemed that Alex was getting a headache of his own from just thinking about what had happened a few hours ago. Listing on his fingers, the blond neared them. "Alright, death! That was a change, okay? Then we became ghosts, alright? Another change. And now, we can be seen whenever we play with Julie."
Alex ended, summarizing their (after) lives with a few bullet points. The three ghosts on the couch looked at each other nodding at his reasoning, seeing his point. As he had said in his miniature presentation, Alex didn't handle change well, finding pleasantries in life with the small things he was in control of--something he and Magnolia had in common--like what he wore, or when their next band rehearsal was.
"Big freakin' change!" The drummer stressed, control no longer at the touch of his fingers as confusion coursed through his spiritual body. Magnolia nodded along with him, feeling the same sort of way he does about the entire thing. Everything was so... new. What boundaries were there, now?
"Yeah, but it was a good change." Luke interrupted his rant with a charming smile. He stood up from his spot on the couch between Reggie and Magnolia, looking down at them as he spoke his next set of words, then resting on the stressing blond. "With Julie, we play on stage and be the band we never got to be. Come on, I mean, you gotta be down for that."
Although his reasoning sounded enticing within itself, it didn't encourage Alex to move on from his stressing thoughts. Of course, being the rational one in their group, there was a voice in his head that told him to keep pushing out his worries and concerns.
"Alright, yeah. I mean, who wouldn't be?" Alex mustered up whatever courage he had to give the lead singer a soft smile, making the brunet nod with his own. It hadn't been a second before the blond voiced out his concerns again, looking at Magnolia, knowing she had the same ideas he did. "I just- I want to figure out why."
The Japanese girl smiled and nodded, an encouraging gesture to show that she was right behind him.
"Forget why," Luke inputted, moving to jump up to the coffee table as he gestured to the fidgeting ballet dancer on the couch with a massive grin. He squatted down to meet her eyes, the Asian girl nervously meeting them as she wanted to voice her own thoughts about the revelation as well. "I say we invite Julie and Maggie to join Sunset Curve."
Reggie nodded in agreement standing up as well as he met Luke's enthusiasm.
"Totally! I mean, like, think about it. With a new lead singer, this band would be legendary! And Magnolia was up there with us, so she should take up the position of rhythm guitarist!" Reggie added, earning a grin from the brunet as they both planne the future of their band. Of course, they had originally thought of doing it with only themselves, but with fate pulling the five together, it was hard to ignore. The bassist noticed Magnolia's gaze, quickly quipping in to help ease her. "Only if you're up for it, of course."
Although his words were appreciated, the ballet dancer inhaled softly, nervously looking over the two boys as Alex stared at them with an unbelievable expression on his face.
"Guys-" Magnolia started, only to get cut off by Luke's offended gasp at the bassist's claim.
"Hey, I'm our lead singer!" Luke argued, a look of hurt on his face as Reggie softly shrugged, sitting on the armrest of the couch. He didn't seemed phased by the lead guitarist's claim and shrugged, giving him further reasoning to why Julie Molina should take the position as lead singer of Sunset Curve.
"Alright, then. Julie has the voice of an angel, and she can make us visible. Without her, we're pretty much elevator music." Reggie reasoned, making the brunet gape at him at his hurtful words. Despite their little dispute--which usually brought a smile to her face at their petty fights--Magnolia was drained and coming down from her high of adrenaline. She didn't even have the energy to giggle at them, rather just sit and wallow in her thoughts.
"Well, you don't have to be so mean about it." Luke pouted, a look of hurt and offence falling onto his handsome features as he regarded the bassist, who simply shrugged in response. Noticing her lack of commentary, the brunet hopped over to the ballet dancer and gave her the biggest set of puppy-dog eyes she has ever seen. "Mags?"
As enchanting and utterly adorable to get lost in they were, Magnolia shook off the feeling as she softly inhaled, biting her bottom lip as if the decision itself were hard to make. She avoided Luke's eyes, unable to think about the utter betrayal that were written all over them.
"I'm with Alex on this one." Magnolia decided, choosing the blond's side over his own, making the brunet gape at her. She heard Alex's sigh of relief, glad that one other person in the room had common sense.
"Thank you."
Luke pulled a face at her, a look of slight disbelief at her as she quickly rushed out her words. The expressions the two other boys had pulled made Magnolia quickly stand up, the thought of seeing their faces were unbearable to her. The Doran girl licked her lips, her tawny eyes flickering from Luke and Reggie every-so-often, trying to reason with them.
"I'm not trying to make this about me, but I was up there too. It doesn't make any sense if Julie's your missing piece to the band." Magnolia tried, focussing as Luke raised his brows at her, ready to cut her off to send something encouraging her way. Despite his efforts, the ballet dancer continued to voice her reason, further taking Alex's side of the one-sided argument. "Isn't it just a little weird that whenever you guys perform, you're seen? Maybe we should at least figure out the small stuff-"
Luke interrupted her, standing up as well to meet her halfway. He wanted to persuade her over to their side of the argument, the chemistry they had as a band seemingly unquestionable when they performed together. The brunet wanted her to calm down and breathe for two seconds, see the positives that fate had given them.
"But this is huge!" The lead guitarist of Sunset Curve declared, searching the ballet dancer's tawny eyes. He tried to find the little light she had kept within them, the same light he had seen whilst he was on stage with her. "We get to perform, in front of people. This is our second chance at life! I thought that, maybe, you'd be happy for us."
Reggie and Alex watched from the sidelines, both sharing glances as Magnolia's shoulders began to tense, the same way they did when the blond had brought up her guitar background. They stayed quiet as the Asian girl let out a quick sigh.
"I am, really. Trust me. It's just... I wanna understand why just as much as Alex does." Magnolia argue back, her voice a lot softer than the one she had spoken with earlier. She took ahold of Luke's hands, looking him deeply in the eyes in hopes of getting across how distressed she was about the entire situation. She watched as his eyes softened, the pair ignoring the sudden bloom of warmth that erupted through their hands. "I get how this is a big deal for you guys, an insane opportunity, and I get that. It's just, I just want some time to process all of this."
With a quick squeeze, she pulled their hands away with a new look of determination written all over her face, leaving the brunet slightly dazed and a tad bit confused to where she could be heading. It was just like it was last night, Magnolia leaving for a couple of hours before coming back.
Only this time, she was storming off with a reason other than to take a walk. Was she upset with him?
"I need a break." Magnolia stated, pulling back her bangs with quiet huff, leaving a good distance between herself and the three other boys in the room. Luke squeezed his eyebrows together, slowly coming closer to her, afraid to upset her even further.
"Maggie-" The brunet started, his arm outstretched to her, only to be put off by the white light that engulfed the girl whole, teleporting away to wherever place she had in mind. Luke deflated, a frown settling onto his lips as her stared at the empty space where she once was.
"I think I'm going to clear my head, too." Alex agreed with Magnolia's quick escape, making both boys turn to him as he strided towards the closed garage doors. He wanted to leave as well, his own thoughts poisoning his reasoning as he reached for the door handle.
His hand phased through it entirely, making the blond grow frustrated as he continuously tried the action in hopes of a better result.
"Dude, just poof out. It's easier." Reggie commented, making the drummer huff and give the bassist a miniature glare, throwing his arms into the air. With his focus lost, Alex let his frustration get the better of him, lashing out to both males unintentionally.
"Don't tell me how to ghost!" Alex huffed once more, nonetheless taking Reggie's approach, leaving both males alone for the afternoon. The bassist and lead guitarist of Sunset Curve shared a looks of exasperation, used to Alex's miniature temper tantrums and mentally decided what both ghosts needed were space for the meantime.
Maybe after their walks, they'll come around, right?
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Magnolia had never been good with handling her emotions.
When it came to other people and helping them through with whatever they needed, she was there. She was considered their number one supporter, a shoulder to cry on, or even someone who remained patient and listened to every complaint and rant. It was just the type of person she was, the girl who remained unbelievably supportive with whatever issue or problem.
Then, there was an even bigger problem with herself. She didn't like being seen at her weakest, to cry and whine whenever something didn't go accordingly. There was a point in her life where she didn't want to be seen, period. To feel weak and helpless made her feel sick, so the girl resisted the poison as best she could, pushing it so far back that it wouldn't resurface.
It was something she considered herself good at, hiding whatever feelings she had until the moment she exploded. Those moments were reserved, where the ballet dancer was out of view and isolated.
It sucked.
Magnolia teleported to the only place she felt the safest, where she could just hide for a few hours and be herself. This side of her was allowed to cry and scream, express herself further without the fear of being judged or laughed at. Despite the number of people that were here on the daily, it helped being invisible because then, she felt invisible. It felt like the more emotional side of herself was tucked away from the prying eyes of society and their standards.
She's a big girl, she didn't need people watching her every move.
The blinding light had brought the ballet dancer to her knees, clumsily tripping over her own two feet and onto the floor. The laminated floors reflected the dull overhead lights, the cold feeling underneath her hands didn't bother her as she slowly looked up, finding herself in the one place she wanted to be.
The four corners of the room bared white walls, symbolizing the safety and perfect environment that housed the ballet dancer's physical body. How ironic was it for her spirit to roam the same room, a taste of death on the tip of her tongue. It was insane, how a building made for healing the sick made her feel so at home. Her personal safe space where Magnolia could just talk to absolutely anyone she wished without them listening.
Today, there was only one person in the room. No doctors or nurses checking in on her, peeking at her vitals or replacing the bandage on her head that covered up the one-inch scar from her hair line to her temple. Self-conscious of the obvious mark, Magnolia touched her own temple where her scar was, the skin smooth underneath her fingertips.
Her tawny-eyes flickered over to the man on the couch, tapping away on his laptop. He wore a green knit sweater, a colour much similar to Magnolia's skirt with glasses sitting at the bridge of his nose and curly, dark hair messily slicked back from the man running his hands through it. The Japanese girl bit back a smile, watching Mason Doran slowly get back to his workaholic self as he busied himself with the device, glancing up every once and a while to the young girl laying across from him.
Magnolia carefully sat at the edge of the her hospital bed, hoping that she wouldn't mess up the sheets beneath her. Licking her lips, she watched her father looked upwards for just a second, hearing the creak of the bed giving out underneath her weight. Rubbing her hands on the top of her thighs, the ballet dancer crossed her legs over on another.
"Hey. I know I hadn't come by in a hot minute, but I'm here now." Magnolia whispered, afraid her voice would break if she spoke any louder than she did. She partially hoped that he could see her just like all those students at school had, but didn't push her luck when her father dismissed the sound. The clicking of his computer was the only thing that filled the silence as Magnolia continued her one-sided conversation. "You were right, papa. Boys are a pain in the ass. And unbelievably dense."
She paused for a few seconds, as if he were to speak to her. He didn't, remaining silent as he looked up once more, but this time towards the window behind the Asian girl. It felt as though he was looking right at her.
"Maybe I'm just complicated." Magnolia considered, surveying her father's busied expression on his face. Tears brimmed her eyes as a breathy laugh left her lips. "Nah, they're just dense."
Magnolia scratched her thumb with her index finger, pursing her lips in hopes to distract herself long enough before bursting into tears.
"I miss you guys everyday, you know. I never stopped thinking about you and how you guys were." The Japanese girl informed her father, resting her face in her palm as her elbow was set into her knee. There was a watery smile on her lips, regarding Mason Doran with admiration as she watched her father push through. "But on a positive note, I met some new people. Their pretty cool, Julie's nice and she's an amazing singer. You should've seen it."
The one-sided conversation seemed to lift her spirits a tad bit, talking about her newfound friends to one of the most important people in her life made the conversation a little easier to bear.
"I met a few boys, too. Reggie, Luke and Alex. Reggie's a bassist and he's super nice, and Alex is a sweetheart." The ballet dancer regaled at the thought of the two boys, both unconditional sweethearts to her. She thought back to Luke, carefully considering her words as an unknowing smile bloomed onto her pretty features. "Luke's a dedicated musician, you know? I'm starting to think that guitar of his is growing off of his back. He means well, and he's... sweet."
She looked up from her hands, looking at her father with a gentle smile. For just a second, everything felt normal. It was like she was sitting on the kitchen counter back at her adoptive parents' apartment, her father spontaneously making ramen noodles at four in the morning. An ABBA song would play over the old record player he owned, the volume coming to a minimum in hopes it wouldn't wake up Anthony.
He was always so cranky in the morning.
"Donevan is the worst, point one, you, and Bethany still hates my guts, not that I care. You and papa taught me that, to not care about anyone else's opinion." Magnolia told him, biting her bottom lip to keep her voice from quivering ever-so-often. It took her a few seconds to recollect herself before coming back to her senses. "There's something I have to tell you, but you have to promise not to be mad."
No response, just like it always had been. The Asian girl's tongue touched the inside of her cheek, generally considering if she should tell him today's events. She knew how paranoid her parents got whenever she talked about her playing a certain instruments, unknowingly letting the girl know how much it hurt them whenever she picked it up.
"I played today. The guys I'm with, they want me to be in their ghost band. I always forget how good it felt to play, and when I was on stage... everybody could see me. It gave me hope that you'd see me perform again." Magnolia confessed, tugging the end of her skirt as she hopped of off the hospital bed, Mason looking up at the sound. A light smile found its way onto her lips as she stood before him, looking down at the male. "I know you and dad were iffy on the whole guitar situation when I was younger, but trust me, everything I do is for you. I don't care about Andrew, he didn't want me, you did."
The Japanese girl's voice came out rather harsh at mentioning her biological father, a bitter taste on her tongue. They never had a good relationship like she did with the rest of her family, she'd always guess what exactly she got from him. Perhaps all the negatives and insecurities she tried to cover up about herself, the image of herself that she had resented.
Magnolia swallowed the lump in her throat, but it was no use. The tears that brimmed the Asian girl's tawny eyes pooled out as her fingers barely grazed her father's curly hair. Her finger phased through them, making Magnolia laugh bitterly at her situation, settling herself in front of him with a soft smile gracing her features.
"I just wish you could see that just as much I could see you." The ballet dancer whispered, leaning downwards to press a kiss against his forehead, just her lips ghosting over the skin. A tear left her eye, the droplet hitting her father's sweater. She wasn't sure if he could've felt it, but it felt nice to think that he did. She bent her knees to look at the man who had raised her with admiration and love in her eyes. "I love you... so much that it hurts."
It was as if he could hear her voice because she could see Mason Doran's eyes water, a tear leaving his own eye.
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word count: 3654
not me getting emotional while listening to 'count on you' by big time rush and jordin sparks. also not me uploading another chapter after it took me like five days to finish the last one.
i cannot thank you enough for all the love and support this book gets and i honestly hope that you like the story as we continue down this path! i love you guys so much omg-
please dont forget to comment and vote, see you next chapter!