Chapter Nineteen : Sunset Swerve
September 2020

    Jay kept his head down as much as he could trying to find his locker. The inside of the blue metal shell was full of new pictures. Only from the last year. Not like how it used to be, decked out with pictures of his family, Connor, Rose, even a few of Carrie, Julie, and him when they were young.
    But not anymore. Now it was mostly nature shots. A few of the grand piano at the house, and a single picture of Julie, his dad and Carlos after Carlos' baseball team won champs.

    "Hey psychedelic." Connor met Jay at his locker.

    Jay scoffed, "That's a Julie and Flynn thing."
    "Yeah, it felt weird just saying it. But speaking of Julie...."
    Jay sighed, closing his locker, "She wont give me an answer."
    "She knows it's her last chance, right?"

    Jay looked down the hall to his sister and Flynn, "Yeah. She knows."

    Connor followed his gaze, "How do you feel? Like really?"
    Jay shrugged, it was the same answer everyday, "I'm fine. Really." But he never really was, "Why do you even care?"
    "Why do I care? Jay, You're my best friend. I would walk to the end of the earth, which does not exist, just to see you smile again."
    Jay pushed the comment off nodding to Carrie as she passed out flyers, "What's she handing out?"

    It was Connor's turn to scoff, "Desperation. Where's Rose?"

    "No clue." The two watched as Carrie made her way over to Flynn and Julie.

     Rose joined her boyfriend and friend. "Aww, look. Carrie still thinks she's the best. I guess some things never change." She said with an eye roll as the blond made her way over to the three.

    Carrie handed Jay a flyer, "My group's performing at the spirit rally tomorrow. I'd really like it if you came." Her voice was oddly sweet for Carrie Wilson. For The Carrie Wilson.
    Rose put her hands over her heart mockingly, "Aww Carrie. I think that's the nicest thing you've ever said to me."

    Carrie's voice went back to normal, "Aww Rose. I meant James. You two can," She pointed the flyers between Rose and Connor, "Well I don't know. Make out in the bathroom or something."
    "I show you or something." Connor mumbled under his breath."
    "What was that?" Carrie shot back, tilting her head.

    Jay sighed, reading over the flyer, "Carrie, it's a sprite rally. We have to be there. Thanks for the private invite though, or whatever." With that Jay walked off to find his pre-calculus class.

    Carrie strudded away as well, leaving Rose and Connor to follow Jay with their eyes. "When did he get like that? No. I know the answer to that. Why won't he let us help him through it?"
    Rose sighed, readjusting her backpack strap, "I think sometimes, Jay forgets that we need each other. All three of us, and we just need to remind him."
    Connor nodded, "Yeah. Thanks Rosie." He bent his head and gave Rose a quick kiss before following Carrie down the hall. To another day of English behind the blond bitch.

~

    "Jules!" Jay banged on his sister's door. The whole drive home was silent and as soon as Connor parked Julie ran upstairs. "Julie!"

    "Just go away Jay!" She yelled back, clearly having been crying.

    "Julianne Marie Molina! Open the damn door!" Jay yelled back twice as loud, still pounding his fist against it.

    Julie grumbled before pulling the door open, her eyes puffy with tears, "I don't want to talk about it. Look I know Carrie told you."
    James leaned on the door frame, "Told me about how you couldn't play the piano and ran out of the room. Yeah she told the whole school."
    "And I said I don't want to talk about it." Julie snapped back, "Why does it make a difference to you. You wouldn't get it. Mom's death didn't take what you love most away from you." That was true. Instead it made him a workaholic. Never really caring about anything other than his family, his grades and his best friends. Dropping from the sweetest kid in school, so much so Carrie liked him, to a well dressed emo. Basically.

    "Why do I care? Julie you're my twin sister, if you care about it I care about it."
    Julie sighed, wiping her eyes, "I just couldn't do it. Okay. And now I'm out of the program."
    "Oh Jules." Hay brought his sister into a tight hug before she started crying again.

~

    The twins sat at the kitchen table as their Dad walked in the front door. "Oh good you two are home." Neither replied, Jay just raising a pencil in response and Julie giving a hum. "Well, Uhh, I have to run out again. Get to Carlos's game. And I've had photo shoots all day. Jay will know that pain soon. Didn't even get a chance to eat." Ray rambled, earning a small, SMALL, laugh from each twin. "But.. I got a phone call today."

    That caught both their attention. Jay's head hurt from the whiplash as he turned his neck to face his father, "Look Dad. I'm sure she doesn't want to talk about it."
    Ray gave his son a puzzled look, "From my Realtor friend."
    "Oh." Jay perked up, rubbing the back of his neck as the whiplash started to fade, "Then ignore everything I just said. What did Ryan say anyways?"

    "Right." Ray shook off the confusion, "Well she said, if we are serious about selling this place, then she wants me to take some pictures for the website. And so I turn to the two of you."
    Julie slowly took her glasses off, "Okay. I get Jay. He basically sleeps with his camera but why me?"

    Ray cleared his throat, "Well for Jay to get the photos it means we have to do a lot of cleaning and get rid of some stuff." Neither twin could tell what their father was getting at. "And well, I was hoping, Maybe Jules could..... Tackle Mom's studio?" Julie's breath speeds up as Jay's slowly down. Both  turning into extremes. "You're the expert. You know, your brothers and I wouldn't even know where to begin." Ray noticed the change in Julie's mood, "It's okay honey. If you're not ready, I-"

    "No. No." Julie fought back, looking away from the light that shined on the walnut table and back at her father, "It's all right. Maybe I'l try tonight."
    "Yeah?" Julie just nodded, air getting caught between her upper lip and bridge of her nose,  "Awesome, Mija. Thank you. Oh and don't forget the loft. You know those old instruments from when we moved in? They need a new home."
    Jay put his hand over Julie's on the table, "If You need help, I'll just be upstairs."
    Julie huffed out, "Still begging for that dark room."
    Jay smirked, "Always begging for that dark room. Oh and Dad?"
    "Yeah?" Ray turned back around as he slipped on his coat.

    Jay shrugged, "Didn't Carrie's mom used to live here?"

    Ray laughed, "I got no clue. Look I'm gonna be late."
    "Under the mail." The twins said at the same time as Ray started to look for his keys.

    He snapped his fingers at the two, "You're lifesavers."

~

    Julie slipped on a pair of old slippers with dumb bear claws on them before heading out back to the studio. She looked up at Jay's window as he stood in front of it, hanging different photos around his room. Most of them would end up on the wall, clipped up by clothespins on a string, but some hang from the strings that framed the room. He said it was to dry out the development chemicals but Julie had no clue if that was true.

    There was still a basketball hoop that they would use every once and a while hanging on the outside of the wooden barn; turned music center. With a sigh Julie pulled open the doors by their black handles. A strong contrast to the white paint.

    She took a few steps inside, switching on the lights. The only things that weren't covered up were the couch and chair. Everything else was covered by some sort of sheet. Even the piano, which Jay had used it yet another still life photo just a week before.

    Her shadow made the room feel less empty, as if someone else was with her. Her eyes were focused on the grand piano. She pulled the sheet off thinking back to this morning when she just couldn't play.

    The sheet fell onto her feet and the gloss on the instrument shined like it had just been polished. She grazed her hand over it before taking a seat at the bench, moving the few pages of sheet music.

    Her hands couldn't even find the keys, "I'm so sorry mom. That I haven't been here." She couldn't find it in her to play. Not after this morning. So she made her way over to the loft. The ladder looked risky but she climbed it anyway.

    There was a keyboard, one bass guitars. Two electric guitars, two acoustic guitars, and full drum set. Plus four different mics and stands. But Julie's eyes landed on a CD next to some playing cards. The clear plastic only had a black background set under it, the words 'Sunset Curve' pasted over the black.

    Julie pulled the case forward, looking around till she found an old CD player in the lower level of the studio. The CD looked almost identical to the case, the words Sunset curve covering the black background in bold white letters.

    She walked over to the couch as an opening electric guitar riff played through the speakers. Drum sticks started to bang together, 'One two three' 'Take off' The singing started, 'Last stop. Countdown till we blast open the top.' Julie started to bob her head along to the music. It was actually quite catchy. 'Face first, full charge' It was a new voice, more feminine, 'Electric hammer to the heart....'

    Julie's enjoyment was cut off by screams. The strong beginning of the song soon turned into just screams making Julie cover her ears as they seemed to get closer. The hair on the back of her neck stood as the CD started to skip.

    It was like a rift opened in front of her. Three guys and a girl dropping to the floor before Julie's eyes. The Molina girl let out a gasp, standing from the couch, the four people letting out groans at different octaves.

    The girl seems to recover first. Her long brown hair shimmering under the lights in the studio and blocking the back of her shirt as they all faced away from Julie. The guy in the middle let out a groan, "Whoa!" He pointed to the room, "How did we get back here?" He didn't get an answer Julie and the girl locking eyes before both started to scream.

    "Whoa Steph-" The blond started looking at where 'Steph' was pointing. Seeing Julie right in front of them all three guys joined 'Steph' in screaming.

~

    Up in his room Jay dropped the photo in his hand listening to his sister scream. "JULIE!" Jay didn't think as he raced down the stairs, nearly falling face first. "Hi Dad, Bye Dad!" He yelled over his shoulder passing his father before running into Julie. Literally.
    She was still screaming at the top of her lungs as Jay held her by the shoulders. "Jay!"
    "Hey! Jules! Slow down, you look like you've seen a ghost."
    Julie shook her brother's arms away. "I have!"
    "Cool." Carlos said, joining Jay's side and a still screaming Julie.

    "Not Cool!" Julie ran off again.

    Jay sighed, "Car, can you go get her. I'll go check whatever made her scream."
    "Yeah. Yeah."
    Slowly Jay pulled his sweatshirt tighter, regretting only being in socks as the still wet ground made his feet soak. His hands formed into fist as he pulled open the doors of the studio. His eyes first landed on the piano. Nothing, and no one seemed to be in the room. He let out another sigh, "Jules, what have you gotten yourself into."
    "You'll see." His twin came back outside, this time holding a cross in front of her like it could ward off ghosts. She kept turning around the room, Jay looking at her like she finally hit the breaking point. He loved Julie to Pluto and back, but this was just weird. "Are you still here? Whatever you are?"

    "Okay Jules. At least Describe what you think you saw."
    Julie huffed out "Four people. Three guys, one girl. The girl had long hair, brown. Lighter than ours. One of the guys was blond and had a hat, one was in a leather jacket, and the last one had this weird like three jacket thing going on." Julie sighed, lowering the cross, "I know I saw something. I'm not crazy."

    Jay heard a sound like a sharp wind from behind him, "We're all a little crazy." He never turned around so fast in his life. The guy in the middle spoke. The one with the weird three coat thing.

    The girl used her thumbs to point to the guy in the leather and the guy with three coats, "Especially these two." Jay and Julie screamed. The combination of the two was worse than when Julie screamed alone.

    The four people covered their ears, "Oh my! Please stop screaming!" The blond yelled over the noise.

    The twins stopped, Jay pushing his sister behind him. Even when she had the cross, "Who are you? And what are you doing in our Mom's studio?"
    "You're mom's studio?" The girl scoffed, "This is our studio."
    The three jacket dude laughed, "Yeah. Trust me, my..." Julie shoved the cross at the guy as he scrambled over the piano. "Okay, fine. The grade piano is new and.. And... and..." He giggled, "My couch!" The guy jumped onto the leather sofa. Still giggling as he laid. Slowly he sat back up, pointing to it, "That is definitely not my six-string." His eyes trailed up as he walked over the coffee table, back to the twins. "Can the two of you give me just one second?" Julie shoved the cross at him again as he bent back on his heels, "Just.. give me one second. Thank you."

    The guy turned back around to his little possy. "Guys what is going on? How did she get her stuff in here so fast?" All three guys looked at the girl.

    "Don't look at me, I don't know the answer."
    "Okay, maybe..." The leather jacket guy placed his hands out, one finger to the sky, "Maybe they're witches. There's chairs floating on the ceiling."

    The girl hit him in the back of the head, "Hey dipshit, there's hooks hanging them up."

    The leather guy rubbed the back of his head as the blond turned to the girl. "Yeah that only adds to the question list. Except Steph's right. There is no such thing as witches." This guy talked in a hush wiper unlike the others who didn't really seem to care.

    Leather snapped back, "You sure because I used to think there was no such thing as ghosts."

    The blond let out a sigh and tongue click, "That's fair."
    The three jacket kid gaped, "Okay. So we're going with witches?"

    "No! We are not going with witches!" The girl whispered yelled at all three, her hair swaying back and forth. "They're not witches okay they're just scared."

    "Yeah, yeah. Once more Steph is right." The blond spoke, "Okay? Let someone." He folded his hand over his chest, "With a softer touch, handle this." The blond turned to the Molina twins, "Why are you in our studio?" He nearly yelled the words.

    "Really soft Alex. I felt such comfort." The girl grubbled as Jay stole the cross from his sister and stuck it in the man. But it only went through him.

    "What? That should have work. Make that two times the catholic church has let me down." Jay grumbled the last part, Juile coming out from behind him.

    "How did you do that?" She asked frantically to the ghost boy in front of her.

    The blond sighed, "Clearly, you're not understanding... she doesn't get it."
    "Oh for the love of..." The girl walked forward grabbing the blond by his shoulder and pulling him back. "Let me handle it will ya?" The three guys just nod. The girl turned back to the twins. "Hi....." They didn't answer, "This is the part where you say Hi back? Hello maybe?"
    "Hi." "Hello."
    "See already a better start than with those idiots." She pointed over her shoulder to her friends.

    The leather dude looked offended, "You know we can still hear you."
    The girl rolled her eyes, "Okay. I'm gonna make this as soft of a blow as I can. We're ghosts. Okay. Just four ghosts, who are really happy to be home. The flowers are lovely, tell Bobby and Cherry I miss them, and uhh, take whatever belongs to you." She ended with a smile.

    The three coats guy came up on her left, "We're actually in a band called Sunset Curve."
    Leather pops his head over the girl's shoulder. "Tell your friends."

    The girl and three coats let out a sigh at the same time, three coats talking once more. "Last night was supposed to be a really big night for us. It was gonna change our lives."

    The blond leaned over to three coat, "I'm uh.. Pretty sure it did."
    Julie shook her head, "No this. This is too freaky." She pulled out her phone, three caot pointing to it.

    "What is that?"
    "Her phone." Jay spit back, leaning over his sister's shoulder to read the words on the screen.

    Julie pulled open google. "Jay stop, they're not real. There's no such thing as cute ghosts."
    "Or hot ones." Jay added to the statement, his eyes now completely lost in the girls warm stare.

    "You think we're cute?" "I think, he thinks I'm hot."
    "Okay Reg. Steph. Too many 'thinks." Julie started to type into her phone both of the twins brushing off the comments from the girl, leather, and blondy. "Who you calling?"

    Julie looks at them dumbfounded, "I'm googling Sunset swerve."
    "Sunset Curve." All four yell back at the same time.

    Jay just shakes his head, "What decade are these idiots from?" Anyone who knew anything would know Sunset swerve would auto search 'Sunset Curve'

    Julie scrolled through the page landing on an image of the people in front of her. The girl was sitting against a guy's legs who wasn't here. A white and black guitar in her hands, a black strap covered in red flowers draped across it. The blond was bent over leather holding up a set of drumsticks and leather had a red bass laying across his lap. Three coat didn't have any sleeves As he leaned against leather in the same way the girl was against the other one who wasn't here. "Not this one." Julie read the date over and over as she answered Jay's question.

    Jay read the phone from over her shoulder, still holding out the cross, "Whoa. There is a sunset curve. And you did die, just not last night..... 25 years ago?" The end turned into a question as he read the date. December 18 1995.

    "What?" Leather scoffed and laughed at the same time, "No-no no. That's impossible. After we floated out of the ambulance, all we did was go to that weird, dark room where Alex cried into Steph's lap."
    Blond's voice turned very high pitched, "Well... I don't think..... I think we were all pretty upset. Okay." Three coats looked to the female with this look on his face. One that read something like. 'All but you'

    The girl pulled at the ends of her hair, "Yeah but that was just for like an hour. We just showed up here."
    Julie turned her phone around for ghost band to see, "Look. I'm just telling you what my phone says. See? You died in 1995. When you were 17." Leather grabbed onto the girl's hand like he was remembering something. Something clearly not good. And something that had to do with being 17. "It's now 2020."
    Three coats looked up from the small screen, "So this is the future? Isn't 2020 supposed to have flying cars?" Both Jay and Julie scoff.

    'Alex' turns to his band mates. "Wait so..so, it has been 25 years? I have been crying! For twenty! Five! Years! How is that possible!?"

    "You're a very emotional person." Leather rushed out, tying to make 'Alex' feel better.

    "I am not!"

    "Thought you were afraid to come out here." Carlos's voice filled the room, "Even made Jay do it for ya. Or did he find your ghost friend? How does he look? Is he hideous?" The youngest Molina strudded up to his siblings, He looked over to Jay for him to join the joke but he never did. "Oh Jay. Please tell me you're not buying this crap?"
    "Watch your language." The twins spoke at the same time again.

    "Oh please. I'm in 7th grade. I'm just not in some fancy art school like the two of you. So back to my question. Is he hideous?"

    "He can see you." Three coats said with an eye roll.

    "No, he can't." Julie snapped back.

    Jay crossed his arms, "And to answer your question." He looked right at the girl again, "No SHE'S not." Carlos followed Jay's gaze looking for this 'She'

    "What?"
    Julie shook her head, to fight the shock, "What do you want Car?"
    "Normal siblings for starters. Would both of you stop being weird and come eat."

    Jay watched his brother walk away before turning back to the girl, "He couldn't see you?"
    Alex shrugged, "Yeah. I mean that's.. Usually how ghosts work. You know. One person can see us sorta thing."
    Julie took the cross back from her brother, "Then how can we BOTH see you?"

    The girl tilted her head, "You twins?"
    "Yeahhhh."
    "That's why." She turned to her band, "I told you twins are magical."
    Leather snickered as three coats fought back, "You're only saying that because you are one." The two started to fight over the magical abilities of being a twin leading Jay and Julie to sigh and storm out, walking right through three coats.

    Julie froze at the sensation turning back around, "I'm very sorry for what happened to you guys, but this isn't your studio anymore. You have to leave."

    "Wait!" The girl called, her eyes mostly on Jay as three coats gaked over his twin, "We didn't catch your names." She rolled her eyes, "And don't say 'We didn't throw them' I lived in the 90's I practically invented that so."
    "It's James. But I just go by Jay. And that's my twin Julie."
    "Stephanie." She called as they started to turn around again, "I'm Stephanie. I mean. But most people just call me Steph. Cool name-s. Names."
    Three coats took a few steps forward so he was next to his friend, "I-I'm Luke, by.. By the way. And And this is-" He stopped, most of the time the introductions went, Steph (Cause she was the prettiest. Caught people's eyes.) Him (Because he was the lead singer) then Bobby, because he was Stephanie's twin.

    "Reggie. I'm Reggie." Leather spoke up, feeling the same discomfort.

    Blond nodded, being the only one to notice how Stephanie's hand fell to her left wrist. Where a white scar cut left to right under the joint, "Alex. How's it going?" He finally answered, a little awkwardly.

    Luke half-heartedly held his hands out to show off the four of them , "Ba-da."

    Julie shook her head, "Okay?" The twins left with a sigh.

    Reggie looked to his band mates. His family. "Jay and Julie seem nice."
    Stephanie sighed turning away from where she watched the twins walk into their house. Or better known to her Cheryl's house, "You miss the part where they kicked us out?"

~

    Jay, Carlos, and Julie set out the fifth plate. A plate they always leave out for their mom. They had gotten in the habit of doing after Julie subconsciously placed one out the day after her death.

    "There you go." Ray came over placing the pasta on the table. He took his seat as the twins and Carlos took theirs. "Okay. Let's do this."
    "Let's do it." Carlos muttered, the small family grabbing hands, Jay and Julie's not touching as they laid theirs in front of their mother's absent plate. "Thank you for our leftovers and the power of the mighty microwave. Amen."
    "Amen." Jay and Julie snickered, "Amen."
    They let their hands drop as Ry started to plate his daughter's food. "So, Carlos tells me he found you and James in the studio."

    Carlos scoffed, "I don't even know what was happening. It was like they were talking to some invisible person. You know, instead of the visible one they shared a womb with."
    Jay nearly choked on his food, "I was helping Julie rehears for a play. You know, I said one line, she said the other, then we had a blank for the invisible person."
    "Hello. Hello!" Victoria Diza yelled from the back door of the house. The kids' eyes went wide at the sound of their aunt, the three scrambling to pull the fifth plate from the table.

    "Yeah. We're in here!" Ray called to his sister-inlaw as Julie handed him the fork and knife. As Victoria walked in the four went back to eating the plate, placemat, and silverware completely gone.

    "Ahh. Spaghetti. Again." You could hear the disapproval in Victoria's voice. Jay and Julie had to hide their laughs as they shoved the meal into their mouths. "That's too bad." She placed the blows in her hand on the counter. "I brought you my pasteles and arroz on pollo."
    "Mm." Julie fought back a gag. "Thanks Tia. It smells great."
    Her aunt waved it off, placing the food in the fridge. "You can have it tomorrow. I can't let you have leftovers every night. My sister would kill me, may she rest in peace." She walked over to the table, rubbing down the spot where their mother's plate just was. "Oh.. I see things here are going better?"

    Ray swallowed the mouthful of food placing his fork down, "Actually... Julie had been cleaning out Mom's studio. With Jay's help of course. Hopefully we can get the house on the market and some offers soon." Jay groaned. He hated talking about selling the house. Of course if it would help Julie he would. But who would give up living in suburban LA with your best friend living down the street. Plus the only reason he's still walking everyday is Connor and Rose. He didn't know what to do without them.

    Victoria rubbed comforting circles on Jay's back at the sound of the groan. "Well I like the sound of that. Moving from here is only gonna help you move on."
    Jay choked on his food as Alex, Reggie, Luke, and Stephanie walked through, THROUGH, the door that was still close. Julie gave him a conserined look as he coughed to get the food down his throat. His only response was nodding to the door.

     "Dahhh." Juile yelled at the four ghosts, making them stop in their tracks. And causing everyone to look at her. She gave an awkward laugh, "That's me. Ripping off the band-aid. Chahh I think we should be more considered about Jay."
    Jay's eyes went wide, "And why would that be?" Julie mouthed back the words 'Music department.' "Right. Cause umm, I was late to homeroom today. Had nothing to do with mom. Uhh, my locker jammed, the teacher said it was fine." He lied very unsmoothly to cover up Julie's little-big problem.

    Luke came over to Jay's left where the open table seat was, "Hey Jay. I'm not doing the whole James thing. I really like what you guys did with the place.-" He went to say something else but Jay cut him off.

    "You shouldn't be here." His aunt gasped.

    "Oh I'm just here to help sobrino."

    Alex leaned back on his heels,, "I think that's our cue to leave."
    "He means, you should be at Pilates." Julie backed her twin up, fighting every urge to swat Luke away as the four ghosts slowly backed up. "Thanks for bringing us food." She pulled her aunt into a side hug so her arms wouldn't be directed at Luke.

    Reggie put his hands in the air, backing up even more, "We should have called first." Even from where he sat, Jay could see Stephanie's eye roll.

    "Oh. It's nothing." Her aunt cooed, "And now that you're no longer in the music program, you can concentrate on classes that matter."
    "Shit." Jay found himself whispering as he dropped his fork so he could no longer shove food in his mouth to cover for himself. He watched carefully as his father folded his hands over the table and Carlos went wide eyed.

    Victoria looked at her brother in law, "You got the email from school right?"

    He gave a fake smile, staring down his only daughter, "Yeah. We're still discussing it."
    "Well then. I'm off to pilates." Victoria blew a kiss, Carlos pretending to catch it and acting like he hit it like a baseball bat. Carlos was the athlete of the family, everyone knew that.

    "Wa-Chow! It's gone." The ten year old joked, Victoria bending over and placing kisses on the twins heads. Carlos started to play with his food, "So, Julie, Jay, wanna hear how I slid into home and was almost safe?"

    Ray sighed looking between his two oldest and then to Carlos, "You're a good brother. It's not gonna work." Ray snapped and pointed out of the room.

    Carlos stood looking at his siblings, "Sorry. I tried guys."

    First the conversation was aimed at Julie, "Why didn't you tell me? You made me lie to your aunt."
    "Uh, Dad-"
    Ray cut his son off, "Why didn't you tell me even though you clearly knew?"
    "I didn't-" Jay started to rub the back of his neck coming up with different words to lie with, "I mean- I- yeah. Yeah I knew since the school day ended."

Julie sighed, placing her fork down, "Don't blame Jay. I asked him not to say anything. And I was gonna tell you after dinner. I was."
    Ray hummed, "Honey, I know those classes can be difficult, but you still like music don't you?"
    Julie shrugged and Jay suddenly felt like he was invading his sister's life, "I don't know. Maybe."
    "Jay go." James nodded at his father, hastily walking out the front door to find their new ghostly guest.

He immediately regretted it because as soon as he got outside he could hear the rock music. Julie quickly found her way outside as the two made their way over to the studio.

Jay didn't think twice about pulling the amp plug away from Reggie's bass and crashing Alex's symbol to get their attention. Luke still played through an upcoming riff though at least until Julie followed her brother's lead and pulled his amp out.

"The whole goddamn neighborhood can hear you." Jay started.

"Hypocrite." Stephanie muttered under her breath.

Jay looked at the girl, "I'm sorry what?"

"You're a hypocrite. You tell your little brother to watch his mouth, then here you are running yours. It makes you a hypocrite."

Julei rolled her eyes, "I thought we told you to leave."

"Wait, go back. People can hear us play?" Luke asked almost as if begging the girl to say yes.

"Yes." Julie spit back, "And so did our dad and brother!"
    Alex flared his sticks around, "So only the two can see us, but everyone can hear us? I mean what kinda ghost are we?"
    Stephanie scoffed, "Who cares?"

Luke looked between his two friends, "Steph's right. Who cares when people can hear us play!"

The four gave each other first bumps only making the twins' anger grow, "We might be dead but our music isn't." Reggie said, completely ignoring the twins as their father walked in.

"Dad!" Julie yelled, turning away from the ghost band and to her father.

"Hey. Just making sure you two were okay."
    "Yeah. Uhh, I just turned the cd player on. Didn't think it would be so loud." Jay lied through his teeth for the second time that night.

     Ray turned to the instrems now back on stands. The gleaming white guitar with a black strap covered in red flowers, the blood red bass, the blue electric, and most off the drumset with the sunset curve band logo on the front of the bass drums. "Wait, was this the junk that was in the loft?"
    "Junk?" Stephanie was clearly ticked off by that. Ray walked behind the drums and started to hit his hands over them with no sticks pissing Alex off pretty fast.

"Some of this stuff is in pretty good shape." He spun the symbols, "Hey maybe we can make a couple bucks."
    "What!" Alex leaned forward as iff Ray would be able to see him, "Yo stop touching my drums!" He turned to the twins pointing to their father, "Tell him to stop touching my drums." Julie just gave a shrug, Jay biting back a laugh.

Ray walked back over to the kids, mostly talking to his son. "I liked that song you had on."
    "Sweet." Reggie walked close to the man as well as Luke.

"We're Sunset Curve."
    "Tell your friends."
    "Stop doing that." The order went Luke, Reggie, then Stephanie. It was too normal sounding to be irregular. Almost if those phrases passed over to the afterlife with them.

"It's just some old CD I found in the loft." Jay needed a bit of fun, "Sunset Swerve or something." He joked trying to hide a smile.

"CURVE!" All four band members yelled back at him.

"Well it was a good song. Whoever sung it." Ray said, throwing his hands to the side so they passed through Reggie and Luke's midriffs. "And uhh, who knows, maybe you could end up liking music as much as your sister does. The two of you can play her whenever you want."
    "Oh. That's nice." Reggie spoke again, receiving a punch to the arm from Stephanie. Jay could just barely make out the even white scar on her left wrist as she hit her friend.

"Stay out of this." Julie hissed at the leather wrapped bass player.

"I-I'm sorry honey I didn't."
    "No-No Dad not you. I mean Jay. Like you said, 'like your sister' you know it's my domain. He gets a room full of photos and maybe one day a dark room and I get out here." Julie picked up the white guitar, "Playing a guitar that is in surprisingly good shape." She turned it over and read the small letters on the back, "Marked with the initials S.W. That's me.  Good old SW, just another nickname from Flynn." Julie started to ramble as Stephanie's smile dropped, watching the girl mess around with her guitar made Stephanie want to throw hands.

Jay just shook his head dragging his father out of the wooden structure. "We're okay." The twins smiled at their father before turning to the band with pissed off faces.

"Get your hands off my guitar!" You could almost feel the fire that was in Stephanie's eyes and tone of voice. So much so that Julie went wide eyed and hastily put the instrument back on it's stand.

"He likes our song." Luke was much happier than his friend, turning to his band.

"Eh." Alex waved it off, "He doesn't count. He's a dad."
    "Why can't you guys just be normal ghosts?" Julie yelled, "Hang out in an old mansion! I hear Pasadena's nice!" With that Jay slammed the door behind him and his sister.

Alex turned to his band, "I think she's warming up to us."
    Stephanie sighed, still looking at the studio door, "Key word. She." With that she popped out of the room and in front of the twins. Well twin. Jay was still in the backyard but Julie had run off to the front of the studio hoping to clean it up a bit for Jay's photos.

"What the hell!" Jay huffed out a breath realizing it was just the ghost living in his house. "Stop that. I'm serious."
    Stepahnie put her hands up in surrender walking closer to the Molina boy, "Sorry."
    Jay just rolled his eyes, but still he found them  making their way back to the ghost in front of him, "What do you even want?"

Stepahnie sighed, "I know that this is all really, completely crazy. But do you know how rad this is? People... Living people can hear us play."
    "Yeah. I've just had a pretty bad..." He stopped, thinking. "Year. Yeah. A pretty bad year."
    "And I've had a pretty bad 25." She had him there. "Sorry. I don't mean to make yours not mean anything but 25 years. We sat in a dark room as one of my best friends cried and the other lived on. 25 years. And we thought it was 10 minutes. But this-this changes everything. Finding out that the only thing we lived for in the first place, we still have. Even after death. That's pretty sick."
    "Your right. It's just-"
    "Your bad year. And from what I've gathered that year included your mother's death. That sucks more than anything I can think of-" Stephanie stopped this time, think of her own mother. How even when she was so drunk she couldn't walk, Stephanie never wished her dead. "Look I'm sorry. We came into your life. And your sister's. But.." The sun started to set making Stephanie's hair shine like her guitar. "What I just felt in there. Made me feel alive again. Like I was still breathing. We all felt alive again. So you can kick us out, spit in our faces, drink down a bottle thinking you're insane. But you can't take our music. We're not giving it up. Not when we can play again." She emphasized play. "That's a gift no musician would ever turn down."

    Jay looked down at his hands, not willing to look Stephanie in the eyes, "Too bad I'm not a musician."

"But you have a studio?"
    "It's all Julie and my mom." Jay's voice was a soft whisper.

Stephanie took another step to him, "Do you have something like that? Something you couldn't live without. Not someone. Something. Something that could make you remember someone."
    He looked up, "Photography." He didn't see the point in lying.

Stephanie's face softened. "Now imagine you like me. Dead and made of air. But you can still take pictures. Pictures the world could see. What would you do?" Jay just shook his head, completely at a loss for words. "You know what I would do? I would pick up a camera and take as many pictures as I could. Never being seen, being able to take photos from the top of the Hollywood sign. That's music for me."

    "That was music for our Mom." Julie's voice caught the attention of the two. Jay and Stephanie looked over at Julie, Alex, Luke, and Reggie. "Jay, maybe we should-"

    "Really?" The two seemed to have a silent conversation as Sunset curve watched. Jay clearly ended up losing the argument giving a sigh, "Fine. If you really. Absolutely have no other place to stay. You can stay here."

    "Wait." They all turned to Julie, "You haven't seen her anywhere, have you?" Julie didn't give a name but they all knew who she was talking about.

"No. Sorry. You're kinda the first person we've seen." Alex answered, thinking back to the hours before when he hit the ground to be met with a screaming Julie.

    "Yeah, but she's not dead so that doesn't really answer her question." Reggie pointed out making Stephanie mentally face palm.

"Yeah." Alex dragged out the word, "I think she knew what we meant. I'm sorry for your loss. Both of you."
    "Thanks."

    Stephanie felt this weird urge to pull the twins into a hug, but she knew she would just go through them. "Do you mean it? That we can stay?"
    "Yeah. Why the hell not. And don't call me a hypocrite again please. Because I might change my mind if you get on my bad side." Stephanie could stop the giggle that came out as she looked over from Julie to Jay. "Sorry we got mad. I mean you guys are, kinda good."

    "Kinda. You know that's like 25 years of rust just getting dusted off."
    Jay rolled his eyes at Luke, "Don't ruin the moment sleeveless."
    "Is that a nickname? Did I just get a nickname?" Jay smiled knowing that if Rose were here she would tell the ghost to shove it, giving him a shove. Even if she would just pass through him.

"I think you got a nickname." Reggie joined the joke, "Hey, do either of you play the piano?"

Julie slipped her hands into her pockets, "No, we don't play. Jay doesn't even know what an A chord is for starters and all that stuff was our mom's anyways."
    Luke jumped back on his heels, rocking forward, "No way. She's an amazing songwriter."
    Jay nodded giving a sad smile to the sky, "She really was. -Wait how would you know?"

"Oh." Jay turned at the sound of Stephanie's voice, "There's a song on the piano. It looked hand written, if it was hers...... Well lets just say, I have some experience writing. None of my songs are that good. You mom was really talented." Both Jay and Julie gave the ghost a smile before Julie spoke again.

"Back to the living situation. There's a bathroom in the back and a couch that turns into a bed if you still use any of that stuff."
    "Dibs on the shower!" Reggie randomly shouted pointing his finger to the sky, "I just really like showers. And sometimes the occasional bath."
    Stephanie chuckled, hoping over the stone wall by the stairs, "Oh Reggie." The guy started to walk away as the twins left, but Stephanie and Luke couldn't help but find themselves looking back.

~

    The four members of Sunset Curve jumped as they landed on the awning for the Orphum. Stephanie instantly leaned her head on Luke's shoulder as Alex rocked back. Luke wrapped his arm around Stephanie. Even after death she was still something of a sister to her, and he wasn't letting anyone hurt her. "Look I know being dead isn't our first choice." Alex huffed out at Luke's words, "But I mean it is easy getting around."

    Reggie scoffed, "Easy for you maybe." He pulled open his leather jacket to show his bare chest, "I lost my shirt on that one." In a flash of blue light his white shirt found its way back onto his body. "Oh, never mind. There it is."
    Luke couldn't help but laugh as the neon lights buzzed above them, making Alex look up. "Okay, so, Why'd you bring us here? Just another painful reminder of where we never got to play. Thanks Luke."

    Stephanie breathed out, her breath still smelling like the peppermint toothpaste she would use before every performance, "The game isn't over yet, boys." She grabbed onto Alex and Luke as Luke held onto Reggie, the four teleporting down to the ground. "I mean, We've been given a second chance. We can find some music. See how many clubs we could hit before sunrise."

    Alex bumps shoulders with someone, surprised he didn't just walk right through them. "Hey." He turned to face the man. He wore an all black outfit, cape included and tipped a top hat at the boy before continuing down the street.

    "Alex you coming?!" Luke yelled back to his friend as Alex ran a hand through his hair catching up to the band.

~

    Julie readjusted her backpack as she made her way out back to the studio. This was one of those times where she didn't want her twin by her side, so she slipped out before Jay could catch her and Connor drove them to school.

    Slowly she pulled open the white barn doors of the studio. Half expecting to see four ghosts standing around and laughing. But they weren't there. She dropped her bag onto a chair and called out to them. "Guys? Girl? Was Guys a neutral term back in the 90's?" Her lavender bell sleeves hit her hand and made her jump, turning around to face the grand piano.

    The instrument looked like a challenge after her encounter with one yesterday. She didn't want to run out again. She wanted that feeling of safety she used to have as she played the notes.

    Her hands grazed over the sheets of paper in her mother's handwriting. Before she took a seat on the bench. Slowly she opened the lid and allowed herself to play. Only if it was because of her mother's notes. But still she played. A sweet melody that made her want to spin.

    "Here's the one thing, I want you to know. You got some place to go." She even found herself singing the words. "Life's a test yes, but you go toe-to-toe, you don't give up, no you grow.

    And you use your pain, 'Cause it makes you you. Though I wish I could hold you through it. I know it's not the same, you got living to do. And I just want you to do it.

    So get up, get out, Relight that spark. You know the rest by heart." Julie could just imagine the maraca beat that could back this up as she tried not to cry over her mother's lyrics.

    "Wake up, wake up, If it's all you do. Look out, look inside of you. It's not what you lost. It's what you gained, Raising your voice to the rain. Wake up you dream and make it true. Look out, look inside of you."
    Ray Molina stopped halfway down the stone steps to the Studio as he heard his daughters voice from inside. Her voice and her piano skills. A smile brighter than the sun passed over his face.

    "It's not what you lost. Relight that spark. Time to come out of the dark. Wake up. Wake up.

    Better wake those demons. Just look them in the eye, no reason not to try. Life can be a mess. I won't let it cloud my mind, I'll let my fingers fly.

    And I use the pain 'Cause it's part of me and I'm ready to power through it. Gonna find the strength, find the melody 'Cause you showed me how to do it."
    Connor and Rose turned into the Molina's house. Everyday was the same. Rose would drive down to Connor's house, the two would walk over to Jay and Julie's, normally meet Flynn at the Molina's the five would walk back to Connor's and drive to school.

    Rose went to walk ahead but Connor pulled her back. "Rose, listen." And she did. She listened to the grace that was Julianne Marie Molina.

    "Get up, get out, relight that spark. You know the rest by heart. Wake up, wake up, If it's all you do. Look out, look inside of you. It's not what you lost. It's what you gained. Raising your voice in the rain.

    Wake up your dream and make it true. Look out, look inside of you."

    Carlos stopped on the front porch as she heard his sister's voice. Just the sound of Julie singing again made the world feel like it fell back onto its axis. He didn't make a sound as he crossed his arms over the railing and rested his head in them. Just listening.

    "It's not what you lost. Relight that spark time to come out of the dark. Wake up. Wake up.

    So wake that spirit, spirit, I wanna hear it, hear it. No need to fear you're not alone. You're gonna find your way home."

    Jay paused as he slid his backpack on. For a second he froze, not having heard that sound in over a year. His little sister was singing. He suddenly felt very giddy for it only being a Tuesday.

    He just smiled. Not moving, not changing. But smiled. Guess all that Connor needed to do to get his best friend's smile back was get Julie to sing.

    "Ohhh. Wake up, wake up. If it's all you do. Look out, look inside of you. It's not what you lost. It's what you gained. Raising your voice in the rain. Wake up your dream and make it true. Look out, look inside of you.

    When you feel lost. Relight that spark, Time to come out of the dark. Wake up."

    Stephanie, Luke, Reggie, and Alex stood still as stone as they watched Julie play. Her voice was like caramel. Smooth and sweet. And her piano skills were over the moon. They didn't know what to say. But each was thinking 'Wow'

    "M-m, wake up." Julie played the last note. She sighed as she smiled. If only she could have done this a day early. A day before. But still, she felt her heart flutter at the familiar feeling of being at the piano. The feeling of home.

    She took the last page of music off the piano reading over the black pen. Julie you can do it. Love Mom.

~

(@voidalexis)