Chapter Twenty : Seeing and Hearing
September 2020

Alex went to walk forward and comfort Julie but Luke pulled him back. The sun in the window behind them made Stephanie's neck warm. She guessed her body temperature would now reflect the air temperature as Luke signaled them all to poof out of the room.

They landed in front of the studio. The backyard of the Molina's house looks like a fairy garden with the exposed stone and pink flowers. Alex and Luke both looked back to the door of the studio. "Dude, why'd you stop me? Julie needs a hug."

Luke laughed off the thing he was really feeling. "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."
"You know what? I think you poofed us out because you can't handle when people cry. I should know. I cried in a room for 25 years, and only got a hug from one of you." Alex gave a nod to Stephanie and she gave a quick two finger salute.

"Wh-Well you didn't see Steph's face. It was like she was about to tear are limbs off if we touched you!" Reggie tried to defend himself and Luke but just received an eye roll from Stephanie and a look of disgust from Alex.

"Okay. I-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." Stephanie didn't see why they needed to ask, for what she could get it it was pretty clear it was because of her mother.

Alex gave a shrug, "Yeah you know, maybe tell her how amazing she is."
Stephanie turned at the sound of a gate opening still not saying anything as she let Julie's melody play through her head. A girl walked past the four ghosts as she cried quietly. "Oh my god. Was she crying too?"
"YES." Luke spun around on his heels holding up two fingers, "And the only thing scarier than one girl crying is two girls crying."
Reggie weighed the options, "He's right."

"Guys, we definitely can't go in there."

"But we can listen." Stephanie still hadn't said anything. Something in the back of her mind was screaming 'Don't speak' She followed the guys to the door of the Studio. The white paint was peeling back to reveal the soft wood, and the windows had years of hard water stains on them, steaming down like rain drops.

Stephanie could hardly hear anything over Luke's heavy breathing. She wanted to poof in but it seemed like Juile needed someone she could touch so she stayed still. Well she took a seat on the ground by Reggie's feet then stayed still.

"Not our band name." That was the only part of the conversation she caught. Julie and the other girl making their way out of the studio. The guys scrambled to look like they weren't listening as Julie closed the door, "Oh hey." She then remembered Flynn couldn't see the four ghost that lived in her Mom's studio, "Let's hustle!" She waved by to the four, earring a wave back from Stephanie before Julie started to swat at the sky like there was a fly. Once more coving up the invisible beings by the door.

"Don't worry we weren't listening!" Reggie yelled back as Luke kicked him. Julie just shook her head, meeting her brother and his friends at the front of the house, all five living teens heading back down the street to get Connor's car. Like they did everyday.

Stephanie was the first to move back into the studio. The boys followed close behind as she made her way over to her guitar. "Why didn't Julie tell us she could shred on the piano?"

Something about the way Reggie said it made Stephanie sad. It reminded her of what Cheryl told her all those years ago, when she joined Sunset Curve. That she shredded a guitar and didn't care if Stephanie joined the band.

Maybe if she knew it would end up with Stephanie dead she would care more. "Her Mom." Stephanie spoke for the first time since they got back, her voice low and hollow. "Jay said everything in here was their Mom's. Except for our stuff, you know? Makes you wonder. What did people do after we died? Bet my mom didn't even notice." She whispered the last part but the boys still heard.

Alex started to climb up the loft. He never knew how to make Stephanie see how amazing she was. He tried so hard, because that's what she always did for them, but he never found a way to return the favor. Even when he found blood on his rasor and saw Stephanie with a band-aid over her wrist the next day. "I really feel for her." He finally said, pushing Stephanie's comment to the side, a pain of guilt running through him.

"Yeah but.." Luke danced his way over to Stephanie at the piano. "Now she's got music back in her life, just like us."
"Yeah." Alex leaned over the railing, "I'm not sure you can call what we have a life."
Stephanie hummed, "It's more like a shadow of a life. In the nicest way I can think of."

Alex laughed, "Oh hey! Some of the clothes we left behind are still up here!" Stephanie jumped up as Alex dropped down a bag of clothes.

She ripped it open after a few tries to not pass through it, "Oh flannels how I've missed you!" She yelled thankful to take off the blouse she had been wearing for the last 25 years. And to change her blue jeans for ripped ones.

"Sweet! Same close since '95, boys!" Luke exclaimed, pulling off his shirt. Stephanie would never say it out loud, but she was deftly taking in the view. Which was weird considering she never did when they lived together and were alive.

Ray Molina walked into the Studio with a camera in his hand. Walking right through Reggie as he did so. "Wow that was weird." Reggie found himself staring back at the man as he looked around. "But somehow I can tell this man has a kind heart."
Stephanie scoffed, "Duh. He raised Jay and Julie." Alex smirked at the fact that she said Jay's name before Julie.

"So how've you been?" Ray asked the open air.

Reggie looked around before answering, "Honestly, not that good. So we ate these hot dogs, and--"
"Julie sang for the first time this morning." Ray talked over the leather wrapped ghost making his way around the room. "Ah! She hadn't done that in almost a year. You would've loved it."
"Yeah we saw 'Cause.."
"Guess we just gotta get Jay smiling all the time again. God I miss his smile."

"OH!" Reggie waved his hand in front of the man's face, "I don't think he's talking to us."

"You are so lucky you can play bass." Stephanie snapped her fingers giving Luke a finger gun to show she agreed.

Ray started to take pictures of the Studio. "You know I asked Jay to do this. School got in the way though. So here I am taking half a good of a picture that he could. Funny to think I'm the one who gets paid for it."
Alex started to swing his legs back and forth in the loft, "Pretty sure he's talking to the twins' mom."

"They're both so talented." Ray walked over to the piano bench. "Julie is starting to remind me of you."
"Called it." Alex yelled down to the rest of Sunset Curve.

Ray lifted the camera, "Oh I'm uh.. I'm taking pictures for the real estate website." The four ghosts started to make their way over to the grand piano. "I don't really wanna move, but... I guess it's best for Julie." He took a seat on the bench. "I don't even know about Jay anymore. He used to talk to me all the time, now.... Now I get most of the daily updates from Connor and Roslyn. God bless those kids. I'm really happy he has them."

Stephanie tried to fight the tears building in her eyes. This made her think about her own life. How she did everything through Bobby and Cheryl, how she talked to her mother everyday until her dad died. Not that her father was a good person but his death led to her mother going off the rails.

"Steph?"
She wiped the fear tears out of her eyes, "Yeah?" The three boys felt their heart break just a little bit. Yesterday was the happiest they had ever seen Stephanie. They wanted her to smile like that everyday. The same smile she had when she was on stage. But here they were listening to her lie about her emotions...again.

Ray rubbed the top of the instrument, "So many memories. Of Julie playing next to you, Jay failing to play the red bass that we keep in the loft." Reggie looked over to his instrument and smiled thinking about a little version of Jay trying to play it. Luke leaned over the piano as another silent tear rolled down Stephanie's face. "And..." Ray chuckled, "And Carlos trying to sing with his two missing front teeth. Or uhh, when you went behind my back and let Jay use my camera in here as Julie played the piano for an upcoming recital."

Luke gave a shaky breath and Reggie looked away from the crying man to the crying boy, "Oh no, Luke, not you too."

Luke shook his head holding back as sob as his eyes felt heavy with water. Alex just stared dumbfounded. He could get why Stephanie was crying, his mind flashing with all the different things she could be thinking about right now. Bobby, Cheryl. Less happy things too. Paul, her mom. Things that come full circle in her crappy life. But Luke, he didn't get.

"He's-He's talking about moving, but the poor guy, he doesn't wanna move." Luke said between sniffles as Alex wrapped his arms around Stephanie in a side hug, the girl turning so she was leaning on his shoulder.

Ray stood bak taking a few pictures of the room from where they all stood this morning behind Julie as she played. "It's like they grow up.. Out here."
Reggie took a sharp breath, his eyes starting to water, "Oh man. Now he's got me too." The boy started to wave at his eyes trying to dry the water.

Stephanie pulled away from Alex sniffling. Alex just looked around and threw his arm in the air, "Okay how am I the emotional one?"
Stephanie wiped at her nose with her sleeve, "Sorry."
"C-C-Can we go see my family and see how they're doing?" Reggie stuttered as a thought came into Stephanie's head.

"Bobby." She didn't fight the water works this time, covering her mouth with her hand as she let out a gasp, "Oh my god. Bobby. We-we just left him- and Cherry- and oh my god."
Luke turned, pulling Stephanie into a hug, "Hey Steph, I'm sure they're okay. We'll go to Reggie's place first then well go find Bobby." Stephanie just nodded into his shoulder before pulling back.

"Yeah listening to this feels... wrong." Alex added, his mind now thinking of his own parents.

"Hey do you remember when the kids were at your sister's, and we came out here on our anniversary..."
"Yeah. No definitely wrong." With Luke's words they all poofed out to Reggie's old house.

~

The four band mates just stared up at the polished bike shack. A shack that used to be Reggie's home. The waves and sounds of the beach flooded Stephanie's ears and she found herself thinking about the time they played a gig on the beach. And the million other times by the pier.

"A bike shack. Right where my house used to be." Reggie could hardly believe what was in front of him. "Right here."
Luke gave Reggie a few pats as he leaned on the bass player, "Yeah, I'm sorry man."
"They made the Meyersons' house into a noodle shop." Reggie spoke sadly thinking of his old neighbors. He hoped the little boy next door grew up healthy. "Why couldn't they have made mine like a pizzeria or something?"

Alex let his hand go through the air, pointing from shop to shop, "They tore down the whole neighborhood." Reggie and Him lived on opposite ends of the place, but it still felt weird.

"I guess my folks are gone." Reggie felt a weight lift from him. A physical one, as Luke walked over to a fallen tree in front of his friends.

Alex turned to Reggie, "No. Everyone's gone. 25 years gone."
"You think Cheryl has a kid?" Stephanie didn't even know why she was asking. Of course she had a kid. Cheryl always wanted a kid. So unless she died too, she had a kid. One that would make her mother so proud. "Alex is right. We lost 25 years. And maybe it wasn't of life, but it was something. Friends, family. Gone. Bobby, Cherly. Everyone."
"What do you think even happened to Bobby?"

Stephanie sighed, taking a seat on the tree next to Luke, "God I wish I knew. I left him. We only had each other and I left. From asphyxiation and food poisoning. I wish I could just run up to him and hug him. Feel his arms around me again. Let him ask every question in the world as to why I'm still 17. Or even just see him smile again." Stephanie found herself wiping her tears away for the third time that morning.

"Maybe he moved on." Luke said softly. Think of all the different times Bobby would just be thinking about his sister. He remembered how Alex and him had to hold him back as Reggie explained the whole Paul nightmare. Or how, he stood in front of a drunk man stumbling out of a club and hitting on Stephanie. When she was 17 and he was at least 48.

"How are you so casual about all of this?" Alex finally asked. But Stephanie could see it in Luke's eyes. He wasn't. It was the same look he had on when she came back to the Studio with food and found him writing 'Unside Emily' A look meaning, he just wants to hide it all. "Don't you at least wanna figure out what happened?"

"Let's be real for a second. It's not like any of us were that close to our families. My folks always regretted buying me that guitar. Reggie your parents were literally a fight away from a divorce. Alex your parents were never cool again after you told them you were gay. Steph, you Dad was verbally abusive till he died, and you mom was on drink away from alcohol poisoning. Daily!"

"So." Stephanie stood up, "Maybe none of us had it great. But we had something? I might have run away, but I still had my twin brother by my side. But it was something! What do we have now, huh? A couple of flannels, leather jackets, fanny packs and 25 years down the drain?"

"And.." Alex pointed to Luke, "Before you answer her with cool teleportation skills, just know I'm not entirely okay with that either. All right? It tingles. In weird... places." All three didn't know how to answer Alex after that, Reggie even taking a step to the left.

"I'll tell you what we have." Luke stood up, grabbing Stephanie's shoulder and spinning her around to face him. "It's what we've had since the day we came together." He jumped up on the fallen tree, some of the sane sticking to the black cloth on his pants. "We have us. A second family. That didn't wanna rip each other apart. The only family we're ever gonna need. You know what else we have?"
"I'm gonna guess death breath."

"Our music, you dork." Luke chucked at Reggies comment and Stephanie cracked a smile.

"Damn it. I hate when you're right." Stephanie muttered under her breath.

"We have our music, you guys. People, actual people, can hear us play! They can't see us, fine. But they can feel us."
Stephanie looked up at Luke, a smile now on her face, "Still quite the passionate, huh?"

"It's never gonna stop. I'm always gonna be passionate. I mean, if I had my guitar I would play for all of these people right now. Just like how we used to, down at the pier."

Alex shifted his weight to his left side, "Yeah they can't tip what they can't see."

"So?" Stephanie joined Luke's side, "Money no longer matters. We don't need to eat. Sleep. Shower. We can just live. A second chance, no limits. So damn it Luke's right." She laughed, "Who cares. We can still play. That. That itself is proof that I was wrong. Because music. That didn't go down the drain with time. It stayed with us."

Luke jumped down, "Hell yeah I'm right. It's not about the tips. It's about the music. Connecting people. Making a difference in their day. I just.. I just wish I had my guitar." A small blue light appeared and Luke felt a pressure on his left shoulder causing him to spin. Then he felt the slek cherry wood instrument in his hand.

"Whoa! What that was rad. How'd you do that?" Reggie asked, pointing to the guitar now in Luke's hand.

"I don't know. I-I mena I wished for it, and then it came in my hands..."
Reggie clapped his hands together and closed his eyes, "I-I wish I had a puppy." Nothing. "A Hamster? Pizza?" When nothing happened Reggie kicked the sand behind him in defeat, falling into it with a groan.

"Hey. I think I know something that will cheer you up." Luke leaned forward starting to play a few chords and Stephanie draped her elbow over his shoulder.

"Come one, Reginald!" She said with a giggle starting to snap and Alex started to make a beat by thumping his hands to his chest.

"A one two three four!"
"Can you? Can you hear me?" Reggie fell under the spell fast, standing and singing as Stephanie counties to snap, and Luke played.

Alex leaned over to his friend, "Loud and clear!"

"We gotta get, Gotta get ready!" Reggie ran over to the fallen over tree as Stephanie felt the smile on her face widen.

Alex, Luke and Stephanie jumped up next to him, "'Cause it's been years!"
"Whoa. Oh, oh, oh, oh oh." Reggie and Stephanie started to skip as Reggie kept singing in time with her snaps. "This band is back.

Whao, oh oh, oh, This band is back."

Stephanie took the lead, "Woohoo, ooh, ooh, Woohoo, ooh, ooh." She loved this feeling watching as everyone around them started to dance along to the music. Some even timing their volleyball game in time with the song. "Woohoo, ooh, ooh,

Can you?
Yes, we can!

Can you hear?

Loud and clear!" Reggie leaned back on a metal chair all four of them dancing to their own beat.

"We gotta get, wanna get, We gotta get ready. CAUSE It'S BEEN YEARS! Hey

Whoa, oh, oh,oh" Stephanie started to jump over the chairs and tables at the line of grass that met the sand. "This band is back. Whoa, oh, oh, oh.

This band is back..." Reggie helped Stephanie jump off one of the chairs, taking her hand as her feet landed with a soft thump.

"You won't find the speaker. It's a direct spot audio. I heard about it in a ted talk." Someone said as the four danced around him and the girl he was with, still smiling and laughing and singing and snapping.

"Whoohoo, ooh, ohh, Whoohoo, ooh, ooh. A woohoo"
"Yee-haw!" Alex joked as they danced away from the beach, Stephanie's fears from the morning melting away as Reggie threw his arm over her shoulder. Because they are right. This band was back. And more powerful than ever.

~

Luke used a small turned over shoe box to reach a shelf in Julie's room. His eyes trained on a white box covered in leaves and flowers. Reggie was making 'snow' angels on the bed. Stephanie at his feet plucking different strings on her white guitar. Alex was trying to make a use of himself and trying, but failing, to pick up a picture frame.

Julie opened the door of her room. It took three seconds before she yelled at four ghosts. "What are you guys doing in my room?"
"Uh-" "Well-""We" "Umm.."

"We were looking for the kitchen." Reggie snapped and pointed to Luke to back up his really bad lie.

"This...This," Julie used her finger to point around the room, "can't happen. It's creepy. Get off my bed please." Reggie scrambled to the floor.

Luke raised his head, "Hey Julie. What's in the box."
"That's off limits." Stephanie had never heard Julie talk so sure of what she was saying. Even if they had only known each other for 24 hours.

Luke laughed, "oh. Okay. Girl stuff."
Stephanie scoff, "Grow a pair. Luke. Some things people just aren't allowed to touch. When we lived together half of my stuff was off limits."

Reggie leaned his head on his head, propping his arm up on his knee as she sat criss cross, "So like butterflies and glitter?"

"Oh my god. Uh-I can't-No." Stephanie was at such a loss for words at their ridiculousness. "I'm sorry about them."

"It's none of your business. And yes, there might be some glitter." Reggie gave a cheeky smile at the fact he got at least some of it right.

Alex lifted the fram from the peach colored dresser and brought it over to the bed. "Hey! I actually picked something up." The picture fell onto the comforter, "I dropped it."

Luke walked over to the photo of a girl, who looked like Julie, getting kissed on the check from an older woman. "Is that your mom?"

"Yes, and it's our favorite picture of us. So if you break it I'll break you." Julie snatched the photo off of the bed, "Plus it's the first picture Jay took to get developed."

"Wait Jay took that?" Julie just nodded at Stephanie's question, "Wow. He's really good."
"Well sorry, but we're kinda unbreakable at this point." Alex said, digging his hand into his pocket.

Julie sighed, "I don't get it. You guys can mess up my bed, pick up your instruments, but you can't pick up other stuff?"

"I know right? It's hard." Luke's eyes traveled down to Stephanie's guitar. "But for some reason our instruments, easy."
"Yeah." Reggie stood from the floor, "Like super easy. Oh, check out what I learned today." Reggie's red bass fell on top of him, making him fall back onto the bed, "Ah." He groaned.

"Yeah that looked, Super... easy." Julie shook her head at how crazy they were.

Reggie let out another groan as Luke started to talk again, "It's like I always thought, our instruments are attached to our souls."
Ray Molina knocked on his budget's doorframe, "Hey." Reggie and Stephanie rolled back to Luke and Alex, as Luke took Alex's hand in his. "Everything okay?"
"Yeah." Julie's voice was fake as she rocked back and forth on the balls of her feet, sliding her hands int her back pockets. "I'm fine."
"Okay. I thought I heard you talking to someone."
"Nope." She giggled, "Just uhh, must've been my laptop... that I just closed."
"Okay. If you need anything.." Ray trailed off, pointing out the door asking if she wanted it closed.

"Yeah. Thanks." Julie ran her hand through her hair as she turned around to face her ghostly friends.

Reggie hummed, "Your dad seems like the kinda guy who likes to barbecue. I bet he has a great ribs recipe."
"I don't know. But if you guys want to talk to me, we have to do it in the studio. He's worried about me enough as it is."
"He seems chill. Maybe you should just tell him about us." Luke suggested his eyes wandering back to the white flowered box.

If he wasn't made of aire Julie would have slapped him. "You're kidding right?" She sighed, "This past year, everyone has been watching over me and Jay, being super nice, Carrie Wilson even acts like she didn't cut Jay from her life, Just waiting for us to snap. If I tell my dad I met a ghost band, I would be back to Dr Turner three days a week."

Luke clicked his tongue, "Yeah you probably shouldn't tell him."
"Wait, did you say the girl's last name was Wilson?" Alex asked, looking right to Stephanie as she tried to remember any 'Carrie's' in her life.

"Yeah Carrie Wilson. She's kinda dating the guy I like while simultaneously hitting on my twin brother."
"Stephanie's last name is Wilson."

Stephanie just shrugged giving up her mini name game, "It's not an uncommon name. Plus if she's hitting on 17 year olds, she won't know me. She wouldn't even be alive as long as I've been dead."

Luke hopped back up on the shoe box, "Julie..."
"Oh my god! I thought I told you to leave that alone!"
"I know. You should've just said nothing 'cause now I can't stop thinking about it. So... Julie what's in the box?"

Julie sighed deflated, "it's just my dream box. Okay? Wherever I get a thought I write it down and get it out of my mind."
"Like lyrics?" Stephanie pressed, finding herself digging for more information.

"They would be if I still wrote music like I used to with my mom. Now it's just full of stuff that doesn't make me sad."
Alex jumped up from the windowsill. "But I mean, you do play. We heard you this morning."
Julie leaned forward, anger boiling in her, "In the garage?" Luke hit Alex on the arm, "So you were there too?"
"For once it wasn't Reggie who messed up."
"All of you were there?!"
"Uh.." "I don't" "I mean." "He was like,.." "You know, somewhere."
Luke slid forward so he had his stomach to the bed, "So where is the kitchen, by the way?"

Julie bent down so she was looking in Luke's eyes, "Okay. We need to set some boundaries. For starters, Stay out of my room!" Julie yelled the last part, all four, scrambling to leave the lilac colored room with it's pretty curtains and lavender bedspread.

~

Stephanie walked around Jay's room. He wasn't in it so she just took the place in. For one it was much darker than Julie's room. His was mostly black white and grey. Julie's full of different reds, pinks, and purples.

Her eyes landed on a shelf full of black leather binders. Maybe half and inch thick each. But there was one that was off the shelf and on his dresser. She slowly maid her way over to the leather binder, her hand trailing behind her in the dark room covered in photos.

On her way over she walked right through a string of photos. Each one better than the last. She didn't know how he did it.

At first her hand went through the leather but after a few more tries she managed to open it. Stephanie heard her own gasp as she looked down at the different photos filling the laminated pages.

Most were of nature and flowers. All close ups where the flower was focused and the background blurred. A few were more of lights. Different effects were the lights took shape as Julie sat in front of them.

Julie and Carlos were another occurring theme. A lot of the photos are shots of the two siblings by sunsets and beaches. There were a lot of two people Stephanie had never seen before as well.

Most of those two people were couple themed. Kissing in front of the sunset, holding hands. Even a few where the girl was on the guy's back in front of the hollow woods sign.

A few tries later she managed to turn the laminated page again. This one was full of color rather than nurture. It was the girl from the couple photos. There was a color flair in her hand as she walked down a road.

Some were her by train tracks, the color powder now being flown into the sky as she flipped her hair over. A few more were of graffiti and the girl holding a still capped bottle of spray paint. Something in the way the girl held herself in those photos made Stephanie laugh.

"What are you?!" Stephanie spun around so fast, her head went through some of the photos hanging on the strings hanging wall to wall. "What the hell are you doing in my room?"
"Uh-" Stephanie got choked up as she watched Jay come closer into the room, waiting for an answer, "Julie, kicked us out of hers."

"And Julie is the accepting one." Jay spit back, shaking his hair out.

"You got a haircut." Stephanie found herself trying to block the now open pages of the photo book.

"So what?" Jay took notice of her trying to block his portfolio. "Oh my god! Why did you go through that!" He hastily slammed the binder shut and placed it back on the shelf with his old ones. But something caught his eyes as it fell to the floor. At first he thought it was just a photo that fell out but when he turned it over he could tell it was a letter. Dear Jay written across it in his mother's handwriting.

"What is that? The binder." He suddenly remembered Stephanie was in his room.

"It's just my portfolio. Now why are you in my room?" He snapped back.

Something in the tone of his voice made Stephanie's rise from the soft sound to a pissed off one. "I just found out I was dead for the last twenty five years. And that you and your sister are the only people on planet earth who can see me. So could you stop being such an ass and help me?"

"Last year my mother died. I then found out I could see four ghosts. None of them were her. Sorry if that makes me come off like an ass."
Stephanie just huffed out in annoyance, but felt a blush creep unto her face. And she wasn't even sure why. "Whatever. I'm sorry for barging in. Actually I'm not." With that Stephanie poofed out and went to join her band mates.

Jay gave a heavy sigh, running his hand through his hair. It felt lighter on his head after he cut off half of it. His eyes fell down to the letter on his dresser. Then up to his shelf of portfolios from the many years he lived behind the camera.

~

Jay walked down the stairs, the letter held tightly in his hand. The connors started to bend as he read over the name again and again. Julie and Carlos were sitting on the couch, Julie looking at her phone and Carlos at his homework. Their father was sitting at the table looking over his lap top.

"Hey Dad." Jay slowly walked over, hiding the letter from his siblings. "What'cha working on?"
"Well now that the house is on the market, we need to add some photos to the website."
Jay nodded, "Did you get them done, or do you still need me to do it?"
"No.No I took them today. But, uh, help me pick out the good ones." Ray pulled up the photos of the studio, "I got this batch right here."
Julie came over to her father and brother, "These are really nice."
"Yeah?"
"Yeah. Way to show me up." Jay joked as his father flipped through the pictures.

Ray pulled up the photos of the studio, "These didn't turn out, though. The ones from mom's studio."
Jay hummed looking at the four white dots of light covering the photos. "Aren't they just lens flares?"
"I guess." His dad sighed, "But what would cause them? I mean little lights and dots all over the place. That's gotta be more than a lens flair. Or four. They kinda look like orbs."
"Orbs?" Carlos jumped up from the couch getting the attention of his whole family. Slowly the youngest Molina maid his way over. "I've seen some freaky stuff about those on YouTube. People say they're ghosts. Do you think that's Mom and she made some friends?"
Jay couldn't help but think 'I wish.' It was just a band of crazy teens from '95 though. "It's not ghosts. As nice of a thought as that is, try to remember which one of us goes to school for photography. It just leans flares. If you want, Dad can see if my camera makes a difference."

Julie hummed, "Sounds like someone's spending too much time on the internet." She teased her brother, joining him by the couch. "You can just trash those."

Ray nodded going back to the laptop, "All right. So trash, trash, trash. And yeah, Jay, why don't you take the next batch?"
"Um, dad?" Julie spoke up again, her voice more sincere than when she was just talking to Carlso. "I was thinking, if we're just moving 'cause of me, and you Jay and Carlos wanna stay, I'm fine with that."
"Oh thank god." Jay slapped his hand over his mouth, the words were never intended to leav. Slowly he brought it down, "Sorry. I just, really don't wanna move."

Carlso nodded to his brother, "Yeah me too. I vote we stay! Plus I don't wanna have to clean under my bed."
Ray pointed to his youngest, "Noted. What made you have second thoughts?"
Julie gave a heavy sigh, leaning back on the couch, "I don't know. I guess a combination of things." Jay couldn't stop the thought of 'A combination of dead things' "II know that Tia says that moving is moving on, but I don't think that's the answer."
Ray stood walking over to his daughter, "I totally agree with you on that. I mean, I think... I think moving on has to come from the inside." He rocked back on his heels, "And one of us took a huge step this morning."
Julie smiled as she remembered that feeling she had this morning, "All of our memories of mom are here, and we should be too. Can we stay?"
"I think you know my vote, considering.." Jay trailed off letting everyone live in the last 30 seconds.

Ray raised his hand, "All votes are in. Yes! Yes. Yes! Thank you." He said the last part over a chuckle as the small family gave each other a group hug. The letter now left on the table and still very much on Jay's mind.

~

Stephanie gave a sigh, "God how I miss it."

Luke nodded next to her, "Everyday. Everyday." They just kept staring. Taking everything in. The smells and the sights. The sound of the twins walking down the stairs.

"Ah!" Julie jumped at the sight of the two, stopping at the bottom of the staircase, Jay just laughing at the sight, "I've never gonna get used to that."
Jay walked over to the fridge that Luke and Stephanie were so longingly staring into, "Do you guys even eat?"
Stephanie shook her head, "Nope."
"We just wanna see what you got." Jay closed the door on the two. More like in the two. "Hey! You know how long it took us to open that?"

Jyay made his way across the small kitchen grabbing bread, "Yeah I really don't care."
"Besides," Julie grabbed the peanut butter from the pantry, "We don't believe in wasting power."

Luke nodded, "Good. Because that's exactly what we wanted to talk about."
"Our power usage?" Julie asked the ghost as Stephanie and him joined the twins at the island in the center of the room.

Luke leaned over the grantic surface, "No. The power that you have."
Stephanie nodded, "Smooth entry."
"Thank you. And we mean your voice."
"Piano skills." Stephanie cut in, Luke snapping and giving a finger gun to agree.

The male ghost jumped on the counter, "Dude, you're like a human wrecking ball."
Jay laughed, "Is this a pep talk. Because usually that's my job."

Stephanie jumped onto the island, "We're saying that your sister has power. Real power, a power that can move something even more impressive than mountains. She can move people. I mean knock them off their feet, and have them thanking her for it."
"Sounds like a pep talk." Jay grumbled as Luke picked up where Stephanie left off.

"There is no way your teachers wouldn't let you back into school if they heard you play like that."
Julei sighed, spreading her peanut butter onto her bread as Jay's toast popped up, "I asked her. She said I have to wait until the next semester."

Stephanie laughed, "There was your first mistake. Asking."
Luke jumped back onto the counter, his watch somehow still making a sound, "She's right. Sunset Curve booked gigs by doing. And Cheryl Stone. But mostly by doing."

Jay walked over to the fridge and grabbed butter, "Who is Cheryl Stone?"
"She was our band manager And my best friend. But that doesn't matter, right now. We went into ambush mode." Stephanie let Luke speak over her.

"We played in front of clubs. We played in back of clubs. We even played book clubs." The twins gave him weirded out looks, hardly believing it. "Okay yeah. We didn't get many gigs out of that one, but they did have some gnarly snacks."
Stephanie hummed, "True that. God if time travel was a thing, I would just go back and eat everything they had again."
"But not stop yourself from dying?" Jay asked with a 'really' tone of voice. However Stephanie just looked at the counter with guilt, not meeting anyone's eyes.

"What we're saying.." Luke pushed in, noticing Stephanie's discomfort, "Don't ask for permission. Swing that wrecking ball of talent," He swang hs legs in the air, "at your teacher's head, and smash those stupid rules rigtht out of their brains."
"Amen brother." Stephanie said but only got a scoff from Julie.

"This isn't a club. It's a school, and your plan sounds violent." She walked over to the canite by Luke's head and opened it.

"It's a closed door, and you gotta bust it open." he spoke with his head through the green wood, just straight up weirding Jay out. Julie just scoffed again walking over to the fridge as Luke followed. "Sorry. Once I start with the metaphors, I can't stop. I learned that in book club."

"They're not just gonna.." Julie stopped as she walked through Luke, the feeling almost cold. "Let me back in."
Stephanie spun around on the island to face Julie and away from Jay, "Girl. If getting back into music is what you want, you need to go for it. Learn from us, your tainted hot dog could be right around the corner." Julie put her sandwich down at the metaphor. "Sorry. Probably not the best thing to say while you were eating."
Julie sighed, "I don't even have anything prepared."
"Plus, who can learn something in one day?" Jay added to his sister's question.

Luke sighed, "That's where we come in. Well Steph comes in."

Stephanie pulled a paper out of her pocket. "It's called 'Bright.' It's a sunset curve song I wrote when..." She trailed off, trying to find a way to say 'when I thought I lost all light.' "When I need a light in the dark. We never got to record it. But from what I heard this morning we have about the same range. And to be fair I worst it with myself in mind. Here just check out the chorus." She rested the paper in front of Julie, "If you add your piano skills. It would be legendary.." She started to sing it,

"We'll rise, through the night. You and I. We will fight to shine together. Bright forever. And rise through the night" Luke and Julie joined in as Julie read over the words. Jay leaning over the counter just enjoying the blend of their voices, "You and I. We will fight to shine together. Julie go high with me, Luke you go low.

Bright forever." Julie rounded the note, giving a small spin of her finger.

Luke laughed at the harmony, "Yes."

Julie folded the page back up as Jay took a bite of her sandwich, already done with his toast. "Thanks."

Stephanie smirked at the way Julie and Luke were looking at each other. She thought back to the first girl who gave Luke that look. He soon lost it when she made fun of Alex for being gay and nearly beat her up but for a good two weeks he was really head over heels. And Stephanie could already tell Julie was so much better than Emmalyn.

~

Rose and Connor played tic-tac-toe on a piece of scrap paper in the photography hallway waiting for Jay. All three were skipping the spirit rally, despite Carrie's private invitation.

Jay found it scary that Julie was really taking Stephanie and Luke's advice. But no stopping now. And if it got her back in he didn't care. "Ha. I win." Rose gloated, Connor just laughing at his girlfriend.

"What are you two even doing?"
Connor looked up, "Avoiding the rally. You?"

"I guess Satan is missing her favorite person." Rose Joked, standing up.
"Satan should remember she has a boyfriend who isn't me, and I was looking for you. I had to help Jules with something." It wasn't entirely a lie. But 'helping' was more like forcibly writing her name on the list of preformatice at the rally. "So get your asses up, and come with me to see my sister blow the roof off this place."

~

"Whoa-oh-oh. Whoa-oh-oh." Carrie's band ,Dirty Candy, sang their beginning notes as the three best friends walked into the gym. Julie and Flynn walking in at the same time from the other side.

Carrie spun around, her pink wind bouncing as she did, "See 'em look, hear 'em 'ohh ahh' Hands up, throw it back booyah."
"Go Carrie"
Connor rolled his eyes, "Why does she still do this?"
"Because her dad did." Rose answered with a shrug, "And because her mom used to tell her stories about her Dad's old band."
Jay looked over to his best friend, "How would you know."
"See the orange one?" The two boys nodded, "Yeah she used to talk to me, found out I wasn't in the music program and dropped me."

"We're the best, no doubt. Check it out yeah, we make 'em say 'wow'

Made moves on the rise now. Bust up, get a piece of that pie now."

Flynn rolled her eyes at the sight of Carrie's band, "Look who spent all of Dad's money on costumes and Katy Perry's choreographer."
Julie followed her best friend's gaze, "Well, it paid off."

"Yeah we make 'em say 'wow' Yeha, we're going sky-high never gon' settle. Living in the fast lane pedal to the metal. We see it we want it, we get it, we got it. Everybody lose control. We came to play, where you at. We're going hard just like that. Yeah we the bomb, chain react. Blow their minds and watch them 'HHH" See 'em look, Hear 'em 'ohh ahh' Hand up, throw it back booyah."

Sunset Curve poofed up next to Julie and Flynn. "What are they doing here?" Jay muttered to himself, getting concerned looks from his friends as he made his way over to the band and Julie.

"We came to see you stick it to the man." Luke told his twin sister as Flynn gagged at Dirty Candy. "Ain't that right boys."
Reggie just stared forward, "Man I miss high school."

Stephanie followed his gaze and laughed, "She looks kinda like Cheryl. You know with fake pink hair."

"Made moves on the rise now. Ruff stuff, get a piece of that pie now. We're the best, no doubt. Check it out, Yeha, we make 'em say 'wow' Come follow we we gon' make history 'Cause we are the champions like Freddie Mercury. Yeah, we gonna rock you never gonna not do."

"That is not rock." Stephanie muttered under her breath as Jay finally made his way to the band of ghost.

"Always making headlines, Yeah we the hot news. See 'em look, hear 'em 'ooh ahh' Hands up. Throw back booyah. We're the best no doubt. Check it out yeah we make them say 'wow' 'Wo-ow' Wo-ow-ow"

Alex started to copy the moments of Dirty candy but Stephanie and Luke hit him, telling him to cut it out. Luke turned to Julie, "Don't listen to them."

Jay smiled, "yeah, listen to the ghost band of dicks. Stick it to the man Jules."
"Okay, ignoring the fact that he called us dicks your brother is right. Music is about other people, but it comes from you. Not them." Stephnaie added as Reggie continued to stair.

"Check it out yeah, we make them say 'Wow" Dirty Candy ended their ong and the crowd went crazy. Why? Jay couldn't tell you, but he did hear the doors open behind him and watch his two best friends walk back into the gym.

"Thank you. Thank you." Carrie's voice made something in the back of Stephanie's mind itch. It was so familiar but so not. "Oh I love you too! Make sure to check out my new Youtube video. Oh, go Bobcats." She gave a giggle her band of goons leaving the stage.

Jay and Julie's principle walked on stage, "Thank you dirty candy."
"Now's your chance go talk to her, See you in music class." Flynn begged her friend but Jay knew Julie had something else in mind.

"That was sweet." Jay took his sister's hand to reassure her. She looked over giving him a thankful smile and not letting go. Their principle cleared her throat, "Okay then. Before we let you go, we have a few more announcements."
"What are you waiting for, this is your chance." Reggie pointed out as Jay let go of his twins hand.

"Yeah. I mean you look really nervous. Like yack in a bowl nervous" Alex said not holding his tongue.

Julie sighed, "I just don't think I had enough time to work on the song."

"Julie." Stephanie walked over to the girl, "I wouldn't have given you the song if I didn't think you were gonna rock it. Now, there's a piano on that stage just calling you name. This is your chance to answer." Julie smiled, running out of the room to get backstage.

Jay took a few steps closer to the band, Rose and Connor having left with Flynn. "Thank you."

"What?" Stephanie let the question fall out, "We didn't do anything."

Jay scoffed, "You get Julie back into music. And now look at her, she's running onto a stage with a song you gave her. So thank you for giving me my sister back."

Stephanie looked back to the stage that Julie was settling onto the piano bench. "We didn't do anything. It was all her."

The kids in the school started to make their way out of the gym. The ghost and Jay however were more focused on Julie. Softy the piano started to play, Julie's eyes full of fear. She looked back to Stephanie. "You got this!" The ghost screamed, suddenly aware of how close she was to Jay because he flinched.

Julie started the notes again, Jay shoving his hands into his pockets as he watched her play. "Sometimes I think. I'm falling down. I wanna cry, I'm calling out. For for one more try To feel alive." Jay didn't miss Stephanie mouthing the words of her own song as Julie sang them. "And when I feel lost and alone I know that I can make it home. Fight through the dark. And find the spark.

Life is a rise but I will take it close my eyes and jump."

Luke leaned over to Stephanie, "You thinking what I'm thinking?" She just smiled.

"Together I think that we can make it Come on, let's run." Suddenly Sunset Curve was no longer next to Jay but playing on stage next to Julie. "And rise through the night" The students started to chree, but Jay just couldn't look away. "You and I. We will fight to shine together." Julie stood up and joined the band starting to sing in front of Stephanie as she rocked out on her guitar.

"Bright forever." The band hadn't noticed the crowd but Jay had. Julie was making them seen. Stephanie and Luke jumped up on the band riser facing Alex. "And rise through the night, you and I. We will fight to shine together. Bright forever..."

Reggie had completely stopped playing as he looked at everyone in front of him. Watching him play for the first time in 25 years. Stephanie sooned noticed too as she turned around, nearly stopping mid chord.

Jay smiled at Stephanie, "What are you waiting for!" He yelled remembering the night before when him, Luke, Julie, and Stephanie had experimented with the song.

Her smile brightened as she made her way over to the mic she shared with Reggie. "In times that I doubted myself I felt like I need some help. Stuck in my head With nothing left.
I feel something around me now. So unclear lifting me out. I found new ground. I'm marching on!"

Reggie joined Stephanie at their mic, sharing it liek they had so long ago. "Life is rise, but we will take it. Close out eyes and jump." Julie hyped up the crowd as Alex and Luke jammed out on the band riser. "Together I think that we can make it. Come on let's run."

Juile and Luke took up their part, "And rise through the night. You and I. We will fight to shine together." Stephanie's eyes were trained on Jay as she walked backwards still playing to meet Julie in the center of the stage. "Bright forever. And Rise through the night. You and I. We will fight to shine together. Bright forever."

Luke took his solo by storm, "In times that I doubted myself." Julie walked over and held her hand mic out for him, the two walking to center stage. "I felt like I needed some help. Stuck in my head With nothing left."

Julie started to rock back and forth as Stephanie and Luke circled around her still playing. "And when I feel lost and alone. I know that I can make it home. Fight through the dark." Luke and Stephannie walke through Julie in an 'x'. Their ghostly figures shaking as Julie passed through them, the two ending in front of her on opposite sides of the stage they started. The crowd went crazy, but Jay. He just didn't let his eyes leave Stephanie. Something about her smile on stage was different then her smile off. And he wanted to see every smile she could give. Memorize every smile she could give.

"And find the spark. And rise through the night. You and I" Julie and Stephanie held out the note for spark and Luke and Reggie went back and forth on echos. "You and I.

You and I.

We will rise.

We will rise."
All four Sunset Curve members came together as Julie still held th note. "We will fight to shine together. Shine together. Bright forever" Julie held echos this time. "Bright forever. And rise through the night. You and I

You and I

We will fight to shine together. Bright forever." Stephanie made her way across the stage, lending forward a bit. A whole crowd but her eyes only locked onto Jay as she played. The smile on his face never left as she welcomed the warm chocolate color of his eyes. "Bright forever!"

Julie held up her mic as Sunset Curve played their final notes. Of the song and of that band name. Julie changed things. The four members joined Julie in her bow, but as they came back up they were gone. Ghost once more. The crowds gasp the only thing telling Julie they were. "What was...." "How?" Julie came up from her elongated bow and turned to see the stage was now empty.

The one that really struck a choad for Jay was "Did you see that?" Just because you could hear the jealousy in Carrie's voice.

~

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