Piano Talks
September 14th, 2020

~

Julie Molina had a pep in her step that she thought was long gone. As she walked into the school building she turned her headphone volume up till it reached its max. The girl didn't really care if anyone saw her while she danced down the hall.

She gave herself the drum tempo in the air, checking her phone before singing alone. "Ain't gonna fight it 'cause it's useless I can't get this music out of my head." As she passed one of the cheerleaders the two high fived, "It's like the beat is taking over, Weight off of my shoulders Dancing instead."

It was as if the music came to life, Julie sliding into the next hallway where Kelly was already waiting for her, pushing off a set of lockers and popping her gum bubble. When the bubble popped the Adair girl sang. "And something's feeling different in the hallways; somethings looking like it's changed."

Julei picked up the next lined, Kelly and her now arm and arm down the hall, "I've been moving to the rhythm for the whole day. A million lyrics Running through my brain." The two turned around at the end of the hall, hyping up the different students standing there as they sang together, "Everybody here we go This thing is unstoppable. Haven't felt this in a minute it's incredible."

Julie leaned against a set of Locker, Kelly going on the other side of the open locker. With another pop of a bubble Nick slammed his locker shut. "I got the music back inside of me, Every melody and chord."

While Julie sang Kelly led the group of students in a small dance, going from right to left then forwards. "Can't stop the music, back inside my soul And it's stronger than before." Julie and Kelly made their way to the music room, Julie taking the sticks from the marching band's drumline and hitting his instrument as Kelly wrote on the board in black expoe the words 'Music in my Veins.' Both still singing.

"I got the Music. It wont let me go. I got the music, just like the Ra-di-o. I got the music. Streaming from my soul. And it's stronger than before."

Julie gave the drums one last beat before using the sticks as conductors wands, "Don't care if everybody's watching. Silence ain't an option it's out of my hands. I feel the beat taking me higher, baby this is fire, this is my jam,."

Kelly gave her best friend as spin, taking the lead, "And something's feeling different in the hallways. Something's looking, looking like it's changed." Julie ran her hand across all of the keys on the grand piano. "I've been moving to the rhythm for the whole day. A million lyrics running through my brain."

As the girls went back into the hall their arms were linked and the marching band was following them just adding to the feeling of musical magic. "Everybody here we go, this thing is unstoppable." Mrs Harrison and the drummer Julie stole the drumsticks from, linked onto either side of Kelly and Julie, "Haven't felt this in a minute it's incredible. I got the music back inside of me, Every melody and chord. Can't stop the music back inside my soul and it's stronger than before."

Julie dropped the overcoat she was wearing so she was in her shiny blue spencer type jacket. Kelly just threw on a jacket that had blue, red, green, gold, white, purple and pink ribbons at different lengths running from it's left shoulder to her ankles. "I got the music. It won't let me go. I got the music just like the Ra-di-o. I got the music Streaming from my soul and it's stronger than before."

Kelly turned around on the small cart her and Julier were standing on to sing to the small crowd they had gathered, "Can you hear it?" They all shouted back 'yes'. "Can you hear the music? She's got the music back inside of her. Can you hear it? Can you hear the music? She's got the music back inside of her."

"AYYYYY!" Anita let out a small spring of notes leading the attention to her and Flynn as they came down the hall to their best friends. "Yeah we got the music Back inside, let's do this."

Flynn grabbed Anita's shoulder's pushing Anita to the left and bending to the right, the two turning their heads to look at each other, "Back like it's exclusive. Wavy like a cruise ship."

Kelly jumped down from the cart, using her hands to split her friends apart and draw the attention back to Julie, "Yeah Look at Julie go. She all in the zone. Headlining the show. Mic drop and we ghost."

The four friends were now singing/ rapping together, "Ah, boom cat. Boom, boom cat that's the sounds that you get with the marching band. Like Hey! Let me hear that drumline. Go Ahy."

Flynn shrugged, "That bassline cray. This one is ridiculous. Whoa, no, sir, they can't handle this. No we on top of the world now. So high never look down. We got the melody back can't stop now."

Julie blew into the whistle that was around her neck, leading the crowd around the four friends into a small dance break. Not only was the music back inside of Julie, she brought it into the whole school. Kelly wouldn't even lie, the easties thing she saw was a kid doing a backflip. And that alone isn't easy.

"AHHHH! We got the music, back inside of me. Every melody and chord. Can't stop the music, Back inside my soul, and it's stronger than before." Julie took the hat she was wearing off of her head, handing it to Kelly. WHo then threw it across the cafeteria to Zoe, one of the dirty candy members who was standing on the platform above the group of students dancing and singing. "I got the music. It won't let me go. I got the music. Just like the Ra-di-o. I got the music. Streaming from my soul and it's stronger than before." Julie felt like she was crowd surfing as she danced back to her locker.

~

Flynn, Kelly and Antia couldn't help but chuckled as their best friend danced around the school. They watched as one of the drummers from the marching band walked over to her and Julie awkwardly handed over his drumsticks.

The three didn't say anything as they made their way to Julie's locker, just letting out another collective chuckle as Julie did the same dance moves in front of her locker. Julie smiled at the sight of her friends, slinging her backpack around and onto ehr back, "Hey what's up?"

Flynn answered for the group, "Nothing. It's just nice to see you back to your weirdo self."

"Thanks?"

Flynn just smiled back, rolling her shoulders so her backpack would feel nicer, "So how's the band? Still hot? Still talented?" She looked around, dropping her voice, "Still dead?"

Kelly hit Flynn in the backside of her head, "You really think if they weren't still dead I'd be school right now?"

Anita chuckled, "You really think if they weren't still dead Julie or Kel would ever shut up about it?"

"Hey!"

"Uncalled for! But Amazing. Luke and I spent the whole weekend writing songs. Kelly got to spend some time with Erica and Adam. I found out Kelly knows the twins' mom."

Flynn turned to Kelly, "Wait you do?"

"Why is that so hard to believe? Juls. Can we show them the songs?"

Julie let out a gasp, "Yes." Without letting them think, Kelly and Julie grabbed Flynn and Antia by the write and dragged them to the music room.

~

Kelly chuckled a little at what Julie was saying to their friends. "Like it was flowing through me. How I used to write with mom." Kelly, Anita, and Flynn found a place on the far end of the piano as Julie took a seat on the bench, "So this is the first song Luke and I wrote. Here's a bit of the chores." Julei started to play, Kelly tapping her foot to the song she learned yesterday. "Cause we're standing on the edge of great."

Kelly couldn't help but sing her and the ghosts' part, "On the edge of great."

"Great."

"On the edge of great."

"Great." Julie finished up the part of the chores they had completed. The song itself wasn't yet finished the band still needed a second verse and to finish the chores but it was coming along well.

"Holy crap."

"Wow! I like it." Flynn and Anita spoek at the same time. But Flynn kept the conversation up, "Definite Gaga vibes."

Julie smiled, "Thanks I think we have an anthem with this one. It's something my mom and I were working on. Luke and I finished it."

Kelly placed her hand over her heart, letting out a huff of air like she was about to fake cry, "Stand Tall. This one made me cry when they first showed it to me."

Anita chuckled a little, "Bring us to tears Molina."

"Of course." Julie started to play the notes, "And It's one two three four times. That I've tried for one more night Light a fire in my eyes. I'm going out of my mind."

Flynn definitely got what Kelly was saying about the song bringing her to tears, "That's... that's beautiful." Julie gave a smile, "And our girl's got a crush and his name is Luke."

"For Real!" Kelly jumped on the statement, remembering just how much time Julei spent picking out an outfit to meet the ghost in her backyard.

"What!" Julie put her hands up in defence, "Luke's a ghost."

Anita tipped her head, "Yeah, but a cute ghost."

Julei sighed, "With a perfect smile."

Kelly faked a gag, "You three make me sick. Just remember he is made out of air. And well.... Dead." Kelly's eyes widened, "Holy shit, by his time table he turned 18 in like four days." Kelly looked over to Anita, "Do I get him and Adam a gift. Or just, like wish them happy birthday?"

Anita put her hands up, "I don't know, I've never been to a ghost's birthday party."

Flynn sighed, pulling the conversation back to Julie and Luke, "Just don't get hurt okay. Obviously you guys have a real connection. Everybody;s wondering when you'll play again."

"Play again?" "We don't even have anything planned." Kelly and Julie finished each other's statements. "Luek and I have just been focused on writing songs."

"And I kind of spent the weekend trying to get to know my dead aunt. Or attending Volleyball practice."

Anita rolled her eyes. "You guys really think we wouldn't have an answer to that."

Flynn smirked, "Lucky for the two fo you your marketing team has been way ahead of you."

"We don't have a marketing team."

Anita faked being hurt by the statement as she pulled a pink paper from her bag, "Do you guys not know us at all?" She waved the pink flyer in front of her friends' faces, "Yes you do! Flynn take it away." Anita passed over a fake mic made of air to her friend on her right side.

Flynn bought right into the joke, clearing her throat as if she was about to really speak before a crowd, "And to add to the excitement. The two of you... and the six ghosts, are playing the school dance tonight. I'll be DJ-ing and Nita is in charge of aesthetics. I am talking like 800 balloons." Kelly ran around the side of the piano to look at the flyer that was now in Julie's hand. The center was a blue guitar neck with the words Julie and The Hologram Band. Tonight at the dance! Writing into the area where the turning pegs rested. "I posted it all over social media."

"So to wrap it up." Anita stole the flyer back from the dumbfounded Julie and Kelly, "You have an excellent marketing team."

Julie came back from her sock before Kelly did, "No. No This is in front of the whole school."

Flynn's phone buzzed as she took it from her pocket, "Sorry. You already have sixty-eight likes." Julie groaned as Kelly yelled after Flynn and Anita who were already halfway out the door of the music room.

~

Kelly's phone kept shaking the Patterson's counter top as she cleaned the kitchen. Her mother had the day off so she and Kell went over for a late lunch. Katrina, Emily, and Mitch sat in the living room while Kelly cleaned up, trying to think of a way to inform her aunt and new band about their gig on friday. She was just hoping Julie had it covered.

After her phone rang out for the fourth time Katrina sighed, "Kelly are you gonna answer that?"

Kelly just sent her mother a smile over the counter turning her phone over. 45 missed text from Flynn. 13 missed texts from Anita. 4 missed calls from Julie. "What the hell?" Kelly muttered to herself as she read through Flynn's text.

It summed up as four angry ghosts, one guilty one, and one confused one. Or better yet, Julie told the members of SUnset Curve about the fact that Bobby stole the Sunset Curve songs.

Kelly felt herself go cold as she read the rest of the texts. She really should have skipped lunch and just went over to Julie's. Kelly looked up to Emily and Mitch Patterson laughing at what her mother had said while Emily knitted something in her lap. Kelly thought about what Luke might be thinking at the moment and how Adam must be struggling to contain him. Kelly thought how much easier lift must have been when it was up to the twins parents to watch over them not each other.

Kelly looked back down at her phone. "Hey Mom?" Katrina just hummed in response, "Can I go to Julie's?" That was a lie. But there was no way in hell she was telling her mother that she and her friends were planning to break into Trevor Wilson's house.

~

[There should be a GIF or video here. Update the app now to see it.]

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[unedited]

I'm so sorry for the hiatus. I will try to get this book back to regular updates but I'm not sure if time will allow since I do have a life outside of wattpad and school.

I love you all take care of yourselves.