✨edge of great✨
————————

Annie, Ginger, and April were walking to their front door after what was supposed to be an amazing night, but Julie got caught by her dad. Ginger was a little annoyed by her daughter for not telling her that Julie wasn't allowed to go. Annie felt bad for not telling her mom and helping Julie sneak out, so she feels like she just jeopardize the band.

"Why didn't you tell me Julie couldn't go?" Ginger asked her daughter as Annie opened the front to their house and walked in with Ginger coming behind her. Ginger set April down and the toddler ran over to her toys on the floor in the living room.

"I found out last minute," Annie admitted. "I didn't even know till we left, Julie texted me and i left to help her sneak out. I'm sorry, but I wanted to help a friend out and not jeopardize the band."

"Well, I don't know what Ray is gonna tell Julie. He's pretty chill, but sneaking out and not following his rules is a big one," Ginger explained to her daughter and Annie sighed, resting her forehead on the back of the dining table chair. "You didn't jeopardize anything, sweetie. You were just trying to help Julie and your band out. It's okay, I'm not mad.

"Really?" Annie asked as she lifted her head up and Ginger.

"Yes. Just one question," Ginger began and Annie listened for it. "Will I ever get to meet these guys?"

Annie laughed awkwardly, "well, they live in Sweden and I can only get in contact with them for so long until connection breaks."

Ginger nodded in understanding, "ah, well, maybe one day."

"One day, "Annie nodded with a cheeky grin.

"Well, I'm off to bed," Ginger yawned and kissed her daughter's head. "Help April get for bed?"

"Sure," Annie smiled, before Ginger headed upstairs for bed and Annie went over to her sister to help her get ready for bed.

——

The next day, Annie went downstairs and heard her mom singing "finally free." She smiled as she got closer and saw Reggie standing there singing along too. Ginger couldn't see Reggie, but Annie thought it was cute to see Reggie try be friends with her.

"This is new," Annie giggled as she saw Ginger making pancakes and April was sitting at the counter eating her pancakes.

"I thought I'd make some pancakes this morning," Ginger smiled as Annie sat down next to April.

Reggie chuckled, "she thought you were talking to her. Me and your mom are pals now. It's a little one-sided...but it works. It's important that I get close with your mom for the future."

Annie blushed as Reggie winked at her.

"Look, after last night, Ray was thinking that he may have cost you and Julie an opportunity with that manager. So, he and I were thinking-

"Mom, no. Julie should have never snuck out and I shouldn't have helped her," Annie protested.

"Let the woman speak," Reggie reasoned. "She stress bakes. Have you seen that fridge? I don't know where she puts all that food... it's packed!"

"Telling me..." Annie muttered under her breath.

"I know, but I really want to support your band," Ginger remarked. "So, I called in some favors, and I booked you a local gig."

Annie beamed at the news.

"Best mom ever!" Reggie cheered.

"Oh my gosh! Where?! Did Ray call his buddy from Drakes?!" Annie asked with excitement.

"Not quite. Ray and I called Flynn and she's gonna help us throw a party," Ginger shrugged. "At the Molina's house. Tonight."

"Oh," Annie was a little disappointed but kept her smile. "So you and Ray booked us a gig at their house?"

"Maybe I was early with the "Best Mom Ever" award," Reggie remarked.

"All right. Hear me out," Ginger explained. "You and Julie in one some of your friends over, play with your band, and Ray and I will get some colleagues to put you on film. That way you have something professional for your Youtube."

Annie smiled softly, appreciating the effort her mom is putting into helping.

"You'd do that for me?" Annie asked.

"Of course," Ginger smiled, before walking over to the fridge

"Back to best mom ever. I'll go tell the guys." Reggie grinned and looked at Ginger, who was turned away. "Have a great day at work, Ging!"

Ginger didn't respond and Reggie nodded with a sigh.

"It's cool. You don't have to answer," Reggie said and Annie giggled to herself, smiling at him. Reggie vanished and Annie shook her head as she  got her breakfast from the pan.

——

~High School~

Annie was at school, looking for something in her locker. After their performance, the humiliation from the dance was forgotten about and Annie felt at peace again. It wasn't even brought up once and she hasn't seen Carrie or Ricky all day, which just gave her another reason to smile.

Since Annie had missed dance rehearsal, she wasn't going to be performing today like she was supposed to. Instead, she'll make up for the performance next week with a different partner that isn't Ricky. Ricky was supposed to be her partner, but since Annie missed, they couldn't dance and she was so relieved by that.

Annie shut her locker and jumped when she saw Reggie standing there with his goofy smile.

"Hey," Annie chuckled at him.

"Hey," Reggie greeted back. "So, I wanted to talk to you about what songs we should perform tonight? Luke was thinking "Great," and I was thinking "She's So Gone." Since we didn't perform it last time."

Annie took out her phone and put it to her ear to make it seem like she was talking to someone over by phone.

"You're taking a phone call as I'm talking to you? That's so rude," Reggie mentioned, putting his hand on his chest.

"Yeah, I know. I wouldn't want people thinking I'm talking to myself," Annie remarked, emphasizing the last part."

"Oh okay!" Reggie smiled.

"But, yes, I think "She's So Gone," is a nice choice," Annie nodded and Reggie seemed happy with her answer.

"Great," Reggie nodded.

"Is that all you wanted to talk to me about?" Annie asked him with hope in her eyes.

"Yeah, but..." Reggie trailed off, putting his hands in his pockets. "I just wanted to talk to you, like in general. I just like talking to you, so..."

Annie smiled softly at him and Reggie rocked back and forth on his heels, looking around nervously.

"I like talking to you too," Annie remarked and Reggie smiled, looking down.

Reggie looked up and exhaled, "I'm not great at talking about this stuff... but I wanted to tell you that you make me a better writer..."

"We make each other better," Annie grinned with a giggle and Reggie smiled bashfully.

"You have anything right now with school?" Reggie asked, "why don't we go work on the song or write something?"

"I do have a free period actually," Annie mentioned. "I don't know... I need to study for my psychology exam."

"You can do that later," Reggie told Annie. "Come on."

"We have 90 minutes," Annie grinned at Reggie, who cheered and Annie giggled at his excitement. "Meet me at the studio!"

Reggie vanished and Annie rolled her eyes with a smile, before putting her phone away and walking out of school.

——

Annie arrived at the studio after about ten minutes of walking. The Molina's don't leave far from the school, so it didn't take long for Annie to walk there.

She walked into the studio and didn't see Reggie. She put down her bag and looked around for him.

"Reggie?" Annie called for him but didn't get a response.

"Hey!"

Annie yelled, jumping back when Reggie pooped in front of her. She sighed, holding her chest and Reggie was smiling at her.

"Stop that!" Annie said, "my heart can't take it."

"Sorry," Reggie laughed and Annie rolled her eyes, lowering her hands. "So, I wanted to practice that song you wrote as a duet?"

Annie blushed with a light laugh, "which one?"

"Uh.." Reggie said as Annie got out her songbook and handed it to Reggie, who looked through the songs. "This one."

Annie leaned over and her face turned red with a nervous chuckle.

"Just For A Moment?" Annie asked and shrugged, rubbing her arm. "How come?"

"I don't know..." Reggie shrugged, fiddling with his fingers. "I feel like it relates to us."

Annie smiled bashfully and looked away as Reggie smiled at her, rubbing his neck.

"If you want to!" Reggie blurted, "only if you want to."

"I do," Annie said. "Last time I sang it was with Ricky, but it's rewritten so it's okay."

"Okay," Reggie smiled. "Wanna start?"

Annie nodded and they sat down at the piano together. Annie looked up at Reggie, who had opened the songbook at the piano and she smiled at him.

Why must you be a ghost?

Annie was crushing hard on the ghost? However, they could be together because a human and a ghost can't be together.

"Actually," Annie interrupted Reggie. "I have a better song."

Annie flipped the pages to a different song and Reggie looked at it.

"Oh yeah," Reggie smiled, reading the lyrics. "This describes us better."

Annie smiled softly as she and Reggie made eye contact. He smiled at her and Annie could see the sparkles in his beautiful eyes of his. Reggie could get lost in Annie's brown eyes for hours and not get tired.

"Shall we start?" Reggie asked her with a loving smile and Annie nodded, sighing.

"Yeah."

Reggie slowly looked toward the piano, before singing.

(Reggie, Annie, Both)
I know it might be crazy
But did you hear the story?
I think I heard it vaguely
A girl and a ghost
Oh, tell me more, boy
Sounds like a fantasy
Oh, what could go so wrong
With a girl and a ghost
You're from the perfect paradise (Oh)
And I'm living on the darker side
Ooh, I've got a feeling
If you get to know me
Right from the start, you caught my eye
And something inside me came to life
Ooh, I've got a feeling
If you get to know me

As Reggie was playing the melody, Annie's hand fell onto his. The two looked down to see their hands phasing through on another. Annie's eyes shut for a moment, wishing they could touch, but it's not possible.

(Both, Reggie, Annie)
Someday
This could be, this could be ordinary
Someday
Could we be something extraordinary?
You and me side by side
Out in the broad daylight
If they laugh, we'll say
We're gonna be someday
(Someday, someday)
We're gonna be someday
(Someday, someday)
We're gonna be someday

Annie stood up from her piano as Reggie continued to play. Annie sat on the piano as Reggie sang the next verse.

(Reggie, Annie, Both)
Girl, you don't look dead
Oh, I mean gorgeous
Well, now you're getting fearless
I'm just rooting for us
If different was a superpower
We'd be so flawless
Yeah, we could make these two worlds ours
I'm rooting for us
Two lonely hearts meet in the dark
Imagine it now they start a spark
You got my attention
What happens next, then?
Movies and long walks in the park
Hanging out anywhere we want
I like the way you're thinking
I can almost see it

Reggie stood up from the piano and the melody continued to play. Annie hopped off the piano and met Reggie midway, standing in front of him. They phased their hands together, staring into each other's eyes as they sang.

(Both, Reggie, Annie)
Someday
This could be, this could be ordinary
Someday
Could we be something extraordinary?
You and me side by side
Out in the broad daylight
If they laugh, we'll say
We're gonna be someday
Someday, someday

(Reggie, Annie, Both)
So let them talk if they wanna (Oh)
Let them talk if they're gonna
We're gonna do what we wanna
So, let them talk, let them talk
If they wanna

Reggie leaned down to kiss Annie, but she looked away when she remembered they couldn't. Reggie sighed with his eyes closed and Annie gave him a sad smile.

(Both, Reggie, Annie)
Someday (Someday)
Someday
Could we be something extraordinary?
You and me side by side (Ohhh)
Out in the broad daylight
If they laugh, we'll say
We're gonna be someday
Someday, someday
We're gonna be someday
Someday, someday
We're gonna be someday

They finished their song and smiled softly together. They looked down at their hands and saw the phasing, which made them both sigh.

"Someday," Annie said, moving her eyes up to Reggie's.

"Someday," Reggie nodded and he smiled softly, which made Annie smile as well.

Someday.

——

~That Night~

Nighttime rolled around and it was time for the party at the Molina household. Two songs were being performed, She's So Gone and Edge of Great. Annie was over the moon about playing the song that she wrote about herself and couldn't wait for everyone to hear it.

"Annie!" Julie called as she rushed up to Annie, "something crazy happened in dance class."

"Nick didn't fail?" Annie asked, fixing her hair.

"Yes," Julie chuckled. "But the whole time I was dancing with Nick, I imagined I was with Luke."

Annie gave her a grin and nudged her, "ohhhh! my girls got a crush on two boys."

"Stop, I don't know what to do," Julie whined. "Luke's cute and we connect so well, but he's a ghost."

"And? Reggie's a ghost too," Annie reasoned. "Julie, don't listen to what anyone says. Go for who makes you happy."

"How can I be with someone I can't touch?" Julie asked Annie.

"Maybe someday," Annie shrugged. "Only time with tell."

Julie nodded and the girls shared a hug and pulled away. Annie looked outside and saw a crowd of people waiting there and she spotted Ricky.

She groaned and turned away with an eye roll.

"Ricky's here," Annie said and Julie rolled her eyes.

"Oh gosh," Julie groaned. "Just block him out and let him get jealous of you and Reggie."

Annie blushed at the mention of Reggie and Julie winked at her.

"What's up everybody?!" Flynn greeted the crowd, "time to your hands up, do a little dance, yup! Here are the new anthems from AJ and the Phantoms!"

The crowd cheered as the doors to the studio opened and out walked Annie and Julie. The girls walked over to the piano and sat down, taking in the applause.

"Thanks for coming, everyone," Julie announced.

"We have two songs for you today, enjoy," Annie smiled, before Julie began to play the melody on the piano.

(Annie, Julie and Annie)
Insecure in her skin
Like a puppet, a girl on a string
Broke away
Learned to fly
If you want her back, gotta let her shine
So it looks like the joke's on you
'Cause, the girl that you thought you knew

The boys poofed in and began to play and sing along with the girls. Luke was singing with them as Reggie and Alex harmonized. The crowd cheered loudly for them.

(Annie, Luke and Julie, Annie, Luke, and Julie)
She's so gone (she's so gone)
That's so over now
She's so gone (she's so gone)
You won't find her around
You can look but you won't see
The girl I used to be
'Cause she
She's so gone

Julie walked forward for her part as Annie climbed onto the piano.

(Julie, Annie and Julie)
Here I am, this is me
And I'm stronger than you ever thought I'd be
Are you shocked?
Are you mad?
That you're missing out on who I really am
Now it looks like the joke's on you
'Cause, the girl that you thought you knew

Annie stood on the piano as they got to the chorus and Julie sat on her edge of it.

(All, Annie, Annie and Julie, The Boys)
She's so gone (she's so gone)
That's so over now
She's so gone (she's so gone)
You won't find her around
You can look but you won't see
The girl I used to be
'Cause she
She's so gone away like history
She's so gone
Baby, this is me, yeah

Annie jumped off the piano and sang her heart out with Julie next to her.

(All, Annie, The Boys, Annie and Julie)
She's so gone (she's so gone)
That's so over now
She's so gone (she's so gone)
You won't find her around
You can look but you won't see
The girl I used to be
'Cause she, she's so gone (she's so gone)
She's so gone (she's so gone)
You can look but you won't see
The girl I used to be
'Cause she, she's so gone

As it got quiet, Reggie approached her and Annie leaned back on the piano. Their faces were inches apart and their smiles were plastered on their faces. Ricky's eye twitched at the sight of the two and he walked out of the scene.

(Annie, Julie)
So long, she's so gone
Gone, gone, gone

The song finished and the crowd erupted into cheers for them. Reggie moved away from Annie, who was blushing right red, and looked at Julie. Julie winked at her before she sat down at the piano and Annie joined her.

"Thank you!" Annie smiled, "here's our last song!"

(Julie, Annie)
Running from the past
Tripping on the now
What is lost can be found, it's obvious
And like a rubber ball
We come bouncing back
We all got a second act, inside of us

As it got to the chorus, the crowd cheered for them and Annie and Julie got up and started to dance around with the guys.

(Julie and Annie, The Boy)
I believe
I believe that we're just one dream
Away from who we're meant to be
That we're standing on the edge of
Something big, something crazy
Our best days are yet unknown
That this moment is ours to own
'Cause we're standing on the edge of great
(On the edge of great)
Great
(On the edge of great)
Great
(On the edge of great)
'Cause we're standing on the edge of great

(Luke, Luke, Annie, and Julie)
We all make mistakes
But they're just stepping stones
To take us where we wanna go
It's never straight, no
Sometimes we gotta lean
Lean on someone else
To get a little help
Until we find our way

(Annie, Luke, and Julie, Annie and Julie, The Boys)
I believe
I believe that we're just one dream
Away from who we're meant to be
That we're standing on the edge of
Something big, something crazy
Our best days are yet unknown
That this moment is ours to own
'Cause we're standing on the edge of great
(On the edge of great)
Great
(On the edge of great)
Great
(On the edge of great)
'Cause, we're standing on the edge of-

(All)
Shout, shout
C'mon and let it out, out
Don't gotta hide it
Let your colors blind their eyes
Be who you are, no compromise
Just shout, shout
C'mon and let it out, out

Reggie approached Annie, who was kneeling on the piano and the two smiled at each other as Annie sang with Julie.

(Annie and Julie)
What doesn't kill you makes you feel alive
Oh-oh
I believe
I believe that we're just one dream
Away from who we're meant to be
That we're standing on the edge of great

Both girls stood up and sang the high note, holding it as the guys sang.

(All, The Boys, Annie and Julie)
Something big, something crazy
Our best days are yet unknown
That this moment is ours to own
'Cause we're standing on the edge of great
(On the edge of great)
On the edge of great
(Great, on the edge of great)
On the edge
(Great, on the edge of great)
Whoa-oa-oa-oa
'Cause, we're standing on the edge of-

Reggie and Alex vanished as Annie ran off to the side and allowed Luke and Julie to finish the song.

(Julie and Luke)
Running from the past
Tripping on the now
What is lost can be found, it's obvious

Luke vanished and the crowd cheered. Annie ran back out and stood with Julie, watching the crowd cheer and clap for them. The girls hugged with excitement and smiled at one another.

"Tell your friends!" Annie chuckled, waving at everyone.

——

After the performance, Julie, Annie, Flynn, Ginger, April, Ray, and Carlos were at the Molinas' house enjoying some pizza and talking about the performance. Annie kept hearing how great they did and she loved every moment of it, the compliments made her so happy. Made her feel like a pop star.

"I can't say this enough! That was incredible!" Flynn praised Annie and Julie before leaned toward them in a whisper. "But epic fail on that eye contact thing."

Julie chuckled as Annie blushed.

"So, how do you do those holograms?" Carlos asked.

"Oh, don't try to understand it, Carlos," Ray remarked. "I don't."

"I don't either," Ginger mentioned.

"That's because you're both old," Carlos reasoned and Ray and Ginger fake laughed as the girls chuckled.

"Funny guy." Ray sarcastically said.

"Watch it," Ginger grinned, flicking Carlos' head.

"I'd send you to your room, but then who's gonna clean up this mess?" Ray questioned his son and Annie, Julie, and Flynn chuckled.

"Don't poke the bears," Annie grinned at Carlos, who got up to start cleaning.

"So, what are the boys doing right now?" Ginger asked the girls.

"Hanging out," Julie shrugged and Annie nodded.

"Doing what boys usually do," Annie added on.

"You know, or whatever you do when you're from where they're from," Julie continued on.

"Hey, so um, what cameras did you use out there?" Annie asked Ray, changing the subject from the phantoms.

Ray seemed surprised and looked at Ginger, who grinned from behind her cup.

"Interested in my work?" Ray asked Annie, before sitting down and explaining what he used. "Well, uh... I shot with an XF105. That's what I used. The latest model. It's very good..."

As Ray was talking, Flynn, Annie, and Julie fist-bumped and continued listening to Ray with smiles. Ginger noticed the girls and smirked, knowing they changed the subject on purpose.

——
Up Next: more than a band

getting close to the end of season 1! three more chapters at least! the next one is an original chapter and it's about annie, obviously, and her dad leaving. so, it's gonna be a pretty sad chapter, so these last few chapters will be pretty sad to read. a bittersweet moment with having to end season 1, but hopefully season 2 comes soon and i can continue on.

next chapter is an original, then unsaid emily, and then stand tall. i wish they had more episodes in season 1, it seems way too short to me. that's just me tho.

i'm excited for the final few chapters of this season because we get to see annie and caleb's relationship and whatever it is. yes, they have some sort of connection remember that

not father and daughter. wouldn't make sense.

and we get to see annie and reggie... maybe get together soon? who knows, have to wait and see :)

see ya in the next chapter!

songs used in this chapter: Someday - Ballad by Milo Manheim and Meg Donnelly
She's So Gone by Naomi Scott
Edge of Great by Madison Reyes, Charlie Gillespie, Owen Patrick Joyner, and Jeremy Shada