✨morn than a band✨
————————
~one year ago~

14-year-old Annabelle sat on the steps of her staircase with her 3-year-old sister in her arms. She was listening to her father and mother fight again, she's so used to it she now feels numb. The yelling and crying are a daily reminder of how horrible her father is and how much she hates him. He hasn't hit anyone yet, but he's yelled and screamed at Annabelle and Ginger countless times. Coming home drunk all the time and threatening to hurt them was something Annabelle feared the most. She had such a loving and kind mother, how did she end up with a ruthless and horrid man like him.

Annabelle held her sister in her arms, protecting her with all she could. She wouldn't let anything happen to April, she almost lost her once and she won't let it happen again.

Annabelle jumped at the sound of a glass bottle breaking and crawled down a few steps to watch her parents.

"You don't do a single thing for this family! All you do is go out and get drunk!" Ginger yelled at a drunk husband of hers.

"Because of you! You cause this!" The man shouted back and Ginger moved back as he threw down another glass bottle. Annabelle flinched at the sound of the glass shattering.

"You're worthless!" The man shouted at Ginger, before slapping her and Annie gasped, covering her sister's head.

"Dad stop!" Annie cried, standing up and running down the steps.

Ginger held her bright red cheek with tears falling down her cheeks, "sweetie, go see Julie for a while, okay?"

"Mom-"

"GET OUT OF HERE YOU BRAT!" The man screamed and Ginger turned from him, punching him in the face.

"Don't you yell at my daughter like that!" Ginger snarled at him.

The man glared at Ginger, recovering from her punch.

"That's it," he said and grabbed his keys and wallet. He stormed past Ginger, who grabbed her daughters and the three girls watched him walk toward her door. "I'm done."

Annie was crying out of fear and horror after what just happened. April was sobbing and Ginger was keeping her cool but was shaking on the inside.

"What do you mean?" Ginger asked her husband.

"Done with you and this "family," he responded and scoffed. "Goodbye."

Before anything else could be said, he walked out the door and slammed it shut. Annie flinched at the sound and looked up at her mother, who was holding a hard glare on her face.

"Mom?" Annie asked in a little voice, "is he coming back?"

"No," Ginger darkly replied and looked out the window to see her husband driving away in his car. "He's not."

Annie's lip quivered and she hugged her mom, crying into her chest.

Ginger held both her daughters and silently cried with them.

It was just them. No father to take care of them, just their mother and Ginger was gonna do a hell of a good job raising her kids.

——
~Present Time~

"Done with you and this "family."

Annie couldn't stop replaying the moment her father left. Today, one year ago, her father left and she hasn't forgotten it. The memory is engraved in her brain like concrete, it's permanent.

Annie didn't go to school today, she hasn't answered any texts or calls from Julie or Flynn, and hasn't spoken a word to anyone. Ginger understood what Annie was dealing with and hasn't tried to speak to her because she went through the same thing. Husband walking out on her and never coming home, Ginger was scarred from it.

April may be young, but she remembers what happened with her father. April could tell something was off, she hadn't heard her sister or her mom talk all day.

Ginger was sat on the couch, watching April play with her toys. She was trying to keep things normal, but it's impossible when she knows what happened one year ago.

Ginger was more worried for her daughter but didn't want to stress her out. Annie deals with some much crap with people leaving and lying, Ginger didn't want to push her boundaries.

Today was the only day Ginger allowed her daughter to not leave her room.

Ginger was scrolling through her phone when she got a text from Ray asking if Annie is okay.

Ginger responded to it with four simple words

"Father one year ago."

She sent the text and put her phone down, sighing to herself.

——
~Molina's Studio~

Julie went down to the studio and saw the band practicing.

"Hey," Julie greeted the guys. "Has anyone seen Annie today?"

The guys shared a look and shrugged.

"Haven't seen her all day," Alex said and this worried Reggie.

"Have you?" Reggie asked.

"That's why I'm asking," Julie remarked. "She hasn't answered any of my calls or texts."

"We should go check up on her," Luke suggested. "Did something happen to her?"

Julie thought, pacing around. "No, everything was fine when I said goodnight yesterday, and then she hasn't spoken a word to me today. Unless something-"

Julie paused and this worried the guys when they saw her face realize something.

"What is it?" Alex asked and Julie sighed, shaking her head.

Julie looked at them with a sympathetic look.

"Her father left one year ago today."

——

Julie immediately went to Annie's house to check up on her. The boys were there with her, but no one could see them so it was just Julie.

Julie knocked on the door and Ginger sat up, looking out the window to see Julie there. Julie looked through the window and saw Ginger, who shook her head sadly.

Julie looked back at the guys, who all looked sorrowful.

Ginger allowed Julie in and told her Annie was upstairs. Julie went upstairs with the guys and stood at her door for a moment, before knocking.

Annie looked up from her songbook and sat up, thinking it's her mom. Annie didn't respond and it was silent for a moment before Reggie stuck his hand through the door and knocked.

"Reggie!" Luke scolded him and Annie sighed, putting her book to the side.

"Come in," Annie mumbled and Julie opened the door. She walked in with the boys behind her and Annie gave them a sad smile.

"Hey, Annie," Alex greeted.

"Hey," Luke said.

Reggie gave Annie a sympathetic smile, sitting on her bed. Julie sat next to Annie as Luke sat on the swinging bed and Alex sat on the floor.

"You're here," Annie softly said.

"Of course," Julie said, taking her hands. "Won't let you be alone on today of all days."

"No one here is gonna be left alone," Luke sincerely told Annie. "Especially after what happened."

"You have to know you're not alone," Alex told Annie. "You have us, Julie, Flynn, you're family."

"We'll always be here," Reggie told her and Annie sent him the smallest grin.

"People keep leaving," Annie said. "I can't afford to lose anyone else."

"You're not going to," Julie smiled at Annie.

"I hope so."

"Annie," Reggie said and Annie looked at him. "Can you tell us what happened with your dad, if you don't like me asking?"

Annie seemed hesitant and Julie squeezed her hands, "it's okay..."

"Um..." Annie mumbled and cleared her throat. "He... he walked out on us after my parents had been fighting. They fought all the time and my dad was an alcoholic and verbally abusive. He hit my mom before he left us and we never saw him again."

"Did he hurt you?" Reggie asked her and Annie shook her head.

"Not physically," Annie remarked. "Mentally? I got destroyed. I never spoke out about him and what he did because I thought no one would understand."

"It doesn't matter who understands it, what matters is that you are okay and you're here," Julie told Annie. "I haven't seen you this happy and cheerful for so long. You don't need your father, you have my dad. Here's like your father."

Annie smiled softly at Julie.

"He's been more of a father to me than he was," Annie remarked.

"And he sees you as his daughter," Julie told her.

"You have us," Luke told Annie, getting up and going over to her and Julie. Alex followed and Reggie scooted closer to them. "We're more than a band."

Annie rested her head on Julie's shoulder and sighed. A guitar poofed into Luke's hands and he began to play a melody.

"Okay," Julie said before she continued to sing.

(Julie, Luke)
I can't pretend
To know how you feel
But know that I'm here
Know that I'm real
Say what you want
Or don't talk at all
I'm not gonna let you fall

(Julie)
Reach for my hand
'Cause it's held out for you
My shoulders are small
But you can cry on them too
Everything changes
But one thing is true
Understand
We'll always be more than a band
Yeah

(Reggie, Alex, Both)
You used to brave the world
All on your own
Now we won't let you go, go it alone
Be who you wanna be
Always stand tall
Not gonna let you fall

(All, but Annie)
Reach for my hand
'Cause it's held out for you
My shoulders are strong
But you can cry on them too
Everything changes
But one thing is true
Understand
We'll always be more than a band

(Annie, Julie)
I never knew you could take me so far
I've always wanted the home that you are the ones
I need (Yeah!)

The band was now playing in the studio and Annie was smiling and singing with joy.

(All, Annie)
Reach for my hand
'Cause it's held out for you
My shoulders are strong
But you can cry on them too (cry on them too)
Everything changes
But one thing is true
Understand
We'll always be more than a band

(Annie)
Reach for my hand
'Cause it's held out for you
My shoulders are strong
But you can cry on them too
Everything changes
But one thing is true
Understand
We'll always be more than a band

The song finished and Annie smiled at the others before she and Julie hugged and the guys hi-fived one another.

We'll always be more than a band
We're family.

——
Up Next: unsaid emily

awww what a sad/happy chapter. it was short, but it was sweet. hope you enjoyed getting to know annie's backstory with her father and what happened when he left. pretty traumatizing if you ask me.

i heard "more than a band" and wanted to use it in this story for something. so, i wrote this chapter and thought it would be perfect for it. it just says that the band is more than a band; they're family.

kind of foreshadows what happens next haha

next chapter is unsaid emily and the song itself might not be included, because i feel like it's a julie and luke moment. so, we'll get some reggie and annie moments instead. i'll link "unsaid emily" in the next chapter, so you guys can listen to it as you read along anyway. it's a beautiful song

see ya in the next chapter! :)

song used in this chapter: More Than A Band by Bridget Mendler, Naomi Scott, Hayley Kiyoko, Blake Michael, and Adam Hicks