JATP One-Shots

16- The Memories

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Summary: AU where Julie was unable to save the boys from Caleb

Setting: Molina household 2020

Warnings: None

Words: 1,514

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Julie awoke from yet another nightmare about that night. After playing the Orpheum, Julie went back into her studio to find her boys laying on the ground as another painful shock went through their bodies. She tried to convince them to go and join Caleb's club to keep them from not existing at all but they refused to give in. Julie thought of every possible thing she could do to save them but in the end, she lost them. One final jolt racked through the boys before they faded into nothingness.

Shaking the memory from her mind she stood up from the bed and made her way to the kitchen for a glass of water. Once in the kitchen she walked to the cabinet and grabbed a glass before filling it in the sink and gulping it down. She leaned against the counter looking out at the kitchen. Her eyes landed on the refrigerator. Making her way across the room, Julie pulled open the door and looked at the food on the shelves. Light poured out into the room casting a shadow behind Julie. She finally settled on making a snack and turned around to grab a plate from the cabinet. Once she let go of the refrigerator door handle and turned around the door fell closed.

"Luke?" Julie questioned hastily as she spun around to look at the now-closed refrigerator. When there was no other sign of ghostlike activity, Julie decided to ditch the snack and head back upstairs to bed.

When she awoke the next morning she could smell the scent of bacon rising from the kitchen. She grudgingly got out of bed and dressed in a pair of ripped jeans and one of Alex's, far too large for her, sweatshirts she found in the garage. Ray and Carlos both greeted the girl as she sat down at the table to eat. She returned the gestures with a small nod. After breakfast, Julie rushed out of the kitchen and to the studio where she now spent most of her time. After she lost her mother she wanted nothing more to do with the garage, but things were different this time. Knowing what had happened when she lost her mother the boys had made Julie promise to continue playing music once they were gone, and that is exactly what she did.

Julie grabbed Luke's notebook that sat on the top of the grand piano in the center of the room holding it close to her chest and sat down on the floor in the exact spot where she tried to hold her boys as the jolts took them away from her.

"So, I'm having some trouble with these next couple lines..." she started whispering into the empty studio. "If you are out there somewhere, anywhere, and can hear me...um...I could use your help," she finished sitting quietly and waiting for any signs that one of the boys was there. A few minutes passed and tears were stinging Julie's eyes from the lack of response. Suddenly, Reggie's guitar, which sat untouched against the wall like all the other boy's instruments, fell over. Julie snapped her head in its direction.

"Reggie?" She asked expectantly. The tears finally fell down her face as nothing further happened with the guitar. She slowly stood up and walked towards the guitar reaching out to pick it up. Her hand froze inches from the neck as she realized this would be the first time she touched any of their instruments since that horrible night last week. Taking a deep breath she extended her hand closing the distance and picked the guitar back up, setting it in its rightful place on the stand next to Alex's drum kit. She then moved to pick up Luke's guitar that was also sitting against the wall and placing it in its stand. After setting down Luke's guitar she made her way to Alex's drums. She sat down on the stool before placing a hand on one of the cymbals. A faint clash echoed through the studio as she began to cry harder pulling the fabric of Alex's hoddie sleeves down over her hands and wrapping her arms around herself.

Once she was able to stabilize her breathing she stood up and moved back to the center of the room. Sitting back in her place in front of the piano she pulled the notebook onto her lap. she could see the few tears that continued to fall hit the slightly yellowed and aged pages. One of the droplets seeped into the page, turning it transparent. Julie could just barely make out what looked to be writing a few pages later in the notebook. She quickly flipped the page to see in his perfectly messy handwriting a letter from Luke.

Julie,

I don't know how long we have. Caleb put this stamp on us and Willie told us that if we don't do our unfinished business then we will either have to join his house band or disappear for all eternity. Of course, if you're reading this then you probably already know all that. So, I just wanted to say Jules that I don't know what's going to happen. We are trying everything we can. We think playing the Orpheum is our unfinished business, but there is no way to know for sure.

Whatever happens, Juliana Rose Molina, I need you to promise me that you will move on. You will continue to write music, to perform, to do everything. Please don't shut down as you did with your mom. Alex, Reggie, and I know you have so much potential and you don't need us to reach it. You are destined for great things and I know you will get there.

Also, I don't know if I am going to get to say this to you ever but I need to let you know Jules. I love you. I love you. I love you. I have since that day we appeared in your studio. The moment I laid eyes on you I knew that no matter what this crazy afterlife might throw at us as long as I had you by my side we could get through it. I found that song you wrote, "Perfect Harmony", in your dream box. God, I can just hear you screaming at me as I write this about going through your stuff, but I am glad I did. I really hope that song was about me because if not this is going to be awkward. The song was beautiful and I hope we can perform it together one day. ;)

I love you, Julie Molina. Now, forever, and always.

-Luke

A new wave of tears fell down Julie's cheek as she read the letter over and over again. She couldn't believe what was written. Did Luke really feel this way about her? She flipped through the rest of the notebook to see if there were any other letters or anything else that the boys might have left behind. When she didn't find anything she softly closed the book and set it on the ground. She stood up and made her way to the piano. Sitting on the bench she ran her hands over the keys before beginning to play. Memories of the boys came flooding back as she played. The first time they appeared. When she kicked them out. When she inevitably let them stay. When they helped her get her spot back in the music program. When they revealed their secret to Flynn. When she reprimanded them for haunting Bobby. When they missed her school dance. When she found out about Luke's past on his birthday. When they almost got a deal with a manager. When she realized she loved Luke during her garage concert. When she gave Luke's mother the song he wrote. When they played the Orpheum. When she lost them. The tears stopped falling now. She used the memories to fuel her music. She couldn't discern what song was ringing out from the piano as she was so entranced with her thoughts. Julie knew deep down that no matter where her boys were, or were not, now they loved her in more ways than one and that was enough to push her towards greatness.

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Sorry to whump Julie, but I needed to throw an angsty one-shot in after these last four fluffy ones. I promise the next few one-shots I have planned are super fluffy and fun! Please let me know what you guys think and what you want to see in the future! Thanks for reading!

Tomorrow, as I said, we are back t the fluff with a super cute Willex one-shot called The Book so keep an eye out! Until then please vote and comment it would mean a lot!

Requests are open and welcomed! Just leave a comment on the first chapter of this book or private message me. Either way works.

Until Tomorrow Fantoms!