we're more than chemistry

c h a p t e r 2 1 ~ tattle tale

"I told her about how the guy that I lov- liked and i broke up."

After a while of us practicing Luke poofed into the studio. "Woah, Julie." Luke said looking at her sitting right next to me. "Grab your guitar. We got work to do." Luke looked at her shocked and went and grabbed his guitar.

"What made you come back?" Luke asked looking at her. "i realized how important music is to all of us. And we've lost so much already. We can't loose this too." Julie told him. "Thanks. Alright, bosses. Where we at?" He asked julie and i.

"Oh, and by the way, happy birthday." Julie told him. "Oh yeah i got you something." i told him handing him the bag. He opened it and saw the bracelet. "i have a matching one so it shows were best friends." i told him he smiled and i put it on his wrist.

He looked at his friends shocked. "Thanks Jess! I'll never take it off. Guys look Jess is my best friend we even have matching bracelets." He told the guys with a smirk on his face. "Hey i want a bracelet!" Alex said. "i want something too." reggie pouted. "i'll get you guys something." i told them laughing.

"Let's go from the pre-chorus." Julie said. "one, two, three, four." alex counted. we decided to play finally free at the gig tonight. after we had been rehearsing julie and i walked into the house.

"been so long and now i'm finally free. yeah, yeah, yeah." julie sang as we walked in. we saw carlos taking pictures of the house. "what are you doing?" asked julie. "looking for those orb, things. i'm telling you this place is haunted. every time i open my laptop, it's on some.... rock music site. and that ain't me you know i'm all about the rap." carlos told us.

julie laughed, "reggie." i tensed up, "what's wrong jess?" carlos asked. i smiled, "oh it's just, reggie always liked rock music." i told him. carlos came over and gave me a hug. "i'm sorry jess, it's gonna be okay." i gave him a smile, "thanks los."

"i'm just trying to protect you guys." carlos told us. we started walking into the kitchen. "oh, i'd be careful in there. dad has that look on his face like when google maps tells him to turn on the wrong street." carlos told us.

we looked at each other we knew what he was mad about. we walked and turned the corner and saw my dad. "julie, care to tell me why you missed your first three classes today?" he asked harshly. "jess, why did you miss volleyball?" my dad asked a lot softer.

"i overslept at flynn's house after the dance. there was nothing going on in those classes anyways." julie told my dad. "i'm sorry i could barely make it through the day. i started crying multiple times because of the break up and it's just to much." i told my dad and now i was crying, "it's too much." i sid through tears.

my sad gave me a hug, jess it's okay, i'm not mad i just wanted to know." my dad told me. "it won't happen again. i promise." julie told our dad. julie went to sit down and i went next to her as she pulled me into a hug. "okay. but if i know you missed class, and volleyball it's only a matter of time before....." my dad started but was cut off by my aunt walking in, "i came as fast as i could."

"exactly." my dad muttered. "julie, jess, i will not let you fall into the gutter of life." she told us. "tiá i'm fine i just overslept. and me and dad already talked about it." julie told her as she looked to me. "i just didn't feel like going. but i'm fine." i lied.

"you are far from fine, sobrinas. i called your teacher. she said you missed a calculus test. and jess your supposed to be captain next year you can't miss practice." tiá said. "nothing going on, huh?" my dad asked julie. "dad i'm so sorry." julie said.

"this is where you punish them." tiá said. "i know.... julie..... no more going out on school nights." my dad said. "but dad, tonight...." julie said but was cutoff by my aunt clearing her throat. "and go to your room." my sad said. tiá cleared her throat again. "what else? what? and.... and read. study. calculus. go! now!" my dad yelled and julie went up to her room.

"now jess. you have to punish her." my tiá said. my dad shook his head. "no, she's going through enough. i don't care that she missed practice." my dad said. my aunt looked at him then at me, "what could possibly be going on that makes it okay for you to skip practice?" she asked.

i stood up and looked at her, "i don't know, maybe the fact that the boy i love and i, we just broke up. and that i don't know how to function anymore. and every time i even think about him i start to cry because i loved him and now he's gone."

she looked at me shocked, "jess.... i had no idea." she said and i was again crying. she came over and gave me a hug. "it's okay, breakups are hard but your tough. you'll get through it." tiá said. i smiled whipping my tears away. "thanks. i'm gonna go check on julie." i told them and went up to her room.

i got up there and started crying, "jess? what's wrong?" julie asked. i sighed, "julie i feel like ever since mom died we haven't been as close. i want us to be like we used to be. and you know the break up." i told her. "jess, i feel the same way. i was just trying to give you space i noticed you never really cried or anything about it so i assumed you just wanted space." julie told me.

"thanks. what are you drawing?" i asked. she smiled, "a birthday cake. for luke." she told me. i smiled and we looked at her phone as it beeped it was a picture from nick. "nick." she whispered and laughed. i laughed too.

then we saw reggie stick his arm through the door and knock. "what are you guys doing?" asked julie. "we're being classy." reggie told her sticking his head through the door. luke pulled him back and i tensed up, "you good jess?" julie asked. "yeah, i'll be fine." i told her.

"why are you two still here? we're going on like 20 minutes." luke said. "i lied to my dad about missing school and jess missed vollyball, so now we're stuck in our rooms." julie said. "i didn't get in trouble." i told julie. she looked at me shocked, "what? how?" she asked.

i pretended like reggie wasn't in the room and i told her. "tiá told dad that i needed a punishment. he said he wasn't going to and she asked why. then i snapped and i started crying and i told her about how the guy that i lov- liked and i broke up. i told her that i can't function anymore and so i got let off the hook." i looked over at reggie and he had tears in his eyes thinking about what he did to me.

everyone was silent from the awkwardness, "well um.... we were just at the venue. i mean, it's packed. like vips managers. it's kinda crazy." alex told us changing the topic.

"what are we gonna do about my aunt? she's right downstairs." julie told the boys. "your aunt. your not taking the stairs." luke told her as he opened the window. julie looked shocked, "okay. let me get dressed. jess and i'll meet you there." julie told the guys. they left to i would assume the venu.

julie walked over to our moms clothing chests. she dug through the chest and took out a vest. "does this look good?" she asked. i nodded, "yeah it looks great! now i need something to wear." i said as i went down to my moms chest. i picked something out then put it on.

i then went downstairs and left. i waited until julie got out and we drove to the venue jamming out to music.

then we got there.