Believer // Julie and the Phantoms

03

[Bright]

Alex stepped forward to hug Julie, but Luke pulled him back and teleported out of the garage.

The blond boy frowned. "Dude, why'd you stop me? Julie needs a hug!"

Luke faced him. "Bro, a ghost hug isn't the feel-good moment that you think it is. All right? Trust me. What Julie needs right now is a little bit of privacy."

"I think you poofed us out because you can't handle when other people cry. I should know. I cried in a room for twenty-five years and I didn't get a single hug from either of you."

Reggie moved to hug Alex. "All right. Bring it in-"

"Don't touch me!"

"This is why no one hugs you."

Luke said after a moment, "All right, I think the first thing we should do is ask Julie why she lied about playing the piano."

"Yeah, you know, maybe tell her how amazing she is."

"Yeah, 'course, bro."

"Okay."

Reggie held up his arm. "She's legit! I got ghost bumps."

Flynn walked past, crying, and Alex asked, "Oh my gosh, was she crying, too?"

"Yes!" Luke exclaimed. "And the only thing scarier than one girl crying is two girls crying!"

"He's right."

"Guys, we definitely can't go in there."

"But we can listen," Reggie said and they stood outside the garage and listened.

"Carlos and Cameron told me you'd be out here," Flynn said. "We need to talk."

"Are you okay?" Julie asked.

"No, I'm not okay! You just got kicked out of music school! I've been up all night thinking about what I was gonna say. Might have drank seven sodas, but I need to get this out..."

"Wait, I have something to tell you-" Julie was cut off.

"No, it's my turn to talk. You can't give up music! Your music is like a gift and it would be a tragedy! You're basically cancelling Christmas and I love Christmas-"

"Flynn-"

"Uh-uh! When we were six, we promised to be in a band together! Double Trouble!"

"I never agreed to that name."

"That's not the point. Jules, if you leave the music program, we'll be apart forever. That's just what happens. Sure we'll see each other in the hall sometime, but... we'll have different lives, make new friends."

"That's not true."

"You're right. I won't be making any new friends. And the only time we'll contact each other is when we'll be liking each other's posts on Instagram. Every time I'll be hitting that little heart, my heart will be breaking because my best friend left me, and... Oh!" She put a hand to her head. "Do you have any soda? My head hurts."

"Can I talk now?"

"Fine." She removed her hand.

"I just played the piano and sang again."

"What? Why didn't you say so?"

"I was trying to, and then your seven sodas kicked in."

"Look at you looking alive again."

"Right, it's like I drank the seven sodas."

"I found this song my mom wrote. I was so afraid to play it. Anything involving music reminds me of her and then I woke up this morning realizing that's why I should play it. To keep her memory alive." She looked down at the piano.

"Aw, Julie. Group hug!" The two hugged and Flynn suddenly pulled away. "Wait. You need to tell Ms. Harrison you played again. My girl's back! Double Trouble is back!"

Julie glanced at her. "I never agreed to that name."

"I gave you a shirt in the seventh grade that says otherwise."

The girls exited the garage.

Alex pretended to "fix" the light, Luke put a hand on his hip, and Reggie looked up at him.

"Oops!" Reggie said.

"Oh, hey!" Julie greeted. "Um, let's hustle!" She waved to the band and pretended to hit a bush.

"Don't worry, we weren't listening!" Reggie told them as Luke kicked his side.

---

The ghosts walked through the garage and Reggie said, "I wonder why Julie didn't tell us she could shred on the piano."

"And sing," Luke added. "That girl can sing!"

"It probably has something to do with her mom," Alex guessed as he made his way to the loft. "Hey, some of the clothes we left behind are still up here!" He threw three black bags down.

"Sweet!" Luke exclaimed as he pulled his shirt off. "Same clothes since '95, boys!" He pulled off his shirt.

Julie's father walked in and walked right into Reggie.

"Whoa, that was weird," Reggie commented as the man brought the camera up to his face. "But somehow I can tell this man has a kind heart!"

"So, how have you been?" Julie's father asked.

"Honestly not that good," Reggie replied. "So we ate these hotdogs-"

"Julie sang for the first time this morning. Ah, she hadn't done that in almost a year. You would have loved it."

Reggie continued. "Yeah, we saw 'cause we were - oh! Oh, I get it! He's not talking to us."

"You are so lucky you can play bass," Luke told him.

Alex dangled his feet from the loft as he said, "I'm pretty sure he's talking to Julie's mom."

"That's what I thought."

Julie's father spoke again. "She's such an amazing woman. Every day she reminds me more and more of you. Oh, I'm, uh, taking pictures for the real estate website. I don't really wanna move, but - I guess it's best for Julie."

"Move?" Luke repeated softly.

"There's so many memories of Julie playing next to you, and Carlos and Cameron were trying to sing with their missing front teeth."

Luke was on the verge of crying and Reggie looked at him. "Oh, no, Luke, not you too!"

"He's talking about moving, but the poor guy doesn't want to move!" Luke said through his tears.

Julie's father clicked the camera as he said, "It's like they grew up out here."

"Oh man, now he's got big too." Reggie fanned his eyes.

Alex frowned. "Okay, how am I the emotional one?"

Reggie glanced back. "Can we go to my family to see how they're doing?"

"Yeah, listening to this feels wrong," Alex said.

"Hey, do you remember when the kids were young and we came out here for our anniversary?" Ray asked.

"Yeah, definitely wrong," Luke agreed before disappearing.

"Oh! Yep!" Reggie said as he and Stella disappeared.

Alex disappeared moments later.

---

Ms. Harrison said, "Julie, I am happy you played again. I prayed for this moment for almost a year, but it's too late."

Julie asked, "What do you mean too late?"

"What if you just hear her play?" Flynn questioned.

"It wouldn't matter. A new student starts tomorrow," Ms. Harrison told them. "There's only-"

"So many spots," Julie finished. "And if I don't participate, I'm out."

"I did everything I could to keep you here this year. But the principal was very clear that yesterday was your last chance. You have to reapply next semester." The bell rang. "I'm truly sorry."

Flynn put a hand around Julie's shoulders after seeing her disappointed expression and said, "Come on. Let's go."