Dead and Alive

Chapter 6

Ok, I'm super excited for the end of the chapter cause the moment is really cute!

The school gym felt like every school gym ever.

Alex stood with Luke, Reggie, and Flynn as they watched Julie make her way over to the keyboard on a corner of the stage. He was trying not to drop dead (again) from the second-hand embarrassment of her going to play, uninvited, in front of her whole school. He was pretty sure that he'd have taken the loss of the music program and just, moved countries, instead of doing something like this.

Julie was definitely braver than he was.

Luke and Reggie were hooting and hollering for her, almost exactly like they would've done when they were actually alive and people could see them. Julie glanced at them, clearly relieved to see them there, so Alex hollered too. He wanted her to feel supported.

Flynn was sitting on the steps of the bleachers, looking like she was yak-in-a-bowl nervous. Alex could totally relate. He wanted this to go well for Julie so badly, but he was worried. Especially as the kids were emptying out of the gym like it was on fire, which was probably a bad metaphor, really. But if she didn't hurry up and start to sing, there'd be no one there to hear her.

Predictably, Luke noticed Alex's concern. "Don't worry, she'll be fine!" he breathed in Alex's ear.

Alex was saved from having to respond as Julie started to play. At first, her voice was soft, almost weak, but within moments she was singing loudly. As the power of her voice increased, she became illuminated in a soft, white light. The kids who had been leaving the gym stopped and turned to look at her on the stage, including the two women that Alex knew were Mrs. Harrison, her teacher, and the Principal. He felt something relax inside him. This might even work.

And then something weird happened. She hit the pre-chorus, the part of the song during rehearsal where he'd start playing the drums and both Luke and Reggie would come in with their guitars. It changed the song instantly from a soft piano number to a rocking ensemble piece, and it sounded great when they'd practiced it in the studio that morning.

What Alex was not expecting was for Julie's words and music to pull him and his drum kit on stage. Between one blink and the next he and the guys were there on the stage with her, rocking out in front of her whole school, like they'd planned this from the start.

What the fuck? Alex thought as he pounded on the drums. He felt exhilarated and bewildered, so excited to actually be performing when he kind of thought that would've died with, well, them, but also confused as hell. How did they get there?

The song ended and there was a collective gasp from the audience as he, Luke and Reggie all poofed out, landing invisible and instrument-less back on the gym floor where they'd originally been.

"That was amazing!" Luke was practically vibrating with excitement. "They could see us! They could all see us!" He pounded on Reggie's chest with his fist.

"So cool!" Reggie was grinning so widely his face must have hurt. "This band is back!"

"Don't you guys think that was a bit, I don't know, strange?" Alex said, trying to infuse even a moment of clarity into his friend's celebration. "Like, we just ended up on stage against our will!"

"I wanted to be there," Luke said, affronted. "It's Julie. And besides, don't tell me you weren't having fun up there. I saw your face."

Alex grinned. Luke wasn't wrong. "Yeah, okay. I loved it!"

"That's my boy!" Luke thumped him on the shoulder.

"Look!" Reggie smacked Luke on his upper arm to get his attention. "Looks like Julie's back in the music program!"