Melody - JATP x Soulmate AU

Chapter 17

"Would you care to tell me why you missed two classes yesterday?" Oh no. I can't just tell my dad I was so exhausted and in pain that I didn't want to move, much less go to school. How did he find out, though? Luke was the one who made the call. Well, it could have been Reggie or Alex, but it was definitely one of the guys. So, how did he know?

"I just wasn't feeling good yesterday morning, papí." He didn't seem convinced, but considering that's about how I'm feeling right now, it wouldn't take much of an act to explain how I felt all of twenty-four hours ago.

"Then how do you explain the excused absence on your record?" How did he find out about that? "I looked at your grade reporter and it had an excused absence for calculus and science." I don't even know what he wants from me, let alone how to answer his question. "Mija, is there something going on in your life I should know about?"

"Papí, I just wasn't feeling well." He didn't believe me but, by some miracle, he dropped the subject. Who am I kidding? Papí is still grilling me on it.

"Mija, I didn't call the school which means someone else did it in my place. If you don't tell me, you'll be grounded." Now, that's the work of tía Victoria. I would definitely believe she'd check the grade reporter for absences more than I'd believe dad would. As much as I love my dad, he's not the kind of guy to religiously check that stuff.

After keeping my mouth shut, because he would never believe me if I said a ghost called them, he'd ground me for the rest of the week. The band, using another miracle, somehow managed to convince the place hosting the gig to let us perform tonight instead.

Looks like I can't go to that one, either.

During school, I spend the eight hours learning and trying to figure out how to convince my dad to let me go to this gig. He doesn't understand how important these gigs are and how hard they are to get, which means it's even harder to convince him of something he doesn't understand. Of course, he supports it like any good father would, but he doesn't get that one note is all it takes to change someone's life. I know it's changed mine.

What would I even say? "Hey, dad. I am actually a part of a 'hologram' band and we have a gig tonight"? There's no way he would believe me.

"Hi, Jules." Flynn has a lot more energy than I do for more than one reason. The pain still coursing through my body is draining any energy I might have had, even with almost ten hours of sleep, is helping nothing. Trying to learn while thinking about how to play at the gig tonight without making my dad angry or upset because I'm grounded is using up every inch of brain power I might've had. Plus, being constantly on edge with the spirits wandering through the halls is just adding to the pile of things I need to worry about. "You okay?"

"Yeah. Just... tired." Flynn doesn't seem convinced, but our dance class starts before she can say anything. Nick and I practice the dance for the entirety of the class and we're both suffering today. I have a reason to be bad, since I'm so tired, and Nick does too, since he just learned the steps yesterday.

"You seem out of it today." Nick, I'm well aware, but I can't explain why. "Does it have to do with those ghosts?" My breath catches in my throat as I wonder how he even knew about them. "It's been two hundred seventy-three days since it started."

"You can see them, too?" I ask, gaining enough energy to grill him on the world I was just introduced to.

"Yeah. It's how I knew Carrie and I would never work out." Carrie and Nick were dating for a whole year and he found out a third of the way into the relationship. No wonder they didn't seem all lovey-dovey like some couples do. Did Carrie know about Nick? "She didn't know, because I knew she'd ridicule me for it." I have a feeling that, besides a few Carrie truly hates, she wouldn't hold it against anyone. If I know my ex-best friend at all, I know that she wouldn't care. She discriminates against someone because they hurt her or someone she cares about. There are a handful of other reasons, but not because someone is doomed to a life alone.