Stephanie was living the dream. She was in an amazing band called Sunset Curve with her best friends. Not to mention they had the biggest gig of their life at a little place called the Orpheum on one faithful night in 1995.
But when some street dogs...
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By the time Julie left for school with her friend Flynn, Stephanie was already beginning to wonder about the numerous possibilities as to why the young girl lied about not being able to play the piano. From what the brunette saw, Julie really knew how to play.
It seemed the boys were wondering the same thing because they walked back into the studio not too long after Julie had left, Reggie giving Alex and Luke a confused look as he 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. You know?" Alex suggested. "Must've been hard."
Stephanie softened at that, knowing exactly what Alex was talking about. She had been the same way the moment she found out the boys had died. It was like something inside of her had snapped and the thought of even attempting to continue to play at the Orpheum had been enough to make her sick. If she had been alive longer, she knew she wouldn't have been able to play for the longest time. The boys inspired her to play and without them, it was like there was no point. Julie must've been feeling the same way about her mother.
"Anyway," Alex announced as he made his way towards the ladder that led up to the crawl space. "I really feel for her."
Stephanie's eyes widened in panic and she was quick to hold onto her guitar and poof away, instead hiding behind some of the random junk that was below the crawl space and just out of view from Luke and Reggie. She winced when she made the tiniest of noises, Luke glancing her direction with a small frown before shaking his head and looking away after not seeing anything.
"Yeah, but. . .now she's got music back in her life, just like us," Luke told them.
"Yeah, I'm not sure you can call what we have a life," Alex countered before frowning as he looked around the attic. "Reggie, didn't you say you saw Steph's guitar up here?" Reggie hummed in agreement, his gaze lowering to the floor at the mention of the girl. "Well, it's not up here." Reggie's head shot up at that and Stephanie winced as she glanced towards the guitar in her hand.
"W-What?" Reggie questioned, his voice so soft that it made Stephanie feel guilty for taking the guitar. All she could think about was what could be running through Reggie's head, how the guitar had been one of the last traces of her that he had left and now it was suddenly missing.
"Yeah, I don't see it at all," Alex commented. "Maybe you just thought you saw it. Why would Steph give up her guitar? She's loved that thing since the day Luke gave it to her."
