[1] Blank Slate || Julie and the Phantoms ✔

CHAPTER 5: Seamless ✔️

THE BOYS ARE mildly concerned and shocked at the Latina's outburst.

"That did not go well," Reggie observes.

Luke lets out a small scream and catapults across the room onto the couch. I laugh heartily.

"Will you join our band Lila Mae?" Luke asks with puppy eyes that could melt anyone's heart.

"You haven't heard me play," I reply, "and I thought you only want me if I'm good."

"Well, our options are pretty limited," Reggie admits.

"Reg!" Luke chides. "This is not how to convince someone to join your band, especially when she shouldn't even need convincing! Our talent should speak for itself."

He cuts his eyes over at me.

I smirk, sauntering over to him and sitting down on the sofa arm. "Ever heard the phrase 'actions speak more than words'?"

"Yeah," he replies, suppressing an agitated eye roll.

I put my hand to my chin and innocently feign confusion. "So then, please explain to me, why are you still talking? You've insulted me and your arrogance is not helping."

Luke scoffs, eyes flitting over to Reggie like he is absolutely shocked that someone actually stood up to him. The bassist is amused, smiling at me like he is proud.

"Arrogance?"

"Did I stutter?" I ask, batting my eyelashes at him. "I don't think so."

"Why do you have to be so difficult," Luke grumbles. "Just join the band."

The last part turns into more of a whine.

"Only if Julie says yes." I decide that I've tortured him enough with my fabulous attitude. "You shouldn't have gone through her stuff. That's personal."

"I know, but it's so good," Luke mourns. "Reggie and I loved that song. We really spiffed it up."

"She and her mother wrote that," I emphasize. "You can't change anything that they wrote together. It's forbidden, okay? That's really special to her and it's like altering her memories. Don't you see why it would be really upsetting?"

"Yeah," Luke realizes, sitting up. "That wasn't a good move."

"I don't get it," Reggie cuts in. "If it was going to sound good, what's the harm?"

"It's personal," I confirm. "Now, for my performance tomorrow, I was thinking we could work on a song I wrote a while ago."

"What is it?" Luke asks, suddenly interested.

"I don't really know honestly," I say, pulling a journal out of my backpack. "This was in my possessions when they found me."

I flip through it to find the song I'm looking for.

"Let me look at it." Luke teleports over to me, sitting on the sofa.