Oozing Chemistry

18th Thing's 18th

I scramble up to Julie's bedroom, expecting her to be excited about the fact that we're trending. I don't quite understand what it means, but Julie said it's good and I trust her. Instead, however, I find her slouched over on her bed drawing away on a notepad. A grim atmosphere hangs over head.

Upon hearing my footsteps, Julie yells through the door, "Don't come too close. Anyone I seem to care about disappears."

"Julie?" I knock on the door, though I've already entered. It's really just to make sure she knows I'm here. "What's wrong?"

She slowly lifts her head. "Luke and I visited his parents today. I showed his mom the song he wrote for her." Aha, that's why the song is missing. One case closed, one very major one still open for investigation. 

"That's great," I say, cautiously taking a seat beside her. "What's got you down, then?"

"Well," she starts, putting down her drawing, though I can't see what it is, "when we came back, Luke told me about the guys and the stamps and the crossing over."

I sigh, "Oh. That." She nods her head solemnly. 

I know it sucks, but we're gonna find a way to stop it. I have hope, at least. I have an idea on how to get some information, but I'm not sure if it's too risky or not. I'm not sure I want to get that tangled up in this mess just yet. Time will tell, I guess, but unfortunately, we're running short on time.

"Yes, that."

She throws herself backwards on her bed, and I scan the room, searching for anything that could take our minds off it, though mostly hers. Luckily, I lock eyes with a giant, open chest full of random folded pieces of clothing. 

"What if we picked out what outfit you're gonna wear when we smash it at the Orpheum?" I smile, pretending to nudge her since we can't really touch. Her head slowly lifts again, and I know I got her attention.

I take a seat on my knees beside the chest and carefully dig through it, not wanting to mess anything up. The sweater she was wearing today is in here, which is her mom's, so I assume all of this stuff is from her. I know if my dad left me anything, I'd kill anyone who even touched it.

Dozens of tickets, backstage passes, and stickers line the inside cover, all pertaining to music, except two in particular catch my eye. First is a ticket featuring Rose and the Petal Pushers, and second is a backstage pass to a music festival in 1992. For some reason, this doesn't sit well with me, and I feel like I'm supposed to know something that I can't remember.

I try to shake it off, continuing to sift through the mix of t-shirts and sweaters until I come across the leather vest Julie wore during our performance at the café. Still, I feel like I'm getting closer to something, and it isn't until I find a white, bedazzled Sunset Curve tee that I literally lose my mind.

"Julie?" I ask, lifting it to show her. "Have you seen this before?" 

She shakes her head, furrows her eyebrows, rushing to sit next to me, and grabs the white shirt, inspecting it. "I've been through this thing a million times. Why am I only seeing this now?"

I can't answer. I'm too trapped in my own head, finally putting the pieces of an impossible puzzle together. The demo, the t-shirt, the vest, Rose. I can see Reggie give them to her, hear his voice as he flirts, "Size beautiful." 

"Julie, I think we knew your mom," I tell her. To say I'm stunned is an understatement. "Well, we didn't know her, but we met her. On our last night at the Orpheum. Reggie gave her this and their demo."

"This is crazy. My mom was at the Orpheum?" Julie breathes. I nod. "I guess there's really only one thing we can do then." I smile her way, and she stomps downstairs, me trailing behind her. "Let's go get the guys."