The Spark: Julie and the Phantoms

Chapter XVII

*HEY JUST A QUICK AUTHORS NOTE TO BEGIN THE STORY: ALL THE LYRICS USED IN THIS SCENE HAVE BEEN WRITTEN BY ME. ANY LYRICS USED IN THIS STORY THAT HAVE NOT COME FROM JULIE AND THE PHANTOMS I HAVE WRITTEN MYSELF. ALSO I AM NOT A PROFESSIONAL SONGWRITER SO IF THEY DON'T REALLY WORK I'M SORRY IN ADVANCE 🤣🤣*

LUKE'S POV:

I positioned my guitar onto my lap, my fingers connecting to the frets holding down the chords that began to open my song. I strummed the strings of my guitar with the pick that had sat between my teeth. I stopped for a moment preparing myself, this could be the end of Julie and I. I don't want it to be, I don't think I'll even let it. This I knew was going to be a defining moment.

THERE'S BEEN SO MUCH LEFT UNSAID
ANOTHER STEP AND WE COULD BE STANDING ON THE EDGE
I NEVER KNEW WHAT WOULD BECOME OF ME
BUT WHEN WE ARE TOGETHER I KNOW YOU MAKE ME COMPLETE
IT'S MORE THAN A LOVE SO DEEP

I looked up from my guitar finishing in the first part of my song. I could see the warmth in Julie's eyes as I continued to play.

IT'S A SOUL CONNECTION
A SOUL CONNECTION

As I repeated this line I could see tears brimming in the corners of Julie's eyes. The small smile that crept into the corner of her mouth began to melt my heart. There was nothing but her and I at this moment, it was us together. Music always did this to us, we didn't have anything else to focus on but each other.

NOTHING COULD BE MORE RIGHT
THAN WHEN YOU ARE STANDING NEXT TO ME
WE MIGHT BE THOUSAND OF MILES APART
BUT I CAN STILL FEEL YOU IN MY HEART

I couldn't help the shaking that came into my voice when I saw the tear that began to roll down Julie's cheek. I have always avoided when girls cried, there was something about their tears that made me want to fix whatever was wrong. I just couldn't tell if these were happy tears or sad tears.

I NEVER WANT TO LEAVE
NO GOODBYE WOULD BE ENOUGH
YOU AND ME WHAT WE HAVE IS UNIQUE
NO AMOUNT OF TIME WOULD BE LONG ENOUGH
THIS CONNECTION HAS ME FALLING DEEP

These words rang nothing but truth, there was nothing that I could ever say to Julie that would be worth more to me than the lyrics in this song. I was falling deeply for her, not for just her looks or even just for who she was but for the music that I could see in every part of her being.

IT'S A SOUL CONNECTION
A SOUL CONNECTION

It was a soul connection. I remembered back in Julie's room where I told her that our instruments were connected to our souls. It felt knowing Julie that our souls were linked by music, that we were tethered together through life and death.

As I strummed the last chord I couldn't raise my head. I stared straight down looking towards my guitar. I let one tear fall down my cheek. I was preparing for the worst reaction, I don't know why but part of me was worried about what would happen next. I stiffened when I felt a hand cup my jaw line. I knew that it was Julie cradling my face gently, she raised my head so my eyes would catch hers. I stared as the tears continued to roll down her face. I quickly moved the guitar that was between us pushing it onto the other side of the bed. I reached out and grabbed her face like I had the night we played the Orpheum. I could feel Julie leaning in and I felt my body falling into her grasp. I quickly stopped myself before I moved too fast with her, I didn't even know where we stood at this point. Did she love me? Did she love Nick? If she loved me why did she write an entire song about him?

As I slid backwards up the bed I leant my back against the pillow trying to calm myself down. I breathed deeply as the silence took over the room. I watched as Julie sat in silence as she repositioned herself on the bed as she pulled something from her pocket.

JULIE'S POV:

I watched as Luke pulled away and dropped his hands from my face and moved back on his bed. When the silence became too much I could see Luke's mind racing trying to figure out where we stood at the moment. I shuffled over pulling out the lyrics that I had written that I stuffed into my pants pocket on my way over here.

"Luke?" I called hoping for him to stop being distracted by his thoughts.

Luke looked towards me, his eyes flicking down towards my hand that grasped the lyrics.

"I really don't feel like reading that again Julie."

"You really think that this. These words were about Nick?"

"Who else would they be about? Someone else in your dance class? I don't want to get into another fight Julie. Let's just drop it."

I shoved the sheets of folded paper in Luke's hand before he got a chance to move off the bed. I watched his grip tighten on the pages, I guessed out of anger or frustration.

"Luke flip over the last page."

"What?"

"Luke! Just listen to me for once."

Luke moved quickly hearing the rise in my voice. There scrawled in my messing night time handwriting was a quick statement that I couldn't help but write the night I wrote out this song.

'I couldn't deny it anymore. It was so real, dancing with Nick and all I could think about was Luke. He runs through my mind 24/7. How is it possible to write an entire song and imagine such a vivid moment with him. It broke my heart that when I came back I was just dancing with Nick once again. Dancing with Nick didn't captivate my heart and soul the way it felt with Luke.'

I watched as Luke's eyes scanned the page reading the words that I had written after I finished the song. I waited for a reply from him as he read over the words repeatedly. I smiled at him as he looked up from the paper. I could see his brain running through all different emotions, regret, sadness, surprise and happiness.

Without any other response I watched Luke move closer to me reaching his hand out for me to grab. I remembered this, it was just like the day when I gave his parents his song 'Unsaid Emily'. The only difference now is that if I reach out my hand he will be able to hold it. I reached out for his hand with my own. When I felt his skin brush mine his hands wrapped around mine and held my small hand in his own.

I smiled at this small act of intimacy.

"This is an interesting little relationship you and I have." Luke smiled with a small laugh following his words.

I bumped his shoulder with mine playfully as I smiled at the same words he used that same day. Although there might be more conversations we need to have, all I knew was that I was going to leave my hand in his as long as I could. 

HEY EVERYONE THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ALL THE LOVE AND SUPPORT OVER THE PAST FEW DAYS!!! IT MEANS SO MUCH TO ME TO HAVE YOUR SUPPORT AND LOVE. I LOVE SO MUCH THAT STORY MEANS SO MUCH TO ALL OF YOU. IT HAS MEANT THE WORLD TO ME TO WRITE IT FOR ALL OF YOU AND SHARE THIS WITH YOU. 

QUESTION OF THE DAY: WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE TV SHOW OTHER THAN JATP?

LOVE YOU GUYS

-COURTNEY