˗ˏˋ I BELIEVE ࿐ྂ
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*･῾ ᵎ⌇ ⁺◦ ✧.*･῾ ᵎ⌇ ⁺◦  ✧.*

THIS BAND IS BACK

*･῾ ᵎ⌇ ⁺◦ ✧.*

"A BIKE SHACK." reggie sighs as they land on the beach, "right where my house used to be."

"yeah, i'm sorry man." luke says, patting his chest.

"they made the meyerson's house into a noodle shop." reggie continues, "we couldn't they have made mine into a pizzeria or something?"

"they tore down the whole neighborhood." alex notes.

"guess my folks are gone." reggie sighs.

"sorry reg." y/n sighs, patting his arm.

"no, everyone's gone." alex corrects. "25 years, gone. friends, family, bobby, everyone."

"bobby that's right." y/n and reggie say at the same time.

"jinx!" reggie shouts, y/n rolling her eyes once again.

"this isn't the third grade." she says, waving him off, "guess that vegetarian lucked out. what do you think happened to him?" she asks.

"he probably just got old like everybody else and moved on." luke answers.

"dude, how are you so casual about all this?" alex asks. "don't you want to figure out what happened?"

"let's be real for a second." luke cuts him off, "it's not like we were that close to our families. my folks always regretted buying me that guitar." he says, using his arms for emphasis, "reggie, you're parents were literally a fight away from a divorce. alex, i... you're parents were never cool again after you told them you were gay. and y/n, your parents up and left you!"

y/n winces, making luke immediately regrets his words.

he knows how sensitive she is about her family.

"ok, none of us had it great." alex says, putting his hand on y/n's back. "all right? but at least we had something. you know? what do we have now? and before you say cool teleportation skills, just know i'm not entirely ok with that either. all right? it tingles." he says, making his point, y/n giggling a little. "in weird places." he says, motioning downwards and y/n laughs again, making a small smile appear on luke's face.

"i'll tell you want we had." luke says, pushing off from the log he was sitting on, "it's what we've had since the day we came together." he jumps up onto the log, "guy, we have us. we're the only family we're ever going to need. you know what else we have?"

"i'm gonna guess death breath." reggie answers sarcastically.

"our music." luke says.

"you dork." y/n laughs, putting an arm around reggie and alex.

"we have our music, you guys." luke says again. "people, actual people, can hear us play! they can't see us, fine, but they can feel us. if i had my guitar, i'd play for all these people right now. just like what we used to do at the pier."

"yeah, they can't tip what they can't see." alex reminds him.

luke sighs and licks his lips in irritation. "it's not about the tips, alex. it's about playing music. connecting with people. making a difference in their day. i just... i wish i had my guitar!" he says.

a whooping noise is hear and suddenly,
he had his guitar.

"woah!" reggie gasps. "that was rad, how'd you do that?"

"i don't know." luke says, equally surprised. "i-i-i-i mean i wished for it, and then it came in my hands."

reggie claps his hands excitedly and squats a little, closing his eyes. "i-i-i-i wish i had a puppy." he opens his eyes, and when he sees there is no puppy, he tries again, "a hamster? pizza?"

he groans in frustration, kicking the sand before plowing down onto it.

"hey," luke says, "i think i know something that'll cheer you up."

he starts to strum an upbeat song on his guitar, and he nods to alex and y/n, and alex looks back to reggie. "come on!"

"yeah, come on reginald." y/n laughs.

alex starts to keep to the rhythm by hitting his chest and his thigh as y/n claps.

"one, two, three, four!" luke sings,

"can you, can you hear me?" reggie stands and dusts himself off, a smile growing.

"yup." y/n nods.

"loud and clear!" alex hypes him up,

"gotta get, gotta get ready," reggie continues

"'cause it's been years!" luke speak/sings.

"oh, this band is back!" reggie belts, the group dancing down the beach as y/n and alex keep the beat.

"oh," the whole group sings, "this band is back"

"whoo, ooh, ooh, ooh," as they play the song, people hear their music and all across the beach, they start to dance to the beat.

"whoo, ooh, ooh, ooh" a man walks along a log, dancing upon it,

"whoo, ooh, ooh, ooh," they walk over to a couple sitting in the beach,

"can you," reggie sings,

"yes, we can" the other three sing,

"can you hear me?"

"loud and clear!"

"we gotta get,"

"wanna get,"

"we gotta get ready!" they popcorn between reggie and the backup vocals,

"'cause it's been years, hey!" they harmonize and sing together, looking at all the life and happiness they brought. "oh, this band is back. oh, this band is back. whoo, ooh, ooh, ooh, whoo, ooh, ooh, ooh, whoo, ooh, ooh, ooh whoo, ooh, wee, ooh"

they scat-sing as they walk down the beach, laugh and singing.

*･῾ ᵎ⌇ ⁺◦  ✧.*

THE BOYS LOOK AROUND julie's room as y/n sits on the bed with reggie as he makes snow angels on the covers. "julie isn't gonna like us in hear..." y/n sighs.

the door opens and in walks julie, "what are you doing in my room!" she yells, making them jump.

"told you." y/n mutters.

"uh-"

"uhm.."

"we were looking for the kitchen?" luke answers and reggie nods quickly.

"this... this can't happen. it's creepy."
she tells them. "get off my bed please." she tells reggie and y/n gets up too.

"hey julie?" luke asks, raising his hand.

"luke, this isn't kindergarten. put your hand down." y/n sasses him and he quickly obliged.

"what's in the box?" he asks, pointing to the white box on top of her shelf.

"that's off limits." she answers.

"oh. oh, ok." luke chuckles. "girl stuff."

julie crosses her arms and luke stops giggling. "oh, like butterflies and glitter?"

"oh, come on!" alex groans. "i'm sorry about them."

"me too." y/n says. "alex and i are the sane ones." she whispers towards julie.

"what, no, it's none of your business." she snaps before the boys can reply as Luke los towards the box again. "and yes, there might be some glitter."

reggie smirks at y/n, making her groan.

alex turns back to the dresser and picks up a picture frame. "hey!" he chuckles. "i actually picked something up!" he says, right as he drops it on julie's bed. "i dropped it."

"is that your mom?" y/n asks as she looks at the picture, luke peeking over her shoulder.

"yes, and it's my favorite picture of us." she tells them harshly. "so if you break it, i'll break you."

"ok, well, sorry because we're kinda unbreakable at this point." alex answers sassily.

"i don't get it." julie states. "you guys can mess up my bed, pick up your instruments, but you can't pick up other stuff?"

"i know right? it's hard." luke answers. "but for some reason, our instruments, easy."

"yeah like super easy." reggie agrees. "oh," he says, rising from the bean bag, "and check out what i learned today." he puts his hands out and his bass appears, the weight making him fall back onto the chair with a groan.

"yeah, that looked super easy." y/n replies sarcastically.

"but it's like i always thought," luke continues, "our instruments are attached to our souls."

someone knocks on her door and ray peeks his head in, "hey."

"oh!" reggie exclaims before running and hiding behind y/n.

"everything ok?" he asks julie.

"yeah!" she replies quickly. "i'm fine."

"ok... i thought i heard you talking to someone." he laughs to himself.

"nope." she looks around the room before landing on her device, "must've been my laptop... that i just closed."

"ok then. if you need anything..." he motions to the kitchen. "should i?" he asks, pointing to the door

"yeah." julie tells him. "thanks."

he closes the door and walks out.

"you're dad seems like the kind of guy who likes to barbecue." reggie says randomly. "i bet he has a great ribs recipe."

"i don't know, but if you guys want to talk to me," she waves him off, "we have to do it in the studio. he's worried enough as it is."

"he seems chill, you should just tell him about us." luke tells her.

"you're kidding, right?" julie says seriously.

"yeah, dingus, imagine how crazy she'll sound if she says a ghost band is living in her mom's studio." y/n states and alex agrees.

julie sighs, "she's right. this past year, everyone's been watching over me, being super nice, as if they're waiting for me to snap. if i do tell my dad i met a ghost band, i'll be back to dr. turner three days a week."

"ok. yeah, probably shouldn't tell him." luke says. "julie," he says, walking over to the box on the shelf.

"oh my gosh! i thought i told you to leave that alone!" she scolds him.

"you shouldn't have said anything." y/n mumbles.

"yeah, 'cause now i can't stop thinking about it, so... what's in the box julie?"

"it's just my dream box, ok?" she confesses. the boys look to her in confusion and she sits back in her heels to explain. "whenever i get a thought, i write it down and get it out of my mind."

"like lyrics?"

she sighs and continues, "they would be if i still wrote music like i used to with my mom. now it's just full of stuff that doesn't make me sad."

"but i mean you do play." alex says, standing up, "we heard you this morning."

"in the garage?" she asks, raising her voice.

alex nods and luke and y/n both smack him, "ow!"

"so you were there too?" she asks.

"uhhh.."

"i don't..."

"and he was like..."

"somewhere."

y/n sits down on the bed as the boys scramble for an excuse, "so where is your kitchen, by the way?"

"ok, we need to set some boundaries." julie tells them. "for starters, stay out of my room!" she yells at them.

"mmhmm."

"crystal clear."

"let's go."

"we're leaving. yes ma'am! we are out of here!"

after they leave, y/n pokes her head back in through the door. "hey! um, i didn't mean to bother you. did you get back into your music program?"

"i was wondering too." alex says, leaning over y/n.

"no. no, i didn't." julie says, looking down.

alex and y/n nod before he speaks again, "i'm sorry. that really sucks."

"yeah, sorry." y/n says.

"thanks." julie answers.

alex sighs and y/n nods, both of them sharing a look.

"is that it?" julie asks them.

"yeah."

"yeah. this is getting weird." alex mumbles.

julie waves at them and they exit, trying to escape the weirdness.

*･῾ ᵎ⌇ ⁺◦  ✧.*

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