─── ∙ ~εïз~ ∙ ───

the chatter and laughter of surprisingly energetic children filled the hallway of los feliz high school. julie molina made her way to her locker with her head down, a bright pink hat covering her face completely. she reached her destination, approached by no one, until she began opening her locker.

"hey, underachiever." her best friend, flynn, greeted her with a big smile. "hey, disappointment." the molina girl smiled back.

"okay, i know you don't want me to ask, but have you figured out what you're gonna do today?" flynn asked the girl. julie gave her a shrug, confirming she wasn't sure, "i'll know in the moment."

"really, jules?" flynn's face fell in slight disappointment, she was expecting her friend to be a little more prepared, "that's all you're giving me? mrs harrison said this is your last chance."

"i know." julie sighed at the reminder, "i was there."

"see you at the rally!" a voice called out from in front of the two. they turned their heads to the side to see none other than carrie wilson giving out pieces of paper to everyone who passed by. "ugh!" flynn grimaced, "what is she handing out?"

"hi!"

"desperation?" julie joked, making her friend snicker.

"mm."

"she's handing out invitations." anastasia jackson revealed as she approached her friends, "and i managed to get one."

flynn raised her brow, "finally you're here stasie... hold on, she invited you?"

"i think so, she pushed it in my hands and said: 'see you there'." stasie shrugged.

julie beamed at her family-friend, "sounds like a personal invitation to me."

the strawberry blonde started making her way over to the trio, her boyfriend lugging behind, his guitar case in his hands. "hi, nick." stasie flashed him a sweet smile. the two were good friends as they sat next to one another in english class.

nick looked up from his phone and waved at her, "hey!"

"here you go." carrie passed flynn and then julie a pamphlet, "my group's performing at the spirit rally tomorrow. i'm sure you guys have nothing better to do."

"oh my gosh, carrie." flynn flashed the girl faux enthusiasm, "thanks!"

"oh my gosh, flynn." she imitated her, "don't bother coming!" as the girl walked off, flynn took hold of her and stasie's flyer and began scrunching it up.

"hey!" stasie pouted, "what if i wanted to go to that?"

"here you go."

"why would you?" flynn challenged.

"because... just as carrie said, i have nothing else better to do." stasie hummed.

"come see dirty candy tomorrow."

flynn scoffed before turning to her other friend who was gawking at a particular blonde boy. "nick?" she questioned, "still?"

"can't blame her, he is cute." stasie defended the girl.

"thank you!" julie gave her an appreciative expression.

"you know they're gonna get married and have a bunch of unholy babies." flynn crossed her arms as she informed her two friends.

"nick's a sweetheart." julie stated.

"you'd actually have to talk to him to know that," flynn argued.

"well stasie has, and she can confirm it for me." julie hummed while facing her friend.

stasie nodded, "yes, that i can do."

"plus, only one of them has to be a demon to make a demon baby." flynn continued before turning to carrie and shouting out: "demon!"

when carrie turned to look at them, the three quickly whirled away to face the lockers while chuckling to each other. as julie smiled, flynn couldn't help but be even more happy. "there's that smile." flynn pointed out, "now, let's go prove everybody wrong."

─── ∙ ~εïз~ ∙ ───

in front of the class, stasie was sat on a comfy chair, in her hands was a brown acoustic guitar she had borrowed from her mother, who received it as a gift when she was a teenager. stasie looked up at her classmates and saw nick, flynn and julie giving her reassuring looks.

"whenever you're ready." mrs harrison gave her a nod.

stasie smiled at her teacher and laid her finger on the guitar strings. she began gently strumming and playing an easy and soft melody. the brunette found herself humming to the harmony, suddenly being drawn in by the music.

when she finally became aware of her surroundings, she looked up and saw the class giving her applause. stasie shook her head in disbelief and widely grinned before taking a joking bow.

"marvellous work, anastasia." mrs harrison clapped, "simple but beautiful."

"thank you."

stasie placed her guitar in the corner of the room, where she always left it before going to pick it up before class ends, and made her way back to her seat. when she sat down beside her friend, flynn patted her back.

"well done." julie told her. "it was lovely."

"thanks, jules."

"nick, you're up next." mrs harrison pointed to the light-haired boy.

nick stood up and began unzipping his guitar case. he pulled out a blue electric guitar and stood in the upper centre of the room, where stasie previously was. the class listened intently as nick began playing an amazing guitar riff, ending it off with a long note.

the class erupted in a cheer, some of his teammates standing up and cheering louder as nick gave them a shy smile. stasie wore a grin on her face as she applauded the boy with pride. he was very talented, in sports, music and english classes.

"wow!" carrie praised him before giggling.

"nice job, nick." mrs harrison told him, "almost as impressive as your game against glendale." she joked, refering to his recent lacrosse game. the lady waited for the class to settle down after her joke, "okay, we have one last performance." mrs harrison clapped her hands, "julie?"

the group turned to the girl who lifted her head. julie let out a heavy sigh before getting to her feet and gradually walking towards the music room's grand piano.

"go julie!" stasie yelled out for the girl, attempting to encorage her, but it seemed to only make her more embarrased.

the curly-haired girl sat down at the piano and took a deep breath.

"take your time." mrs harrison gave her a nod. the class waited for a awhile in anticipation. but it was soon clear that julie was not going to be playing. this made carrie smile, another thing to make fun of julie with. flynn swiftly stood up, ready to support her friend.

"i'm sorry." julie apolgised to the music teacher.

"is this when we clap?" carrie sneered. her friends let out an almost forced laugh, causing julie to storm out the classroom in embarrassment and anger.

"oh shut the hell up, carrie!"stasie rolled her eyes. she wasn't the type use exclamttives but carrie was getting on her last nerve. julie had been through so much and it was so sad that her peers couldn't understand that.

"anastasia! language." mrs harrison warned.

"watch it, carrie." flynn threatened before taking stasie's hand in her own and leaving the classroom, to try track down their friend.

─── ∙ ~εïз~ ∙ ───

the two were unsuccessful in locating julie. so they just assumed she had gone home. stasie's last period was english, where nick questioned if julie was okay, but stasie didn't even know the answer herself. after school had ended, stasie carefully opened the front door of her home, not knowing whether her mum was at home or not.

"afternoon." her mother, michelle jackson, greeted from the kitchen. she was rushing around the room, and she wasn't in the mood for a conversation.

"good afternoon, mamá." stasie called out, taking her shoes off and placing her backpack onto the ground, "i didn't know if you were back from work."

her mother worked at a nurse in the local hospital, meaning she had long hours and was barely in the house. she usually took night shifts and not wanting her to be all alone at night, julie's father, ray molina had told her she was always welcome to stay over.

"yes, i got back an hour ago, but i'll be leaving soon."

stasie nodded, not really understanding why she had to leave so quickly after coming back so recently. but she knew better not to question her mother. "i played a melody in music today." she started, trying to start a conversation.

"that's great!" her mother nodded, clearly looking exhausted, "could you do me a favour?"

"of course."

"could you deliver these to the molinas?" michelle pulled out a large bowl of food, paella valenciana, expecting her daughter to take it from her hands.

michelle jackson and rose molina had been best friends since they were teenagers. they grew up on the same street and even moved into the same street when they were adults. rose's passing took a massive toll on michelle, so she picked up extra shifts at the hospital to take her mind off how alone she felt without her best friend.

when she wasn't working, she was sleeping. and when she wasn't sleeping, she was making bulk food for her daughter and the molinas, knowing ray struggled to cook.

"yeah." stasie sighed and took it from her, "is that all you need?"

"perfect! thank you." michelle sighed in relief. stasie nodded before slipping her favourite pair of sliders, they were red and slightly fluffy, before making her way out the house.

julie, her father and her brother lived just down the road to stasie and her mother, so there was no point in her taking her bike. it took the girl no longer than five minutes to walk to the molinas with the heavy plastic container in her hands.

the back door was for some reason semi-open so stasie decided to simply let herself in. as she was about to step through the door, she was greeted by julie's very outgoing aunt - victoria.

"anastasia! hola dulce!" victoria patted her shoulder.

"hola tia victoria." stasie greeted her, "my mother sent me here to drop off some food."

"i was here for the exact same reason!" aunt victoria explained, "however, i must go if i don't want to be late for pilates. tell your mother i said hello and i'll come see her soon."

"will do, goodbye." stasie watched as the lady jogged over to her car, before she turned around and entered the household.

"stasie!" carlos molina got up from his seat and ran over to embrace her.

"hi stas."

"hi, carlos." stasie smiled, trying to hug him back despite the large container still in her hands. "hey julie, you okay?"

"yeah."

"easy carlos, you don't want her to drop that wonderfully smelling food." ray molina warned him, "hello, anastasia."

the boy released her and reached behind to grab something from the cutlery drawer. he picked out an extra fork and placed it onto his bowl of spaghetti.

"hi ray." stasie waved as she opened the fridge, "i'll just leave this here."

"perfect! remind me to thank your mother." ray pointed at her, "carlos?"

"right." the younger boy sighed before grabbing his plate and trekking his way to the living room to finish his food.

"would you like to stay for a while?" ray offered. "that'd be great." stasie smiled at the kind gesture.

"come join me!" carlos yelled. stasie left the father and daughter alone for them to talk, and sat down next to the youngest molina on the couch.

"would you like some?" carlos held up his plate and displayed the extra fork he retrieved for her.

"you're the best." stasie squealed in appreciation. before taking the fork and and swirling it in his spaghetti.

"now you have to listen to how i slid into home and was almost safe," carlos declared.

stasie lifted her head up and frowned, "so you're sharing your food with me so i'd listen to your baseball story?"

"yes, that's exactly what i'm doing." carlos nodded, "so i-" he was interrupted by the loud sound of instrumental rock music, startling the two. carlos shot up and ran back over to the table, stasie close behind.

"what's that?" carlos quizzed.

julie rose from her seat and pulled her mother's plate out from her lap, "i must have left the stereo on in the garage. i'll go get it."

the three watched as they she ran out the garage. they waiting in silence for a while before ray got up: "i'll check up on her." carlos watched as stasie tapped her foot in anticipation, "you should go too."

she let out a deep breath, "are you sure?, i don't want to leave you."

"it's okay." carlos told her. stasie gave him a smile before she jogged out the house and round to the garage made studio. as she approached, she saw ray reluctantly departing.

"be careful in there, she just kicked me out," he warned her.

"i will." she laughed, "thank you."

stasie got closer to the door and could hear people having a heated discussion inside.

"he likes our song."

"oh yeah, he doesn't count. he's a dad."

"why can't you guys just be normal ghosts?!" julie snapped.

stasie reached out and forced open the large white door, "am i interrupting something?" the girl had the door open and stood there in bewilderment when she saw julie associated with three other boys.

"stasie!" julie gasped.

"oh my gosh."

⎯ ❃ jania speaks!

also while you guys are here, please check out my other books!! :)

i already love writing this book so i hope you guys love it as much as i do !!

gif is stasie talking about the dirty candy flyers