CHAPTER FOUR

THE BAND STOOD BY WHERE REGGIES HOUSE USED TO BE. it was now a bike shack and reggie wasn't to happy about that.

"a bike shack right where my house used to be. right here." spoke reggie with a frown. luke pat his chest, "yeah, i'm sorry, man."

"they made the meyersons house into a noodle shop. why couldn't they have made mine a pizzeria or something?"

alex looked around as andy grabbed reggies hand in sympathy, "they tore down the whole neighborhood."

"i guess my folks are gone." frowned reggie and alex turned to him, "no. everyone's gone. twenty-five years, gone. friends, family, bobby, everyone."

reggie looked at alex, "bobby, that's right. i guess that vegetarian lucked out. what do you think happened to him?"

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

"dude, how are you so casual about all of this? i mean don't you wanna figure out what happened?" questioned alex as he stared at luke. luke countered, "let's be real for a second. it's not like any of us were that close to our families. my folks always regretted buying me that guitar, i mean, they even blamed andy joining the band on it. reggie, your parents were literally a fight away from a divorce. alex, i... your parents were never cool again after you told them you were gay."

andy frowned, "jeez luke." reggie squeezed her hand as alex spoke, "okay. none of us had it great. 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 okay with that either. all right? it tingles. in weird places."

andy put a hand up, "yup, we get it. thanks alex." luke stood from the rock he was sitting on, "i'll tell you what we had. it's what we've had since the day we came together. guys, we have us. we're the only family we're ever gonna need. you know what else we have?"

"i'm gonna guess death breath." shrugged reggie and andy mumbled, "if he says music i'm going to gag."

"yes andy, our music." luke pointed at reggie, "you dork." he continued, "we have our music, you guys. 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 down at the pier."

"they can't tip what they can't see." spoke alex and lukes face fell, "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." luke spun around and suddenly his acoustic guitar was in his arms.

"woah! that was rad. how'd you do that?" questioned reggie and luke looked up from his guitar to his friends and back down, "i don't know. i-i-i mean, i wished for it, and then it came in my hands..."

reggie let go of andy's hand and bent down, "i-i-i wish i had a puppy." nothing happened. "a hamster?" nothing again. "pizza?" still, nothing.

reggie, in defeat, kicked the sand like a child before sitting down and pouting. luke smiled, "hey, i think i know something that'll cheer you up."

he began playing on his guitar and reggie stayed sat on the ground. andy rolled her eyes as she tried to hide her smile as alex went next to luke, sticking his arms out towards reggie, "come on, reginald."

reggie gave andy a look and when he saw the small smile peak on her face as she began to make a beat with claps, he stood and began singing.

they all hopped onto the giant log luke was sitting on earlier as reggie continued to sing. they ran around a bit and harmonized together with smiles on their faces, happy to be singing together.

reggie hopped along chairs and andy smiled as she saw people around them dancing a bit and smiling. they continued and reggie leaned back on one of the chairs, pretending to drum the air.

andy laughed as alex spun her around as they all sang. the two followed after luke and reggie who went up to two people. the man of the two spoke, "you won't find the speaker. it's direct spot audio. i heard about it in a ted talk."

the four continued to dance around a bit as luke began scatting. when they were done, they all smiled to each other and luke pulled them all towards him in a hug.

andy smiled as she was squished between alex and reggie, just happy to be with her friends and do what she loves again.

the group stayed at the beach for a little while longer before going back to julies. the boys wanted to see what was going on in julies room but andy knew better than to go into a girls bedroom so she opted to sit in the hall and mess with lukes guitar.

andy looked up and smiled a bit when she saw julie. julie smiled back but then gave a weird look of curiosity as to why andy was just sitting outside her room.

all her questions were answered when she walked in to see reggie on her bed, alex at her picture, and luke staring at her dream box.

"what are you guys doing in my room?" questioned julie angrily and the three began to scramble. luke quickly spoke, "we were looking for the kitchen?"

the other two nodded and julie quickly poked her head out to look at andy, who shook her head, before julie went back in, "this.... this cant happen. it's creepy. get off my bed, please." reggie quickly hopped up and luke raised his hand, "hey, julie. what's in the box?"

"that's off limits."

luke smiled, "oh. oh, okay. girl stuff." julie crossed her arms and reggie spoke, "oh, like butterflies and glitter?"

"oh, come on. im sorry about them." spoke alex and andy poked her head into the room, "reggie girls aren't just described by butterflies and glitter."

julie shook her head, "it's none of your business. and yes, there might be some glitter." reggie gave andy a cocky grin towards andy and the girl gave a sarcastic smile back before going back to just listening from outside.

julie watched as alex smiled, finally picking up a photo, before dropping it right on her bed with a frown.

luke went up to the photograph, "is that your mom?" julie nodded and grabbed the picture, "yes, and it's my favorite picture of us. so, if you break it, i'll break you."

andy stood up and came into the room, "sorry but it got boring out there." she stood by the door and alex countered julies last remark, "okay, well, sorry because we're kind of unbreakable at this point."

julie sighed, "i don't get it. you guys can mess up my bed, pick up your instruments, but you can't pick up other stuff?" luke agreed, "i know, right? it's hard. but for some reason, our instruments, easy."

reggie nodded, "yeah, like super easy. well, besides andy's cello, that thing will always be a piece of work. oh, and check out what i learned today."

reggie put his arms out and his bass appeared, sending him flying back down where he was last sitting. julie sarcastically responded, "yeah, that looked super easy."

"but, it's like i always thought, our instruments are attached to our souls." smiled luke and andy scrunched up her face, "barf." luke taunted her back and andy glared at him.

"hey." spoke another voice and reggie did a backwards summersault over what he was sitting on, andy ran over to the boys, and luke grabbed alex's hand, putting it on his chest.

julies dad poked his head into the room, "everything okay?" julie nodded, "yeah. i'm fine." luke looked down to see himself holding alex's hand and quickly let go, both boys giving the other a look.

"okay. i thought i heard you talking to someone." stated julies dad and julie shook her head, "nope. must've been my laptop... that i just closed." her dad nodded, "okay. if you need anything..."

he shut the door behind him as he left and reggie smiled, "your dad seems like the kind of guy who likes to barbecue. i bet he has a great ribs recipe."

julie shrugged, "i don't know. but if you guys wanna talk to me, we have to do it in the studio. he's worried about me enough as it is."

luke smiled, "he seems chill. you should just tell him about us." julie looked at luke, "you're kidding, right? this past year, everyone's been watching over me, being super nice, as if they're waiting for me to snap. if i tell my dad i met a ghost band, i'll be back to talking to dr. turner three days a week."

luke clicked his tongue, "you probably shouldn't tell him." he walked back over to the box, "julie..." julie shouted, "oh my gosh! i thought i told you to leave that alone!"

"i know. you just should've said nothing cause now i can't stop thinking about it, so... what's in the box julie?"

julie gave andy a look as the girl sat next to reggie on a beanbag chair, "just... tell him. he won't stop asking unless you do."

julie sighed, annoyed, "it's just my dream box, okay? whenever i get a thought, i write it down and get it out of my mind."

"like lyrics?"

"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." explained julie and alex stood up, "but, i mean, you do play. we heard you this morning."

julie looked at him, "in the garage?" reggie and andy quickly stood up as luke smacked alex on the shoulder and andy mumbled, "idiot."

"so you were there too?" questioned julie.

"uh... i don't... somewhere."

"uh... he was, like... we were..."

luke went onto julies bed, "so, where is your kitchen, by the way?" julie bent down next to him, "okay, we need to set some boundaries. for starters, stay out of my room!"

the band all quickly left and andy gave julie an apologetic smile.

they all made it back to the studio and alex sighed, "julie told me she didn't get back into her music program."

andy frowned, "that's a waste. she's really good." the boys all nodded their heads and they all just sat around until andy stood up, "i'm going to go see if any of the clothes we left are mine!"

she quickly ran over to the trash bag and began searching till she found some of her black ripped jeans, an oversized band t-shirt, and a flannel shirt. the girl smiled and grabbed the clothes before turning into a corner where she was more hidden.

luke caught reggie as the latter stared at where andy had disappeared to without noticing he was doing it.

luke walked over to reggie and moved the boys head so he was staring back at luke, "still my little sister man."

reggie smiled a bit and rubbed the back of his neck, "sorry."