This Band is Back

Chapter 18

Luke sat on the counter in his parents house.  He observed as they watched TV and ate dinner.  Sighing he stood up and walked to the room which use to be his.  Luke glanced at his old posters on the wall, and the boxes of his stuff that were scattered around the room.  It looked like his parents had tried to clean out the room but had given up.  He put his back against the wall and slid down to the ground.

"What if she's right?" He said to himself.  "What if whatever Caleb did to her is permanent?  The only reason she is like this in the first place is because I wanted revenge on Bobby.  If I hadn't pushed so hard to meet Caleb maybe we would all be okay, maybe she would be okay." He looked up and the ceiling and let out a frustrated sigh. 

He would never be able to forgive himself if it was permanent.  He had lost so many people, and of course Julie was still his friend but it felt like he lost that spark with her.  Maybe it was just because she wasn't playing music, so they couldn't bond over that.  But it wasn't just that, it was something more, and he didn't want to loose that connection with her. 

He took out the piece of paper in his pocket, and unfolded it.  Luke had carried the song around ever since that night, because it felt like a connection, something he could still hold on to from her.  He had been wanting to show Julie it, in hopes of bringing back her memory, but there was no way it would work.  For some reason this time the song from her mom didn't work and none of the bands songs were any better.  So there was no way this song would help. 

"Okay Luke, pull yourself together." He stood up and poofed back to the studio.  It was empty and silent which was very rare, at least it was before Julie lost her memory.  He grabbed his guitar and sat down on the couch, pulling out the song.  Strumming the chords he quietly sang it to himself. 

"That sounds really good." Luke jumped at the voice.  He saw Julie leaning on the door with her arms crossed.  "Did we write that?"  She asked slowly approaching Luke.

"No, no." He grabbed the paper and stuffed it in his pocket.  He gave her a sheepish smile before focusing back on his guitar.

"I came out here hoping I would get some sort of motivation to play.  Flynn said that people have been complaining about the lack of performances.  She says that if we don't do something soon are band will become irrelevant." She laughed but gave him a pained look.

"Luke I'm so sorry I know what this means to you.  I want to play, I do but I just can't bring myself to do it." He met her eyes as a tear fell down her cheek.

"I don't know if this helps at all but I think the reason you started playing last time wasn't just because of the song your mom wrote.  But because you realized that to keep your moms memory alive and continue to make her proud you should play because of her."  He gave her a soft smile he only reserved for her. 

"Julie you have so many people supporting you, Flynn, Carlos, Your Dad, Me and the Guys.  I mean Julie your entire school wants to see you perform.  I know you love music because I have seen you perform before, and the energy you have on stage is like no one I have ever seen before.  All it takes is for you to take that step, light that spark, and swing the wrecking ball of talent in their faces." He laughed and kicked the air.  She laughed along with him, and he thought he saw something  he recognized in her eyes as she looked at him, something resembling the old Julie.  He furrowed his eyebrows and shook off the thought. 

"Thank you Luke, I think that actually helped."

"Oh it better have, that was an amazing inspirational speech if I have ever heard one." He laughed and began to stand up.  "I think I'm going to go find the guys,  you're welcome to come if you want?" 

"I think I'm going to stay here for a while, but thanks for the offer."  She smiled at him as he walked out of the studio.   "Okay Julie, you got this."  She walked over to the piano and sat down, running her fingers over the keys.  Then she did it she tapped a key, she pulled her hand away in surprise.  Then she did something she didn't expect, she laughed, a laugh full of joy.  She began to glide her fingers across the keys playing the opening of Wake up.  She played through the whole song singing passionately, and feeling alive again.

At the end of the song she sighed and smiled to herself.  I did it, she thought.  Walking over to the door she saw a piece of folded paper on the ground.  "Luke must have dropped this." Julie picked it up and moved back to the couch to sit down and read it.  She unfolded it and read through the lyrics.  Hold up, this is a love song. 

She raised her eyebrows and kept reading.  Wait a minute, this is my handwriting she thought to herself.  Who on earth was I writing a love song about, I mean it couldn't be Nick because Flynn says I got over him.  Reggie is like a brother to me, and I'm not exactly Alex's type.  And Luke's cute, but he's also a ghost.  She folded the paper back up missing the note she had wrote on the back she laid back on the couch.  She tried to search her mind for any clue of who the song could be about, and why Luke had it in the first place.  But once again she was met by a dark cloud over any of the memories. She sighed and closed her eyes, but ended up falling asleep, and immediately into a familiar dream.

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Sorry It has been a while since I posted.  I am thinking about wrapping the story up in a few more chapters, so what do you guys think will happen?  Will Caleb make another appearance?  Will Julie ever get her memory back?