ILLOGICAL GHOSTS. jatp

three

          The Molina sisters spent their way back home in a gloomy atmosphere. When Julie got into the car Tina immediately jumped on her with questions about her conversation with Mrs. Harrison, but she quickly realized how the conversation had ended by the look on Julie's face. The younger girl didn't even speak and just stared grimly at her hands that laid in her lap. At times like this, both girls wished Rose was still alive. She always knew what to do or say in any situation and Tina, although she tried to replace her in a small way, didn't always succeeded. Therefore, giving her sister only a side hug she started the engine and headed for home.

Every few minutes she glanced at Julie wondering what to do to make her feel better, but nothing came to her mind as she was in a bad mood herself. She had even opened her mouth several times to tell some silly story about Silas or Dorcas, but each time she closed it at the last moment. Fortunately, the younger Molina managed to lift up her mood by herself, as all she had to do was glance at the name of the playlist the songs were playing from. Tina hearing her sister's quiet snort managed a small smile looking at the road the whole time.

When they reached home, Julie quickly got out of the car and walked home, silently thanking her sister for the ride. The older teenager reached into the backseat for her backpack and other things she had thrown there while in the school parking lot and picking up her physics textbook she cursed silently as she saw the notes that had flown out of the book on the floor. Exhaling loudly, she dived backwards from the driver's seat to collect the notes. She banged her head against the seat a few times as she collected them, fortunately after less than two minutes she got everything together and got out of the car with her thoughts already in bed.

As she entered the house walking up the stairs she passed her dad who greeted her with a small smile and asked her to check on Julie. Tina only smiled softly at her father knowing that he was worried about her little sister, especially now that he knew what had happened with the music program. After nodding that she would check on her sister she moved on towards her room wanting to finally get her backpack off her back and leave her physics textbook on desk. When she had done that and tied her hair into messy bun she went to Julie's room, but hearing her talking to someone she stopped in front of the door and moved her head closer to it.

"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."

"He seems chill. You should just tell him about us."

"You're kidding, right?" She heard Julie's tired sigh. "This past year, everyone's been watching over me, being super nice, as if they're waiting for me to snap. My sister now always puts me and Carlos first instead of herself, she literally had put a lot of things in her life on stop because of me and... and if I tell my dad I met a ghost band, I'll be back to talking to Dr. Turner three days a week."

At those words Tina knitted her brows together not knowing that Julie felt that way about her. That she felt like a burden. Sure, she'd put some things aside after her mom died so she could help her dad around the house more, but she never thought Julie would blame herself for that. She didn't think it would bother her that she started giving her and Carlos more attention than before only wanting them to not feel lonely after their mom died. She even started learning to play the piano from tutorials on the internet wanting to help Julie in any way she could, and she read an entire Wikipedia page about baseball so she would know what Carlos was talking about. Of course, it never came to the situation in which two sisters would play together, as the older teen, after observing for a while, concluded that it wouldn't help her baby sister.

Finally, she put her hand on the doorknob, and with the other she quietly knocked on the door.

"Knock, knock. Can I come in, Julie?" She waited a moment for an answer and upon hearing yes she entered the room. Upon crossing the threshold, her gaze immediately wandered between the band and her sister, who looked tired and annoyed at the same time. "I just wanted to see how you were holding up. Dad told me to check on you." She playfully rolled her eyes.