| 𝙿𝚛𝚒𝚗𝚌𝚎𝚜𝚜 | 𝙹.𝙼𝚘𝚕𝚒𝚗𝚊 | 𝙲𝚘𝚖𝚙𝚕𝚎𝚝𝚎𝚍

14 | SALT BURNS THEIR SOULS OUT

     THE WHOLE WEEKEND was spent writing songs with Julie, Hayden helped her finish a few songs that she began to write with her mom and she even showed her some she had written with Luke and on her own. Julie especially seemed to like the song 'She' which was about Amy, Hayden's old best friend and crush.

When Julie asked about it, Hayden realized she had never told the girl she was gay. She did tell her and was quite happy to find that she was super accepting, just like the boys were. Julie then told her she was bisexual. The two seemed to just carry on as if they hadn't just come out to each other. Hayden liked that.

When Monday rolled around and Julie headed to school. Hayden looked at the song Julie seemed to enjoy so much and almost silently sung the lyrics. The boys watched her lay on the couch, looking up at she held her notebook above her face. Luke could tell she had crush on Julie, she was happier than before. 

The girl then sat up and grabbed a pen from the table, crossing something off the page which did make Luke kinda worried. He sat beside her and glanced at the notebook to see that Hayden was changing the lyrics.

"Why are you changing them?" He asked her.

Hayden didn't look from the book. "It reminds me of Amy and I want that to change."

"So, it will remind you of Julie?" He smirked.

The girl stopped and whipped her head around to face him, her cheeks were red. "What? No."

He hummed and nodded. "Sure, sure. I know you have a crush on her. Reggie is a little behind but we can all see how you look at her and how she looks at you."

"She doesn't like me like that, Luke." She mumbled, turning back to the song. "Now leave me alone so I can finish this."

"Okay, okay." Luke chuckled, standing up and walking back over to the boys.

Throughout the day, Hayden worked on the song so she could show Julie when it was done. She practiced the chords on Luke's acoustic guitar and when she was practicing, the boys just watched her in awe. The last time they heard her write a song about someone, that someone being Amy, was twenty six years ago. When Julie arrived home, she headed to the studio with the news that the band had a gig and that she had to water the plants in the studio.

"We're playing a school dance?" Reggie asked, looking at the paper Julie had handed him. "Sweet!"

Luke sighed. "It's not exactly the strip."

Hayden ruffled his hair. "And you're not exactly alive, so maybe you should be happy we have out first gig."

"I wasn't in love with the idea at first either, but it could be a great way for us to build a following, right?" Julie spoke.

"Yeah! Yeah. We need to play wherever and whenever we can." Reggie nodded.

Luke finally nodded in agreement. "No, you're right. Let's rock those kids' faces off and then play the clubs."

"And then record a single that gets a billion streams?" Julie smiled, joining the three ghosts at the piano.

Hayden snapped her fingers at Julie. "I don't know what that is, but hopefully it gets us a manager and a tour."

"And then we release a bunch of hit albums!"

"Put out a country album that does surprisingly well." Reggie butted in. "I shred on the banjo, so..."

Julie chuckled. "Then I'll learn how to fiddle." The two went to fist bump but hovered inches apart instead.

"And before you know it, we're being inducted into the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame!" Luke smiled.

"But, one of us isn't there." Reggie spoke, causing everyone to look at him. "Because one of us had a blow out in 2032. My money's on Alex, he's just so sensitive. Or Hayden, she's impulsive and will probably go and do her own thing."

"Like hell I would leave this band." The girl chuckled. "Anyway, what are we waiting for? Let's get rehearsing!"

"Uh, where is Alex?" Julie asked. 

Hayden leaned over to her. "He's with his new ghost friend."

After realizing what Hayden meant, Julie nodded and the three began to rehearse without their drummer. Hayden was still thinking about the song she had written and changed, Luke was right, it was about Julie. Her smile and laugh just replayed in her mind over and over again, it was infectious. She looked over at the girl and took in her appearance to notice that Julie was wearing one of her shirts.

Hayden had left the shirt in Julie's room in hope she would wear it, and she has. It was her old band shirt, it was like Luke's but with sleeves, Julie wore a flannel over it. She wasn't wearing it when she went to school which meant she came home and got changed into it. Luckily, the boys hadn't noticed it was hers yet.

Just as the band finished, Alex decided to join them. He had a smile on his face as he had been spending most of his time with his new ghost friend, Willie. 

"Hey Alex." Reggie smiled at his friend.

"Where have you been, man? We need to start practicing." Luke spoke.

Alex looked at the group in confusion. "Yeah? For what?"

The studio door opened to reveal Flynn, she posed in the door way and smiled. "Dance news! I don't have a date but I Don't care because I'm so psyched to see you guys preform."

"Aw, man. We're playing a dance?"

Hayden chuckled at Alex's response. "Of course dude. That's how we get a following nowadays."

"Yeah, get with the program, Alex." Julie smiled at the ghost.

"What?" Flynn said. "The band is here? Hey, guys!" She then waved in the complete opposite direction to where the band was.

"Other way, sweetie." Julie corrected, the other girl turned and waved, although they couldn't be seen, both Alex and Reggie waved back.

"Okay." Hayden spoke. "Now that Alex has graced us with his presence, can we start rehearsing?"

"Yes." Julie nodded and turned to Flynn. "We're gonna rehearse, you wanna stick around."

Flynn thought for a second. "I'm supposed to blow up five hundred balloons for the school dance, but this sounds way better."

Another voice then came from just outside the studio. "Hey, Julie!" Carlos ran in moments later. "Remember those orbs in Dad's pictures? I think they're ghosts. But don't worry. This room is...is...This room is clean. I'm not getting any ghost tinglies."

Reggie chuckled. "Wrong again, little dude."

"Have no fear! If they come back, I will protect you because I am the man of the house."

"Isn't dad supposed to be the man of the house?" Julie asked her younger brother.

"There can be two." He replied. "And dad needs all the help he can get, right? According to the internet, salt burns their souls out. A little sprinkle will keep them from ever coming in here." The kid then began to sprinkle it around.

Luke and Reggie, who had been sat on chairs, simply lifted their feet to get away from it, Hayden managed to poof out up to the loft in time but then the salt hit Alex directly.

"No!" He yelled dramatically. "Oh God, I'm...I'm fine. I'm fine. Totally fine."

Hayden leaned over the railing to that Alex was in fact, fine. She climbed down the ladders just as Flynn led Carlos out of the studio so the band could rehearse.