Stand Tall // Julie and the Phantoms (Luke Patterson)

10

[I Got the Music]

Julie stood by her locker as she hummed I Got the Music.

"Hey, can I have my sticks back?" a boy in a marching band uniform asked.

Julie frowned and looked in her back pocket to see drumsticks. She handed them to the boy with a frown.

Flynn walked up to her friend.

"Hey, what's up?" Julie asked.

Flynn smiled. "Nothing. It's just nice seeing you back to your weirdo self."

"Thanks?"

"So how's the band? Still hot? Still talented?" She glanced around. "Still dead?"

Julie chuckled. "Amazing. Luke, Em and I spent the whole weekend writing songs. I think that made Em a little jealous, to be honest. Come on. You wanna hear some of them?"

"Duh!"

The girls made their way to the music room and Julie said, "Like it was flowing through me, like when I used to write years ago."

Julie sat on the piano bench and Flynn stood in front of her.

The curly-haired teen said, "So, this is the first song Luke, Em and I wrote." She took out a few papers that had been scribbled with notes. "Here's a bit of the chorus."

She played part of the chorus of Edge of Great.

Flynn smiled widely. "Wow! I like it! Definite Gaga vibes."

"Thanks!" Julie replied. "I think we have an anthem with this one. It's something me and my mom worked on. Luke, Em and I finished it with her help. Check it out."

Julie played the melody as she looked at another sheet and began singing once again to Stand Tall.

Flynn said, "That's... That's beautiful. And my girl Julie has got a crush, and his name is Luke."

"Luke's a ghost!"

"A cute ghost."

"With a perfect smile," Julie admitted. "But I think Luke and Emilia like each other. Did you see how they were staring at each other?"

"Yeah, I did. Maybe there was something there. Something from the past."

"That's what I thought."

"Ha! knew it! Just remember he's made of air. Remember, whoever Emilia is, that she's made of air as well."

Julie smiled. "I know. It's just... She seems so familiar, you know?"

"Just don't get hurt, okay? Obviously you guys have a connection. Everybody's talking about when you're gonna play again."

"Play again? We don't even have anything planned. Luke, Em and I have just been focused on writing songs."

"Lucky for you, your marketing team has been way ahead of you."

"I don't have a marketing team."

She pulled a flyer from her bag. "Yes, you do! And surprise! You're playing the school dance tonight, and I'm DJ-ing too."

Julie grabbed the flyer which read 'Julie and her hologram band'.

"I posted it all over social media. You have an excellent marketing team."

Julie's eyes widened. "No, no. This is in front of the whole school!"

Flynn picked up her vibrating phone. "Sorry! You already have 68 likes." She walked away.