Believer // Julie and the Phantoms

16

[Edge of Great]

Carlos and Cameron wandered through the kitchen, iPads in hand. They'd downloaded a new ghost detecting app called Ghost Hunt. Their iPads beeped as they watched two screen that said 'SEARCHING...'

"You can't hide forever, ghosties," Carlos and Cameron said as the screens told them 'GHOST ACQUIRED'. "Gotcha!"

Their aunt turned on the lights and said, "For the last time, mijo, mija. Ghosts are not real!"

"Typical adult," Reggie muttered. Do you remember when we were kids, and they never believed what we said?"

"Yeah," Alex said. "I'm pretty sure that's just a "you" thing. I was always pretty trustworthy."

Luke frowned. "Shouldn't we be more worried about Julie? Her dad just busted her, okay? He's probably making her quit the band."

"Well, there's not much we can do about that now, but we can still help Carlos and Cameron," Reggie replied, looking at the twins and their aunt. "Adults not believing children ends tonight."

Alex rolled his eyes at Reggie's immaturity.

"Showtime," Reggie said as he turned off a lamp.

Carlos, Cameron and their aunt gasped and Carlos and Cameron glanced to their aunt before Carlos said, "Ghosts aren't real, huh? How do you explain that?"

"Lightbulbs burn out all the time, Carlos, Cameron," his aunt replied.

"Ooh, wrong answer, tia," Reggie commented.

"Explain this," Reggie said as he started playing with the blinds, opening and closing them. Carlos and Cameron's aunt gasped.

"Maybe it's my mom!" Carlos and Cameron cried as their eyes widened.

"She knows I haven't been replacing the toilet paper!" Carlos added.

Cameron frowned at her brother. "It's annoying when you don't replace it."

"Your mama would never scare us," their aunt said. "This is the work of a demon!"

Reggie stopped with a frown. "Hey, words hurt."

"Wait. I gotta get it on video!" Carlos and Cameron cried.

"Yeah, you do!" Reggie agreed as he picked up a sheet. "Time for an old classic."

Reggie went under the sheet and shook, causing Carlos, Cameron and their aunt to scream.

"Dang, it was on selfie mode!" Carlos complained as the camera turned off. Their aunt yelled as she pulled them away.

Cameron glanced at Carlos and showed him her iPad. The two grinned, realizing she'd caught something.

"Whew!" Reggie breathed as he plopped onto a chair.

Alex glared at him. "Do you have any idea what you've done?"

"Yeah, I do," Reggie replied. "I defended kids who've never been believed. Some might say I'm a superhero. We should probably hide before Julie finds out."

Reggie ran off. Luke and Alex exchanged a look regarding the bassist's idiocy and followed after him.

---

"Julie, we need to talk," Ray said as they stood in front of the house. "So, after skipping school, missing a test, you decided to sneak out even though I told you to go to your room and study?"

"I know," Julie replied. "I'm sorry."

"Yeah, you keep saying that. If you'd just... let me in, I could've been excited about tonight instead of having this conversation we both hate. Why didn't you tell me you were in a band?"

"It all just happened so fast. These last couple of weeks have changed our lives. When I play music, I feel so much closer to Mom."

"And I love that. You know I do. But your tia is right. School needs to come first."

"I know, but without the band, I never would've made it back into the music program. They played with me when I was trying to earn back my spot."

"They did?"

"I think this is my thing, Dad."

"Well... I'd be a jerk of a dad if I took that away from you. On one condition; if you're gonna stay in this band, you need to keep up with school, and you need to keep me in the loop."

"Really?" Julie asked, hugging her father.

He nodded. "Yeah."

"Thanks, Papa."

"Hey, so that lady at your show, she was, like, some sort of manager, right? Could've been a big deal."

Julie sighed. "Who knows? Hopefully she'll get to see me play again. Which, don't worry, I'll tell you about."

"Oh. Yeah, you will. 'Cause if I ever catch you trying to sneak out again, or if your grades slip, I'm gonna pull the plug. Or whatever it is that makes those holograms work. Do I ever get to meet these guys?"

"Probably not, they don't even live here. It's... kind of confusing, but being seen really isn't their thing."

"You kids and technology. It's... definitely beyond me."

"Definitely beyond something."

"Well, whoever, and, uh, whatever they are, they brought my little niña back, so as far as I'm concerned, they're like angels to me."

The front door opened and Julie's aunt ran out.

"Whoa, que pasó?" Ray asked.

"This house is haunted! We have got to go now!" the aunt cried as she panted.

"What happened?" Julie wondered.

Ray said, "Victoria, I know you want us to move, but this is a little extreme. I... I told you we're okay." The two were obviously amused by the current situation.

"I'll let Carlos and Cameron explain what happened," the aunt replied. "They refuse to leave, but if movies have taught me anything, when a house is haunted, you run. Ay, Dios Mio." She ran off.

---

Cameron and Carlos looked at the picture she'd taken and she asked, "So, who do you think he is?"

Carlos shrugged. "No clue. Let's find out."

"Ooh, should we tell Dad?"

"Yeah, probably. He'd want to know if a ghost is haunting us, right?"

"I mean, I would."

Carlos pulled out his iPad and started researching why ghosts haunted people.

The twins read the articles and after an hour or two of research, they walked up to their dad.

"Dad," Cameron called. "Remember those orbs?"

Ray nodded. "What about them?"

"Well, Carlos and I were right. We are being haunted."

"Cameron, ghosts don't exist."

"Yes they do," Carlos argued. "We got proof of them. And tia got freaked out."

Cameron nodded. "She ran out of the house screaming. It was funny."

"It was hilarious."

"Yeah it was. He's right."

Ray closed his eyes a moment. "Carlos, Cameron, it's late. Go to bed. We'll discuss this later, okay?"

The twins exchanged a look and nodded. "Okay."

As they walked upstairs, Cameron said, "Of course he doesn't believe us."

Carlos smiled at his sister. "That's okay. What matters is we know there a ghost. Tomorrow do you want to find out what's keeping him here?"

"Yes, definitely."

"After school and sports. Night, Cameron."

"Night, Carlos."

The two made their way to their rooms and got ready for bed.