Cinderblock Garden // Julie and the Phantoms (Luke Patterson)

17

[Edge of Great]

Carlos wandered through the kitchen, iPad in hand. He'd downloaded a new ghost detecting app called Ghost Hunt. His iPad beeped as he watched a screen that said 'SEARCHING...'

"You can't hide forever, ghosties," Carlos said as the screen told him 'GHOST ACQUIRED'. "Gotcha!"

His aunt turned on the lights and said, "For the last time, mijo. 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 and Cassie? Julie's dad just busted them, okay? He's probably making her quit the band. I don't know what will happen with Cassie."

"Well, there's not much we can do about that now, but we can still help Carlos," Reggie replied, looking at Carlos and his 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 and his aunt gasped and Carlos glanced to his aunt before saying, "Ghosts aren't real, huh? How do you explain that?"

"Lightbulbs burn out all the time, Carlos," 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' aunt gasped.

"Maybe it's my mom!" Carlos cried as his eyes widened. "She knows I haven't been replacing the toilet paper!"

"Your mama would never scare us," Carlos' 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 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 and his aunt to scream.

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

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

Alex glared at Reggie. "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 superhero. We should probably leave before Julie and Jade find out."

Reggie ran off. Luke and Alex exchanged a look regarding Reggie'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 all hate. Why didn't you tell me you and Cassie were in a band?"

"It all just happened so fast," Julie said. "These last couple of weeks have changed our lives. When we 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."