Bluebirds Without Wings | Julie and the Phantoms

Dropped

Had he lost himself already?

Luke was messing everything up. It's as if he pulled on a string in a knit sweater, and the entire thing wouldn't stop unraveling and burying him beneath undone stitches. There was a tight string around his neck tied by other people and as much as he feared being choked out, he also feared losing himself if he didn't indulge just a little.

And the Princess's presence was his greatest luxury.

He watched her strum his guitar in the music room, singing innocent phrases then giggling when her voice cracked. "I think you're catching a cold," he told her. He saw a blanket in the corner of the room, and he had to fight the urge to stand up and wrap it around her. The balcony door was shut tight with the curtains fully drawn, but there was a never-ending draft in the castle. Reggie would complain about it during patrol.

"I'll drink a tea before bed tonight, and I'll be good by morning," she assured him. "If I swam, maybe I wouldn't be as hopeful." Luke listened to how she talked. It was so formal sometimes he had to find it cute. It wasn't even annoying.

Her phone buzzed for the fourth time since Nick had first texted her. She ignored it the second and third times but this time, she took it out of her dress pocket and checked. Luke watched her roll her eyes and put it away. "Flynn has been the one spamming me."

"Must be urgent." Princess Julie gave him a half smile and shook her head before strumming the guitar strings again. She caught on quick. Her musical talent was immense and stretched much further than what he thought. "What other instruments do you play?" he asked her.

She looked at him and answered, "Mainly piano. Before my mom got sick, I was better at the guitar. Tried the flute once, but I couldn't sing with it, so I left it." She looked around the room and grinned. "Triangle, of course."

"Of course," Luke said, smiling with her. She handed back his guitar to him.

She apologized, "Sorry, I've been hogging it." Luke took it back and stood it up next to him.

"It's fine. I'm not really in the mood to play." Princess Julie was quiet for a moment before turning to her grand piano. She started playing a song Luke didn't recognize. He waited for her to start singing but the words never came. He didn't need her to. The notes were sad yet hopeful, and it put him at ease. Or maybe it was just her.

Her phone buzzed once more, making her stop playing. Julie sighed and picked it up, Luke watching her struggle to hide a smile. "Flynn is hopeless," she commented before typing something back to her.

Luke was once an impulsive person and he had to tie himself down a lot when he got to the academy. He wasn't supposed to be there in the first place, but it was his impulsivity and recklessness that got him where he was. He was scared of that Luke as much as he missed him. Occasionally, he'd make an appearance. "Did you text Nick back?" Julie rose one of her eyebrows and smirked. Luke felt heavy in his chest already knowing the Princess thought it was amusing that he kept asking. There were so many implications flying around, and he didn't know which one she was thinking about. Back then, he wouldn't care and smile back at her. Right now, he was almost scared of getting his feelings hurt. What had happened to him in just a few years?

"I did," she finally answered. "But he hasn't replied to me. Why?" The "why" was so hard to process as she stared at him with those big brown eyes. They were easy to get lost in, and he always had to pull himself away from them.

"Just nosy," he said, using her word from earlier. The Princess let out small content laugh before checking her buzzing phone again. Her smile went away when she read it, her mouth becoming the shape of an o. "What happened?" he asked.