JATP: When Ghosts Sing

Chapter 8

Warning: Kidnapping and threats

Julie's POV

I ran all the way up to my room and slammed the door shut behind me. I flopped onto my bed and started crying into my pillow. I must have been crying for at least five minutes when Flynn came in.

"Hey, what's going on? Why are you crying? What is that?" Flynn asked, looking from me to the cloth that was still lying on my bed. Why didn't Alex bring it with him? He made such a fuss over it then didn't even take it with him? Why?

"I-well..." she sat down, knowing this was gonna be a long story. That's when Flynn noticed the bloodied bandages wrapped around my wrists.

"What are those?"

"Um...well...your mom came and wanted to talk to you." Flynn was horrified at the idea that her mom might have been the one to cause all of this, but in truth she wasn't. Yes, Ms. Jacobs did dig her nails into my skin deep enough to draw blood, but she dug them into scars; scars from where I cut myself. Which was why the bandages were now soaked in blood.

"Oh my god! Did my mom do this to you? Hold on, I'll be right back." She got up and despite the pain she must have been in, she still managed to go into the other room and get new bandages for my wrists along with a bowl of water. I was hesitant at first when she came back, but eventually I gave in and let her unwrap my wrists.

"So um, your mom came and she wanted to talk to you. I told her no, and well..." I trailed off, but Flynn still understood what was going on. I mean, she'd dealt with it all her life.

"She said some stuff about my mom and started hitting me." Flynn finished unwrapping the bandages and rinsing my wrists when she gasped.

"Julie, there's no way my mom did all of this. Why are these cuts so deep?" I sighed, knowing I might as well tell her. So I told her what I'd earlier told the guys, about me cutting myself, and how I hadn't done it in a long time. She hugged me as soon as she finished re-wrapping my wrists.

"Julie, I'm so sorry. I had no idea, god! I'm so stupid! Wait-is this why you were crying?"

"As much as I hate to say it, I don't think there is anything you can do. No, it wasn't why I was crying." I got up and took the knife with me to hide it in a secure location. There was no way I could let my dad-or Carlos find out I cut myself.

"I was crying because when I told the guys, Luke was hiding something too. I went back into the studio later on, and well...he told me that he...uh" I couldn't even finish the sentence because it made it all the more real.

How could I have been so stupid? Did I really think I stood a chance with Luke? How could I think that we might have actually stood a fighting chance, especially since I didn't even know if he felt the same way?

"He-he's crossing over." I buried my face in my knees, unable to keep the tears from falling. I knew it was a horrible thing to want him to not complete his unfinished business, but I really needed him to stay and be here. For the band, for us, for me.

"What? How can he do that!" Flynn got up and stormed downstairs and out to the studio to talk to Luke. Not wanting her to say something she probably wouldn't regret, I followed her.

"Flynn, Flynn wait!" Either she didn't hear me or she was ignoring me. Either way, she kept going and threw the studio doors open.

"WHERE IS HE?!" Alex and Reggie were the only ones in the studio and I breathed a sigh of relief. I didn't want to talk to Luke again, it was too painful.

"He's not here." Alex said sternly. I guess he knew what was going on or had figured it out somehow.

"I'll wait." She sat down on Luke's couch stubbornly and I sighed. I knew he'd be back soon and I didn't want to be there when he did, so I left and went back up to my room.