Joanna and the Phantoms

Impossible

Joanna

Trust me, Julie, this isn't ideal for me either. Just suck it up and stop being such a spoiled princess.
This is what I would like to say to Rose Molina's insufferable daughter, but yet I hold my tongue and shy away from the conflict that has been hot on my heels for almost a year. Today marks one year since Rose Molina's death, and a week from now will mark a year since I moved in with her husband and children.
Ray is soft and kind as always, Carlos is still unknowing of why I moved in but likes that he has a 'normal' sister, and Julie, well, she still hates me, but now I sleep in the studio instead of rooming with her. It's the one place she won't set foot in.
I wish Rose was here. She would know exactly how to handle everything. Don't get me wrong, Ray and Victoria are great and all, but they're not Rose.

"Joanna!" Julie yelled as I glanced over at her from my bed.
"What?"
"I've been calling you for the past 10 minutes!" I rolled my eyes.
"I was listening to music." I shrugged simply.
"You're always listening to music! Either that or touching things that don't belong to you!" Her screaming was starting to annoy me so I turned on the Sunset Curve album I found a little while ago, next to a drum set, bass guitar, and a sweet 6 string.
"You do remember why Ray has me sleep out here. It's so we don't fight. We're fighting. You're in my space." I would have gone on but she started yelling so I started singing along to the A Cappella part that I adore. "Don't look down! Cause we're still rising up right now!" Julie keeps screaming at me as I grab the 6 string to add in a bit of live music.
"Hey!" Three voices call through Julie's screaming. That only last so long until she starts screaming again and runs out.
"Hm." My eyebrow cocks upwards as I walk down the stairs with the 6 string wrapped around me. "Who are you?" I asked.
"My guitar!" The one with the light brown mess of hair grinned as I glanced at him up and down. What? Does he have something against sleeves? "My couch!" He flops down.
"So, what do you do, when someone asks a question?" I cleared my throat.
"Oh! Oh! You answer it!" The one with dark brown hair grinned.
"Ok, good. So, who are you?" My sass levels were quite high tonight, but I was tired, so.
"Reggie." He grinned bigger.
"And you?" I turned to the blond in the pink sweater.
"Alex."
"Ah... and you?" I turned to to boy on the couch.
"Luke. We're apart of a band called Sunset Curve."
"Tell your friends." Reggie added.
"Hm. Ok." I pulled out my phone to Google them.
"What are you doing? What's that?" Luke glared at it.
"My phone. Ok, Sunset Curve was based off in the mid 90's. Y'all had switch phones and flip phones back then."
"You a 90's kid?" Alex asked.
"Maybe 80s?" Reggie guessed.
"Try mid 2000's." I grimaced as I pushed a wrong letter on my keyboard.
"Huh?" They questioned.
"2000's?" Luke repeated as I found a page about them.
"How many members are in your group?" I quizzed.
"Four. Bobby didn't come and eat the tainted hotdogs. He was trying to show off to a girl." He shrugged as my eyes widened and Julie came in with a wooden cross that had silver stickers on it. I busted up laughing.
"Jewels, they ain't demons."
"Who are-!?" I shoved my phone into her hands. "Oh."
"Yeah." I sighed. "Ok, I don't know how to break it to you... you did die."
"But it wasn't last night. It was 25 years ago." Julie finished.
"What? No. That's impossible." Reggie's voice went up about 10 octaves as I zoned out.
"I have been cRyInG fOr 25 YeArS? HOW IS THAT POSSIBLE?" Alex said.
"You're a very emotional person." Reggie tried to be supportive.
"I aM nOt!"
"Thought you were afraid to come out here?" Carlos walked in. "Talkin to your ghost friend? How's he look? Is he hideous?" I let out a soft snort as I lounged on the couch.
"Heh, he can see you." Reggie laughed.
"No he can't." Julie's face was a pure mix of confusion and disgust.
Carlos glanced around. "Hey! How about dinner?" I tried.
"Yeah, it's ready... hey! You two aren't fighting." The boy grinned as I took in a quick breath through my nose.
"Oh yeah, about that, stop-!" Julie started before I threw Carlos over my shoulder and sprinted towards the house.
"Ok, when Julie and I aren't fighting, don't bring it up." I let out a breath as I placed him on a chair next to Julie's and sat next to Ray just as Julie came in and sat down with us.