JATP: Carol of the Phantoms

Where the people would come

Narrator's POV

Four years after their first Christmas song, the band has written several more Christmas songs, each better than the last. Songs like 'Christmas in the Heart,' 'Warmer in the Winter,' and '4 Carats' all made people happy for Christmas. However, as time went on, songs like '''Tis Christmas Season,' 'First Fall of Snow,' and 'Christmas Must Be Something More' started making people think more and more about their feelings of Christmas. It's now 2029, and the band is in possibly their worst argument yet. They refuse to see eye to eye and get upset over every little thing. It's as if they've caught a case of the 'bah humbugs!' Maybe they feel overwhelming stress, or maybe they really can't stand each other. Whatever the case, it's not good. Not good at all.

Present day: One week before Christmas

Reggie's POV

It's so close to Christmas, and honestly, I feel kinda like I did growing up when I was around my parents. It feels like things will never be happy again because everyone refuses to listen. I'm not much better though, because as soon as someone says something bad about me, I jump into all the arguing. I wish all of this would just stop, but honestly, it might never end. We just got off stage after our final performance of the year, and people know something's up. If they didn't they'd be blind and deaf, because our performance made it pretty obvious that tensions were high this Christmas.

We walk outside after getting all bundled up in our coats, gloves, scarves and earmuffs to be bombarded with press. Technically Alex, Luke and I don't need these, but we've been able to make ourselves visible to the press for some time now, and this helps with all the confusion. Sort of.

"Excuse me! Excuse me! Hi, my name is Barbara Hackett, and I'm a journalist for The Hollywood Reporter. Everyone thinks Christmas is a time of happiness and joy, but for celebrities, it's gotta be something different. Would you agree that Christmas destroys the lives of celebrities like yourselves because of the expectations put on them by fans and media?" We all just stand there for a moment, completely and utterly stunned.

"No, celebrities feel the same about the holidays as everyone else," Luke says, as though he's done this all his life, which he hasn't.

"Then how would you explain your, forgive me for saying this, very obvious aggression towards one another? It seems as though you got caught up in the workload that comes with the holidays, and forgot to make time for the actual holidays." Ms. Hackett pushes back to get a more 'media-worthy' quote from us. Unfortunately for us, it works.

"Our issues are our own, nothing to do with the pressures we've been put under. If we had any issues, that is." Julie says, completely ignorant to everything she's saying. Uh-oh.

"Stop lying, you know that they're one and the same. You just don't want to admit it because, like Luke, you're too stubborn for your own good." Alex says, starting yet another argument. I start to take deep breaths, hoping it doesn't escalate too much. I really don't need my PTSD coming out right now. But of course, I never do get my way in situations like these.

"Excuse me? Don't say I'm the same as Julie! We're nothing alike!" Luke tries to protest.

"OH, please. Before we formed the band with Julie, you were always taking charge of everything like you were the boss of everyone and everything." Alex says.

"Are you trying to imply that I'm bossy and controlling? Last time I checked, if I didn't take charge, Luke would be trying to do whatever he wanted, you'd be having yet ANOTHER anxiety attack, and Reggie would still be off in his own world." I really wish I was right about now...

"You did NOT just use my very SERIOUS issue against me!" Alex protests angrily.

"Please, it's not that serious. You just break down whenever you feel like it just to get us all to pay attention to you." Luke adds. Before I know it, they're all in a deep fight we might never be able to come back from. I just stand awkwardly to the side, trying to act like nothing's wrong. Whatever happens, I'ma stay out of it.

"Excuse me," Ms. Hackett turns to me, "do you have anything you'd like to say about this fight consuming your bandmates?" Everyone turns to me, and somehow, Julie, Luke, and Alex manage to stop fighting long enough to hear what I've been asked to say too. Great.

"Ummm...I don't know. I guess I don't like it very much, but I'd rather stay out of it more than anything." I say, trying to stay as diplomatic as possible. Wait! Did I use that right? I think I did. Yay me!

"Oh come on, Reggie, just be honest! Say whatever it is you really want to say and stop worrying about your PTSD! The more you think about it, the more it affects you!" Alex yells with complete disregard to how I might feel about that particular comment. As soon as he says that though, it's as though a bomb's just gone off in my head that's been sitting there for hours. I can't control myself anymore, and even worse, the words that come out of my mouth are...not what I'd like to say, but here we are.

"Fine, you're right. I'll be honest. This constant bickering between you three is so exhausting, and it gets even worse when you drag me into it. I'm sick of all of this! I just want to leave the band. It was fun at the beginning but ever since that first Christmas song, everything's slowly been going completely haywire and I can't take it anymore!" I blurt out and as soon as I do, I know I've made a serious mistake.

"IF THAT'S HOW YOU FEEL, THEN JUST LEAVE!" Julie yells angrily. I huff and leave, not even caring about what happens to them anymore.

Luke's POV

Julie tells Reggie to leave, and when he does, something breaks within me. Maybe it was watching my best friend walk away from me without a care, maybe it was that I pushed him away, I'm not sure. Whatever it was that led us up to this point, I don't want anything to deal with it anymore. I would talk to Julie and Alex about it, but at this point, what difference would it make? I leave without saying a word, and for a moment, I think about trying to catch up to Reggie and talk to him, but he doesn't wanna talk to me. I wouldn't be surprised if he hated me forever. I probably deserve it. I end up going back to the apartment I rent from the money we get-well, got, I guess, when we were making music and putting on shows.

Narrator's POV

Everyone went home that night unhappy, well except for maybe Barbara Hackett. Each band member had a hard time dealing with the events that went down that evening after their concert. With just one week before Christmas, and before they officially become known as 'The Band That Ruined Christmas,' they were short on time to get their act together. Literally and figuratively. But whether or not they actually want to is an entirely different story.