Ghost of You | JATP

And What Happens After - Luke

The concept of time is so confusing. One minute, we're lying on the floor, trying to hide from Julie because we've somehow managed to figure out how to die... again. The next, I'm hugging her. I can feel her. 

Time moved so slowly before I figured out I could hold her.

We had managed to break out of Caleb's club. It was hard; I almost couldn't make it to the performance. But the other guys had, and that was almost enough for me. Almost. 

But I could hear Julie singing. Her voice is something mystical, something miraculous... and I think hearing her gave me the power to fully appear on stage, just in time for my part.

The show was incredible, better than the show we would've played in 1995. But, as the song ended, we all knew our plan had failed. This wasn't our unfinished business, and Caleb's curse would destroy us. All I could think about was Julie.

She couldn't know we didn't crossover; she needed to think she succeeded in helping us because, in all reality, she did help us. I think she made all of us feel more alive than we did when we were literally alive. With one sly glance at Alex and Reggie, they knew what I was thinking. They've always known me better than anyone. 

We vanished at the song's end, like we were supposed to, or had to, and went to the top of the Orpheum where we could talk. We've done so much planning these last couple of days we didn't think to discuss what to do if this didn't work. 

"I guess if this is our last night, at least I'm spending it with my brothers," I said, looking between Alex and Reggie. 

"But what about Julie..." Reggie spoke in the saddest voice I'd ever heard from him. 

"She can't know. She already has so many burdens to bear..." I trail off, "I just don't think we can add to her pain like this." 

"I agree with Luke. We didn't come into her life just to hurt her." Alex said. 

"Right... but where else are we supposed to go? I don't feel like spending my last night as an alive... ghost thing... on the roof of the Orpheum." Reggie had a point.

We sat in thought for what felt like too long, considering we could vanish forever at any given moment. 

"We could always go back to the garage... it's our home." I said quietly. 

"That sounds good to me," Reggie said. Just when I thought we wouldn't get anything else from him, he added, "OH! Guys! We can have a final sleepover! It's like how we planned a party after our original gig at the Orpheum... but that never happened, so... sleepover! Julie will probably go straight to bed once she gets home, so we only have to hide for a little bit." 

"I bet you she will come into the garage before she goes to sleep. Actually, I can almost guarantee you that she will." 

"Shh, Alex. When I'm right, I'm right. And we're having a sleepover." 

With Alex annoyed and a slight smile on my face, we went to the garage for the final time.

When we got there, we took our spots on the floor, partly because it hurt to stand from the jolts but mostly so Julie wouldn't know we were there. It felt like an eternity waiting for something to happen. Either Julie would get home and come to the garage so Alex could prove us wrong one last time, or the final jolt would happen. Something, anything, is better than silence. With silence comes a wandering mind... and my mind wanders, and it seemed only to want to go to one place.

The first time I heard her name.

"But wait. We... didn't get your name," I said to the girl whose world we had just imploded.