Perfect Harmony / Luke Patterson

9. Back on Track

Delilah had been staring at the sky for what seemed like hours, Luke's flannel hugging her figure over top of her 'Joan Jett and the Blackhearts' tee. See those stars Delilah, that's what you're made of I'm sure of it, my own star girl. She tried to shake her father's voice out of her head, even though part of her didn't want it to leave, she hated that. All these faded memories kept her from getting any more than two hours of sleep. A luxury the other bandmates seemed to be doing just fine with, that is, most of them

Luke stepped out into the cold Los Angeles air to find his girlfriend seated on the steps to the house, her head tilted to the sky. He took a deep breath as he made his way over to sit next to her. "I'm sorry for missing the dance, we were in some time warp or something." He spoke, his eyes locked on her face, but she didn't even look down. "That's ok. We'll figure it out." Delilah whispered, it was a distracted answer and Luke could tell. "So what's really going on then?" He knew his girlfriend well enough by now, something really, really important was on her mind. She continued to avoid his gaze and shrugged her shoulders. Luke noticed the frown intensify on her lips as tears came to her eyes. Delilah felt a knot in her gut as she tried to hold back the tears and Luke put his hand over hers gently. "I don't know why I'm crying." She told the boy next to her. "Because it's important. Delilah I'm here for you, I'm here to talk about it. I'm not giving up until I fix whatever is making my Rockstar girl so upset." Luke told her as he put a hand under her chin and brought her eyes to meet his. Her shiny eyes were full of so much heartache that Luke could hardly stand to keep looking at them. He pulled her in close and placed a chaste kiss on her hairline while rubbing her back before pulling back so that she could talk. "You know the guy from the Hollywood Ghost Club?" She began, gulping and trying to keep her breath even. "Mr. Covington?" The girl in front of him nodded as the tears started falling again "He-He's" Luke's eyes widened as he put the pieces together and he finished for her "Your dad?! Delilah I'm so stupid how I did not realize! How is this possible? I mean now it all makes sense, how he kept asking where you were and the club stamps, and wanting us to come back with you, and to join his band. And you leave early and, and...." Luke was rambling but he trailed off when he saw Delilah's face contorted with emotion. "What do you mean club stamps?" "He put stamps on our wrists to grant us access into the club, he also asked us to join his band but we told him no." Delilah just shook her head before her mind could wander "I just don't understand how it makes sense." Her breathing was speeding up and her boyfriend quickly took action and scooped the girl onto his lap and into his arms "Breathe with me Lilah, it's going to be okay. We don't have to go back there, we're going to figure all of this out, and we're going to be okay." The girl in his arms could only nod as she buried her head in his chest, for some reason, she felt like he was wrong.

--

Alex watched Reggie with wonder as the leather clad boy pulled a cinnamon roll out from under the unsuspecting lifer's phone. Delilah laughed as the girl pulled the plate back, trying to find the culprit with no avail. "See these people never look away from their phones I'm telling you!" Reggie said with a laugh and ruffled Delilah's hair, despite her protests and ninja hands chopping at his own. Alex just smiled at the two and reminisced on how grateful he was for them before shaking his head to rid himself of the fog. "So Luke says the place is packed with high-ups in the music industry huh?" Delilah nodded "Mhm, I told him my handwriting was better to put on the list but he's too stubborn to believe me." She was trying to distract herself from the big bomb that had been dropped on her but somehow it just kept popping into her brain. Her thoughts were interrupted by Luke plopping himself right on her lap as she screamed and squirmed to get him off, met by chuckles and grins from her other bandmates. She finally managed to push Luke onto the other seat and he dusted off his own shoulders. "Ghost boy just wrote our names on the playlist for tonight. Booyah." Alex shook his head and turned to the girl leaning her head on the blonde boys arm. "I'm getting worried about him, he keeps forgetting Julie quit the band." Delilah simply shrugged, too tired from lack of sleep to worry about it right now. "She's gonna come back as soon as she knows we have a great gig." The brunette argued. Reggie chimed in "But let's not forget we do have an awesome place we can still play and eat pizza if she doesn't forgive us." Delilah's head shot up and her eyes were wide as a deer in headlights. Luke coughed "We. We uh. We're not giving up on Julie." Reggie and Alex gave the two a strange look but forgot the moment they were hit with another painful jolt. Delilah's eyebrows furrowed "We need to find out what that is I'm getting worried for you.... Is that Willie?" She trailed off as the tan boy's head appeared in the window. Alex ran outside chasing after him but frowned when the boy disappeared. So much for being happy to see him.... Uh.... his friend. Yeah Alex thought of him as a friend.

--

"Okay no way." Delilah shook her head and pulled Luke up from where he was kneeling on the floor "You are not doing that." Reggie frowned "But I spent two hours writing the song!" His bandmates laughed and Delilah ruffled his hair, copying his gesture from earlier that day. "It is a gorgeous song Reg but I think maybe it would be better if I talked to her." It was Alex's turn to frown now. "OH! No way are you having a girl talk without me...again! We are doing this song and we are gonna crush it!" "Fine but when she doesn't forgive you don't blame me."

--

We're Sorry

So Sorry

We're super-duper, crazy, stupid

Sorry!

The bandmates were breathing heavily as they finished harmonizing the last note of their little jingle. Luke stood up and addressed the young girl who had just made her way to the studio "In case you missed it we're really sorry." She sighed "Yeah I got that part." Alex finally put his jazz hands down. "We've been here for like three hours. Almost sang to your little brother." The boys high fived and Delilah sighed as she pinched her nose. This plan was so stupid. "Look, Julie, it wasn't OK that we flaked on the dance last night. We know we let you down." Luke began and Alex tagged onto his apology. "You're the best thing that's happened to us since we became ghosts. So in hopes that you'll rejoin the band.... Delilah?" The girl smiled and stepped forward and handed Julie a paper. "We booked us a super life changing gig!" The older girl added jazz hands for extra measure. Luke stepped forward, placing a hand on his girlfriend's lower back to stand next to her. "Look, this place will be packed with really important high ups and record executives." Julie crossed her arms and huffed "So this means a lot to you, huh? Kind of like how playing in front of my entire school meant a lot to me." Luke sighed "Look we're so sorry, and we need you in our band." Julie rolled her eyes "Of course you do. Because without me, no one can see you playing huh? You know," She threw her arms out "I thought this music was special, but you're too obsessed with your past to even care." Delilah frowned as Julie pointed an accusing finger at Luke "I do care!" He argued "Our band has a real chance at greatness, I'm not letting that slip away from us again." Julie scoffed "Uh huh. Right. So then why did you bail on me to get back at Trevor? I'll tell you why. Because there's only one thing you care about, and that's yourself." Delilah stepped in between the two, that was way too far and not one ounce of it was true. "Jul-" "Save it." The younger girl stormed out of the studio and the older girl was fuming. Luke? Selfish? The same boy that had just spent the whole night outside with her because she was upset? The same boy that had spent so many nights beating himself up about leaving his family on bad terms? The same boy that would do anything for any single member of that band including Julie? Delilah turned around to make him feel better but he was gone, and she knew exactly where he went. "You might want to fix this. You both know what today is. Meet me there, he needs his band." She stated simply before poofing herself out too.

--

Julie was crouched behind a small tree outside of what seemed to be Luke's home. Alex and Reggie had convinced the girl to come see why they didn't believe Luke to be selfish, she followed reluctantly. The young girl gasped as she watched an old couple bring a cake to the table and Luke sat on the counter with tears streaming down his face. "Are they?" She began, glancing at the boys who nodded "Luke's parents." Alex finished "He had a big fight with them and ran away, he never got to go back and apologize before we died. He comes here a lot, he doesn't think we know, but Delilah told us so that we wouldn't try to follow him." Julie bit her lip in thought as she watched Delilah poof into the kitchen and hold her boyfriend in her arms, they both had tears staining their cheeks. "They're having cake? That's something?" Reggie sighed "It's a birthday cake... for Luke." Julie's heart sank, how could she have been so rude to the boy, he was clearly in pain, and it was his birthday. She had to make it up to him somehow, and that started with rejoining the band. "Come on boys, we have a song to start rehearsing." She stated confidently as she began to walk off, not looking behind her to see the two boys grinning widely and fist pumping the air as if they were train conductors.

It was time to get Julie and the Phantoms back on track.