Ghosts {L.P.}

7:15

Ｇｈｏｓｔｓ Ｓａｗ ＨｅｒＳｏｎｇ

▶︎ •၊၊||၊|။||||။၊|• 2:44

"Let's take it from the chorus." Julie observed, adjusting herself to the chords needed while the band followed suit.

They had been running through Great for over three hours by Riya's count, no breaks to breathe or think, it was all play, adjust, repeat. Riya's fingers were starting to ache and numb towards the vibrations of the guitar to the point where she had to visibly track each chord she played instead of just following it with what felt right. And she wasn't the only one suffering.

Alex had begun missing the beat as well, Reggie's strumming losing enthusiasm with each new practice round Julie called for, even Luke was starting to mess up. In short, everyone required a break to listen or do something that wasn't just Great over and over again.

"One, two, three, four." Alex counted them down before Julie began pressing at the keys of her keyboard, singing into her microphone.

"'Cause we're standing on the edge of great," Julie opened her mouth to follow with the next lyrics only to be cut off by Alex's drumstick to go flying and hit one of the cymbals, Luke and Riya to miss the adequate chords entirely and Reggie's bass sounding with the most ear-shattering feedback Riya had ever heard.

Only then, as she sighed did Julie finally seem to catch on to just how exhausted the rest of the band was.

"Right, how about we take a break?"

"Yes!" Reggie didn't even hesitate before leaving his bass on its stand and proofing towards Luke's couch, settling in with a content sigh.

Riya giggled while setting down her guitar, flexing each individual finger to try to regain feeling in her numb fingers. Though Reggie suddenly rose like a vampire from a coffin in the old movies, grinning ecstatically like he had just come up with the greatest idea of all time.

"Do you think there are more of those funny cat videos on the internet?" The question seemed rhetorical so Riya didn't even think of answering, however even if she had Reggie didn't allow enough time before proofing away.

Luke sighed, stretching out his sore limbs while glancing at the worried Julie. Riya had been kept up to speed how Reggie was suddenly obsessed with proving ghosts were real along with her younger brother and had been using his laptop more and more, allowing them to be even more obvious against the masses. Even funny kitten videos on the internet could affect them greatly.

"I'll go check on him." Luke poofed away as well, though neither girl was reassured knowing how easily Luke could be sucked into Reggie's madness and cute cat faces.

Instead, they both turned to Alex who sighed.

"I'll make sure they don't do anything stupid." And with that final ghost gone, Riya could say she felt reassured their ghostly secret wouldn't be revealed by the hands of the very same ghosts they were trying to hide.

"I'm going to go get a snack, you want anything, Riya?" She shook her head.

"I'm good, thanks Julie."

And so she was left alone.

The garage seemed so empty without music filling the air, without the gentle sounds of notes bouncing across the walls, the twinkling wind chimes hanging outside the window doing nothing to fill in the silence.

Riya however, would not have to remain in the music-less silence for much longer as she was already digging inside her backpack for her own sheet of lyrics no one but her knew existed and her phone where she had previously recorded a tune for it. She may have needed a break from Great, but that didn't mean she needed a break from all music.