Camilla Wilson // JATP

bright

"You've got this."

Me, Julie, and Luke stayed up all night as Luke taught us the melody and harmonies for this song he'd given us. We arrived at school ready to perform for Miss Harrison, only to find Flynn sitting on the trumpet, quite poorly, but she was trying, I think.

"Where is everyone?"

"spirit assembly I was blowing it off because I don't feel very spirity."

"damn"

"We had a plan to perform for Miss Harrison."

Flynn's eyes widen. She drops the trumpet on the floor, stands up, and drags us to the assembly hall. We walk in just as my sister and her preppy band start performing. I roll my eyes, just as they begin performing the boys swoosh next to us. "What are you doing here?" Julie asks, "Who are they?!" Reggie says quickly. I follow his gaze; he's staring down at one of my sisters friends, 'Kayla Smith'. I roll my eyes again and reach to hit Reggie, expecting my hand to pass through, but it makes contact, making a loud slap as it does. Reggie looks at Luke and says, "Dude, that hurt."

"It wasn't him; it was me." Reggie's eyes widen but are instantly drawn back to dirty candy.

"Stop staring, and my sisters band Reginald," his mouth opens. "Who told her my full name?" Luke is staring at me. "You hit Reggie," I laugh, "you're slow." I look at Julie, who looks just as scared. "You touched a ghost!" I suddenly realised what I had done. "OMG!" This makes Flynn jump. "What! What's happened?" I look at Julie. "Nothing, just a headache." Flynn looks at me suspiciously but turns back to Carrie just as the performance finishes.

"Here's your chance; see you in music class."

"Julie, you look nervous like yack in a bowl," Alex says quickly, looking at Julie. Looking over at her, she does look really pale. "I just don't think we had enough time to work on the song." I look at Luke, starting to worry myself.

"I wouldn't have given you the song if I didn't think you would rock it. Julie, there's a piano up there with your name on. Cami, the extra mic is for you. Go!"

Me and Julie rush up to the stage just as the principal dismisses the school. Julie starts playing, then stops, and we look at Luke.

"You've got this!"

Julie starts playing the notes, singing the opening to the song, watching me and waiting for me to join in. I freeze. All of a sudden, I get an overwhelming fear that I have forgotten the words.

Sometimes I think I'm falling down.
I want to cry. I'm calling' out for one more try to feel alive.

Luke looks at me reassuringly as my verse comes up. I take a deep breath and start singing.

And when I feel lost and alone, I know that I can make it home.
Fight through the darkness and find the spark.

Julie smiles as we join together, singing the pre-chorus in harmony.

Life is a risk, but I will take it. Close my eyes and jump.
Together, I think that we can make it.
Come on, let's run...

suddenly a loud crash hits and the three boys appear behind us playing along with the song. Me and Julie continue our harmony watching as the students come rushing to the stage filming us performing. We start to realise that they aren't just filming us but the boys too!

Rise through the night, you and I.
We will fight to shine together forever.
And rise through the night, you and I
We will fight to shine together forever.

"Is this really happening?" I say, leaning into Luke.

"Just go with it," he says, rushing to his mic and singing the next verse.

In times when I doubted myself, I felt like I needed some help.
Stuck in my head with nothing left

I smile as I and Julie join in singing as a trio.

I feel something around me now.
So unclear, lifting me out
I found the ground I'm marching on.

Life is a risk, but we will take it. Close my eyes and jump.
Together, I think that we can make it.
Come on, let's run and

Now that Alex and Reggie join in, we sing together as a real band. I look into the audience; Carrie looks pissed, and I don't care. I enjoy singing with Julie and the boys.

Rise through the night, you and I.
We will fight to shine together forever.
And rise through the night, you and I
We will fight to shine together forever.

Julie stops singing and looks at me to take the next verse alone. She changed how we practiced it, but luckily I knew what to do. I rushed to Luke to share my mic. He's now singing the next verse as I take mine after.

In times when I doubted myself, I felt like I needed some help.
Stuck in my head with nothing left

And when I feel lost and alone, I know that I can make it home.
Fight through the darkness and find the spark.

I hit my final note, and Luke pulls me into a hug, and I feel it. I feel him. like he's really there, like an actual person. Julie similes, and we all join together in singing the final stretch of the song, loving the energy from the crowd. It seems like everyone is enjoying it, dancing and singing along with us. Except for Carrie, she stood with her arms crossed, scowling at me. I play to it, looking at her as I sing the final chorus.

And rise through the night, you and I
We will fight to shine together. Shine together. Bright forever.And rise through the night, you and I
We will fight to shine together. Shine together. Bright forever.

The crowd erupts into a series of cheers and screams. I laugh with Julie, who has taken my hand. As we start to bow, we hear a swoosh from behind us and gasps from the audience. The boys were gone. and the audience definitely saw them.

"Where'd the rest of the band go?"

"Where are those holograms?"