Oozing Chemistry

20th Thing's 20th

"Why can't we just poof out of here?" Luke asks for the hundredth time-- literally-- and Alex rolls his eyes, not wanting to address this. Again.

We've been playing on and off, letting the guests wind down, chat, and eat in between Caleb's breakouts into song. Somehow, we know what notes to play and perform perfectly without ever needing to rehearse. At first, it was weird, creepy, and freaky. Now, it's just extremely annoying. 

My arms are exhausted and my fingers hurt from pressing keys, but I can't imagine how Luke and Reggie feel, having to press down and pluck those thin strings. That's one thing piano has over guitar, the strings. After a while, it hurts the pads of my fingers, and I can't feel anything for a solid day.

I sigh and face Luke and his grumpy pout. "Look, the same thing happened at the dance. I couldn't get in here to talk to you guys and get you out. Caleb cursed the place or something."

The boys look at me skeptically. "Cursed?"

"Yeah, cursed! He's done something to the club. You can't get in or out without him allowing you to." 

"You got out earlier," Reggie points out. "How'd you do that?"

I shrug and throw my hands up, cut off when we hear Caleb's voice start to echo again from the stage. He starts talking to the audience before his dance numbers, and something tells me he's in need of his house band. Cue the disgust.

Before Caleb uses his powers to lure us back to our instruments, Alex takes a deep breath. "If you got through, that means it's still possible. And if it's possible, we need to try."

The four of us take our stations at our respective instruments, and our bodies take over again. A grim feeling settles over the atmosphere, strangling us and making it hard to breathe. We play together, relying on each other for the different sounds to mix fluently, but our hearts aren't in it. 

Our music is like a skeleton. It has the bones, but the essential organs to bring it to life are missing, scattered and hidden in the most impossible of places and completely out of reach. 

Caleb, on the other hand, is more lively than ever, showing just how much he belongs on the stage, just how much he needs it. He thrives on attention. He thrives on glitter. Here, he has an endless supply of both.

He wants us here to suppress us. He's threatened by the fact that people can see us without his help, so he stomped on us until we were nothing. But we're not nothing. We have each other, and he doesn't realize just how much that is. It's more than enough to provide us with the strength we need, that's for sure.

The boys can't do this to Julie again, and I refuse to. This is too important to all of us. This is the show Alex, Luke, and Reggie never got to play, and this is the show Julie will be able to, and I'll make sure we're there to support her. She may be fine without us. She sure has the talent, and we can play without her, but together, something magical happens. Not only can people see us and feel us, but we can see and feel each other. 

Yes, music is important, but the point is, we're a family. We're friends, and friends don't leave each other behind. We push each other up as high as we can. We run through fire for each other. Not Julie, of course, we need her alive. But I'd run through anything for anyone here, except Caleb. I'd do anything for Julie and the guys, and both need me now more than ever.

I glance at each of them one last time, pulling the strength from inside me and sharing it with them. And with all the power I have left, I pull my hands back and stop playing. Every pair of eyes in the club is on me, including Caleb's, and his are more than furious. 

I smile, so proud of myself and what Julie and the guys have accomplished even after death, and I give Caleb a playful, sarcastic salute. "Sorry, Covington. I've got a show to play."