BRIGHT; JULIE MOLINA

CHAPTER 3

Mei and the boys play a song she never wrote lyrics for. Luke and Reggie on the guitars. Alex on the drums. While Mei is on the electric piano. They continue to play music with bright smiles on their faces. To them, their whole world was flipped upside down but not their music. Music is what kept them all together and grounded while they were alive. I guess it's the same for their afterlife. 

Julie stomps through the door with her monsters slippers on. Mei looks up and smiles at her and continues playing. 

"Guys! Guys! Stop!" says Julie. Mei slowly stops playing seeing the anger on Julie's face. Reggie and Alex follow her lead and stop playing as well. Luke keeps playing not noticing Julie until Mei walks over and unplugs his guitar. 

"Hey!" Luke exclaims at Mei. Mei gestures towards Julie who is looking unimpressed. "Oh."

"The whole neighborhood can hear you. I thought I told you to leave?" Julie says crossing her arms. 

"Wait, people can hear us play?" asks Luke. 

"Yes! And so did my dad and my brother!" says Julie. 

'This just keeps getting curiouser and curiouser' thinks Mei. 

"Wait wait wait" Luke says. The band abandons their instruments and stand in front of Julie.

"So only you can see us three, everyone can see Mei and everyone can hear our music? What kind of ghosts are we?" Alex asks. 

"Who cares X? People can hear us play!" says Mei. 

"We might be dead but our music isn't" says Reggie giving fist bumps to his friends. 

There's a knock on the garage door and a middle age man walks inside. 

"Dad!" exclaims Julie. Everyone turns to look at Mei who turns and looks at Julie's father with a sheepish smile. 

"Who are you?" asks Julie's dad motioning to Mei. Mei twists her father's ring nervously but then an idea strikes her. She reaches out her hand to Julie's father, politeness dripping from her tongue onto her next words. 

"My name is Mei Reeves sir. It is a pleasure to meet you." Julie's father reaches out and shakes her hand. 

"Nice to meet you. I'm Ray. How do you know Julie?" Ray responds letting go of her hand. 

"I just moved in next door. Julie and I go to the same school. She invited me over because my dad is over seas and my mom is at work. I hope you don't mind?" Mei says looking down at her feet hiding her smile. Ray immediately sympathizes for the girl. 

"Of course I don't mind. How about you and Julie have a sleep over or something tonight? You shouldn't be in that house by yourself." says Ray. Mei looks over at Julie her back facing Ray. She smirks and winks at Julie. 

"Yeah, that sounds fun," Julie says. 

"Alright well I just wanted to make sure you were ok" says Ray looking at Julie. 

"Yeah I'm fine. I just had to turn off the CD player," replies Julie. Ray nods his head and notices the instruments. 

"Is this all the junk that was in the loft?" 

"Junk?" Luke and Mei say at the same time. Ray and Julie turn and look at her. 

"Sorry," Mei apologizes. 

Ray walks over and starts messing with Alex's drums. "Some of this stuff is in pretty good shape. Hey, maybe we can make a couple bucks." 

"Yo, stop touching my drums. Tell him to stop touching my drums." Alex says looking at Mei. 

"You'll get more money with less finger prints on the drums," Mei says with her arms crossed.  Ray looks up at her and backs away from the drums. 

"I like that song you had on," 

"Sweet! We're Sunset Curve" says Luke. 

"Tell your friends" says Reggie. 

"It's just an old CD I found" says Julie ignoring their antics. 

"Well, still, it's nice that you are listening to music again. Out here you can play whatever you want, whenever you want. Same goes for you Mei." Ray says unknowingly putting his hands through Reggie and Luke's chest. Mei laughs quietly. 

"That's nice." says Reggie. 

"Stay out of this," Julie hisses at Reggie. Ray looks at Julie his eyes filled with hurt and confusion. 

"I'm sorry honey. I didn't mean-" Ray apologizes but he is cut off by Julie. 

"Oh no, no, no, no. Not you. I mean..uhm," she stutters.   "You know, um, give us a minute," as she gestures between herself and Mei. Julie then tries to rush her father out of the door. 

"Hey.Hey. Hey. Hey." says Ray crouching down to Julie's level. 

'What is up with them saying things four times?' 

"We'll figure out this music program thing" 

"Thanks Dad" she smiles. Ray leaves and Julie closes the door.

"Hey, he likes our song" says Luke. 

"Yeah but it doesn't count, he's a dad." replies Alex. The band nods their heads in agreement. 

"Why can't you guys just be normal ghosts? Hang out at an old mansion. I heard Pasadena's nice. I shouldn't be able to see you guys. You guys shouldn't be able to touch instruments or play music and you!" Julie yells pointing at Mei. "Your nothing but a dead girl walking, an abomination!" her nose flares in anger. 

Mei flinched visibly. A flash of hurt passes through her eyes but as soon as it came it was gone. All emotion leaves her face as her heart grows heavy. As a kid she was picked on for not fitting in. Being homosexual, a person of color, fatherless were all things used by her peers to pick on her, they made her feel not normal. Now, being dead and still not considered normal? She felt like some sort of freak. Alex notices Mei flinch and holds her hand. He turns and glares at Julie. Julie doesn't seem to notice and storms out the studio. Mei lets go of Alex's hand and teleports out of the garage. 

A/N; You guys, Chapter 3 is finally out! I feel so bad for Mei :( Tell me what you guys think! Comment, Vote and Follow!