Ghosted - Luke | Julie and the Phantoms

Chapter Eight

"Hey, where the rest of the band go?" A boy asked as he ran out onto the stage. I then saw Luke, Reggie and Alex standing across the room by the stage and I started to approach them.

"Wait, we're those holograms?" A girl asked Julie.

"Yes! Yes, they were holograms." Julie claimed as she laughed nervously. "I plugged it into the ceiling projector before the show. I'd explain it, but it involves algorithms and science stuff." The crowd then began to cheer and I looked at the boys.

"What the hell was that?" I questioned. "I mean, they could see you."

"It's wild, right?" Luke grinned. "They could see us when we were playing but not when the music ended."

"We should double check." Reggie exclaimed before running onto the stage and dancing right in front of us before coming back. "Yeah, I don't think they can see us."

"I wish I couldn't see you." Alex said, looking disappointed.

"Okay, people. Show's over. Let's get back to class please." Principal Lessa said before the students began to leave the hall. Reggie then approached the member of Dirty Candy talking to Carrie as he tried to talk to her and I approached Julie.

"Mrs Harrison, I am so sorry for not asking for permission. I just wanted to show you I belong here." Julie told the woman.

"As amazing as that was. Your spot's already been filled by another student." The woman replied as she pointed to a tiny hall pulling a huge instrument.

"Come on, that thing is way to big for him!" Julie exclaimed.

"He'll grow into it." Mrs Harrison said before frowning. "I wish I could help you Julie, but my hands are tied."

"Mine aren't." The principal admitted as she approached us. "And we much as I didn't approve of your little stunt, I will not go down in history as the principal who kicked Julie Molina out of the music program." A smile grew on my face as it did Julie's.

"Thank you." My sister grinned.

"But... when you win your first Grammy, I want to be thanked."

"Definitely."

The principal walked away and I wanted nothing more than to hug my sister. But I couldn't. "Congratulations." Mrs Harrison told Julie. "Welcome back." She finished before leaving and Julie looked at Flynn before approaching her.

"Wow, you did it." Flynn told Julie.

"Yeah, thanks to you." Julie smiled before seeing Flynn's frown. "Hey, you okay?"

"Uh... I'm great." Flynn claimed. "When did you start playing with a hologram band?"

"Oh, it was just one song. We're not a band." Julie said. "They're a band, a hologram band. Definitely holograms."

"Yeah, I saw... Why have you been keeping those cute boys a secret from me?"

"There's a reason for that. It's just... really crazy."

"Oh, I'm all about crazy. Let's hear it." Flynn told the girl.

"Okay, so, they're... from Sweden." Julie lied, making me frown. "Yeah. Turns out they're not only great at making meatballs but also good at making music. Yeah, so they play there, I stream them here, we play together, they leave, then that's it. Anyway, who's excited that I'm back in the music program."

"Jules, are you lying to me?" Flynn asked. Julie then frowned.

"Yeah." She admitted. "Yeah, I'm lying."

"Since when do we lie to each other?"

"Flynn... I'm sorry."

"I'm sorry? That's all you've got." Flynn scoffed before she began to run out of the gym. Julie took a step after her.

"Wait, Flynn, no. Come on, wait." She called but Flynn left the room anyway.

"I'm sorry, Jules." I whispered as I tried to place my hand on her shoulder. It was no use and my hand went straight through her before I pulled it back.

***

The bell rang and Julie eventually left the gym. I didn't have a clue where the guys had gone so I decided to go and see Laura. I wandered around the school and I eventually found her sitting in the cafeteria. I then approached the bench and took a seat opposite her before I noticed that she was crying. I looked down at the notebook on the table in front of her and she had a picture of the two of us and Harvey stuck on the front cover. "Don't cry, Laura." I whispered before placing my head in my hands and thinking. "What am I supposed to do in these situations when she can't see or hear me!" I asked myself before looking up to see Luke sat beside me.

"Whatcha doing?" He asked me. "Wait, is she crying?"

"Yeah." I frowned. "You're not gonna get all weird are you?"

"What? No." The boy claimed in a long, high pitched tone.

"That's what I don't get." I began. "Reggie and Alex said you can't handle when people cry but you seemed okay when you came to me on the roof."

"I guess that was different." Luke told me.

"How?"

"We both know how it feels to want to talk to someone but can't." I then turned my head to look at Laura and Luke followed my eyes.

"This is Laura." I told him. "She was my best friend."

"Is that you in the picture?" Luke asked me. I nodded my head. "Who's the guy?"

"He was my boyfriend. When I died, he started dating Laura... and don't get me wrong, I was happy that they were happy, but... I guess I was jealous."

"Because your best friend and your boyfriend were a thing?"

"No. Because I wasn't with them." I admitted. "But that's my fault, I ruined that."

"Yeah, Alex and Reggie told me what happened... sorry."

"Don't be. I figured they would."

"Must've been hard. Losing your mom." I nodded my head.

"And I made it even harder for Julie." I admitted. "But I'm glad she has music back in her life. Thanks to you."