Ghostly Guitar | Julie and The Phantoms

Chapter Eight : Studio Home

Chapter Eight : Studio Home
December 1995

    Stephanie was just brushing out her hair when a crying Luke ran into the studio. He had nearly everything on him. His guitar, his bike helmet, and two duffel bags. "Luke?" Stephanie had dropped the brush by now, slowly walking closer to her friend. No scratch that. Closer to her brother.

    "Hey- Hey Steph." He fell back into the couch, tears still streaming down her face. "I-" He couldn't form words. He didn't know what to say at all. He kept replaying the fight with his mother over and over in his head.

    Stephanie pulled him into a side hug, slowly rubbing circles on his back, "Hey. It's okay. You don't have to tell me."
    He sniffled, "Thanks Steph." In that moment he didn't know what he would do without her. Just letting him cry into her shoulder as she told him sweet nothings to make him feel better.

~

    It's been about a week of Steph and Luke living together in the studio. Alex's parents let him back in the house, but they still weren't talking to him.
Steph felt bad about what she was doing as soon as her hand landed on the black journal.

    Slowly she flipped to the newest page. 'Silent days, mysteries and mistakes. Who'd be the first to break? I guess we're alike that way.' Stephanie slammed the journal shut after reading the few lines.

    Luke still hadn't told her what made him run out, but she could guess after that. She closed her eyes, exhaling a breath. A stream of guilt ran through her for even touching his stuff. But this was next leave.

    Yet somewhere in the back of her mind she was thinking. 'He's one of the best writers in the world.'

~

    "A cord." Luke told Steph as they sat in the studio. The two had just gone out for dinner and it was just them learning Luke's new song before they showed the rest of the band.

    Steph strummed the cord. Then read over the paper, "A cord, b flat, e?"   
   Luke nodded, "Yeah. Then just 'ooooo's' over it."  
"All right." Stephanie played the chords and sang the small background music, "Oooooooooooooooo."   
   At the same time Luke played and sang his part, "oooooooo, if I could take us back, if I could just do that, and write in every empty space the words 'I love you' in replace- And that's all I got." 
  "Luke. It's beautiful."   
  Luke wiped the single tear off his face, "Thanks Steph." She just gave him a sad smile in response.
Maybe it wasn't a happy song at heart, but the lyrics made you think, think and feel. And in the end that's what music is made to do.

~