Finally Free -- JATP Luke x MaleOC

Chapter 3

As the school day ended and the girls hopped into Jay's car, he immediately noticed the air shift and looked over his shoulder at them.

"Lemme guess," he said. "It's a no-go for the music program?"

"Yeah. My spot's already been filled," Julie said, letting out a breath.

"Sorry Juju," Jay said, turning back to the wheel and beginning to drive. "At least we got you back in the studio."

"He's right, that's one good thing that happened today," Flynn said, looking at Julie.

"Oh, by the way, can I stop by the studio today?" Jay asked. "I need to talk to you about something."

"What, and you can't tell me?" Flynn asked, mocking anger as she stepped out of the car.

"Sorry kid, it's personal," Jay fibbed with a smirk,

"You can use that studio whenever you want Jay," Julie said with a smile. "I'll drop by later, just have some stuff to take care of first."

"Alright," Jay said. "But don't ghost me, alright?"

Jay looked in the mirror and couldn't help the cocky smirk that appeared on his face when he saw Julie's expression. He turned up the volume on the radio and drove to the Molina household in silence as Julie began to overthink.

"Hey," Jay said, rolling down the window before Julie got inside her house. "It's exactly what you're thinking."

Julie nodded absentmindedly and took a breath, shaking her head and turning back to the house. Jay grabbed his backpack from the trunk, locked his car, and went straight to the studio.

Inside, he tossed his backpack aside and took a moment to just look around the studio. The instruments that were in the loft had found a new, permanent home downstairs. The drumset, bass, and electric guitar all stood on one side of the studio. The grand piano was near the back by the plants, and on top was an acoustic guitar.

Jay immediately gravitated towards the acoustic, picking it up and holding it gingerly in his hands. He strummed the six-string lightly and something sparked inside him the moment the first note rang out.

Music was always something so important to Jay. It had created a home for him when his own wasn't safe. It pushed him through the roughest days and brought light in his darkest times. As he took a seat on a nearby stool, his mind flashbacked to a day when he was twelve, the day that changed so much. The beeping of heart monitors, the bright lights of the hospital room, the smell of bile, everything invaded his sense all at once.

Jay took a deep breath and strummed a chord on the guitar, an A chord. He strummed another, a D chord. Then moved to B minor, C sharp minor, and finally an E chord before playing an A chord again.

"Ask me why my heart's inside my throat," he sang lightly, strumming on the guitar.

"I've never been in love, I've been alone
Feels like I've been living life asleep
Love so strong it makes me feel so weak"

His hand moved down the neck of the guitar and he began to strum a melody of notes.

"Are you lonely?
Our fingers dancing when we meet
You seem so lonely
I'll be the only dream you seek
So if you're lonely, no need to show me
If you're lonely, come be lonely with me"

Jay let out a breath that was caught in his chest, looking down sadly at the guitar in his hands. He wanted to pursue music so badly, he wanted to play and write for the rest of his life.

But he couldn't.

"Woah," a familiar voice said and Jay's eyes shot up to see Luke, Reggie, and Alex staring at him.

"Sorry," Jay apologized quickly, shooting to his feet. "This...this is yours, isn't it? I shouldn't have...I'll put it back."

"No, no," Luke said, going forward and stepping in front of Jay, stopping him in his tracks. "That was...really good."

Jay looked at Luke and saw the sincerity in his eyes as he spoke.

"You've got a talent Jay," Luke said, his green eyes sparkling.

"Yeah, that was really great," Alex spoke, making Jay and Luke break their eye contact.

"What, no," Jay dismissed, walking through Luke, making the other boy freeze in place, and placing the acoustic back on the grand piano. "No, that was just...I'm not-"

"Did you write that?" Reggie asked.

"Yeah but-"

"So you can play drums, guitar, sing, and write?" Luke asked, excitement in his voice as he broke out of his trance. "That's talent bro."

Jay sighed, leaning against the piano and crossing his arms.

"I wouldn't call it talent, but it's whatever," he said coolly as he processed what Luke's words meant. If he knew Jay played the drums, he heard Julie singing. "Did you hear everything this morning?"

"Well, not all of it," Alex said, momentarily stunned by Jay's quick conclusion. "But we heard it."

"Yeah, you and Julie work real well together," Reggie complimented.

"I'd hope so," Jay scoffed. "I did play with her and Rose before she passed."

"Wait, Rose?" Reggie asked.

"Julie's mom," Jay clarified, not missing the look the boys gave each other. "What, did you know her?"

The boys gave another look at each other before they all responded in denial.

"Uh-huh," Jay dragged out, clearly unbelieving.

"So, what are you doing here?" Luke asked as Jay walked to the couch.

"Waiting for Jules," Jay answered. "That way the three of you can explain your 'long story,'" Jay used his fingers to make air quotes, "and, chances are, I'll need to explain how I can see you."

"Yeah, I'm still curious why the two of you can and no one else," Alex said.

"Never said I knew why, just how," Jay said.

"Well, while we wait," Luke began, picking up his electric guitar and smiling at Jay. "You wanna hear some all original Sunset Curve music?"

Jay smiled and leaned forward in his seat as the other two boys took their place with their instruments, Reggie with his bass guitar and Alex on the drums.

"Better give me a good show boys," he said.

"One, two, three, four!"