Wake Up| JATP

Chapter 7

After the boys had revealed that they had heard Julie in the garage this morning and talked her ear off, the group of ghosts had decided to go back to the studio, thinking that they could practice or do something to waste their time due to the simple fact that they were bored. Nicole had been wandering around the streets of Hollywood for a long time and she was pretty sure she had seen every street by now. Her mind still wasn't fully wrapped around the thought of her being dead. As soon as the blonde girl arrived back on Earth as a ghost she pushed all of her negative emotions away focusing on things to distract her and bring her some sort of warmth to her no longer beating chest. Visiting Marley was often the thing she did the most and if not that, it was going to the spot her and the boys used to go when they skipped school sometimes and sit under the tree they had sat by numerous times a week. The 3 boys of her old band coming back was just another thing to worry about, leaving her yet again, to be distracted. It wasn't a lie that Nicole was finally beginning to feel the reality of it all, like a massive weight on her shoulders and chest, weighing her down like a bag of stones. The three boys had seemed to adjust rather easily to their new life and it bothered Nicole that she couldn't do the same. I mean she was dead, they were dead, doesn't that mean anything? Her eyes remained focused on nothing in particular as she stared straight ahead of her, her golden locks casting a shadow over her face. Luke sat a few spaces away on the piano bench, staring intensely at the girl, watching how her eyes drooped and the way her face rested. He could see something was wrong and he wanted so desperately to ask what it was but with Alex and Reggie in the room, they would get the wrong idea, then again; it wasn't really wrong. So instead he let her be, letting her try and fix herself.

Nicole interacted with the boys a bit more, realising it would be suspicious if she sat there all night doing nothing but stare into space, so whilst Luke went to talk to Julie; Nicole, Alex and Reggie began playing around with their instruments trying to keep the volume down, so that they wouldn't annoy the curly haired girl in the house. Nicole felt so happy to be playing music again, her fingers brushing against the chords of the piano, it was like they had never left. The three cheered and celebrated in a group hug after finishing the last few notes, excited that they still had the fire and passion they had 25 years ago. Every second spent performing with her boys was a second that Nicole cherished in her heart because it was those two things that bought happiness into her life and if she were to stop playing like she had, and if the boys had left, her life would full of darkness. She had high hopes for their future as a band and friends, with Julie too, she could see Sunset Curve finally getting the recognition it deserved.

The sky had gone dark now, the stars spread out like paint. Alex and Reggie had fallen asleep hours ago, tired out from their little jam session earlier. Nicole sat curled up on the couch, a blanket wrapped around her petite body. "Nicole?" Her head shot up, searching for hazel eyes. "Hey, Luke." The couch dipped beside her as he sat down, it may have been dark but he could still see the exhaustion in her eyes. "Come with me." He smiled at the girl holding his hand out for her which she quickly accepted. He poofed them both to the park, both sat on a swing, facing each other. The only light came from the moon and the street lights that lined the city, their glow casting onto the small playground. "Are you ok, Nicole? I was watching you earlier, you seemed, lost." Nicole's smile instantly fell, she should of known that Luke would pick it up, they had been friends since they were in nappies, he knew every little detail about her and she was stupid to think that he wouldn't pick up her odd behaviour. She sighed, letting out a half hearted chuckle. "I don't know Luke, I'm kinda freaking out, I mean I'm dead, I can't talk to Marley, I can't perform in front of crowds anymore, I can't eat, I can't even use the freaking bathroom!" Her hands trembled slightly in front of her, trembling in sync with her bottom lip which Luke had noticed. Nicole Jones wasn't one to show sadness often, if she did, it meant something was really bothering her. Though Luke had seen her cry before, numerous times actually, it still shocked him every time. He wrapped his arms around the girl, slowly lifting her off the swing. He stroked her hair, something he knew she liked, and whispered comforting words into her ears, the stars and the moon being their only witness that, that night happened.

The next morning, Nicole woke up, wearing Luke's hoodie. She remembered the details of last night and hoped that he hadn't told the others, wanting it to be something between them. All three boys were already wide awake, looking more excited than usual. "Okay why are you all staring at me like that? What did you do?" Reggie giggled which made Nicole smile. "Nothing, but hurry up! We need to watch Julie rock her performance, she's gonna get back into the music program!" With that the blonde was up on her feet and poofed herself straight to Julie's school. She landed steadily on the ground, her heeled boots giving away her presence to Julie. A whooshing sound came from behind her, meaning the boys had arrived. "What are you guys doing here?" Nicole smiled at the girl. "We came to watch the show, you know, show our support!" Nicole's eyes averted to the group of girls performing. Her eyebrows scrunched in confusion, they looked ridiculous with their wigs and sparkly pants. Nicole was no fashion designer, but she knew how to throw an outfit together. She knew instantly the girl in pink was the leader, the way she tossed her hair around and the amount of attitude she put into her performance was enough to show her that. From the corner of her eye, she saw Alex try to copy the moves and she couldn't help but laugh. When Luke slapped his arm, she instantly stopped. After the girls stopped performing and the principal gave her little speech, the students began clearing out and Nicole watched as Julie sat behind the piano. Nicole twisted her hands nervously, she wanted her new friend to get her music back, it was something they had both lost, Nicole had finally found it again, she wanted Julie to do the same. The girl started playing the first few notes of the song hesitating for a second and looking in the direction of the 4 ghosts. Nicole nodded her head, a smile on her pink lips. The sound of the piano and Julie's voice echoed throughout the hall, Nicole's smile growing wider as the girl relaxed more. What shocked her though, was when she joined Julie on the stage, her guitar in hands and when she looked around, the other boys were there too, looking just as confused. Despite the situation, Nicole began playing along, smiling as she realised, people could see them! She walked towards Luke, as he too began playing, a grin on his lips and his legs bounced in excitement. When Julie and Luke began sharing a mic, Nicole couldn't help the small twinge of jealousy she felt, but she quickly shook it off and going to jam with Reggie on the other side of the stage.

Life is a risk but I will take it, close my eyes and jump,

together I think that we can make it, come on lets run!

And rise through the night

you and I, we will fight

to shine together, bright forever!

Nicole's head bopped to the music and she sang the next verse after getting the ok from Julie. When her voice rang out, Luke looked towards her, completely mesmerised by the beauty of it. He knew she could sing, she would spend countless hours doing it his bedroom yet every time, he got chills and he couldn't keep his eyes away. Maybe his feelings for her were deeper than he thought. He wasn't sure if that scared him or pleased him. The song came to an end and the four ghosts poofed off stage, the crowd letting out a gasp before applauding. Nicole wondered, and she was pretty sure the others did too, what the hell just happened?