Wake Up| JATP

Chapter 8

After the performance, the 4 of them stood away from the crowd, trying to grasp what had just happened. "That's wild! They could see us when we were playing, but not when the music ended." Nicole smiled, admiring the way Luke's eyes glowed with excitement. "We should double check!" Reggie tapped Luke's chest and got on top of the stage stairs. He wiggled his butt around in an odd manner, Nicole could not believe that she loved this boy like her brother. "Yeah I don't- I don't think they can see us." Nicole inhaled a large breath. "Stabbing is evil, he is just a small golden Labrador that never got attention, stabbing is evil..."She muttered to herself under her breath which earned her a strange look from Luke. "I wish I couldn't see you." Nicole high fived Alex, thankful they were on the same page.

 Waiting for Julie to find the 4 ghosts after the performance was probably one of the most torturing things to ever happen to Nicole. The boys wanted to scare Julie, which meant Nicole had to help. The idea was to get Luke standing on Reggie's and Alex's legs, which they eventually did after Nicole had to push Luke on to them. It was a very messy situation, as you could imagine. When Julie eventually got there Nicole cried out in glee which made all heads turn in her direction. "Don't look at me like that! I have had enough of you boys to last a lifetime, I'm just excited." She defended herself, with a small childish pout which had Luke's heart melting inside his chest and Alex rolling his eyes like a parent. "Whoa! This one's all on you. We were already here. Well actually, we were over there, and then we came over here." Reggie pointed his fingers behind him to prove his point. Nicole just laid her hand on his shoulder. "Alright buddy." Luke stepped forward, obviously growing tired of waiting and spoke. "Are we not gonna talk about what just happened?" Nicole's face turned into frown. The question was, what did just happen? One minute they were cheering their new found friend on, the next they were on stage with her feeling the rush of the crowd and music just like the olden days, it was too much for Nicole to handle. "Yeah the whole school saw you, It's kinda freaking me out." Nicole rapidly nodded her head in agreement. "Me too!" Sh raised her hand so everyone could see. Luke looked down at her, taking her hand in his for comfort. She blushed slightly and looked away when his eyes met hers. Damn those eyes. "Ok good cause it's kinda freaking me out too. You know, you could see us and people could see us whenever we play music and my clothes are made of air but for some reason I'm still getting a wedgie!" Nicole stared at Alex, was that last comment really necessary? He looked back at her and mouthed 'what?' she just shook her head in return. "So many questions." Luke rubbed Alex's back to try and comfort him but clearly it wasn't working so Nicole took matters into her own hands and gave him a hug. "Ok how does Nicole always make everyone feel better? I don't understand, its like your a- a- a rainbow!" Nicole craned her neck to look at Julie. "A rainbow? Seriously? You couldn't think of anything more creative?" Julie shook her head as Nicole moved back to Reggie. "We rocked that place! They were loving you!" Julie shook her head again her smile becoming wider, "Are you kidding? The were loving us! That was a great song Luke, thanks." Nicole felt a pang of jealousy in her chest and her smile dropped a bit, luckily no one seemed to notice, all to preoccupied on the fact that they were visible to people. "And did you guys see the cheerleaders looking at me? I think they were looking at me. Please tell me they were looking at me." Nicole shook her head in disgust, boys really got on her nerves sometimes. She never understood the excitement of a group of girls looking at you, sure it was probably nice to get noticed but seriously? What was the point? Though she was being a hypocrite, whenever a good looking guy glanced in her direction she would be blushing like crazy and her knees would turn to jelly and her feet would freeze in place. God she did not miss high school. "The afterlife should come with instructions or a quick start guide or something!" Nicole made her way over to Alex again, and squished her way under his arm, wrapping her arms around his middle. Her and Alex had always been the sensitive ones and the ones that worried about things the most. 

"Well the good thing is that everyone thought you guys were holograms and I got back into the music program." A frown replaced Julies smile and Nicole quickly furrowed her eyebrows. "Whats wrong? Aren't you excited?" Nicole took a step forward causing Alex's arm to fall off of her shoulder. "Yeah dude, you're making this face." Luke pulled each boy into his side, all of them attempting to make pouty faces. Nicole rolled her eyes. Julie tried to hold in a laugh as she responded. "That...is not my face." "Eh, it's your face." Nicole slapped Reggie's arm which made him pout at her. "Things just got weird between me and Flynn, she asked about you guys and I couldn't say." Nicole frowned, she felt sorry for the girl, she remembers countless times that she had lied to the boys about something and when they found out, they were hurt and angry that she had kept it from them. The things she used to lie about weren't as strange as a ghost band, rather, getting bullied or stuff that had happened at home, she was to afraid of what the boys would do, so she kept them a secret, though they never stayed a secret for long. "Sweet, girls are already talking about us." Luke and  Reggie high fived whilst Nicole tried to hide how hurt she was. "Stop. I'm serious! I can't tell her about you guys for the same reason I can't tell my dad, she'll think I've gone off the deep end."  "Well this guy definitely thinks you've gone off the deep end." Luke and Reggie parted so the janitor could walk past. "I gotta get back to class." Julie began walking off and Nicole waved in her direction earning a small wave back. "Later Julie, oh tell those Cheerleaders that I'm single!" Nicole shook her head slightly before speaking up, "Oh and that he's dead!" "No, no leave that part out-she's gone." Reggie crossed his arms over his chest and pouted at Nicole like a small child. 

The four ghosts poofed back to the studio. Nicole went straight to the couch, laying down with her legs curled up under her. Luke sat down next to her cuddling her waist whilst Reggie sat at the other end of the couch. Alex paced back and forth and Nicole's eyes followed him. She knew her friend was distraught and confused, she was too. "I think he's practising his model strut." Nicole managed to kick Reggie with her foot. "Ow!" He glared at her from behind Luke. "He's so nervous he's almost making me nervous." She kicked Luke. "Ok, look, you guys know I don't handle change well.  All right? Death? That was a change.  Ok then we became ghosts. Another change. A-a-and now we can be seen whenever we play with Julie, big freaking change!" "Yeah but bro it was a good change, with Julie, we can play on stage again and be the band we never got to be." Nicole saw where both boys were coming from, Luke, as always, was excited about music and that he could finally play again whilst Alex needed details and needed to understand how and why just like herself. "Come on you gotta be down for that." "I mean yeah, who wouldn't be I just wanna figure out why." "Forget way, Man, I say we invite Julie to join Sunset Curve." Nicole considered the idea, it would be nice to have another girl in the band. "Yeah totally, with a new lead singer, this band would be legendary." Reggie stood up from the couch, finally getting excited about the idea. "Hey! Me and Nicole are the lead singers." "Dude that girl has the voice of an angel, and she can make us visible. Without her, we're just like elevator music." Nicole pouted slightly and crossed her arms over her chest which Luke noticed. "You don't gotta be so mean about it, and we're on the runway again!" Nicole got up as Alex ran his fingers through his hair and gave the blonde boy a big hug knowing it would calm him. "How about you go out for a walk huh? Clear you head?" She pulled herself from the hug still holding onto the boys shoulders. He nodded his head, running his hands through his hair again. He made his way to the door as Luke, Reggie and Nicole watched him. Every time he tried opening the door, his hand phased through it. "Dude your a ghost, just poof out." "Don't tell me how to ghost!" With that he was gone. 

Nicole huffed loudly and collapsed onto the couch. Her brain was running a thousand miles a minute trying to understand every thing that had happened to her from the minute she died. She had become a ghost, nobody could see her, then her friends appeared out of no where, now she could perform music again in front of real crowds. It was too much for her little brain to comprehend. "What's a matter princess?" Luke sat next to her, placing his arm around her shoulder. "I'm tired and confused and I'm hungry but I can't eat food and I just have so many questions!" Luke frowned and pulled the blonde into his side. He hated seeing her distressed and upset, it made him sad. He stroked her hair, just like he did when they were younger watching as her eyes slowly closed. "Everything will be alright princess, I promise."

Authors note:

I wanted to start putting Nicole's outfits at the top so I did and if you guys don't like them just imagine she's wearing something more your style!