Julie and the Phantoms: Post Orpheum

Chapter 3

Julie and Carlos entered the house and made their way to the kitchen, where Julie was happy to finally be able to sit down and eat her breakfast. Carlos sat at the chair facing her. "SOOO, do you care to explain how you got involved in a ghost band? And who do I have to summon so that I can play with some ghost baseball players? "

Julie laughed and shook her head as she took a spoonful of her cereal. "Remember the day I got kicked out of the music program?" Carlos nodded his head yes. "Ok, so I went into the garage to clean out mom's stuff. I found a CD with the picture of the guys. I thought it was weird because I've been in that garage a thousand times and not once have I ever seen that. So, I took it out and played it. The first song began and I sat down to listen to it when all of a sudden I heard yelling and the guys poofed in. And that's when I saw them and screamed and ran away and YOU called me weird. " Julie narrowed her eyes at Carlos. He lifted his hands and said, "My bad."

"Anywayyyy", said Julie as she ate another spoonful of her cereal. " I found out that they were a band from the 90's and they died the night they were supposed to play at the Orpheum. Somehow the CD brought them back. Apparently, they used to practice in our garage. We then found out that you can hear them play music. The next day, they heard about me and the music program. Luke gave me a song to sing to try to get back in and when I performed it, they all of a sudden appeared alongside me. And that is when we found out that they can be seen when they play with me."

Carlos nodded and looked down at his hands. He seemed hesitant. Julie knew the question that was coming next, and she can feel herself holding back her tears even though he hadn't asked it yet. Carlos, softly asked, "Do you know if they've seen mom?"

Julie sniffed and felt a tear escape her eye. She looked down and shook her head. "No. They have not. " She looked at her brother and sighed. "Right after they died, they were stuck in this like black room and stayed there until I played their CD. They never saw anyone else." Carlos looked down again and try to wipe his watery eyes.

"I guess I just thought that you having contact with ghosts meant that maybe, we had contact with mom again." Her heart felt heavy seeing her brother like this. Julie reached out and grabbed his hand. She opened her mouth to say something, then stopped, wondering if she should give her brother a little bit of hope if she wasn't sure about it herself. She then decided that she would. "However, I do think that she is connected to all of this somehow."

She waited for her brother to look up so she can explain. "The CD appeared in her studio the exact moment that I was kicked out of the program. And they brought music back into my life. I don't think that's a coincidence. Also, I wasn't sure if the boys were going to be there for the Orpheum performance, and I went outside and cried and talked to mom. A random lady came up to me and gave me a dahlia at that exact moment." Julie smiled and she felt a sense of calmness when she recalled that moment. Another tear streamed down her face.

Carlos smiled and squeezed her hand. "Moms favorite! Is that the one you had before you began performing?" She nodded her head. "Yeah. And I also found a Sunset Curve t-shirt in her box of old stuff in my room. And I've been through everything there and not once have I seen it. I don't know why or how, but I think she is behind all of this."

Carlos chuckled and wiped the remaining tears on his face. "Yeah, I think so too." They smiled at each other and Julie continued to eat her breakfast. 

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Meanwhile in the garage, the boys began talking the minute Julie and Carlos left the place. As soon as they saw them turn the corner, Alex and Reggie looked at each other and grinned.