Rose's Journal

Chapter 3: The Team

The band goes into the studio to find Julie at the piano, playing around with some melodies.

"Hey guys, where have you been?" said Julie, smiling.

Reggie replied, "Yeah, actually that's what we want to talk to you about, see.." Luke and Alex hit him on the arm to get him to stop talking. "OW! What'd you do that for?" Reggie said. They all poofed out, leaving Julie confused.

"Why didn't you let me tell her? Wasn't that the plan?" "What were you gonna say?" Alex shifted his voice to mimic Reggie, "hey.. uh a guy you've known since you were a kid killed your mom?"

"Yeah, we still have to plan out what we're gonna say. I️ didn't expect to see her in there," said Luke, "I️ figured she'd be inside doing homework, and we'd have time." The boys all sat there silent, not one of them knowing what to tell her.

"So, who's gonna tell her what we know?" said Reggie, breaking the silence.

"I️ vote Alex," Luke said, "he's the one who says he has a 'softer touch.'"

"Well, I️ think you should do it, Luke. You're her songwriting partner, and then there's the 'chemistry.'"

Reggie interrupted, "No one thinks I️ should do it?" There was a pause. "Never mind, I️ answered my own question. Whatever, okay, you guys we have to tell Julie." The large doors begin to open, and Julie steps outside to figure out where the guys went off to.

"Guys, why'd you guys poof out like that? What's going on?" Reggie stepped backwards away from Julie. Luke looks to Alex for help, but Alex gestured as if to say "after you" and stepped backwards. Julie stared at Luke, waiting for an answer.

"So uh I️ loved the melody you were working on in there, is it new?" Luke asked, trying to change the subject. He still didn't know what he was going to say. Julie crosses her arms and tilts her head. "Well, we should probably head inside to talk about this," said Luke, looking at her as though she was a hurt puppy. Julie walked inside, thinking of all of the possible horrible things that they could tell her that happened.

They all entered the studio and shut the door.

"So what is it?" said Julie with concern in her voice, "Is Caleb back? Is someone hurt? What is it?"

Luke started, "it's about our death," said Luke, "we think Bobby is behind it."

Julie exhales as if to laugh, "But, seriously, what's wrong stop playing around."

Luke looked at her with a serious gaze. "That's it," sounding dumbfounded that she even asked why.

Julie's smile turned into a frown. "Where did you get a crazy idea like that? He was your bandmate. I've known him since I was two. He may have stolen your songs, but he's no murderer." Suddenly, the doors opened, and Flynn walked in.

"What did I️ just hear about a murderer?" Flynn asked, her attention peaked.

Julie looked at Flynn, still looking irritated, "The boys think Bobby killed them now."

"Wait really?" said Flynn, sounding intrigued, "How'd they come to this conclusion?"

"Idiocy, pure idiocy is my guess," said Julie, putting her hands on her hips and giving the boys a death glare. Flynn fixed her face to match Julie's. No matter how interested she was, she was going to stand by her best friend.

"But Julie hear us out," Luke said, "we went to Bobby's house and...."

"WAIT YOU BROKE INTO HIS HOUSE?" Julie yelled. Luke stepped backwards, scared of what she'll do. "But if we tell you what we found..."

"NO LUKE!" interrupted Julie, "I️ DON'T WANT TO HEAR THE LUDICROUS CONSPIRACY-RIDDLED INFORMATION YOU ILLEGALLY GOT FROM THE HOUSE." The boys look at Julie with shock. Why did she react so strongly? It wasn't the first time they had used their ghost abilities for stuff like this. Julie took a breath. "C'mon Flynn, we gotta go work on our project," said Julie, heading out the door. Flynn followed, shutting the door behind her as they walked towards the house.

"Next time," said Alex, "I'm just gonna talk." Luke was still in shock. Why wouldn't she hear them out?

"There's something more going on here I️ know it," said Luke. "But, I️ don't know how we'll be able to figure this out without her. We've missed 25 years worth of information, and we don't know anything about Julie's mom."

"Yeah," said Reggie, "Where do we go from here? I️ mean we're ghosts, it's not like we could report him even IF we had solid evidence." The boys sat and thought.

"Well, I️ could probably get Willie to help us," Alex chimed in. "that's better than having no one else."

Luke sighed, "Yeah boys, I'm pretty sure we're alone here. No one can see us, and the problem we knew before we died don't know we're ghosts."

Reggie sat down, "welp, I️ guess it's back to the drawing board here."

Suddenly, the doors flung back open, and in walked Flynn.

"Hey phantoms. Uh I'm gonna look really stupid if you're not here. Can one of you guys, like, pick up something to show me you're there."

Reggie ran over to the sheet music on the piano and swirls it in the air, "whooo ooh ooh," he vocalized, zig zagging the papers around the area. Alex slapped his face with his hand in disappointment.

Flynn jumped backwards, "Still not used to that. Anyways, your whole murder investigation, I️ wanna help. I️'m absolutely OBSESSED with murder mysteries and documentaries, and, while Julie may be right about you three being idiots grasping for straws, I️ think it's worth the investigating because something doesn't add up."

"RIGHT? That's what I️ said!" said Luke, inaudible to Flynn.

"So, are you guys gonna let me join or what?" The phantoms looked at each other and smiled. They had a lifer on their side now. Alex picked up the pen and writes on a blank page of Luke's songbook. Flynn walked over to see what it said. "Welcome aboard," Alex's note read. Flynn smiled and walked towards the doors, "Well, I️ gotta go boys. I️ told Julie I️ was just coming in to grab my backpack then coming right back," Flynn said, feeling uneasy about lying to her best friend. Flynn began to walk out the doors, but she turned around before she left and said:

"We're gonna catch ourselves a murderer, ghost boys. I'll be back tomorrow."