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Chapter Text

Legends. Sensational. Superstars.

     These were just a few words used to describe Sunset Curve, the band from the 90s that came so close to super-stardom.

      Luke Patterson, lead singer and lead guitarist for Sunset Curve, the living firework with a gift worth a million words to be shared with the world. Reginald Peters, better known as Reggie, Sunset's bassist and backup vocalist, the country-loving rockstar with a heart of gold. Alexander Mercer, known as Alex to his friends, Sunset's drummer and backup vocalist alongside Reggie, gifted with empathy and a kind-hearted soul. Bobby Shaw, the band's rhythm guitarist and backup vocalist with 2 of his bandmates, a flirt and almost as outspoken as Sunset's lead singer.

       That was before the story that dominated headlines for weeks. Before everyone moved on to other things. Fashion trends, celebrity gossip, and after a few months, Hollywood's newest sensation, Trevor Wilson.

Chapter Text

Hollywood: 1995

Applause rang through the Orpheum Theater as Sunset Curve finished their soundcheck featuring their hit song "Now Or Never", for their show later that night. The 4 teens bowed in unison as the employees of the legendary venue cheered, adrenaline pumping through them, smiles bright.

      Luke looked between his friends, grinning and setting his guitar on its stand. "Guys, that sounded incredible! I can't wait for the show, they're going to love us!"

        Luke's bandmates glanced at each other as they grabbed their water bottles, shaking their heads and chuckling at their friend's excitement.

                 "He's not wrong, guys. I mean, 'Lex, you were killing it with those solos!" Reggie said, playfully nudging Alex's shoulder.

                   "No, I mean you guys were the ones who were killing it," Alex replied, getting looks from the others who were used to him trying to downplay his talent.

             "Come on dude, own your awesomeness for once!" Reggie said, shaking his friend by the shoulders, chuckling when he saw a smile creeping onto the drummer's face.

              "Alright, I was killing it!" Alex amended, setting his drumsticks down and taking the water bottle Bobby offered him, nodding his head in thanks.

       His bandmates chuckled, Reggie and Bobby setting their bass and guitar, respectively to the side before the quartet jumped off the stage to go chat with one of the employees.

        The worker they were walking toward was a Latina girl wearing a sparkly shirt, leather vest, and dark jeans, who appeared to be about their age, maybe a little older, with beautiful dark curls that went past her shoulders. Her brown eyes shined with warmth as she looked up from the table she was cleaning, at the 4 approaching teens.

         Luke smiled at the girl, remembering her standing front and center cheering for the boys after their soundcheck. "Hi, I'm Luke," he introduced, then gesturing to his bandmates who were flanking him. "And this is..."

            "Alex, hey," the drummer said, nodding and giving the girl a small smile and wave.

                  "And..." Luke continued.

                     "Reggie, I'm Reggie!" the bassist supplied happily, smiling and waving at the girl.

                           "I'm Bobby," the rhythm guitarist said, slightly pushing in front of Luke.

                              "It's nice to meet you guys, I'm Rose. You guys sounded really good, I've been in a few bands myself, and you conveyed the emotion of the music really well," the waitress said with a smile and a nod, resting the washcloth she had been holding on her shoulder.                

        "Thank you, that's what we do this for, to share our music and connect with people," Luke said, smiling and standing up a little straighter.

    "Oh, well here's our demo, and a T-shirt, size beautiful," Reggie said, handing Rose a copy of their demo CD and a T-shirt with the Sunset Curve logo on it, grinning brightly.

      "Thanks, I'll try not to wipe down the tables with this one," Rose said, smiling and putting the shirt over her shoulder, grabbing the cloth to clean the other tables.

         "Yeah, that's a good idea, when the shirts get wet, they kinda just fall apart in your hands," Alex remarked, shrugging sheepishly.

                            "Hey, weren't you guys talking about grabbing dinner before the show?" Bobby asked, raising an eyebrow at his friends.

                                "Oh yeah, we were going to go get street dogs, there's a vendor around the corner. Are you coming Bobby?" Luke responded, grabbing his jacket as Alex nodded and Reggie grabbed his backpack.

                                   "No, I'll stay here. I could never hurt an animal," Bobby answered, shaking his head and turning back towards Rose.

                                       "Suit yourself bro, just don't pass out on us tonight!" Luke said, shrugging his shoulders. "By the way," he added, turning to Rose and resting a hand on Bobby's shoulder, "He had a cheeseburger for lunch." Luke finished, laughing as Bobby spun to face him, his hands thrown up in embarrassment at his friend's teasing.

                  Still chuckling, Luke walked out the side door of the theater with Alex and Reggie on either side of him. "Remember Luke, we can't take too long, my Aunt Marie wants pictures from tonight, since she can't make it to the show. You brought your Polaroid, right?" Alex said, glancing in Luke's direction, starting to fidget with the sleeves of his pink hoodie.

       "Don't worry, Alex. I brought my Polaroid, it's in the bag with the shirts. Ms. Marie will get plenty of photos from the show tonight, plus we have the ones we took earlier at the studio already. Tomorrow we can get the film developed and get it to her, I promise." Luke reassured his friend, nudging his shoulder gently.

Alex nodded, the tension leaving his shoulders as he smiled, thinking of his aunt's request that she asked him as soon as he told her about the gig. He couldn't let her down, not when she supported him and loved him for who he was. 

      "Yeah 'Lex, we've got everything taken care of. We'll eat dinner, go and tease Bobby about his flirting, play an amazing show, maybe get a record deal, then spend the rest of the night getting photos to document the best night of our lives!" Reggie said, jumping a bit and smiling at his friends.

      "Exactly! There's no way we won't get a record deal after those execs hear our set tonight!" Luke said, emphasizing his words with arm gestures.

           The trio neared the end of the alley, approaching the mob of Sunset's fans waiting to get into the Orpheum for the showcase. Luke put his hood up and Alex adjusted his cap and fanny pack, while Reggie took his backpack off and walked over to a group of girls, handing them each a T-shirt.

           "Sunset Curve, tell your friends," he said with a wink and a smile, before rejoining Alex and Luke. The group finally arrived at the street dog vendor, Sam & Ella's, and got started on loading their food with toppings.

      "You know, I hope someday we can eat food that isn't out of the back of an Oldsmobile," Alex remarked as he finished dressing his hot dog.

               "Don't worry dude, after tonight, we'll never have to eat street dogs again," Luke said as he started to lead his friends over to a couch sitting in front of the alley wall.

  "Sorry, I got some pickle juice on your battery cables," Alex said to Sam, who was grilling hotdogs next to his wife.

     The man shook his head and smiled, "No worries, it'll help with the rust," and nudged Alex's shoulder.

           "That doesn't-okay," Alex replied confused, shaking his head before heading over to the boys, who were already sitting down on the couch. As he went to sit down, he glanced at the wall behind the couch and saw the missing poster for Luke Patterson, right above his mentioned friend's head. He went to say something, but decided against it and sat down.

     "You guys, this is amazing! I can't even count how many people have played the Orpheum and become famous! We're going to be legends!" Luke said in awe, shaking his head with a mile-wide smile on his face.

       Alex and Reggie nodded their agreement, smiling at their friend who sat between them.

             "Eat up boys, 'cause after tonight, everything changes," Luke said, raising his hotdog to take a bite, the others following his lead.

                   "That's a new flavor," Alex remarked, having taken a bite of the street dog.

                       Luke shook his head, brushing it off, and the boys continued to eat their dinner.

                             Not even 10 minutes passed before the boys, along with 2 older customers who had been sitting at a nearby table eating the street dogs, collapsed. Ambulances were called, and sirens echoed through the streets as they arrived at the scene, while Bobby Shaw was inside the Orpheum talking to Rose, completely unaware of the tragedy that had hit his friends.

             Saturday July 22nd, 1995, the day that 3 musicians were taken by tragedy from the world, at the young age of 17.

                The heartbroken cries of Emily and Mitch Patterson for the loss of their only child were heard from miles away.

                     Veronica Peters fell to her knees at the news of her sweet Reggie's passing, tears becoming as much of a part of her appearance as the now-absent dimples that appeared in her cheeks when she smiled.

                The Mercer household threatened to collapse as the weight of their loss took hold in the minds of Christine Mercer, Andrew Mercer, and Marie Hughes, who wept for the loss of her nephew, as her sister and brother-in-law broke into a thousand pieces, for they carried crushing guilt and grief for their son.

                   There are no words that can describe the utter pain that nearly consumed Bobby Shaw that night, and the long days and nights that followed. His company for these sleepless nights took the forms of Rose Monroe and her boyfriend, Ray Molina, who soon became two of his closest friends.

     Three boys wake up in a dark room.

Chapter Text

As we all know, time is a powerful force, and is known to go fast or slow. It is said that time is able to heal wounds, but unfortunately, that isn't always the case. Some wounds can't be fixed by a bandage, a bit of rest, medicine, or any length of time. Stars can be hidden by clouds, their light dimmed and sometimes they might seem invisible. Mackenzie Mercer, or Kenzie, as she prefers to be called, knows all about time's flaws. It could even be argued that she is more aware of them than most, especially by those that truly know her. Kenzie is no stranger to grief and loss, the twin shadows that never rest, lingering in the air she breathes, the very framework of her life. The loss of her childhood home and the memories it held, grief for loved ones whom she adored more than anything.

Heartbreak for the brother she never got to meet.

Los Feliz High School: 2020

A bell rang, signaling the end of the second-to-last class of the day. A girl made her way through the crowded hallway, her long, wavy blonde hair pulled back in a ponytail, a Queen T-shirt peeking out from underneath a pin & patch covered denim jacket. Ripped blue jeans and black Vans completed the outfit. Reaching her locker after maneuvering around a group of freshmen, she unlocked and opened the door, unloading her bag of everything she didn't need next period. Every so often, she would tug on the strap of her guitar case slung over her shoulder, which rested on her back, making sure it wasn't loose.

     Closing her locker, she noticed a familiar red cap in the sea of students and made her way toward it. As students started to head towards their next bells, the red cap revealed itself to belong to a girl with a black bookbag and a far-off look in her downcast eyes as she headed to her locker. Reaching her destination, the distracted girl looked up and noticed her friend waiting next to her locker door, a small smile on her face, not quite reaching her eyes.

    "Hey Kenzie, I missed you this morning. Dad said you left right after you fed Chess and Calliope. Something about meeting with Ms. Harrison?" Julie greeted, readjusting her cap on her dark curls.

         "Yeah, I was hoping to convince her to give me an extension on the project, or let me perform it for her alone," Kenzie replied, straightening her case before it could slip.

   "No luck, I'm guessing?" Julie asked, a sympathetic smile taking over her features.

       "Nope," Kenzie said, popping the p for emphasis and shaking her head with a sigh. "Today's still our last day, no extensions or private assessments allowed."

    "I'm sorry it didn't work out," Julie said, rubbing her friend's shoulder.

        "Don't be, Jules. If I play it, great, if not, then I'll know that it just isn't my time yet," Kenzie reassured her.

          "Just remember that Flynn and I have faith in you, and so does Ms. Harrison. We're here for you 100%," Julie said, confidence flowing through her words.

   The third member of the girls' trio walked with purpose down the hall towards them, stopping when she was in front of the girls, who turned at the arrival of their friend.

     "Hey underachievers," Flynn greeted, smiling brightly at her friends.

          "Hey Disappointment," the girls chorused, looking at her fondly.

            "So, have you guys figured out what you're doing today? Ms. Harrison said it's your last chance to stay in the program," Flynn said, glancing between the two girls.

     Julie sighed, "We know, we were there. I was actually just asking Kenzie if she had a plan," Julie said, looking at the girl who was fiddling with her rings.

   At the mention of her name, she looked up and brought her hands back down to her sides, letting out a deep breath. "Like I told Jules, if I can play, awesome, if not, then I'll just wait until next year."

    Flynn reached out and took hold of her friend's hands, squeezing them gently. "Hey, don't let those doubts win. We all know how talented you are, and you know it too."

   Kenzie looked up at her friend's words, Flynn's infectious smile spreading to her own features, and nodded her head as a silent thank you. Seeing their friend smile made both Julie and Flynn's moods lift, though they were soon brought back to reality by another voice.

     "Can't wait to see you at the pep rally tomorrow!" 

        The trio glanced in the direction of the new voice, seeing it belonged to none other than Carrie Wilson, bandleader of Dirty Candy, an all-girl dance group of her creation. Standing near Carrie on his phone with his guitar case next to him was Nick Emmerson, captain of the lacrosse team and Carrie's boyfriend.

   Moving her strawberry blonde curls over her shoulder, Carrie made her way over to the girls, who were still standing by Julie's locker.

       "Hi, girls! Don't forget Dirty Candy is playing at the rally tomorrow!" Carrie exclaimed, a sickly-sweet smile adorning her face as she handed a flyer to Flynn.

   "Oh my gosh Carrie, thanks!" Flynn replied, a sarcastic smile in place as she grabbed the flyer.

       "Oh my gosh Flynn, don't bother coming!" Carrie retorted, her smile still in place as she strutted away, continuing to pass out flyers. After Carrie left, Flynn sent a glare her way as she crumpled the flyer up into a little ball and threw it away.

        "That girl is a demon in disguise," Flynn huffed out, shaking her head.

            "She definitely hasn't been the greatest person in a while, that's for sure, right Kenzie?" Julie said, nodding her head.

                When she didn't get an answer, Julie looked at Kenzie to see what was wrong, and Flynn followed her line of sight to, "Nick, really?" Flynn said, raising an eyebrow at the blonde girl.

                  Flynn's response tore her wistful gaze away from Nick to face her friends who were fixing her with looks of empathy.

            "It's not like that, I just want to get a chance to talk to him like I used to, without Carrie interrupting or sending me death glares. Besides, Nick's a sweetheart," Kenzie retorted in response to her friends' looks.

        "It's okay Kenzie," Julie reassured her when it looked like she was going to start fidgeting again.

            "Yeah, now let's go prove everyone wrong!" Flynn said with a proud smile, linking her arm through Kenzie's, Julie mirroring the gesture on their friend's other side. Side by side, the girls walked to their next class, Music.

Chapter Text

Kenzie's POV

Walking into Ms. Harrison's class feels bittersweet, and for good reason. Sweet with the feeling of the last bell of the day, one more class before the final bell of the day rings. The sight of the welcoming classroom, full of instruments waiting to be played, shining brightly with the reflection of the sunlight beaming through the windows, sheet music full of inspiration, slightly worn at the edges from constant use. Students eagerly talking about music and their plans afterschool as they make their way to their seats, some with instrument cases in hand. Bitter with the reminder of this being the last chance Julie and I have for salvaging our spots in the music program. Seeing Ms. Harrison's hopeful eyes shooting between us, empathy painting her expression, making some of the tension leave my shoulders and the weight in my chest lift slightly. 

   I like how Ms. Harrison does our performance assessments. She asks for volunteers, and then after any and all volunteers perform and receive her feedback, she goes by alphabetical order. This gives Julie and I more time to prepare ourselves, being halfway through the alphabet. Mercer and Molina, the only two students whose spots are on the line. The rest of the class has already performed their piece for Ms. Harrison or is going to today. She always gives us the option to perform something original or a cover on our given instrument, or technically, in me and Julie's cases, instruments. Ms. Harrison has always counted vocals as an instrument, and out of the kindness of her heart, gave Jules and I the option to sing a piece or play a piece on our given instrument, outside of vocals. I know Julie took the option and is planning on playing a piece on the class piano, but I'm still debating. It doesn't feel right to play my guitar, Lee, without singing, or at least humming, but I'm not sure if I'll be able to sing with nothing to hold onto except for the mic stand.

     I snap out of my thoughts as Ms. Harrison calls out the first name for today, yesterday having been the first day for the semester assessment. 

         "Nick Emmerson," Ms. Harrison announced, smiling as Nick finished setting up his electric guitar and began playing. After he strummed his last note, everyone gave him a round of applause, myself included. Despite having heard him perform so many times, I was still impressed with his skills.

   It felt like the minutes were sprinting away from me, because before I knew it, Quinn McKinstry finished her violin solo, and then...

     "Mackenzie Mercer," Ms. Harrison called, nodding at me.

  Taking a deep breath and picking up my case, I stood from my chair, hearing Flynn say, "Break a leg, Blue," from the row behind me, smiling slightly at the nickname as I made my way to the front of the room, a microphone already plugged in and adjusted on its stand waiting for me. I plugged my guitar into the amp sitting nearby and settled the strap over my shoulders. Looking up, I saw my classmates waiting attentively, a few sending encouraging looks my way. Though she still had her cap on, Julie nodded her head in support, and Flynn smiled softly at me. 

  I guide my fingers toward the strings, stepping a little closer to the mic, letting my eyes wander as I centered myself. That ended up being a mistake. My eyes landed on Carrie and Nick in the front row, Carrie with her arms folded, watching me with a look in her eyes that seemed to say, Don't waste your time. Nick was watching me curiously like most of the other students, wondering if I was really going to play or even sing this time.

   The look from Carrie alone was enough to bring all of the doubts back to the forefront of my mind at full force. I almost fully expected to freeze up, paralyzed with fear, as if the basilisk's reflection was staring me down, or Medusa herself. 

    Instead, I looked at Ms. Harrison, who had faith in me, even though I hadn't played for a long time. I shook my head, stepping away from the microphone and setting my guitar back in its case, sliding the strap back over my shoulders, letting the case rest against my back once more.

      "I'm sorry, I can't," I said, looking down, unable to meet anyone's eyes, let alone the gazes of my best friends. Walking up to Ms. Harrison, barely above a whisper, I asked, "May I be excused?"

      She nodded her head, and I only stopped at my old seat long enough to grab my bag before exiting the room, knowing I had forfeited my spot.

    Sighing sadly, Ms. Harrison called the last name for the day, "Julie."

Chapter Text

Julie's POV

I knew that Music would be hard for me and Kenzie, especially with the uncertainty of our future in the Music program. Based on this morning alone, I knew that Kenzie's nerves were frayed, and Flynn had more than enough worry for the 3 of us. Despite my worries, I tried to pay attention to the performances, though I still kept an eye on Flynn and Kenzie to try to see how they were holding up. A glance at the 2 rows behind me where they were sitting told me everything I needed to know. Kenzie was facing toward the front of the room where Ms. Harrison was preparing to start today's assessments, but her glazed-over expression told me she wasn't present in spirit. Flynn, on the other hand, couldn't seem to sit still, in a looping dance of fiddling with her bracelets and switching her gaze between Kenzie and me, most likely trying to gauge our emotions from our facial expressions and body language.

  I faced back toward the front of the classroom as Ms. Harrison read off the first name on her list for the day, "Nick Emmerson."
Nick stood up from his spot in the first row and set up his guitar, hooking it up to the amp next to the piano. He played an original piece, and as the last chords rang out, he received a round of applause from the class. He deserved it, he had some serious talent on the guitar and was passionate about it too. As the applause died down, I took the opportunity to check up on Kenzie and Flynn, letting out a sigh of relief that Kenzie had snapped out of her daze and had a small smile gracing her features as she stopped clapping. Meeting Flynn's eyes in the row behind Kenzie's, I saw my relief mirrored in her eyes, a small smile also on her face.

   The assessments continued, and after what felt like a half hour had flown by, we were halfway through the assessments and Veronica Lance was singing her heart out as she covered "Killer Queen", while her fingers danced across the piano keys. L, Lance, the last letter before M, soon Kenzie would be called, and then me. With every crescendo and chord, I was reminded of nicer times, when music was normal at home, whether it was on the radio, Spotify, or being belted at the top of someone's lungs, spatulas and whisks becoming microphones, bowls and countertops serving as drums.

  Wondering if Kenzie had been reminded of it too, I glanced at her, and she met my gaze. She seemed to have read the concern written on my face like a book and mouthed, "Okay."

 I was drawn out of my mind and away from my worries by Ms. Harrison's announcement of the next performer, "Quinn McKinstry."

  Quinn was a sophomore, like Flynn, Kenzie, and I. Kenzie even gave her violin lessons a few summers ago. It was clear that the lessons paid off, as she serenaded the class with a rendition of "All I Ask Of You" from Andrew Lloyd Webber's The Phantom of the Opera. The last notes faded out and the class applauded.

  Ms. Harrison wrote notes down on her clipboard, looked up, and voiced the next name, "Mackenzie Mercer."

   I watched as Kenzie stood up from her chair and Flynn said something to her, which I couldn't quite hear. I was grateful though, seeing as whatever Flynn had said had a great effect on Kenzie. She stood up straighter, her eyes were clearer behind her glasses, and she was smiling, full and bright, revealing her dimples. She walked over to the piano with an air of something close to confidence around her, and gently set her case on the piano top.

  Settling the guitar strap over her shoulders, pick in hand, she stepped closer to the mic stand, facing the class and Ms. Harrison. As she adjusted herself to the sudden attention, her eyes seemed to dance around the room, not landing on anything or anyone in particular.

 Then, as if someone had flipped a switch, the lively, carefree rockstar I was sure we had all just seen, disappeared. In her place, was the meek shadow of a girl, whose eyes seemed decades away from the present as she stepped back from the mic stand.

   "I'm sorry, I can't."

  Turning back to the piano, she took her guitar from around her shoulders and carefully put it back in its case before situating its weight to rest against her back once again. She made her way over to Ms. Harrison, and muttered something, to which Ms. Harrison nodded her head. Kenzie quickly grabbed her bag from her seat and left the room.

  To say the least, Flynn and I were both worried about her and as much as we wanted to follow her, we knew better. Kenzie would blame herself if either or both of us chased after her. If I went she would drown in guilt, not wanting me to lose my chance to save my spot, and if Flynn went, she would hate that I would be alone. So, we stayed in our seats with similar crystal-clear looks of concern for Kenzie.

 "Julie Molina," Ms. Harrison called, looking up from her clipboard and nodding at me.

  Letting out a deep breath, I stood up, setting down my cap as I went, and walked over to the piano, hesitantly taking a seat on the bench and lifting the lid of the piano to reveal the shining black and white resin keys.

 For a second, the classroom faded away, and I was back in my mom's studio, sitting in front of her piano with Kenzie sitting beside me, our fingers gliding across the keys, a melody weaving together under our fingertips. Mom was sitting across from us on the couch with a content smile, Dad's arm wrapped around her shoulders, Carlos sound asleep in her arms, and Flynn humming in sync with our song from the chair she perched on by the piano.

 I blinked and the moment was over. I was still in the classroom, sitting at the piano with my hands hovering over the keys, and Ms. Harrison reassuring me, 

 "Take your time." 

   My fingers flinched away from the piano as if the keys were going to burn me. I stood up from the bench and saw Flynn rise from her seat too out of my peripheral vision as I faced Ms. Harrison.

    "I can't do this, I'm sorry," I said, before sliding my bag over my shoulder and starting to walk out of the room before I heard a sarcastic remark from the front row.

   "Is this when we're supposed to clap?" Carrie snarked, a smirk painted across her Strawberry Streak-coated lips.

     Sighing, I left the room, feeling a wave of déjà vu.

Third POV

   "Watch it, Carrie," Flynn snapped standing up from her seat and rushing past her, following Julie.

     "That's detention, Ms. Wilson. We don't disrespect each other. Everyone deserves respect in equal measure, and if I hear that you show anyone anything but respect again, you can say goodbye to your performance at the rally tomorrow," Ms. Harrison reprimanded with a look of disapproval.

    Carrie's smirk disappeared and she nodded her head in response, as the last bell of the day rang.

   Flynn's POV

 When Julie ran out of Music, I immediately went to follow her, and though I was tempted to kick Carrie's chair on the way when I heard her, I decided against it, knowing that Ms. Harrison wouldn't let her get away with it.

      "Watch it, Carrie," I warned, before rushing out of class after Julie, hoping after I caught up to her we could go find Kenzie.

     Seeing her running down the stairs to the first floor, I stopped at the top.

      "Jules!" I called, hoping she would stop, relieved when she turned around and looked up at me.

        "Julie you need to go back in there and show them you can sing!" I pleaded, not wanting to think about us drifting apart if she lost her spot, already worried about Kenzie.

          "I can't, Flynn. I've tried for you, for Dad and Mom, for Carlos, tía, and Kenzie! For a whole year, I've tried, but I can't do it anymore!" she said, the beginnings of tears straining her words.

      She shook her head and reached the bottom of the stairs, rushing out the door.

         "Jules!" I shouted, hoping she would come back, but she didn't.

           I sat on the steps and cried, until I managed to compose myself and walked home, deciding to text them later. I tried not to think about what could happen to our friendship, the idea of us drifting apart made my heart sink.

Kenzie's POV

  After Ms. Harrison excused me from class, I went to the school library to give myself space from everything. Disappointment washed over me like rain, cold and constant. I couldn't believe that I had come so close to securing my spot just to fall apart. I had let everyone down, Julie, Mom, Flynn, Dad, Ms. Harrison, my parents, Tía, Carlos, my sister, my brother, and the memory of Sunset Curve. But most of all, myself.

  Subconsciously, I reached into my jean pocket and pulled out a folded-up photo. I opened it and looked at the 4 smiling teens from decades past, their memory immortalized in photographs, the old ink and paper worn at the edges. Three lights stolen away by a twist of fate, the fourth disappearing soon after. Focusing back on the captured moment, I looked at the boys, their smiles bright as they brandished popsicles at each other like lightsabers, the sun setting in the background highlighting the memory, the best friends blissfully unaware of what their future held.

 The final bell brought me back to the present, sitting at one of the little tables tucked away in a corner of the library. I stood up, put my bookbag over my shoulders, and held my guitar case at my side as I pushed in my chair and walked towards the exit, thanking the librarian as I went.

   "Thanks again Ms. Cassidy, have a nice day," I said, waving to her as I walked toward the doors.

    "Anytime, Kenzie. You too, sweetheart," she replied with a soft smile, as she pushed a cart of books behind the counter to be checked back in.

    Leaving the building, I walked over to the bike rack, unlocking my sky blue bicycle from its slot, the blue-painted metal and magenta dahlia decals shining in the sunlight. I pedaled home, my bag strapped in the bike's basket and my case on my back.

  Reaching my destination, I got off my bike and walked it over to the bike rack down near the old studio, and grabbed my bag from the basket before heading back to the front of the house. Unlocking the door, I stepped inside greeted by the sound of scrambling steps on the floor before a golden blur slammed into me at full force, nearly knocking me off my feet.

  "Calliope, sit!" I managed to say, despite the onslaught of kisses my golden retriever was giving to my face and hands as her paws pressed against my chest.

   With a short whine, she sat on the floor, her tail wagging back and forth as she looked up at me.     

       "Good girl," I said, a smile on my face as I reached into my jacket pocket and pulled out the baggie of dog treats I always carried around with me, and grabbed one, holding it out to her. "Gentle," I reminded, as she carefully ate the treat from my hand. I scratched behind her ears and she trotted over to her pillow and laid down.

 I went upstairs to my room, setting down my guitar case, resting it against the wall, and laying my jacket over the back of my desk chair. I greeted my black cat, Chess, who was curled up on my bed, with a light head scratch, and she purred in response, raising her head to meet my hand.

  Going back downstairs, I brought my bookbag over to the dining room table and sat next to Julie, starting on my French homework. Dad walked into the room, and seeing us, came over to the table.

   "Hey, I'm glad you're both home, I just got a call that I wanted to talk to you about," he said, leaning on the back of the chair across from us. Jules and I exchanged a look, worried about how he would react to me losing my chair in the program.

     "So my realtor friend called me, and told me that if we want more offers on the house, we'll need to put pictures on the website," he explained.

        We glanced at each other again and sighed in relief, which fortunately went unnoticed by Dad as he continued, "That means we'll have to do a lot of cleaning, and I was wondering if you two could tackle the garage?" he finished, empathy in his eyes as he glanced between us.
   
    Sharing another glance, this one of pain, we looked up at Dad, trying to form a response.

      "You're the experts, your brother and I wouldn't even know where to begin. But that's alright girls, if you're not ready, I can-"

        "No, it's alright. Maybe we'll try to start on it tonight," Julie reassured, as I nodded in agreement.

         "Alright, thank you both. You're the best!" Dad replied, smiling gratefully at us. "Now if I could just find my keys. I had a photo shoot all day, didn't even have time to eat," he said, looking around.

         "Under the mail, and there's the rest of the fruit salad in the fridge," I said, pointing to the stack of envelopes on the countertop.

          "Thank you mija, you're a lifesaver," he replied, grabbing his keys from the countertop and the fruit salad bowl from the fridge before taking Carlos to his baseball game.

            After the door closed, I turned to face Julie. "Are you sure you're ready to go in the studio, Jules?" I asked, wondering if she just felt obligated to since Dad asked us to do it.

 "Yeah, I'm sure. It was bound to happen sooner or later, and I didn't want you to have to do it alone."

  I knew she was reassuring me, but she seemed to have something else on her mind, which made me worried about what happened after I left class.

   "So, how did it go?" I asked hesitantly, hoping that the day hadn't gotten worse.
 

  "I couldn't do it, Z. I had a chance and I blew it," she sighed, regret clear in her voice.

   "You didn't blow it, Julie. You did what you could, and that's enough for me and everyone else who loves you."

   Seeing that she wasn't quite convinced, I set my hand on top of hers, rubbing my thumb across her knuckles, getting her to look up at me again. "I know that everything has been crazy, and nothing's going to magically get better overnight, but I am here for you and I'm so proud of you," I said, my eyes not leaving hers, and I gave her hand a reassuring squeeze.

  "Have I told you how amazing you are?" she said, a genuine smile appearing across her features as she gently squeezed my hand in response.

     "Not in the past 5 minutes," I joked, glad that she was smiling again.

       She shook her head at my antics and stood up, offering me her hand. I accepted it, and she pulled me out of my chair to a standing position. I wrapped my arm around her shoulders and we walked down the driveway and steps to the studio, the daylight dwindling, welcoming the sunset.

  When we reached the doors of the studio, we looked at each other and then each grabbed a door handle and pulled, the doors swinging open. We went inside and I flipped the light switch, the overhead light illuminating the old studio. In the center of the room was the piano, currently covered by a white sheet, and behind it lining the back wall under the window was the little greenhouse section that Jules and I helped Mom and Dad set up when we were around 5 or 6 years old. Julie moved toward the piano, and I decided to climb up the ladder to the loft to give her a moment. When I reached the loft, I kneeled down in the space and looked around at all of the instruments and knick-knacks that were stored there.

  There were several guitar cases, similar to mine, except these cases were collecting dust. There was also a dismantled drum kit, a few bags, some of Mom's old costume jewelry, and a few cardboard boxes with faded labels. As I was looking around, trying to find a good place to start, I saw something on the floor near a basket of Mom's jewelry and playing cards.

  It was a CD with a white background and black, swirling letters that read Sunset Curve. My mind repeated the name over and over,

   Sunset Curve

    Sunset Curve

    Sunset. Curve.

    Breaking out of my shock, I slowly reached down and picked up the CD with shaking hands. Somehow there wasn't a speck of dust on it, even though everything else was practically covered in it. Dust had become a natural part of the loft just as much as the wooden walls of the studio itself. But despite that undeniable fact, it was clean, the plastic resting in my hands only bearing a few scratches, but otherwise was completely untouched. Brushing off my confusion, I gripped the CD tighter and carefully made my way back down the ladder to show my discovery to Julie.

 When I reached the main floor again, Julie had just stood up from the piano, the white sheet now laying on the floor, and a few pages of sheet music laying on top of the piano.

  She seemed to notice my still shocked expression and made her way over, and I met her in the middle.

   "Are you okay?" she asked cautiously.

     Not quite able to form coherent words yet, I just handed the CD to her, before finally remembering how to talk.

     "I, uh- I found this in the loft," I stammered out, gesturing to the CD that she was holding with both hands, a look of curiosity in her eyes.

      "Sunset Curve, why does that- wait wasn't that your-?" she started, glancing up at me in half surprise, half confusion.

       I nodded in response, memories and images flashing through my mind like lightning bolts.

       "How do you think it got up there? Did Lyla-" she wondered.

        "I don't know, maybe. Let's give it a listen, yeah?" I said, trying not to fall down memory lane at the mention of her name.

        "Of course, I'll put it in the player," she nodded, guiding me to sit on the couch before walking over to the CD player and stereo system, opening the player, and setting the disc inside.

          As the sound of a guitar being strummed started in the recording, Julie joined me on the couch, holding my hand.

        "Take off, last stop. Countdown till we blast open the top," a boy's voice sang, as the guitar strumming continued.

         We nodded along to the lyrics, as the same boy continued singing, "Face first, full charge. Electric hammer to the heart-"

          Then, out of nowhere, the song was drowned out by screaming that was so loud it seemed to be coming from above us, not from the speakers. Jules and I both covered our ears, looking at each other in confusion, not knowing where the noise could be coming from.

           The screaming seemed to be getting closer, then there was a flash of light, and three boys fell onto the floor in front of us, seeming to have popped up out of thin air. We stood up and stared at them in shock as they laid on the ground, coughing and groaning. Then they stood up and slowly turned around. The boy in the middle, who was wearing a Rush shirt said, "How did we get back here?"

            At the sound of his voice, Julie and I started screaming at the top of our lungs. The boys finally noticed us and started screaming too, clinging to each other like the gang from Scooby-Doo. Still screaming, we ran out of the studio and up the driveway, nearly knocking Dad and Carlos over as they had just come back from his game.

             "Woah, easy. You two look like you've just seen a ghost," Dad said, setting his hands on our shoulders.

               "We have!" Julie exclaimed, fear written all over her face.

                   "Cool!" Carlos replied, a wide grin on his face.

                 "Was it really them?" I muttered, more to myself than anything.

                  "Not cool, run!" Julie said, her voice going up a few octaves before she grabbed my hand and ran in the front door and upstairs to her room, half-dragging me over to the wall where her cross was, silver charms decorating its surface. We ducked down behind her bed as she whipped out her phone and texted Flynn. Looking over her shoulder, I saw that she had typed "911!"

          "Come on Flynn, 911 means 911!" she said, stress weaving through her words.

           Meanwhile, I was still trying to process the fact that I might've just seen my brother and his bandmates in the studio. My dead brother and his dead bandmates, who had been gone for decades now.

            After still not hearing back from Flynn, Julie held her cross tightly in one hand, and my hand in the other, before making the journey back downstairs and out to the studio.

             When we walked back through the studio doors, the boys were gone, but Julie kept turning around in circles trying to find them, her cross raised out in front of her with both hands.

               Now, I had had my fair share of experiences with seeing ghosts before, but the boys' potential appearance confused me because they had passed away two and a half decades ago. And yet, they just showed up tonight? In Mom's old studio of all places? It didn't make any sense. 

    I've been able to see ghosts for a long time, maybe ever since I was born, and I just didn't realize it or was too young to remember. Over the years I've even befriended a few spirits, but I had never seen or heard word of the boys from any of them. Believe me, it wasn't from a lack of trying.

       We were still looking around the studio, wondering if they would pop up again.

         "I know we saw something. We're not crazy," she said, and I nodded in support.

           "Well, we're all a little crazy," the boy from before said, and we both turned around to face him, seeing the other two on either side of him.

           I stared at them in shock, realizing I hadn't imagined it. Julie started screaming again, which made me snap out of it and cover my ears, wincing from the noise.

               "Will you please stop screaming?" the boy on the right pleaded, still holding his ears.

                Julie stopped screaming and seemed to vaguely recognize them from my photo.

                 "Alex? And you're Luke and Reggie," I muttered, though he heard me and looked at me curiously, straightening out his pink hoodie.

                  "How do you know our names?" Alex asked, stepping forward, Luke and Reggie seemingly wondering the same thing as they tilted their heads at me, eyebrows furrowed. 

                    "Are you Alex Mercer?" I asked in disbelief.

                      "Yeah, but again, how do you know that?" he said, stepping even closer.

                        "My aunt told me stories about you guys when I was little. Stories about Sunset Curve, especially their drummer, my big brother," I said, my voice getting quieter with each word.

                  "B-brother? Wait, what's your name?" Alex stammered out, his jaw dropping.

                    "I'm Mackenzie Mercer, but I go by Kenzie. Aunt Marie talked about you and your band all the time," I explained, trying to hold myself together.

                            "Wait, what do you mean, 'when I was little'? We died last night," Luke questioned, stepping forward.

                              "No, you didn't. This article says you died 25 years ago, it's 2020 now," Julie responded, showing the boys the article on her phone titled, "Sunset Curve: A Hollywood Tragedy".

                      "What's that?" Reggie wondered, pointing to her phone as he moved to stand next to his friends.

                        "It's my cell phone," Julie explained.

                         "But, it couldn't have been 25 years, we were only gone for a few hours after we floated out of the ambulance and ended up in a dark room where Alex cried, but that was only an hour," Luke retorted, confusion clear in his voice.

                           "I have been crying for 25 years? How is that possible?!" Alex exclaimed, raising his hands and letting them fall to his sides.

                             "Well, you're pretty emotional," Reggie commented, shrugging his shoulders.

                              "I am not!" Alex yelled, waving his arms around dramatically.

                              "Look, I'm really sorry about what happened to you guys, but you can't stay here. This is my mom's studio," Julie said shaking her head.

                                "This is our studio, we wrote all of our best songs here," Luke protested.

                                  Before any more arguing could happen, Carlos walked in, a teasing smile on his face, "Who are you talking to, your ghost friend? How does he look, is he hideous?"

                                    "He can see you," Alex teased, nudging Reggie's shoulder.

                                      "No, he can't," Julie answered, before realizing her mistake. "What do you want?"
 
                                       Carlos looked between the girls in confusion before shaking his head, "Normal sisters for starters, stop being weird and come eat."

                                        We nodded and followed him inside the house, leaving the guys out in the studio.

    Third Person POV

           Heading inside the house, they found their dad setting the table, and Carlos went to help him, grabbing the bowl of salad and bringing it over to the table, while Calliope & Chess were eating their dinner.

     Ray brought the bowl of spaghetti over to the table and sat down, Carlos and the girls joining him. As he began dishing out the spaghetti, he said, "So, Carlos told me he found you two out in the studio, and that it sounded like you were talking to someone else."

    Kenzie thought quickly before saying, "No Dad, Julie was just helping me rehearse. I wanted to get some practice in before the auditions come up for the school's play in the spring."

    "Oh, you're getting back into theatre? What play is it going to be?" Ray asked, surprise and enthusiasm mixing in his words.

        "Yeah, I sort of am, but the theatre department hasn't decided for sure on one yet," Kenzie replied, pouring sauce on her spaghetti and dishing out some salad too.

           "That's great, mija. I'm happy to hear it," Ray said, relieved that Kenzie was starting to find her love for the arts again, and grateful that Julie was helping her.

     After everyone's food was dished out, they held hands and prepared to say grace, Kenzie and Carlos resting their hands palm up at the place set for Rose.

         "Carlos, it's your turn," Ray said, nodding at his son. 

            Carlos smiled as everyone closed their eyes and he said, "Thank you for these amazing leftovers and the power of the mighty microwave! Amen."

              Julie, Kenzie, and Ray smiled as they chorused, "Amen."

                They opened their eyes and started digging into their food. After a while, they heard the front door open and close.

               "Hello, hello!" Tía Victoria called from the living room. 

               "Busted," Carlos muttered.

               "Quick," Ray said quietly, and Carlos put Rose's placemat in his lap, Ray chucked the silverware into the sink, and Kenzie slid the plate into her lap.

  Tía walked into the kitchen, setting a few covered dishes down on the counter before opening the fridge and putting them inside. "Spaghetti, again?" she questioned, and everyone at the table nodded. "That's a shame, I brought you my homemade arroz con pollo," she said with a sigh as she walked over to the table.

           "Smells great, Tía," Julie said, Kenzie nodding her head.

               "I see things are going better here," Tía said, rubbing the empty spot where Rose's table setting had been.

                 "Yeah, Julie and Kenzie were cleaning out the studio, so we can get more pictures to put up on the website," Ray nodded.

                   "Well, I like the sound of that. Moving will only help you move on," Tía said with a soft smile. "And now that the girls aren't in the music program anymore, they can focus on classes that matter."

                      At that, Ray looked up at the girls, who had looks of regret. Tía noticed his expression change and asked, "You got the email from the school, right?"

                       Ray nodded before looking at Tía, "Yeah, we haven't discussed it yet."

                         Then, the girls' attention was diverted to the front door, which the boys were walking through. As they entered the foyer, they looked around, seeing how the house had changed since they'd seen it last. Julie froze mid-bite, strands of spaghetti hanging out of her mouth, and Kenzie nearly choked on her glass of apple juice. Kenzie's coughs drew everyone's attention, and Carlos patted her on the back.

                After clearing her throat, Kenzie said, "Thanks hermano, I just got a little distracted, y'know, thinking about the future."

"That's my brave girl," Tía smiled, rubbing Kenzie's shoulder. "Anyways, I need to be getting to Pilates. Good night mijas," she said with a smile, kissing the girls' foreheads and blowing Carlos a kiss, who pretended to hit it like a baseball. She nodded at Ray and left.

 After the door closed, Ray turned to the girls. Carlos tried to help them out saying, "So do you guys want to hear how I slid into home and was almost safe?" 

Ray saw through it, and shook his head, "You're a good brother, that's not going to work." He snapped his fingers and gestured out of the room.

 Carlos looked at the girls apologetically, "Sorry, I tried," before getting up and taking his plate to the sink, then going upstairs with Calliope following behind. Chess had curled up on the couch and fallen asleep.

 Ray faced the girls again, "So, why didn't either of you tell me you were removed from the music program? You made me lie to your aunt." 

"We were going to tell you after dinner," Julie said. 

"Yeah, we just didn't know how to tell you. We didn't mean to upset you, and we're really sorry," Kenzie added, fiddling with her bracelets. 

Before Ray could respond, music was heard through the house, and the girls glanced at each other exasperatedly. Carlos came back downstairs, Calliope behind him, her ears perked up at the noise, "Where's that music coming from?" 

Julie and Kenzie stood up from their seats, heading for the front door.  "We must've left the stereo on in the studio. We'll get it,” Kenzie replied. They walked outside and down to the studio, and when they opened the doors, they saw the boys playing the song they had heard inside the house. Luke was playing guitar, Reggie on bass, and Alex drumming away behind them, with the Sunset Curve logo on the bass drum. The boys looked up at the girls' entrance, Julie looking tired and irritated, Kenzie almost the exact opposite, tired but also impressed by their talent. 

"Guys! Guys cut it out!" Julie yelled as one by one, they stopped, first Reggie, then Alex, and last but not least, Luke. "I thought I told you to leave, my dad, Carlos, and the whole neighborhood could hear you." 

"Wait, people can hear us?" Luke asked in shock. 

"What kind of ghosts are we?" Alex questioned, more questions popping up in his mind. 

"Who cares, man! People, actual people can hear us play!" Luke exclaimed. 

"We might be dead, but our music isn't!" Reggie agreed happily. 

  "Look, the stereo excuse won't work every time. You need to leave," Julie said. 

  "Excuse us for a moment," Kenzie said, before tilting her head toward the doors, gesturing for Julie to follow her. Once they were out of earshot of the boys, standing near the gate at the top of the stairs, Kenzie turned to Julie. "Jules, I know that you aren't thrilled that they just showed up, I get it. With everything being as crazy as it has, energetic, music-loving spirits aren't your idea of good timing," Kenzie started. 

  Figuring she was going somewhere with this, Julie asked, "But?" and gestured for her to continue. 

  "This could be my only chance to get to know them, to meet my brother for the first time, to see if the Sunset Curve I heard about growing up is really that amazing in reality. Please don't push them away, I don't want to lose my brother and his bandmates when I've just gotten the chance to know them. They could be the key to helping us find our love for music again." 

  Julie could hear and feel the hope and sincerity in her best friend's words, and couldn't even think of denying her wishes. "Alright, I hear you and I agree, that wouldn't be right. I know how much meeting Alex and the others means to you, and I won't ruin that for you. Just promise me you'll be careful, I don't want you to get hurt."

   "Thank you, and I promise I'll be careful. So, want to tell the boys that they can stay?" Kenzie said, bouncing up and down slightly. 

  Julie shook her head with a chuckle, "I'll let you do the honors, Ace." 

  Kenzie nodded and skipped back down the steps to tell the boys the good news, Julie following behind her, glad to see her friend acting more like herself than she had in a long time. The boys were overjoyed and grateful when Kenzie told them they could stay in the studio, and Luke asked them about the music sheets he saw on the piano. Julie explained that her mom wrote it and Luke complimented it, saying that her mom was talented. Julie informed the boys that her mom had passed away a year ago, and claimed that she didn't play any of the instruments. 

  Kenzie knew that wasn't true, but figured Julie would tell them when she was comfortable enough to. She told the boys she used to play several different instruments from guitar and bass to piano and tambourine. The girls bid the guys good night and headed inside to bed. 

  Meanwhile, the boys hit the streets of Hollywood in search of music, testing out their teleportation abilities along the way. When they were walking down Sunset Boulevard, a mysterious, tall man wearing a black trenchcoat and top hat bumped into Alex, his bright blue eyes locking with Alex's green ones. 

  Alex said, "Hey!" partly irritated and half confused by getting bumped into, questioning how incorporeal he was. The man, however, just tipped his hat and kept walking. Alex caught up with the boys and they continued exploring the modern city. 

  As sunlight poured through the windows of the house, Julie and Kenzie finished their breakfast, then headed out to the studio, curious to see if the boys were there. When they went inside, the boys were nowhere to be seen, so the girls set down their school bags and approached the piano. They sat side by side on the bench, and Julie spread out the sheet music across the piano top so they could both see it, feeling another wave of déjà vu. Julie lifted the lid to reveal the keys, looking at the music as she positioned her fingers on the keys, feeling a tug on her heartstrings at the familiar handwriting. Kenzie joined her soon after, playing the first few measures, and then they were both playing and singing the lyrics that Rose had written with so much love and pride for her girls. 

  The sun rose behind them, its light shining through the windows, silhouetting the stars, with the voices of angels and golden halos of sunlight to match. The last notes of the song faded out soon after the boys poofed in behind the girls. Julie picked up the last piece of sheet music and held it up to the light for both of them to see. 

  Scrawled in clear cursive handwriting at the bottom of the page was a note that read, "You can do it my estrellas. Love, Mom" with a little heart sketched next to it. Smiling with tears in their eyes, the girls wrapped their arms around each other's shoulders in a sideways hug. Alex stepped forward behind them to comfort them, but Luke pulled him back with a shake of his head and gestured for them to poof out.

Chapter Text

Kenzie’s POV

"You can do it my estrellas. Love, Mom"

Estrella.    Star.  A word written in Mom’s beautiful cursive, love and hope embedded in every letter. It was always one of her favorite nicknames for us. Her estrellas, Julie, Carlos, Flynn, Carrie, Lizzie, Lyla, and me. I remember asking her once what estrella meant, and she told me it meant star & that we were all as bright and beautiful as stars.

When I came back to myself, I was still sitting next to Jules in the studio, and I felt a tear sliding down my left cheek. I wiped it away and looked over at Julie to see how she was doing. She met my gaze and let out a watery laugh, tears shining in her eyes too.

We both lunged at each other, pulling each other into a hug, simultaneously communicating every emotion we were feeling; shock, happiness, sadness, and most of all, hope. So caught up in the moment, neither of us noticed the 3 stunned ghosts behind us, or the tell-tale sound of them poofing out soon after.

Reluctantly releasing from the tight embrace, we smiled at each other and stood up, wiping away any remaining tears, just as the studio doors were pulled open.

Flynn walked in, looking frazzled and with a few stray tears on her face, and made her way over when she spotted us by the piano.

“Carlos said you two were out here. We need to talk,” she said, barely taking a breath.

Glancing at Julie in amusement, I turned back to Flynn replying, “We need to talk to you too, we actually-”

“No, it’s my turn to talk. I stayed up last night thinking about it, might’ve drank 7 sodas, but I need to get this out. You guys can’t give up music, your music is like a gift, so giving it up would be a tragedy, like canceling Christmas, and I love Christmas!” Flynn ranted, waving her arms around for emphasis.

Julie sighed fondly, shaking her head, while I tried to calm Flynn down, “Ryder, that’s what we’re trying to tell you, J and I-”

“Kenzie, you can’t just brush this off like it doesn’t matter. You need to own your talent just as much as Jules does.” She sighed and winced as she rubbed her forehead. “Do either of you have any soda? My head hurts.”

“No, and it wouldn’t be good for you, at least not a whole bottle or can. You and Kenzie have a sweet tooth big enough for all 3 of us as it is,” Julie retorted, shaking her head with a smile, as Flynn and I shot her a look of mock offense.

“Come to think of it, I wouldn’t mind a soda either. As I was saying, we just played the piano and sang again,” I explained with a smile, sliding the sheet music to lay in front of her on the piano top.

She picked up the pages and looked over them, reaching the last page with a small smile as she saw Mom’s note. “Wow, that’s beautiful,” she sighed.

 Nodding in agreement we all looked up at each other, hope in all of our eyes.

“So, back to business. What were you saying about me and Maisie’s sweet tooth?” Flynn asked, raising an eyebrow at Jules while I smiled and slung my arm around her shoulder.

“Oh come on, you both know it’s true!” Julie protested, giggling at us.

We sent each other a knowing look before going into full theatrics. We clutched our hearts with our left hands, raising our right hands to our foreheads, palms out. “How could you, Juliebean?!” I cried, taking a step back.

“Shame on you, Jules. You’ve wounded us, right through the heart!” Flynn said in the same tone, backing up to stand next to me, and in unison we fell back onto the carpeted floor, letting out exaggerated breaths and closing our eyes.

Third POV

“Oh no, what have I done, sending the two fairest maidens into a heartbroken slumber!” Julie exclaimed dramatically, throwing her arms in the air. “How shall I ever save them from this fate most cruel? Perhaps a sweet offering will do,” she said, nodding and walking over to her school bag, pulling out the bag of Skittles she kept in the front pocket, before walking over to her friends and kneeling between them. She set a handful of candy in one of their palms each, which were already open.

She stood up seconds before the girls’ eyes opened and they made a show of yawning and stretching. They helped each other up and ate their candy, dimpled grins as wide as the Cheshire Cat’s smile painting their features.

Julie shook her head as she put the bag back, hearing her friends laughing behind her.

Turning back around she watched as Kenzie’s eyes widened as if a lightbulb had appeared above her head. “I’ve tasted the rainbow!” she exclaimed, then fell into a fit of giggles with Flynn, clutching onto her arm as she buried her head in her shoulder, tears of joy falling onto her friend’s outfit.

As Julie chuckled, she shook her head in half disbelief at the duo as they finally recovered and brushed away their remaining tears. “It’s a good thing I love you two,” she sighed, looking at them fondly. “Now let’s get going before we’re late to school.”

Picking up their bags, the trio headed for the doors, unaware of the eavesdropping phantoms on the other side. “Yeah, we can win back our spots! Triple Threat lives again!” Kenzie said, skipping in excitement as she linked arms with the others.

“Heck yeah, that’s what I’m talking about!” Flynn nodded, giving Kenzie a high five as Julie pushed the doors open and they walked outside. When they turned towards the stairs, Kenzie and Julie noticed the boys in various positions. Alex was pretending to mess with a light fixture, Luke was nonchalantly leaning against one of the studio doors, and Reggie was sitting next to him.

Kenzie smiled and waved, happy to know she hadn’t dreamed that they had shown up the other night, getting waves and smiles in return. Julie, on the other hand, was a little less quiet with her greeting. “Hey!”, she smiled and waved at them, and they smiled and waved at her too.

Kenzie gestured at Flynn and sent a look at Julie, who quickly realized her mistake. Fortunately, their friend was otherwise occupied by the stone wall that wrapped around from behind the studio and bordered the pathway to the stairs. Sitting on it were two 1-liter bottles of Cherry Coca-Cola, that none of the girls remembered seeing before they went into the studio.

Before Flynn could turn around to question her friends about the sudden appearance of the beverages, Kenzie and Julie glanced to their right at the boys who were all standing up now. The guys met the girls’ gazes, Luke and Alex smiling and subtly gesturing to Reggie, who just shrugged and smiled, a light scarlet tint starting to show in his features. 

Then Flynn turned around and looked at the girls questioningly, “Were these here the whole time or am I seeing things?”

“Maybe ‘Los left them out here for us before Dad took him to school. I don’t know about you, Ryder, but I think the universe is telling us that a sweet treat every once in a while is okay,” Kenzie shrugged, sending a playful smirk Julie’s way as she walked over to Flynn, picked up the sodas, and passed one to her.

“You’re probably right, Ace. Come on Jules, let’s get going,” Flynn nodded, gesturing to the stairs.

Julie smiled and nodded her head, turning and waving to the boys, who grinned and waved back.

Unfortunately, Flynn turned and saw Julie waving, supposedly at thin air, and she had to pass it off as swatting at a bug before pushing her friend towards the top of the stairs.

Kenzie stayed back a minute, turning back to the guys with a smile, “Thanks for the soda, Reggie. Flynn and I both appreciate it. Though this goes for all 3 of you, in the future maybe try to eavesdrop a little less, and no snooping through our stuff,” she said, looking at each boy in turn.

“No problem Kenzie, and you can call me Reg if you want, all of my friends do,” Reggie replied with a wink, getting a nod and smile in response.

“Don’t worry, I’ll keep these two out of trouble,” Alex reassured, nudging the boys on either side of him. 

“Alright, thank you, Alex. I’ll see you guys later!” Kenzie called with a wave as she headed up the rest of the stairs to join her friends.

“Bye, have a good day!” Luke said smiling, before heading back into the studio with the others.

Kenzie’s POV

I was in much better spirits (no pun intended) when I went to school. I let my tension melt away as I followed the rhythm of the music in dance class, signed back up for art club before lunch, and had a skip in my step at the end of the day when Flynn, Julie, and I went to Ms. Harrison’s classroom before the last bell.

One of Flynn’s talents had always been her skills in persuasion, however, since Ms. Harrison had been our music teacher since 7th grade, she was immune to Flynn’s charms, and today was no different.

“Come on, please give them one more chance! You know they’re amazing!” Flynn exclaimed, still trying to help save our spots, being the amazing friend she was.

“I’m glad to hear that you two have found your way back to music. I’ve prayed for this moment for over a year, but I’m afraid you’re too late. You can both reapply for the program next semester. You know there’s-”

“Only so many spots,” Julie nodded.

“And if we don’t play, we’re out,” I finished, knowing the speech by heart.

“I’m truly sorry, girls,” Ms. Harrison said, before returning to her desk, the last bell punctuating her statement.

We sighed and glanced at each other, resigned. Walking out of her room and downstairs to the first floor, we walked out of the building and began our walk home. After our path split from Flynn’s and she had made her way down Delancey Avenue and out of earshot, Julie turned to me, a question in her eyes.

“So, what was up with you hanging back this morning?” she asked, glancing at me as we kept walking.

“Just wanted to thank Reggie for the sodas, and remind the boys to stay out of trouble,” I said, shrugging my shoulders.

“Oh, so you haven’t talked to Alex yet, or I guess, not one-on-one?” Jules replied.

“No, I didn’t want to overwhelm him, not when he barely seems to have gotten used to being back. Though, I will ask him if there’s anything he wants to know about, if he hasn’t come to his own conclusions already,” I sighed, thinking about my brother.

“Conclusions? What do you mean?” she asked, her brows furrowing.

I looked at the house that I called home, as it slowly came into view. The memories of the night before flashed through my mind as I explained, “Last night when Carlos called us in for dinner, I think I saw Alex flinch.” 

“But why would he have-? Oh,” she said, having realized what I was referring to.

Sighing, I nodded, “Yeah, so there’s that to explain to him too.”

“Do you want me to be with you when you talk to him?” she asked, concerned.

  “No, it’s something I need to do on my own. Besides, I’ll have Chess and Calliope with me, so I’ll be okay,” I said, shaking my head and hoping I sounded more confident than I felt.

“Hey, it’ll be alright, Maisie,” she said, taking my hand in hers as we approached the porch steps.

I looked over at her and nodded, smiling gratefully at my best friend.

“Thank you, Jules. I really appreciate it.”

“Anytime, after all, what are friends for?” she replied, nudging my shoulder.

We walked inside and went our separate ways. Julie headed to the kitchen, probably to get an after-school snack, and I headed upstairs to my room, leaving the door open and setting my bag on its hook, and sitting down in my desk chair, trying to gather my thoughts before going to find Alex. Chess came over to greet me, weaving between my legs and nudging her head against my knee.

I grinned softly down at her and rubbed her head and back, her tail lifting in response and brushing against my hand. Since I hadn’t seen or heard Calliope since I got home, I figured she was napping or just relaxing in one of her spots, whether it was next to Carlos, in Dad’s office, or in the shade of the tree in the backyard. I sat in relative quiet, aside from Chess’ purring, the faint clicking of Dad’s keyboard, birdsong outside my window, and the sounds of Carlos and his game in the living room drifting up the stairs.

My moment of peace was short-lived, as I heard the familiar voices of 3 boys down the hall. Saying I was surprised was an understatement, seeing as the only time they had come in the house was last night, and having just come back from the “dark room” Luke mentioned, I figured they would be in the studio, or even exploring the streets of LA.

Wondering what they were up to, I stood up, to the slight disappointment of Chess, and walked out of my room and down the hall, only realizing where they were a second before I reached the door to Julie’s room. Opening the door, I found the guys spread out in the room, looking around with curiosity clear on their faces.

Alex was in front of her dresser looking at her record player, Luke was by her shelves, and Reggie was laying on her bed in a starfish position, looking like he was trying to make snow angels, or I guess in this case, sheet angels.

“You guys shouldn’t be in here,” I stated, watching as they all looked up at me in surprise, clearly not realizing they had an audience.

“We were just curious,” Reggie said innocently, a small grin on his face, as the other two nodded in agreement.

“That’s understandable, I just hoped that you would explore LA and see what’s changed, not going into rooms without permission. Boundaries are important in this household, and if you’re going to be staying in the studio, you need to learn to respect them. Jules and I have no issue with going over the house rules with you guys,” I replied, nodding at each of them, making sure they had processed my words.

“Of course, it won’t happen again,” Alex reassured, nodding in understanding.

“What are you doing in my room?”, Julie asked looking at the boys who yet again had the looks of kids who got caught with their hands in the cookie jar. 

    I turned around and faced her, “Jules, it’s okay, they haven’t been in here long and I’ve kept an eye on them. They were curious, and curiosity isn’t easy to tame,” I explained.

She nodded, and the tension left her shoulders, “Get off my bed, please,” she said, looking at Reggie who had sat up when she walked in.

He nodded and stood up, walking over to Luke, who was still looking at the shelves on the wall. “Hey Julie, what’s in this box?” he questioned, pointing at a white box that had been carefully decorated and was now sitting on the lowest shelf.

“That’s off limits,” she replied, and he looked at her, the curious look in his eyes brighter than before.

“Oh, okay. Girl stuff,” he said, his voice going up at the end.

Reggie looked at Julie and nodded, “Oh, like butterflies and glitter?”

“That’s not the only thing girls like, Reg. I personally love both of them, though glitter’s immortality is both a blessing and a curse,” I commented.

Luke started inching his hand toward the box in question, and Julie caught him, “Hey, boundaries!”

Luke pulled his hand back, but there was a teasing grin on his face as he stage-whispered to the other two, “There’s two of them.”

Shaking her head, Julie rolled her eyes at his comment, a small smile on her face.

“Hey, I picked something up,” Alex said, a smile on his face as he held one of Julie’s pictures and walked over to the bed. His smile fell as the picture frame phased right through his fingers and fortunately landed on the bed.

Luke and Reggie walked over to take a look at the picture, Jules and I joining them. “Hey, is that your mom?” Luke asked, pointing at the woman facing slightly away from the camera in the photo.

“Yeah, it is,” Julie nodded.

“Then, who’s that other girl?” Reggie wondered, pointing at a different girl in the picture.

Julie’s POV

I glanced at Kenzie, whose focus was still on the photograph, but her eyes were far away.

The guys had followed my gaze and seemed to have realized the delicate nature of the subject.

Reggie was the first to speak up, regret clear in his voice, “You don’t have to answer, Kenzie. I didn’t mean to pry.”

She looked up at me, then the guys, slowly shaking her head, “I know, it’s okay. She- um. She's my sister.”

I put my hand on her shoulder, rubbing it gently, not having any words that would be enough. The guys stood silently, shock clear in their features as they realized the weight of her statement. She had been cradling the frame in her hands, but now she gently set it down on my bedside table where Alex had found it.

It was impossible to fully describe the look she gave Alex. It held remorse, grief, regret, and countless other emotions, some that didn’t even have names.

Chapter Text

"Ever so slightly, daily and nightly, in little ways, everything stays." - Rebecca Sugar

Kenzie’s POV

The room was silent. It wasn’t awkward or uncomfortable, but it wasn’t comforting either. A bomb had been dropped, unintentionally. An accident that I hadn’t anticipated, not even in the presence of three teenage boys, innocent in their curiosity and questions, eyes wide with wonder at this strange new world they found themselves in, a quarter of a century after the late summer night that cost them everything. 

Everything, even their best friend, no, their brother. 

The missing member of the quartet, like a puzzle without the last piece, looked complete from far away, but up close, the empty place was as obvious as a candle in a dark window.

Snapping back to the present, I looked at Alex, trying to convey everything without saying anything, without breaking the silence that covered every inch of the room, like leaves on the sidewalk, easily disturbed.

Our eyes met, and I tried to decipher how he was taking the news, hoping that he was taking it better than the others. Between Reggie’s still guilt-ridden expression, Luke’s once-standing form now seated near the wall, seeming to mirror his bandmates’ shock, and Julie’s anchoring hand over my shoulders, tracing patterns on my right shoulder, I didn’t know how Alex would react.

The universe seemed to decide that the silence had gone on long enough, so before anything else could be said, or any houses could fall out of the sky, there was a flash and the tell-tale sound of a spirit teleporting. 

I sighed and looked down at the floor, not wanting to face the two remaining ghosts or my best friend, who had only briefly paused in her soothing motions when my brother left the room.

Luke’s POV

Words don’t always come easy for me, especially the heartfelt kind. Yeah, I know what you’re probably thinking, ‘ But Luke, you’re the lead singer and guitarist for Sunset Curve. Emotion makes a song what it is, every song tells a story through emotion. You’ve written almost every single song for the band, how could words be hard for you?’   Well, music and songwriting take time, and aside from my bandmates, my brothers really, I don’t do well with the sappy, emotional types of situations.

Now, with that said, occasionally I have these moments where I get this sense of when someone is in a sensitive emotional state, I think it might have to do with spending so much time with Alex and Reggie. Not to mention growing up with one of the most love-struck couples in Los Angeles as my parents. But of course, in the current case, I didn’t realize I was getting that feeling until it was too late.

Kenzie caught us looking around in Julie’s room, though surprisingly, she didn’t seem upset, just amused. She lectured us briefly, and then we kept looking around while she watched us. A little while later, Julie came in and didn’t seem as amused as Kenzie. Fortunately, she reassured Julie that she’d already given us a good talking-to and that seemed to ease her wrath.

Alex had been trying to pick up a framed photo that was on the dresser, and after a few tries, seemed to have succeeded in his goal. He walked with the frame over to where the rest of us were and seemed proud of his achievement, “I picked it up!” Sadly, his victory was short-lived, seeing as not even a second later the framed photo phased right through his hands and luckily, fell on the bed, instead of crashing to the floor.

We all gathered around to look at the picture, curiosity taking over. In the photo, there were 4 girls sitting in a field of flowers, two of which seemed to be Julie and Kenzie when they were toddlers, while the other two weren’t fully facing the camera. One of the older girls seemed to be Julie’s mom, and she was holding little Kenzie and Julie close, while the other girl appeared to be crouched down and had an arm around Julie’s mom, while her other hand held a small bouquet of flowers.

“Hey, is that your mom?” I voiced.

  “Yeah, it is,” Julie replied, a sad smile written on her features as she nodded.

    Reggie seemed to sense the words repeating in my head over and over, almost completely repeating them out loud verbatim, “Then, who’s that other girl?”, as he pointed to the girl in question in the photograph.

I had been too caught up in my own curiosity to feel a heaviness settle over the space, not noticing it until the words had already been let out into the room.

The silence was louder than anything I’d ever heard, and it was clear everyone else felt it too. I turned to Reggie, one of the few people I knew who had an almost unmatched sense of empathy. When I glanced at him though, I was confused. Reggie was the kind of person who was almost always smiling or laughing, but now, he looked…guilty. He didn’t meet my eyes, he was focused on something else, someone else.

I looked at Alex to see what he thought was wrong, but he didn’t meet my eyes either. I finally turned to the only two people left in the room, standing on the other side of the bed, and realized who the others were looking at.

Kenzie. At some point, she picked up the frame, her eyes on the picture, though she seemed lost. Her expression was vacant and unreadable, her form frozen. Julie’s hand secured around her shoulders appeared to be the only thing keeping Kenzie upright.

The silence was broken, by none other than the phantom bassist, guilt and regret crystal clear in his words and eyes as he fidgeted with his jacket zippers before looking up at the blonde, “You don’t have to answer, Kenzie. I didn’t mean to pry.”

She looked up at the sound, first turning to Julie, then looking at us as she shook her head, “I know, it’s okay. She– um. She’s my sister.” Punctuating the sentence, she set the framed photograph down gently on the bedside table.

The double meaning of the new information hit us all at once, along with the implications of it. Kenzie’s reaction to Reg’s question, the heavy atmosphere, her hesitation to answer. The pieces came together easily, and the picture they made was enough to keep me from trying to ask any more questions. 

Reggie looked guiltier than before, if that was even possible, Alex was concerningly still, and Julie had taken up the role of comforter as her hand traced patterns on Kenzie’s shoulder, while Kenzie’s eyes were on Alex.

Alex, who was gone from the room a second later with nothing more than a sound similar to a strong breeze and a flash of light.

Kenzie’s focus was now on the floor, and I could tell with just a glance at Reggie that our minds were split between staying to try and comfort her, and trying to find Alex. Seeing as Julie seemed to have a better grasp on the comforting part, and Kenzie didn’t seem to want much company either, Reggie and I nodded at each other and left the same way our drummer did.

Kenzie’s POV

Hearing Luke and Reggie leave, I looked up at Julie, who offered a soft reassuring smile in return. I smiled gratefully at her attempt to cheer me up, then flopped backwards onto her bed, covering my eyes with my arm. 

“I’m proud of you,” Julie said before I felt her settle herself next to me, gently taking my hand in both of hers.

The words were both familiar and new, like a hug from an old friend, and in a way, they were. All the elements were in them, love, warmth, sincerity, pride, and that indescribable feeling of strength combined with the gentle touch that only a loved one could master.

I couldn’t help but be confused, though. Had she not just witnessed the same scene I had? The photo, Reggie’s innocent question, my stuttered response.

The tense, shocked silence that followed, and my brother’s wordless exit, followed by his friends.

Proud seemed like the wrong word for the situation, especially to be felt towards me. Wondering if I’d misheard her, I shook my head and lifted my arm, my eyes flitting from the ceiling to Julie, who, as the movement I’d felt suggested, was sitting next to me, criss-cross applesauce style, no longer holding my hand, but still meeting my gaze with a soft smile.

“Proud?” I voiced, trying to let all of my confusion flow through the question.

“Mm-hm,” she nodded like it was a simple fact.

  “But, Jules, Alex-”

“The guys will find him and I’m sure they’ll be there for him. They’ll be there for each other,” she stated, making it sound like a certainty, not just an optimistic hope.

“I hope you’re right,” I nodded, trying to keep myself grounded in the present. Any worries I had about zoning out again were quickly dissipated by the familiar sounds of clicking, panting, and metal jingling.

  A second later, my favorite goldie entered the room, immediately made her way over to the bed, and sat down next to it, looking at me. She then proceeded to lean forward and nudge her nose against my arm until I got the hint and lifted it so she could rest her head on the comforter while I petted her head and scratched behind her ears.

Julie looked on at the sweet sight and when Calliope moved back to her original position, helped me sit up, so we were both sitting upright on her bed, our legs dangling over the side. She scooted a bit away from me, so there was a clear spot between us, and patted it, nodding at Calliope.

Calliope happily accepted the invitation, jumping into the spot and making herself comfortable, settling her head in my lap while her tail wagged contentedly between the bed and Jules’ arm.

The room lapsed back into a comfortable silence, and I curled into two of my best friends, letting myself breathe in hope and exhale my worries.

    They could wait. I was going to live in the moment.

Alex’s POV

It was too much.

The silence was suffocating, the window was open, but it didn’t matter. I’d never felt more trapped. My eyes caught on my sister’s, and I could tell she was worried. She had the same look that Luke got when he was stuck on a song, except the look she was giving him would’ve seemed exaggerated, had it been focused on a piece of paper filled with scratched-out notes and lyrics.

Concern practically radiated from her features, overwhelming yet soft at the same time. This girl who had met me less than 24 hours ago, who seemed almost identical to me in mannerisms and appearance, aside from a few differences, was giving me the most heart-warming look I had ever seen, seeming guilty, like she should be apologizing for something.

It didn’t make any sense, she barely seemed to be able to keep herself standing without Julie’s help, but she only seemed concerned about everyone else in the room, everyone else’s feelings over her own wellbeing.

I wanted to stay, to assure her she hadn’t done anything wrong, though I knew it would have to wait. 

Twenty-five years in that dark room had taken a toll on all of us, no matter how short the time felt. A lot had resulted from it, and even though my heart had stopped beating, my anxiety was still very much alive. I didn’t want my sister or anyone else to have to witness my breakdown, especially when Kenzie already seemed to be on the verge of collapsing herself.

I quickly decided to leave, knowing I wouldn’t be able to stop the guys from following me. Trying to ignore the new sensation, I closed my eyes and didn’t open them until I was sure I was on solid ground. 

Instead of the smooth wood floor of Julie’s room, I was now standing on concrete, the end of the driveway under my feet, the strong walls of the studio in front of me.

Sighing and closing my eyes, I walked forward and through the closed doors of the studio, trying to ignore the tingling feeling that spread through my body like pins and needles as I stepped into the studio. I was still getting used to it, not being able to touch anything with the few exceptions of my drums and our other belongings, which were still in the loft. Most of all it was difficult to get used to our new ability to pop in and out of places in the blink of an eye.

Just thinking about it brought Kenzie to mind. I couldn’t even imagine what she thought about all of this. I didn’t know how much she knew about me and the guys, she had been pretty vague last night, and I hadn’t gotten the chance to talk with her alone afterward.

Thinking about last night more, I realized that she hadn’t quite had the same reaction to our sudden appearance as Julie had. Sure they both screamed and ran away when we first showed up, but Kenzie had looked more shocked and confused than scared. And when they came back outside, Kenzie hadn’t screamed like Julie did. 

Shaking off my confusion, I picked up my drumsticks which had been resting on the snare drum. I started twirling them between my fingers as I paced around the studio, trying to process the information that’d been dumped on me in the past several hours.

Twenty-five years had passed since the night we passed away, the night we came so close to playing the venue of our dreams, the Orpheum Theater. We were stuck in a dark room until last night when we had somehow been brought out of it and quite literally dropped back in our old studio, where we found out only Julie and Kenzie could see us, but anyone could hear us when we played music. Though there was that guy who ran into me outside the Orpheum, I wonder if he’s a ghost too. When I saw him, I got this weird sense of déjà vu, like I’d seen him somewhere else. And it turns out Kenzie is my little sister, and not my only sister either. Just from the way she mentioned her, I could tell it was a sensitive subject. 

I might try to talk to her later, I just don’t want to overstep her boundaries. I’ll go see if she wants to talk once I can calm myself down. The last thing I want is to make a bad impression, I already feel bad enough for disappearing on her earlier. She seems understanding though, so hopefully she won’t be too upset with me.

After releasing a fair bit of my anxious energy, I set my drumsticks down and took a breath, which might’ve been unnecessary, but was soothing nonetheless. As I looked around the studio, taking in my surroundings, I marveled once again at the thought that this was the same space the boys and I had rehearsed in back in ‘95 on that fateful night, and the years prior to it. 

The studio had this unique feeling, like it was the place that the four of us had made our own back then, but also a completely new studio that held more treasures, memories aside from those of Sunset Curve, and a sense of welcoming warmth.

Despite the time that had passed, it still felt like home. 

Chapter Text

"But what is grief, if not love persevering?" - Vision (from WandaVision)

Julie's POV

After the rollercoaster of events that hit us one after another today, I welcomed the peace of just sitting on my bed with Kenzie and Calliope. I wasn't entirely sure how much time had passed since the boys left, but the dimming of the sunlight coming in through the windows gave me a slight idea. Kenzie had rested her head on my shoulder a while ago, and if it weren't for her hand still scratching behind the sweet retriever's ears, I would've thought she had fallen asleep. My friend's eyes were closed and out of my peripheral vision I could see the light smile on her face and that her legs were now folded next to her, and Calliope had adjusted her position accordingly. 

   Hearing the sounds of the oven being used drifting up from downstairs, I decided it was time for us to head down for dinner. Gently, I nudged her shoulder and quietly said her name, trying not to startle her, "Kenzie, it's time to go downstairs."

     In response, she groaned and curled farther up on the bed, still using my shoulder as a headrest. I shook my head with a smile and sighed at her antics. "Come on, Z. I'm pretty sure we're having the chicken arroz con pollo and pasteles tía brought over last night."

     With a sigh, Kenzie sat up and stretched her arms out, her eyes scrunching shut before opening again as she stood up, Calliope quickly dismounting from the bed to join her. Smiling in victory, I stood up and led the way out of the room, down the hallway, and downstairs to the dining room. Kenzie paused briefly to tie her hair back into a ponytail, making it slightly less disheveled, before walking into the room, greeting Dad, Carlos, and Chess, who was expectantly waiting by the table. She shook her head and dished out Calliope and Chess's dinners, respectively, which they happily helped themselves to. Then, she moved to the counter to help Carlos with setting the table. After everything was in place it was time to bring dinner to the table, which we all helped with.

       We all settled in our seats and linked hands, leaving space for the two vacant settings, and Dad looked to Kenzie with a gentle smile.

          "Mija, would you like to do the honors?" he asked, relief clear in his eyes at her brighter presence.

            "Of course, I'd be happy to," she nodded, smiling as she gathered her thoughts. "Tonight, we are not only grateful for this wonderful meal and those who we share it with, present in both heart and spirit, but also for the opportunities we have been given. Our lives have led us to this moment, in this home, with our loved ones, in an amazing time of new beginnings. Thank you, for this meal, among good company, with many more to come. Amen."

              "Amen," we all chorused, opening our eyes and smiling at each other.

                 I lightly squeezed Kenzie's hand before letting go, letting her know I understood the double meaning of her words. Dad began serving everyone's food, and as he put a few of the pasteles on Carlos' plate, he looked at Kenzie, love and pride in his eyes. "That was beautiful, honey," he said, tears gathering in his eyes, as he set down the plate.

                   Kenzie nodded in thanks, smiling as she stood up and walked around the table. When she reached Dad, she leaned over the back of his chair and embraced him from behind. "Thank you, Dad."

                       He smiled and chuckled softly in response, "Of course, Kenzie."

                         She made her way back to her seat and started digging into her food. I felt something soft brush against my leg, and with a glance under the table, saw Chess making her rounds around the table until she finally stretched out on the floor between Carlos and Kenzie. Her tail flicked gently against Carlos' ankles, while her head rested near Kenzie's feet, her front paws stretched toward her shoes, lightly pawing at the shoelaces. 

                          Dinner continued with everyone engaging in small talk about each other's days. Carlos animatedly recounted his latest baseball practice, Kenzie talked about the new art project her class had been assigned, and I mentioned a box I'd seen in the studio, tucked away in a corner of the loft. "I went out to the studio again earlier, and I saw a few cardboard boxes in the loft, they were buried under a few guitar cases. Kenzie, they had Mercer written on them."

                        I wondered if Kenzie had seen it when she was up in the loft last night, though she wasn't in the loft for very long, so maybe she didn't notice it. I tried to gauge her expression to see her reaction, but I couldn't tell what she thought.

                           She looked at me and nodded, "I might go check it out tomorrow." 

                              Her tone was neutral, but I could tell she didn't want to talk about it anymore. She would rather talk about something else, anything else. Carlos noticed the look in Kenzie's eyes and immediately shifted the conversation back to baseball practice. 

 Reggie's POV

    While Julie and Kenzie were inside the house eating dinner, the guys and I were hanging out in the studio, looking around. The studio definitely wasn't how we left it back in '95, but we couldn't be too surprised by the change. I was just happy that the space had been taken care of and given the love and appreciation it deserved. After all, it hadn't just been our rehearsal space, it had been our home too. 

    It was almost hard to believe that we had just come back to the world last night, considering the amount of information we'd gotten since then. Apparently, we had been in the dark room for twenty-five years, not an hour like Luke guessed and the house and studio we called our second home was now owned by Julie's family and maybe also Kenzie. She was clearly close friends with Julie and seemed to be more than welcome to spend time with the rest of their family, so I wouldn't be surprised. Oh yeah, and speaking of Kenzie, she's also Alex's little sister, or at least, one of them.

     I still felt bad for bringing it up earlier when we were looking at that picture. Though to be fair, Luke looked like he was going to ask about the girl in the photograph anyway, I just beat him to it. I knew I'd screwed up the second the words were out of my mouth, before I even saw her expression, the tension was obvious. Kenzie had looked so lost, it almost seemed like she had been in a dark room herself. I hate that I made her feel like that, to be lost in the darkness, unable to see the light. I know she said it was okay, but it didn't make me feel better. I shouldn't have pried, especially knowing that the photo was clearly a sensitive topic, considering Julie's reaction to Luke asking about her mom.

      I really want to make it up to Kenzie, but I'm not sure how. Maybe I'll ask the guys for help, or Julie. She'd probably know what to do, after all, she was able to bring Kenzie back earlier when she was drifting away. Yeah, I'll ask Julie for some pointers after dinner.

        The sound of Alex and Luke's voices brought me out of my thoughts, and I looked up to see the two roughhousing. Alex had Luke in a headlock, and Luke was trying to get out of it by reaching for a pillow to hit Alex with. Unfortunately for him, subtlety was never his specialty, so Alex saw his attempt and somehow managed to get the pillow out of his reach. I'm still not sure how all of this ghost stuff works, though it might have to do with the studio, it has always seemed magical. I smiled wistfully, remembering times similar to this when we would just mess around in the studio. It was strange to think how long ago those days were now. 

         The Sunset Curve banner the guys and I all worked on together the summer after our freshman year of high school was no longer hanging proudly over the back windows, in its place was a setup similar to a mini greenhouse, rows upon rows of plants and flowers flourishing in the sunlight, which was dwindling now. Pizza boxes, crumpled-up balls of paper, stray music sheets, and graphic tees were no longer haphazardly speckled across every surface like rainbow sprinkles on a strawberry-frosted donut. Now the floor was clean and worn, a carpet covered a good section of it and had some kind of floral design on it. Our instruments seemed to be one of the few things left that hadn't changed. The cases had preserved all of the guitars and my bass, Alex's drums were still in great shape, and the rest of our equipment was well taken care of too.

          My eyes drifted away from the main area of the studio and focused on the stereo system against the wall. The system that Julie and Kenzie had played our demo CD through just last night. I wondered how they had a copy since we only gave away a few of those. Maybe they got it from a family friend, it's possible, we aren't that old. 

            I noticed that Luke and Alex had finally given up on their play-fight. Luke was sitting in one of the chairs sideways with his legs hanging over one of the arms, and Alex was sitting behind his drum kit on his stool, twirling his drumsticks and staring off into space. I could almost hear the gears in their minds, though it was Alex I was concerned about. Luke was alright, in his element of lyric brainstorming, but Alex was getting caught up in his mind. I knew from experience that that was never a good situation, so I got up from my chair and walked over to him. 

              "Hey, Alex," I said once I was standing in front of his drumset.

                  "Hm? Oh, hey Reg," he replied, looking up at me.

                    "Are you alright? It looked like you were in Mr. Weaver's class all over again," I smiled.

                       "Yeah, just thinking a little too much, but what else is new, right?"

                          He was smiling, and he didn't sound upset, but I was pretty sure I knew what he was talking about. Change and Alex have always been arch-enemies, like Superman and Lex Luthor, without the Kryptonite. So dying, by bad street-dogs no less, being stuck in some kind of limbo in the form of a dark room, or whatever it was, plus coming back and discovering that twenty-five years had passed, finding out he had a little sister the same night, and then hearing that he actually had two little sisters the next day, all while still trying to figure out everything about being a ghost, is a recipe for a stress storm, topped with overthinking. And of course, the painful reveal of his other sister was caused by yours truly. Way to go, Reg.

                           I must've said the last part out loud, because Alex set down his drumsticks, stood up, and came over to me, putting his hand on my shoulder and looking me square in the eyes.

                           "It isn't your fault, Reggie. You didn't know, and it was an innocent question," he said with so much conviction it was hard to question that it was anything but the truth.

                            "But, I'm the one who brought it up. I'm the one who made her tense up and feel like she had to answer me." I sighed before continuing, barely above a whisper, "I'm the one who made her stop smiling."

                             I looked down at the floor, I couldn't meet his eyes. Without meaning to, I had already hurt his little sister, when all of us had barely gotten to know her or Julie yet, and not even twenty-four hours after meeting them. I wasn't sure what the punishment was for hurting your best friend's little sister, but I knew I deserved whatever it was, if not more.

                               "Reg, can you look at me, please?" he asked. That's weird, he didn't sound upset, and he didn't raise his voice either. Though I shouldn't be too surprised, Alex is usually pretty calm and collected. 

                                I lifted my head and met his eyes, and saw he was smiling. It was his lopsided smile, which could mean almost anything, except him being upset. If there was one thing I knew about Alex, it was that he never smiled or smirked when he was angry or upset, especially not the smile he was giving me.

                                   "Reggie, you still with me?" 

                                     Oh crap, I must've gotten stuck in my thoughts again. "Huh? Oh yeah, right. Yup, I'm still with you," I replied, nodding and shaking off the daze I was in.

                                        "Glad to hear it. Now, back to what I was saying, before you tried to go to space without me," he smiled, raising an eyebrow when I went to protest. Though he did have a point, I had zoned out for a good minute there. "It wasn't your fault, any of us would've asked it at some point or another, and if it hadn't been you, Luke probably would've said it in one word-vomit explosion. I'm not mad at you, or Luke, or anyone else. I was curious too, and yeah, the answer came as a bit of a shock, but that's okay. I mean, we came back as ghosts twenty-five years in the future. We're going to have to get used to lots of surprises, but none of us are going to go through them alone."

                                          "He's right, Reggie. We're all here, and that's how it's going to stay. No friends left behind, never again," Luke agreed, wrapping his arms around us, smiling at both of us, his hazel eyes serious and sincere.

                                            "Yeah, no friends left behind," I nodded, smiling gratefully at my bandmates, my brothers, my best friends.

        Kenzie's POV     

          "And then, I hit the ball super hard, dropped my bat, and ran like the Flash around first and second base. Third was a close call, but I made it. Then, right before I reached home, Ellie caught the ball, and Coach blew the whistle. But, it was just a practice. When it's time for the big game, the Monarchs will win!" When I raised my eyebrow at him he continued, "And have a great time, but that's a given!"

            "That's amazing 'Los, your practice is paying off! And you definitely will, and we'll be right there cheering you on, front row!" I smiled, reaching across the table to give him a fist bump. 

              "Really, you promise?", and I knew he was sincere though he was half-joking. I had never missed a game, and I didn't ever plan to.

                "I pinky promise, Carlos," I responded, holding out my right pinky finger, and he linked his around it.

                  "Thanks, Kenzie," he said, and I held back the tears I could feel trying to escape. I was so proud of Carlos, Julie, and Dad. And, myself. It was hard to believe that the 12-year-old in front of me used to be the same boy who asked for a bedtime story and on some nights, a lullaby too, before he could fall asleep. I couldn't be prouder of him, or more thankful to have the honor of being one of his big sisters.

                    "Anytime, hermano."

                      The small talk continued, and Dad finished his joyful rambling about his latest photo-shoot, while we all listened and smiled fondly at the passion in his voice. When Jules started talking about the studio, I figured she was just going to talk about this morning when we played the piano and sang again, but the conversation took a completely different turn.

                          "I went out to the studio again earlier, and I saw a few cardboard boxes in the loft, they were buried under a few guitar cases. Kenzie, they had Mercer written on them." 

                            Unsure of what to say, I just replied, "I might go check it out tomorrow." I kept my tone casual and even, but I hoped she could see that I wanted her to drop it.

                              Fortunately, she got the message, and so did Carlos, so he helped guide the conversation back toward his upcoming game. I was grateful for both of them, I just hope Jules doesn't think I'm trying to blow her off. I have a lot on my mind and prepping myself for my inevitable talk with Alex is next to impossible. I really don't want Julie to be upset with me on top of it all. I just need time to myself to clear my head, before I try to find Alex, who hopefully hasn't decided to give me the cold shoulder.

                             "Dad, may I be excused?" I asked, since I'd already finished eating anyway.

                               "Of course, sweetheart," he nodded.

                                  "Thank you. Jules, want me to take your plate to the sink?" I asked, gesturing to her empty plate.

                                     "If you don't mind, thanks Blue." she smiled, and I chuckled a little as I took our plates to the sink.

                                        "Don't let Flynn hear you, she coined that nickname a long time ago."

                                          "She'll survive, she has plenty of others," she retorted playfully.

                                            "True, but I'm still the queen of nicknames!" I called with a wink as I made my way to the stairs. As I ascended them, I heard the laughter of my family from the dining room and smiled to myself. Yeah, things could be worse, I had my amazing support system, not to mention my furry friends who immediately perked up when I reached my room. Calliope was laying contentedly on the pillow I made her by my desk, and Chess was sitting on my desk chair, her tail waving to and fro.

                                              I walked over to them and kneeled down, petting Calliope's head and giving her a belly rub while she leaned into me happily. Then, I stood up and went to my desk chair, as Chess watched me and purred softly. I gently picked her up and she rubbed her head against my chest while I sat down. While she settled herself in my lap, I carefully lit the orange creamsicle-scented candle, letting its aroma fill the room.

                                               I closed my eyes and breathed in and out while the sweet smell of the candle washed over me. The scent was nostalgic for me, bringing so many great memories to mind. Carefree summers spent at the pier, playing games, racing my friends and family from one ride to another, settling in for lunch at the picnic tables, and toasting the day with our cold orange creamsicle sodas. 

                                                Opening my eyes, I sighed and brushed my fingers through Chess's fur, humming a random tune. She looked up at me, her knowing green eyes sensing my bittersweet reminiscing. "I'll be alright, Chess. Just trying to build up my courage. There aren't any instructions for talking one-on-one with your ghost brother." In response, she meowed and jumped down, then strode toward the door. When she reached it, she stopped and turned to look at me, as if to say, You coming? 

                                                 "I see Flynn's boldness is rubbing off on you, you're acting just like her. Though I did name you after the Cheshire Cat, so bold is pretty much a given. I swear if you were a dog instead of a cat, I would've named you Pooka," I remarked as I stood up and followed Chess out of my room, down the hallway, downstairs, and to the living room. Dad was sitting at his desk, working on something on his computer. "Hey, Dad, what're you working on?"

                                                    "Hi, Kenzie, I'm just finishing some edits on my latest photoshoot. What can I do for you?" he asked, turning to face me with a smile.

                                                      "Well, I was going to go down to the studio for a bit, if that's okay with you," I answered. 

                                                         "Of course, that's alright, honey. It's getting late though, so make sure you're back inside the house by 10:30, and if Chess or Calliope goes with you, make sure they get back inside too," he replied, gesturing to Chess and Calliope in turn.

                                                            "Thanks, and don't worry, I'll keep an eye on the time." I gave him a side hug, then headed out the door and down the stairs towards the studio, Calliope next to me and Chess not too far behind.

                                                               When I reached the studio, I reached for the door handle and gently pulled it open. The boys were all there, to my relief, and were somewhat scattered around the studio. Luke was playing darts, Reggie was on the couch, or "Luke's couch" as he had claimed last night, writing in a notebook. And last but not least, Alex was up in the loft. Remembering what Julie said at dinner, I looked around the studio and was relieved to see no cardboard boxes with Mercer written on them anywhere in sight. 

                                                             I realized that none of the boys seemed to notice my presence, and out of curiosity, I looked down to see if my furry escorts were still with me. Turns out they were, Calliope was standing to my right, and Chess was sitting to my left. Looking back up and still not receiving any acknowledgment from the guys, I knocked on the inside of the door I'd opened.

                                                              It immediately caught their attention. Luke lost his focus and looked over at me, and his smile instantly grew, while the dart he'd thrown just barely hit the board. Reggie put down the notebook, looked up, and smiled softly in my direction. Alex stepped away from whatever he had been looking at in the loft and leaned against the railing, looking down at the rest of us. When his eyes met mine, he disappeared in a flash, and for a second I was worried he had left the studio, but a second later he reappeared by the piano. If any of them noticed the look of relief that was most likely written all over my face, they didn't comment on it. 

                                                               I felt a strong, cool breeze brush against my back, like a hand guiding me forward, almost over the threshold of the studio. I smiled, even as the breeze waned, though the smell of lavender and butterscotch lingered. With a new wave of reassurance, I stepped fully into the studio, Calliope and Chess settling themselves on the floor.

                                                                  "Kenzie, hey. Is everything alright?" Luke asked, stepping forward.

                                                                      "Hi, Luke. Yeah, I'm okay, why do you ask?", I replied, my brows coming together in confusion.

                                                                        "You're fiddling with your rings," Reggie spoke up, coming to stand by Luke, gesturing at my hands.

                                                                          I looked down and realized he was right. Without realizing it, I had lifted my hands from my sides and linked them, fidgeting with the rings on my fingers, sometimes reaching up to touch a charm on one of my bracelets. I sighed and pulled my hands apart, settling for sliding them into my jean pockets.

                                                                           "Thanks, Reg, really I appreciate it. Sometimes if it goes on for too long I get a hangnail. And that is never a fun time," I said, smiling his way.

                                                                               He nodded, still smiling softly, but it didn't quite reach his eyes. "About earlier, Kenzie, I'm really sorry. I didn't mean to seem nosey or to make you feel like you had to answer."

                                                                                 I felt a sharp tug on my heartstrings, I didn't realize he would have such a hard time forgiving himself. His apology was so genuine and sweet, and though I didn't want him to feel guilty about it, I knew he needed to know he was forgiven. "Reggie, there's no way you could've known, and if I had been in your shoes, I would've wondered the same thing. Besides, I'm sure if you hadn't asked, Hotshot here would've, and exploded with curiosity in the process," I assured him, gesturing in Luke's direction, whose jaw instantly dropped in surprise and mock offense.

                                                                                  "Thank you, Kenzie. That means a lot to me, and you're right, he would've let it out in one long word-vomit," Reggie laughed, and I joined in, because I knew without a doubt Reggie hadn't just heard me, he had believed me, too. Looking behind Reggie and Luke, I noticed that Alex had moved closer, and was trying, and failing to hold back his smile, snickering and shaking his head.

                                                                                     "Excuse me, are we just going to skip over that last bit?! Since, when am I "Hotshot"?!", Luke cut in with air quotes.

                                                                                        I raised my eyebrow and folded my arms, turning to face Luke, "Haven't you heard, Hotshot? I'm the queen of nicknames around here, so when I give you one -- unless you have a serious problem with it -- it stays."

                                                                                           "Okay, but can I at least ask why you thought of that one?" he agreed, tilting his head in confusion. His position made the image of Calliope, back when she was a puppy, pop in my head, and I had to fight to hold back a snicker. His look was almost identical to hers, but I managed to compose myself enough to answer, not before glancing at my goldie, who in the present was laying by the doors, watching over the studio, and Chess, who was still sitting by me, her tail making swirling patterns in the air.

                                                                                             "Sure I can. For one, you're Sunset's bandleader, lead singer, and guitarist, so you help call the shots. And as for the hot part, you must get hot quickly since the one and only time I've seen you wearing long sleeves was last night when you guys first showed up," I finished, smirking when he opened and closed his mouth several times without saying anything.

                                                                                                "She's got you there, dude. It's the perfect nickname," Reggie chuckled, nudging Luke's shoulder. He was smiling from ear to ear, and it reached his eyes this time.

                                                                                                   He rolled his eyes and shook his head, but he was smiling. "Yeah, yeah, yeah. She's a poetic genius." He looked at me, and despite his tone, I could tell he was sincere.

                                                                                                     "Ooh, who are these cuties?" Reggie asked, excitement practically radiating off of him, it was so infectious.

                                            I smiled, not surprised in the slightest that he was the one to jump from teasing his friend to fawning over my four-legged friends. "Oh right, you guys haven't officially met yet. Guys, these are my girls, the goldie by the doors is Calliope and my furry shadow who hasn't left my side since I came down here, is Chess. Girls, these are me and Julie's new friends. Luke, Alex, and Reggie," I replied, pointing to each boy in turn with a smile.

                                                              "Hold up, can they actually see us, too?" Alex asked, raising his hand and pointing between the guys, and Calliope & Chess.

                                                                 "I'm almost positive that Calliope can see spirits too, but I'm not sure if Chess can or not. But either way, they have strong senses, and I want to make sure they know you're friendly," I explained, watching as Chess stood up to investigate the area I had gestured to, and either saw the boys, or walked around them out of instinct, and Calliope went straight to Reggie, sitting in front of him. His features lit up even more in joy and he leaned down to try to pet her. His hand didn't make solid contact with her fur, but I could tell she felt the love in the gesture. Alex and Luke watched in amazement as Chess finished her search of the studio and curled up at Alex's feet, purring quietly.

                                                                   I remembered why I had come down to the studio in the first place as Calliope moved from Reggie over to Luke, who smiled and sat on the floor, gliding his fingers across her head and down her back, in an attempt to pet her. I glanced at Alex, who was smiling contently down at Chess, who seemed to be on the brink of falling asleep. I figured now was as good a time as any, if I didn't do it now, I would just talk myself out of it.

                                                                     I made my way over to Alex, careful not to disturb the light atmosphere or my sleeping shadow. "Hey, Alex, can we talk?"

                                                                       He met my eyes and nodded, sensing the serious note to the question. "Yeah, sure. Did you want to take it outside?"

                                                                          "That would be good," I agreed, and we made our way to the doors. Before we walked outside, I turned to the guys, who had already looked up. "Alex and I will be back, we're just going to go talk one-on-one. Please, no eavesdropping. Alex can talk about anything we talk about with you guys afterward, but right now I want to talk with him alone, alright?" I looked between Reggie and Luke, making sure they heard me.

                                                                             "Yeah, of course," Luke nodded.

                                                                                "We'll be here if you need us. No eavesdropping, I promise," Reggie said, holding up his right hand.

                                                                                     "So do I," Luke confirmed.

                                                                                        I smiled gratefully at them, nodding and turning around. I opened the door and closed it once we were both outside. "Follow me," I said, waving him over as I made my way up the stairs and through the gate, away from the garage. Instead of going my usual route to the front door, I walked down the right path, toward the back of the house, with Alex by my side. When we reached the backyard, I led him over to the bench swing nestled in the garden. I picked the spot earlier and made sure to set out lanterns so the space was well lit. There were flowers almost completely surrounding the swing, except for a decently wide area left open for easy access to it. I never had to worry about trampling the blossoms when I wanted a quiet place outside to think, surrounded by nature's beauty.

                                                                                            Sitting down, I patted the spot next to me, and Alex settled himself on the bench. I gently pushed my legs against the grass, letting the swing sway back and forth slowly. After I finished gathering my thoughts, I looked over at my brother.

                                                                                              "So, what did you want to talk about?", he asked, turning to face me fully.

                                                                                                  "I'll let you decide, I'm sure you have a lot of questions. No subject is off the table, I'll answer any questions you have to the best of my ability," I replied, turning to face him too.

                                                                                                     "Oh, thanks. Well then, I've kind of been wondering all day, are we the first ghosts you've seen?"

                                                                                                        "No, you three aren't the first ghosts I've seen. I've actually had more encounters with spirits than I can count. Probably over a dozen of them I wasn't even aware of," I answered, and seeing his look of confusion, I elaborated. "I've been able to see them since I can remember, but there was a time when I didn't realize I was seeing ghosts. Then, when I found out, it became easier to tell the differences. That's how I know I've been able to see them for a long time. Who knows though, I might've been able to see them when I was a baby too," I finished and shrugged my shoulders.

                                                                                                         "Wow, I mean, I thought you must've had some sort of ability or sense when you didn't seem quite as shocked as Julie last night, but that's a lot more than I guessed," he rambled, shaking his head in disbelief.

                                                                         "Yeah, I was freaked out too, but more so out of confusion and surprise at seeing you guys than wondering how you were there."

                                                                           "Fair enough. So, last night, when Carlos came in the studio and called you guys in for dinner, he said sisters, so... do you live here?"

                                                                             I could tell he was hesitant to ask, and I didn't blame him. I had been dreading this part of the conversation the most. I took a deep breath in, and exhaled, bracing myself. 

                                                                                I nodded slowly, "Yeah, I've lived here with Julie since 2011, nine years ago." I looked up at him and tried to gauge his reaction. He didn't look completely surprised, and I could see the empathy in his eyes.

                                                                                     "If you don't mind me asking, what happened?"

                                                                                         I nodded in understanding, he deserved to know.

                                                                                 Los Angeles, California: 2011 (Third POV)

                                                                                        The Molina's house shined brightly in the spring sunlight that Saturday afternoon. The windows were open, letting in the nice breeze, and the sounds of children laughing bounced off the walls. The sources of the joyful sounds were Kenzie Mercer, Julie Molina, Flynn Taylor, Carrie Wilson, and Elysia Walker. They were currently in the middle of playing dress-up, digging through Julie's costume chest for the perfect outfits, and looking through their parents' old costume jewelry they had let the kids use.

         Meanwhile, the grownups were downstairs in the living room, chatting happily. Being the good hosts they were, Ray and Rose Molina had prepared strawberry lemonade and cookies for the day, which both groups were enjoying while spending time with their friends. Ray and Trevor Wilson were discussing upcoming concerts and photoshoots, respectively; Rose was showing Kendra Taylor and Athena Wilson some sketches of her latest dress designs for the girls; and Leon Taylor and Alaina Walker sat back on the couch and smiled fondly at their friends, content to listen and enjoy the moment.

               Upstairs, the girls had finally chosen their outfits. Flynn was a pirate captain with an eye patch, a tricorn hat, a light blue shirt with billowing sleeves, her denim shorts, and a toy sword and sheath to complete the look. Julie was dressed as an angel, in a silver dress, with some of her mom's gold bracelets, and a halo to match. Carrie was an elven princess in a long light green dress with a flower pendant necklace, fake elf ears, and various bangles and rings. Elysia was wearing a button-up plaid shirt, black leggings, and a sun hat in a loose cosplay of Scarecrow from Wizard of Oz, and Kenzie was a butterfly, from the wings she was wearing to the violet and blue dress she had chosen. She wasn't wearing much jewelry aside from a necklace, her friendship bracelet, and the two bracelets Rose had made for her, which were similar to the bracelets that she had made for the others.

                Proud of their costumes, the girls danced and spun around each other before running downstairs to show their parents. After their mini fashion show ended with lots of applause and cheers, the girls all took a nap, and their parents woke them up later on. Eventually, it was time for them to part ways and go home, so they said their goodbyes and the other girls left, except for Flynn and Kenzie. They were spending the night with Julie, and they couldn't be happier.

                  The trio sat on Julie's bed making bracelets while Rose and Ray were downstairs working on dinner. Rose's cell phone rang, so she wiped her hands off on a towel and answered it as Ray continued cooking.

                                           "Hi, who is this?" she asked, holding the phone up to her ear.

                                               "Yes, this is Rose Molina speaking. The hospital? What happened?", she asked, afraid to hear the answer.

                                                  At this point, Ray had turned off the stove and went over to his wife, hearing the panic in her voice. 

                                                          "Ro, what's going on?", he asked, grabbing her empty hand and squeezing it gently.

                                                           "Yes, I understand. Goodbye," she lowered the phone from her ear, ending the call and setting the phone on the countertop.

                                                              "Rose, sweetheart, is everything okay?" Ray was frantic by now, he had no idea who the call had been about, and Rose's hands were shaking, which was never a good sign.

                                                                 "Ray, there was an accident. It's the Mercers. Christine and Andrew..."  

Chapter Text

    "When you're feeling lost, I'll leave my love hidden in the sun. For when the darkness comes." - Colbie Caillat (from the song "When The Darkness Comes")

     Los Angeles, California: 2011 (Ray's POV)

       "Ray, there was an accident. It's the Mercers. Christine and Andrew... Th-they're in the hospital."

         There were no words. 

            When I fully registered the news, I clutched onto the countertop with one hand, while the other was still entwined with Rose's. They were the only reason I was still grounded and not entirely lost in my mind. The solid countertop and the strong warmth of Rose's hand, like two anchors, kept me grounded despite the sea of thoughts that threatened to pull me under.

              Christine and Andrew Mercer, parents of 3, whose children all had bright futures. Their daughters, who had their whole lives ahead of them, and their son, whose life was cut short at the age of seventeen. Their youngest child, Kenzie, was a sweet, optimistic, happy-go-lucky, seven-year-old girl with the kind of smile and laughter that could fill a room. The girl who was upstairs, in the middle of what was supposed to be just another fun weekend spent with Julie and Flynn, and completely unaware of the phone call that had transpired.

                  They were upstairs in Julie's room, out of earshot and still in their happy world, the sounds of talking and laughter drifting downstairs to us in the kitchen. Coming out of my thoughts, I squeezed Rose's hand again, as she looked up at me with worry, concern, and uncertainty in her eyes, clear as day. I met her eyes and could feel our shared sympathy for the Mercers, a family who had already suffered enough pain for more than one lifetime.

                    "W-we need to tell her, Ray. The doctor didn't sound very hopeful, and if the accident was as bad as she said, if not worse..." She leaned closer and continued in a quieter tone, "It isn't likely that they'll make it through the night."

                       I could hear the tremors and hopelessness in her voice, and I was feeling hopeless myself. The Mercers were some of our closest friends, and to learn that yet another tragedy had struck them, was devastating, to put it mildly.

  ~          ~          ~          ~          ~          ~          ~          ~          ~          ~          ~            ~          

                         While I put my thoughts together, I rubbed my thumb over Rose's hand, trying to ease the tension there, knowing that I had to be as calm as possible, for everyone's sake. Nodding, I looked at her, making sure she was focused on me, and not stuck in her own worries. "I hear you, Ro, I do. Remember, worrying won't help anyone. We're going to get through this together, as a family. Now, Carlos is at Victoria's, and Marie and Caylee are at the game in Burbank. I can call Marie and they can meet us at the hospital. I can have Victoria bring Carlos home and stay with him or ask her to meet us there too. It's up to you, honey."

                          Rose took a few deep breaths and nodded, signaling she heard me. When she opened her eyes, her hands had stopped shaking, and she had calmed down, at least on the outside. "Call Marie and Caylee first, see if they can meet us there. I'll call Tori after I talk to the girls and have her bring Carlos home."

                             I wanted to protest, it didn't seem right that Rose had to carry that burden alone. But, one look in her eyes told me she had made up her mind. She would go and tell the girls what happened, ready with open arms and shoulders free to be cried on. So instead, I sighed and gently pulled her into my arms, kissing her forehead and resting my chin on her head. "What did I ever do to deserve you?"

                               "You didn't have to do anything, mi amor. You deserve every good thing, and so much more," Rose replied, a soft smile on her face as she backed away. "I'll go talk with the girls while you call Marie." She left the kitchen and made her way upstairs to Julie's room, and I took my phone out of my back pocket, letting out a breath as I found Marie's number in my contacts.

                                  The tone rang twice before there was an answer, "Hi Ray, is everything alright?"

                                     I could hear the noise of the lacrosse field in the background. "Hi, Marie, no, I'm afraid not."

                                        "What's wrong, what happened? Is it Kenzie? Did something hap-"

                                           I could hear the rising panic in her voice and quickly cut her off, "No, no, Kenzie is safe, she's okay. Rose got a call from the hospital, Christine and Andrew, were in an accident."

                                             There was a pause before she spoke again, "Does Kenzie know?"

                                                "No, not yet. Rose just went upstairs to talk with the girls," I explained.

                                                    "Are all of the girls still there?"

                                                       "No, it's just Julie, Kenzie, and Flynn, they're playing in Julie's room," I replied, steadying myself against the countertop again when I didn't hear Rose's footsteps on the stairs anymore.

                                                           "That's good, Kenzie will need her friends, now more than ever," she said, and I couldn't agree more. The girls were sisters, in everything but blood and name, all five of them. They had been through highs and lows, though there wasn't a doubt in my mind that this would be the hardest.

                                                              "Can you and Caylee meet us at the hospital? Victoria is going to bring Carlos home and stay with him while we're gone."

                                                                 "Of course, I'll have the coach bring her to the bleachers. We'll get there as soon as we can. And, Ray? Thank you."

                                                                     "Of course, Marie, you're family to us. We'll see you soon, take care," I replied, pulling the phone away from my ear and turning it off. Letting out a deep breath, I set my phone on the counter and sat on one of the chairs in front of it. I leaned my elbows on the surface and rubbed my face, looking around at what had been the beginnings of dinner and a good night. It was hard to believe that the day was turning out like this. Hosting a fun gathering with friends, Julie and the girls doing a little fashion show for us, everyone saying goodbye. Then, with the girls having the time of their lives while we worked on dinner, the night was turned upside down, by one phone call.

                                                                         Amid the shock I felt, there was one constant thought; Please, let Christine and Andrew be okay.

  Kenzie's POV (2011)

    "Maisie, can I see the gold beads, please?"

      "Yup, here you go, Ryder!" I said, setting the bowl by her.

        "Thanks, Blue!" she smiled as she picked a few out, adding them to her bracelet.

         "Huh?" I wondered.

          "Blue, it's my new nickname for you. It matches your eyes, which are bright and blue," she responded, hearing my confusion.

             "Oh, that makes sense. I love it!" I nodded, smiling ear to ear.

                "I love it too, it's perfect," Jules said as she finished making her bracelet.

                     "Woah, Jules, that's really pretty!" I exclaimed, grinning as she held it up for both of us to see.

                        "Yeah, you have some serious talent, Jules! It looks so good!" Flynn complimented.

                            "Thanks, guys. Here Kenzie, this is for you," she smiled, handing the bracelet to me.

                              Surprised, I carefully held it after she set it in my palm. "You're giving it to me? Are you sure?"

                                  "Yeah, of course I'm sure, Ace. I made it just for you since I made Flynn the last one."

                                     "Thank you, Juliebean. Can you help me put it on?" I asked, smiling gratefully at her.

                                        "Yup, here, which hand do you want it on?" she smiled, scooting closer to me.

                                          "My right," I answered and she nodded, taking the bracelet and gently wrapping it around my right wrist, then tying the knot back in place. I smiled as I held my hand up, admiring the new bracelet and the others, as the setting sun from the window reflected across them.

                                             Still smiling, I rested my arm back on the bed, and we continued talking. Today had been amazing, and tonight I got to spend the night with my best friends. Flynn and I were sitting side by side, our heads resting against each other while we listened to Julie tell us about something Carlos did yesterday. It was obvious in the way she talked about him that she adored her little brother, and we both felt the same way. Even though we weren't Molinas, Carlos was still like a little brother to me and Flynn. In other words, we loved him.

                                               Jules was just wrapping up her story when we heard the creak of the stairs, and a few seconds later, a soft knock on the door. We all turned toward it at the noise, and Julie said, "Come in!" 

                                                 The door opened, and Rose walked in and smiled for a second when she saw the three of us. "Girls, I need to talk to you about something."

                                                     She pulled the pouf that was in front of Julie's bed over to us and sat down on it. I could tell something was wrong, though I wasn't quite sure how. I just had this bad feeling in my stomach, like the time Flynn and I ate too many cookies before dinner, except this feeling didn't come with the taste of chocolate chips. It tugged at my mind and pulled at my heart, reminding me of the shadow monsters I worried were hiding under my bed. Before I could ask what was wrong, Rose opened her mouth to speak, so I stayed quiet.

                                                       "A little while ago, while your dad and I were making dinner, I got a phone call," Rose started, nodding at Julie in turn.

                                                          Sensing the serious note in her voice, we scooted closer together on Jules' bed, holding each other's hands and squeezing gently. Flynn spoke up, asking what we were all wondering, "Who called, Ms. Mo-Rose?"

                                                              For a second, some of the light seemed to return to Rose's eyes when Flynn corrected herself. Rose told us a long time ago to just call her Rose, not Ms. Molina, the same with Ray, though sometimes we would still slip up. I frowned when the joy Flynn had caused disappeared from Rose's features almost as fast as it had come.

                                                               Taking a deep breath, she continued, and out of instinct, I gave Jules' and Ryder's hands a squeeze. 

                                                                    "It was the hospital, there was a car accident... Kenzie-"

                                                                         "Was it Caylee and Aunt Marie? Are they okay?" I cut her off, thinking of the game my sister was going to cheer at tonight, that Aunt Marie had driven her to, and stayed at to support her. I felt Flynn and Julie wrap their arms around me, hearing the worry in my voice, though my eyes were solely focused on Rose.

                                                                                   "No, honey, they're okay. Sweetheart, it was your parents," she finished, and I could see the heartbreak in her eyes.

                                                                               I couldn't talk, and I could barely hear anything that was going on around me. It was all muffled like I was underwater. My vision blurred, my tears racing each other down my cheeks, racing to be the first to stain my clothes. I felt Julie and Flynn scoot even closer to me if that was possible, and tighten their arms around me, rubbing my back in soothing motions. Rose had abandoned the pouf and was kneeling in front of us, holding my hands, and humming a slow, simple tune, like a lullaby.

                                                                                I wasn't sure what I'd done to deserve them, but I thanked every star I knew of that I had.

                                                                 ~          ~          ~          ~          ~          ~          ~          ~          ~          ~          ~          ~

                                                                                  Her last words repeated in my head on a loop, like a broken record player. Your parents. Your parents. Your parents.

     My parents. My mom, who would paint my nails on tea party days, who tied the bows on my dresses, who taught me how to ride my bike. My mom, who smelled like the caramel candies she carried around in her pockets and the strawberry shampoo she used. My dad, who did my hair for me when Mom was running late, who let me cry it out when I scraped my knees rollerskating, who gave me a piggyback ride back to the car after a long day at the pier. My dad, who read bedtime stories to me complete with different voices, who pushed me as high as I wanted on the swings, who would spin me around the living room while we listened to his vinyl collection, laughing and singing along.

                                                                                    My parents, who introduced me to music, loved me and my sister unconditionally, and taught us to live our lives to the fullest. Not once ever letting us doubt how much they loved us. 

                                                                                       Slowly, I came back to myself, still in Julie's room with her, Flynn, and Rose, who was lightly tapping my knee to get my attention. I focused on her again, feeling reassured by her soft gaze and my friends' presence on either side of me.

                                                                                          "Maisie, can you hear me?" I nodded, and she smiled gently at me. "Once you're ready, we're going to go to the hospital. Your aunt and sister will meet us there, and Tía and Carlos will come here and stay at the house, alright?" 

                                                                                             I nodded again and sniffled before saying, "Okay."

                                                                                               Rose sat up and leaned forward, cupping my cheeks and gently rubbing the tears away. She kissed my forehead and wrapped me in a warm embrace, Julie and Flynn quickly joining, making it a group hug.

                                                                                                   "My strong, sweet estrellas," she said, moving so she was hugging all 3 of us. They didn't end the hug until I was ready to, and when I did, Rose stood up and helped the rest of us stand too. We put our shoes back on and Rose helped smooth my hair, which had gotten frizzy in the hug, then we all went back downstairs. Ray was waiting for us in the living room and immediately came over to me to offer a hug, which I gratefully accepted, while Rose stepped into the kitchen to call Tía.

                                                                                                     After she hung up, we all hurried to the car, buckled up, and drove to the hospital. No one talked, and the radio stayed turned off. I sat by the window, my head resting on Flynn's shoulder while I fidgeted with my bracelets, every once in a while reaching up to rub the rings on my necklace. It was a simple silver chain with two rings hanging from it. My parents' promise rings. The necklace was one of my most prized possessions, and after a while, I had gotten in the habit of touching the rings whenever I was stressed or thinking about my parents. In this case, both were true.

                                                        In reality, the ride was probably longer than it felt, between rush hour and LA traffic, but it didn't feel like it. One minute I watched as the buildings went past and people on the sidewalks went about their days and the next, Ray was parking the car and helping Rose usher us toward the entrance. Rose led the way while Ray walked beside us, with Flynn and Julie walking on either side of me. When we reached the front desk, Rose stepped forward and was greeted by a receptionist.

                                                              "Hi, how can I help you, ma'am?" the lady asked, her long auburn ponytail swaying behind her.

                                                               "Hi, I was wondering if you could point us to the room that two recently admitted patients were taken to? Their names are Andrew and Christine Mercer," Rose responded with a small smile.

                                                                   "I'm afraid I can't disclose that information unless you are their family and/or their emergency contact," she explained.

                                             "Of course, my husband and I are two of their emergency contacts, Rose and Ray Molina, and this is their youngest daughter," Rose nodded, gesturing to me and Ray in turn.

                                                 The lady nodded, and after a few clicks on her computer screen smiled, "Yes, that matches our records. After you and your husband sign in, you can go to the Mercers' room, it's #216 on the 2nd-floor. The elevator is the second stop on your right, down that hallway," she answered pointing to the hallway to the left of the front desk, and motioning to the clipboard for them to sign in on.

                                                   Rose nodded in thanks and after she and Ray quickly signed in, we went to the elevator and up to the 2nd floor. The 2nd-floor hallway didn't seem to be very busy compared to the bustling lobby, with only a few doctors and nurses moving up and down the floor. Ray looked at the signs hanging from the ceiling, and after finding what he was looking for, led us down the hallway and around the left corner. 

                     ~          ~          ~          ~          ~          ~          ~          ~          ~          ~          ~          ~          

                                                         I braced myself when we stopped at one of the doors, and I felt Julie squeeze my hand in support while Flynn rubbed my shoulder. Ray and Rose turned to face us and Ray crouched down to be at eye level with me while Rose stood next to him. "Honey, we don't have to go in right now if you aren't ready. It's okay if you want to wait for your sister and aunt to get here first. Your sister texted me when we were in the lobby, they should be here soon."       

                                                           "No, it's okay, we can go in now. I'm sure," I replied, though I could hear the shakiness in my voice, and I think they heard it too.           

                                                            "Alright, we can do that, mija," Ray nodded, standing up and giving me a soft smile.

                                                          "We're right here, Kenzie. We've got you," Flynn said, wrapping her arm around my shoulder.

                                                       "She's right, we're not going anywhere," Julie agreed, nudging my arm.

                                                  I was so grateful for my friends in that moment, and I held on tight to their words as Rose gently knocked on the door.

                                                                     "Come in."

                          She opened the door and walked into Room #216 with Ray following and gesturing for us to come in. Taking a deep breath, I stepped into the room, my friends by my side, as always. 

                                                  "Hi, Mom," I said, moving closer to her bed.

                                                   Her eyes met mine, "Hi, sweetheart. Hi girls," her features crinkled as she smiled, looking at the three of us.

                                                                    "Hi, Ms. Mercer," Julie greeted as Flynn softly smiled and waved.

                                                                         "How are you feeling, Mom? How's Dad?" I questioned, glancing between her and Dad, who was half-asleep in the other bed.

                                                                          "I'm doing as good as I can, honey." She turned to look at Dad before facing me with a small smile, "Your dad is too, except he's starting to snore just like on movie nights." She lightly laughed and winked, making me giggle a little. Dad did have a habit of crashing out mid-movie, though his snores made us laugh.

       Sometimes, I wonder if my mom is a witch because no matter what I'm feeling, she always knows what to say and do to make me smile. If she is a witch, I think she gave some of her magic to Dad, since he has the same ability. Maybe he's a warlock? I don't know, maybe I'll ask Jules and Ryder later, though they'll probably just say I've been watching Halloweentown too much. Yeah right, like they haven't been watching it with me! I'm snapped out of my thoughts when I feel Rose's hand on my shoulder.

                      "Thank you for bringing them here, Rose, Ray," Mom said, smiling gratefully at the couple.

                             "Of course, it's the least we could do," Rose replied, Ray nodding in agreement.

                                    "What are best friends for?" Ray added, as he went to sit by Dad, who seemed more awake now. "Hey Drew, how are you feeling?" 

                                         "Oh, you know, a little sore all over, bit of a headache too. Not so different from high school, or college for that matter, right Ray?" he chuckled, before coughing and wincing, his hand hovering over his stomach.

                                          "Yup, #8, I remember," Ray answered with a sigh.

                                              I glanced at Mom, she nodded, and I squeezed her hand lightly before going to sit in the other chair by Dad's side. "Hi, Dad."

                                                                "Hey, Kenzie. It's good to see you, kiddo," he said with a smile.

                                                                   "It's good to see you too, Dad. Are you doing alright?" I asked.

                                                                      "Don't worry about me, sweetheart. It's just another ballgame for your old man," he said with a wink, taking my hand in his.

                                                                            "But you're not that old!" I laughed, shaking my head. See, what did I say? Magic!

                                                                               He chuckled and shook his head, "You're too sweet for your own good, Kenzie. Just like-" He stopped mid-sentence, his eyes caught on something behind me, just as I heard a gentle tap on the door. Curious, I turned around, and standing in the doorway were Aunt Marie and my sister, still in her pretty cheerleader outfit.

                                                                                  "Lyla?"     

Chapter Text

"And I'll be waiting for you, until we meet again." -Dodie Clark (from her song "Dear Happy")

Kenzie's POV (2011)

"Lyla?"

I couldn't remember a time when I had seen her so tired, yet alert at the same time. Not even this morning when she was getting ready to go to the lacrosse game. Her golden hair was pulled back in a ponytail held together by a hairbow with a few small braids woven throughout, but it was slightly frizzy like she had been running her fingers through it. Her uniform was rumpled, the bold "03" half-hidden behind her bomber jacket, which she had clutched in her arms. I could hear her panting and saw Aunt Marie taking deep breaths, trying to recover from what, I wasn't sure. 

      "Come on in, you two. Take a seat and catch your breath," Mom said, smiling fondly and gesturing to the empty seats left.

        Lyla nodded and came over to me and Dad, sitting on the stool Ray left next to my chair, still holding onto her jacket with one hand, while the other was cradling mine. Aunt Marie hesitated, sighing and shaking her head before finally settling at Mom's side, all too used to her stubborn nature.

         Aunt Marie told me that being stubborn was a family trait, though I'm not really sure what "stubborn" means. I think it's when you don't want to agree with someone, or at least that's how Ray put it when I asked him. 

          "How are you feeling, Christy?"

           "Mm, almost like the time we were playing in the garden with Veronica. Do you remember that, Mari?"

             "Yeah, I remember you seeing a bumblebee, trying to get away from it, and falling in the rose bushes," she chuckled, brushing loose strands of Mom's hair away from her eyes. 

                "I was quite the scaredy-cat, wasn't I?" Mom said with a smile, staring off into space. Seeing the light in her eyes, I could almost imagine the memory playing in them.

                   "You were, though I loved you all the same. I always will, no if and/or buts about it," Aunt Marie said.

                     "Language," Ray joked, and we all snickered. I sighed and leaned against Lyla, still keeping a hold of both her and Dad's hands. 

                        As our laughter quieted down, it felt like a warm blanket fell over the room. Any discomfort melted away, and outside the windows, night was falling across the city. There was a crescent moon rising in the sky, the stars glowing brightly around it. The room was filled with soft chatter, Lyla and I had switched places with Aunt Marie, so we were chatting with Mom, and Aunt Marie and Ray were on the other side of the room with Dad. Flynn, Julie, and I were showing Mom our bracelets and talking about our costumes from earlier. Rose had gone into the hallway to answer a call, and when she came back, she told us Tía Victoria and Carlos were at the house.

                          "Are you girls hungry? There's a cafeteria upstairs and a few vending machines down the hall if you want a snack or something to drink," Rose offered, and at the mention of food, my stomach growled.

                            "Yes, please!" I nodded, with Jules and Ryder agreeing.

                             "That sounds good to me, do you guys want anything?" Lyla asked, looking at Mom and Dad.

                                "A strawberry Jell-O cup sounds pretty good to me," Mom answered with a smile.

                                 "Make that two," Dad agreed.

                                  "Alright, two Jell-O cups coming right up," Lyla nodded.

                                   "I can take the girls up to the cafeteria to get some food and Jell-O cups," Rose said.

                                   "And I can go get a few drinks from the vending machines," Ray replied.

                                            "Sounds like a plan, see you soon," Dad waved.

                                               I waved back and we set off down the hall. Ray stopped at the vending machines, and we continued back the way we came to the elevator. Lyla pressed the button and we were waiting for the doors to open when I felt a soft nudge on my arm. I glanced over to my left and saw Flynn, while Julie was on my right.

                                                 "How are you doing, Kenzie?" she asked.

                                                   "Well, the bad too-many-cookies-feeling went away, and I feel better now that Caylee and Aunt Marie are here. And you guys staying with me means a lot," I replied, sniffling a little at the end. 

                                                      Flynn smiled softly and pulled me into a hug, Julie joining in right away, wrapping her arms around both of us. Even though I was still worried about Mom and Dad, I couldn't help but smile, feeling the love Jules and Flynn felt for me pouring into my heart, and my love for them hopefully doing the same right back. As we pulled out of our hug, there was a ding and the elevator doors opened. Lyla and Rose led us inside and hit the button to take us upstairs to the cafeteria. 

                                                        With another soft ding, the doors opened and we stepped into a big room, which had to be the cafeteria. There were a lot of good smells mixing together, and as I looked around, I knew it would be hard to decide what to get. I was glad that I had Rose, Caylee, Jules, and Flynn with me; they could probably help me decide what to get. Rose led us over to one of the counters and we started looking at the menu. 

    ~     ~      ~      ~      ~      ~      ~      ~

                                                            Once we had our food, and I had grabbed the Jell-O cups for Mom and Dad, we took the elevator back down to their room. When we walked inside, Aunt Marie and Ray helped us set the food down, and I walked over to Mom and Dad to give them the Jell-O cups and plastic spoons. 

                                                               "Thank you, honey," Mom said when I handed it to her. I smiled and gave her a side hug, before leaving her to enjoy the treat.

                                                                 Then, I walked over to Dad's bedside and gave him his Jell-O cup, "Here you go, one strawberry Jell-O cup, as promised!"

                                                                    "Thank you, sweetheart, I appreciate it," Dad replied, with a smile as he ruffled my hair, though his voice came out softer than normal.

                                                                       I gave a smile in return, trying to brush off my worry, and returned to the table where Aunt Marie and Ray had put our food, taking some before sitting down between Lyla and Jules. While everyone was eating, the room was filled with the sounds of small talk, Flynn and Ray making jokes, and of course, everyone laughing.

     ~     ~     ~     ~     ~     ~

        Once everyone had finished eating, Ray, Aunt Marie, and Rose started gathering up all the trash and throwing it away. 

          "Girls, let's go to the restroom and get cleaned up," Rose said, standing up from her seat and walking over to the door where she waited for us.

             After we stretched, we walked over to Rose and she led us to the restroom. Lyla finished washing her hands first, and Flynn was done a few seconds later. When I was grabbing some paper towels to dry off my hands, Flynn flicked her hands in my direction, sending leftover water drops flying at me.

               "Hey!" I yelped, though I was laughing while I dried off where the drops hit me.

                "Sorry Blue, I couldn't help it," she replied, shrugging with a smirk. I just giggled and shook my head, nudging her as I tossed the paper towels into the garbage can.

                  Rose's cell phone started ringing, and she was quick to answer it. "Marie, we were just about to head back, is everything alright?" She was silent as she listened, and I could feel the too-many-cookies-feeling coming back, curling around my stomach and heart like the vines that wrapped around the big tree in Ms. Gardener's front yard.

     I tried to focus on it; the days when Aunt Marie or Mom would take me & Lyla to her house. They would sit on her front porch talking with her and enjoying her homemade lemonade while we would run around the yard, playing with her sweet German Shepherd puppy, Trixie. But, no matter how hard I tried, it didn't go away. Lyla must have seen me start to fiddle with my necklace because she gently put her bomber jacket over my shoulders and I looked up at her with a smile. The jacket was one of the things I loved to borrow from her --it wasn't stealing, I always returned it-- and it always brought me a lot of comfort. Then, I pushed my arms through the sleeves, reached into the right pocket, and pulled out the origami butterfly. I passed it back and forth between my hands, lightly tracing my fingers over it. The motion helped calm my nerves and I closed my eyes, breathing in, holding it, and letting it go. 

                  "Yeah, we'll head over now. I'll talk to you soon, bye," Rose said, hanging up and putting her phone away. We left the restroom, but we didn't go back the way we came.

                   "Mom, aren't we going back to the others?" Jules asked, sounding just as confused as I was.

                     "No mija, your dad is going to meet us at the elevators and is going to go down to the waiting room with you girls," Rose answered, and sure enough when we turned the corner, Ray was standing next to the elevators waiting for us.

                       He whispered something to Rose and she nodded. He kissed her forehead and gave her a small smile before she walked back the same way we came. "Right this way, girls," Ray called, motioning to the elevator as its doors opened. Once we were all inside, Ray pressed the button for the first floor. When the doors opened again, Ray led us over to the waiting room and we situated ourselves in seats. I was sitting between Jules and Ryder, while Ray and Lyla were sitting across from us. Ray was focusing on his phone; I think he was texting someone. Maybe Tía? 

                        A little while later I was having trouble keeping my eyes open. I wanted to stay awake, at least until Rose came back or we got news on how Mom and Dad were doing, but my eyelids were getting heavier by the second and the mostly quiet atmosphere of the waiting room wasn't helping. Ray was reading a newspaper, Lyla and Flynn were in the restroom, and Jules had fallen asleep already, her head resting on my shoulder. 

                       I could hear a soft, slow melody playing; it reminded me of a lullaby Aunt Marie would sing to me when I was scared or upset. I couldn't figure out where the tune was coming from. I curled up a little more in my chair, Lyla's jacket acting as a blanket, and rested my head on top of Jules'.

     ~     ~     ~     ~     ~     ~         

     Lyla's POV (2011)   

      Earlier, when my cheerleading coach told me I was going home early and took me over to Aunt Marie, I didn't know what to expect. What I didn't expect was to see her in such a frazzled state; it wasn't like her. She had been calm when it took us an extra 10 minutes to get to the high school that morning, but that was then. Now, she seemed to be fighting to hold herself together, but I knew her tells. The wrinkles on her forehead that only showed when she was stressed or confused, the way her fingers fiddled with the hem of her shirt, and of course, the deep breaths she was taking every 5 seconds. On the way to the hospital, she had summed up her phone call with Ray, and my mind immediately drifted to Kenzie. She had been talking about her sleepover with Julie and Flynn for weeks, she had been so excited. And now that excitement was going to be crushed by the weight of the news.

    ~     ~     ~     ~     ~

        Now, as I was standing in the restroom at the hospital washing my hands while Flynn waited by the door, I took a few deep breaths myself, refusing to let the swirling whirlpool of thoughts and worries overwhelm me. I exhaled as I threw my paper towels away and held the door open for Flynn, and we walked back to the waiting room. The scene we were met with was a sight for sore eyes; Julie and Kenzie were fast asleep, their heads resting close together, while Ray sat across from them reading a newspaper. I returned to my seat next to him and Flynn went back over to Julie & Kenzie.

     It was then that I noticed my jacket had fallen on the floor and Kenzie was starting to shift in her sleep. Flynn picked up the jacket and gently draped it back over Kenzie's lap, then untied her flannel shirt from around her waist and rested it over the girls' shoulders for good measure. After checking over her handiwork, she settled back into her seat next to Kenzie and pulled two pieces of colored string out of her pocket, starting to weave them together.

     It was times like this when I felt so grateful that Kenzie had made such amazing friends. Julie and Kenzie basically knew each other since birth, Elysia and her family were our next-door neighbors, so Kenzie and Elysia met each other pretty quickly, and when they met Flynn in 1st grade, they welcomed her into their group with open arms. Carrie befriended them not too long after, and the rest is history.

     I was snapped out of my thoughts by Ray calling my name, "Lyla, honey, do you mind watching the girls for me?"

                 "Yeah, I can do that; is everything okay?" I asked, adjusting my hairbow.

                    "Thank you, Lyla. I don't know, Rose just texted me that the doctor wants to talk with us and your Aunt Marie about a few things. We won't be too far away, and I promise we will keep you girls in the loop," Ray answered as he stood up and ran a hand through his hair, making some of the gray streaks stand out. 

                      I nodded in response and he sent me a reassuring smile before walking out of the waiting room and down the hallway where Rose, Aunt Marie, and a woman in a white coat with a clipboard were waiting. 

     ~     ~     ~     ~     ~

      Kenzie's POV (2011) 

       "Please, Lyls, just sing it once."

         "It's past your bedtime, Maisie," she shook her head and started to reach for the lamp switch.

           "Pretty please! C'mon, I promise I'll go to sleep," I said, reaching for her hand.

             "Alright, just once," she sighed with a smile, turning back around, sitting down, and taking my hand.

                I snuggled my teddy bear as she started singing, "Let's go in the garden. You'll find something waiting. Right there where you left it lying upside down. When you finally find it, you'll see how it's faded. The underside is lighter when you turn it around. Everything stays right where you left it. Everything stays. But it still changes. Ever so slightly, daily and nightly. In little ways, when everything stays." She stood up, turned off the lamp, and whispered, "Good night, Maisie," before shutting the door behind her.

~     ~     ~     ~     ~

             "Kenzie, Kenzie wake up."

                 Yawning, I slowly opened my eyes and saw that it was Flynn who had been shaking my shoulder and calling my name. I sat up and stretched, rubbing my eyes. When I stood up and met Flynn's eyes, I was reminded of my bike accident a few months ago, and how worried she had been. "Ryder, what's wrong?"

                   In response, she gently took my hand and led me into the hallway where a group of people were. I knew most of them; Ray, Rose, Lyla, and Jules. The only person I didn't recognize was a lady wearing a white doctor's coat who had red hair in a braid down her back. As we got closer, Jules, Rose, the doctor, and Ray turned to face us.

                     "Kenzie, can you come sit down, please?" Rose asked, and I nodded following her and Ray over to a row of chairs against the wall.

                       We sat down and Ray turned to face me, "Kenzie, because of the injuries your parents got in the accident, they needed to go into surgery. Honey, your parents-"

                        Tears were running down my face; I wanted to wake up. They couldn't be, it hadn't been that long since I was talking with them, right? I mean, they were smiling and laughing, cracking jokes with us and each other. Why wasn't I waking up, this had to be a bad dream. I was wrapped in a warm embrace, arms holding me close, trying to push--no, not push, share-- the pain that was everywhere; the tears stinging my eyes, the lump making every inhale hurt, every exhale like a slamming door, and every memory in my mind screaming, "Wake up! Wake up! Please, wake up!"

                             My dad and Lyla hugged me as I blew out the candles on my 5th birthday, Mom held a camera up and smiled. Wake up. 

                               I giggled as Dad spun me around the living room while "Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds" played in the background. Wake up.

                               Mom finished tying the black bow on the back of my Alice dress on Halloween, she was the Queen of Hearts, Dad was the Mad Hatter, Lyla was the Cheshire Cat, and Calliope was Dinah. Please, I just want to wake up. 

     ~     ~     ~     ~     ~

       I woke up in the car. Aunt Marie had taken Lyla home to pick up Calliope and an overnight bag, then they went to her house. Ryder and Jules explained what happened; I had cried myself to sleep, Rose carried me back to the car and buckled me in while Ray filled out some paperwork. We were on our way back to their house now. 

         When we got home, Tía put Carlos in bed and said good night to everyone. Before she left, she gave me a gentle, warm hug, and I thought I was going to cry again. Julie and Flynn sat on the couch with me; we didn't really talk, but we didn't need to. Just being together, leaning on one another, was enough. I wasn't sure what time it was, but I knew it was late. The moon's glow was shining outside the windows and the crickets were chirping their song. 

           Rose walked into the living room after a while and guided us upstairs to get ready for bed. Then, the three of us were back in Jules' room, and Rose kissed each of us good night.

     ~     ~     ~     ~     ~

     Kenzie's POV (2020)

       "After the funeral, Aunt Marie brought me and Lyla back to the house and helped us pack up our belongings, then we moved into the Molina's house. The guest room became my bedroom and Ray let Lyla have his old home office room," I finished, letting out a deep breath as I looked down at my hands in my lap.

         When I looked back up at Alex, he met my eyes and seemed lost for words. "It's alright, you don't have to say anything. I know it's a lot to take in and process. I felt like you should know, and I wanted to share it with you. Sorry, if that doesn't make sense," I added, reaching up and touching the rings on the silver chain.

           "No, no, it makes sense; the guys and I actually used to do the same thing when something happened, good or bad, we would run off and find each other to talk about it." He took a breath before adding, "Thank you, Kenzie, for feeling comfortable enough to tell me."

            I smiled and nodded, "You're welcome; that's what family is for." I stood up from the bench and Alex followed suit, then we walked in comfortable silence back down the path towards the house. Once we reached the driveway and Calliope & Chess were at my side, I turned to face him again, "Good night, Alex."

               "Good night, Kenzie; I'll see you tomorrow," he replied with a soft smile. He waited until we made it to the front door and with a wave, he walked down to the studio for the night.

Chapter Text

 "And hey, if your wings are broken. Please take mine 'til yours can open too. 'Cause I'm gonna stand by you." -Rachel Platten (from her song "Stand By You")

Kenzie's POV

  Closing the front door behind me, I let out a breath, feeling a little lighter than when I went down to the studio earlier. Dad was still sitting at his desk working on his computer, but when he heard me come inside, he looked up and smiled, "Hey, I take it things went well?"

              "Yeah, I sorted through some things, and even though it was bittersweet, I-I feel lighter," I nodded.

                "That's amazing, mija," he replied as he stood up and walked over to me --and after I nodded-- wrapped me in a strong, warm embrace. I returned the hug and he rested his chin on my head, rubbing my back with light motions. "I'm so proud of you, Kenzie, and I know they are too."

                   I closed my eyes and imagined their faces beaming with pride, and hoped he was right. After a few minutes, I pulled away and Dad followed suit. It was one of the many things I loved about him; he never pulled away from a hug first --whether it was me, Carlos, Julie, Flynn, Mom, Tía... any of us, really-- even when he was in the middle of work or making dinner. Even before that spring day, it was part of who he was, of what made him Ray Molina.

                   When I met his eyes, I smiled, beyond grateful that he was there for me, through every hardship, every victory, every day. "Thank you, Dad," I said.

                     His eyebrows furrowed together like they did when the Google Maps directions didn't make sense, but he seemed to understand what I meant. "You don't have to thank me, Kenzie. You're family, you always have been."

                       I pulled him into another hug as my eyes started to tear up. It's funny, no matter how many times I heard it, from him, Jules, Tía, or anyone else I loved, I always got emotional. It wasn't a painful feeling, though it was strong, and the reminder that I was family, that I belonged, never hurt. I pulled away, lifted my glasses, and wiped at the stray tears at the corners of my eyes. As I settled my glasses back in place, I let out a yawn, and Dad chuckled at the sound. "Don't stay up too late, alright honey?"

                        "Alright," I nodded, and he ruffled my hair playfully.

                         "Good night, Kenzie. Sweet dreams," he said.

                           "Good night, sweet dreams," I replied, and with that I made my way upstairs, hearing Calliope and Chess following me. I stopped by Jules' room and lightly knocked on her door, which was half-open. She looked up from her notebook and smiled in my direction, "Headed to bed?"

                              "Yeah, we just came by to say good night," I grinned, gesturing to Calliope and Chess. She nodded and made her way over, her French braids lightly swinging back and forth. After hugging me, she knelt down and lightly scratched behind Chess and Calliope's ears.

                                "Good night you two, watch over Kenzie for me, alright?" Chess purred and Calliope wagged her tail in response.

                                  "Oh! Wait, Kenzie, before you go, Luke wanted me to show this to you," she explained, jumping up and grabbing a folded piece of paper off of her bed. She handed it to me and looking at it, I realized it was a song. I nodded along to the lyrics, humming the melody until Julie spoke again. "It's a Sunset Curve song they never got the chance to record, and Luke said we could perform it for Ms. Harrison tomorrow to try to earn back our spots in the music program. What do you think?"

                                   "Huh, that explains why I didn't see it on the demo. Wait, hold on, we? Julie, come on, you saw what happened the last time I tried to perform at school. Both times, actually, and they both ended horribly. Why would tomorrow be any different?"

                                     She stepped closer and took my hands in hers, in a firm but gentle grip as she said, "Kenzie, you are one of the strongest people I've ever known. You might not believe it right now, but I know you can do this, we all know that. Me and Dad, Carlos and Tía, Alex, Reggie, Luke, Flynn, Trevor, and everyone else who cares about you, who loves you knows that, and believes in you, Maisie." She gently squeezed my hands, and I echoed the gesture in response, letting her know I heard her. Understanding, she pulled me into a strong, gentle embrace that I gratefully returned as she started softly humming the chorus of "Don't Dream It's Over", one of my favorite comfort songs. She pulled back when I was ready, and I wiped away the tears that had traveled almost all the way down my face.

                                      "Hey Jules, can I see the music sheet again?" I asked, gesturing to the paper. She nodded and handed it back to me, then I read over it a few times before handing it back.

                                         "Do you think it's going to work?" she questioned.

                                          "Well, we won't know until we try," I responded, sending her a reassuring smile as I turned to leave.

                                            "We?"

                                              I looked back at her and nodded with a soft grin, "We."

   ~     ~     ~     ~     ~

                                  After stopping by Carlos's room and wishing him a good night, we finally went back to my room and I got ready for bed. I was taking off my jewelry and putting it on my dresser when I noticed a little folded piece of paper. When I looked closer, I realized it was origami, an origami butterfly. The butterfly was resting against one of my framed photos. I carefully picked it up, shaking off the déjà vu and wondering if Jules had left it for me, turning it in my hands. I could see faint writing and wondered if it was on the inside of the paper. With my curiosity sparked, I gently unfolded it, revealing a note: Hi Kenzie, I want to thank you again for forgiving me for earlier. I hope you and Julie can get back into your music program, by the way, you guys sounded amazing! You're really talented, I know you're going to go far! I'll see you tomorrow! :) From Reggie.  P.S. Julie put this in your room, I didn't want to cross any lines.

                                  I finished reading Reggie's note with a fond smile, imagining him writing the sweet words. Within a minute, I managed to fold the paper back into its butterfly shape, setting it down where I found it. I took off my glasses, turned off the light, and slipped underneath the covers, Calliope resting at the foot of my bed and Chess nestling in next to my legs. Switching off my lamp on the bedside table, I drifted off to sleep.

   ~     ~     ~     ~     ~

    Luke's POV

      When Alex came back in the studio, Reggie and I both perked up, curious about how his talk with Kenzie went. I set down my songbook and Reggie finished folding the origami butterfly he made.

       "Hey, 'Lex, how'd it go?" I asked for the two of us.

         "Hm? Oh, yeah, it was good," he nodded, a soft, bittersweet smile playing on his features. I sensed it was a little more than that, but I didn't pry. Alex seemed happy and a lot less stressed than earlier. That was all that mattered.

          "That's awesome, I'm glad to hear it, bro," I replied, smiling at his relaxed appearance. Back in the '90s, it had been pretty common to see Alex clutching his drumsticks or spinning them in circles between his fingers as if mirroring the anxiety spirals inside. It went without saying that seeing Alex in a calm and content state like this was a welcome gift.

            "Yeah, I'm with Luke on this one. I can't remember the last time you looked so happy," Reggie agreed as he stood and walked over to us, swinging his arm around 'Lex's shoulders with a grin. Then, he patted Alex on the back and started heading towards the studio doors.

            "Where are you going, Reg?" Alex asked, turning and looking at our bassist.

              Reggie stopped in his tracks and turned to face us, "I'll be right back. I just have to deliver this first." He gestured to the butterfly origami in his hand before turning and walking through the closed doors.

               Alex and I exchanged a look of fondness for our friend. It didn't take a mind-reader to know Reggie still felt guilty about the incident with the photo earlier, and we had already figured out the origami was for Kenzie.

   ~     ~     ~     ~     ~

Julie's POV

  I was sitting on my bed, humming along to "Merry-Go-Round of Life" while it played softly on my phone as I added a new doodle to my microphone. Switching the yellow gel pen out for an orange one, I saw something move out of the corner of my eye. When I looked up at my door and saw the leather-clad arm that was phasing right through the wood, I knew exactly which ghost was paying me a visit.

    "Come on in, Reggie," I said quietly enough so Dad and Carlos wouldn't hear me. As the ghost bassist stepped into the room, I capped my pen and faced him, giving him my full attention. "Hi, what's up?"

      "Hey, Julie, so...um," he started before faltering, seeming unsure of himself. One of his hands was fiddling with the chains on his jacket, while an origami butterfly rested in the other. Did he know...?

        Instead of trying to pry, I stood up and walked over to the pouf at the foot of my bed, the same one Reggie had been sitting on earlier, and pulled it over to where I was sitting. I gestured to it and smiled softly at Reggie before returning to my spot on the bed.

         Understanding my gesture, he nodded and made his way over, and sat down. "Thanks, Julie. So, I wanted to make it up to Kenzie for what happened earlier, so, I uh, I made her this," he explained, holding out the butterfly for me to see. It was beautiful, it had clearly been made with a lot of care and attention to detail.

        "That's so sweet, Reggie, I'm sure she'll love it," I replied, my smile growing when he sat up straighter, the light returning to his eyes at my reaction.

          "You really think she'll like it?" I wanted nothing more than to pull him into a hug. He made one honest, innocent mistake, and now he was second-guessing himself over his sweet apology. It was a pretty big contrast compared to the happy-go-lucky, self-confident boy from last night and earlier today too, before the picture was brought up.

            "Oh trust me, she'll think it's amazing. Did you want to give it to her tonight? I can go find her if you want," I offered, though Reggie shook his head no.

              "I was hoping you could give it to her for me. I didn't want to cross any lines, and I don't want to get in the way of her talk with Alex," he explained, before taking a sudden interest in his shoes.

               "Yeah, I can put it in her room for you," I nodded with a smile, which he returned gratefully as he looked back up at me.

                 He handed me the butterfly and I made sure to keep a gentle hold on it. "Thanks again, Julie. Good night," he said before heading out the door, most likely heading back to the studio.

                 I opened my door and walked down the hallway to Kenzie's room, easing the door open and walking in. Turning the light on, I scanned the room for a good place to leave Reggie's gift. Deciding on the dresser, I made my way over and carefully rested the butterfly against one of her framed photos, a personal favorite of mine.

                   It was a family photo taken a few years ago on Halloween; Flynn was Artemis, bow in hand, with Lyla standing back-to-back with her as Apollo; I was a rockstar with the iconic lightning bolt makeup; and Carlos was Han Solo, lightsaber at the ready. Then, there was Dad as a magician, pointing his magic wand at Trevor, who was Danny from Grease; Mom as Dr. Facilier, a sly smirk on her face with tarot cards fanned between her fingers; Aunt Marie as a fortune-teller, a crystal ball cradled in her hands; Kenzie and Elysia...

                    My train of thought was cut off as I heard Dad and Kenzie talking downstairs. I glanced at the photo and butterfly with a smile before turning off the light, gently closing the door behind me, and making my way back to my room. 

   ~     ~     ~     ~     ~

Kenzie's POV

   "Like that?"

     "Yeah, that looks really good, Kenzie!" Mom smiled, chuckling when I jumped up and down in my seat.

       "Now for the final touch!" I grinned, as I took the little bottle of glitter and sprinkled it on my gift for Lyls.

         "It looks amazing, sweetpea! She'll love it."  Aunt Marie said as she hugged me from behind, kissing me on the head.

            "We're home!" Dad called as he closed the door. He walked over to us with Lyla right behind him after she set down her cheer bag. 

              "Close your eyes, Lyls, and no peeking!" I smiled.

                 "Alright, they're closed," she nodded.

                   I stood up and took my present over to her, "Okay, now you can open your eyes!"

                      She opened her eyes and beamed, "It's beautiful, Maisie! Did you make it for me?"

                         "Uh-huh, Mommy and Aunt Marie helped too!" I replied as she gently took it. I was confused when she set it down on the dining table, but then she picked me up in a hug, spinning me around.

                            "I love it & you so much!" she told me as she carefully set me back down on the floor.

                               "I love you too, Caylee, so much," I said as I looked up at her and just smiled.

   ~     ~     ~     ~     ~

   Sunlight beamed through the windows, casting a warm glow over my room as I sat up, stretching my arms above my head and rubbing my eyes. I stood up and put my glasses on while Chess and Calliope woke up and jumped off my bed. Calliope padded over to her bed and curled up on it while Chess wove in between my legs, waving her tail back and forth in greeting. After I got ready for the day, I made my way downstairs and into the kitchen and heard Dad softly humming along to "Take On Me" while it played on the little speaker we kept on the countertop.

      "Good morning," I said, setting a glass on the counter and grabbing the apple juice from the fridge.

        "Good morning, mija," he replied with a smile as I sat down on one of the stools at the island with my cereal and apple juice.

          It wasn't long before Jules, 'Los, and my furry friends came downstairs and into the kitchen. "Good morning, Jules. Hey, 'Los," I greeted, getting two sleepy nods in response. As Julie sat down next to me, I pushed a bowl and the cereal over to her, meanwhile, Carlos was putting Pop-Tarts in the toaster.

    ~     ~     ~     ~     ~

           After everyone was more awake and had finished breakfast, I excused myself and went down to the studio. Opening the doors, I was met with a sweet scene that brought a smile to my face. Even though I had been in the studio just last night, it felt different today. A good difference, and in a way, it almost felt like the studio had come back to life. Maybe it recognized the presence of the boys and was welcoming them home. Or, maybe, it had something else to do with the boys themselves. I wasn't an expert on ghosts, but the boys' appearance on Wednesday night still didn't make much sense to me. Though, before I could get too wrapped up in my thoughts, the boys noticed my presence.

           "Kenzie, hey," Reggie said, with a little smile and wave.

             I smiled at the gesture, "Hi, guys. What have you been up to?"

              "Nothing much, Luke's been working on a new guitar riff, Reg has been asking about Calliope almost non-stop, and I've been trying to keep these two in line," Alex replied with a smile.

                "I wasn't asking non-stop, I just really like dogs, and Calliope is really sweet," Reggie retorted with a shrug, though I could tell by his fond smile that he wasn't really upset with Alex.

                 "Well, to answer your question, Calliope and I will probably come out here later today after school. Plus, if you want to see her, you're more than welcome to come inside the house and hang out; that goes for all three of you. You can go just about anywhere in the house, just don't go in a room if the door is closed. I usually keep my bedroom door open whether I'm home or not, so it's not off-limits. Just be careful where you walk if you go in, and don't look through anything," I explained, mostly directing the last part at Luke.

                   "Oh, cool, thanks," Luke smiled, stepping forward, the boys coming up on either side of him, swinging their arms over his shoulders and nodding in agreement with matching grins. 

                     "You're very welcome, Hotshot," I replied, returning the smile while Luke huffed in mock annoyance at the name. Glancing at my watch, I did a double-take. "Crap! Sorry guys, I have to go. Dad is giving Jules, Carlos, and me a ride to school. I'll see you later!" I called with a quick wave as I jogged back to the house.

                        "See ya!" Reggie called back, and I laughed a little as I walked inside the house.

     ~     ~     ~     ~     ~

       Jules and I met Flynn at our lockers and she waited while we finished getting what we needed for class. Flynn sighed and shook her head, "It's a good thing I love you." 

         "Oh, come on Ryder, that was funny," I retorted with a laugh. "See! I'm not the only one, Julie's laughing too!" I added, gesturing to our snickering friend. 

           "My statement still stands," Flynn said. "Now come on, before we're late to class," she finished, though as she turned to lead the way to our first bell, I saw her smile.

    ~     ~     ~     ~     ~

     Homeroom was mostly uneventful, as usual, though just about everyone was talking about the spirit rally scheduled for later today. Dirty Candy's bubblegum-pink posters on nearly every wall in the building served as a constant reminder, too. After 1st bell, we split ways, having different schedules.

     My art teacher, Ms. Paige, had given us a drawing assignment, and it was pretty fun so far. By the end of class, I was proud of the progress I made, even though it wasn't finished yet. The bell had rung and I was gathering my stuff when Ms. Paige called my name, "Kenzie?"

       I looked up at her and she beckoned me over, so I met her at her desk. "Yes, Ms. Paige, what is it?"

          "Well, as you might have heard, this year our school is hosting a talent show, and from what I've heard from Principal Lessa about it, I thought you might be interested in entering," she explained, and I nodded in agreement.

            "Yeah, that sounds really cool, when is it?" I asked.

              "It's still a few months away, the board members wanted to give all of the contestants a good window of time to prepare in advance. This flyer has all of the information you'll need to know for it," she answered, as she handed me a colorful flyer that read: "Los Feliz High School Presents: Night of the Arts".

                "Thank you, I'll look into it," I nodded, waving goodbye and leaving the room, tucking the flyer in my bag as I went. While I was walking past one of the award cases, I thought I saw a small, quick burst of light out of the corner of my eye, but when I glanced at the case, all I saw was the assortment of awards inside and my reflection in the glass. Turning away from it and trying not to let my emotions overwhelm me, I walked around the corner and met up with Jules at my locker. We walked toward the music room together, ready to win back our chairs in the music program. However, when we made it there, the room was almost completely deserted except for Flynn who was sitting with her legs propped up on another chair, playing a trumpet.

                  "Ryder, where is everyone?" I asked.

                     "At the spirit rally. I was blowing it off, I just wasn't feeling very spirity," she answered with a shrug. Her eyebrows furrowed in confusion at our downcast reactions and she asked, "What's wrong?"

                        "Blue and I had a plan to perform for Ms. Harrison to get our spots back in the program, but we've missed our chance, again," Jules explained, gesturing to the empty seats.

                           I could practically see the light bulb spark over Flynn's head as she stood up with a smirk, "No, you haven't," and strode over to us with a spring in her step, linking our arms and leading us down the hallway toward the gym, where cheers, singing, and a techno-pop track could be heard through the doors. 

                            I wasn't entirely sure what Flynn was planning, I just hoped it would work.

  ~     ~     ~     ~     ~

Chapter Text

"How many days do you shed the pain
of your darker days?... The greatest things you'll ever know
are invisible." -Zara Larsson (lyrics from her song, "Invisible")

 Alex's POV

   I smiled wistfully as I watched Kenzie hurry back to the house, finding myself amazed once again at her kindness. It was only the start of our second day back, and Kenzie and Julie had welcomed us into their home with open arms. Yeah, it was true that our first impressions were not the smoothest, but it still worked out, and besides, their reactions were reasonable under the circumstances. I understood Julie's irritation on that first night when we showed up in the studio and I could relate to Kenzie's confusion-filled response too, especially after our talk last night. I mean, from the moment the guys and I woke up in the dark room to our crash-landing in the studio, and even now there was a stream of questions in my head, and it only grew longer by the second. Why are we ghosts? What is up with the teleporting thing? Oh yeah, and, WHY WERE WE IN A DARK ROOM FOR 25 YEARS?!?!?  

    My anxiety was setting in and my breath -- Wait, could ghosts even breathe? Great. Another question to add to the list. -- was coming in fast bursts. I couldn't think clearly and bits of memories were flooding my mind in an overwhelming torrent; "Guys! We booked it!", "Own your awesomeness for once!", "Eat up boys, 'cause after tonight, everything changes.", ...and then, the wailing sirens filling the air.

   ~     ~     ~     ~     ~

      Then, when I thought I was going to have my first panic attack as a ghost, a different memory came to mind; I was sitting on the couch at the Patterson's, waiting for Luke to get his guitar so we could go to the studio. Mitch was at work and Emily was in the kitchen making hot chocolate and a plate of cookies.

       Absentmindedly humming something I heard Reg practicing the other day, I glanced around the room, my eyes flickering over the pictures of Luke with that trademark grin of his, the house plants that Emily carefully tended, the little side table with a few books stacked on top and a lamp for nighttime reading. My thoughts drifted and I started fiddling with the fraying seams of my jacket, then Emily came into the room with a tray of treats and cocoa. Though, it was left forgotten on the coffee table when she saw me. 

     "Alex, sweetheart, can you hear me?" I heard her words, but they sounded muffled like she was talking to me from another room with a closed door between us. I had slid off the couch and onto the floor, and I could barely see what anything around me was; it all just looked like swirls of color that were fuzzy at the edges. I was vaguely aware of the hot tears spilling down my cheeks and my shaking fingers fiddling with my rings and the rainbow rubber band bracelet that the guys made me for my birthday a few years ago.

        Emily crouched down next to me, still giving me a good amount of space, and gently asked, "Alex, can I give you a hug? Is that okay?"

          I took a minute, letting my mind register the question. I wasn't shaking as much now, the world looked a little less blurry, and being on the floor was slowly helping me ground myself. Then, I tried my best to meet her eyes and nodded, managing to say, "Y-yeah, that's okay," though my voice cracked from the tears.

            She smiled softly in response and carefully pulled me into her arms. A lot of the tension left my shoulders in waves as she held me in a sweet embrace, calmly reassuring me, "I'm here, Alex. I'm right here, honey. You can let it out. I'm right here."

              I buried my head in her shoulder, my tears staining the sleeve of her dress. After a while, I pulled away with a thankful smile, and she smiled back, her eyes filled with nothing but love, empathy, and a protective light that I had only ever seen in the eyes of Veronica Peters, my mom, and Aunt Marie.

                Emily helped me to my feet and we sat down on the couch, and it wasn't until after my third cookie and second sip of hot chocolate that I realized I had stopped shaking and I felt grounded. Soon after, Luke came back downstairs, guitar case in hand, and by then I was mostly composed. I saw the look of concern in his eyes, though he met mine in understanding. We both grabbed a few cookies for the road, Luke and I hugged Emily goodbye, and then we left, heading to the studio for band practice.

                  I was okay.

  ~     ~     ~     ~     ~

                     "-Right, Alex?" Reggie asked, playfully nudging my shoulder with a chuckle.

                          "Huh? Sorry, what are we talking about?" I asked as I shook off the memory.

                            "Reggie wants to go find Calliope and hang out in the house since Kenzie said we could," Luke explained, gesturing up the steps toward the house.

                               "Oh, yeah, let's go," I nodded with a soft grin.

                                    "Are you sure you're alright, dude?" Reggie questioned.

                                      "Yeah, I'm okay," I replied, still smiling, and I meant it. Then, we poofed away from the studio, focusing on the house.

  ~     ~     ~     ~     ~

 Flynn's POV 

   "No, you haven't," I replied with a smile, shaking my head as I linked arms with Kenzie and Jules, leading them out of the music room and down the hallway toward the gym. The muffled sounds of the spirit rally echoed from inside. Reaching the doors, I pushed them open and we walked in, standing close to the bleachers and watching the performance in front of us.

       "See 'em look, hear 'em 'ooh-ah'. Hands up, throwback, boo-yah. We're the best, no doubt. Check it out, yeah, we make 'em say, 'wow'."

         "I can't believe she's still allowed to perform today after how she acted in music class," Jules remarked, crossing her arms. I couldn't agree more; the way Carrie had acted after Blue and Jules tried to perform was uncalled for.

            "Made moves, on the rise now. Run stuff, get a piece of that pie now. We're the best, no doubt. Check it out, yeah, we make 'em say, 'wow'."

              "Yeah, well it looks like Ms. She-Demon was on her best behavior to avoid Ms. Harrison's wrath," I replied, smiling to myself remembering the look she had given Carrie before I left the room.

                   "Yeah, we're going sky-high and we're never gonna settle. Living in the fast lane, pedal to the metal. We see it, we want it. We get it, we got it. Everybody lose control."

                     "Ms. Harrison's wrath?", Jules questioned.

                       "We came to play, where ya at?  We're going hard. Just like that, yeah. We the bomb, chain react. Blow their minds and watch them. Woah, woah. Woah, woah."

                   "Oh yeah, after you two left, Ms. Harrison lectured Carrie, gave her detention, and said if she didn't fix her attitude, she wouldn't be allowed to perform at the rally today," I explained with a smirk. Serves her right.

                      "Looks like she still had plenty of time to practice," Julie noted, eyes on the 5 dancers.

                        "Go figure, when she used all of her daddy's money on costumes and Katy Perry's choreographer," I snarked.

                           "It paid off," Jules amended.

                             I shook my head in fond exasperation, that girl, no strike that, Jules and Kenzie were both too sweet and modest. Kenzie, she hadn't said a word since the music room. Glancing over at her, I realized why and cursed myself for not seeing it before.

                                 Her fingers were almost glued to her rings and bracelets, as she twisted one before fidgeting with another; her eyes fixed on the performance in the middle of the gym, though they were unfocused. Just when I was about to reach out to her, she stopped messing with her jewelry, and I sighed in relief.

                                   It was short-lived. She was clutching the rings on her necklace now, rubbing them with shaky fingers, while her other hand was hanging motionlessly at her side. Her expression was blank and closed off. Her eyes, usually a bright blue, were glassy.

                                   I couldn't watch anymore, I had to do something. "Kenzie," I said, quietly and clearly. Nothing. Julie saw what I was trying to do and nodded, silently encouraging me. Taking a deep breath, I raised my voice to its usual volume and tried again, "Mackenzie." Still nothing. Julie and I shared a look, our eyes saying the same thing; That should've worked.

                                    I racked my brain for anything else to try but came up empty. I met Julie's eyes and mouthed, "Any ideas?"

                                       She shrugged her shoulders helplessly, but then her eyes widened as she seemed to notice something. Eyebrows furrowed, I followed her eyesight, glancing over my shoulder and seeing...nothing. 

                                         Okay, I was sure I was looking where she was, but all I saw was the brick wall of the gym with a flyer for the next Los Feliz lacrosse game taped to it. I turned back to face her, about to ask if she wanted me to go get a teacher or the nurse for Kenzie, but she looked like a lightbulb had just popped up above her head.

                                          She looked me in the eye, held out her hand, palm open, and pushed her fingers outward. When I tilted my head to the side and gave her an even more confused look, she mouthed, "Sun."

                                           Sun? What was she- oh. This was either going to go okay or very bad. Well, it was better than nothing, and I was out of ideas. I exchanged one last look with Julie; we both knew this was likely going to end in tears.

                                              "Mackenzie Alexandra Marie Mercer," I voiced, trying to keep the tremble out of my voice. If this didn't get a reaction out of her, I wasn't sure what would.

  ~     ~     ~     ~     ~

Kenzie's POV

  When Flynn brought me and Julie into the gym, I tried to stay grounded and focus on our plan, for me and Julie to talk to Ms. Harrison and hopefully get our spots back, but I couldn't. Seeing Carrie and the rest of Dirty Candy performing...well, it brought some memories to the surface. I could hear J and Ryder talking next to me, but I didn't concentrate on what they were saying. My mind had decided this was the perfect time to drag me back down memory lane.

     "C'mon, Kenzie, we're almost up!"

       The feeling of Lyla's origami butterfly between my fingers.

          "Eyes on me, Maisie. It's just you and me."

               Aunt Marie's voice.

            "I let her down, I let them all down!"

               A music box shattering.

     The fragmented memories overwhelmed my senses and ripped my focus in half. I was completely oblivious to everything happening around me, even the sounds of my name being called and 3 certain ghosts appearing nearby.

        "Mackenzie Alexandra Marie Mercer."

           That was it. Those 4 words jolted me back to reality, grounding me to the scuffed hardwood gym floor and clearing my senses in one bittersweet wave. Flynn, features creased with worry, came into view in front of me, standing slightly off-center so I could re-orient myself to my surroundings, and the firmly gentle hand resting on my shoulder belonged to none other than Jules.

            "Kenzie, I'm sorry, I-we couldn't think of anything else, and-"

              I cut her off, pulling her and Jules into my arms. "Thank you, thank you both so much. I honestly don't know what I ever did to deserve you two," I rambled, slowly pulling away and smiling halfheartedly at them.

                "We'll always be here for you, Maisie," Jules replied.

                  "We swear on the River Styx," Flynn nodded, and I couldn't help but giggle. She gently nudged my shoulder, and started heading towards the bleachers, glancing back with a satisfied smile, "I'll see you two in music class!" Then, she walked up the steps and sat down in one of the middle rows, giving us two thumbs up.

                      Before Julie and I could decide what to do, the guys appeared next to us, startling Julie and making me shake my head. Don't get me wrong, I had empathy for her, especially since this was all new to her. I was just kinda used to having ghosts show up out of nowhere at this point and was a little sidetracked trying to think how in the world we were going to get our spots in the program back.

                       "Seriously, you guys need to stop doing that," Julie said, crossing her arms.

                         "She has a point, the last thing we need is for everyone to think we've lost it," I agreed. "What are you doing here, anyway?"

                            "We wanted to see you two stick it to the man! Isn't that right, boys?" Luke explained with a little hop in his step.

                                  "Man, I miss high school," Reggie commented while he watched Carrie and the others performing.

                                     Alex sighed at the bassist, "Anyway, I'm with Luke on this one. You'll do amazing."

                                      "As sweet as that is, we don't even know how we're going to get our spots back," Jules replied.

                                        "That's easy, there's a stage with microphones and a keyboard right there with your names on it!" Luke answered, gesturing to the stage at the other end of the gym.

                                           "I-I don't know," Julie debated.

                                            "You've got this," Luke encouraged, and even though his words were full of certainty, I was still worried. I couldn't shake the feeling that something was going to go wrong.

                                              "Hey, you guys go ahead, we'll catch up with you in a minute," Alex spoke up. Luke and Reggie nodded, disappearing in a flash and reappearing closer to the stage. Julie hesitated, checking with me first, and I sent her a small nod, which she returned with a soft smile before jogging over to the stage steps.

                                                Once we were alone, Alex turned to face me. "It's okay to be nervous, Kenzie."

                                                 "That obvious, huh?" I muttered, briefly glancing at him before shoving my hands in my pockets, turning my gaze to my worn Vans.

                                                     "It's nothing to be ashamed of; if anything, it's really brave," he remarked.

                                                        I tilted my head and looked back up at him, readjusting my guitar case strap in the process. "How is being nervous brave?"

                                                          "It's brave because you're showing your true emotions, and that is not always an easy task. It takes courage, trust, patience, and just allowing yourself to be vulnerable with the people around you. And, I'm honored that you feel comfortable enough around me to be emotional, to show your truth."

                                                            Wow, I-that, yeah. "I really wish I could hug you right now," I said as I met his eyes, not wanting to wipe away the teardrops on my cheeks; they were mostly happy ones.

                                                              He chuckled half-heartedly in response, and sensing my confusion, he explained, "Sorry, it's just funny, I was thinking the same thing."

                                                               Well, there go my heartstrings. It's fine, I didn't need those anyway, yep. Once we had both composed ourselves, we walked back toward the stage. Alex went to stand with Reg and Luke on the sidelines and I walked up the stairs to the stage where Jules was waiting for me. "Hey, I got the mics set up. Are you ready?" she asked as I set down my guitar case, got my guitar, and rested its strap across my shoulder.

                                                                  "As ready as I'll ever be," I nodded, following her onstage. She sat down at the keyboard while I plugged my guitar into an amp nearby. She played a few notes, then stopped, and I glanced over at her.

                                                                     Our attention was brought to the boys when Luke spoke up, "You got this!" Reggie nodded in agreement and Alex smiled in my direction.

                                                                      Julie started playing the opening notes of "Bright" again, and I took one more second to pull myself together. C'mon, Kenzie, you can do this. You aren't alone, it won't be like last time. It won't be like last time. The song's intro was coming to a close, my second was over.

                                                                       Pick in hand, I looked over at Julie one more time, and she nodded at me with a smile; she wanted me to start.

                                                                        "Sometimes I feel like I'm falling down. I wanna cry, I'm calling out. For one more try to feel alive," I sang as I strummed the chords, noticing the stage lights gradually coming on, shining down on us in blue and violet hues.

                                                                           Then Julie joined in with me, "And when I feel lost and alone, I know that I can make it home. Fight through the dark and find the spark. Life is a risk, but I will take it. Close my eyes and jump. Together, I think that we can make it. Come on, let's run"

                                                                            "And rise through the night, you and I. We will fight to shine together, bright forever. And rise through the night, you and I. We will fight to shine together, bright forever." As soon as Jules & I had started singing the chorus, the boys had appeared on stage with us, instruments and all.

                                                                             Reggie was on my right, playing his bass, singing along, and grinning at me when I met his eyes; Julie had left the keyboard with her mic, making her way to Luke; Alex was on my left, behind his drum kit, jamming away; Luke was on the other side of the stage, singing and playing his heart out. A crowd had formed a few feet away from the stage, and there seemed to be a mix of shock and awe in their eyes. Wait a minute, could they see the boys?! 

                                                                               I heard someone near the front mutter, "Where did they come from?" That was all the confirmation I needed. Somehow, the boys were visible to everyone. 

                                                                               I couldn't believe this was happening. I was playing music again. I was singing again. With Julie. With Luke, Alex, and Reggie. The three boys whom I thought I would never get to meet, and whom I had been told on multiple occasions by just about everyone I knew that I would've been best friends with if I had been around back then.

                                                                                 When I snapped back to reality, I realized I must've been on auto-pilot, and as I fell back into a natural rhythm, Reggie came over to me, still playing, and nodded to his mic stand. Smiling, I left my mic and joined him, strumming away as we shared the mic.

                                                                                   "In times that I doubted myself, I felt like I needed some help. Stuck in my head with nothing left. And when I feel lost and alone, I know that I can make it home. Fight through the dark and find the spark. And rise (rise) through the night (through the night). You and I (you and I). We will fight to shine together (shine together). Bright forever (bright forever). And rise (rise) through the night (through the night). You and I (you and I). We will fight to shine together (we will shine together (shine together). Bright forever." Jules and I held out the last note, and then the audience burst into applause.

                                                                                    With smiles and a few giggles, we took it in, with Julie and the boys bowing, while I curtsied as gracefully as possible with my guitar resting against my back. As we rose, there was a wave of mutters and gasps. Quickly glancing at each other, and then looking behind us, we realized why. The boys and their instruments had disappeared without a trace.

Chapter Text

"As much as it seems like you own my heart. It's astronomy, we're two worlds apart." -Conan Gray (from his song, "Astronomy")

Reggie's POV

Okay, so when I told Luke and Alex that I wanted to go in the house, find Calliope, and hang out, that might've not been the full truth. Yes, I did want to see Calliope, and Chess, for that matter, though it wasn't the only reason I had for wanting to explore the house.

   Kenzie said we could go in her room, and I mean, I was curious. We saw Julie's room already, and I was curious about what Kenzie's was like. And, on top of that, I wanted to see if she had noticed my present. Did she open it? Did she read it?... Did she like it?

   Anyway, we poofed into the living room, and sure enough, there was Calliope curled up on the couch, happily chewing on a rope toy, and Chess was milling around the room, her tail flicking around in lazy circles. When Calliope saw us, she dropped her toy and jumped off the couch, trotting right over, and barking excitedly. I knelt down and grinned at the energetic goldie, gliding my fingers through her fur like the other night. "Hi, Calliope! Who's a good girl? Who's a good girl? You are, yes you are!"

   Laughing, I stood back up, and she padded over to the staircase, looked up it, turned back and barked at us, then ran up it and out of sight. I turned to the boys, slightly confused. Alex looked puzzled too, though Luke just looked excited. "I think she wants us to follow her," he explained, bouncing a little in place.

   "Yeah, well, I think we all figured that out, Sherlock. I'm more concerned about which room Calliope went to. What if she went for one of the closed rooms Kenzie mentioned?" Alex retorted.

   "Well, we won't know unless we follow her!" I nodded, before dashing up the stairs, respectfully ignoring the protests from 'Lex and Luke. When I reached the 2nd-floor landing, I looked down the hallway and saw Calliope sitting outside an open doorway, panting with her tail wagging. Hearing footsteps, I turned around and saw Luke and Alex behind me.

   Calliope got our attention again with a bark, and seeing our eyes on her, she walked into the room and curled up on a patchwork cushion. Before we followed, I already knew whose room it was.

     Kenzie's.

       Walking in, we all drifted to different things; Luke walked over to the towering bookcases, filled with everything from books & knick-knacks to notebooks & jars of paintbrushes; Alex was looking at the vanity mirror, which had photos tucked along the edges; and I wandered over to the dresser, where a few jewelry stands and a small wooden box were, along with a framed photo, with the butterfly origami leaning against it.

   I sighed, not being able to tell if Kenzie had even opened my butterfly note, and shifted my attention to the picture behind it. If I had to guess, it was taken around Halloween, and not too long ago either. There were a few faces I immediately recognized; Kenzie, Julie, Kenzie and Julie's friend, (I think her name is Flynn), Julie's (and Kenzie's?) dad, and the little dude from the studio, who is probably Julie's brother. Though he said, "sisters", so maybe also Kenzie's brother? I'm not sure, though. Luke and I were both hesitant to ask Alex for details about his conversation with Kenzie. I didn't recognize anyone else in the photo, though the lady in the top hat with the cards and the guy with the slicked-back hair gave me a weird sense of déjà vu.

   "Alex, hey, are you alright?"

   I spun around at Luke's question and poofed over --the photograph and butterfly were forgotten-- gently resting my hands on 'Lex's shoulders, "What's wrong? What-" I cut myself off when I realized what they were looking at. Tucked in the bottom-left corner of the mirror was a photo of Kenzie, Marie, and another girl... the same girl I had pointed out in a picture in Julie's room, that had resulted in a silence more painful than twenty-five years spent in a dark room.

 She looked older in this photo, though it was clearly still her. But, that couldn't have been the cause of Alex's reaction to this picture. It was a happy scene, the three girls decked out in lavender, red, and silver flapper outfits, respectively. They were posing with each other, smiles and laughter clear on their features.

   My eyebrows furrowing, I looked at it again; there was a much younger Kenzie, Alex & Kenzie's sister, and their Aunt Marie. Oh, that was it; Aunt Marie. Back in the '90s, she didn't have a single streak of gray in her hair and only a few noticeable wrinkles. In the photo, she had more than a few wrinkles, several gray strands of hair, and her laugh lines were as clear as day. She looked like a different person than the woman we all knew and loved when we were alive.

  ~     ~     ~     ~     ~

   Alex's POV

    As relieved as I was that Calliope led us to Kenzie's bedroom instead of one of the closed doors, I still hesitated before walking in. Watching Luke and Reggie look around, I tried to remind myself that Kenzie said we could go in and that the door was open, but it still felt wrong.

     Yeah, she's my sister, we're family, but our circumstances are anything but ordinary. Instead of me knowing her like the back of my hand, we were just now getting to know each other. Separated by time, history, life, and death, we were almost strangers. She only grew up with stories of me and the guys, and I had only known about her for around a day or so.

       So, walking into her room, her personalized space, felt like a huge overstepping of her boundaries. I was weighing the pros and cons of going back to the studio and waiting for Luke and Reggie when I felt a strange tingling feeling. It was different than the sensation I got when I would teleport, which felt like pins and needles all over my body. Yeah, not the most comforting feeling in the world. 

        This felt more like a gentle yet firm push from a friend, but Luke and Reggie were already in Kenzie's room, and no one else was home. Besides, as far as we knew, no living person could touch us. Julie and Kenzie both made that clear, pushing a cross through my chest and wishing to be able to hug me, respectively.

          I felt the determined, gentle push again, and stepped over the threshold. The feeling, presence, or whatever it was disappeared after that, and I smiled like a suffocating weight had been lifted off my shoulders, though I wasn't entirely sure why. Instead of dwelling too much on it, I started exploring my surroundings. There was a desk and chair to my right, with a pillow next to it where Calliope was lying; to my left was a large closet with a few tall bookcases next to it, which Luke was currently looking at. On the opposite side, there was a bed, with Chess lying near the headboard, a dresser, where Reggie stood looking at his gift for Kenzie and a framed photograph. Lastly, there was a vanity table with photos and other little mementos tucked along the edges of its mirror.

         I was drawn to it, and once I was close enough to see it all in better detail, I wished I hadn't been. There were concert & movie ticket stubs, little post-it notes with doodles and other bits of writing on them, and a handful of old photos. 

          I chuckled at the candids of Chess and Calliope playing, the polaroid of a younger pouting Kenzie holding an ice cream cone without the ice cream, and a photo taken of Kenzie and Lyla on a swingset; Lyla was sitting on a swing, a smile on her face as she watched Kenzie swing high in the air, mid-laugh, but there was a strange glare behind Kenzie's swing, like a burst of light. I ended up brushing it off as bad timing and a trick of the light. After all, the light was close enough to the swings that it could've just been reflecting off of the metal.

            Moving on, I glanced at the other scattered photos before zeroing in on another one. Compared to the others, this one seemed more well-worn and had dots scattered across it, but they weren't dots of light, they were stains.

              Why did Kenzie have a stained photo on display? Eyebrows furrowed, I examined the photograph closer, noticing a little caption written at the bottom: "City of Angels". Okay, so that didn't help. The photo itself was sweet; three girls dressed as flappers, looking like they had just jumped out of the Roaring '20s, posing dramatically with bright grins to match. The girl on the left had to be Kenzie, blonde hair swept into an elegant updo, lavender dress and silver hairpiece shining. The other girl in the middle with her arm draped over Kenzie's shoulder was most likely Lyla, who was wearing a dress similar to her sister's, except in red with a gold hairpiece, and her blonde hair was down in waves, only reaching a little past her shoulders.

               But, what I couldn't figure out was who the last girl was; the one in silver. She was much older than Kenzie and Lyla, but it couldn't have been Mom. A shiver ran through me as I felt a wave of déjà vu hit my mind. That knowing smile, those kind eyes that twinkled with warmth, a hint of mischief, and emanated joy, with a wistful undertone only visible to those who looked close enough, who knew her.

                Aunt Marie. Aunt Marie, who sang me lullabies when I couldn't sleep, told bedtime stories with different voices, acting out scenes for me. Aunt Marie, who snuck me a cookie at dinner when Mom and Dad weren't looking, listened to my rants about school and stories about the band, and bandaged my hands when I played my drums for too long.

                 Aunt Marie, who I didn't recognize right away, despite having known her my whole life. My whole life, I thought bitterly to myself. Only seventeen years. My life, that was cut short by tainted food, after which my best friends and I were forced to spend twenty-five years, a quarter of a century in a dark room with nothing and no one except each other.

                  I missed so much, and time kept going, on, and on, and on. I wasn't there when Lyla and Kenzie were born, I didn't get to be a part of their childhoods, at least, not really. Only as a starring character in the stories Aunt Marie told them, right alongside the selfless princesses, honorable princes, mischievous fairies, and other fantasies.

                    They had to grow up without their big brother, without someone to go to about love troubles, getting stuck on homework, needing help finding something, or even just for a hug. They didn't get to run up to me proudly holding a trophy, a flower crown, or a new piece of art to be hung on the fridge. Was the universe really that unfair?

                     "Alex, hey, are you alright?"

                        Breaking out of my reverie, I realized I was crying, and a second later felt a hand gently rest on my shoulder. Looking away from the mirror of memories, I saw Luke standing to my left, a mixture of shock and worry fighting for dominance on his features, which meant the hand on my shoulder was Reggie's.

                         Taking a breath, I wiped my tears away, and patted Reggie's hand in thanks before he lowered it back to his side. Facing my friends, not daring to turn back to the mirror, knowing it would unleash another wave of tears, I nodded, "Yeah, yeah, I'll be alright. Let's go see how Julie and Kenzie are doing, Luke, you said they're performing 'Bright', right?"

                          I could see that they both wanted to talk more about what happened, but they decided not to, and I was grateful. "Yeah, that's right. You guys ready to go?" Luke asked.

                            Reg and I nodded, and with that, we poofed out of Kenzie's room.

 ~     ~     ~     ~     ~

   Third POV

   After the trio departed, heading to the high school, the youngest Mercer's room was left alone, more or less. A cool gust of wind swept through the room, rustling the posters and art on the walls, brushing through Chess and Calliope's fur, gliding across the mirror, successfully igniting the lights around it, and knocking loose a photo before disappearing.

    The loose photo drifted to the floor, the memory captured within facing away from prying eyes.

       To be continued...

 ~     ~     ~     ~     ~

Chapter Text

"How unfair it's just our luck. Found something real that's out of touch." -Birdy (from her song, "Not About Angels")

Alex's POV

We arrived in the gym of our old high school to the sounds of singing, cheering, and a techno track blasting through the speakers. When I didn't immediately see Kenzie, I was worried we were at the wrong place, but something told me Kenzie was there. I still wasn't sure how it worked, us poofing where we wanted to. In this case, I guessed it had something to do with my connection to Kenzie.

  Reggie tapped me on the shoulder and when I met his eyes, he nodded to something behind me. Turning, I saw Julie, Kenzie, and the other girl from the studio standing a good ways away, talking. Well, it looked like Julie and the other girl were the only ones talking. Kenzie wasn't facing either of them, instead focused on the five girls performing in the middle of the gym. 

    I wasn't entirely sure why, but I had a bad feeling, and it was only growing. Maybe, it was because of the way Kenzie was watching the performance. Maybe, it was because even from this distance, I could see her eyes shining, and it wasn't just because of the bright stage lights. Or, maybe, it was because she was standing there, motionless, and that wasn't like her. In the few days I'd known her, I had never seen her so still.

       I poofed, almost all traces of logic long gone, and appeared several feet closer to the trio, not bothering to tell the boys first. Nothing mattered except her. Not the tears welling in my eyes, not the tell-tale sound of Luke and Reggie immediately flashing to my side. Not my hands clenching into fists, wanting nothing more than to tackle her in a hug, to hold her close. A privilege the universe had taken away from me. But it didn't matter.

        As long as she was okay; as long as her friends looked after her, everything would be okay. Fortunately, they seemed to realize something was off too, as their attention went to her. The girl in the overalls said something but got no response aside from Kenzie's fingers reaching up to toy with the rings on her necklace.

          I had to fight every single brotherly instinct in me not to interfere. If Kenzie was going through what I thought she was, then me, Luke, or Reg stepping in to help her would likely go over horribly.

            Seeming to understand my struggle, said boys each took one of my hands, reminding me I wasn't alone. It was true, I wasn't alone. They cared about Kenzie too, even though they didn't have the connection to her that I did, so I squeezed their hands in reassurance.

             Then, Julie's eyes landed on us, widening as if a lightbulb had appeared over her head, and in almost any other circumstance, I would've laughed. Though that idea vanished a second later when the other girl spoke again, her words shocking me to my core, "Mackenzie Alexandra Marie Mercer."

               I didn't get to process it. Not when my relief at Kenzie's return to herself outweighed everything else. Once the other girl went to sit on the bleachers, I quickly composed myself before the boys and I went over to the girls. I needed to know for sure that Kenzie was actually okay, or at least as okay as she could be after her panic attack.

                 With a nod of my head, we poofed over to Julie and Kenzie to see how they were doing, and I felt bad for Julie when she jumped as we appeared. We all talked for a bit, and Luke being Luke gave one of his infamous pep talks.

                    Kenzie and I even had a little heart-to-heart, which unleashed the tears I had been trying to hold back, though I pulled myself together as I watched her meet up with Julie on the stage.

                     "You've got this," I muttered, knowing that she couldn't hear me, but hoping that the universe or whoever brought us back could.

                         It was clear to me that they were nervous; Kenzie's shaky hands putting her guitar strap over her shoulders and Julie nodding to herself were both dead --no pun intended -- giveaways. I couldn't help but chuckle a little to myself when Luke voiced my previous sentence, "You got this!" Reggie nodded along, to no one's surprise, and I smiled in Kenzie's direction, wanting to give her as much confidence as possible.

                           Julie started playing the familiar notes of "Bright", and the three of us were immediately entranced, not missing the little gesture Julie made to Kenzie.

                              "Sometimes I feel like I'm falling down. I wanna cry, I'm calling out. For one more try to feel alive."

                                  I was blown away. Yeah, I'd already heard a little bit of her singing in the studio with Julie yesterday, but this, this was different. The emotion behind the words wasn't the same; her voice was telling a different story, and it was beautiful.

                                     "Wow," Reggie breathed, and glancing over at him, I saw the wonder in his eyes as he stared at the stage, as if under a spell.

                                        I was pretty sure I knew what, or rather who elicited the reaction, but I could question him more about it later, I decided as I turned my attention back to the stage, not wanting to miss a minute of the girls' performance.

                                          They were almost to the chorus when I felt a tugging feeling in my stomach, with a gentle yet strong pushing sensation at my back. Not understanding what was happening, I glanced at Luke and Reg to see if they felt it too, only to find their eyes already on me, looking just as confused. So it's not just me then.

                                           I turned back to the stage, but nothing seemed amiss. Then, I realized we were standing closer to the stage than before.

                                                  "It's-", I was cut off mid-sentence when the tugging-pushing combo reached a fever pitch, and with the crescendo of Julie and Kenzie's intertwining voices, we were gone.

   ~     ~     ~     ~     ~

     Reggie's POV

      "Wow," I muttered. She was amazing. I-I mean, they were both amazing, Julie and Kenzie, I mean. There was something about the way Kenzie performed, but it wasn't just one thing. Her voice, her smile, just her presence in general. Like she was born to perform. Wow, Reg, Luke doesn't even have to say it for you to know that's cheesy. 

        But, it couldn't have been more true. Watching her and Julie up there, playing "Bright" with everything they had, it was like watching two rockstars in their element. I didn't know why, but I felt this weird feeling building inside, though it was coming from behind me too. What is going on?!

          Trying not to panic, I turned to 'Lex and Luke, and they were clearly feeling whatever it was too. It looked like a lightbulb lit up over Alex's head, but before he could get a full sentence out, we disappeared.

            I was shocked, to say the least, when we reappeared on the stage. I found myself standing, ruby-red bass in hand, a few feet away from Kenzie, and as I got my bearings, I noticed a mic stand in front of me too. Alex was somehow behind his drum kit on its platform, sticks in hand, drumming away and effortlessly keeping the rhythm of the music. Luke was on the other side of the stage with the same set-up as me. Okay, I guess we're just going with this then.

              It was nostalgic, playing on-stage again, jamming out with the boys, now with the additions of Kenzie and Julie. I smiled, jumping around, enjoying every moment, not to mention singing with Kenzie. Yeah, the boys and I were ghosts, but I had never felt more alive.

                By the time the song was over and we took our bows, the boys and I once again became invisible to the girls' classmates, but I was too caught up in the adrenaline from playing to find it in me to care.

                    I was curious if anyone else could maybe see us, so I ran up the stage steps and did a little dance, which only warranted a chuckle from Luke and Alex muttering, "I wish I couldn't see you." It didn't phase me, though; I'd known him long enough to see it was just him being sarcastic, not hurtful.

  ~     ~     ~     ~     ~

   Kenzie's POV

     After the boys disappeared, all eyes were on us, and I knew it was only a matter of minutes before we were going to be drowning in questions. As if on cue, Danny, one of the backstage crew members from the theater department, came out from the wings asking, "Hey, where did the rest of the band go?" Strike that, a matter of seconds.

        With barely a glance at her, I knew Julie was too overwhelmed to come up with anything. Fortunately for both of us, the ceiling projector caught my eye and I smiled, figuring it was as good an answer as anything.

            "They're holograms," I replied, hoping I sounded as confident as I looked. Pointing to the ceiling projector, I continued, "We connected the program to the projector before the rally. I'd explain how I made it, but it involves a lot of algorithms and boring scientific details."

               Our classmates seemed to buy my explanation, and Mrs. Harrison looked impressed. Jules and I took in the applause, wrapping our arms over each other's shoulders in a side hug, proud of what we did. 

                 Principal Lessa dismissed everyone, and I put my guitar back in its case, settling it over my shoulders before meeting Julie at the edge of the stage, sitting next to her as Mrs. Harrison and Principal Lessa came over to us. Oh crap, we were in trouble. Right? I mean, we did play at the rally unannounced.

                   Jules squeezing my hand reassuringly snapped me out of my thoughts just in time as Mrs. Harrison started talking, "Girls, as amazing as that was, I'm afraid your spots have already been filled," gesturing to two kids coming down the stage stairs; a younger boy lugging a cello case that had to be at least three sizes too big, that hit each step with a wince-worthy slam, and a girl carrying a clarinet. Both kids didn't exactly look ecstatic to be there. "I'm sorry, but my hands are tied," she finished, looking between us, sympathy clear in her voice.

                     "Mine aren't," Principal Lessa spoke up as she moved forward. "As much as I didn't approve of that stunt you two pulled, I'm not going to let Julie Molina and Mackenzie Mercer get kicked out of the music program," she explained with a smile.

                        Julie and I shared a grin, our shock and excitement at her words shining through. We actually did it!

                           "But," she added, "When you girls get Grammies someday, I want to be thanked."

                              Laughing in response, we nodded, "Absolutely," Julie answered.

                                 "You got it," I saluted with a grin, still trying to process the fact we were back in the program.

                                    Satisfied with our answers, Principal Lessa left the gym, and Mrs. Harrison brought us both into a hug. "Congratulations, welcome back!" she smiled before making her exit too.

                                       Julie hopped down from the stage and held my hand to steady me so I wouldn't get hurt or damage my guitar when I followed. We made our way over to Flynn, smiling in greeting. "Guess who got their spots back in the program?!" she exclaimed, though judging by the half-hearted smile on Flynn's face, she wasn't jumping for joy like we were.

                                         "Yeah, I saw," she nodded, gesturing to the stage, and I had a brief moment of panic. Did she recognize the boys?! However, it soon became crystal clear that the magic appearance of my brother and his best friends hadn't grabbed her attention. "Why have you two been keeping those cute boys a secret?"

                                            Well, that was going to be an interesting conversation.

Chapter Text

"Inside, I'm my worst enemy. Outside, I'm fine, honestly. Next time, won't lie, 'cause now, I see." -Phantogram (lyrics from their song, "Me & Me")

Julie's POV

 "Why have you two been keeping those cute boys a secret? Where did they come from, anyway?"

    Kenzie and I exchanged a look, not sure how to answer. I think it's safe to say we were both relieved that Flynn hadn't realized that a certain blonde drummer was Kenzie's brother. That would have brought up more questions than either of us had answers to, which in itself had me worried. Kenzie seems to have a fair bit of knowledge about ghosts, so if this whole situation has her stumped, then how are we supposed to handle it? What if the guys just disappear one day? The very thought of it made me want to hide under my bed. If Kenzie lost Alex, Luke, and Reggie again, now that she's starting to get to know them, it would make her panic attack today look minor.

      I had seen how she looked on stage, so happy as she sang her heart out, full of energy as she played some riffs with Luke and Reggie, alive as she danced around to the beat of Alex's drums, held down by nothing except for her guitar, Lee, and gravity. Not that they hindered her, not when she was in an element she knew so well. Lee might as well have been an extension of her, as much a part of her as her eyes, smile, voice, and name, tied to her in ways more complicated than its own body of wood, plastic, and metal strings.

~     ~     ~     ~     ~

Third POV

   And gravity, well, it served as an anchor, keeping her grounded on Earth, only preventing the inevitable. One day, Mackenzie Mercer would touch the stars. The stars that ignited the night she was born. The stars that called out to her for years, before their song faded away, out of sight of the shadows that accompanied the youngest Mercer, overstaying their welcome. The stars twinkled that day, while the sun was sharing its golden grin, its shafts of light beaming through the gym windows, knowing it wouldn't be long now.

~     ~     ~     ~     ~

Kenzie's POV

  Why? Why did this have to happen at school?

     Don't get me wrong, I was beyond proud that Jules and I earned back our chairs in the program and relieved that everyone believed my "holograms" story. What I wasn't excited about, though, was having to explain the whole ghost situation and everything that came with it to Ryder, Jules, and the boys too, at some point.

       I didn't know what Julie wanted to tell Flynn, especially since she was so new to all of this, and I didn't know if the guys would want their ghostly existence outed by two girls they barely knew to another girl who they didn't know at all. What should I do, Lyls?

        A pang shot through my heart without mercy. Silence. One of the loudest answers possible.

            "The boys, um, they weren't ready yesterday, and I wasn't sure the tech would work out," I started, looking to Julie for help.

                "Yeah, they're a hologram band, and they're from Sweden. They filmed themselves playing there, we streamed it here, and Kenzie put it together with our parts of the song," Julie finished, gesturing to me with jazz hands like I was a superstar. I didn't feel super. Honestly, I felt like there was a pit in my stomach, threatening to take everything away from me again.

                  Not the most far-fetched explanation, but Ryder won't buy it. Though she wouldn't believe us if we told her the truth, either. Sure enough, the look on Flynn's face confirmed what I already knew.

                    Arms crossed, her eyes were filled with nothing but disappointment. "Wow, so three strangers got you guys back into music? Three strangers that I haven't heard anything about until now? Do you really expect me to believe that you made hologram tech in a few days and got it set up with the projector today?" she questioned, throwing the last one in my direction. 

                      "We're sorry, Flynn," Jules started, stepping forward, her shoulders falling.

                          I couldn't talk, a lump had formed in my throat, locking any response I had inside.

                            "Really, that's all you got?" Flynn retorted, sighing and walking out.

                              "Flynn, Flynn wait!" Julie called, but she was already gone.

                                 We tried to catch up to her in the hallways, but there were too many people. The kid with the cello was our main obstacle, followed by our classmates congratulating us. Then, Nick and Carrie showed up.

                                     "It's true, you did it," Nick remarked with a grin as he looked between us. "You were incredible."

                                        "Thanks, Kenzie deserves more credit, though. She designed the hologram tech," she replied, gently nudging my shoulder.

                                           I smiled softly at him, though before I could say anything, Carrie spoke up, "It was better than when you two ran out, or your little fainting spell. Finally got over your stage fright, Lexie?" If it wasn't for the Cheshire Cat-worthy smirk playing on her lips, it might've sounded sincere, but I knew better. Lexie, a nickname I hadn't heard in years, once sweet, now as painful as salt on a fresh wound.

                                             I didn't miss the shock in Nick's eyes at Carrie's jab, or the way Julie stepped closer to me, or the way Carrie's smirk widened at my lack of a response, satisfied with my silence.

                                               Sighing, as if the encounter was a show she'd gotten bored with, she gestured to Nick as she turned around, "Come on, Nick. We don't want to be late to Chemistry."

                                                 I could tell he was about to protest, but I also knew it would only make things worse, despite his best intentions. Incurring Carrie's wrath wasn't good for anyone, especially not right now, in the semi-crowded hallway; the perfect audience.

                                                  His eyes met mine, and I shook my head, mouthing, "I'll be alright."

                                                    With a frown, he curled his right hand into a fist and moved it in a circle over his chest. It took me a second, but then it clicked; he was saying "I'm sorry" in sign language. I shook my head again, a small smile on my face as I gestured for him to go catch up with Carrie. Nodding, with a little smile of his own, he turned and walked to the end of the hallway where Carrie was waiting, and they disappeared around the corner.

                                                       "Hey," Julie started, turning my attention to her. "Everything is going to work out."

                                                          I nodded, trying to believe her words, "I hope you're right, Jules."

                                                            We continued down the hallway, and turning the corner, came across an interesting sight, to say the least. Luke, Reggie, and Alex had formed their version of a cheerleader pyramid. Reg was on the left, 'Lex was on the right, and Luke was in the middle, balancing on the others' legs, which were acting as steps for him to stand on.

                                                              With ridiculously big smiles, they shouted, "Julie! Kenzie!" in greeting, causing Julie to jump and scowl at them, despite the smile that was trying to break through, meanwhile I shook my head, laughing at their antics as I carefully leaned my guitar case against the lockers and set my bookbag next to it.

                                                               "Seriously, you've got to stop doing that," she said, crossing her arms, and I rubbed her shoulder comfortingly. I knew how rough it was for her, trying to come to terms with all of this, and she was taking it all in stride; I admired her for it.

                                                                 Luke jumped down from his pyramid stance and Reggie stepped forward, "Hey, this one's on you. We were in there and now we're over here," he replied with his trademark grin, gesturing in the direction of the gym and then back to where we were. Julie sighed and I chuckled in amusement. I had to give it to him, Reggie knew how to lighten the mood.

                                                                  "Yeah, I mean that was amazing! They were loving you two!" Luke beamed, gesturing to us as his eyes sparkled with pride and the leftover adrenaline from performing.

                                                                    "Are you kidding? They loved us!" Julie corrected, pulling me closer. "That was an amazing song, thanks Luke," she smiled, getting a smile and a nod in return. Wow, she made Hotshot speechless, now that's talent.

                                                                      Alex was rubbing the strings of his hoodie between his fingers. I could practically hear the gears turning in his mind, working overtime to figure out what happened in the gym. Not that I could blame him, I was pretty confused about the whole thing too. Just another thing we had in common. "How are you holding up, 'Lex?" I questioned, only registering the name that'd slipped out a second later.

                                                                        Alex's eyes shot up and met mine, wide as vinyl records, and I mentally cursed myself. Good job, Kenzie, you've done it again. "I-I'm sorry, it just kind of slipped out, I mean, if you don't like it, I can think of another one, or-" I stuttered out before feeling Julie's hand grab mine, squeezing it gently. The rest of my words died in my throat and I shook my head, looking down at my shoes, my cheeks turning the tell-tale color of embarrassment. I closed my eyes, hoping to wake up at home. This day couldn't get any worse.                                          

                                                                          I heard footsteps but didn't look up or open my eyes, not wanting to see the looks of pity the boys likely had. Then, arms wrapped around me and I leaned into them, wrapping my arms around my best friend's waist, and a head rested on top of mine. Wait a minute...Jules isn't tall enough to do that, and my fingers weren't clutched in the back of her denim jumpsuit. No, this material was softer. What is going on?

                                                                            Finally, I opened my eyes, only seeing pink. Pink? Alex. Alex's hoodie. As that realization clicked, I held on tighter, too scared to let go, to risk losing him again, for this moment to end. Please, don't wake up, please. 

                                                                              In response, Alex rubbed soothing circles on my back, smoothing my hair, which was probably a mess, despite the ponytail it was in, and planted a gentle kiss on my head before finally whispering, "I love it, and I love you, Kenzie."

                                                                                That was my breaking point, and the tears rushed out like water out of a dam. "I love you too, 'Lex. I always have, and that will never change," I managed, before sobbing. This was real. I finally got to hug my brother. The universe had granted our wish.

                                                                                  Eventually, I reluctantly let my arms drop from around him, and he stepped back too. We smiled at each other, despite the surprise of the situation. The sweetness of it lingered, outweighing our unspoken questions. It was then that I noticed the others' reactions.

                                                                                    Julie's eyes were glossy and the tracks her tears had left behind were still visible on her face. Reggie gave me a soft smile when I looked his way, his eyes rimmed with tears, and Luke was wiping at his eyes, chuckling half-heartedly.

                                                                                      Smiling at them all, I slipped the strap of my guitar case back over my shoulders while Julie grabbed my bag. Linking arms with her, I spoke up, "See you guys at home?"

                                                                                        "Yeah," Alex nodded, having composed himself, and the others smiled in our direction.

                                                                                           With a wave, we headed for our next class, hearing the sound of the boys poofing away. Just one more class, and then we could hopefully find Flynn and fix things with her.

~     ~     ~     ~     ~

Alex's POV

  After we said goodbye to the girls, we poofed back to the studio. It was clear that Luke was still riding the adrenaline high from the rally, settling down on "his" couch, songbook and pencil in hand as he started scribbling down lyrics. Reg had gone up to the loft to grab something, and when he came back down the ladder, I recognized the sticker-studded back of his notebook. He took a seat next to Luke and flipped open to a blank page, starting to write something.

   Unlike them, I just couldn't relax. How could I when I now had even more questions to think about, and no clear answers in sight?! I mean, how did we end up on stage earlier? None of us planned it, it just happened. And the hug? How was that even possible? I saw Kenzie in that state, and I couldn't just stand by and do nothing. I hadn't seen her look that vulnerable since our talk in the garden, so I did the first thing that popped into my head. I went to her, without thinking, and hugged her, just wanting to hold her, to protect my little sister from the unfairness of the world.

      I couldn't thank the universe enough for letting it happen. There wasn't any other explanation, not one that I could think of anyway. It had to have been some other power that let me comfort her. Maybe it was another ghost that stepped in, empathetic to our situation. 

       Kenzie had gone sixteen years without her big brother, without me by her side. That connection --getting to hold her and remind her how much she meant to me-- was long overdue.

        I was pacing now, back and forth in front of the couch and coffee table, while the boys watched me, having abandoned their respective notebooks. "I think he's practicing his model strut," Reggie stage-whispered to Luke.

         "He's so nervous, he's making me nervous," Luke remarked, eyebrows furrowed with sympathy.

             "Seriously, how did it happen?" I questioned, brushing off their comments.

                "I know man, it was insane," Luke nodded in understanding.

                   "Hey," Reggie started, drawing our attention. "What if we invite Julie and Kenzie to join the band?"

                      I had to admit, it was a good idea. In the span of one song, they had taken the energy of all of our shows from the '90s and tripled it. It had been amazing to jam out with all of them on stage, and the chemistry had flowed so smoothly, like we had all known each other for a long time, instead of just a few days.

                        It was obvious that Luke loved the idea, his eyes lighting up like fireworks, and his smile widening to match. "Yeah Reg, that's a great idea! What do you think, Alex?"

                         My fingers were itching to grab my drumsticks, to twirl them to release my nerves, but I knew the pins-and-needles feeling that came with summoning them wouldn't help. "Yeah, it's good. I just-I need to go clear my head," I nodded, walking over to the doors and trying to open one, but my hand phased right through the handle.

                          "Dude, you're a ghost, just poof out," Luke suggested.

                            "Don't tell me how to ghost," I retorted, my voice going up at the end. I sighed, looking up and bracing for the unpleasant feeling before poofing out, not really having any destination in mind.

                              It took me a second to reorient myself to my surroundings when I reappeared on the sidewalk, but when I turned around, I saw the house, so I wasn't too far away. Deciding to go on foot, I left Julie and Kenzie's street, continuing down the sidewalk, glancing around every once in a while.

                                I froze when I saw the familiar street sign, Sterling Avenue, and curiosity pushed me forward, onto its sidewalk, passing a mixture of new and old houses, and sure enough there it was. My old house, well not just mine. Kenzie and Lyla had lived here too.

                                  Part of me wanted to explore the house, to see how it had changed, but the other part knew better. It wouldn't be a good idea to do it by myself, and as strange as it sounded, it seemed like it would be overstepping to do it. Invading the memories of Kenzie, Lyla, my parents, and Aunt Marie's lives here. I might ask Kenzie about it sometime, but not today. I didn't want to open any wounds, and considering the toll our talk and today's surprises combined had clearly had on her, I wasn't going to push her limits.

                                     So, pushing it to the wayside for now, I moved on. I strolled down Sunset Boulevard, looking at the buildings, glancing at the people, and occasionally having my attention pulled to the various street performers. Looking away from the Marilyn Monroe performer, I walked a few steps before someone crashed into me, knocking us both to the ground.

                                        I knew as a ghost I couldn't really feel physical pain, at least not like when I was alive, but I still felt a dull ache when I hit the sidewalk. Wincing a little from the shock of the impact, I carefully stood up and brushed myself off. 

               Looking up, I saw a boy, around my age from the looks of it, examining a skateboard. "Aw man, you dinged my board," he frowned, rubbing the edges of the board. 

                 "Dinged your board?! Dude, you ran me over, you're lucky I didn't- wait, you ran me over, you're a ghost?" I retorted, my rant fading into confusion.

                     "Yeah, ever since I learned the hard way that skating in traffic was bad," he replied, taking off his helmet. He shook out his hair and looked at me. His eyes widened for a split second and his frown turned into a soft smile. "Hey, I'm Willie," he introduced, holding out his hand.

                         I smiled, reaching out and shaking it, "I'm Alex, it's nice to meet you."

                           "So, what brings you to Hollywood, man? Sight-seeing, or getting a picture with the Marilyn girl?" he asked, clicking his tongue and gesturing to the performer.

                              "Actually, I was having a minor afterlife crisis, so you know, clearing my head, before you tried to bust it open," I nodded.

                                  "I did pancake you, huh? Hey, I'm sorry for crashing into you. I thought you were a Lifer and that I'd pass right through."

                                    "A Lifer?" My eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

                                        Nodding in understanding, he answered, "Yeah, Lifers are what we call the living. You're new to this whole ghost thing, aren't you?"

                                          "Is it that obvious?" I asked, shoving my hands in my jacket pockets.

                                            "Totally," he grinned. "Right, so minor afterlife crisis?"

                                                 "Yeah, I was just trying to figure out why we ended up back here," I replied.

                                                    "Who's we?" Willie asked, tilting his head to the side.

                                                       "Oh, me and my bandmates died together," I explained, grimacing at the memory.

                                                          Willie winced in sympathy, "Oh, that's tragic, man. Were you guys in an accident, or?"

                                                             "Yeah, yeah you could say that. We, uh, we ate bad hotdogs," I nodded. Of all the ways we had to go, it had to be food poisoning?

                                                                "Huh, ironically enough, that's what happened to Mozart," Willie remarked.

                                                                   "Wow, that's actually a little comforting, thanks," I smiled. "If you don't mind me asking, why are you looking at me like that?"

                                                                     "Sorry, you just remind me of someone, she used to ask me questions," he chuckled, "It looks like that's your thing too, huh?"

                                                                        "Yeah, I guess so," I smiled. Aside from bumping into me, he's pretty sweet.

                                                                          "You want to know why you remind me of her, don't you?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

                                                                            "Mhm," I nodded, laughing a little.

                                                                              "I'll tell you if you can keep up," he grinned, a mischievous glint in his eyes as he set his board on the ground and sped off on it.

                                                                                     I immediately ran after him calling, "Hey, wait up!"

Chapter Text

"I don't know what I'm supposed to do, haunted by the ghost of you. Oh take me back to the night we met." -Lord Huron (from their song, "The Night We Met").

Kenzie's POV

  "Ace?"

    "Mmm...Hmm?" I looked up at Julie from my crisscrossed position on the floor.

     "Can I come in?" she asked with a soft smile, standing outside the open door.

      "Oh, yeah," I nodded, gesturing for her to come in, careful not to disturb Calliope or Chess. My goldie's head rested in my lap as she lay next to me, just like when she was a puppy, while Chess was curled up in front of me, lightly pawing at her bell toy.

         Jules joined me on the floor, greeting our four-legged friends, getting a purr and tail wag in return, respectively. "What's that?" she nodded to the photo in my hands.

        "An old memory, from simpler times," I sighed, turning the photo her way.

          "Yeah, it seems like it was forever ago, doesn't it?" she rested her head on my shoulder, tilting it to the side, and I leaned into the touch.

            "You can say that again," I muttered, smiling wistfully at the picture; the 7 of us standing together just outside the roller rink, frozen in time, innocent and unaware of the future. 

              "Remember your pirouette stunt?" she chuckled.

                "Hey, in my defense, I thought for sure it would work, and I was trying to get in extra practice!" I retorted in mock offense, nudging her shoulder. She fell backwards on the rug giggling in response, and I soon joined her. Calliope readjusted her position with a soft whine, and Chess stretched before making herself comfortable lying on Julie's stomach, purring.

                  "We all warned you to be careful, and you nearly gave Aunt Marie a heart attack!" she exclaimed. "Even Care didn't think it was a very good idea, but you tried it anyway," she sighed, and the room fell quiet. 

                     I picked the photo up, and slowly got to my feet, much to Calliope's dismay. Carefully tucking the picture in my back pocket, I beckoned Chess into my arms and gently set her down in my desk chair. Julie stood up and took a seat on my bed. "Maisie, I'm-,"

                     "Jules, it's okay, you didn't do anything wrong," I cut her off before she could continue. "It's just been a long, crazy day," I opened my closet door and pulled down an old wooden chest. "And I'm still trying to process everything," I finished, unlocking the box with a key on my charm bracelet, setting the photograph on top of its other contents, and quickly locking the lid back in place. After I pushed it back up on the shelf, I closed the door and turned back to Julie, rubbing my forehead.

                       She carefully pulled my hands away from my face, giving me her signature soft smile. "I know today's been a lot and you deserve a break. I want you to take one, okay?"

                        "Alright," I nodded, too tired to protest that we both deserved a break.

                          "I'll see you later, I'm going to try to find Flynn and talk to her," she replied, heading for the door, but stopped, as if remembering something. "Oh, and here, have as many as you want," she added, tossing me the bag of Skittles from her bookbag.

                           "Thank you, and good luck, Juliebean," I saluted, flopping back onto my bed and tossing a few Skittles in my mouth.

                             "Fingers crossed," she nodded, leaving the room.

                               I sighed as the full weight of the past few days crashed down on me. Running out of Music, the boys falling into the studio, and Reggie asking about Lyla. Telling 'Lex about Mom and Dad, singing "Bright" at the spirit rally, and Carrie's jab. Nick's concern, Ryder's disappointment, and getting to hug 'Lex somehow. Julie's reassurances. She really is like her mom, I thought, as the sweet taste of the colorful candy faded.

                                Our mom, a soft voice corrected, pleading to be heard. 

                                 True, I couldn't help but admit to myself. Even though Lyla and I weren't Molinas by blood or name, Rose and Ray always treated us like daughters.

                                   My eyes drifted to my mirror, the lights framing it still glowing. I was grateful that Julie hadn't asked about it, about why I would have them on while the sun was still shining as bright as ever through my windows.

                                     It saved me from explaining to her the scene I had come home to; the lights around my mirror were turned on, though I knew they were off when I left that morning, and the photo on the floor that had fallen from its secure spot in the corner of my mirror.

                                      For a second, I'd thought the boys had something to do with it, especially when I saw one of my songbooks wedged out of place on the bookshelf, but I quickly dismissed it. If Luke, 'Lex, or Reggie had done something, they would've looked guilty at school, puppy eyes and all, and that wasn't the case.

                                        Another suspect had come to mind but didn't seem very likely. Then again, I didn't expect the boys to show up when they did that night in the studio either, and it had been a shock when I got to hug Alex, so it wasn't completely out of the question. It would explain the lights, too.

                                         My train of thought was thrown off by a soft knock on the door.

~     ~     ~     ~     ~

Alex's POV

  "It's just, when we came out of that dark room, I was hoping for some answers, you know?" I shook my head, looking over at Willie. After I had caught up to him--because he let me, though he refused to confirm or deny it-- we had chosen a bench to sit on and talk. 

    "Yeah, when you died, you expected more answers than questions," he nodded in understanding, and I shifted my perched position on the back of the bench to face him more.

      "Exactly!" I exclaimed. "And coming back wasn't even the craziest part. Today, me, my bandmates, and the girls who found us played at their school's spirit rally and-" 

        "Wait, these girls, are they Lifers?" he cut in, and that same look from before came back for a second.

          "Lifers?"

           "Oh right, Lifers are what we call the living," he explained.

             "Yeah, they're Lifers, why?" 

               "It's just, Lifers being able to see ghosts is extremely rare, and the fact that you and your friends came across two that could...Well, that's a one-in-a-million chance," he finished.

                "Oh, wow, that's..." I trailed off, not knowing how to respond. Wait, does Kenzie know how rare it is? Does Julie?

                  "Sorry, I didn't mean to dump all of this on you, especially with you being new to everything," Willie winced, smiling apologetically. "Right, sorry, I cut you off before. So, you were saying?"

                   "No, it's alright. Yeah, so when I played at a spirit rally with the others, everyone could see us," I said, splaying my fingers outward and making a circular motion. Please, let him have an explanation for how it even happened in the first place!

                     "Woah, yeah I've never heard of that happening, not Lifers doing it anyway. How long ago did you meet them?" he shook his head, eyebrows furrowed in thought.

                       "Just a few days ago." Short and sweet. Willie seems harmless, but I won't put the girls' lives on the line.

                        "Huh," he nodded. "Maybe, they're connected to your unfinished business?" he suggested.

                          "Yep, I'd totally agree with you, if I had any idea what you were talking about," I nodded, raising an eyebrow at him.

                            "Right, unfinished business is something that you have to do; sometimes it's tied to a regret you have from when you were alive. It's why some people become ghosts when they die, and once you complete it, you can cross over," he clicked his teeth at the end, tilting his head to the side.

                             "Cross over?" I questioned.

                               "Yeah, basically the second afterlife for ghosts," he answered.

                                "Is it common for ghosts to figure out their unfinished business?" I wondered out loud.

                                  "Yeah, some do. I haven't, but I'm not too worried about it, since being here, I get to do what I love, skateboarding anywhere I want without getting busted," he smirked, and there was a mischievous sparkle in his eyes.

                                     Noticing my downcast expression, he added, "Hey, I'm sorry I don't have more answers, man. If you want, I could ask a friend of mine about it?" he offered, nudging my shoulder.

                                      "Sure, I mean, if it isn't any trouble, that would be great," I smiled. 

                                        "Not at all," he replied, waving it off.

                                          "Thank you, Willie, I really appreciate it," I replied. 

                                            "Of course, we'll have to hang out again sometime. I'll see you around, Hotdog," he winked and jumped off the bench, hopping on his skateboard and putting his helmet on in one motion, before speeding off through the crowded sidewalk of Sunset Boulevard.

                                             "He's cute, huh," I muttered to myself, hoping he hadn't seen me blush. So much for clearing my head.

~     ~     ~     ~     ~

Julie's POV

   After leaving Kenzie's room, I went downstairs and out onto the front porch. Okay, if I was Flynn, where would I be? Hearing the sound of music, no pun intended, I walked down the path to the studio, jogging down the steps and pulling open the doors.

     Sure enough, Luke and Reggie were strumming their guitar and bass, respectively, grinning like little kids on Christmas. Shaking my head I walked in, and spotting me, they stopped and turned to face me. "Hey Julie, we were just testing out a new song!" Reggie grinned, gesturing to the piano where Luke's songbook was sitting. I couldn't help but smile a little at his joyful demeanor. I mean, c'mon, he radiates light brighter than a box of lightbulbs.

       Unfortunately, without Kenzie and Flynn here, I had to play good and bad cop. "Look, it's okay for you guys to play, just not when you're alone out here. The stereo excuse isn't going to work twice."

        "B-but we put the amps on level one," Luke protested, stepping forward. Is he making puppy-dog eyes on purpose?

         "And we rocked it on a level ten," Reggie added with a smile, fist-bumping Luke.

          "Do you want to hear it again?" Luke asked, turning as I walked past him and Reg, and over to the amplifiers.

            "I don't think she does," Reggie stage-whispered as I carefully pulled Luke's amp plug out of the machine, before moving to the other one and taking out the plug for Reggie's bass guitar.

             "Hey, so we were having a band meeting earlier and," Luke gestured to Reggie, who did a drum roll on his legs, "We want to invite you and Kenzie to join Sunset Curve!"

               "Oh," I breathed. Wow, I don't even know how Kenzie would react. Though with the situation with Flynn right now...

                 "Oh, she said 'oh'. That's what you say when you get socks for Christmas, not when you're invited to join one of the best rock bands ever! Look, I found this poem, and put it together with music; it sounds really good. And with you and Kenzie singing, it'll be perfect," he added, holding up a piece of paper from the piano.

                    I didn't see everything on it, but I saw enough, "Where did you get that?" I retorted, ignoring the compliment for the moment.

                    "Uh, definitely not your dream box and Kenzie's room," he chuckled nervously, slowly backing up.

                      "You went through our stuff?!" I yelled, chasing him around the piano.
                        "Yeah, we can do that now!" Reggie piped up cheerfully.

                         "No, you can't. Boundaries! Give it back!" I slammed my hands on the piano lid. Sorry Mom, sorry Maisie.

                          "No, not until you two realize how talented you are!" he shook his head. "Listen to these lyrics, 'You know all my secrets, I know all your deep-dish,'" I made a grab for the paper, but he jumped on the piano bench and leaned toward me, keeping the page out of reach as he sang the rest, "'My life, my life would be real low, zero, flying solo.'"

                           "Oh, woah!" Reggie added.

                            "The second part was from a poem I wrote about Flynn and Maisie when they were helping me while I was grieving last year. I'm not sure about the first part, but Kenzie won't be happy you took it without asking," I answered, muttering mostly to myself, "She's going through enough already."

                              "Maisie?" Luke questioned.

                               "One of Kenzie's nicknames," I answered the confused guitarist.

                                "Is she okay?" Reggie asked, his green eyes lightening with concern.

                                 "She just- she's been through a lot. It's not my place to say the specifics. I just don't want her to have to juggle anything else right now," I explained, gently tracing my fingers across one of my bracelets at the thought of my sister.

                                  "Do you think she might..." he gestured toward the house, and I smiled.

                                    "Yeah, I think she might," I nodded gently, and with a small smile in return, he poofed away.

                                      Turning back to Luke, noticing his hopeful expression, although still there, more toned down, I sighed, "Look, I'm honored, and I think it's safe to say Kenzie would be too, but right now we're dealing with a situation with our friend."

                                       He nodded in understanding, "I get it, nothing is more important than family."

                                        "I couldn't have said it better myself," I smiled, turning to go, "Oh, and Luke?"

                                         "Yeah?"

                                          "Once Kenzie and I get things sorted out with Flynn, we'll definitely consider it," I nodded before leaving the studio, Luke's excited grin replaying in my head.  

~     ~     ~     ~     ~

Kenzie's POV

 "Oh, Reggie, hey. What's up?" I sat up, not expecting company, much less from the sweet bassist.

   "Hi, you mind having some company for a little while?" he asked, tugging at his jacket sleeves.

     "Not at all, come on in," I smiled, waving him forward. "You can sit wherever," I added, noticing his hesitation.

       "Thanks," he smiled, making his way over and sitting next to me.

          Right on cue, Calliope trotted in and jumped up on the bed, snuggling between the two of us. I rubbed her belly and Reggie ran his fingers through the fur behind her ears, getting happy tail wags from her in response. "She really likes you," I commented.

           "I really like her too," he smiled back. "I just love dogs, it was one of the best parts of growing up so close to a beach that allowed them."

             "Yeah, I bet. When I was little, my mom or aunt would take me and Lyla to our neighbor's house, and I swear her dog Trixie is one of the sweetest dogs I've ever met, aside from Calliope, of course."

              "Hey, are you alright?" he asked softly.

                "Yeah, sorry, it's just been that kind of day," I chuckled half-heartedly, setting my glasses aside and wiping away the tears from the corners of my eyes.

                  He scooted closer to me as I put my glasses back on, "It's okay, I've had my fair share of those."

                   "So, what did you guys get up to today?" I asked, clearing my throat.

                     "Nothing much. After you and Julie left for school we came in the house, and uh, Calliope kind of led us up here," he replied, and I looked at my goldie fondly.

                      "I'm not surprised, it's one of her favorite places to be, aside from the studio and Dad's office area. I'm not mad that you guys were in here, Reggie. I made it clear you could come in, and I'm glad you brought it up, because I have a question about it, if you don't mind me asking?"

                       "Shoot," he nodded.

                        "You guys didn't turn on the mirror lights or touch my photos, did you?"

                         "No, why?" he shook his head and tilted it to the side.

                          "Maybe he is back, then..." I muttered, mostly to myself. Looking up and seeing Reggie's confused look, I smiled, "Sorry, it's probably nothing."

                            He nodded, but it looked like there was something else on his mind. "Penny for your thoughts?" I asked.

                             "We didn't touch anything else, but I moved one of your books. I-I'm not even sure how it happened. I mean, I was trying to be careful where I was walking, but I guess my shoulder hit the shelf anyway and knocked it out of place. I tried to fix it, but my fingers phased right through it, and then Alex wanted us to leave, so I-"

                               "Reggie, it's okay," I cut his rambling short, feeling a wave of empathy for him. I had been on both ends of that situation more times than I could count, and reassurance was almost always the best way to end it.

                                 "A-are you sure?" he stuttered, fidgeting with his necklace.

                                   "Yes, Reg, I'm sure. No butterfly note needed," I winked.

                                     "So, you did read it?" he was smiling, his hands resting in his lap, and his cheeks looked a little rosier than usual.

                                       "Yeah, I did. It was really sweet. I meant to thank you for it this morning, but time got away from me. Thank you, Reggie," I grinned.

                                         "You're welcome, Kenzie," he beamed.  

                                           Before anything else could be said, Julie appeared in the doorway, out of breath, "S-studio, Flynn, th-thirty minutes," she stuttered out, bracing herself against the threshold.

                                           "Woah, Jules, take a breath," I jumped off the bed and went over to her, guiding her to sit down on the bed as Reggie moved over to make room. "That's it," I smiled softly once her breathing was back to normal, "Now, what happened?"

                                             "I found Flynn and told her the guys are ghosts, but she was going to text Dad, so I said we could prove it, and now, we have a half-hour to rehearse a song to perform for her in the studio," she explained.

                                              "Okay...Do we have a song to rehearse?"

                                                "Yeah, Luke and Reggie found a poem I wrote in my dream box and something I'm guessing you wrote, put them together, and added music," she explained, and we both looked at Reggie. 

                                                  "Where did you find it?" I asked.

                                                     "It fell out of the book and I was able to pick it up, but when I tried to put it back, the same thing happened, except the paper phased through the book too," he rambled.

                                                      "Do you have it with you?"

                                                        "No, it's down in the studio," he answered.

                                                          "Let's go down to the studio, then. We have a song to rehearse," I smiled as I stood up, picked up my guitar case, and walked to the door. "Well, are you guys coming?" I asked as I turned to see them both sitting on my bed in shock.

                                                            They nodded and moved; Julie followed me downstairs and we heard Reggie poof away. A few minutes later we got to the studio and opened the doors, finding Luke checking that his guitar was tuned, while Reggie stood by the piano.

                                                              Jules went to check the keyboard and I looked around, stepping back a bit and craning my neck to see the loft. "Where is Alex?"

                                                               "He'll be here soon, don't worry," Reggie spoke up, and I smiled in his direction as I walked over to the piano. "Oh yeah, here's the paper," he added, picking it up and holding it out to me.

                                                                "Thanks, Reg," I nodded, gently taking it from him and carefully putting it in my pocket, still baffled by the fact he was able to pick it up to begin with, among the other mysteries surrounding the boys and their presence here. 

                                                                  "Once Alex gets back, we can start rehearsing," Luke said, as he finished tuning his Fender.

                                                                    "Well, if we need a drummer in the meantime, Kenzie could do it," Julie suggested.

                                                                      Their curiosity piqued, Luke and Reggie turned to me, a mixture of shock and wonder dancing in their eyes. Fairly surprised myself, I glanced back and forth between them and Jules for a few seconds, not quite sure what to say, "Well, I-it's just..."

                                                                        "What's wrong?" Reggie asked, softly smiling at me.

                                                                          "I, I can play the drums a little, and besides, they're 'Lex's, and I don't want to use them without his permission, and...I don't know," I sighed.

                                                                           "Z, it's okay if you're not comfortable with doing it. None of us will look at you any differently, I promise," Julie soothed, gently wrapping her arm around my shoulder again as Luke and Reggie moved closer to the other side of the piano.

                                                                            "She's right, y'know," Luke spoke up, his tone softer than usual. "We know how personal music can be; we won't be upset or disappointed in you for not feeling up to doing something."

                                                                              I smiled in thanks and my eyes flickered to meet Reggie's, and he sent me a confident nod and sweet smile.

                                                                               Taking a deep breath, I nodded to myself and smiled at my friends, "So, where does 'Lex keep his sticks?"

~     ~     ~     ~     ~

Alex's POV

  Once I was pretty sure I wasn't still blushing from my talk with Willie, I poofed from Sunset Boulevard and reappeared outside the studio. Music was coming from inside; guitar strumming, most likely Luke and Kenzie, singing, Luke, Reggie, Julie, and Kenzie, and keyboard, Julie. I faltered when I registered another sound...Drums. Who is playing my drums?!

    I speed-walked through the studio doors, trying not to think about how I couldn't open them anymore. "Reg, I swear, I told you not to mess with my-" I cut myself off when I realized Reggie wasn't the one playing. It was Kenzie.

     Kenzie was sitting behind my drum kit, holding my sticks, playing like it was second nature to her. It could be, I mean, she is my sister. I felt strange watching them, like I was back in the '90s and seeing a Sunset Curve rehearsal from an outside perspective. 

      Snapping out of my shock, I realized Kenzie had frozen mid-beat, her eyes glued to mine like a deer in headlights. Of course, without a beat to follow, the others stopped playing too, eyes flitting back and forth between us like they were watching a tennis match.

      "Wow," I muttered, shaking my head in disbelief.

        "A-Alex, I'm sorry, I know I should've asked first," Kenzie stuttered out, setting my drumsticks down on the snare with shaky hands, and stepping away from the drums.

         Shock turned to confusion before it came to me. She thinks I'm mad at her. "I'm not mad at you, Kenz, I promise," I assured her, smiling softly as she met my eyes again.

           "You're not?" she questioned, still keeping her distance from the drumkit like it was a snake or a spider poised to strike.

             "No, I mean, how could I be? My little sister is a rockstar," I beamed as I met her in the middle of the studio and pulled her into a hug. I felt her relief in the way she didn't hesitate to wrap her arms around me. I kissed the top of her head and closed my eyes. Please don't let me forget this moment, I pleaded to anyone who was listening.

                Were we probably tempting fate? Yeah. But in the moment, I couldn't bring myself to care. I couldn't make up for all of the time I'd lost with her, those years had come and gone. But, there was no way I was going to waste a second of my time here with her. Confusing ghost magic aside, we were here, and that's all that mattered.

                  Kenzie pulled away and I followed suit. "What song were you guys playing? I didn't recognize it from the demo," I commented, turning my attention to the others. 

                    "It's called 'Flying Solo'. Luke and Reggie set a few things Kenzie and I wrote to music. We have about 15 minutes to finish rehearsing; we're playing it for Flynn to prove you guys are ghosts," Julie explained.

                      "Wow, okay, well, let's get to it," I nodded, taking my spot at the drums while Luke brought the sheet music over for me.

~      ~     ~     ~     ~

Julie's POV

  Once we were all pretty confident with how we sounded, we took five. Kenzie and I sat back on the couch and had some water, watching the boys mess around with each other.

    "How are you doing?" I asked, looking over at her.

     "I'm okay, my hands are a little sore, but I'll survive," she replied, lightly flexing her fingers.

      "You know that's not what I mean," I retorted, nudging her shoulder.

       "What can I say? It's crazy and amazing getting to talk with Reggie, mess with Luke, hug 'Lex. I mean, I've gotten to hug him twice now; that's two more times than I ever thought I would get."

         "You deserve it," I said, pulling her into a side hug. We jumped a little when her phone started vibrating and she pulled it out of her pocket, turning off the alarm.

           "It's time?" I asked as she put it back in her pocket.

             "Yep," she nodded, standing up and stretching her arms.

               "Alright, I'll go wait for her outside," I smiled, getting off the couch and heading out the doors.

~     ~     ~     ~     ~

Kenzie's POV

 "Hey guys, it's showtime," I called to get their attention. With nods and grins, they stopped goofing around and went to their instruments. Luke, Reg, and I settled our respective guitar and bass straps over our shoulders while 'Lex sat on the stool behind his drums, twirling his drumsticks. With our mics on, we were ready to go.

    Jules and Ryder were outside talking, and I felt my nerves building up. I tapped my fingertips against each other instead of fiddling with my necklace, not wanting to worry the guys.

     Hearing a soft strum from my right, I glanced over at Reggie, who nodded to the back of the studio. Slightly confused, I followed him over to a small cardboard box. He grabbed something out of it and held it out to me. It was a small red stress ball.

       I accepted it and smiled softly at him. He smiled back, "I saw you tapping your fingers and thought you could use this. It's helped me through my stress and anxiety, so I figured it might help you too."

       "Thank you, Reggie, that's really sweet of you. I'll take good care of it."

         "You're welcome. Good, I'm giving it to you," he nodded.

           "What? But, you said-"

             "It helped me, and now it can help you," he cut me off, nodding and walking back to the others. It might've just been my imagination, but I swear his hand brushed mine when he walked past me. So, it's not just 'Lex?

               Jules and Flynn walked in, so I joined the others and took a deep breath. "As you can see there's no projector in here," Julie told Flynn, gesturing around the studio. "Feel free to look around."

                "Oh, and could you move over a little? Reggie needs his space to rock out and would feel a little weird walking through you," I added with a smile, getting mildly amused looks from the boys and Julie. Reggie was on my right like before, and Flynn wasn't standing that close to us.

                  "Boy, when you create a world, you really live in it, Blue," she commented, shaking her head.

                    "Just sit," Julie said, gently nudging Flynn to sit in one of the chairs. Then, she sat down at the keyboard on my left, "It's called 'Flying Solo'."

                       "We hope you like it," I finished, getting a small smile in return as Jules looped the beat on the soundboard and played the opening chords.

                          "If I leave you on a bad note, leave you on a sad note, guess that means I'm buying lunch that day," Julie started, smiling at Ryder.

                            "I know all your secrets, you know all my deep-dish. Guess that means some things, they never, they never change," I nodded as I followed along on Lee.

                              We came together on the pre-chorus, "We both know what I, what I. What I mean. When I look at you, it's like I'm looking at me."

                                I couldn't help the grin that burst across my face as we reached the crescendo that cued the guys to start playing, "My life, my life would be real low, zero, flying solo. My life, my life would be real low, zero, flying solo without you."

                                 Flynn jumped when the boys started playing, her eyes flitting between them and us. "Hey, yeah, yeah. Hey, yeah, yeah. My life, my life would be real low, zero, flying solo without you," Julie and I sang as we knelt in front of her, taking her hands in ours.

                                  The boys kept playing and I strummed lightly on Lee so they stayed visible to Ryder. It was time for official introductions. "Ryder, meet the band," I started. "On guitar, we have Luke," I gestured to him and he beamed, giving Flynn a wave. "On bass, there's Reggie," I smiled, leading her over to him.

                                    She hesitantly tried to touch his shoulder, and sure enough, her hand phased through. "T-they're ghosts!" she exclaimed, her eyes wide as saucers.

                                    "Actually, we prefer musician spirits," 'Lex remarked with a soft smile and I shook my head at his antics.

                                      "And last, but definitely not least, Alex on drums," I finished, as we stopped next to his drum set.

                                        Realization struck in her eyes like lightning, "Wait, Alex...Alex as in-"

                                          I nodded, smiling softly, "Alex Mercer, my big brother." I walked behind him, set my arms lightly on his shoulders, and rested my chin on his head. He chuckled in response and gently tapped one of his drumsticks against my hand.

                                            "And you two can touch?!" she questioned as I straightened up and set down my mic.

                                               "Yeah, we think it has to do with our connection," I explained. 

                                                "That would make sense, about as much sense as a ghost band," she remarked.

                                                  "Speaking of the band, do you guys want to join?" Luke asked, a hopeful light in his eyes.

                                                    "I think you should be asking to join their band," Ryder countered with a grin.

                                                     "I'm going to go with what she said," Julie said, swinging her arm around Flynn's shoulder.

                                                      "Me too, we are a package deal, after all, though I guess three more wouldn't hurt," I agreed, swinging my arm over Flynn's other shoulder. "What do you say, should we give these musician spirits a shot?"

                                                        "I don't see why not," Jules shrugged playfully.

                                                         "Yeah, they're alright with me," Flynn nodded, glancing between the guys.

                                                            I had to admit, they were quite the sight; Luke had taken off his guitar and was bouncing around, Reg had set his bass on its stand and was dancing around, and 'Lex was sitting on his stool in the middle of it all with a proud grin on his face.

                                                             Julie and I had saved our friendship with Flynn, letting her in on our phantom secret, and started a new band with the guys. Life was good.

To be continued...