Chapter Text
11
Luke stared at his mom. Her face was transfixed on the tv show that was in front of her. She had always loved soap operas. She had told him once that she liked it because they were over the top, the storylines didn’t make sense but they were fun. He was glad that at least that hadn’t changed.
The credits came on and she got up to go to the kitchen. He followed her. She stopped as she reached the kitchen door. She looked behind her and frowned. She was looking in the direction towards Luke. Her eyes glossed over him. She still couldn’t see him.
“Hun?” His dad asked as he walked out of the living room. “What is it?”
She turned to face his dad and frowned.
“I was so sure that somebody was watching me.”
“It’s probably your imagination.” His dad replied.
His mom didn’t seem so sure. She looked back towards him and bit her lip before sighing.
“You’re likely right.”
She headed towards the stairs and his parents headed to bed.
Luke didn’t follow them up but he also didn’t want to go back to Julie just yet. He wasn’t sure why she was so adamant on saying that they were coming alive again. He wished he could make her understand that he had only gotten used to the idea of being dead. And to all of a sudden be thrust with the idea that he was coming alive. What that would mean for him. What that would mean for his parents. He liked to think he was a chill guy but this was something that he needed to think about. Although it made him think of Julie. Would he actually be able to have a life with her?
He was only getting used to the idea that the two of them could touch. He wanted to kiss her. They had come so close, but it felt the universe was against the two of them. Like maybe they weren’t supposed to be together.
You’re dead Patterson! Luke had to remind himself. He could have one dream, not two. He could sit on the side-lines. Let Julie have all the fame. That’s what he initially convinced himself to do.
He sighed. Part of him knew that he should go back and see how Julie was doing. He aimed to go poof towards her bedroom. It was almost like instinct when he poofed. Luke thought of Julie and expected to feel the familiar movement. However there was nothing. He was still standing in the hallway.
He frowned. This didn’t seem good at all. He tried again and this time, the familiar pull came. Although it felt harder than normal. He had to really concentrate on where he wanted to go.
Luke landed on the beanbag that was in front of her bed with an ‘oof’. He had been aiming for her bed.
“Luke?” Julie said from behind him.
He turned his head, and she was sitting cross-legged, her dream box in front of her. She was wearing her ridiculous mismatched pj’s.
“Hey,” Luke said with a wave. “I was aiming for the studio. Took a wrong turn.” He joked, trying to lighten the mood.
Julie didn’t reply. She looked at him with teary eyes. Luke frowned. He had run off. He needed to talk to her.
“I’m sorry for running off. It’s all getting a bit much ya know.”
Julie shut her dreambox and scooted to the bottom of her bed. She patted the comforter. Luke took that as an invitation to get up and perch himself on the edge.
“I’m sorry as well. I should have thought about what I was saying.”
He sighed and shot Julie a smile. He didn’t feel like smiling but one of them needed to feel better.
“I know that I like going with the flow but sometimes things go by far too fast than I can keep up with. If what you’re sayin’ is true, then it would change a lot.” Luke stared at the floor. He took a deep breath. His ramble was over.
Julie touched his shoulder and he relaxed.
“You do go a million miles an hour don’t you?” She said.
“You got that right boss.” Luke replied.
Julie shuffled over and sat next to him, propped up on her knees. Luke wanted to rest his head on her shoulder but the two of them remained in silence for a moment.
“Shall I tell Christina no about performing?”
Luke wasn’t sure what to say. It would give them more exposure but then there was the whole ordeal with Bobby. They needed to find out what to do about it. And adding Reggie’s brother into the mix. It didn’t seem like the best choice.
“Maybe we think on it first.”
“Yeah, I’ll let her know.” Julie replied.
Luke turned his head to look at her and stared down at her lips. He reached across and cupped her cheek. Julie looked up at him, her eyes sweet. Inviting. Show stopping.
Maybe this was it. It was only the two of them. There was nobody else. He leaned down and placed his lips on hers.
It felt like his whole world exploded with music notes. She was a melody that he couldn’t get out of his head. He couldn’t get enough of Julie Molina. He wanted to sing her praises. He wanted to hear her sing his songs. He would write sonnets for her.
Their kiss began sweetly, soft touches. Luke stroked her cheek. Then it divulged in its roughness, more passionate. His hands in her hair. He didn’t want to stop.
However Julie held her hand up and then pulled away.
“Just need some air,” she said but she smiled at him. Her cheeks were flustered, red spots that looked like blush.
“Also is that what I’ve been missing out on?” She nudged him.
“I believe it is.” Luke joked back.
He wanted to kiss her again. He wanted to spend every moment with her now. Had he really thought he could sit on the side-lines? No. He wanted to be part of her life. He wanted to be with her forever.
“We have more time now.” Julie said. She then gave a yawn.
“Yes, but I think you need to go to bed.” Luke said, he reached out as he played with a lock of her hair.
Julie nodded in response.
Luke started to get up from her bed, when he felt a hand lock around his wrist.
“Stay.” Julie whispered.
She wanted him to stay? He hadn’t stayed in her bed since the night of the Orpheum and in the morning, she had kicked him out.
“The guys will be wondering where I got to.”
“They’ll be okay, please Luke. I don’t want you to leave me again.”
Those words were a dagger through his soul. He had almost left her on her own again. He should know better than anyone how lonely somebody could get. When he first ran away from home. He had spent many a night in the studio awake, staring at the ceiling. Part of him had thought about what he had done. That he should have gone home. That he should have told his Mom that he was sorry. However he had been stubborn, foolish and look where that had gotten him.
“Okay,” Luke said at last. He got up and walked over to her pillows and slipped into the covers. Julie clambered onto the other side and lay on her head on the pillow, facing him.
“Nick’s coming tomorrow.” She said, darting her eyes away.
Luke frowned. “Why?”
“To finish our assignment. Luke, there’s nothing between us. I don’t think there ever will be.”
He nodded. Maybe Nick would have been a better choice for her in another life, a life where he sat on the side-lines. Or a life where he had never become a ghost. If he had lived, he might have made it as a famous musician. Bobby might not have betrayed them. However, he would have never met Julie.
“I believe you. Now come on, you should get some rest.”
Julie’s eyes were already dropping.
Luke reached an arm around her and pulled her in close. It felt like fireworks again and a buzz surrounded him that he couldn’t explain.
“You smell nice,” she mumbled, snuggling into him.
Luke smirked and closed his eyes too.
“Aww look at the pair of them!” A voice awoke Julie. It sounded like Reggie.
She groaned as she got up and forced her eyes open. Alex and Reggie were hovering by her door, staring at her bed.
“What?” She mumbled out and then remembered that she had asked Luke to stay with her.
Julie turned her head to see Luke was buried under her many pillows. He was drooling. She reached across and shook him.
“Time to get up.”
“What for?” He mumbled, his voice laced with sleep.
“I have to get ready.”
Luke reached out an arm and pulled Julie back down onto the bed. She landed onto her pillow with a soft thud.
“We don’t need to go anywhere. We can stay here.”
“Luke..”
“Luke, it’s time to wake up! Or I’ll let Alex touch your guitar.” Reggie whispered into his ear.
Luke’s eyes fluttered open and he sat up with a jolt. Julie had to hide her snicker.
“Don’t let him touch it!”
He blinked when he looked at Reggie.
“Really Reg?”
“Gotta make sure you two were awake! I’m glad that you came back though.” Reggie then disappeared with a poof.
“I should get ready.” Julie said, and clambered off her bed. She headed to her closet and began to take her top off. She stopped, as she saw sure that she felt a gaze on her.
Luke was lying on the edge of her bed, his head propped up on his elbows. A familiar smirk.
“Can I help you?” She said, feeling flustered.
“Just enjoying the show.” He flirted.
Despite the very talented and beautiful musician in front of her; Julie had to remind herself that Luke was still very much a teenage boy.
“Out, Luke,” she said, trying to sound stern, but it came out fond.
“You got it boss.” Luke said and then disappeared with a poof.
Julie smiled to herself and began to get ready for the day.
After a busy morning of fighting Carlos over what they wanted for breakfast. Julie began to head down towards the studio. She felt bad for kicking the guys out, but she was hoping that her song with Nick would be a nice surprise for her bandmates. They might be able to see the pair of them perform it.
She wanted Luke to see it especially. Was he her boyfriend now? They had only kissed once. Did she ask him, did he ask her? It was all so new to her that she wasn’t sure what they were. It was all changing, but this was a good change. She would ask him later.
As she opened the studio doors, she took a quick scan of the whole area. There were no ghosts around. Hopefully they wouldn’t be popping up any time soon and distracting her. She expected that she was going to be distracted a lot when it came to Luke. It wasn’t a bad thing, but she needed to get her class assignment done before all of those distractions began to take place.
“Julie.” She heard her name and turned around to see Nick standing by the studio doors.
“Nick, you’re early.” Julie said in surprise.
“I wanted to get her early, thought we would have more time to work on the song then. It should be finished today, right?”
“Yeah. It should be finished today.”
“Good.” Nick sent her a smile. Normally Julie liked Nick’s smiles. They were friendly, nice, normal. However there was something about the smile that caused a shudder to go throughout her body.