xxi. Stand Tall

5K 78 20
                                    

Back at the Orpheum, Julie paces in the dressing room, worried about the four ghosts in her band

Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.




Back at the Orpheum, Julie paces in the dressing room, worried about the four ghosts in her band. She abruptly stops when there is a knock on the door, "Hey, Julie, it's time." Julie and Flynn, who is sitting on the couch, look over at the door.

Julie calls out, "Just a second." She walks over to Flynn and says on the verge of tears, "Something's wrong. Angie and the boys were getting those jolts pretty bad as I was leaving. And they wouldn't stand me up again. Angie wouldn't let them even if they tried, which they wouldn't. They must have run out of time."

Flynn shakes her head, apologizing, "I'm so sorry, Jules."

Julie looks away, subtly shaking her head before looking back at Flynn, "They didn't cross over." She looks down at the ground before continuing, "They're gone. And I didn't even get to say goodbye."

Flynn gives Julie a sad smile before she gets up from the couch. She makes her way to Julie, who is standing behind the couch. Julie looks at her best friend and sniffles as Flynn wraps her hands around her.

The runner, Rob, knocks again as he calls, "Hey, Julie, you're on." Julie runs out of Flynn's embrace and heads for the door.

Flynn calls out after Julie, "Wait." Julie opens the door and the runner looks at her as the girl rushes past him before running up the stairs, sobbing. Flynn runs out of the room and stands at the bottom of the stairs, calling after the distraught girl, "What are you doing, Jules?"

Rob looks over at Flynn, asking her, "Uh, Where is she going?"

Flynn throws up her hands and replies, causing the runner to look over at her, "Where do any of us really go?" She glances at the man as her smile falls before she rushes up the stairs after her best friend.

The runner watches Flynn as she rushes off, before putting a hand to his headset, "We've got a problem." He runs up the stairs after the two girls.

•••

Julie bursts out of the side doors of the Orpheum before stopping in the middle of the alleyway. She sighs heavily as she looks up at the night sky. She turns to look down the alley before her head falls, looking toward the ground as she sobs. She throws up her hands before looking straight ahead, "I don't know if you can hear me, mom, but..." She chokes on a sob as she shakes her head. She throws up her hands, continuing, "I can't handle it. And you know, Flynn says you're supposed to be behind everything, but I don't know." She pauses to take a breath, "If I was supposed to help Angie and the guys, I didn't. They're gone."

She closes her eyes and shakes her head, sobbing, "And I'm so sorry." She looks down at the ground before looking back up, "They were my friends. My band." She lets out another sob as she shakes her head, looking down before throwing out her arms, "My family." Julie lets out a sniffle, "Why can't you just come pick me up... and..." she wraps her arms around herself, "And hold me in your arms," she throws out her arms, "And just tell me that everything's gonna be okay and that I'm gonna get through it?" She puts her hand over her stomach as she lets out a sob.

Hey Angel ~ Julie and the PhantomsWhere stories live. Discover now