Part Vingt-sept

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"Julie!" Carrie walked up to her and Flynn at Julie's locker, and they turned to look at her. Flynn's automatic sarcastic comment dying on her lips as they took in Carrie's outfit and demeanor. There wasn't any sparkles or glitter, and she looked tired.

"Look, I know I haven't been the nicest person to you two lately."

Flynn raised an eyebrow, her mouth opening again, but Julie grabbed her arm and squeezed, so she snapped it shut with a slightly disgruntled glance at Julie.

"Okay, maybe a little longer than just lately. I've had some stuff going on myself."

"What's on your mind Carrie?" Julie's voice was wary, but encouraging. She knew things would be different now, since Bobby was Carrie's dad, and he was fast becoming an important person in her house. Soon, the house across the street instead, once the sale closed and the guys moved in over there.

Carrie sighed, looking down, and was obviously trying to gather her thoughts. "Okay, so I talked to my dad and he has had some sort of weird 'life epiphany'." She used air quotes and rolled her eyes. "I swear that's actually what he called it! Weirdo. BUT, basically he has decided to start, like, mentoring younger bands and stuff, instead of working on a new album himself. It's been a few years since his last one, he really should just admit he's already retired, but whatever. Anyway, my point is that he wanted me to give you this, and invite you and your band over for dinner later this week."

She handed an envelope to Julie, who took it automatically.

"He said your band reminded him of some de...old friends or something." She avoided Julie's eyes, uncomfortable, she was there to apologize, not bring up death and remind her of her mom. 'Get it together Carrie! You can do this!'

Luckily, her discomfort distracted her from the quick wide-eyed glance of alarm between Julie and Flynn, both of them knowing Bobby wouldn't have told her much, but still wondering what she did now know.

Carrie cleared her throat, "My point is, your band made him think about things, and besides wanting to help them, and you Julie, he has also decided to do the same with 'Dirty Candi'. I've always wanted him to take more of an interest and now he finally is. So. As much as it pains me to say this, thank you." The attempted sting of her grudging appreciation was rather ruined by the playful, rather than spiteful, tone in her voice and the small, slightly shy, and completely genuine smile on her face as she turned to walk away.

Flynn stared after her for a long moment before looking at Julie and asking, "Do you think she's been replaced, like she's now a pod person or something? We know ghosts are real so maybe other things are too?"

Julie blinked at her best friend, "You're been watching old horror movies with my dad and the guys again, haven't you? Which one is that from? 'Invasion of the Body Snatchers'?"

"No. That was aliens. Wait, you're right, those were pod people. I was actually thinking 'The Stepford Wives'. Designer robots." Flynn shook her head, "Too busy writing songs with Luke to come absorb some culture with me, the other guys, and Carlos, but still smart about it. I guess they are some of your dad's favorites and you've already seen them." She grinned at Julie and headed off down the hall, her mom had texted that she was waiting to pick her up. "See you later!"

A laugh bubbled out of Julie as she finished zipping up her backpack. 'I have got to talk to my dad about his choices in movies to show the guys. Really, there are so many better ones. I don't care if he likes to contrast the old ones with the remakes as part of his 'education in shot-framing' for Reggie or whatever he's calling it. Maybe we can start the Marvel movies this weekend.' She slammed her locker door and realized she was still holding the envelope from Carrie. Deciding she was too curious to wait until she got home, she opened it and started to read.

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'Julie,

I know I saw you the other day, and, if she followed directions, Carrie has asked if you and the guys would come over for dinner (part of asking her to do this was so she didn't have an excuse to procrastinate talking to you again- I know she has some things she needs to say). But, I also wanted to say a few things to you personally that I haven't had the chance to yet.

The number one thing I want to say, Julie, is THANK YOU.

The way you all let me help with bringing your band from Canada, and giving me the chance to get to know them, well, it has changed my life. I talked a lot to Reggie on the plane flight home, and he made me realize that I haven't been very fair to Carrie. I always just pushed her to make it on her own with Dirty Candi (although we had a firm agreement that any offers she may get HAD to go through me and my lawyers, don't worry!) but talking to Reggie made me see that I didn't have to introduce her to producers or use my fame to get her a record deal, but I still need to do better at being there and encouraging her, as her dad. I obviously have some complicated feelings about open mic nights, and that has impeded my support of Dirty Candi, even though I should have been there for Carrie. I'm trying to fix that now.

I also can't thank you and the guys enough for inadvertently being the inspiration for my new venture. I'm sure Carrie rolled her eyes when she told you I called it a 'life epiphany', but I really do want to start being a mentor to younger people who want to break into the music scene. I had such a bad experience, so if I can make sure that doesn't happen to even one or two other kids, then maybe I'll feel like I did something worthwhile.

I can't go back in time and fix things, but maybe that's okay. Maybe all of this was supposed to happen the way it did. I know your mom would have said so, she always told me that things happen for a reason. I always thought it was ridiculous, considering what had gone on in my life. Now, I have to say, I'm just not sure.

Please share this with your dad, too, because this is what I want to say to him:

Ray, thanks for your idea. Thanks for asking me to make things happen. Thanks for being the reason I could face my past. And thank you for being the kind of dad that I want to start being. I know we talked on the flight to Canada, but I look forward to having the chance to talk to you a lot more. Rose had amazing taste when she picked you, I'm so glad we can be friends, and I'm sorry I wasn't good at being there for you this past year.

I look forward to seeing you all at dinner, and I'm absolutely including you Ray, and Carlos, Willie, and Flynn in that invitation. I'll call you to figure out a good night.

Thank you,
Bobby'

Julie was deeply touched, and the bolded words gave her everything she needed to figure out what he wasn't saying, it was probably good not to mention certain things on paper. She sighed, the boys had been so wrong about Bobby when they first found out about him and their songs. It was a good reminder that there are always stories behind people, and she suddenly recalled Carrie's words, 'I've had some stuff going on myself.' A determined expression crossed her face, it was time to let the little things that had come between them go, maybe they wouldn't be best friends again, but they could be friendly.

Julie glanced down the hall towards where Carrie had disappeared. The music room was down there, and, yes, faintly she could hear a few notes from the piano. She squared her shoulders and walked down the hall, better to talk things out now, alone, then trying to do it when there were a bunch of other people around.

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As Julie neared the door to the music room, the piano was joined by Carrie singing. She sounded sad. Julie recognized the song, and she slipped in and sat in a chair near the door, just listening.

'New to town with a made up name in the angel's city,
Chasing fortune and fame.
And the camera flashes, make it look like a dream.

You had it figured out since you were in school.
Everybody loves pretty, everybody loves cool.
So overnight you look like a sixties' queen.

Another name goes up in lights, like diamonds in the sky."

Carrie stopped. "What do you want, Julie?" The question was soft, not angry.

"Please keep playing Carrie, you sound amazing." Julie's response was just as soft.

Carrie huffed out an exhausted-sounding breath. After a short silence, she resumed playing and singing.

'And they'll tell you now, you're the lucky one.
Yeah, they'll tell you now, you're the lucky one.
But can you tell me now, you're the lucky one, oh, oh, oh...

Now it's big black cars, and Riviera views,
And your lover in the foyer doesn't even know you
And your secrets end up splashed on the news front page.

And they tell you that you're lucky.
But you're so confused,
'Cause you don't feel pretty, you just feel used.
And all the young things line up to take your place.

Another name goes up in lights. You wonder if you'll make it out alive.

And they'll tell you now, you're the lucky one.
Yeah, they'll tell you now, you're the lucky one.
Can you tell me now, you're the lucky one, oh, oh, oh.

It was a few years later, I showed up here.
And they still tell the legend of how you disappeared,
How you took the money and your dignity, and got the hell out.
They say you bought a bunch of land somewhere,
Chose the Rose Garden over Madison Square,
And it took some time, but I understand it now.

'Cause now my name is up in lights, but I think you got it right,

Let me tell you now, you're the lucky one.
Let me tell you now, you're the lucky one.
Let me tell you now, you're the lucky one, oh, oh, oh.

Yeah they'll tell you now, you're the lucky one.
Yeah, they'll tell you now, you're the lucky one.
And they'll tell you now, you're the lucky one, oh, oh, oh.
Oh, whoa, oh, oh'

As the echo of the last notes faded, Julie stood up and went over to sit next to Carrie on the piano bench. "So, you said you had some stuff going on? Do you want to talk about it?"

Carrie bent her head, twisting her hands in her lap. Her voice barely more than a whisper, she broke. "I'm sorry I wasn't there for you with your mom. I was already feeling left out because you and Flynn had gotten so close while I was on tour with my dad the previous summer. I got back and I all I wanted was to tell you guys about it, but it always seemed like when I called you or Flynn, you were already together, and inviting me to join you was an afterthought. Or you didn't pick up at all." Carrie sniffed and wiped a hand over her eyes. She still hadn't looked at Julie. "If I hadn't had the girls from dance and 'Dirty Candi', I would have been all alone most of the time! It was like you didn't even notice I wasn't there much anymore. And then your mom got sick, an-and, well. And I tried to talk to you, but you were always talking to Flynn. Your mom was always so nice to me, I liked her. I also have experience missing having a mom, mine didn't even want me. And it's not even close to the same, I know that, but, well, I would have got it a little bit, you know? Thinking about things she wouldn't be there for?"

She finally looked up at Julie, who hadn't moved, beyond her jaw dropping at these revelations. "Nick broke up with me because of what I said to you. I know it was mean. I know I've said quite a few mean things. But what I told him is true. I've been working my butt off to get 'Dirty Candi' noticed, my dad has been committed to teaching me the value of working my way up on my own, and that's fine. But you got almost a year of slack and special treatment, and as soon as you finally get cut from the music program, you find those guys and literally upstage me at the Spirit Rally and get a 'special exception' to get back in! So tell me, am I really a demon like Flynn says?"

Julie could barely process this. 'Is she right?' She cast back, searching for her memories of her, Flynn and Carrie's deteriorating friendship. Snapshots of beach days and ice cream with Flynn, trips to the mall and the movies, missed calls and texts from Carrie, not noticed until the end of the day, the number of them dwindling as time passed, ran through her mind. 'We did start to ignore her. We suck. The stuff about my mom- and hers, is going to take some time to sort out. But she's certainly not wrong about the way they let me stay in the music program for so long without participating.'

Julie refocused on Carrie, who had been waiting patiently for an answer to her question. "You're not a demon." Julie shook her head, and reached out to touch Carrie's shoulder, "But me and Flynn might have been terrible friends. I'm sorry."

A small smile crossed Carrie's lips. "Thank you for saying that. And I'm really sorry about the comments I've made. My dad said the other day that some things happen for a reason, even if we don't know what it is right away. Maybe we needed to fight, so we could make up now, both of us trying to make it in music. I saw your show at the Orpheum. You guys really are amazing."

Julie grinned and tugged Carrie into a hug. "Well, I've never not thought 'Dirty Candi' was great, even when we weren't really talking."

Carrie laughed, Julie joining in. They both knew they still had a lot they needed to discuss, but this was a start.

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A phone call summoned Flynn over to Julie's that evening after dinner. Julie had told everyone she needed some girl time with Flynn. They all graciously agreed to leave them alone, although Luke did pull her aside to ask if everything was okay, he told her she seemed a little worried. She assured him it was fine and that she would tell him about it later. It was crazy how well he could read her sometimes, Julie was a little worried about how Flynn would react to the slightly tenuous new beginning she had foraged with Carrie.

"Okay, girl, you were being so mysterious on the phone! What's going on?" The two girls were sitting next to each other on the end of Julie's bed.

"After you left school I went and found Carrie. We talked." Julie was watching Flynn carefully, she needed to get her to understand.

"Oh yeah?" Flynn raised an eyebrow and crossed her arms, obviously biting back a probably not-so-nice comment.

"Just hear me out, this is important." Julie went on to fill Flynn in on everything Carrie had said, and stood her ground when Flynn tried to dismiss the idea that they had stopped including Carrie.

"We did. That was on us Flynn."

"B-but, she's horrible, the stuff she's said, we agreed, she's horrible!"

"No."

Flynn groaned, she didn't want to admit it, but now that Julie had brought it up, she remembered the missed calls and texts, too. "Ugh. Fine. Maybe we did kinda suck. I suppose I could try to be nicer, if she's gonna be nicer to us. No promises if she makes any of her little comments, though."

"Just try Flynn. That's all I ask, and hear her out if she asks to talk to you. She might want to clear the air with you before the dinner with Bobby at her house, and it would be nice if we could all at least be civil for that."

"It's not like I can say no to that, I guess." Flynn flopped back flat on the bed from her seated position. "You're my bestie, so I'll do it for you."

"Thanks, Flynn."