Chapter Notes
The reason I've put so much emphasis on Julie and Flynn's strong friendship is that I genuinely hate the trope of 'ooh she has new friends now, she and her best friend are going to fall apart and stop spending as much time together' and I want to make it very clear from the beginning, that while Luke and Julie's romantic relationship, and Alex and Reggie's platonic relationships with Julie, begin to blossom, she WILL NOT lose her close relationship with her bestie. Physically they may be forced to be apart sometimes, but they are sisters before anything else, Flying Solo.
"Yeah, it was so weird, he was acting so... different," Julie told Flynn as the two walked into the studio after school.
"Who was different?" Alex asked, popping in and making Julie jump.
"Gah! Still not used to that," she sighed, shaking her head. You'd think that after the three months, their popping in wouldn't surprise her anymore, but nope.
"Hi, whoever's here!" Flynn smiled, waving frantically around the room in greeting. Julie and Alex laughed, watching her funny movements. Deciding to take some pity on her, Alex rested his arm on Julie's head, making him visible. "Oh, hi Alex," Flynn waved again, smiling at him.
"What am I, an armrest?" Julie pouted, crossing her arms, raising her eyebrow at him.
"Yepp," he popped the 'p' with his comment, grinning smugly at her, knowing she wouldn't shrug him off. No matter how much she might want to. "Who was different?" He repeated, wanting to know the latest gossip.
Julie sighed at this, unhappy at the reminder. She grabbed Alex's arm and moved to the couch, sitting down and yanking him down with her. She glanced at her friend, giving her a pleading look, hoping she would explain the story. She didn't even want to think about Nick anymore, let alone talk about him. Her friend rolled her eyes but explained none the less.
"You remember Nick, right?" Flynn asked, sitting on the chair across from the two, waiting for his confirmation before continuing. "Well, he was acting super weird in dance class. Getting super touchy in an unwelcome way, making Julie super uncomfortable," she narrowed her eyes. Alex frowned a little at this, he opened his mouth to ask more-
"Hey, guys!" Reggie popped in, causing the girls to jump. Flynn doing so with a slight yelp, being completely unused to the ghosts' popping in. "Sorry," he chuckled at the girl's reactions. "Hi Flynn!" He waved at her, making the girl smile as she waved back. "What are we talking about?" He asked, plopping down next to Julie.
Alex and Julie glanced at each other, deciding if they should tell him. They both knew first-hand exactly how protective Reggie got over his friends. And now that there was a way for other lifers could see him? Who knows what hijinks he would get up to. Flynn, on the other hand, was unfortunately unaware of all this, and told him everything.
Flynn explained what had happened during dance class. Everything from the linking of arms to dragging Julie into a corner to be alone, to insulting her dancing and hugging her without permission.
Reggie sat, glowering, his hands clenched tight, his knuckles white. Even Alex had to admit his blood was boiling after having it all laid out like that. Plus, the fact that this had all occurred within a single hour.
"Now, guys," Julie paused, eyes not leaving Reggie as he shifted, "you're not going to go and do something stupid are you?" She asked, raising an eyebrow at the pair.
"No promises," Reggie growled out, glaring at the ground in front of him. He was fighting the urge to jump up and find this Nick kid right that second. How dare he put Julie in such an uncomfortable situation. Doesn't he understand his advances weren't welcome?
"Okay, look," Julie said firmly, standing up to face the two boys. "I know you want to protect me, but I can handle myself." Reggie made to speak up, but she sent him a sharp glare, daring him to challenge what she had said. "Now I want you to promise me that you won't do anything stupid here." She glared, pausing again, waiting for them to try to dispute her.
"Question," Alex raised his hand, "does something stupid include telling Luke?" He asked, knowing full well what the answer to that question was.
"Of course that's stupid!" Julie burst out in frustration, making both boys laugh at her outburst. She then realised that was his attempt to lighten the mood. She laughed, shaking her head at the boy. She sat back between them on the couch, holding her arms out to them. "Thank you both for caring so much though," she smiled. The boys grinned back, hugging her tight. Flynn smiled weakly at the scene, more than a little upset she couldn't get in on the hug, not that she would admit that.
"Well, now that that's settled," Alex said, pulling back from the hug, keeping his arm slung around Julie's shoulders. Reggie rested his head on Alex's arm with his hands around Julie's waist. "I say we go find Luke and play a little."
"Oh yeah, where is Luke anyway?" Julie asked the two, having expected the final member of their band to have come back from wherever, by now.
"Right here!" Luke popped in at that moment. He took one look at the couch and pouted at what he saw. "Awwe no fair! You guys are hugging without me!" He whined. Julie, laughing at his inner child as she reached her hand out and yanked him into the hug.
"You guys are the best friends a girl could ask for," Julie whispered happily.
Flynn widened her eyes a little at that comment. It... It stung. More than that. It hurt. Being so left out, even though she knew it wasn't intentional. She stared at the group hug with envy, never wishing she could be a ghost more than at that moment. Looking at them was a further painful reminded that she wasn't a part of their group.
"Hey... guys," they all looked up at her as she spoke. The look in their eyes proved to her that they had forgotten she was there. Unable to bear their piercing gazes she turned her back away from them, "I'm gonna head out... I've got a lot of... homework to do." With her excuse given, she made her hasty exit before Julie could speak up.
"Flynn, wait!" Julie called, reaching her hand out as the studio doors slammed shut behind the girl. By the time Julie freed herself from the pile and opened the doors, her friend was long-gone.
"What happened then?" Reggie asked, poofing beside Julie.
"I'm… not sure," she mumbled, staring in the direction her friend had run. On one hand, she wanted to go and find her, but on the other, her friend seemed pretty intent on not being found. And Julie knew firsthand exactly how evasive Flynn could be when she didn't want to talk. The girl was the queen of hide-and-seek for a reason after all, meaning even if she tried, odds are she wouldn't be able to find her.
By the time their third class came and went at school the next day, Julie had still yet to see Flynn a single time. The girl was damn good at avoiding her when she wanted to. It was time for lunch now, and with Flynn MIA that meant Julie didn't have anyone to talk to or sit with. She pushed her food around with her fork, unable to stop her mind from running.
"Hey," a voice came from behind her. She whirled around, expecting to see her friend only to find Nick grinning at her. "Mind if I sit?" He asked, not waiting for an answer as he took a place on the bench next to her, a little closer than she would have liked. If he noticed Julie slide away from him, he didn't comment on it. "You look all down in the dumps, wanted to check on you." At this, she smiled. This was more like the old Nick, the sweet guy she spent the last three years crushing on.
"Hi, Nick. Yeah, I'm not feeling the best today is all," she smiled a dim smile at him, not sure exactly how much she wanted to open up to him. Sure, he was being sweet now, but that didn't change how uncomfortable he'd made her yesterday.
"Are you sure that's it?" He asked, giving her a knowing look. Julie raised her eyebrows at him at this, urging him to continue his thought. "It's just-" he trailed off, breaking eye contact -"I saw Flynn earlier and she looked about as mopey as you do. It's rare I see you two apart." He explained. Julie's eyes widened. He was a lot more perceptive than she remembered… Could have been another part of him liking her, him paying more attention to her life, but something told her that wasn't all there was to it.
As she opened her mouth to respond, she caught a glimpse of Flynn entering the cafeteria. Their eyes locked for a brief moment before Flynn turned and left the room in a rush. Julie sprung up.
"Sorry, Nick. I gotta go!" She declared, grabbing her bag and scrambling off in the direction Flynn had gone.
"What about your food!" She ignored Nick's call from behind her. Dodging students left and right, she made her way out of the crowded cafeteria. She barely saw Flynn slip into the girls' bathroom, clearly hoping to lose her.
"Flynn, wait! Please talk to me!" She called as she pushed open the door to the bathroom, only to come face to face with Carrie Wilson. Julie looked down, expecting a snide comment from the girl. She could hear it now. 'Awwe, trouble in paradise, Molina?' Only it never came. After a few beats passed she looked up, meeting her old friend in the eyes.
She couldn't describe the look in Carrie's eyes, but it was a look she hadn't seen in a long time. Without saying anything, Carrie stepped around Julie and left the bathroom. Even that was unusual, as any other day, Carrie would have pushed her aside. She shook her head, not having time to focus on Carrie acting weird when Flynn was being even weirder.
"Hey," she whispered, seeing Flynn standing there. On a normal day, the two would comment on Carrie's strange behaviour, make jokes about how the ice-queen had melted, but today they stood in silence. Julie stepped closer to her, trying to meet friend's eyes, but to no avail, as Flynn wouldn't even look at her.
"Flynn, you have to talk to me. You can't run off and ignore me with no explanation," Julie couldn't control her glare. Her friend was being completely unfair. "You had us all worried sick when you raced out like that," Julie continued after a few seconds. Her friend remaining silent. A few more beats passed. "Say something!" Julie burst out, unable to help herself, regretting it as soon as her friend spoke.
"What am I supposed to say?" Flynn asked coldly, glaring at the floor. "That I thought now that I was finally able to see the guys, I would be able to become a real member of the group?" She asked, meeting Julie's eyes for the first time.
"Flynn, you are a real member of the group!" Julie tried to assure her, placing her hand on her friend's shoulder.
"No!" Flynn burst out, shaking Julie's hand away and meeting her gaze again. "No, I'm not. Not really," she whispered, tears welling up in her eyes. "You guys are all so close. You have group hugs, and inside jokes, and the guys do funny things that I can't even see. And you always laugh it off and tell me not to worry about it. That's not me being a part of the group," Flynn took a step back. "And even now that I can see them, I can't touch them, or you, I can't join in on the group hugs. I'm not a member of the band. Hell, you haven't even told me how it is you're able to touch them, yet!"
Julie gaped at her friend, trying but failing to disagree. Everything she had said had been true. And now that Julie thought about it, her and the guys were all hugging when Flynn reacted and ran off.
"Flynn, I-I'm so, so sorry," Julie took a step forward, reaching a hand out to touch her friend. She paused, tears welling in her eyes when she flinched away from her. "I never meant to make you feel that way, you have to know that," she pleaded for her friend to understand.
"I do know that," Flynn looked up at her again. Relief flooded through Julie, but it didn't last. "I do know that you never meant to make me feel this way. But that doesn't change the fact that I do." The first tear slipped down Flynn's face. On that bitter note, before she broke down completely, Flynn exited the bathroom.
Julie didn't try and follow, knowing her friend was right. And she couldn't fix this by following her around and forcing her to keep talking, she just had to give her a little bit of space.
Unable to continue with her day, Julie rang her dad, asking that he come and pick her up, having learnt her lesson about lying to him. When she told him all about Flynn, and how she wasn't feeling up to completing the school day, he completely understood and came to pick her immediately, hugging her as soon as she got into the car.
As they arrived home, Julie assured her dad she was fine, and just needed a break and that she was just going to sit in the studio for a bit. He let her go, albeit reluctantly, but not before making her promise to come to talk to him if she needed.
Julie opened the door to the studio, walking in to find the guys all lounging around the room. This surprised her, as she'd expected them to be off doing whatever ghosts do. Alex was reading a book while lying on the couch, Reggie throwing a ball at a wall, while Luke looked like to be napping (do ghosts even nap? She'd have to ask them that later).
"Julie, you're back!" Alex sat up in surprise, looking at the girl in confusion. This snapped the other two out of it. Luke jolted up from the couch, and Reggie turning to look at her, only to have his ball bounce back and smack him on the side of the head.
"Why are you back so early? School doesn't finish for a few hours," Luke asked, tilting his head at the girl.
"I-..." The girl trailed off, "I've been a horrible friend," she hiccupped, unable to hold back the tears anymore, the fear of losing her first real friend setting in.
The guys sprung up and raced toward her, wrapping her in a tight group hug as she cried, none understanding what had happened, but knowing she needed a hug.