It's a little after midnight where I live now and I'm probably going to be zonked tomorrow, but getting this out today feels totally worth it! Especially since it's one I've been hinting to in a few other chapters... ;)
Not gonna lie, I'm a bit nervous about this one, as I've never written anything like this before - balancing the cheesy and the cute, the rhyming and the rhythm, the descriptions and the feels was a lot harder than I initially thought! I really hope I've managed to get everything I went for across.
Kandra K: Jajajaja, yo séeee! Es tan adorable!
Awww, muchisimas gracias! Tus commentarios son tan maravillosa siempre... haces mi día! :D (Es así como lo dices en español? No sé jajaja)
Lorraine (chapter 3): Ahh thank you so much! I had so much fun writing them together and exploring the teleportation idea, so it means so much to hear that! :)
Anyway, on with the chapter! :)
Gifts and surprises
"What are you guys up to? Should I be worried?"
Luke only grinned at Julie, practically bouncing as he guided her into the armchair that had been placed in the middle of the studio. Apparently, she wouldn't be getting anything out of him, which was worrying in and of itself. Had her convincing powers suddenly stopped working or something?
Alex and Reggie were not much better, a "You'll see" and a laugh tinged with nervous excitement being all she got when she met their gazes. Something was definitely up.
… Please say they hadn't set anything on fire.
But no, the boys were way too calm - okay, more like not freaking out. The day Luke, Reggie and Alex could be described as 'calm' would be the day hell froze over - right now for that. With Reggie holding his bass and Alex sitting at his drums the theory became even more unlikely: there was no way they'd risk having their instruments even in the vicinity of a fire.
"Just sit back and relax, okay?" Luke slung his guitar over his shoulder, walking up to one of the unoccupied microphone stands. "And listen! Definitely listen. So don't relax too much."
Okay, so it had to be some kind of song they wanted to show her. Maybe a new track for the gig next week? Julie didn't get why it warranted this much dramatics though, or why they hadn't included her in the songwriting process. Another old Sunset Curve song, perhaps?
Whatever the case, couldn't the whole thing have waited until tomorrow? It was her birthday today, after all, and dad and Carlos were up at the house waiting for her to…
Wait, her birthday. Her birthday!
The realisation struck just as Luke strummed the first chord and his warm voice filled the air:
.
"This song is for you
To celebrate and congratulate
Say despite all we've been through
Knowing you is the luckiest fate"
.
Dios mio. They'd written her a birthday song. Julie sat back, a million emotions running through her as Luke met her gaze, eyes soft and earnest:
.
"First things first, without you
Elevator music's all we'd be"
.
"It's true!" he added at her chuckle.
.
"And you were my anchor, were my rope
When I slipped down the memory slope"
.
This was gonna make her cry, wasn't it? Damn, it definitely was. Already she could feel her eyes start to prickle, and Luke hadn't even reached the bridge yet!
A smile grew on her lips though in return to Luke's own, just as infectious as his energy in the build towards the chorus - his fingers strumming a little faster, his voice growing stronger, surer.
.
"Owe you so much, okay?
But I'll starting by wishing a
.
Happy birthday to you
Happy birthday to you
Happy birthday dear Julie
Happy birthday to you"
.
The melody, the words, the chords, everything… Julie recognized it immediately. A slightly faster rhythm and more soul thanks to Luke's killer (as always) vocal inflections, but still undeniably: Happy birthday. The one dad and Carlos had sung for her this morning (in Spanish). The one Flynn had practically screeched to her over the phone an hour ago. The one she'd sung herself all the countless times someone in her life turned a year older.
Had the boys seriously rewritten Happy birthday… just for her? Julie wasn't sure if that was the dorkiest or cutest thing ever.
She didn't have time to think more about it though as Alex clapped his drumsticks together, yelled "One, two, three, four!" and all three launched into what was probably the most pop-rock instrumental version of Happy birthday she'd ever heard. Correction: the most Julie and the phantoms (minus Julie) version she'd ever heard.
Before she knew it, she was bobbing her head along to the music. Not as if she could help it - with a beat like this, who wouldn't bop?
Alex returned her smile and began the second verse:
.
"I don't say this lightly, okay?
You're the wokest human alive
And we're ghost proof not a day
Without you we would survive"
.
"'Lex is right, you shine so bright
The force has to be with you, right?
Home can look many different ways
For me? Where my hermana stays!"
.
The spark in Alex's eyes as he called her woke, Reggie's shy smile as he called her hermana, the way Luke was absolutely beaming at her as he played… Julie covered her mouth, not knowing whether to laugh or cry or both as the three of them launched into the bridge and chorus together.
These boys. These freaking boys.
.
"You make us feel alive
Every way that counts, we thrive!
.
So happy birthday Julie
We all wish you truly
A happy birthday through and through
A happy birthday just to you"
.
Julie jumped as a sudden poof cut through the music… and another ghost appeared in the middle of the room.
Willie.
A little smirk crossed his lips as she stared at him, mouth agape, trying to process what was happening. Did this mean he was also going to…?
Dios, this was shaping up to be the best gift ever.
Her answer came a second later as Luke crossed over to Reggie and Willie took his microphone instead, voice trembling just a little with nerves but tone pleasantly rich:
.
"I know we don't know
each other well, at least not yet
But already you have shown
More kindness than most people get
.
So one day when skies are blue
Wanna go skate Malibu?"
.
Not just shaping up to be the best gift ever, she thought as she mimed a "Heck yeah!" to Willie. As they grinned back at her. As they, Alex, Reggie and Luke all came together for the chorus.
No. This was definitely the best gift ever.
.
"A happy birthday Julie
Is what we wish you truly
Happy birthday, dear Jules
Happy birthday to you
.
Ohhh, ohhh
Ohhh-"
.
"Heyy, guess who's invading the partay!"
The familiar voice cut through their wordless bridge and the studio doors flew open, the sun framing the three figures outside like a spotlight.
Dad. Carlos. And Flynn.
How… how long had they been planning all this? How much time…?
Her eyes blurred with unshed tears as dad hugged her with a quiet "Cumpleaños feliz, mija", as Carlos threw butterfly-shaped confetti over her, as the boys harmonized a final "Ohhhh!" and Flynn grabbed Willie's microphone, the fondest smile on her face.
Oh my- Flynn was going to rap too? The best gift just got ten times better.
"So, listen…"
And with only Alex's drums accompanying them, they began:
.
"You and me, we're double trouble
No, there ain't no other better couple
Thick as thieves since first day, ain't no way
I'd wanna make it without you, okay?
.
Y'know my heart, my soul, my dish
Yeah, a life flying solo nothing I'd wish
So happy birthday my dear underachiever
Y'know I'll always be your biggest cheerleader"
.
"I love you!" she ended with a yell.
I love you guys too. I love you all so much, was the only thing echoing through Julie's mind as bass and guitar joined the song again, as they all regrouped around the microphones - Luke and Reggie at one, Willie hovering over Alex's next to the drums, Flynn, Carlos and dad around the third.
.
"No matter where we are
Always know you are a star!
.
Happy birthday to you
You know we all love you
So happy birthday dear Julie
Happy birthday to you!
.
From ghost friends and Flynn
From family and kin
We do wish you truly
A happy birthday, Julie"
.
Alex's smile was soft and sincere as he started the last chorus.
.
"Happy birthday!"
.
Reggie nearly tripped over his amp cable as he bounded over to sing his line in her ear.
.
"Happy birthday!"
.
Luke was practically vibrating as he put all the feeling he had into the simple words.
.
"Happy birthday!"
.
And the three of them - her band, her friends, her family - came together once more, harmonizing in the way only they could.
.
"Happy birthday to you"
.
The instrumentals slowed. The microphones rose. And seven pairs of eyes, seven smiles met her as seven voices sang the final line. Guitar, bass and drums crescendoing with them.
.
"Happy birthday
to
you"
.
And the final note rang out, vibrating in the air even after it couldn't be heard. As prickling, as exhilarating, as tingling as electricity.
Julie gazed at them all. At Luke. At Reggie. At Alex. At Flynn, Willie, dad, Carlos…
And the dam broke.
"Oh no, were we that bad?" Reggie stage-whispered to Luke, eyes wide with concern.
Julie shook her head, desperately wiping at her eyes without much success. "That… that was so… you rewrote it for me and… and… I'm not sad, I just…" She flew to her feet, holding her arms out. "Get over here right now!"
Smiles and laughs and misty eyes met her before they all surged forward. At first the embrace was a little awkward, half of them being ghosts and all, but eventually they found the right positions where they all could hug her without phasing through the lifers among them too much.
And Julie tried to pull them all close at once, tears still flowing and heart aching in that weird and wonderful way overwhelming affection did.
Dios, what had she done to deserve all these amazing people in her life?
Not super happy with the dots, but it was the only way I could think of to get the right spacing.
I've had this picture in my head for so long - the boys serenading Julie for her birthday - and I'm so happy to finally have it in words! This was so much fun to write, especially since I haven't written a song outside of school group projects before, and especially not a song from several fictional characters' point of views!
I wish I could share all the melodies and rhythms and, well, how the song sounds, but I can only convey so much in words hahaha. Not sure if this is that interesting, but I can share what the chords are at least:
Verse: A-G-D-E x2
Bridge: D-E x2
Chorus: A-E-E-A-A7-D-A-E-A x2 (The happy birthday tune, but in 4/4 - pretty much the singing starts on beat with the drums/guitar, instead of slightly before as in the original version. First time with words, second time instrumental)
And in the absence of my own ghost band, I sadly had to settle for my acoustic guitar, no harmonies and a metronome/drum machine playing at 95 BPM (think around the tempo of Edge of great), but it worked lol
Anyway, enough of me. See you all on Sunday, for the final chapter (ahhhh)