Chapter Text
Treegap, California
14th June 1910
For wind chimes to be musical, Julie reasoned, they needed a breeze. And they wouldn’t be getting one buried under two feet of earth.
She’d muddied the hem of her dress so badly it might not be wearable anymore, and her hands were caked in the telltale dirt. When her father asked (or worse, her aunt), she would have no reasonable explanation.
And it wasn’t reasonable, she supposed, to have buried every set of wind chimes the Molinas possessed. But she was far past that point. Anything remotely musical reminded her too badly of her mother. And so they’d all stayed in that remote cabin in the Wilsons’ woods, every last instrument: the tambourine, the harpsichord, the fiddle. The piano. And since she’d frozen up in front of all those people yesterday, even the wind chimes had to go.
Carrie would have told the whole town by now. Her aunt would know, and soon so would her father. Julie pictured the disappointment on his face when he found out what she’d done (or rather, not done), and for the first time she felt a pang of guilt for the wind chimes.
She could at least make herself presentable. Julie smoothed over the last chunk of earth with her foot and ran inside, shaking off her skirts as she went. By some miracle she avoided both her father and her brother Carlos, and managed to get to her washstand and lace herself into a clean dress just in time for her name to be called.
‘Julie! Come here, Julie, will you?’
‘A name can get worn out, being called so much,’ she muttered as she went back down the stairs.
‘Yes, Papi?’
‘There you are.’ Her father smiled at her from their dining table. ‘Your tía will be here for dinner later. Could you run down to the general store and pick something up?’
Julie rolled her eyes. ‘I know, no leftovers in front of Tía. All right, I’ll head over.’
‘Thank you, mija. And tell Carlos if you see him, will you?’
Julie nodded. ‘He’ll be thrilled.’ She picked up a basket and laced up her shoes, kissing the top of her father’s head as she left.
Treegap was as stiflingly small as always. She stepped out onto Main Street (also known as Only Street), trying to avoid any put out glances as she made her way over to the general store. Everyone in Treegap knew her, which meant that everyone in Treegap knew she was a failure.
The journey there was safe, but once she’d left with a fresh chicken wrapped in paper and a bottle of ginger wine, her luck had run out. Miss Carrie Wilson herself was out and about, and of course she was on the arm of her much lovelier fiancé.
‘Look, Nick!’ A voice rung out, falsely bright, and Miss Wilson was looking straight at her. ‘It’s the town disappointment!’
Julie muttered a curse under her breath. Applying a false smile of her own, she approached the two of them.
‘How’s things, Carrie?’
‘Miss Wilson,’ said Carrie, her small nose turned up in disdain. ‘I’d say things are good, Miss Molina, but as you know, we’re all recovering from a shock. Our town fair is not to have a performance after all.’ She laughed. ‘Apart from mine, that is.’
‘Come on, Carrie,’ said Nick quietly. ‘You know they got that circus troupe instead. Nobody will be missing out.’
‘No, I guess not,’ said Carrie. ‘Better to have nothing at all than a girl who stands up to sing and stays mute, right?’
‘Is that your plan, Carrie?’
Relief hit Julie to see Flynn approaching them, wearing a look of pure wrath.
Carrie choked out another laugh. ‘Miss Flynn! Thank goodness you’re here. I wanted just to beg you not to come.’
‘It would be my pleasure.’
They shot each other winning smiles, an image so unsettling that Julie was unsurprised when Nick began to usher Carrie away. ‘Nice seeing you girls,’ he called back to them, as though he really meant it, and Julie’s heart – despite itself – turned over.
Flynn took her arm and together they walked back down Main Street. ‘Don’t tell me you’re still holding a candle for that boy?’ she whispered harshly.
Julie sighed. ‘He’s sweet.’
‘He’s boring. And tainted. What was that about a circus?’
‘Something they booked to replace me, I guess,’ said Julie. ‘I couldn’t sing in rehearsals. They’ve kicked me out.’
‘Oh, Julie,’ said Flynn, pulling away her arm to face Julie properly. The disappointment on her face hurt Julie more than anyone else’s.
She fixed her gaze on the ground. ‘I just can’t do it. It still hurts too much.’
They were silent for a moment.
‘This morning I buried the wind chimes.’
‘You what?’
A laugh bubbled out of Julie. ‘It’s silly, I know. I just didn’t want to hear any music.’
‘You know this means we’ll just hear more of Carrie’s?’ Flynn wrinkled her nose. ‘Carrie’s song, Carrie’s dancing, Carrie’s woods. I’m amazed she didn’t work that in somehow.’
Julie sighed. ‘We had some good times there, once, didn’t we?’
‘Once. Besides, haven’t you heard what they’re doing with the land? Carrie’s dad wants to make a second Hollywood. They’re cutting down all the trees.’
‘They’re what?’
Flynn studied her face. ‘You didn’t know?’
‘No! How could they do that? Do they know how old those sycamores are?’ Julie was shaking with rage, so much she almost dropped the basket. She held it with both hands, some dim part of her brain wanting to protect the chicken.
‘No. And I doubt they care. I’m sorry, Jules. I thought everybody knew by now.’
‘But that means… what about Mom’s cabin? Where she wrote all her music?’
Julie was panicking now. She pushed the basket at Flynn, who just about managed to take it. ‘I have to go. Drop this round for my dad, will you?’
Hiking up her skirts, she ran out of Main Street and all the way to the edge of Treegap. She passed the blacksmith’s, the cobbler’s, the farm. It didn’t take her long to reach the Wilsons’ woods.
She ran deep into the trees, through spaces both familiar and unknown in her haste to get there right that moment.
‘Might as well not have changed,’ she muttered to herself as she ran, wiping a hand across her forehead. ‘Two muddy hems in one day.’
Eventually she reached the cabin. It was just as it always was, just how they left it; cosy and low-ceilinged and full of songs. Beside the hearth, Julie knew, was a full basket of firewood. It had been a long time since anyone had lit a fire.
She didn’t go in. She was never quite able to muster the courage. Instead she paced around its outskirts, twisting her hands, deep in thought. How could Mr Wilson want to get rid of these woods?
A breeze picked up. Julie sighed. There were wind chimes here, of course there were.
And, alongside them, she thought she heard the twang of a guitar string.
Julie froze. She tried to slow her breathing, to tune out anything that wasn’t coming from the cabin. She heard it again – the few discordant plucks that signified someone tuning a guitar, and then a chord. Another.
She knew. Even before it could possibly have been certain, she knew. That was one of her mother’s songs.
Tears rushed up unbidden. She brushed them away with her sleeve and sat shaking for a moment. The next thing she knew, the music had stopped.
She gave herself a moment more to collect herself. Then she stomped back up to the trees.
‘You’re imagining things, Julie,’ she muttered. ‘Mom isn’t there. Nobody’s there.’
Sitting down on a low tree stump for a moment, she caught her breath and tried to steel her nerves. The cabin was there, at least. There was no rope, no note or sign to suggest it would be demolished. Her mom and Robert Wilson had been friends once. Maybe he wouldn’t knock it down. Maybe, just maybe, he’d keep the cabin as a memento of their friendship. Of the shining force Rose Molina had once been, for Treegap and Los Angeles and beyond.
She couldn’t hear music anymore. All she could hear was the breeze, the slow trickling of a spring nearby.
‘There was no one there, Julie,’ she whispered to herself again.
Her father had often tried to talk to her about how he still heard her mother. She hadn’t thought he’d meant it quite so literally.
After a long exhale, Julie stood up and brushed down her skirts again. Lifting her chin, she kept her pace steady as she made her way home.
Chapter Text
It was six o’ clock in the morning, and Julie was wide awake.
‘How could I have been so stupid!’ she hissed for the fifth time that morning, butting her forehead with her palm. ‘Someone could have broken into the cabin!’
Getting any more sleep now was hopeless. There were too many fears buzzing in her head: what if there was someone hiding in there? A fugitive, maybe? Someone nosing around and spoiling all her mother’s instruments as though they were toys?
The basket Flynn had brought back yesterday was downstairs, no longer a vessel for the precious chicken. Julie’s mind raced for a moment. Then, having come to a decision, she flung back her sheets and pulled a shawl over her nightgown.
She tiptoed downstairs. They didn’t have a bat or a rifle, so she went into the kitchen to retrieve a rolling pin. Then, on second thoughts, she took down the wooden cross that hung over their mantel and put that in the basket too. Just in case.
They were well into June now, and the early morning sunlight was already strengthening. Taking a deep breath as she stood at their threshold, shooting one last glance back at the house where her father and brother slept, Julie stepped out.
The nightgown had seemed an adventurous detail in her bedroom. Out here, she wasn’t so sure. But there was no turning back now. If she went back upstairs she’d lose her nerve entirely.
Nobody else was on Main Street this early, though she could hear people at work on the surrounding farms. Julie passed through Treegap and much of the woods undisturbed. She took a slightly longer path by the river, hoping that the familiar sounds of the lapping water, where her parents used to take she and Carlos swimming, would give her extra courage.
She reached the cabin. Today there was no music, no tantalising strums or opening chords.
She stared out at it, confused and a little irritated. She hadn’t ventured out with her nightgown and a rolling pin to be met with silence.
‘Maybe I was just imagining Mom,’ she murmured, brows dipped in a frown. But she remembered the strings being tuned, the slightly unsure sound to the first few notes. Wouldn’t an imaginary song sound perfect from the beginning? And really, hadn’t her mother always favoured the piano?
Julie shook out her wrists, steeling herself. ‘We’re going in, Julie. We’re gonna do it. Come on.’
After a moment more, she marched decisively towards the cabin.
The door was locked, but she knew exactly where to find the key. Under the flowerbox of dahlias that sat on the windowsill, tucked between the grooves on the bottom. With another deep breath, she slid it into the lock.
The cabin was quiet and still. Julie crept further in, her eyes adjusting to the gloom, and winced at the familiar creak of the floorboards. She put the basket in the crook of her arm and held the rolling pin aloft.
‘Empty,’ she muttered. ‘But… different?’
She threw back the curtains. The sight made her gasp.
Someone had been there. In fact, someone had made themselves at home. Her mother’s instruments were all intact – pristine, even – but there were more now. Guitars, several kinds of drum, a banjo. Men’s shirts in varying degrees of shabbiness were thrown over the furniture, and loose sheafs of paper littered the surfaces like wind-blown leaves.
Julie’s knees shook. The worst possible scenarios presented themselves to her: were they thieves? Criminals? Didn’t they know that Robert Wilson was going to get rid of these woods?
Apparently everyone else did.
She backed out of the cabin, slipping the spare key into her basket. She should regroup. Find her father, find Mr Wilson if she had to, tell them someone was in Mom’s cabin. Maybe then they should retrieve the instruments and bring them home, like her father kept asking her to.
She lowered the rolling pin.
Outside, she tried to calm her breathing as she walked back into the woods. She had been fortunate to come by with the strangers gone. Or maybe it was abandoned now? Luckier still.
She huffed out an angry sigh. She knew she’d been a little reckless, but mostly she was angry. How dare they touch her mother’s things?
And beneath the anger, she was full of grief.
Her thoughts were erratic, her nerves scrambled. She paced through the trees without much thought for where she was walking. When she next looked up properly, she realised she was in danger of getting lost.
She could hear that spring again, burbling calmly nearby. Maybe a drink would clear her head.
She followed the sound, picking her way through unfamiliar trees. There were walnut trees here, and thick oaks whose branches seemed to touch the sky. The spring sounded almost hypnotic – so beautifully calming.
Why had she never been here before? It was so quiet and peaceful, with nothing around but the trees and wildflowers and –
A guy.
A guy dressed in clothes twenty years out of fashion, kneeling beside the spring to take a drink. In silence, Julie lifted the rolling pin again.
She tried to advance closer, and stepped on a twig.
The guy turned. A cute guy. No, Julie admonished herself, she would not find this strange guy in the woods cute –
‘Hey,’ he said.
‘Stay back!’ she yelled. She brandished the rolling pin, and he stepped back with his hands up, palms facing her. His smile was replaced with a look of alarm.
‘Whoa, whoa! Would you put that thing down?’
‘Who are you?’ demanded Julie. ‘What are you doing out here? Were you in my mom’s cabin?’
‘Your mom’s cabin?’ He looked confused. ‘What are you—’
Julie heard a rustle, and two more guys stepped into the clearing. Their clothes were equally old fashioned, their hair floppy. She made a menacing gesture and soon they looked equally alarmed.
‘Who are you!’ she said again.
The three of them moved together. One of them, whose blond hair was the floppiest, cleared his throat. ‘Would you put the rolling pin down? Please?’
Julie’s heart was still hammering. She stared at them for a moment longer, but since they looked about as scared as she felt, she relented. ‘How did you get here?’
‘We live here,’ said the one with green eyes, the first she’d seen. He was smiling at her again, the look disarming. ‘Or – we did. We kind of travel around now, I guess.’
‘Here? In Treegap?’
‘Yeah. Just outside of Hollywood.’
The last of them gave her a cocksure smile. ‘You may have heard of us? We go by the Phantoms.’
The other two shot him irritated glances. Julie got the impression he wasn’t supposed to say that.
‘I haven’t. Sorry. Are you the guys who’ve been squatting in my mom’s cabin?’
‘Squatting?’ He looked hurt.
The one in the middle stepped forward. ‘Look, I don’t know about it being your mom’s cabin,’ he said. ‘If it is I’m sorry. We’re sorry. We – we lived here a few years back.’
Julie was suspicious. ‘How long ago, exactly? You’re, what, seventeen?’
The blond one smirked. ‘Most people think we’re older. But yeah, I guess you could say we’re seventeen.’
Julie kept staring.
‘A while,’ said the middle one eventually. ‘Look, why don’t you come back to the cabin and we can explain? And we’ll figure out this thing with your mom.’
After a moment, Julie put the rolling pin back in the basket. ‘Alright.’
He smiled at her. ‘We didn’t get your name.’
‘Miss Molina. Julie.’
He kept smiling, looking at her as though it was the nicest name he’d ever heard. ‘I’m Luke. And…’
‘Reggie,’ said the self-proclaimed Phantom, giving her a little wave.
‘And…’
‘Alex, nice to meet you,’ said their friend, giving her a brief handshake.
‘Tada,’ said Luke. Julie tried very hard not to be charmed.
‘You don’t have surnames?’
‘Luke does,’ said Reggie.
Julie was too tired to ask. ‘Alright. Can you move, though? I want to get a drink first.’
‘No!’
The three of them yelled it at once, and formed a line between Julie and the spring. She was so baffled she was tempted to regain her weapon.
‘What’s the big deal? I’m thirsty.’
‘You don’t want that water,’ said Luke, looking almost afraid.
‘Why not? I saw you drink it.’
Reggie put his arm out. ‘It’s – it’s poisoned.’
Julie lifted her eyebrows. Once again, the other two shot him looks of pure disdain.
‘I’m not feeling so great,’ said Luke loyally.
‘You don’t look sick.’
‘Hey,’ said Alex. ‘You don’t want to catch some stomach thing.’ He grimaced. ‘Believe me.’
Julie was beginning to rethink her decision to go to the cabin with them. They may be cute, but they were definitely weird.
In the distance, they heard hoofbeats.
‘Guys, come on,’ said Luke. ‘It could be him. We gotta go.’
‘Could be who?’
‘Uh, an old friend,’ he said. ‘Julie, would you come with us? Please? We’ll explain it all at the cabin.’
The hoofbeats grew louder.
‘Alright,’ she said, but she kept the rolling pin in her hand.
The four of them raced back to the cabin. Before they left, she noticed Alex kick a leaf-woven basket over the spring, hiding it among the flora.
She ran with them, all the while very much regretting the nightgown. She sent fleeting glances over her shoulder, in the hopes of learning what they could possibly be so scared of.
The boys reached the cabin and flung open the door, exhilarated from their apparently lucky escape. Reggie stepped into the middle of the gloomy room and gave her a little bow.
‘Welcome, Julie,’ he said. ‘You’re in the hideout of the celebrated Phantoms.’
Chapter 3
Notes:
Just wanted to say thank you so much to everyone who left kudos, and especially to those who commented! This is my first time posting and it really means a lot. Thanks again <3
Chapter Text
Julie was amazed at how quickly these three guys had settled themselves in her mom’s cabin. And just how much they seemed to be at home.
Luke had a misshapen couch in one corner that Julie recalled seeing, but didn’t think anyone had ever actually sat in. Reggie knew all the floorboards that could be pulled up and used as hiding places, handing her an old Coca-Cola truck that had once belonged to Carlos. And Alex turned out to be the owner of the little rowboat that had long sat anchored on the river.
They gave her breakfast, at least. The hot cakes were more sugar than batter, but they filled the gnawing hole in her stomach. As they ate she looked around, trying to figure out what was going on, and whether she was right to have stopped feeling scared.
The very moment they’d finished, the boys swung their chairs round to sit in a tight little semi-circle and looked expectantly at Julie.
She raised her eyebrows. ‘So. Who were you just running away from?’
They exchanged glances.
‘Do you know a man named Bobby Wilson?’ asked Alex.
‘Bobby? Do you mean Robert? Mr Robert Wilson?’
‘Ooh, he’s Robert now,’ muttered Reggie.
‘Yeah,’ said Luke, quietly intense. ‘Yeah, that’s him.’
‘Of course I know him. I mean, in Treegap, everybody knows everybody. But our families used to be friends. He and my mom; his daughter and me. He’s the one who told my mom she could write music here.’
Luke’s mouth was turned downward in an expression of anger that was almost comical.
Alex leaned a little closer. ‘Used to be?’
Julie nodded. ‘We… I guess you could say we don’t really see much of each other anymore.’
Alex looked as though he understood. ‘Well, same here. He’s an old friend of ours.’
‘How is that possible?’
He hesitated for a moment. ‘Julie, we’re older than we look.’
‘Alex, we can’t tell her about the spring!’ said Reggie in a stage whisper.
Alex paused for a moment and turned to him. ‘Reggie,’ he said, acidly, ‘I didn’t even mention the spring.’
Luke cleared his throat. ‘I guess it might be more accurate to say we don’t get older. Not anymore.’
He held her gaze. Julie looked between the three of them.
They’re crazy, she thought. They’re all crazy.
‘I wouldn’t believe us either,’ he went on. ‘But that’s why we’re here. We knew Bobby before he got all that money in the gold rush. This was where we wrote music once.’
‘And do you intend to stay? Now you know it’s ours too?’
There was a moment of silence. The three of them looked at each other.
‘If you want us to go,’ said Alex, reluctantly, ‘we’ll leave.’
The other two gave her solemn nods.
‘It was risky coming back here anyway,’ mumbled Reggie.
‘How often does your mom come here?’ asked Luke. ‘We haven’t run into her yet.’
And there it was. She felt the blow she’d known was coming.
Julie looked around. Even with the three agents of chaos she seemed to have run into, the cabin was painful to be in. She couldn’t look at the piano; she knew it would make her cry.
She was quiet for a moment. ‘It was you guys who played one of her songs yesterday, wasn’t it?’
‘We didn’t play the whole song,’ Luke clarified hastily. ‘It kind of felt like it… wasn’t for us.’
‘It was a great song, though,’ said Alex. ‘Your mom’s really talented.’
The words sat heavily in the room.
‘She was,’ said Julie quietly.
Immediately she saw the horror in their faces; the regret.
‘We are so,’ said Luke, ‘so, sorry.’
‘We didn’t know,’ Alex murmured. ‘Sorry for your loss.’
‘It’s alright. And thank you.’
‘Do you play the piano too?’ asked Reggie.
‘No. This is all my mom’s.’
Julie stood up. She walked around the main room of the cabin, taking a longer look at the boys’ instruments. They were clearly well loved. Some of the guitars had things etched into the wood; tangled bits of string poking from the top showed just how many times they’d been tuned.
‘Can I hear you play?’
‘Yeah,’ said Luke, quickly blinking back his surprise. ‘Guys, come on. Now or Never?’
Alex and Reggie nodded. They picked up their instruments and got into place so quickly and fluidly it seemed they could do it in their sleep.
When they started to play, Julie found herself nodding along. It was a heavier sound than she was used to; the beat was fast, attention-grabbing. All three of them could sing. They were… good.
She clapped for them when they finished, and they gave her exaggerated bows.
‘Normally we don’t stick around after we play,’ said Reggie. ‘You’re an exclusive audience, Julie.’
‘I’m flattered,’ she said, dryly. ‘I gotta say, I’m… kind of impressed.’
They beamed.
‘Alright. So you guys are kind of good. But I still have some questions.’
They nodded and put their instruments down.
‘So you’re telling me that because you and Robert were friends, this cabin once belonged to you?’
‘Not exactly,’ said Reggie. ‘It was always his. But he used to play here with us.’
Julie nodded. That kind of made sense. Carrie had got her love of performing from her dad, and a lifetime ago, they’d often talked about music with Julie and her mom.
‘And you’re trying to tell me that you and Carrie’s dad are the same age?’
‘I wouldn’t put it that way,’ said Luke, his face scrunched up in distaste. ‘I mean, we knew him back then, yeah.’
Julie raised her eyebrows at him. ‘And this apparently has something to do with that spring?’
The three of them looked at each other.
‘You wouldn’t believe us if we told you,’ said Luke.
‘I probably won’t.’
‘Uh, shall we sit?’ suggested Alex.
They crowded round the dining table again as before, with Julie on one side and the three guys on the other.
‘Listen,’ said Alex. ‘First off, you have to promise not to drink from that spring, alright?’
Their gazes were all fixed intently on her. Uncertain, Julie nodded.
‘When we first drank from it, we didn’t realise what had happened. But the water was like none you’ve ever tasted. It was so clear, so refreshing… We all felt stronger, somehow.
‘For a while it was like nothing had changed. After a few months we realised our nails weren’t growing. We stopped needing haircuts. None of us will ever have to shave.’
Julie frowned.
‘Then there was… an incident. We all should have died, but we didn’t. People got suspicious. Mainly Bobby. We had to start faking stuff so they wouldn’t think we were cursed. But then everyone saw Reggie fall out of a tree—’
‘Hey,’ Reggie mumbled.
‘—and get up without a scratch, and it was pretty much the end. We retraced our steps and the only thing that made sense was the spring. Bobby wasn’t there; he was getting older. And we weren’t. We don’t.’
‘We’re never gonna get older,’ said Luke quietly.
Julie looked at each of them. ‘When – when was that?’
He swallowed. ‘1885.’
Julie put her arm on the table and leant her forehead in her hand. There was something strange in her gut that didn’t want to believe it. Because if she did, if they were telling the truth, that meant –
‘If Mom had gone there,’ she said, ‘she would never have died.’
They looked stricken.
‘Is that what you’re telling me?’
A long moment passed. Eventually Alex nodded.
‘But Julie, she would never have died,’ he said. ‘Not ever. She would have seen you and your family grow old and die while she stayed the same. She would probably have been thrown out of town. Don’t you see?’
Julie was overwhelmed. ‘I need a minute alone.’
Luke got up and put his hand on the others’ shoulders. ‘Guys, come on.’
Shooting her final glances, the three of them left the cabin.
She sat for a long while in the silence, trying to keep her breathing steady. Of course, it was still possible that they were crazy.
Was it possible to be nice and make up something that ridiculous? To believe in it, even? If they had made it up, knowing what she’d just told them about her mom, then they had to be cruel. But Julie was convinced that they at least believed it.
She wasn’t ready to decide if she did. To decide what that meant for her mom.
They obviously cared about music. Maybe it could be nice to have the cabin used for that again.
Julie stood up and let out a long exhale. There was no harm in looking at her mom’s songs again, at least.
On the mantelpiece was an old song of theirs, the one the boys had started playing yesterday. She ran her hands over it for a second, feeling something in her chest expand.
Finally she walked over to the piano. On the top of it was something untouched. Something new.
Julie’s heart sped up. There was no mistaking that it was a song for her.
A mixture of emotions hit her all at once. At the surface was guilt. It had been almost a year, and not once had she visited the cabin. If she had, she would’ve seen this song a long time ago.
But she was curious, and her heart lifted to see some piece of her mom that was still left to discover. It was here, waiting for her, ready.
Julie hesitated.
When that familiar urge hit her, to place her fingers on the keys and see what they could do, she sat at the stool.
Faintly, she mapped out the chords.
The shape of the song took root in her mind. Tears threatened to form as she read the lyrics, but she nodded, understanding what her mother had meant for her to do.
Finally, for the first time in almost a year, Julie leant over the piano. She played the opening chords, and began to sing.
Chapter Text
Luke, Alex and Reggie sat by the river, tossing in pebbles to watch the ripples grow. None of them spoke.
A sombre mood had come over them. Every so often they glanced back at the cabin, half expecting Julie to come out any minute and tell them to remove their things. They’d come back to Treegap hoping for nostalgia, and instead had been hit with something far more bittersweet.
Around them, the breeze whistled through the trees.
As they sat there in the quiet, the first of the notes made their way to them. They heard the piano, confident, joyful.
They heard Julie begin to sing.
Exchanging glances, the three of them stood and moved a little closer to the cabin.
‘Is that Julie?’
Reggie was shushed almost soon as he’d begun speaking. He huffed and folded his arms.
It was, of course, Julie. They advanced as close as they dared, until they could just peek in through one of the windows.
‘She’s amazing,’ whispered Alex.
They watched her in silence, too transfixed to move. It wasn’t until Julie reached the end of the song, smiling gently over the piano, that the potential privacy of the moment really registered.
When Julie gathered up the papers and stood, they found themselves scooting back along the river to stand nonchalantly beside the willow trees.
She spotted them on her way out, and slowed.
‘Oh,’ she said. ‘Hey.’
They replied with varying degrees of normality.
‘I need to think about whether you can stay here,’ said Julie carefully. ‘Is that okay?’
‘Yeah, of course,’ said Alex. ‘Do whatever you need to do.’
Julie looked at them for a moment longer. They gave her blank expressions in return.
She offered the slightest hint of a smile, and left.
They waited until she’d disappeared among the trees.
‘I think she likes us,’ said Reggie, beaming.
‘Let’s hope she likes us enough to let us stay,’ said Luke. ‘Why do you think she didn’t tell us she played piano? And she can sing?’
Before Alex or Reggie could form a reply, he added, ‘Do you think she’d join the Phantoms?’
Julie had meant to talk to her dad about what she’d seen in the cabin, but in the end, she couldn’t do it. All she could tell him was about the song she’d found, and how, finally, she’d found the strength to play it.
That had been a good evening. There was a celebration in the Molina house; Carlos was at his most charming, and their tía brought over some food that was not leftovers. Julie almost forgot about the three sort-of squatters.
Flynn was delighted too, and her delight instantly turned – as Julie knew it would – into a bout of good-natured intensity. That very day she began a town-wide campaign to give Julie her performance slot back. But the circus was booked and the money had changed hands. It was too late.
‘Why couldn’t you have found that song yesterday?’ Flynn had complained, half serious.
Julie knew what she meant. The timing did seem particularly unfair. Now that she’d started singing again, part of her did wish she could get performing back, too.
When the town fair rolled around, she tried to put the thought out of her head. She wouldn’t be playing; she had to accept that. Maybe the circus would be good.
When the evening was starting to draw in, Julie, Carlos and their father left to meet Flynn and her parents on Main Street. Julie rolled her eyes to see the deep pink sash tied to Flynn’s muslin dress, an exact match to her own. Flynn gave her a smirk and took her arm.
‘I’ve told you, Flynn,’ she said in a low voice. ‘Double Trouble is not happening.’
‘Well, it isn’t with that attitude. And if you think this is bad, you should see what Carrie’s troupe are wearing. Daddy paid for them all to look splendid.’
Julie laughed and rolled her eyes.
Daddy had paid for quite a lot, it seemed. The path skirting the woods to the Wilsons’ house had been lit with hundreds of low-burning lamps, casting a warm glow over the trees.
‘Isn’t that kind of a fire hazard?’ said Carlos behind them, and Julie privately agreed.
The Wilsons’ house was a grand colonial, all white walls and columns. Their yard was cocooned by sycamores, a meander of the river marking a natural boundary, and here dozens more lanterns hung among the foliage.
Since Treegap didn’t have much of a town square, the very outskirts of the Wilsons’ yard had come to fulfil that role. Most of the community events were planned by Carrie, anyway, and her mother before her. At the edges of a dirt-packed lawn were dozens of stalls, selling everything from hot dogs to little tin music boxes. Carlos immediately dashed off to look at the cotton candy machine, and Ray followed.
Julie and Flynn milled around the square, watching the circus set itself up. At the end of the square was a small wooden stage, and being loaded onto it were several heavy, clunking boxes.
‘No way!’ Flynn dug an elbow into Julie’s side. ‘Isn’t that guy really famous?’
‘Where?’
Flynn pointed. ‘He’s a magician or something. He’s supposed to be incredible.’
Julie caught sight of a man in a suit of deep purple velvet. His top hat was no longer completely in fashion – like those guys in the woods – but it suited him, and gave his costume a delicious sense of the theatrical.
‘I don’t recognise him,’ she said. But she frowned. He caught her gaze, tipping his hat with a courteous smile, and she felt a strange pull in her gut. Was he familiar, or just incredibly charismatic?
‘You will after tonight,’ said Flynn.
‘Well,’ said Julie, ‘at least they replaced me with something good.’
‘Jules, they won’t even compare.’
She smiled.
But before they could get to the magic, they had to watch Carrie. She and four of her friends glided onto the stage in sequinned dresses that threatened to put the pink sashes to shame.
‘Hope y’all are having a good time!’ she called, and was met with a cheer. Julie and Flynn exchanged looks, and without a word they walked to the hot dog stand.
Loath as they were to admit it, Carrie was good. She could hold a crowd, and how she managed to dance quite so energetically and sing at the same time was a mystery. Especially in a hobble skirt. After they’d been handed their hot dogs they found themselves standing to watch.
But Julie’s attention was soon caught by something else. Stepping through the trees beside the river, dressed in shabby shirts an inconspicuous brown, were three familiar figures. Her eyes narrowed.
Each of them carried a scrap of black silk. It took her a few moments to figure out that they were domino masks, the kind you might wear to a costume party.
Julie bit back a smile, shaking her head a little. They really were committed to this Phantom thing.
Carrie’s group finished performing, to a round of thunderous applause. Carrie laughed and waved it off.
‘Thank you so much!’ she called. ‘I’m so blessed every time I get to perform for you guys. And coming up next, fresh out of Hollywood, we have Caleb Covington and his troupe!’
At this there was more applause, even Flynn joining in.
‘Yes, such an honour! And at such short notice! For that, I guess we all need to thank Julie Molina. Maybe next time, huh, Julie?’
Julie’s gut turned over. Carrie’s eyes met hers, and she gave her a sparkling smile.
‘I will kill her,’ muttered Flynn.
‘Don’t bother,’ said Julie quietly. ‘We knew she might do something like that.’
‘Well, I’ll let you go,’ said Carrie. Her group began to descend from the stage. ‘Thank you all just so much, again!’
Carrie looked like she was going to head over.
‘Flynn?’
‘On it,’ she said. ‘Hide.’
Julie darted to the edge of the fair, hot dog in hand.
And ran straight into Luke.
Chapter Text
‘Oh!’ said Julie. ‘Hey!’
‘Hey,’ said Luke. ‘Is that a hot dog?’
For some reason he was frowning at it, as though its existence personally offended him.
‘Yeah, why?’
Without warning, he took it and threw it into some shrubbery nearby. ‘Trust me,’ he said. ‘You’ll thank me later.’
Julie gaped at him. ‘You really are crazy.’
‘I’ll buy you something else,’ he said. ‘Hey, what was that girl talking about just now? About you being the reason they booked Covington?’
Julie’s scowl deepened. ‘Oh. That. Well, I… I was supposed to perform tonight. But I kept clamming up. Until I found Mom’s song, actually.’
‘What, so they took your slot away? But you’re amazing!’
She stared at him. He shifted a bit.
‘Okay, so we heard you yesterday. Julie, you’re really talented. That should be you up there.’
Julie huffed, looking out at the fair for a moment. She wished he hadn’t thrown away her hot dog.
She caught Flynn’s eye. Flynn was stood with Nick and Carrie, looking questioningly between her and Luke, her eyebrows almost at her hairline.
Julie gave her a nervous smile and looked back at Luke. ‘Well, now the whole town thinks I’m a flake,’ she said. ‘They wouldn’t let me perform again anyway.’
He looked at her for a moment, his gaze intense.
‘Then perform somewhere else,’ he said finally. ‘Show them what they’re missing.’
‘What?’
From a shirt pocket he drew out a crumpled flyer. He pressed it into Julie’s hand.
‘We’re booked in Pasadena next weekend.’ He pointed to the top of the flyer. ‘You should come with us. Play at the end of our slot.’
‘They won’t have a piano,’ said Julie doubtfully.
His eyes brightened. ‘Then let us play for you.’
‘I don’t know…’
‘Think about it,’ he said. ‘Anyway, come find me later. I owe you some cotton candy.’
Luke pushed the flyer back into his pocket and retrieved the domino mask, tying it over his eyes. He gave her a quick wave before disappearing back into the crowd.
Julie watched him go, smiling a little despite herself.
Flynn was next to her a moment later. ‘Who was that?’
‘It’s… I’ll explain later.’
Flynn shot her a suspicious look. But before she could question further, a hush fell over the crowd.
‘Ladies and gentlemen,’ came a low, thrilling voice.
The stage was deserted – until, in a puff of smoke, it wasn’t.
Gasps went up from the crowd. All of a sudden the stage was full of people, bright lights shining out, more purple velvet hung as a backdrop. There were dancers in vibrant costumes and a whole host of jazz musicians. And there was Caleb Covington himself, commanding the crowd just as much as Carrie had, moving between the dancers as though they were ethereal.
The song they opened with was smooth, attention-catching. Even after Caleb finished singing, the saxophones continued to blare out reprise after reprise as he dazzled the crowd with tricks. Julie managed to catch sight of Luke, Alex and Reggie, all wearing their domino masks, and the three of them looked begrudgingly impressed.
Tricks didn’t seem the right word for it. The very air seemed to shimmer as objects appeared and disappeared. Caleb and his dancers seemed to glide above ground. Julie was baffled, trying to watch carefully for any slight hint of the mundane, but their performance was flawless.
Caleb announced a brief intermission. Then onto the stage, dressed in a similar suit of a more muted purple, came a young man. Julie’s eyes widened. He was the first person she’d ever seen to have a pair of roller blades strapped to his shoes.
His long black hair was loosely tied up, and part of it fell across his forehead as he gave a sweeping bow. Then he skated across the stage to disappear behind a black silk curtain held up by two women in costume.
A shiver of unease rippled through the crowd as the boxes at the corner of the stage were opened. An attendant pulled out a long, thin sword and several throwing stars, passing them to Caleb. Another lit a long torch, and the sharp smell of napalm became tangible even above the fried food.
Sword in hand, Caleb stepped to the front of the stage. He surveyed the audience with supreme confidence, his mouth curving into a smile.
‘Are you ready to see the veil between life and death?’
There was a hush over the crowd now. Even the whirs of the popcorn machine had fallen silent. All eyes were on Caleb and that rippling curtain of black silk.
In shadow, a man began to hit out a slow, urgent rhythm on a pair of drums. Two women with trumpets blew out high, squalling notes. The drumming grew faster.
Caleb stood, his profile visible to the audience, throwing star poised in his hand. As the music reached a crescendo, he made an impossibly quick motion and threw the star at the curtain.
It seemed to vanish. All that was left was a single tear, slicing a scar into the surface of the fabric. Gasps went up from the audience.
Caleb threw the second star. Again, it seemed to disappear into the ether.
A third, then a fourth. By now the silk curtain offered the slightest glimpses through its rips, purple velvet visible through the black.
Caleb took up the sword. Julie felt sick. In several long, brutal motions, he sliced into the curtain and shredded it to pieces.
Julie thought she heard a muffled gasp. A sound, something slick and horrible, where the sword hit matter when it should have met silk and air.
Several screams went up from the audience. Julie found herself gripping Flynn’s arm so much it must have hurt. She caught sight of Carrie – even her face was white.
It took a moment for the scraps to fall away.
Beaming, pushing forward on his roller skates, the young man reappeared. He gave another bow. The crowd’s fear turned to delighted relief, and in turn, raucous applause.
Julie was astonished. She and Flynn exchanged baffled looks, somehow unconvinced.
The performance went on. Caleb threw flame, filled a target board with knives, magicked into being a beautiful bouquet of orchids for Carrie. The dark-haired boy from behind the curtain was part of it, too, skating around the knives, leaping over stage equipment, sailing under bouts of flame as if they were clouds. He was… fearless.
Julie had seen magic shows before. Then, the flame hadn’t been so searingly real. The air didn’t shimmer around sharpened throwing knives. And no one could roller skate directly into the path of a sword, smiling and waving at a crowd all the while.
She told Flynn she wanted to get away from the crowd for a while, skirting her way to the edge of the fair. On her way she saw Carlos and their father, and the utterly entranced look on her brother’s face made her smile.
Finally, in the shadows of a huge willow tree, she saw them.
Luke, Alex and Reggie were stood in their domino masks, whispering frantically. Julie crept closer to listen.
‘He’s been to the spring,’ Alex was saying, his voice low and urgent. ‘I’m telling you. I was behind the stage. I saw him get hit.’
‘Are you sure it wasn’t just a trick?’ Reggie sounded uncertain.
‘I’m sure. He was bleeding. And then, a second later, he wasn’t.’
Luke nodded grimly. ‘Like when I got that cut from the fishing pole.’
‘Maybe it’s something else?’ said Reggie. ‘Maybe it’s not just the spring that… I don’t know. Maybe he’s just super healthy.’
‘What,’ said Luke sarcastically, ‘you think this guy just eats his greens?’
‘You never know!’
Alex shushed them. ‘I think I hear someone.’
There was silence. Julie huffed and walked up to them.
‘Alright, so I heard you,’ she said. ‘So… you weren’t making all that up?’
They turned to look at her. Luke’s face broke into a smile.
‘No,’ said Alex. ‘No, we weren’t making that up.’
Julie nodded slowly. ‘I think maybe I believe you. For… some reason.’
‘That’s great,’ said Luke. ‘So do you think you’ll come perform in Pasadena?’
Julie shot him a look. ‘I still need to think about my mom’s cabin. But… maybe I’ll come watch you rehearse tomorrow.’
At this, the three of them smiled, lit up like sunbeams.
‘Well, one of us needs to go talk to that guy,’ said Alex. He looked at Luke and Reggie, who offered him blank, expectant looks.
Alex sighed. ‘Fine. See you tomorrow, Julie.’
He waved and stepped out into the throng of the fair. Julie turned to Reggie and Luke.
‘I think it’s time you bought me that cotton candy,’ she said.
Chapter Text
With the magic show over, the fair was beginning to draw to a close. The townspeople milled about getting final souvenirs and lining up for hot dogs as the circus packed itself away. Caleb had disappeared after his one victory lap, but the attendants were still around to disassemble the stage, and Alex hoped he could find the guy in the velvet suit.
He was proving elusive. Alex was beginning to get frustrated, circling around the back of the stage and the main fair several times with no sign.
Until he was knocked unceremoniously to the ground.
‘Whoa, hey! Sorry, I didn’t see you there.’
A hand helped him up. Alex took it begrudgingly, ready to say something angry, when –
Oh no, he thought.
‘You all right?’
There he was, and he was smiling at him. The effect was completely, totally disarming. Alex found himself blinking, at a loss for words.
‘Uh – yeah, yeah, I’m fine,’ he said.
He leant down to remove the skates strapped to his shoes, his movements unhurried. He got back up slowly, his long, dark hair spilling gently over his shoulders.
‘Enjoy the show?’ he asked.
‘Enjoy the —? Oh, the magic show, yeah. It was… impressive.’
‘I’m Willie.’ He smiled and put his hand out. Alex took it, trying not to let his touch linger.
‘Alex.’
‘What’s with the mask?’
‘This? Oh…’ Alex took a quick look around and pulled it off, feeling silly. ‘We just – came in costume, I guess.’
‘Very cool,’ said Willie with sincerity. ‘And, uh, who’s we?’
Alex wondered how much he could really say. ‘Some guys I perform with. We’re musicians.’
‘No way! What do you play?’
‘A bunch of kinds of drums. Sometimes other stuff.’ He coughed. This was getting away from him. ‘Hey, uh, listen. We all thought the show was cool. Mind if I ask you a question?’
‘Go for it.’
‘You did a lot of really dangerous stuff in your set. Doesn’t it… worry you?’
Willie laughed. ‘Not really.’
Alex studied him for a moment. ‘Why not?’
Willie seemed to consider. Then he led Alex to the other edge of the fair, near a private cluster of sycamores. Alex’s arm tingled where he’d felt the warm hand through his shirt.
‘I just don’t seem to get hurt,’ he said, and shrugged. ‘Not the way other people do. I used to, sure, but lately… I don’t know. It’s like I’m invincible or something.’
‘Yeah,’ said Alex, slowly. ‘Same here.’
‘What, really?’
Alex nodded. ‘Listen, Willie… Did you ever go to a spring? Up in those woods there? One that tasted better than any water you ever drank?’
Willie frowned. ‘How did you know?’
‘I went there too,’ he said. ‘So did my bandmates.’
‘And you… you don’t get hurt either?’
‘None of us do.’
Willie was quiet for a moment, looking at Alex as if trying to gauge whether he was serious.
‘Well that’s… That’s awesome. Really? You drink that, and you can’t get hurt? Why doesn’t everyone know about it?’
Alex motioned for him to step further into the canopy of trees. ‘We can’t tell anyone about it,’ he said. ‘Willie… Haven’t you noticed that your hair’s stopped growing?’
Willie stared at him. ‘What?’
Alex frowned. ‘When did you drink from the spring?’
‘Two weeks ago.’
Something curled in Alex’s stomach. This had just gotten a lot harder.
Willie leaned in closer ever so slightly. ‘Alex, when did you drink from the spring?’
He swallowed. ‘1885.’
‘No way,’ whispered Willie again.
For a moment it seemed to sink in.
‘You have to not tell anyone about this,’ Alex insisted. ‘It seems cool, but… we can’t die. Ever. Imagine if every single person drank it. Nobody would die. The world would stay stagnant, forever. Children would be trapped before they could get any older. And what if someone found it, and their intentions weren’t good? If they started using it for power, for blackmail? My bandmates and I, we all got run out of town when it first happened. People thought we were cursed.’
At the word cursed, something changed in Willie’s face. He nodded, looking serious now. ‘Keep it secret,’ he said. ‘Got it. And I won’t tell anyone about you or your bandmates.’
Alex’s chest felt lighter. ‘Thanks. I appreciate it.’
Willie nodded back at the fair. ‘Can I get you a hot dog, Mr Immortal?’
Alex laughed. ‘Uh, no thanks. Bad memories.’
Willie looked intrigued. ‘Popcorn, then?’ he offered as they walked back in.
‘Sure.’ Alex tied his mask back on. Willie smiled but didn’t question it.
They got into the line for popcorn. Alex glanced at him a couple of times, feeling a strange mixture of anxiety and hope.
‘Uh, does anyone else know about your… condition?’
‘Oh, no,’ said Willie, smiling confidently at him. ‘Just Caleb.’
Alex’s stomach sank. ‘What does Caleb know?’
‘He knows I can’t get hurt,’ Willie said, shrugging. They reached the front of the line and he handed over enough change for two boxes. ‘He’s very interested in that, believe it or not. It’s what got me this circus gig.’
‘Right.’ Willie handed him the popcorn, but Alex was no longer sure he could eat anything. ‘Uh, maybe don’t tell him anything else? Just in case.’
Willie flashed him another smile. ‘You got it, hot dog.’
Luke and Reggie had almost run out of flyers by the time Alex ran into them again, his face pink.
‘Hey! What took you so long? Did you talk to him?’
‘I talked to him,’ said Alex, a little breathless. ‘He drank from the spring.’
‘Whoa,’ said Luke. ‘Alright. Did you tell him what that meant?’
‘Yeah. He was… surprisingly chilled.’
Luke and Reggie exchanged smirks.
‘It’s not that surprising, Alex,’ said Reggie. A woman walked past him and he pushed a Pasadena flyer under her nose, calling, ‘Tell your friends!’
‘I think it’s a little scary to find out you can’t die,’ said Alex defensively.
‘Sure, but not as scary as the thought of actually dying, right?’ said Luke.
Alex shrugged. ‘Maybe for some people.’
‘So he wasn’t overly bummed to hear that he’s immortal,’ prompted Luke. ‘Anything else?’
Alex shifted uncomfortably. ‘He said that magic guy knows he can’t get hurt.’
Luke and Reggie exchanged foreboding glances.
‘Not good,’ concluded Reggie.
‘Not great,’ agreed Alex.
‘Maybe he’s a nice guy?’ said Luke. ‘The magic was cool.’
Reggie nodded enthusiastically.
Alex mentally rolled his eyes. They could be right, he supposed. But he couldn’t shake this bad feeling. That even one person knowing something, even if it wasn’t the whole story, was not good. That anything positive about meeting Willie was drowned out by the knowledge that the spring wasn’t as well guarded as they’d all thought.
Chapter Text
Julie felt only a slight pang of guilt at not telling her father exactly why she was going to the cabin. He was so happy to think that it was just to play piano and feel connected to her mom. And of course he wasn’t wrong – it was just that there were three Phantoms there now, too.
The other thing bothering her was Flynn. She’d grown suspicious when Julie wouldn’t tell her about the three guys she’d spent time with at the fair, and it hurt Julie not to tell her. But what could she say? Hey, Flynn, these are three immortal musicians that are staying in my mom’s cabin! I let them stay here just because I like them. But they’re kind of weird about hot dogs.
When Julie swung open the door to the cabin, the three guys immediately stopped what they were doing to beam at her and call her name. ‘Julie!’
‘Nice harmonies,’ said Julie, smirking. She stepped further in, brushing down her skirt. ‘What were you playing?’
Luke hurdled over the piano stool to meet her at the threshold. ‘It’s a song called Bright,’ he said. ‘I think it’d be perfect for your range.’
He pressed a sheet of paper into her hand. Julie scanned it, forming the tune in her head, nodding a little as she started to picture it.
‘It looks good.’
‘Wanna hear it?’
‘Sure.’
Julie sat at the piano stool as they got ready. They started to play, and as before, Julie found herself nodding along. They were just as good as she remembered. But by the second chorus, she couldn’t help noticing where the song might benefit from some harmonies. From someone with a higher range. She found herself humming along.
Luke looked smug once they’d finished. ‘See, Julie, there’s no piano at Pasadena, and…’
Julie shook her head slowly, trying not to smile. ‘Right. Of course.’
‘And we got you a mask,’ added Reggie.
‘Seriously?’
Luke threw her a domino mask. Unlike theirs, hers wasn’t all black. It was a vivid, electric blue, sequinned in purple and silver.
‘Where did you get this?’
‘None of us made it, if that’s what you’re suggesting,’ said Luke, scoffing. He coughed and cleared his throat. ‘Anyway. What do you think?’
Julie considered it for a moment.
‘All right. I’ll sing with you this one time.’
They let out a whoop.
‘But no more than that,’ she added. ‘Otherwise I’ll have seriously betrayed Flynn.’
‘Flynn?’
Julie told them about her best friend. About Double Trouble, and how much she’d helped her after the death of her mom.
‘She’s already starting to get mad at me,’ she added. ‘But I can’t tell her about you guys.’
They were quiet for a moment, exchanging subdued glances.
‘Maybe we could—’
Reggie started to speak, but Luke shook his head at him. He clamped his mouth closed.
Julie sighed. ‘All right, well. Show me the chords to Bright again?’
They practiced the song together for a few hours. Just as Luke and Julie had thought, her voice lent itself perfectly to theirs. The four of them worked on the song until even thinking about performing it left them giddy with excitement.
After a while, they took out some sandwiches to eat beside the river, and Julie got to know a little more about the Phantoms.
They seemed reluctant to talk about anything in their past, especially their past in Treegap, but she learned some little things. Reggie wanted to discover the true history of the French dip sandwich. Alex’s favourite colour was pink. And she kept noticing Luke cuffing and rolling his sleeves, even when they were already at his elbow.
Julie raised her eyebrows at him. From his other side, Reggie smirked.
‘Luke doesn’t really like sleeves,’ he said. ‘Or collars.’
‘They just get in the way,’ Luke grumbled.
‘Well, fashion seems to get more and more casual all the time,’ said Julie, leaning back on her elbows. ‘Maybe one day you won’t have to have sleeves at all.’
Alex laughed. ‘And just like that, Luke’s immortality would become worth it.’
Luke made a tsch noise as Julie and Reggie joined in.
Julie had noticed that of the three of them, Alex seemed to be the most concerned about their situation. Luke seemed to think it was the greatest thing in the world to be able to travel to endless new cities, play to endless new crowds. Reggie loved being able to fulfil whatever childhood daydream he wanted without fearing the consequences. But something had Alex unconvinced. Or maybe disenchanted.
She wondered why that might have been.
Over the next week, she slipped out to the cabin as frequently as she could. After a few days, she’d memorised the song and could sing it in her sleep, but she liked rehearsing with them anyway.
The day before the fair in Pasadena, Julie was on her way there again when she ran into Flynn on Main Street. Flynn was wearing a look of silent, sour fury that Julie had only ever seen her use on Carrie.
‘Uh oh,’ said Julie. ‘What’s wrong?’
Without a word, Flynn unfolded a flyer and handed it to Julie. Below the mentions of apple-bobbing and a carousel, the words THE PHANTOMS were printed – and below that, in truly appalling penmanship, had been scrawled AND JULIE.
‘First you run off at the fair to hang out with some random guys, and then I learn from a flyer my mom got at the general store that you’re playing with a band in Pasadena?’
‘I mean, that could be any Julie,’ she mumbled.
Flynn pointed at the flyer again. What Julie had mistaken for some kind of ink run was, on closer inspection, her surname.
‘Oh.’
‘Oh is right,’ said Flynn. ‘Why didn’t you tell me about any of this?’
‘It’s… hard to explain. You’d think I’m crazy.’
Flynn raised her eyebrows. ‘When has that ever put me off believing you on something?’
Julie sighed. ‘You’re right. I’m so sorry, Flynn. Why don’t you come to the fair tomorrow? You can see us play and I’ll introduce you to the guys. They can help me explain.’
Flynn still looked suspicious. ‘I’ll think about it.’
Julie looked at the flyer again. ‘They could really use your campaigning skills.’
Flynn softened a little. ‘They sure could. The Phantoms and Julie Molina? And you thought “Double Trouble” was bad.’
Julie smiled. ‘Not very catchy, is it?’
Flynn let out a long sigh and folded her arms. ‘Alright, Jules, I’ll get my parents to take me to Pasadena. But this had better be good.’
Julie bit her lip. ‘Could you… give me a ride?’
‘Seriously? You haven’t even told your dad?’
‘I will!’ protested Julie. ‘Eventually!’
Flynn huffed. ‘Fine. But you owe me one, Jules. Seriously.’
‘I owe you ten,’ said Julie. She pulled her friend into a hug.
Chapter Text
The town fair in Pasadena was much, much bigger than the one Carrie had organised for Treegap. It was more people than Julie had seen since their last trip into Los Angeles for May Day, and at the sight of such a big audience, her stomach started to churn.
For a while she stayed with Flynn and her parents, watching some of the other performances and playing the games. The domino mask was pinned under her hat. They visited the coconut shy, ring toss, whack-a-mole. Flynn won a brightly painted spinning top that she handed off to Julie for Carlos.
As the time for their performance drew closer, Julie and Flynn restricted their exploring to the area near the stage. This one was bigger than the wooden pop-up the Wilsons had installed, with a backdrop and a set of metal-runged steps, and the sight of it made Julie’s heart patter. She refused Flynn’s offer of popcorn.
The sky was just beginning to darken when she heard someone stage-whisper her name.
She turned to see Reggie lurking behind some stalls, dressed all in black and with his domino mask on. ‘Come on, it’s time!’
‘I’ll see you later,’ she said to Flynn, who raised her eyebrows in response. Then she relented, giving Julie a tight squeeze.
‘Show them what they’re missing,’ she said.
Julie and Reggie dashed behind the stage, where Alex and Luke were waiting with their equipment. They beamed at her.
‘You made it! Got the mask?’
Julie nodded and put it on. It felt strange, but her vision wasn’t hampered at all.
‘Guys, I don’t feel so great,’ she said quietly.
‘Oh,’ said Alex. ‘Oh, you look super nervous. Hey, you didn’t eat a hot dog, right?’
‘What is it with you guys and hot dogs?’ she muttered. ‘No, I just… I guess I’m nervous. I mean, what if this is my only chance?’
Luke shook his head animatedly. ‘Once these guys see you, there won’t be anywhere you can’t perform. Trust me. We wouldn’t have asked you to sing with us if we didn’t think you’d be amazing.’
The words cheered Julie a little. All three of them were beaming at her, so eager and ready to let her join them in this, and the courage it gave Julie was just enough.
Together they walked onto the stage.
Julie took a deep breath, looking out at the audience. Among the sea of faces, she recognised a lot of the people of Treegap. Including Carrie, who stood beside Nick with a look of cold disdain. Nick, though, looked truly excited to see her sing.
And there was Flynn, grinning at her and giving her a thumbs up. Julie grinned back.
Alex cued them in. Luke and Reggie started to play the opening chords, just as they’d planned, shooting her encouraging smiles.
Julie took in another breath. She started to sing.
She moved on pure adrenaline, buoyed by the sheer joy coming off the Phantoms, the audience a total blur. Part of her remembered how to do this. How many times had she and her mom put on little shows, or she and Carrie, even, back when they were friends?
And doing it with the guys around her felt just as good, just as right. Reggie grinned at her, and on a whim she leaned over to him to share the mic. They sang together, hair falling in their faces, laughing between lines.
Adrenaline turned to joy. Luke sang his verse, and Julie found herself jumping around as they played. With Reggie, with Alex, in the middle of the stage. And then she caught Luke motion for her to come over, and with a thrill she sang the harmonies she’d added directly to him.
It was a rush, filling her veins like sugar syrup. The claps and cheers from the crowd went straight to her soul. And when the song finished, she realised she’d never wanted it to end. She stared out at the cheering audience, her chest rising rapidly, and wondered if she could do this every day of her life.
Then she heard their collective gasp.
Julie frowned. She noticed smoke curling at her feet. Turning around, she found the rest of the stage empty.
She sighed.
‘Phantoms,’ she muttered.
‘So I’ll get to meet the band after the show, huh?’
Flynn was there to meet her with a stick of cotton candy and a tight hug. She looked a mixture of exasperated and proud.
‘They told me they don’t stick around for long after shows. I guess I didn’t realise how serious they were,’ said Julie with a rueful smile. ‘I’ll introduce you tomorrow. I promise.’
‘Good.’ Arm in arm, they walked further into the fair. Occasionally strangers stopped them to congratulate Julie, and something warm started spreading in her chest. Sometimes she was asked about the Phantoms, and she kept her answers vague. Part of her liked the mystery.
Near one of the stalls, they ran into Nick.
‘Julie!’ He headed straight over to them. ‘That was amazing!’
Julie felt a warm flush creep up her cheeks. ‘Thanks,’ she said, and hoped she could manage to maintain full sentences. Even if they were one word.
‘Seriously,’ he said. ‘Everyone’s talking about it. No way are you gonna have problems playing in Treegap now. I overheard the mayor saying we need to give you all the boosts we can. You’re gonna put us on the map.’
Julie heard the words as though in a bubble. ‘Really?’ she eventually managed to say.
‘Yeah, totally. I bet—’
Before he could finish, Carrie joined them. She cocked her head as she looked at Julie, arms folded.
‘Oh, hey, Julie,’ she said. ‘Done wearing a mask, then? I wondered if that was why you were able to perform.’
‘Maybe you should try it,’ she snapped. ‘They’re very comfortable.’
Carrie laughed. ‘Sure, okay. If you say so. Hey, Nick, can we head back to the whack-a-mole? I’m in the mood for something a little more… consistent.’
She took his arm, and the two of them walked away. Nick shot Julie an apologetic look over his shoulder.
Flynn shook her head. ‘See, Julie? Boring. And spineless.’
‘He’s not,’ said Julie, but her heart wasn’t in it. She sighed. ‘Hey, since the guys disappeared, do you wanna get hot dogs?’
Flynn smiled. ‘That’s my girl.’
Chapter Text
Their huge success in Pasadena seemed to follow Julie to Treegap. People smiled at her when she passed, where before she seemed to have regressed to disappointed frowns. She even got a couple of cards in the mail, which she had to intercept before her dad could see.
It made her feel light, like she was full of froth and fizz. She went around humming, tapping out rhythms on pieces of furniture, in a way she hadn’t for a long time.
She met Flynn on Main Street the day after the fair, as they’d agreed.
‘Alright, you can meet the guys at my mom’s cabin,’ Julie told her.
‘What? Your mom’s cabin?’
‘They’ll explain it all. But give me half an hour, okay? I need to tell them you’re coming.’
Flynn still looked highly suspicious. ‘Alright. Half an hour. But if this gets any weirder I’m talking to your dad.’
‘That will not be necessary.’ Julie started speeding up the path through the trees. ‘See you in half an hour!’
Flynn watched her go, shaking her head.
When Julie reached the cabin, she got another enthusiastic (and harmonised) greeting. The guys piled her in a hug, taking her by surprise.
Julie laughed. ‘Guys! Give me a second!’
They stepped back and she smiled at them. ‘So, you think last night went okay?’
‘Are you kidding? Last night was great,’ said Luke. ‘The audience loved you.’
‘They loved all of us. You guys are really good.’
They all smirked, looking more than a little smug. Julie cleared her throat. ‘But that smoke thing? You could have warned me you were going to disappear.’
‘We did,’ said Reggie, baffled.
‘You said you “didn’t stick around long”. I didn’t think you meant five seconds.’
Luke fidgeted with his collar. ‘We can’t stay any longer,’ he said. ‘You know Bobby can’t see us. But if anyone sees us too many times, figures out we’re the same guys not getting any older, it means trouble.’
‘We used to stick around a lot longer,’ said Alex quietly. ‘It was nice, you know, talking to people after. We had fans. But it… things got messy.’
Julie blinked. On another day, she would have sat at the piano stool and asked them a little more. Clearly there was a story there. But right now there was a more pressing matter.
‘We might have to have one fan,’ she said.
They looked confused.
‘Remember my friend Flynn? I need to let her meet you. She won’t tell anybody about you guys. She can help, probably. If we just—’
‘Julie, we can’t,’ said Alex, looking scared. ‘We made an exception for you because – well, we’re kind of squatting. And we like you. We know she’s your friend, but if anything gets out…’
‘I trust her,’ insisted Julie. ‘With my life.’
They still looked unsure. But she’d brought ammunition.
From a pocket in her skirt she withdrew a crumpled piece of paper. ‘This is a poem I wrote about Flynn last year. She helped me so much after we lost my mom. Please, you have to know what she means to me.’
They crowded round to read it. She saw their faces soften.
‘Julie, these would make great lyrics,’ remarked Luke.
‘Lyrics?’
‘Yeah! Don’t you ever write music? You obviously have the talent for it.’
She shifted uncomfortably. ‘I used to. With my mom. But we’re getting off topic.’
Alex handed her the poem back. ‘I’m okay with it if you guys are,’ he said to Luke and Reggie, gently.
They nodded.
‘It sure would be nice having a fan again,’ said Reggie wistfully.
Julie beamed. ‘Great! She’s coming here in a half hour. Maybe you could… tidy.’
She looked pointedly around the cabin, which was, as usual, full of discarded clothes and various paraphernalia. Copies of their Pasadena flyer littered almost all the surfaces.
‘Or,’ said Luke, ‘we could write this song.’
‘That’s not enough time!’
‘We can start it.’
‘How about something like this?’ Reggie picked up a guitar and began experimenting with a riff. It was, annoyingly, pretty good.
‘Guys! Off topic!’
‘New topic,’ said Luke, joining in with Reggie.
Alex caught her eye. He rolled his eyes at her affectionately, and Julie smiled.
Flynn was perturbed, to say the least.
‘You were born when?!’
‘1869,’ said Alex again. ‘But please, don’t dwell on that.’
Flynn folded her arms. She was sat in an old wooden chair, staring out at them all as they stood beside their instruments. Julie leant against the piano to watch.
‘Uh huh. And who was president in 1885?’
‘There were two,’ said Alex, baffled. ‘Chester Arthur and Grover Cleveland. Why wouldn’t we know that?’
Julie saw Luke and Reggie exchange glances. She wasn’t convinced they’d known that.
‘Alright. And what’s this whole deal with hot dogs?’
Alex sighed. ‘We’ll get into that another time.’
Flynn sent Julie a look, her eyebrows raised. ‘You really believe this, Jules? These guys found some magic water that turned them into magical boys?’
‘In a way, you could say everyone’s magical,’ put in Reggie, and the look Flynn gave him was withering.
Julie shrugged. ‘It makes sense. And – hey, guys, what happened with that guy from the magic show? Did you talk to him?’
‘Oh, my new friend,’ said Alex, smiling. His eyes were practically glowing. ‘Yeah, he drank from the spring too. That’s how he was fine after Caleb knifed him.’
‘Huh,’ said Flynn, slowly. She leaned back in her chair for a moment, surveying them. ‘Could you prove it?’
‘I mean, yeah,’ said Luke. ‘But it wouldn’t exactly be comfortable.’
‘No, Luke, we are not doing that again!’ protested Reggie. ‘I don’t care if we just wanted to be sure!’
Julie thought Flynn might be holding back a laugh. Maybe the sheer panic in Reggie’s voice was enough to convince her.
‘Alright, listen,’ said Flynn. ‘I still don’t know if I believe you. But you guys have clearly helped bring music back to Julie. So if she trusts you, then for now, so do I.’
Smiles broke out on the guys’ faces. Julie’s heart lifted.
‘And you won’t tell anybody about us?’ asked Alex.
‘No way. Code of honour.’
‘So, Julie,’ said Luke, ‘does this mean you’re officially joining the Phantoms?’
Before she could answer, Flynn broke in. ‘What, so you can be The Phantoms and Julie Molina?’ she said sarcastically, gesturing to one of the flyers on the piano. ‘You’re joining Julie. Not the other way around.’
She picked up an unedited flyer and a small stump of a pencil. She leant over it for a moment.
‘Here.’ She handed it to Julie. ‘Isn’t this better?’
Julie looked down at it and smiled. ‘Simple. But I like it.’
‘What does it say?’ asked Luke.
Flynn stood to join Julie and put her arm around her shoulder. They grinned at the guys.
‘Boys,’ said Flynn, ‘welcome to Julie and the Phantoms.’
Chapter Text
Alex next saw Willie skating in Los Angeles, taking advantage of the concrete paving they’d started to install. He’d mentioned that he came here sometimes, and when he caught sight of Alex and waved, Alex’s heart leapt.
‘Do these city folk not mind you going round in those?’ Alex said, smiling, as Willie came to a stop just in front of where he stood.
Willie smiled back. ‘I’m getting better at not bumping into things. Come on, I’ll show you the best places.’
Willie went as slowly as he could in the skates, but Alex still had to jog a little sometimes to keep up. Eventually Willie laughed and took them off.
‘So, immortality been treating you well?’ he asked. ‘What do you guys get up to?’
Alex grimaced ever so slightly. ‘Uh, kinda. We play a lot of shows, do a lot of travelling. Luke and Reggie – they’re my bandmates – seem to think it’s the greatest thing in the world.’
Willie looked at him. ‘But you’re not so sure?’
Alex was quiet for a moment.
‘I guess I just worry about it a lot. Like, how many people are we going to meet that just get older and die? Eventually we’re all gonna lose our families. More than we have already. And there’s got to come a point where we’ve just… done everything we could possibly want to do. Done it twice. I don’t know if they’ve thought about how that’s going to feel. What things are going to be like.’
‘I get it,’ said Willie. ‘Forever’s a long time. Anything else you worry about?’
Alex laughed without much humour. ‘Uh, yeah, only pretty much everything else.’
‘Does music help?’
‘Does it–? Oh, yeah, it does. That’s kind of why I started playing drums.’
Willie smiled. ‘What, you stopped aging and thought, I gotta get a hobby?’
Alex laughed. ‘No, I’ve been playing for years. Way before all this. I mean playing is a good distraction from pretty much everything that worries me.’
He nodded, eyes gazing deep into Alex’s. ‘I get it. Hey, I’d love to hear you guys play some time.’
Alex’s heart lifted. ‘Really?’
‘Yeah, absolutely,’ said Willie. ‘You can drum out a little solo for me.’ He gave him that smile again, the one that made Alex both hopeful and terrified.
‘Yeah,’ he managed. ‘Yeah, I can do that.’
‘So, where are you playing next?’
‘I’m not sure. We never play the same place twice. But it’s been twenty-five years since we really hit Los Angeles, so… maybe somewhere in Hollywood.’
‘Sounds great. When you next plan a gig, come find me so I can be there, alright?’
‘Alright,’ said Alex, smiling. Willie clapped a hand on his shoulder, and for a second, he left it there.
July had arrived before anyone quite realised. It meant little to Julie, who’d spent almost every waking hour either writing songs or thinking about writing songs. She’d started bringing her notebooks to the cabin, and even though Luke had a habit of nosing through them when she wasn’t around, part of her didn’t really mind.
He’d been right about the song for Flynn (not that she was going to tell him that). They’d performed it for her one day at the cabin, and the last of her reservations had melted.
And Julie took down her mom’s song from the mantelpiece, the one she’d heard them playing that first day. With Luke, Reggie and Alex, she finished the second verse, added harmonies to the chorus, arranged the drumming and guitar pieces that would accompany her piano. It felt strange at first, sharing her mom’s songs with the Phantoms, but Julie liked how it linked the two parts of her life together.
One day she got a letter that had her racing to the cabin. She arrived out of breath, pushing open the door without pausing to knock.
‘We have a gig!’
The guys had been lounging around, plucking strings at random, and when Julie came in they leapt up to greet her. ‘Where?’ said Luke.
‘When?’ said Alex.
‘Um, do you guys know Nick?’ Her cheeks coloured a little. ‘His family is throwing a party for the Fourth of July. And he wants us to play.’
Luke raised his eyebrows. ‘Who’s Nick?’
‘He, uh… He knows Carrie. We’re friends.’
He kept his eyebrows raised. ‘Right.’
‘This is great news for us,’ said Julie. ‘His family knows everyone in Treegap, and most of the people in Hollywood. There’ll be a huge crowd.’
They came round to read the letter.
‘You’re right, Julie, this does sound big,’ said Reggie.
‘He sure sounds eager for you to be there,’ said Luke. He didn’t sound quite so impressed. ‘“I’ve been waiting so long to hear you sing again, Julie!”’
Julie went scarlet and snatched the letter back. ‘We’re saying yes.’
‘Julie, I got us a gig too,’ said Alex. ‘For this weekend. It’ll be much smaller; we could take it as a trial run.’
‘Oh, really? Where is it?’
‘Just this small place in Hollywood. I, uh, I asked Willie to meet us there.’
Julie smiled. ‘Very nice. Do you have a set planned?’
He showed them the songs he’d picked, and for a while they went through making and refining a solid plan. This time they would get a whole three songs before disappearing.
‘Should I be doing this too?’ asked Julie. ‘I mean, does it ruin the effect if you guys exit the stage in a puff of smoke and I’m just… there?’
‘Nah, you’re our link to the audience,’ said Reggie. ‘It’s good to have someone approachable. Who’s, you know, actually supposed to be alive.’
‘You guys aren’t that old,’ said Julie, baffled, but for a moment they wouldn’t look her in the eye.
‘Besides, if someone wants to offer us another gig, you can be there to talk to them,’ said Luke. ‘We used to get most of our gigs through playing other ones.’
‘Yeah, and crashing them,’ said Alex, smirking.
Luke smirked too. ‘Yeah. Remember that time we played for the ladies’ society meeting?’
‘They had great macaroons,’ commented Reggie.
Julie stared at them. She shook her head. ‘Okay then. Anyway, how are we going to do two gigs in a row without me telling my dad?’
They exchanged looks. ‘Can’t you just tell your dad?’ said Reggie.
Julie made a face. ‘I can’t see him being comfortable with you guys. What am I supposed to tell him?’
‘Tell him you met us at a ladies’ society meeting,’ said Luke.
Julie rolled her eyes. ‘Right. I guess Flynn can always say I’ve been at her house.’
‘What’s your dad like?’ said Reggie wistfully. ‘From what you’ve told us he seems like he’d be really nice.’
‘You guys are so weird,’ she muttered.
‘What? I just feel like he’d be a good dad.’
‘Well you’re not meeting him. Not yet, anyway.’
Reggie still looked a little put out, so Julie picked up his banjo and handed it to him.
‘Here,’ she said consolingly. ‘Why don’t you show us that song you wrote about a horse again?’
He smiled and took the banjo. ‘Yeah, okay. Thanks, Julie.’
Chapter 11
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
As soon as they arrived at the club in Hollywood, Alex found himself looking out for Willie. The crowd grew steadily as he and the others set up the stage for their set, emerging Hollywood socialites filing in to crowd around tables and order Singapore Slings.
‘Do you guys think this place might be a little too high-brow for us?’ he murmured to the others. ‘I mean, everyone’s wearing suits.’
‘We have Julie now,’ said Reggie. ‘She’s our high-brow member.’
Julie, who was sat over at the piano checking it was in tune, rolled her eyes.
Luke clapped him on the shoulder. ‘We’ll be fine,’ he said. ‘They’ll all be falling over each other to invite us to their fancy parties.’
Alex hoped that was true. He decided to follow Julie’s lead and check over their instruments. Better to look as professional as possible, especially with Luke and Reggie being… well, themselves.
A hand grabbed his shoulder out of nowhere. He jumped, badly, and knocked over a drum. ‘Jesus!’ he yelped.
And there was Willie, wearing a black suit this time, his laughter low and warm. ‘Did I scare you?’
‘Only a little.’ Alex knew he must be scarlet, and he motioned for Willie to step away from the band a little. He didn’t want Luke and Reggie nosing in.
Willie’s face was soft with concern now. ‘I didn’t scare you too much, did I?’
Alex smiled. ‘No. But, uh, thanks. And thanks for coming.’
‘Hey, I’m excited to hear you guys play!’ He leaned against the edge of the bar. ‘So, do I get to hear about them?’
‘Sure,’ said Alex. ‘So, uh, that’s Luke.’ He pointed. ‘He plays guitar. Reggie’s on bass. And that’s Julie over on piano. This is only her second time playing with us.’
‘Really? You, uh, know Julie well?’
‘She’s a good friend,’ said Alex.
Luke caught his eye and gave him a questioning look. The lights were dimmed; the stage manager had spoken to Julie. It was almost time.
‘So, uh… you’ll stick around for that drum solo, right?’
It was one of the riskier things Alex had said for a while. He could barely meet Willie’s gaze, his heart pounding almost audibly.
But Willie was still smiling at him. He had a way of smiling that put Alex a little more at ease, though it cut straight to the core of him at the same time. All of a sudden, Alex was glad that that smile would last forever.
‘Yeah,’ said Willie. ‘I’ll stick around.’
‘Alex, come on!’
He shot Willie one last look before heading back to the others. Luke was staring, eyebrows raised and very obviously curious, but Alex ignored him.
The moments leading up to a gig were always a blur. The final tunings and checks, the staff dashing in and out to give them updates, conversations among the crowd gradually dimming to a hush. Alex hoped Julie was getting that same sense of adrenaline-fuelled excitement it always gave the boys.
And then they were playing. As soon as Julie started to sing, Alex was just as in awe as he had been the first time, when they’d snuck around the cabin as she played her mother’s piano. He watched her animate their socialite audience, getting them to their feet even in their pressed suits and gowns. She sang with Luke, with Reggie; sometimes she even circled to the back of the stage to sing with him. He grinned through it all, feeling like maybe she’d brought something animated back to him, too.
A three-song set had been risky. They were wearing their masks, but it was still a tight call as to whether anyone might recognise them. But the crowd’s reaction made it all worth it. Especially when Alex caught sight of Willie, whooping and cheering harder than anyone.
For five glorious seconds, they let themselves soak in the applause.
Julie moved forwards as the boys prepared to disappear. But Alex had noticed someone next to Willie. Someone whose intrigued look made him feel strangely vulnerable. His skin started to itch.
Just before they had to vanish, Caleb’s eyes met his. He smiled, slowly, and tipped his velvet-ribboned hat.
Half an hour later, Luke, Alex and Reggie were ambling through Hollywood’s darkest back alleys, the buzz not quite worn off yet. They missed sticking around and talking to fans, but at least they could congratulate each other.
‘The drums sounded so good this time,’ said Reggie, giving Alex a celebratory punch. ‘Nice work.’
‘You mean they don’t always?’ said Alex, mock-offended.
Luke put his arms around their shoulders. ‘We’re the best we’ve ever been,’ he said. ‘I’m serious. All of us, and now Julie. She’s really got something.’
There was such reverence in his voice that Reggie and Alex exchanged a look behind his back.
‘You’re right, boys,’ came a smooth voice. They whipped around, and there at the end of the alley, still in his purple suit and top hat, was Caleb.
He took a few steps towards them, purposeful and fluid. ‘You’ve all got… something. Really, boys as talented as you should be trying to get out there, to make a name for yourselves.’
For a moment they were too astonished to reply. The shadows in the alley seemed a little longer, somehow.
‘But instead,’ Caleb went on, ‘you disappear. A nice gimmick, certainly, but a gimmick all the same. Now why would you want to do that?’
‘It’s, uh,’ said Luke. ‘It’s complicated.’
Caleb looked at them thoughtfully, tapping his chin. ‘Mm. I believe you. It’s so easy these days, isn’t it, for things to get complex? Now listen – I wanted to find you so I could make you an offer.’
‘What kind of offer?’ said Alex suspiciously.
‘Oh, only something good. Something very good. You’ve seen my circus troupe, I believe?’
They nodded.
‘Our performers are only the best,’ he said. ‘People who know how to play a crowd. People like you.’
He let the words sit in a saturated silence.
‘Now, I know you boys have your own thing going on,’ he said. ‘And I don’t want to get in the way. I just want to let you know you’ve got options. Why don’t you come to my party on the Fourth, and we can discuss it a little deeper?’
‘We’re busy on the Fourth,’ said Luke. ‘We’ve already got a gig at another party.’
‘Boys,’ he said, ‘that one won’t be a thing like mine.’
He bowed, his cape rippling as he did so, and as the fabric sparked and swirled he withdrew three large red envelopes. Reggie blinked, his eyes wide.
Caleb handed an envelope to each of them. ‘Think about it. There’ll be displays like nothing you’ve ever seen.’
‘Mr Covington,’ said Luke, firmly, ‘we really appreciate it, but we can’t make your party. We made a promise to Julie.’
He looked at them for a moment, scrutinising.
‘All right,’ he said finally. ‘How about dinner? Say, six pm? Then you boys won’t miss your pumpkin carriage, and I get to give you my little sales pitch. Everybody wins.’
‘Dinner sounds great,’ said Reggie, moments before two elbows dug into his sides.
‘Fantastic. I’ll see you there.’
And in another swirl of his cape, he was gone.
‘No smoke?’ said Luke. ‘How does he do that?’
‘Maybe we can ask him at dinner,’ said Reggie.
‘Reggie, I can’t believe you said yes to dinner,’ said Alex. ‘You know we’re not supposed to let people get to know us.’
‘But this is a travelling circus,’ said Reggie. ‘What’s the harm in that?’
Luke and Alex exchanged uneasy glances.
‘Maybe he’s right,’ said Luke. ‘They’ll be in another state by the end of the summer. And… it’s not like we can play with Julie forever.’ He shifted uncomfortably as he spoke, looking like the words pained him. ‘It’s worth at least hearing what he has to say.’
Alex was quiet. He was thinking about Willie, tied to Caleb and paid very well for his inability to be harmed.
They’d probably be able to see Willie at Caleb’s dinner.
‘Well, it’s worth a shot,’ he said. ‘So long as we’re out in time to go play with Julie.’
‘Don’t worry,’ said Luke. ‘We will be.’
Notes:
Just wanted to say thanks so much again for the kudos and lovely comments! They make such a difference to me and are such great motivation!
Chapter Text
Caleb Covington had been around for a long time.
In 1829, he was little more than a nobody. Back then there was no Hollywood to take by storm, so he’d spent a few years moving through the circles in New York, San Francisco, New Orleans. Other magicians had experience to back up their talent, but he had something stronger: sheer, unfiltered ambition.
So, at the age of seventeen, he set out to make a name for himself.
At twenty-one, he’d made contacts that could get him in at almost any venue along the west coast. Older and more established magicians would ask him how certain illusions were done; local press would write speculation pieces that drove up business as much as any good review.
By the time he was thirty, Caleb was a big name. He never had any trouble pulling a crowd. Other magicians had grown actively suspicious of him, in a way that only bolstered Caleb’s pride.
Whispers followed him everywhere, of magic that transcended what was natural for a human to do. What was right for a human to do. And Caleb fanned the flames, enjoying the rumours more than anyone could guess. He only wished they were entirely true; anything more than an acknowledgement of his superior manipulation of an audience.
And, under the cover of nightfall, he went in search of a way to make it true. He met with alchemists, shamans, self-proclaimed witches. Everywhere he went, he sought out whoever might be able to make him more than a mortal man.
Until one of his tricks went wrong.
The popularity of escapology was evergreen, and it was an art at which Caleb excelled. He knew how to pick locks underwater, how to crack open a titanium cage, how to free has hands from several thick coils of rope.
In the end, it was a tiny mistake that almost killed him. One so tiny it was laughable. One extra inch to the set of steel bars between him and his waiting audience.
It had been his most complex setup yet. He had one minute before the air ran out. That minute was well over before one of his assistants finally pulled the failsafe.
From then on Caleb had a new goal. Illusions that outshone everyone else’s were no longer enough, especially if there was no guarantee against the dangers of inept assistants.
Death was never something that had interested him. Others spoke of an afterlife, of the so-called “wheel”, but that wasn’t something he cared about. Why cross over when he’d made such a life for himself on this side?
And he decided he would seek out whomever he had to, pay them whatever they wanted, to make sure death was never something that found him.
Now, Caleb was enjoying watching the future march into California. He would be part of the rise of Hollywood. His troupe was full of the best, only the best, and they were already making a new name for themselves.
So much had changed since 1829.
The day before Nick’s party, Julie and Flynn met up to discuss their plans. They sat far enough down the garden that Ray and Carlos wouldn’t be able to hear, settling under the shade of a willow with a basket of desserts and a pitcher of iced tea.
‘So,’ Flynn said, sneaking a bite of cake. ‘What do you guys have planned for the party?’
Julie handed her a sheaf of sheet music. ‘Here. We were thinking these three.’
Flynn looked through them, nodding. She pulled out one that looked vaguely familiar. ‘Is this one you wrote with your mom?’
‘Yeah,’ said Julie softly. ‘Luke and I finished it. We wrote these other songs together, too, over the weekend.’
Flynn looked at her and quirked an eyebrow.
‘So, uh,’ she said, casually, ‘a personal invite from Nick, huh?’
‘Guess so. I bet Carrie was mad.’ Julie riffled through the picnic basket in search of a pastry.
Flynn narrowed her eyes. ‘And you’re excited to see Nick?’ she prompted. ‘After he asked you to sing?’
Julie’s eyes met hers, then darted away. She fiddled with a piece of wicker poking from the basket. ‘Yeah. I really think these songs will go down well. Everything with Luke just seems to… I don’t know, it just feels right.’
Flynn set down her plate. ‘Jules, you are so smitten.’
‘I am not!’ she protested, cheeks flaming. ‘We just write good music together, that’s all!’
‘Good,’ said Flynn, ‘because he’s hardly available.’
‘I know,’ muttered Julie, scowling into her pastry.
‘And they’re old.’
‘Have you met Reggie?’ she challenged. ‘I think they got stuck at seventeen mentally as well as physically.’
‘Alright. Fair point. But be careful,Julie.’
Julie gave a long sigh. ‘I will.’
They were quiet for a moment.
‘And you need to tell your dad,’ said Flynn. ‘What if he sees one of your flyers? Or worse, what if Victoria sees one of your flyers?’
Julie shuddered at the thought of her aunt finding out before her dad. ‘I know you’re right, I just… I’ll tell him eventually.’
‘When’s “eventually”? How long are you going to play with those guys, anyway? For the whole summer?’
Julie set down her plate and pulled her knees up to her chest, sighing heavily. ‘I don’t wanna think about this right now,’ she mumbled. ‘This is the first time since my mom that I’ve been able to play music. I know the whole thing with the spring water is super weird, and they’re gonna have to skip town again before too long, but it’s been really fun. I just… I don’t want to have to say any more goodbyes.’
Flynn shuffled a little closer. ‘You won’t have to say goodbye to me,’ she said softly.
Julie leant her head on her friend’s shoulder. ‘Double Trouble, right?’
‘Always, Julie. You know that.’
As they went through the rest of the picnic basket, Flynn writing little notes in the margins of the songs, Julie tried not to think too hard about what they’d said. About certain things lying under the surface, that excited and scared her at the same time. About one more song, that currently existed only in her head.
Chapter Text
The Fourth of July announced itself with a scorching heat. Los Angeles was full of parades, streamers and confetti bursting into the sky like early fireworks, the smells of street food and barbecue settling like smog.
Julie spent the day in the city with her father and Carlos, buying cups of lemonade and wandering around the stalls. In the evening she and her brother drove to Nick’s party with Flynn and her parents, while Ray stayed to photograph the fireworks. As they drove Flynn wove a crown of dahlias into Julie’s hair.
Earlier that day, both Ray and Carlos had noticed that Julie was wearing one of her mom’s old dresses. They smiled and didn’t say a thing.
Julie knew that the guys wouldn’t be hanging out at the party ready to say hello, but it set queasy flutters in her stomach to have no idea where they were. Nick’s house was equal to the Wilsons’ in the way it imposed upon Treegap, its perfect white exterior both impressive and intimidating, and enough marquees were set out in the gardens to accommodate four villages. But Julie had always liked how Nick downplayed it all, laidback and friendly as he was.
With Carlos safely shoved towards a group of his friends setting up games on the lawn, Julie and Flynn were happy to see Nick come to greet them. Just as he had in Pasadena, he looked genuinely delighted to see Julie, which she found… gratifying.
Should she be happier about it? Julie hugged her arms to her chest, confusion now swirling in amongst the nerves. Lately people had been talking about tensions between Nick and Carrie again. And he really had been effusive in that letter inviting them to perform. But whenever Julie thought about that, she mostly remembered the grumpy look on Luke’s face when he’d read it.
Nick showed Julie and Flynn the area set up as a makeshift stage, under a huge white pavilion and backlit with dizzying strings of lights. With a wink, he showed them a tunnel under several darker marquees that could be used for a discreet exit, “just in case”. Leaving Julie to look around, he and Flynn left to fan the crowd’s enthusiasm.
Julie sat on a stool in the wings and breathed in deep. She knew why they were both trying so hard: it was her first performance in Treegap without her mother, and it would reintroduce her to the town in a big way. All of a sudden she was overwhelmed with gratitude for the Phantoms. Without their encouragement, their backup in every sense, she wasn’t sure she would have been able to return to music so quickly.
And she knew that without them, she wouldn’t be able to play to this crowd at all.
On the other side of Hollywood, Luke, Alex and Reggie were arriving at Caleb’s mansion.
Though they’d heard that the party wouldn’t start until later, things already seemed to be in full swing. Dancers milled about in full costume, some lounging in hoops and on outdoor chaise longues; tables had been set up with hors d’oeuvres and bowls of punch. To Alex’s delight, it was Willie who came to greet them and usher them in for dinner.
‘This place is amazing,’ Reggie was saying, looking around at the plush gold furnishings in awe. ‘Does Caleb live here?’
‘Oh, it’s rented,’ said Willie. ‘He tours around the world. Once the summer’s over he plans to go to Paris.’
Alex cleared his throat. ‘Are you, uh, are you going to go to Paris too?’
Willie’s eyes met his. ‘I don’t know yet. Maybe not.’ He flashed a smile. ‘Plenty of time to see Paris.’
Alex smiled back. ‘Yeah. And everywhere else.’
Luke nudged Reggie, and the two of them exchanged grins.
They entered a dining room that had a domed glass roof, doubtless perfect for seeing the fireworks later on. Both its long walls were lined with elegant mahogany tables, and it was these, rather than the round table in the centre of the room, that were groaning under the weight of dozens of platters of food.
Caleb met them with a gracious smile, handing them each an open bottle of soda. ‘Boys, welcome! Wonderful to have you here.’
‘This is a beautiful house, sir,’ said Reggie.
‘Yeah, thanks for having us,’ added Luke.
‘The pleasure’s all mine. Please, sit. Or, if you’d rather – help yourselves.’
Caleb spread his arms, and the boys allowed themselves to gawp at the spread on display. There were some of the fancier dishes they’d been expecting, but there were also pizzas, stacks of hamburgers and sandwiches, bowls full of fries and macaroni cheese.
It had been a while since they’d had a full meal. Knees slightly weak, they loaded their plates with an obscene amount of food before joining Caleb and Willie at the table.
Caleb himself didn’t eat, merely pouring himself the occasional glass of wine as they spoke. At first he was content to exchange pleasantries, asking them about Treegap, about their instruments.
They tried to be a little guarded, as always. But as they ate, Caleb was only too happy to demonstrate the transience of his circus: performers came in and out, asking about little details of what was sure to be a magnificent party, occasionally asking about their trip to Paris. Some even mentioned trips beyond – to Rome, Venice, Milan.
They found themselves relaxing enough to let slip certain things. Yes, they were born here. Yes, they’d travelled a lot. Yes, they’d started playing with Julie, but only until the end of the summer.
‘Why just until then?’ asked Caleb, topping up their drinks. They were drinking something fruity now, sweet and fizzy and impossible to resist.
‘We have to leave town after that,’ said Luke. ‘But Julie’s home is here.’
‘And let me guess. You don’t have homes?’
They shifted in their seats. Alex swallowed.
‘Well,’ said Reggie, ‘we kind of do. We’re each other’s home now.’
Caleb smiled slightly. ‘Charming. Well, you of course know I’d never do a thing to come between you.’
Reggie looked at him for a moment. His face broke into a smile. He trusted Caleb a lot, the others could tell.
‘But in that case, why not make a second home with us?’ Caleb went on. ‘You’re travelling, we’re travelling… It makes perfect sense.’
‘We could join you in the fall,’ said Luke. ‘When we’re done performing with Julie. Willie could tell us where you’re at.’
‘Ah, but boys, in the meantime we’re competing for tickets. Makes no sense to be two separate acts. Think of the crowds we could pull in if we worked together. Think of what an impact we could make, all over California.’
He looked directly at Luke as he spoke, wine glass poised between his fingers.
Luke’s gaze dropped to the tablecloth.
‘And,’ said Caleb, facing Alex now, ‘of course, you’d be able to get to know Willie a lot better.’
Alex’s heart jumped into his throat. He shot a frantic look at Willie in the chair next to him, and his nerves calmed a little to see the gentle smile on his face.
Caleb took the opportunity to stand with a flourish and usher in a new table, this one full to the brim with desserts. Once again, there was everything they could possibly want, and Caleb encouraged them to take as much as they were able.
After dessert Caleb and Willie insisted they dance, showing them out into a neatly paved garden with a large stone square. The jazz band had set itself up on the lawn, and already the evening was alive with something vibrant and upbeat, the mood infectious.
To Alex’s surprise, Willie grabbed his hand and pulled him out to dance, beaming at him. Luke and Reggie laughed and joined in the dancing too.
Above them, the sky was slowly beginning to darken.
Chapter Text
Julie was starting to get worried.
Flynn and Nick were doing an amazing job keeping the crowd entertained, and there were enough stalls with games set up for anyone who didn’t want to stand near the stage and wait. But they had agreed that she would play right before the fireworks started, using the spectacle to further the drama of the Phantoms’ escape. Which meant not waiting until full dark.
Even worse, Carrie was on full form tonight, determined to be the one making a good impression. She and her group of friends were touring the crowd in a pack, delivering sparkling compliments, their conversation like flowing champagne. Each time she shot Julie a tilted smile, it was impossible not to interpret it as a challenge.
Julie picked at one of the dahlias in her hair, trying to stay calm. She thought about their afternoons in the cabin, by the river. The guys acted like they genuinely liked and respected her; they wouldn’t stand her up. Not when they knew how important this was.
She remembered Luke, his eyes bright and earnest as he’d pressed that first song into her hands, and a tumult of something confusing sparked in her stomach. She sensed that if she were going to be angry, she’d be angry at him most of all.
Flynn appeared near the stage again, approaching Julie with a smile plastered over her concern. ‘Everything okay? Any sign of the guys?’
Julie shook her head. ‘I don’t get it. Why wouldn’t they be here?’
Flynn pulled over another stool and sat facing her friend. ‘Maybe something happened?’
Julie winced. ‘I mean, we know they can’t die. Nothing that bad could’ve happened.’
Flynn considered this for a moment. ‘Right, so… they’re not dead. They must’ve been held up somehow.’
There was a moment of quiet. Julie’s mind was racing, trying to think of anything that could have gone wrong. They needed to avoid Mr Wilson, she knew, but they’d checked that he wouldn’t be here tonight. Like her dad, he’d stayed in Los Angeles for the celebrations. None of the guys’ families were still around, either (not that they’d told her anything about them besides that).
‘Flynn,’ she said quietly. ‘What if they’re not coming?’
Flynn stood up and put her hands on Julie’s shoulders. ‘Then play without them! Nick got that piano set up, all because of you. It’s you those people recognise; you they really care about. You don’t need the guys.’
Panic was starting to crawl up Julie’s insides. What Flynn didn’t seem to understand was that that expectation was what made her so afraid. If she’d been a Phantom herself, elusive and unknowable, it would have been easier to go out and play for that crowd. But instead, she was the girl they all knew as Miss Molina, the motherless one, the girl who’d already ruined one town event. Carrie was in that crowd; so was the mayor. So was Nick.
‘I can’t,’ she whispered, feeling sick.
Flynn met her gaze, her brow furrowed. Then something caught her eye behind Julie, and she gave her a meaningful look and darted back into the crowd.
It turned out Nick wasn’t out there – he was beside Julie, and as she stood she stumbled over her stool.
He laughed a little and moved it out of her way. ‘Thanks,’ she said, and he smiled.
For a moment they stood opposite each other, arms crossed and uncrossed.
‘So, uh, it’s nearly time,’ he said. He peeked round Julie into the shadowy parts of the wings. ‘Are the Phantoms here? They like their mystery, huh?’
Julie’s gaze fell. ‘No, they’re not here.’
‘Really? Why not?’
‘I don’t know. They should have been here half an hour ago.’
Nick looked at her for a moment, taking in the hopelessness on her face.
‘I mean, it makes sense that they’d be a little flaky,’ he said. ‘If they have to constantly disappear, and all. We have the piano – could you play by yourself?’
‘The songs wouldn’t work that way,’ insisted Julie, shaking her head. ‘Besides, you know how much I have to make a good impression. I can’t go out there alone.’
‘You’d make a great impression on your own.’
Any other time, Julie would have been thrilled to get such a compliment. But as it was, her stomach was twisting, something dangerously like despair building in her chest.
‘I can’t,’ she repeated, hoping that was the end.
But Nick was still looking at her, something determined in his expression. ‘It’s you these people care about, Julie. Everyone knows how talented you are.’ He looked out at the fair, lanterns being lit now that dusk was creeping in. ‘Come on. I know you can do this.’
And to Julie’s horror, he signalled for the stage lights to come on and marched out onto the stage, taking her hand to pull her along behind him.
Cocktails were being served in Caleb’s dining room. Through the domed glass ceiling, the evening fireworks cast an illuminated, kaleidoscopic glow, colours dancing along the walls.
Luke watched them for a moment. It took a moment for it to catch up to him that, beautiful as they were, they meant it was full dark outside. They were late.
‘Guys!’ He pulled Reggie away from the dessert table, where he was laughing with one of the dancers, and they went out in search of Alex. They found him out in the gardens, stumbling around the people dancing with a lost look.
‘We should’ve been at that party by now,’ Luke said to them. ‘We have to go.’
‘Yeah, I know. I’m not sure what happened,’ replied Alex.
‘Too much fruit soda?’ suggested Reggie, already sounding regretful.
‘Come on.’ The three of them started to head to the edge of the grounds.
‘You, uh, you haven’t seen Willie, have you?’ said Alex. ‘He kind of disappeared.’
The others shook their heads.
Just as the noise of the party was starting to recede behind them, Caleb stepped out to meet them. Unlike everyone else at the party, he still looked immaculate.
‘Boys! Leaving so soon?’
‘We told you, we have a gig,’ said Luke, a little impatiently. ‘We’re already late.’
‘Well, I hope you enjoyed what you saw of our little troupe. And remember, it’s never too late to join us.’ He handed them each a scarlet-coloured business card, edged in gold.
‘Thanks. We had a great time,’ said Reggie, beaming.
‘I’ll be sure to attend all your gigs,’ said Caleb. He gave them all one last enigmatic smile and bowed with a flourish, chuckling as he walked back to the party.
They exchanged looks. But there was no time for anything else, and with one final glance towards the lawn, they broke into a run.
Fireworks had blanketed the sky above the white pavilions in Nick’s yard, visible from every corner of Treegap. Beautiful though they were – Nick’s family had spared no expense – the mood of the crowd was still a little dispirited.
Julie hadn’t been able to bear it, the annoyed mutterings and the undisguised glares. People had complained loudly when she’d told them there would be no performance, and the shame of having to stand in front of them all like that, Nick beside her looking crestfallen, had buried itself deep under her skin.
As soon as the fireworks had finished, the party mostly moved inside the house, the lawns now quiet as vendors packed away their stalls. Golden light spilled onto the grass and every now and then Julie heard a new bottle of champagne open with a pop, bursts of laughter accompanying it.
Only she and Flynn had stayed, sitting on the cooling metal of the stage with their legs dangling. On the bright side, one of the vendors had given them the last of their spun cotton candy from the evening, and they tore off pieces to melt on their tongues.
At eleven o’clock, Flynn’s parents left the party and hovered in the doorway, beckoning to Flynn.
‘You still staying at mine tonight?’ she asked Julie, who nodded.
Flynn jumped down from the stage. ‘Alright. I’ll go catch up with them.’
‘I’ll just be a minute,’ said Julie.
Flynn nodded. She squeezed Julie’s hand for a moment before heading across the lawn.
Julie sighed and pulled her knees up to her chest. The dahlias in her hair were starting to wilt, so she took them all out and scattered them over the ground.
Three familiar figures emerged from the wood. She saw them recognise her and start running over, and a cold anger rose in her chest.
‘Julie!’ Reggie called out first, and promptly bent down to press his hands on his thighs. ‘Ugh, cramps.’
‘Is the party…’ Alex glanced at the mansion’s huge windows. ‘Could we get everyone outside again?’
‘No.’ Julie got down from the stage and smoothed out her skirt. ‘The party’s over. I’m about to go home.’
‘Julie, we’re so sorry,’ whispered Luke, aghast. ‘We didn’t think…’
‘You didn’t think at all! Where were you?’
The three of them exchanged guilty glances.
‘We went to a dinner,’ said Alex. ‘Time just got away from us.’
‘A dinner with who?’
‘Caleb Covington,’ admitted Luke.
For a moment Julie stared at them. Confusion turned to anger the longer she thought about it. ‘What, he can offer you better gigs than you can get with me?’
‘Julie, it’s not like that,’ Luke insisted. ‘He wanted us to join his troupe, sure, but we said no. We’re so sorry we missed this. But we’ll play the next one, right? There’ll be other—’
‘There won’t be a next one!’ Julie burst out. ‘These people will never trust me again! I looked like such a fool!’
They were silent, their faces mortified. Julie crossed her arms, shaking her head at them. ‘Let me guess. You wanted me to join you so I could do all the talking while you keep up your little Phantoms act, and somebody else gave you a better offer.’
‘That’s not it,’ said Alex with wide eyes, and he made to step closer to her, but Julie threw her hands up and retreated.
‘I’m leaving. You can forget about the band. Join the circus if you want.’
And, though they called her name several times, Julie crossed over the lawns alone.
Chapter 15
Notes:
sorry in advance for this, it felt evil :(((
Chapter Text
It was announced in a local pamphlet that Nick and Carrie’s engagement had ended “on mutual terms”, again.
Victoria had insisted on pressing it into Julie’s hands for her to read, playing coy and pretending she was showing her the advertisement for a new perfume, when she turned up for dinner one day.
Julie put it down seconds after reading it. She wasn’t sure what she felt, but she suspected it was nothing.
So far, July had turned out stifling and muggy. What little traffic Main Street had ever had was now barely a trickle, most of Treegap’s residents shutting themselves in parlours with curtains pulled and fans unfolded. There were whispers that the mayor’s wife had forgone her corsets.
She’d heard from the guys, of course. Every day there was a little apology note that had been thrown up to her windowsill, its margins doodled with treble clefs and quavers. One of them was in the form of a very short song complete with harmonies. Julie almost threw them all out, but eventually settled for stashing them in a drawer under some old petticoats.
She ignored their pleas for her to visit the cabin. She was still thinking about asking them to vacate it permanently, though part of her bristled at the idea. But they’d get over it, she told herself. It had to be hard for things to really matter to them in the long run, since they would have forever.
One morning, instead of the usual apology note, Julie was woken by a light tapping sound. Then another, less light. It sounded almost like hail, surely impossible in midsummer, and Julie wondered if she was still half-dreaming.
The noise shook her fully awake. Frowning, she went to her window. Outside she saw Alex and Reggie, who was preparing to throw another pebble.
‘Oh my god,’ she muttered to herself, opening the window and gesturing frantically for him to stop.
Alex grabbed his arm. Reggie dropped the pebble, and waved.
Julie rolled her eyes. She pulled on a shawl and some slippers and made her way downstairs, trying to keep her footsteps light.
It was barely dawn, and the moon still hung in the sky. Julie took hold of their sleeves and marched them down to the bottom of the garden, under the sweeping leaves of a willow tree.
‘You guys can’t come here like this,’ she hissed. ‘I told you; I’m done with the band.’
‘We’re not here for that,’ said Alex, looking solemn. ‘We just… We just wanted to tell you we won’t be around for a few days. You know, just in case. Luke’s leaving town for something, and we thought we’d go with him.’
Julie was suspicious. ‘Luke’s leaving town? For what?’
Alex and Reggie exchanged glances.
‘Why don’t you come down to the river?’ he suggested. ‘We’ll explain it all there. We can’t stick around here for very long.’
Julie sighed. ‘Alright. Fine. Let me get dressed and I’ll meet you there.’
‘Thanks, Julie,’ said Reggie. His eyes were fixed on her, earnest and warm.
Julie looked away. ‘This had better be a good explanation,’ she mumbled.
They settled under the boughs of another willow, this one on the curve of the river beside the cabin. The rushing water was gentle and quiet, birdsong marking the advance of the morning. Reggie had brought out a basket of apple-cinnamon muffins for her, and Julie sat breakfasting on them with her knees tucked under her.
‘Thanks for coming, Julie,’ he said, sitting down opposite her.
Alex glanced at the cabin through the leaves. ‘Don’t mention this to Luke, okay? He might not want us to tell you.’
‘Alright,’ said Julie cautiously.
Alex hesitated. He and Reggie exchanged looks again, looking uncertain and sombre.
‘So… As you know, we haven’t gotten older since 1885.’
Julie’s brow furrowed. ‘I know.’
Alex swallowed. ‘Things at home got… complicated. We told you we should have died a few times over, right? Reggie fell out of that tree, and we all ate something that should’ve given us food poisoning. It killed off everyone else. Well, not long after, we had to do something about it. Things were just getting way too messy. People were hounding us, telling us we weren’t natural. So we… we faked our deaths. And we left.’
Julie stared at them. Reggie was quiet, picking at the grass. Alex kept his gaze on hers, his expression grave.
‘Bobby was kind of suspicious, but everyone else had no reason not to believe it. Some of the more superstitious folk thought it was punishment, for the “curse”. The hardest part was having to cut ourselves off from our parents. They all believed we died young.’
Something in Julie’s stomach sank like a stone.
‘I mean, I was kind of on rocky terms with mine anyway. We all were. But Luke took it the hardest. He wasn’t proud of how he’d left things with them. So… when they died last year, it hit him really hard.’
‘They died?’ Julie whispered.
Alex nodded. ‘Some fever hit the town. You probably remember it; they didn’t live far from here.’
Julie was silent.
‘Today is the day his mom died,’ said Reggie in a hushed voice. ‘We ended up seeing it in a paper. We couldn’t even go to the funeral.’
Unexpected tears welled up in Julie’s eyes. ‘I… I didn’t know,’ she murmured. ‘Is it safe? For Luke to go back?’
‘Not really, but we couldn’t talk him out of it,’ said Alex. ‘We’ll make sure he has some kind of disguise, at least.’
Julie nodded. She stood, her legs feeling shaky. Staying quiet, she crept out from under the leaves of the willow, lurking near enough to the cabin to see in through its windows.
Inside, Luke was throwing clothes into a battered old suitcase, wiping away tears with his sleeve. He looked desolate.
Julie’s heart turned over. She watched him for a moment more before ducking back under the willow’s branches, where Alex and Reggie were waiting for her.
Alex stood up. ‘If you want us to leave the cabin for good, we will. We’ll all pack our things and go.’
Julie shook her head. ‘No. You guys can stay.’
Reggie joined them, his eyes wide. ‘Are you sure?’
Julie gave them a small smile. ‘You… you should have a home, at least. While you’re here. Everyone needs roots somewhere.’
They smiled. Reggie spread his arms wide, and the three of them stood for a while in a hug.
‘Julie, we’re really sorry about the other night,’ said Reggie, his voice slightly muffled.
‘You’ll have to make it up to me,’ said Julie, pulling back. ‘Maybe when you’re back we can work on that song you wrote. Otherwise there was no point in me learning to play the fiddle.’
Reggie’s smile was real this time, lighting up his face like a sunbeam.
Alex smiled too. ‘So we’ll see you when we get back?’
‘See you when you get back.’ And Julie stepped forwards to hug them again.
Chapter Text
The three of them left Treegap that morning. Julie sat under a tree on the other side of the river, staying just out of sight as she watched them go. She looked until they were long since out of sight, her heart aching.
After a while, she let out a long exhale and stood. She walked down to the little wooden bridge next to Alex’s rowboat and crossed over, heading up to the cabin. When she entered she was surprised to find it neater than she’d ever seen it.
She sat at the piano, lifting the lid reverentially and running her hands over the keys. For a moment she let the silence hold.
She began to play. The notes floated softly about the room, making her smile, bringing back a dozen good memories. She went through several of the songs she’d written with Luke.
Her mind kept trying to circle back to those awful weeks last year when the fever had hit, so she played harder, refusing to let it make her crumble. Those times were over, she reminded herself. She was safe, along with everyone she loved.
It had been a relief, letting go of her anger (though they weren’t quite off the hook just yet). It had gotten harder and harder to ignore the stash of apologies in the drawer, especially the ones written in memorably awful handwriting. And she’d missed the uncomplicated fun she always had in their company. To them, she could never be the sad disappointment she was to the rest of Treegap.
She went out to the cabin as often as she could over the next few days, squeezing in visits between her tutoring and chores. She liked what it was now; what it meant. A month ago it had been closed up and full of dust, and now it was littered with notebooks full of songs. Five different instruments were leant against the hearth; a basket of picks sat on the windowsill; there was always a pile of new firewood stacked beside the stove.
Someday soon, she thought, she should bring Carlos here. He’d like to see it full of life again.
Mostly by accident, Julie was in the cabin when the guys came back. Her heart lifted to hear their voices outside. She darted to the window, watching as they carried their battered cases up the dirt path.
‘Hey!’ she called out from the open doorway. They looked up at her and smiled.
Luke, though, looked a little confused. ‘I thought you were done with us?’ he said gently as he lifted his bag inside.
Julie lifted her eyes to meet his.
‘I said I was done with the band,’ she said. ‘For a few more days, at least.’
He still looked curious. She gave him another slow smile, and after a moment, he returned it.
‘Alright, then…’ He dropped his case beside the door. ‘How should we celebrate?’
‘Food?’ suggested Reggie.
‘We don’t have any,’ Alex reminded him.
Luke picked up his guitar and slung the strap over his shoulder. ‘We could practice?’
Julie flumped onto Luke’s couch, tucking her feet up. ‘No practice,’ she said. ‘Not right now, anyway.’
They sent her questioning looks.
‘I’ve been thinking. How about instead of looking out for new gigs, we just… get better for a while? Grow as a band? It still feels like there’s so much I don’t know about you guys.’
They exchanged glances before taking seats of their own.
‘Sure, we can do that,’ said Reggie. Alex was nodding.
Julie raised an eyebrow. ‘And no gigs with Caleb, either,’ she said tartly.
Luke’s smile came easier this time. ‘No complaints here. Hey, we could show you around Treegap.’
Julie gave him a look of absolute disbelief. ‘I live here.’
‘I know,’ he said, all confidence. ‘But I bet there are parts of it you haven’t seen.’
Reggie looked at Luke, then back at Julie, a smile on his own face. ‘Do you have anywhere to be today?’
Julie was still suspicious. ‘It’s the weekend. I told my dad I’d be here in the cabin all day.’
‘Then we can go exploring,’ said Luke.
‘What, right now? Didn’t you say you were hungry?’
Reggie shrugged. ‘Not hungry so much as… interested in food.’
‘Do you guys even need to eat?’
‘No,’ he said miserably. ‘We just like to.’
‘Let’s go,’ said Luke impatiently. He jumped up, shooting glances at the others until they joined him.
Julie rolled her eyes, smiling a little. ‘Okay,’ she said. ‘Sure. By all means, show me around my own town.’
Reggie grinned at her, offering his arm. ‘You mean our town.’
‘Whatever you say, Reggie.’
The four of them stepped out into the sunshine.
Treegap and the river that marked out its boundaries were set in a valley where the land dipped, ever so slightly. On the hills surrounding it, the forest spread out, sycamore trees populating the horizon for miles. The spring itself was set in a recess of one of these hills, and it was in that direction that Reggie led them.
They hiked up past the spring and above the valley, following a dirt trail that was barely two feet wide. Out here, the air was thick with birdsong and the mellow chirping of frogs and cicadas. They stayed quiet for a while.
Julie enjoyed it for the first hour or so, soaking in the calm. Then it began to dawn on her just how long they’d been walking uphill, and just how steep the continuing path in front of them was.
‘Do you guys not get tired or something?’ she grumbled. ‘I don’t know if I can take much more of this.’
Alex tossed her a bag of trail mix, which she barely caught. ‘Here.’
‘It’s all worth it when you get to the top,’ said Luke. ‘Trust me.’
‘The top of what? I can’t even see a top.’
‘You will,’ he said, and turned round to flash her a smile.
He picked up the pace, and Julie rolled her eyes, sensing he was showing off. But she couldn’t help smiling too.
The hill only got steeper the further up they climbed, and rockier. They went in single file, Julie in the middle so she wouldn’t fall, and every now and then she had to reach out a hand to one of the others where the reach was a little too high.
Luke and Reggie were the first to scramble over the top, and they reached down to pull Julie up after them. Finding herself on a flat expanse, she huffed and leant over with her hands on her knees, catching her breath.
Alex was the last to climb up, and the three of them stood together to smile down at her. ‘Don’t you wanna see the view?’ said Luke.
Julie shot him a waspish look. She straightened up and took in another sharp breath.
The trail had opened out onto a wide, grassy verge, lined with sycamores and sloping up to a natural crest of rock that looked out onto the whole valley. Beside them was a small pond fringed with waterlilies, azure dragonflies flitting over its surface.
Slowly, Julie walked up to the very edge, where a gap in the trees opened out into a view like none she’d ever seen.
For a long moment she stood there, at a loss for words, staring out at everything she’d ever known. The cabin was a small smudge on the horizon, Main Street barely any bigger. Right out in the distance, she could see the rows of new buildings and neatly paved streets of Hollywood. And for the first time Julie could appreciate just how high the trees towered. They presided over the valley like a calm group of elders, stirring in a gentle breeze. The river snaked through it all in a turquoise ribbon.
‘This… this is incredible,’ she murmured after a while.
‘And you’ve never been here before?’ prompted Reggie, sounding smug.
Julie rolled her eyes. ‘Okay, so no, I haven’t been here before. Congratulations.’
To her surprise, Alex ducked behind an oak that had grown improbably up the side of the hill and came back with four wooden fold-up chairs. He and the others set them down at the edge of the pond, where the ground was smoothest.
‘Four chairs?’
‘The other one was for Bobby,’ explained Luke.
Reggie pulled a face. ‘Traitor.’
As the others sat down, Reggie pulled a wooden box from where it was stashed underneath some rocks. He opened it and passed everyone a bottle of root beer.
The stone and the nearby water had kept them nice and cool. Once again, Julie was secretly impressed.
‘Did you guys come up here a lot?’ she asked, twisting the cap off her root beer.
‘All the time,’ said Alex. ‘Weird that no one else seems to’ve found it.’
Julie was quiet. She was thinking about the rumours that these woods would be gone soon, turned into property developments. That gorgeous view, all of those towering sycamores and the leaves that shone gold in the sun – would all of that disappear too?
She felt a jolt in her stomach as she realised the guys might not know. She didn’t recall ever mentioning it.
Alex was frowning at her a little. ‘What’s up?’ he asked.
She looked round at them all for a moment. The words almost came out, but she hesitated.
They would only be here for the summer. There was no need for them to get caught up in what Mr Wilson was planning. It would only make them angrier at him – perhaps to the point of irrationality – and besides, they’d lost so much already.
‘Nothing,’ she said. ‘I just can’t believe you kept a stash up here.’ She took another peek inside the wooden box and a few more bottles clinked against each other.
‘It gets hot in the sun,’ said Reggie. ‘We were thirsty.’
It was a warm day – the kind that always made Julie a little sleepy. After a while she left her rickety chair to loll against an oak tree, looking out at that magnificent view, nearby enough not to miss the conversation.
Eventually Luke joined her. Reggie and Alex were leaning on their stomachs in front of the pond, watching the frogs, and he and Julie exchanged private smirks as he settled in beside her.
For a while they were quiet, content to enjoy the atmosphere.
Eventually Julie spoke. ‘Reggie and Alex told me where you guys were going.’
Luke turned to face her, looking unsure. ‘They told you about my mom?’
She nodded. ‘I’m so sorry, Luke. I know what it feels like to lose someone.’
After a moment his expression softened. ‘Yeah. I know you do.’
There was another moment of quiet.
‘What was her name?’ asked Julie, her voice hushed.
Luke was looking out over the crest of the hill, his gaze focused somewhere in the trees. ‘Emily.’
There was a quiet grief in his voice that Julie knew all too well. In silence, with her heart in her mouth, she slowly reached for his hand.
Luke glanced at her in surprise as she gave his hand a small squeeze. Just as she tried to withdraw it, he closed his fingers around hers, and gave her a small smile.
They looked out at the view again, and sat together in the quiet.
Chapter 17
Notes:
hello! just a quick note to say I've added my personal playlist for this fic in the description - it's about 80% Taylor Swift, sorry. It follows the story if you listen in order; we're up to about Crazier now. thanks so much as ever for the engagement, it really means the world!
Chapter Text
They stayed up on the hill for hours, soaking in the sun and drinking soda, watching clouds move across the sky. For a while Julie forgot about what might happen to the woods, about her disastrous Fourth of July, even about the fever. She felt, for the first time in a while, a sense of overarching bliss.
As the day got cooler and the peachy pink of the sky turned lilac, Julie felt a flush of guilt for staying out so long. She stood, her thighs a little numb from the slats of the chair.
‘I should really get back. My dad is gonna be worried.’
She caught the dismay in their expressions, though it didn’t stay long. They glanced up at the sky and finally seemed to notice the brightness slowly leaching from the daylight.
‘We’ll walk you back,’ said Alex. ‘There isn’t much of a moon tonight.’
Julie nodded, glad of it. The trail was easier on the way down, but not by much.
When they neared Main Street, she laughed to see them put their domino masks on.
‘You guys carry those all the time?’
‘Just in case,’ said Reggie defensively.
Julie gave him a nudge with her elbow. ‘I thought you wanted to meet my dad?’ she said, grinning.
He smiled back. ‘Aw, I’d take it off for Ray any time.’
They said their goodbyes in the shadows of her house, voices hushed. Luke was the last to walk away, shooting her a warm smile that set something off in her chest. Julie watched them leave.
She crept inside.
The floorboards creaked under her feet. Muttering a silent curse under her breath, she stepped further in, her eyes adjusting to the low light.
Sat beside one low-burning lamp at the dining table was her father. He sat up straighter when he saw her, the chair creaking behind him. Julie jumped badly and shook it off with nervous laughter.
‘Dad! What are you still doing up?’
He raised his eyebrows. ‘I was waiting for you, mija.’ His eyes twinkled as he smiled at her. ‘Got caught up at the cabin?’
The lie felt bad, but she was relieved to have it so readily handed to her. ‘Yeah.’
‘I’m glad,’ he said sincerely. ‘It’s been a long time since you’ve done that. It’s a huge step, Julie.’
Julie said nothing, her cheeks flushing.
‘It’s… it’s nice to see you happy,’ said Ray. ‘So when will your old dad get to see you play?’
‘Soon,’ she promised, relieved not to be lying anymore. ‘First chance we get.’
‘Well, did you hear Carrie’s planning another party?’
Julie scrunched up her face in distaste. ‘Eww, Dad. Not what I meant. Besides, I don’t think Carrie would give me a chance to perform.’
Some of the light dimmed in Ray’s eyes. He pulled out another chair and gestured for her to sit.
‘I wish you two girls would talk things out,’ he said heavily. He held his palms up. ‘But I know, I know, Carrie’s mean now, and things aren’t the same, and blah blah blah.’
Julie folded her arms, giving her father a cynical look.
‘If Carrie’s masquerade party isn’t an option, maybe we could do our own thing,’ he went on. ‘A little party just for the people we’d want to see. You can invite whoever you want.’
‘What, really?’
Ray nodded. Julie went round the table to give him a hug.
‘Thanks, Dad.’ After a moment she pulled back. ‘Did you say it’s a masquerade party?’
He smiled. ‘Don’t worry, Julie, I’m not going to make you wear a costume. But your brother might.’
‘We might not even get invited.’ Julie let out a yawn, her limbs heavy all of a sudden. ‘I’m heading upstairs. Goodnight, Papi.’
‘Sleep well, sweetheart.’
Even though her mind was in a whirl, thoughts of songs and parties and Phantoms all jostling for attention, Julie found it easy to fall asleep. Weary from the long trip up the hill, and feeling far less sick at heart than she had the day before, she was gone almost as soon as her head hit the pillow.
The next morning was an early one for Alex. He took his rowboat out on the river for a while, hoping to clear his head, but when he returned to the cabin it was as fogged as ever.
Luke and Reggie were both in the main room, sat scribbling in notebooks in companionable silence. The unusual quiet unnerved Alex a little.
He sat down with his drums. Then he went through to look at their empty cupboards, sighing a little. He went back through, bouncing his knee and looking out of the window.
When he got up once again, Luke closed his notebook and raised his eyebrows. ‘Something wrong, Alex?’
‘Sorry.’ He flumped back down in his seat. ‘I just – I’m worried about Willie. I haven’t seen him since Caleb’s.’
Reggie looked up. ‘You think they were in league together, or something?’
Alex squirmed. ‘I don’t think so. I don’t think Willie would sell us out like that.’
Luke and Reggie exchanged uncertain glances.
‘He wouldn’t,’ repeated Alex defensively. ‘I should talk to him. Find out what was going on.’
A broad smile spread over Luke’s face. ‘Alex, do you like him?’
‘What? No, I —’
‘No, man, it’s nice,’ said Luke, still smiling.
‘He is very handsome,’ said Reggie. ‘And he drank from the spring. So, you know, he’s sticking around.’
Alex’s cheeks were pink. ‘Yeah. I mean, yeah, exactly. He drank from the spring. So it’s worth at least figuring out how exactly he’s connected to Caleb.’ He coughed. ‘I mean, maybe we could get to know him a bit more. Just since we’re in the same weird immortality boat, you know?’
‘Yeah,’ said Luke, slightly smug. ‘We know.’
‘Alright.’ Alex stood again, feeling better now the decision was resolved. ‘I’m gonna head into LA.’
Luke and Reggie gave him wide smiles. He headed to the door, feeling bolstered.
He faltered again. ‘If, um,’ he began. ‘If things go well, would it be cool if I invited him here some time? Just, you know, since we’re in the same boat and all.’
‘You don’t have to ask,’ said Luke, beaming.
‘Yeah,’ put in Reggie. ‘We have Julie here all the time.’ And he gave Luke a sidelong glance that made Alex grin.
Luke frowned. ‘What’s that supposed to mean?’
‘Nothing,’ Alex said, swinging the door open and shutting it firmly behind him.
When Alex found Willie in his favourite part of Los Angeles, he seemed genuinely pleased to see him, but there was a sense of anxiety that hadn’t existed before. He was reluctant to mention Caleb at all, though he gave him a stream of apologies for their missing the Fourth of July party.
They ambled along together slowly, Willie’s arms half-folded. Alex was desperate to erase the tension somehow.
‘Have you, uh… Have you ever been in a rowboat?’
Willie glanced at him, curious. ‘No, I haven’t,’ he said. ‘Why, you gonna tell me you’re a sailor?’
Alex smiled, shaking his head a little. ‘Okay. I guess so, yeah. I have a boat out on the river; it used to be my dad’s.’
He hoped Willie wouldn’t ask about that, and mercifully he didn’t.
‘No way! She have a name?’
‘Mary Ann,’ he admitted. ‘I can’t remember why.’ Alex put his hands in his pockets, scuffing a shoe against the pavement. ‘Maybe we could go rowing some time. If you head out far enough there are some incredible lakes.’
Finally he won that soft smile, Willie’s eyes lighting up the way he’d hoped they would. ‘You mean it?’
‘Yeah,’ he murmured. ‘Of course.’
And Willie looked happy, until he didn’t. His smile faltered and he looked at the ground.
‘Listen,’ he said. ‘I – I need to tell you something.’
Alex’s heart somersaulted. A quick succession of possibilities presented themselves, each mortifying and unbearable, until Willie spoke again.
‘It’s Caleb,’ he continued. ‘He’s been asking about you guys non stop. He figured out that there’s something different about you, and he wants to know exactly what it is. It’s getting harder and harder not to tell him anything.’
He shifted uncomfortably as Alex’s eyes widened in horror.
‘There are rumours,’ he said, dropping his voice, ‘that Caleb’s into some pretty dark stuff. Alchemy or something. Apparently he’s way older than he says he is.’
‘You don’t think he…’
Willie shook his head. ‘I’m sure he doesn’t know about the spring. He’s not like us; he can get hurt. I think he’s ageing, just… very slowly.’
Alex leaned a little closer to him. ‘Are you safe with him?’ he asked. ‘He’s not… threatening you somehow, is he?’
‘Not in the way I think you mean. Listen, in a lot of ways, I’m safer with Caleb than anywhere else. It’s just that I owe him so much.’ He swallowed. ‘I’m indebted to him, and he knows it.’
‘So… so, what, you think he might force you to tell him about the spring?’
‘I hope not,’ said Willie quietly. ‘I know it has to be kept secret. I don’t think I could find it again if I tried, if it comes to that.’
They’d come to a stop. Alex looked at him for a long moment.
He put a hand on Willie’s arm. ‘I trust you,’ he said finally. He looked up, meeting his eyes.
Willie gave him a wry smile. ‘What about your bandmates?’
‘They’ll trust you because I do. Anyway, I already talked to them. You’re welcome with us.’
His cheeks flushed pink as he realised what he’d said, and a mischievous spark entered Willie’s eyes. ‘You talked to them about me?’
‘Uh, well, I – you know, we’re… in the same… boat…’ He trailed off, every sense screaming at him to shut up. His face had never felt so warm.
Willie laughed. ‘Okay. Speaking of boats, I wanna take you up on that. Give Mary Ann a spin.’
‘What, really? Right now?’
‘Yeah,’ he said. He took Alex’s hand, as if that were something easy to do, as if he could do it any moment he pleased. ‘Why not? Come on.’
A laugh escaped from Alex as he let himself be pulled along. ‘Alright,’ he said breathlessly. ‘Sure. Why not?’
Chapter Text
By the time they’d walked halfway up the river, all the tension in Willie seemed to have evaporated. He was looking around at their surroundings with a broad smile.
Alex, though, was struggling to breathe. All he could think about was how their arms brushed together as they walked, and sometimes their knuckles.
This was better, though, than the usual anxiety – it wasn’t exactly panic crawling up his chest; this was more of a flutter, something bright and gentle. Something he wanted to hold onto.
For some reason he was relieved to see Mary Ann anchored on the river as usual, as though she may not have been somehow. Willie hopped in as he pulled it clear from the bank, offering him a hand once it was free.
Once they were on the water, Alex felt calmer again. He knew this; the steady, reassuring sound of the oars against the surface, the hum of crickets and birds. He’d taken the boat out with Luke and Reggie so many times, both before they’d had to leave Treegap and after, and the memories made him smile.
For a while there was a companionable quiet. Alex watched Willie take it all in, gazing out at the river and the surrounding willows, until finally he looked back at Alex and smiled.
‘You do this a lot?’
‘Yeah,’ said Alex. ‘It was one of the things I missed the most when we had to leave Treegap. We couldn’t bring the boat.’
Willie tilted his gaze ever so slightly. ‘Must have been hard on you guys to leave, huh?’
Alex concentrated on the rowing for a moment. They were near to where the river opened out into a wide body of water, surrounded by hills and pine trees.
‘Yeah,’ he said finally. ‘It was. On Luke the most, I guess. He was always the most tied to the people around us.’ He hesitated. ‘It helped that his parents weren’t the worst.’
‘Well, you’re back now,’ replied Willie. ‘Does it help? Being home?’
Alex smiled a little. ‘It’s weird. You wouldn’t think everything could change so much in twenty-five years. But it’s almost a completely different place.’
Willie sighed. ‘I get that. Our homes can disappear even as we’re watching them.’
Alex noted the melancholy in his face. For a moment they were quiet.
They’d reached the widening part of the river. The rowboat bobbed gently on the water as it skimmed the pebbles below, gliding out into the open water with no more effort needed from Alex. He guided it gently nearer the middle and rested the oars on the floor of the boat.
From there, everywhere around them was vast open space. The water was a clear, perfect turquoise, fish darting visibly beneath the surface, and beyond the riverbank pine trees shimmered in the warm July breeze.
Since returning to Treegap, Alex hadn’t had a day empty enough to justify a trip out here, and now the sight took his breath away. Aware of Willie opposite him, he leant back for a moment, soaking in every part of it.
‘Sure is quiet out here, huh?’
He turned his gaze back to Willie. His face was nonchalant, but there was a glimmer of mischief in it, sparking Alex’s curiosity.
‘Nothing out here for miles,’ Alex said. ‘Except the birds and the salmon, I guess.’
‘Probably a good place to practice the drums,’ commented Willie.
Alex was taken aback with a laugh. ‘I guess so, if they weren’t such a hassle to bring on the boat.’
‘So you don’t come out here to make a lot of noise?’
‘No,’ said Alex, intrigued. ‘The opposite, usually.’
Willie held his gaze for a moment, the tilt of his mouth ever so slightly crooked. ‘So you leave all your shows as soon as you finish playing,’ he said, ‘and aside from this girl whose mom owned your cabin, you can’t talk to anyone who has an expiration date. Apart from music, what do you guys do to leave your stamp on the world?’
‘Leave our stamp?’
‘Yeah! You know, to make your mark. To tell people that you’re here; you’re alive.’
Alex considered this for a moment. He had his own theory that really, they technically weren’t alive, but he didn’t want to dampen the mood.
‘Apart from music?’ he said. ‘I guess nothing.’
Willie grinned broadly. Then, to Alex’s shock, he stood up.
‘That changes right now,’ said Willie.
Alex spluttered out another laugh. ‘We’re on a boat!’
But Willie’s hands were already on his arms, tugging him to his feet and holding him steady. ‘You won’t fall, I promise.’
The feeling of the boat lurching underneath them was terrifying, but not as terrifying as the thought of letting whatever was happening here flicker out. So he stood, even though Mary Ann was at least as old as his grandmother and possibly older than her grandmother, and tried to keep his balance.
‘Alright,’ he said, grinning despite himself. ‘What now?’
‘Now you yell,’ said Willie. ‘As loud as you can.’
‘You want me to yell?’
‘Yeah. Like this.’ Willie edged backwards, seemingly oblivious to the wobbling of the boat, and braced his feet. Cupping his hands to his mouth, he let out a wordless yell.
Alex half shook his head, amazed. He half expected birds to retreat from the trees, squawking their indignation. Willie was beaming, and the strange sense of pride in his face made Alex laugh again.
‘Now it’s your turn.’
‘Really?’
Willie nodded.
Alex resigned himself to it. Most of his attention was on staying upright; he was glad that the river was relatively still here, a far cry from the rushing currents further out. Trying to keep himself steady, he yelled – sort of.
Willie laughed. ‘What was that? Man, if you got lost in a forest, nobody would find you.’
Alex shot him a wary look, which was met with another disarming smile.
He forced himself to forget about the river underneath them. You’re literally immortal, he admonished himself. He took in a breath and shouted again, properly this time.
Willie grinned and yelled back, and for a minute they went back and forth until they found the boat tipping perilously.
‘Whoa!’ Willie lunged forward to help Alex keep his balance, saving him from falling just in time. For a minute they clung to each other’s sleeves, laughing helplessly.
‘So this is what you do for fun?’ said Alex teasingly once he’d caught his breath.
‘What, you mean you’re not having fun?’
Alex smiled slowly, holding Willie’s arm a little bit tighter. ‘I never said that.’
The invitations for Carrie’s masquerade party went out the next day.
She had stood in the aisle after the Sunday church service, handing lacquered cards to families filing out of the pews, giving everyone a bright smile – or almost everyone. As Julie had predicted, the Molinas weren’t invited.
Julie wasn’t particularly disappointed, but Carlos and Ray looked a little put out. She didn’t know why they were still surprised, but the looks on their faces stung all the same.
Mr Wilson had seemed surprised too. He’d glanced between Carrie and Julie, his brow furrowed, and it seemed to occur to him for the first time that the friendship between their daughters had developed a major rift.
Julie was itching to get out to the cabin, but according to her aunt she’d had far too many sociable Sundays this summer already. Instead she sat through several gruelling hours of embroidery, trying not to smirk at the faces Carlos made behind Victoria’s back. She tried not to let her mind wander too often to what might be going on across the river.
Ray waited until breakfast the next morning, when it was just the three of them again, to posit his plan for their own party. He brought it up casually – as if it had nothing to do with Carrie’s behaviour the day before; as if it were pure coincidence that his proposed date was two days before hers. Julie had to suppress a knowing grin.
Flynn came over in the afternoon, deeply impressed with the plan when Julie told her. They walked down into the garden and Flynn sat on the wooden rope swing that hung from the boughs of the willow. Julie settled on the grass opposite, tucking her knees under her, smiling at Flynn as she twisted the rope around and spun.
‘So the plan is for you to perform?’ Flynn asked.
‘Yep.’
‘With or without the guys?’
Julie sighed. ‘I don’t know. Maybe we could get them invited somehow? Then we could do a set together.’
Flynn smiled. ‘You know, Carrie would be pretty jealous if you got them to perform.’
Julie rolled her eyes. ‘I’m pretty sure she’s booked something great. No expense spared, and all.’ She scowled and tugged at a clump of grass. ‘She’ll probably get that slimy circus man.’
‘Hey,’ said Flynn gently. ‘You guys are good enough that Covington tried to poach them, remember? And it’s not like it’s a competition…’
The look on her face suggested she very much did think it was a competition, but Julie ignored this.
‘…But if it were, you guys would totally win.’ Flynn gave her a smug grin.
‘Thanks, Flynn. I’m glad we have you on our side.’
Flynn kept twirling the ropes of the swing for a moment, a look on her face that Julie knew meant she was plotting.
‘So the Phantoms have a reputation,’ she mused. ‘With and without you. So maybe that’s how you get them in?’
Julie frowned. ‘How do you mean?’
Flynn released the ropes, stretching her legs out as the swing spun her round. ‘I mean,’ she said, ‘you can tell your dad you want them to play for your party. And then you play with them, as a surprise.’
‘Flynn! That’s perfect!’
‘I know,’ she replied, sounding satisfied. ‘You can thank me later.’
‘Well, you’ll be our guest of honour.’
Flynn got off the swing to give Julie a mock-curtsey. ‘I’d better.’ She sat again and her expression became more pensive. ‘Is your dad gonna invite Nick?’
‘I think so,’ said Julie. ‘He’s… he’s our friend. Although I guess he might not take it well if I sing with the guys after what happened at his party.’
‘Jules, he won’t hold it against you,’ insisted Flynn. ‘You’ve said it yourself; he’s a sweetheart.’
Julie was quiet for a moment. A sly spark came into Flynn’s expression.
‘You know, I’m sure Nick would appreciate it if you dedicated a song to him,’ she said, mock-casually.
Julie lifted an eyebrow. ‘Haven’t we already had this conversation?’ she said dryly.
Flynn matched her expression. ‘A similar one, maybe. It’s just something to think about, Jules.’
‘I know, I know.’ Julie sighed. ‘The thing is, Flynn, Nick isn’t really the one I’m thinking about.’
A look of triumph came into Flynn’s face. Before she could announce it, Julie dashed behind the swing and gave it a push.
‘Say nothing, okay?’ she said, darting out of the way.
Flynn laughed and propelled the swing higher. ‘Sure. Word of guest-of-honour.’
Julie kept pushing the swing. Very graciously, Flynn allowed her to turn the conversation to music.
Chapter Text
Julie finally headed up to the cabin again the following morning, brimming with things she wanted to share. This time they rushed to greet her before she even reached the doorway, piling on her for the customary hug outside in the breeze.
Reggie had managed to acquire some lemonade, which they sat drinking on the back porch. Alex didn’t touch his, practically vibrating with anticipation for something, and Luke told Julie with a sly grin that he was expecting company later.
She told them about the two parties, both the one they would attend and the one they wouldn’t. To her surprise, they wanted to hear about both.
‘It’s a costume party?’ Reggie asked thoughtfully, and Julie instantly knew what he was getting at. It had occurred to her too.
‘No,’ she said emphatically. ‘You’re not going.’
‘Not just us,’ said Luke. ‘You too, Julie.’
‘None of us are going! Seriously, guys, there’s no way we’re doing that.’
But she saw them exchange smirks, and knew that this was far from the last she’d hear on the subject. She sighed and tried to distract them with Flynn’s plan.
Luckily, this went down remarkably well. The prospect of having another chance to play as a group, without any need for hiding from Ray or Bobby, was a very welcome one.
‘But you can’t stay long after we play,’ said Julie. ‘It’s too risky. You have to do the Phantoms thing.’
‘Can we at least hang out beforehand?’ asked Reggie.
Julie looked between the three of them for a moment. ‘I mean, you probably shouldn’t,’ she said hesitantly.
‘We definitely shouldn’t,’ put in Alex. ‘Tell us what time you want to perform and we’ll come for then.’
Reggie looked a little gloomy, but he nodded. Luke’s gaze was still on Julie, and she caught a flash of something thoughtful in his eyes before his expression dissolved into a wide, easy smile.
‘No problem, we’ll play and jet straight off,’ he said smoothly. ‘You have a set planned?’
‘I’m glad you asked.’ Julie stood and motioned for them to follow her back into the cabin, where she started flipping through a notebook. They crowded round to look with her.
With the songs agreed, they turned to practicing. It had been a while, and Julie had almost forgotten the rush it gave her. They were on better form than ever, shooting each other frequent grins, pencilling in new harmonies between verses.
They were so absorbed in practice that they almost didn’t hear the knock when it came. Alex scrambled to open the door, nearly tripping over one of his own drums, and Julie caught the others exchange smiles.
‘Hey, Willie.’ She heard Alex laugh. ‘You really came here on those skates?’
Julie peeked round the doorway, momentarily surprised to see the skater from the circus they’d seen a month ago. She remembered them mentioning that he’d drunk from the spring, too.
Alex and Willie were all set to head out by themselves, but Reggie’s obvious envy of the roller skates meant that all five of them ended up camping out near the river. Julie and Luke leant against a tree trunk while Willie showed Reggie the basics.
For a while, Julie watched them as Luke scribbled in a notebook. Alex didn’t miss any opportunities to give Reggie some well-meaning snark, all of which were cheerfully ignored. Eventually the skates were back with Willie, and the others cheered as he showed them tricks.
Julie wondered if Willie would end up joining them when they left Treegap. It seemed incredibly likely, from his easy rapport with Luke and Reggie as much as his obvious bond with Alex.
For a moment, she was almost jealous of how easy it must have been, to come to know them as a fellow immortal. To not have that unspoken question hanging over you, or that constant lurking dread of what would happen when the summer came to an end. To know that if you wanted to, you could just pack a bag and join them.
Julie knew she was brooding too much. But as her gaze kept darting sideways to Luke, she couldn’t help wishing that they were all just normal teenagers, born the year before her and ageing as she did. That she could keep her place in their lives whatever happened.
By the river, Willie had managed to persuade Alex to go wading. She watched them laughing together as they tried to stand in the rushing current.
If he hadn’t already drunk from the spring, she wondered, would they have asked him to?
Luke scribbling furiously next to her brought her out of her reverie. She glanced at his notebook to see him scratching through a line a few times more than necessary.
‘No peeking,’ he said.
Julie rolled her eyes affectionately. ‘Hypocrite.’
She released her knees, which she’d been holding to her chest, and reclined against the tree.
Watching Alex, she said, ‘Do you think Reggie knows he’s third wheeling?’
Luke glanced at her. His face relaxed into a smile.
‘He’ll stop in a minute,’ he said lightly. ‘Then he’ll be our problem.’
Julie’s heart skipped a beat as she wondered what exactly he meant. His green eyes were both soft and slightly mischievous, and it occurred to her that they were sitting a little closer together than before.
They heard a splash, followed by several uproarious laughs. Reggie emerged from one of the deeper parts of the river, soaking wet and incredibly merry.
‘It’s warm!’ he called out to them. ‘You guys should try it.’
‘Told you it wouldn’t be long,’ Luke said to Julie under his breath. He moved closer to the river to join the others, smiling and shaking his head. Julie rolled her eyes as she followed.
As the day wore on, Julie got to know Willie a little. Alex seemed less preoccupied around him, smiling more than usual, his posture more relaxed. Seeing them together, it was impossible to hold onto any of that strange almost-jealousy, even if she did find her mind wandering to the spring more often than she liked.
Willie had to leave even earlier than she did. It was the only moment of the whole day where Julie saw worry enter his eyes, something like guilt spoiling his previously easy stance.
‘I gotta get back,’ he told them, sounding regretful. ‘Caleb thinks I just went skating.’
Alex stood abruptly. ‘I’ll walk you back,’ he said, but Willie shook his head.
‘Better not. He shouldn’t know I saw you.’
Sadness flickered in Alex’s eyes, but he nodded.
‘See you… soon, then?’
‘I hope so.’
On an impulse, Julie leaned forward and squeezed Willie’s arm. ‘Come to our party!’ she said. ‘We’re hosting next week. You can see us perform.’
Willie’s smile was real this time. ‘I’d love to! Hey, I already saw you at that club in Hollywood. You guys are great.’
Julie beamed. ‘You’re welcome any time.’
‘Yeah,’ piped up Reggie. ‘You can join our list of people who get free tickets.’
‘That a long list?’ asked Willie, one eyebrow quirked.
Reggie shuffled. ‘Two of you,’ he mumbled.
Willie grinned. Julie made a mental note to introduce him to Flynn.
Alex walked Willie a little way up the river, giving him a brief hug goodbye. Julie watched them, her heart glowing.
‘Now I just have to figure out how to introduce him to my dad,’ she murmured.
‘He seems like a meet-the-parents kinda guy,’ said Reggie wistfully, his expression fond. ‘This’ll be great for Alex. I’ve never seen him so calm.’
Alex returned to them, his expression curious. ‘What was that, Reg?’
‘Julie was saying she’s going to introduce us all to her dad.’
Julie rolled her eyes. Alex smiled wryly and clapped Reggie on the shoulder.
‘That’s great, man. Just what you always wanted.’
Julie glanced at Luke, and the two of them exchanged smirks.
They spent another few hours by the river before Julie left. As usual, they retrieved their domino masks so they could walk her home.
They marched along arm in arm, Reggie improvising a tune that had Julie breathless with giggles. They had to quieten down when they neared Julie’s house, but even then the mood was jolly.
When they reached the back porch, Alex and Reggie gave Julie their usual goodbye hugs and made to head the other way. Luke, though, was hovering, pausing to lean against the railing.
‘I’ll catch you up?’ he said to the other two. They raised their eyebrows, but nodded, waving to Julie.
Julie was mystified. She headed up the steps and leant on the other side of the railing, giving Luke a curious look.
He gave her a broad smile. ‘Thanks for inviting Willie to the party,’ he said.
Julie’s cheeks flushed. ‘It’s nothing. I liked him a lot.’
She hesitated, picking at the lace edging of her sleeve. It had a new grass stain, she noticed, which she’d have to embroider over later.
‘Do you think he’ll come with you guys?’ she asked. ‘When you leave Treegap in the fall?’
‘About that,’ said Luke, looking out at the willow in the garden. ‘I was thinking maybe we don’t have to leave as soon as the summer’s over.’
Julie’s heart lifted. ‘Really?’
‘Yeah,’ he said. ‘I mean, so far so good, right? Bobby hasn’t seen us yet, and we’re better with you than we ever were before. I mean, I think you make us better.’
‘Same here,’ she said softly. ‘But… What about Caleb? Didn’t you say he’d been keeping tabs on you?’
Luke shrugged. ‘Caleb’s not a problem. We’ve stayed off radar for this long.’
Julie nodded slowly. ‘Okay. Sure. Then… Yeah, you should definitely stay. So long as you’re being careful.’
He grinned. ‘Hey, speaking of careful…’ Julie caught the spark in his expression and pre-emptively rolled her eyes, knowing a bad idea was coming. ‘That party at Carrie’s? You should think about it.’
‘I have thought about it,’ she deadpanned. ‘I’ve thought about how much I’m not interested in going.’
‘It’s a costume party,’ he wheedled. ‘When else are we gonna get the chance to hang out with you in public? And there’d be music. Alex is a great dancer.’
She smirked. ‘What about you?’
He smiled and leaned even further against the railing. ‘Why don’t you find out?’
Julie ignored the thrill that ran down her spine at that. ‘I’ll think about it. But no promises.’
Luke grinned. He hopped down from the porch. ‘I’ll take it,’ he said.
‘Besides,’ she called out as he started to make his way back, ‘we have our own party to worry about first.’
‘Julie,’ he said smoothly, glancing back at her, ‘you don’t need to worry at all.’
Julie rolled her eyes. Somehow, she didn’t quite believe him.
Still, as she made her way inside and back up the stairs to her room, she was smiling.
Luke slowed as he neared the cabin, catching sight of Alex and Reggie talking urgently outside.
‘Guys, what’s up?’
‘We, uh,’ began Alex, moving back so Luke could see what they were looking at. ‘We found these. Willie must’ve left them here by mistake.’
Sat in the grass, slightly askew, was a pair of roller skates.
‘Oh.’ Luke frowned. ‘I guess he forgot them? It’s no big deal. We can just take them back tomorrow.’
‘Yeah.’ Alex nodded slowly. ‘Yeah, I guess you’re right. Maybe Caleb won’t notice that he didn’t have them.’
Reggie swallowed. ‘I sure hope this isn’t going to be a problem.’
They exchanged looks.
‘Yeah,’ said Luke. ‘Me too.’
Chapter Text
The days leading up to the party passed in the blink of an eye. Julie managed to secure invites for Luke, Reggie, Alex and Willie without issue – Flynn convinced Ray that the latter was a family friend, and Ray was only too happy to hire the band Julie requested.
‘So long as you play something too, mija,’ he’d said, beaming at her.
Carlos, though, suspected an ulterior motive. He’d sidle up to Julie at the most innocuous times, asking mock-casually about her interest in the Phantoms. She tried multiple methods for throwing him off – when telling him it had been Flynn’s idea didn’t work, she tried pretending it was to make Carrie jealous, which would have worked if he hadn’t noticed how pink her cheeks were. Eventually he concluded she must have a crush on one of them, which left her red-faced and steaming.
His next line of enquiry was about how they disappeared after performances. Julie tried to give him a rough explanation of the method they actually used – something about smoke and a very quick costume change – but Carlos was happier thinking it was magic. He and Victoria had been conspiring ever since they’d seen the circus.
But Carlos’ behaviour was far from the strangest. Whenever Flynn joined her at the cabin, she always took one of the guys to a corner to whisper about something. Sometimes she even brought a knapsack, full to bursting with contents Julie was never allowed to see.
Julie wasn’t concerned enough to put much effort into finding out what was going on. She figured whatever form their weirdness was taking this time would reveal itself eventually.
Julie woke up later than usual when the day itself arrived. She stared at the ceiling for a few moments, listening to the quiet.
She found Carlos making breakfast downstairs. Without a word, he handed her a buckwheat pastry. They sat at the counter for a while in companionable silence.
‘You remember what today is?’ he said after a while, seemingly at random.
Julie nodded, knowing he wasn’t talking about the party. ‘Yeah.’
‘You think that’s why Dad picked today? So we’d have something else to think about?’
Julie thought about it. It seemed like the kind of thing their father would do – organise something fun and special to stop them slipping back into sadness. ‘Maybe. You doing okay?’
Carlos hesitated. He took a huge bite of his pastry. ‘Sure. I’m excited to watch you sing later.’
Julie looked at him curiously, something warm and soft rising in her chest at this unexpected compliment, until he ruined it: ‘Beats watching you mope around all the time.’
She scoffed and gave his arm a little shove.
In the afternoon, people Ray worked with in set dressing headed over to set up the space behind their house, where the civility of Treegap started to bleed into the woods. Gas lamps were set up at intervals, casting warm yellow light over the grass; when evening fell, they would look like fireflies.
Flynn came over to help Julie get ready. Together they opened a box of her mother’s things, taking time over at each item as they looked for something Julie could wear. They settled on a bright blue sash, its colour a perfect match to the domino mask the guys had given her.
Julie smiled at her reflection. Behind her, Flynn wore an expression of pride.
‘She would be so happy that you’re doing this,’ she murmured.
Julie caught her eye in the mirror. ‘I think I’m happy, too.’
She stood, and Flynn pulled her into a hug.
Despite Ray’s certainty that their party would be a fairly small one, by eight o’ clock the atmosphere was buzzing. A few of his fellow photographers were there, along with lighting technicians, actors, and even a few of the pioneers of Los Angeles’ moving pictures industry. Even though her father sometimes bored her half to death with his fascination with cameras, she found herself having some genuinely fascinating conversations in the run up to their performance.
Nick and his family were there; to Julie’s relief, Nick made no mention of what had happened on the Fourth. Instead he was all smiles and encouragement, bolstering Julie more than ever.
She wondered how much of the party would make its way to Carrie.
The guys had promised her they’d meet her in the trees before they were due to start, just so Julie knew for sure that they were going to join her on stage as planned. Relief bubbled through her to see them there, beaming at her in their dark clothes and domino masks, and she couldn’t resist bringing them in for a tight squeeze.
‘Go,’ Alex urged her, grinning. ‘You have to kick things off without us, remember?’
‘I know, I know! See you up there.’
‘See you up there,’ echoed Luke, his eyes lit up.
‘Break a leg!’ called Reggie. Julie gave them one last wave as she rushed back to the party.
When she returned, she beamed to see Willie talking to her father. But when he caught her eye, his returning smile was strained.
Julie’s stomach flipped. Stood next to Willie, a glass of wine in hand as he smooth-talked her father, was Caleb Covington.
Caleb met her gaze. He gave her a suave smile, lifting his wine glass as if to give a toast.
‘Miss Molina, I hope you don’t mind me tagging along,’ he said. ‘So terribly rude without an invitation, I know.’
‘No,’ she managed. ‘It’s our pleasure.’
Her mind was racing. What could he possibly have to gain by coming to their party?
Ray was all smiles. ‘The more the merrier, Mr Covington – I’m just curious why you’d be interested in our little gathering. Have you met any of my colleagues?’
‘Some,’ said Caleb, smiling enigmatically. ‘You can’t tour Los Angeles without meeting a few camera guys. But Willie here was so complimentary about Julie’s music, I just had to see it in action.’
He was giving Julie a conspiratorial smile, as if to let her know he was in on her secret. And of course – he’d seen them perform already, at that club in Hollywood.
‘You’ve seen Julie perform?’ Ray said to Willie, frowning.
‘Yeah!’ chimed in Julie, a little frantic. Her wide eyes met Willie’s. ‘Practicing. At Flynn’s house!’
Willie nodded along eagerly. ‘Yeah! At Flynn’s house.’
Ray’s face relaxed into a smile. ‘Well, you’ve had the pleasure before I have. For a while, at least. But that’ll change any moment, right, Julie?’
She beamed at her father. ‘Right.’
Willie bowed out of the conversation, claiming he was thirsty. Julie followed him to the drinks table.
‘Julie, I’m so sorry,’ he said in a low voice. ‘He wanted to know where I was going and I just couldn’t get out of it. Maybe you should tell the guys not to perform?’
Julie’s heart stalled. Performing without them now felt unthinkable.
Why did Caleb care about seeing them, anyway? He’d already had his chance. They were Julie’s bandmates now, whether he liked it or not.
He clearly wasn’t going to let slip to her dad that she’d been performing with the Phantoms. As much as that was a relief, it was also making Julie alarmed. Her gut told her that he was here for information, not for a concert.
She sighed. ‘No, we’ll play. But let’s be careful. Can you keep Caleb distracted later when I introduce the guys to my dad?’
Willie nodded, looking anxious.
Flynn caught her eye from where she’d been checking the microphones. A moment later she was beside them at the drinks table, pouring herself a cup of lemonade.
Julie jerked her head towards Caleb, scowling. ‘Look who’s here,’ she muttered to Flynn. ‘Who next? Carrie?’
‘Ugh, don’t. I’ve heard you can sometimes summon a demon just by saying its name.’
Julie snickered.
Flynn dug an elbow into her side. ‘Anyway, don’t you have somewhere else to be, Jules? Sound check’s all done.’
Julie looked at her, drinking in Flynn’s look of calm determination. Willie was smiling at her too, his face encouraging. Slowly, Julie nodded.
‘You’re right. Wish me luck?’
Flynn gave her arm a gentle punch. ‘You don’t need luck.’
Willie grinned. ‘You’ll be great out there.’
She left them both and made her way to the piano.
She exchanged looks with her dad and Carlos, shooting them her ready sign. They beamed at her, immediately setting their drinks down.
A hush descended over the crowd as she seated herself at the stool. She looked out at them all, and a wave of calm settled over her.
She could do this, no matter who was in the audience. This was where she belonged.
Before Julie played the first notes, she pulled out her sequinned domino mask from her sleeve. As she tied it behind her head, she tried not to smile at the audience’s blatant curiosity.
She laid her fingers on the keys. Beside her on the piano stool, ready and waiting, was a tambourine.
There was an initial rush of appreciation in the audience as Julie sang the first lyrics. She set out the melody with clear, bouncing chords, willing them to get to their feet.
Below her, tendrils of grey smoke were curling around the legs of the piano. She smiled.
Julie sank deeper into the music. She sang with her whole chest, a grin on her face.
And then, as she sang the pre chorus, they whirled into view. Gasps went up from the crowd as their instruments joined in full force.
Julie got up to join them, leaping across the lawn with her tambourine. They grinned back at her, as euphoric as she was, all of them part of the moment.
The crowd’s reaction only spurred her on, every cheer going straight to her bloodstream. Even Caleb’s presence couldn’t touch her now.
Luke sang with Reggie to her left, then with Alex at the back, leaving the front to Julie most of the time. He was always happy to let her be front and centre, even though that had been his role when they’d just been the Phantoms. Even though performing was the only chance they really had to connect with people, the only thing where the ways they were set apart didn’t matter, not once had any of them shown the slightest resentment. It was like they really wanted her to succeed; like her success and happiness were things they cared about as much as their own.
When Luke did come forwards, Julie held his gaze as a thrill ran through her. Something electric was radiating from him, echoing what she felt herself, and they both knew it.
They sang the second chorus together, foreheads almost touching. Julie could see the look in his eyes, their usual green darkened in the low light. On his face was a wicked grin meant just for her.
The words they’d written in the cabin together seemed to mean something more, now that they were singing them directly to each other. Julie’s head was spinning. Had he always meant for them to sing it like this?
There was a part of Julie that always went on autopilot when she sang on stage. It helped keep the nerves from taking over; if she thought about things too much, she’d mess up for sure. That ability to let something subconscious take over, to treat this above all as something professional, was the only thing that enabled her to step back away from Luke and continue the song.
Her heart kept thrumming in her chest. She channelled it into the pure adrenaline that had her jumping around the stage, shaking her tambourine, keeping her voice controlled even on notes that were almost impossibly high.
They finished playing and the crowd’s reaction was immediate. Julie saw Carlos whooping, Flynn and Willie joining in beside him. She grinned.
Gasps went up as the Phantoms disappeared. Finally Julie caught her father’s eye. He looked – stunned, to say the least.
Julie bit her lip, and laughed.
Chapter Text
Julie left the makeshift stage to one of the tightest, fiercest hugs she’d ever received. Carlos settled for a brotherly punch on the shoulder.
‘That was incredible, mija,’ said Ray. He smiled, eyebrows raised. ‘But I think you’ve got some explaining to do.’
‘I know, Dad.’ Julie smiled ruefully. All eyes were on her, their guests still clapping and cheering, but she knew they had somewhere else to be. ‘Come with me for a minute?’
Curious, he nodded. Julie took her father’s hand and led him back into the house.
Inside, seated around the dining table, were Luke, Alex and Reggie. They stood hurriedly when Ray and Julie came in, Reggie wincing at the scrape of his chair on the floor.
‘Dad,’ said Julie softly, ‘these are the Phantoms.’
The three of them smiled anxiously, tugging at the hems of their crumpled shirts. Alex in particular looked painfully aware of how messy and rumpled their hair was. Julie watched her father for his reaction, twisting her hands.
‘Nice to meet you, sir,’ said Reggie. The others gave him little waves.
Ray still had his eyebrows raised as Julie made individual introductions, his arms folded. ‘So, uh, how did you boys meet Julie?’ he asked.
‘At a ladies’ society meeting,’ said Luke, at the same time as Julie said ‘At Flynn’s house.’
Ray didn’t look very impressed. Julie decided to say something true.
‘The guys helped get me back into music,’ she said. She tugged on her dad’s arm to get him to sit with her, and to her relief, he did. ‘Part of me isn’t really ready to play on my own just yet. So… when these guys offered to perform with me, it meant a lot. They’ve helped me figure out how to do this again.’
Ray nodded slowly. With a quick gesture that revealed none of what he might be thinking, he invited the guys to sit once more. They complied.
‘I hope you don’t mind, Papi,’ Julie said quietly. ‘They can’t stay long, but I really wanted them to meet you.’
Reggie smiled at her warmly, looking touched. She raised her eyebrows at him, trying to remind him of the grilling she’d given them earlier that day: they had to pretend they’d only met Julie a few times, strictly for practice and never without a chaperone, and that they were absolutely under no circumstances squatting in her mother’s old cabin.
‘So do you boys know Julie well?’ Ray’s tone was casual, but there was a firmness beneath it.
‘Uh, no, sir,’ said Alex.
‘Yeah,’ added Luke. ‘We’ve only met a few times. And, uh, that’s fine. We’re not aiming for more than that, or anything.’
Julie was ready to put her head in her hands. But to her surprise, her father’s tone had a warm current of amusement in it when he spoke.
‘Is that so?’ he said, eyes twinkling. ‘I don’t know if it looked that way.’
‘I —’ Luke flushed beet red, stammering over his next words.
It was Reggie who saved him.
‘You have a beautiful home, sir,’ he said. Julie hoped the gushing admiration in his voice wasn’t too much, but then again, she suspected it was entirely sincere. ‘We’re honoured to have been invited. Even if it was under slightly false pretences.’
The words had their intended effect; Julie saw her father soften. ‘Well, you’re very welcome. Anyone who can bring music back to my daughter is alright by me.’ He rose. ‘Why don’t you come for dinner some time, and we can all get to know one another better? I shouldn’t abandon my guests for much longer. And Julie tells me you have places to be.’
All three of them brightened at this. ‘We’d love to,’ said Alex. ‘Thank you, Mr Molina.’
Julie was beaming. She gave her father an impulsive hug.
Together, the five of them went to the side door to say goodbye. The guys shot Julie slightly regretful glances – she wished she could talk to them properly first, too.
But she still spent the next hour smiling. Even though she mostly lurked at the fringes of the party, sat on soft low chairs with Willie and Flynn and avoiding Caleb, the high didn’t quite leave her. Many of her father’s friends and colleagues came up to congratulate her, telling her that her future was bright; Nick was similarly admiring, showing no trace of any kind of resentment. She didn’t actually hear what her aunt said – a stream of tears left her speech difficult to make out – but she gathered that it was something about being proud.
When things finally began winding down, Carlos wheedling to be allowed to stay up longer, Julie could finally relax. Caleb left after a gracious goodbye, with no obvious look of satisfaction on his face to make her fearful.
Willie stayed longer, laughing with she and Flynn. Julie was in a good enough mood to take Carlos under her wing, promising her father he’d be sleeping before sunrise. The only small pangs she felt were for the absence of the guys, and the relevance of the date.
But she figured her mom would be proud of her. And she would be glad they’d spent the day this way.
Her position at the edge of the party turned out to be a fortunate one. After the sun had gone down, the small gas lamps illuminating parts of the garden, she thought she saw movement in the woods. She stood, frowning.
‘Is that…’
Three familiar figures came just about into view. Julie rolled her eyes and marched into the trees.
‘Guys, seriously?’
They pulled their domino masks up, looking sheepish. ‘We were gonna surprise you,’ said Reggie. ‘Surprise?’
Julie tried her best to look stern. ‘You’re lucky Caleb just left.’
‘We waited until he was gone,’ said Alex. ‘It did involve lurking in the shrubs for a while, but…’
They’d all fixed her with earnest, puppy-dog faces. Julie looked away as she failed to suppress her smile, shaking her head a little.
‘Alright. You can join the party for a little while. But masks on, okay?’
They beamed and nodded. ‘You won’t regret this, Julie,’ insisted Reggie, retying his mask.
She lifted an eyebrow, somehow doubting it.
Willie was there to meet them, heading straight to Alex’s side. After a brief hello, the two of them went off into the party together. Reggie went weak-kneed at the sight of the food, immediately going to help himself.
Which left Julie, Flynn, and Luke. Flynn gave them both a benign smile before casually announcing she was going to catch up with her parents.
Julie’s cheeks flushed. She wasn’t sure why she was so nervous all of a sudden. It wasn’t like she hadn’t spent time with Luke before – they were friends, after all. And was tonight really all that different from the hundreds of times they’d rehearsed?
He smiled at her, seeming much calmer than she felt. ‘So do I get a tour?’
A tour. She could remember her own house, couldn’t she?
Julie smiled back, a little more steady now. ‘Sure. Just don’t wander off, okay?’
‘Don’t worry, Julie. I’m on my best behaviour.’
Some things would always be familiar, and rolling her eyes at Luke Patterson was one of them. Finally she relaxed, and headed towards the house with Luke at her side.
Everyone at the Molina house slept in late the next day. It was past noon when Julie stumbled her way downstairs, wearing her loosest dress and somehow still yawning.
Her father had, mercifully, agreed a day for her and Carlos without any lessons or chores. She found her brother rolling some hoops across the lawn.
Julie sat down in front of the willow, biting into an apple. ‘Morning,’ she said.
Her brother scoffed. ‘Hardly. Me and Dad got up hours ago.’
Julie rolled her eyes. ‘Alright, I get it. Did you enjoy the party?’
Carlos made another throw with fervour, one of his hoops rolling all the way to the house. ‘Sure. Even if it was kinda gross watching you and that guitarist get all smushy on stage.’
Julie’s cheeks flamed. ‘What do you —’
‘Tía and I got to talk to Caleb Covington,’ he went on, enthused. ‘We asked him all about his magic. Wouldn’t really say much, though.’
Julie frowned. ‘You talked to Caleb?’
‘Yeah. And some guy who’s obsessed with the French dip. Did you know there’s a third place in LA that actually has one of the first recipes?’
‘Reggie,’ she murmured to herself. She shook her head.
Carlos shrugged. ‘I didn’t get his name. You sure have some weird friends.’
‘He is weird,’ she said dryly. ‘So I’d have thought you’d get on just fine.’
He stuck his tongue out at her. ‘Clearly you do.’
Their father came out to pack away the last of the trestle tables, calling for them to help. Julie was a little sad to see the last remnants of their evening disappear back into storage.
‘Have you, ah…’ began Ray as carried a table inside. ‘Have you heard from Carrie at all, Julie?’
She furrowed her brow. ‘No, why?’
Carlos leaned closer to her, his voice lowered. ‘Apparently she was throwing a hissy fit in the general store this morning.’
‘Carlos,’ their father reprimanded. ‘Don’t be rude.’
‘What? It’s true.’
They finished packing away the table and slumped down on the living room armchairs.
‘Who told you that?’ asked Julie, eyebrows raised.
‘Flynn’s mother came over this morning to thank us for hosting,’ said Ray. He smiled at her. ‘You were fast asleep, so we didn’t wake you.’
‘What was she angry about? Was it our party?’
‘We can’t say that for sure,’ said her father diplomatically.
‘It was Caleb coming that really ticked her off,’ put in Carlos. ‘Apparently he’s her special guest tomorrow.’
Ray gave him a stern look, but said nothing to contradict it.
‘Interesting,’ Julie mused. ‘Well, it’s a good thing we’re not going.’
Ray cleared his throat. ‘So, tomorrow evening – I’ve asked Victoria to come and look after you both. I’ve got a job in town.’
Carlos groaned, and received a sharp look.
‘Carlos, your aunt cares about you very much, and —’
‘No, it’s not that,’ said Carlos, rolling his eyes. ‘I thought she was going to Carrie’s party, so she could tell us about the magic show.’
Julie sighed inwardly. Why did her brother have to be such a huge fan of the creep who’d been stalking her band?
‘It’s fine by me, Dad,’ she said. ‘We already had our party.’
They exchanged smiles.
Julie was content to spend the rest of the day recuperating, eating leftovers periodically and doing a lot of reclining. She and Carlos played a few board games. It was the kind of quiet day she never really noticed passing.
Still, though, when night fell she didn’t get to sleep for a while. She gazed up at the ceiling, her mind returning over and over again to the cabin and the spring.
Chapter Text
When Saturday came, it wasn’t quite the calm, lazy day Julie had imagined.
Carlos and Victoria went into Los Angeles with Ray in the morning, claiming they had an important mission. It wasn’t unusual for the two of them to concoct a scheme together, but Julie and her father were mystified all the same.
They were still whispering together when they came back later that afternoon. Ray had stayed in the city, so Julie left them to it, retreating to her room to pore over some old notebooks.
Until she heard a faint tapping on her window.
Julie stayed still for a moment, a smile growing on her face.
She went to the sill, unsurprised to see Reggie there with another pebble in hand. Opening the window, she called down as quietly as she could manage, ‘You’re gonna break that soon.’
‘The glass is pretty thick,’ he whisper-shouted back. ‘Are you coming?’
‘Coming for what? My aunt’s right downstairs!’
‘Just come,’ he said enigmatically. ‘You’ve got a tree right there.’
Julie’s eyes widened. ‘Are you crazy? What if I fall?’
‘I’m right here! You won’t fall.’
She considered for a moment. It seemed reasonably likely that he wasn’t going to leave if she told him to. And if she had to leave, she didn’t trust herself to sneak right past her aunt in the lounge.
Julie steeled herself. ‘Alright,’ she hissed to Reggie. ‘I’m coming.’
He grinned. Julie decided she’d better head out before she changed her mind, and somehow, she managed to shimmy out of the window and down the tree without any bruises.
‘What now?’ she asked Reggie.
‘You’ll see. Come on, we’re all meeting at the cabin.’
‘Who else?’ she said, but he wouldn’t answer any more questions no matter how curious she got.
They got there soon enough. Inside, Flynn, Luke and Alex were gathered around the dining table, which seemed to have been turned into a makeshift sewing station.
Julie was baffled. She ignored their hellos, more focused on what they were working on. ‘Is that lace?’ she said, stepping closer to the table.
‘There’s a lot more than lace here,’ said Alex dryly.
On the table were three black dress coats, their cuffs and collars edged in heavy gold. They looked like something a Georgian aristocrat might wear. But beyond those was something that immediately caught her eye: a sheer purple waistcoat, its iridescent material tapering down towards the waist, and sewn to its shoulders was a huge pair of gauzy butterfly wings.
Julie’s eyes widened. ‘Are these costumes?’
‘Of course,’ said Flynn with pride. ‘What do you think?’
‘They’re gorgeous,’ she said honestly. ‘But… guys, we really can’t go to Carrie’s party. She’s already furious.’
‘Julie, what do you think the costumes are for?’ Flynn dug around in a wicker basket next to the table and pulled out four masks. Three were styled like the jackets, a more elaborate and sophisticated version of the guys’ domino masks, and the fourth was shaped like a butterfly, pink and purple lace curling around the edges.
And despite herself, Julie really, really wanted to wear that costume.
‘What’s your outfit?’ she asked Flynn.
Flynn pulled a solemn face, putting her hands together as if in prayer. ‘Just call me Sister Flynn.’
Julie spluttered a laugh. ‘A nun? Seriously?’
‘How else am I gonna hide my hair?’
Julie pulled a face. ‘See, if we’d been invited, you wouldn’t have to.’
She stepped closer to the table, running her hands over the fabric of the waistcoat.
‘If you ask me, not having an invitation is even more of a reason to go,’ said Luke with a sly grin. ‘You can’t let her treat you like dirt.’
Julie felt an unexpected pang of sadness at that. Carrie hadn’t always treated her anything like this.
‘We can leave the minute you don’t want to be there anymore,’ said Alex. ‘But it’d be fun, Julie. None of us are on the clock, and we can hang out with you like normal people do.’
‘Normal people who are heavily disguised?’ she said archly. But she still found herself lingering over the gorgeous shine of those butterfly wings.
‘Don’t you wanna see the guys in their costumes?’ said Flynn, a wicked glimmer in her eyes. Julie shot her a waspish look.
But she did. She really did.
‘I guess there’s no harm in trying them on,’ she murmured. ‘Since you went to all the trouble of sewing them.’
‘Reggie did most of it,’ said Alex, and Reggie dug an elbow into his side.
Julie smothered a smile. ‘Where did you get the fabric?’
‘My mom was tutting over their clothes in Pasadena,’ said Flynn. Her mom did a lot of sewing, and always had something to say about it if she saw a too-short sleeve or a torn hem. ‘I told her they were kinda charity cases, and she gave us a bunch to work with.’
‘Honestly, that woman is an angel,’ said Reggie reverently. ‘She gave us a bunch of regular shirts too. I haven’t had this many buttons in years.’
Julie smiled. Another parent for Reggie, she thought.
‘And my costume?’ she asked Flynn sceptically. ‘Am I a charity case too?’
Flynn grinned at her. ‘When it comes to getting one over on Carrie? You’re her favourite kind of case.’
They separated to try on their costumes, Julie and Flynn leaving the cabin while the guys got dressed. Then they switched places. As they did so, Flynn led Julie back in with her eyes closed, shouting ‘No peeking!’
Flynn assessed Julie’s current outfit – an ivory day dress with broderie up to the collar – and fitted her with a hoop skirt to flare it out, the material swishing delightfully when she spun. Then came the overskirt and sash, both made of a gauzy, shimmering fabric that shone different colours in the flashing sunlight.
Finally she slipped on the waistcoat, the attached wings sitting lightly across her shoulder blades. Half a dozen smaller butterflies were embroidered on the lapels, and Flynn pinned a couple more onto her shoulders and sleeves.
‘This is gorgeous,’ Julie whispered, swaying slightly to make her skirts move. ‘How can I ever thank you and your mom enough for this?’
Flynn shrugged. ‘Free concerts when you’re famous? Anyway, I hope this has convinced you. It’d be a crime not to show this off.’
‘Can I see the guys’ costumes now?’
‘Sure.’ Flynn opened the door and called them back in.
Julie’s eyebrows rose to her hairline. They looked almost like different people entirely, dashing and mysterious in their dress coats and breeches.
‘Whoa, look at you!’ Reggie beamed and took her arm to twirl her around. Alex was beaming too, clapping as her skirts spun out.
Julie laughed, her cheeks pink. She glanced at Luke, and saw a slow, secret smile come onto his face. Her blush deepened.
‘So we’re going?’ prompted Flynn.
‘All right,’ said Julie, rolling her eyes. ‘We can go. But if Carrie spots us and works out who we are, we’re leaving.’
‘You got it, boss,’ said Luke. He tied on his new mask, the others following suit.
‘Not right now,’ said Flynn, swatting his arm. ‘We have to be fashionably late. More than fashionably. Haven’t you ever crashed a party before?’
‘We have,’ mumbled Reggie. ‘I guess just not very well.’
‘So, what, we wait until dark?’ said Alex.
‘Obviously.’
‘I’m gonna be so busted,’ murmured Julie.
Flynn rested an elbow on her shoulder. ‘Don’t worry, Jules. I’ll take the fall and tell Victoria it was my idea.’
‘It was your idea.’
‘Exactly.’ She grinned and tweaked one of Julie’s butterflies. ‘And don’t I always have the best ideas?’
A few hours later, once the sun had well and truly set, Julie found herself sneaking through the woods to the back of the Wilsons’ house. Flynn walked behind her, making sure the delicate wings she wore didn’t snag on any branches.
The closer they got, the louder the music grew. The Wilsons had evidently hired a live band. As they approached, the band transitioned from a mellow background piece into a livelier tune, clearly meant for dancing.
‘This is perfect,’ exclaimed Luke, his eyes lit up. ‘Guys, come on!’
They moved faster, sacrificing some of their secrecy for speed. They soon emerged behind the drinks tables, where Willie was waiting to meet them with a grin.
‘Hey!’ Alex jogged to his side. ‘Is your set finished already?’
‘Yep. Managed not to get knifed this time.’ Willie laughed, and Julie wondered if she could ever manage to be so blasé about potentially getting stabbed. ‘Carrie’s band is playing soon.’
‘Of course they are,’ muttered Flynn, rolling her eyes. ‘Hey, at least if she’s performing, she won’t be actively seeking us out.’
‘Then let’s take advantage of it,’ said Luke. ‘Come on, let’s go dance.’
Nobody else had any objection, so the six of them headed to the edges of the lawn. It wasn’t quite the smoothly paved dancefloor Caleb had set up at the mansion – this was a little more rustic, with people mainly dancing on the trodden-down grass. But the dancing was enthusiastic all the same, the piece one that encouraged a lot of moving about and switching partners.
Julie took a deep breath. Time to trust in the costume.
They joined the group, throwing themselves into the dance with fervour. Soon Julie was breathless with laughter. In the quick rounds, she found herself opposite a number of partners: a man whose mask was shaped like the head of a horse; someone whose ostentatious peacock bustle brushed the arms of the couples next to them; and a man whose mask unfortunately required holding in place, so he could only do half of the arm movements.
Things moved too fast for Julie to find anyone she’d arrived with. Luke was in the crowd somewhere, but she just had to hope the dance would bring him her way eventually.
She came face to face with someone in a monochrome costume and a harlequin mask. It only took her a moment to recognise him, and she smiled.
‘Nick?’
‘Julie! That’s you under there, isn’t it?’ He lowered his voice, speaking more gently. ‘I thought you weren’t invited?’
‘I wasn’t,’ she whispered back. ‘So, uh, keep this quiet, okay?’
He grinned and tapped his nose. ‘You were never here. In fact, who are you again?’
Julie laughed. ‘Thanks, Nick. I owe you one.’
They continued the dance in companionable quiet. Nick wasn’t bad, she reflected, and he was fun to dance with even when he did make mistakes.
‘We make pretty good partners, don’t you think?’ he said abruptly.
Julie blinked. ‘Yeah,’ she replied, not sure what else to say.
Nick hesitated for a moment.
‘If, uh,’ he began, looking a little nervous, ‘… if it’s alright by you, do you think I could come and call on you tomorrow? We could… go for a walk, or something. Or you could show me what you’ve been working on lately.’
Julie was silent. Was he asking what she thought he was asking? Did he actually mean to start a courtship?
‘I – I don’t know,’ she eventually managed. ‘I think I’m busy tomorrow.’
‘Oh.’ There was a brief lull. They walked around each other, arms held aloft, then returned to the previous position. ‘Then… another time?’
Julie paused again. ‘I don’t know, Nick,’ she said again, more softly this time. ‘I don’t think so. I’m sorry.’
He nodded, the sadness in his face only fleeting. He gave her a gracious smile.
‘I understand,’ he said. ‘I thought I might’ve messed up the timing. Among other things.’
He released her hands, giving her a short bow.
‘I’ll see you around, Julie. Or rather, mystery party guest.’ The smile he gave her was crooked. ‘Have a wonderful evening.’
‘You too,’ she murmured, but he was gone.
She took little notice of her next partner, mostly because Flynn had spotted her from a few metres away and was shooting her looks of immense incredulity. Julie shrugged in response, leaving the boy opposite her baffled, and when the round finished he was quick to bow and move on.
Leaving her directly opposite Luke.
‘Oh! Hey!’
‘Hey.’ He smiled at her, a glimmer of mischief in his eyes. ‘So that was Nick?’
Julie groaned. ‘You heard all that?’
‘I mean, it was more like actively eavesdropping, but thank you for being charitable.’
She scowled at him, but it did nothing to dampen his smile.
And it was hard to keep scowling as they danced, even if she’d wanted to. As energetic as he was, he was also gentle, even if he did add unorthodox embellishments like twirling her every few minutes.
Soon Julie was laughing, oblivious to the others around them. ‘That’s not how the dance goes!’
‘And? More fun this way.’
The time came for the partner change. Luke kept hold of Julie’s hands – Flynn had given them all a pair of white gloves to complete their costumes, and Julie wished now that she hadn’t – and shook his head at the couple next to them.
‘I don’t really wanna switch, do you?’ he whispered to Julie teasingly.
She grinned. ‘You’re gonna put everybody out of sync.’
‘So?’
‘I thought we weren’t trying to attract attention,’ she said dryly. She tried to ignore how fast her heart was beating.
‘Then we shouldn’t have brought Reggie.’
Julie snorted. ‘Where is Reggie?’
‘Probably having the time of his life.’
Julie wasn’t far from that herself, but she said nothing. Instead she smiled to herself, holding his gloved hands a little tighter.
But the band were slowing down, bringing the dance to a close. Julie glanced over to their platform, and her heart sank to see Carrie and her group heading up the steps.
‘Looks like that’s that over,’ she said with a sigh. Around them, others bowed to their partners and the group began to disperse.
Luke squeezed her hand. ‘Sure, for now. We’ll have chances later.’
She gave him a small smile. ‘Shall we find the others?’
He smiled back, gaze fixed on hers. ‘If we have to.’
Chapter Text
With the party lights dimming, a hush coming over the crowd forming by the platform, Julie and Luke found the others by the popcorn stand. Alex and Willie were arm in arm, their expressions far more serene than Flynn’s.
Flynn helped herself to some of Reggie’s popcorn. ‘Are we all ready to cheer for our favourite person?’ she drawled.
Julie rolled her eyes. ‘At least we’ll get to see more of that expensive choreography.’
They exchanged smirks.
Carrie dashed to the front of the stage to greet her audience. Her costume was sequinned all over – even her tiara caught the light in hundreds of little flashes.
‘What is she? Some kind of princess-fairy hybrid?’ muttered Flynn.
‘I guess when it’s your party you have the luxury of not picking one thing,’ Julie murmured in response.
Carrie finished her introduction to light applause before retreating to the middle of the stage.
The lights dimmed completely, then rose.
Music blared instantly, Carrie and her friends snapping out of their formation. It was fast, attention-grabbing – and, once again, annoyingly good.
Carrie twirled about onstage as she sang, her entourage fanning out behind her. The dance was flawless. Alex watched with a stunned expression, his eyes wide and full of admiration.
Reggie grinned at him, giving him a nudge. ‘You’d kill at this as a backup dancer,’ he said.
Alex sighed longingly. ‘If only our costumes were the same. Then I really would.’
Julie could see him keeping track of the moves in his head. She smiled at him.
After the performance, most of the crowd hung about near the stage, where Julie assumed they were waiting to compliment Carrie. They took the opportunity to get some drinks, downing lemonades so quickly Reggie got hiccups.
‘You guys can still get hiccups?’ asked Flynn.
‘I haven’t had hiccups for over thirty years,’ muttered Alex.
‘That’s not true,’ said Reggie. ‘Sometimes you start hiccupping when you cry.’
At this, Alex’s expression turned murderous. Willie very wisely asked him to teach him Carrie’s dance, and the two of them disappeared back into the party.
The others went back to dancing too, making up their own ridiculous sequences and having almost too much fun to breathe. Soon Julie completely forgot that they were supposed to be avoiding Carrie, even forgetting about everything that had led their friendship to collapse in the first place.
And, to her delight, Luke was proven right. The dancing formally started up again close to midnight, the music softer and slower this time.
She hovered for a while with Flynn, fiddling with the ends of her sleeves, her cheeks a faint pink. But it wasn’t long before Reggie very charmingly asked Flynn to dance, and Flynn shot Julie a goading smirk as they headed off together.
‘Again?’ Julie muttered to herself, somewhat archly.
Luke, though, was smiling. ‘What do you think, Julie? Round two?’
He posed the question casually, leaning against the tall wooden fence behind them.
Julie met his gaze. A smile pulled at her lips.
‘Alright. I guess you weren’t too bad.’
He grinned and took her arm.
All the group hugs and playful nudges and hovering at her shoulder to read lyrics were nothing compared to this: one hand in hers, the other on her waist, the music too slow and soft for jokes. Luke looked a little baffled, as if it hadn’t fully occurred to him what this would feel like. It was different this time, and they both knew it – not least because he’d taken off the gloves drinking lemonade.
Julie’s eyes were wide and blinking, her mouth slightly open in surprise. For a while neither of them spoke.
Sometimes it felt like they had their own language, like when they were writing songs and knew without communicating it where the other might put in harmonies or suggest a chord. This felt a little similar – they were both drawing from the same place, capable of understanding without any need for words.
So far, Julie had been taking it for granted that there were certain wishes she needed to repress. There were certain things that just couldn’t happen; choices that were too ridiculous even to consider. But here, now, she was forgetting them all. And so was Luke.
Julie broke out from under the spell when Luke gave her a bashful smile. Her cheeks pink, she searched for something to say.
‘Your hair looks different,’ she finally managed, just about resisting the urge to reach up and touch it.
‘Does it? Honestly, I was going to cut it. But, uh, apparently we physically can’t. So Reggie just styled it a bit.’
‘You were going to cut it?’ she said, aghast, and immediately regretted it as a smirk came onto Luke’s face.
‘Well, lucky for you,’ he said, grinning now, ‘that wasn’t an option.’
She rolled her eyes at him, shaking her head. ‘I think I’d struggle, having eternity but never being able to change up my hair.’
Had that been a dangerous thing to say? They’d never talked about the possibility of Julie drinking from the spring, even in hypothetical terms. But Luke didn’t seem overly concerned.
‘You’d be fine,’ he said, smiling. ‘Your hair is perfect.’
Julie’s breath caught in her chest. She lowered her gaze as her cheeks went pinker than ever.
They kept dancing until the orchestra stopped and began packing up their instruments, failing to notice just how much the party had wound down around them. Julie felt dizzy, lightheaded – when she and Luke finally let go of each other’s hands, she laughed a little and took a step backwards, smoothing her hair away from her face.
She spotted Flynn motioning urgently from near the drinks table, mouthing she couldn’t see. She frowned and shrugged helplessly, watching Flynn groan as Julie failed to intuit what she was trying to say.
Unfortunately, she soon worked it out.
‘Julie! That is you, isn’t it? My, what a surprise to see you here.’
Julie’s heart fell into her stomach. She had just enough time to see Luke’s look of horror before turning round to come face to face with Carrie.
‘Oh, um…’ She laughed nervously, adjusting her mask. ‘Thanks for, uh, thanks for hosting.’
Carrie shot her a look of pure disdain. ‘Well, you know how much I enjoy caring for my guests, Julie. The ones I invited, anyway.’
Luke stepped forwards, clearly ready to say something, and Julie grabbed his arm with the tightness of a vise. The last thing she needed was him getting involved.
Just then, someone else appeared to interrupt. But Julie was hardly pleased to see them, either.
Caleb nodded to Julie and Luke as he stepped closer to Carrie, an intrigued glint in his eyes. ‘Miss Wilson, I’m afraid I simply must make my way home,’ he said. ‘You have our thanks for the party tonight, and for the opportunity to perform.’
Carrie was all smiles again, giving a high laugh and tossing her hair. ‘Oh, it was my pleasure! Another incredible show from your troupe.’
‘Go,’ Julie hissed to Luke as the two of them chatted. ‘I’ll meet you, Alex and Reggie in the woods, okay? Leave this to me and Flynn.’
He seemed reluctant, but nodded. ‘Okay.’ Before turning to go, he put a hand on her arm, his thumb rubbing her sleeve reassuringly. ‘Are you alright?’
‘Fine,’ she said. ‘I’ll be fine. You have to go.’
Luke nodded again, and she gave him a vigorous push before turning back to Carrie. Caleb had left, but she caught him sending another satisfied glance in her direction first.
‘Carrie,’ she began, putting her hands together in what she hoped was a placating gesture. ‘I’m really sorry. We shouldn’t have come uninvited.’
Carrie was stony-faced, arms folded. ‘No. You shouldn’t have.’
‘We… we just wanted to see the performances, I guess. Your song was really great.’
Julie tried to say the words as warmly and sincerely as she could, and some of the anger left Carrie’s face. Her arms came to her sides.
‘Well, I can’t blame you for that,’ she said. The smugness in her voice baited Julie’s temper again. ‘But next time, let me choose my own guests, okay? You already had your party, and you even got Caleb to come. You could’ve left tonight for me.’
Julie sensed that even if she told Carrie they hadn’t wanted Caleb as a guest, she probably wouldn’t believe her. She might even think Julie was trying to rub it in.
‘Okay,’ she said instead. ‘That’s fair.’
Flynn joined her, exchanging tense looks with Carrie before linking her arm in Julie’s. ‘Time to go?’
‘Yep,’ said Julie. ‘Time to go.’
‘Bye, girls,’ said Carrie, her arms folded again. She gave them a sarcastic little wave as they headed into the trees.
‘I tried to warn you,’ whispered Flynn once they were out of earshot. ‘She saw you dancing once the crowd thinned out and headed straight over.’
‘I know, I know. But honestly, I think we got off easy.’
They exchanged foreboding glances.
‘Agreed,’ muttered Flynn.
There was more trouble waiting for Julie at home. Ray had been back for hours, and he and Victoria were waiting up with stormy expressions when she crept in through the side door.
It was a miracle, she learned, that they hadn’t gone marching down to Carrie’s house to get her. Flynn had prepped Carlos to tell them where she was as soon as anyone realised she wasn’t still in her room, and only his intervention had saved her from the embarrassment of an argument between her family and Carrie’s.
Still, even this slightly salvaged fallout was gruelling. She had to listen to her aunt’s lectures for half an hour before Ray’s yawning exasperated her enough to send Julie to bed.
Julie got changed, but rather than going straight to sleep, she sat at the windowsill for a while with her chin cupped in her hand. She was lost in a daydream when she heard a quiet knock.
Curious, she opened the door to see Carlos waiting in his pyjamas.
‘Wanna talk about how much you owe me?’ he said.
Julie rolled her eyes, standing back to let him in. Carlos jumped on her bed as she sat back at the windowsill.
‘Alright, what do you want?’
‘You do my chores for a week. And no making fun of my magic tricks, either.’
‘Done. Is that it?’
Carlos shook his head, a glint in his eyes. ‘Me and Tía found something weird,’ he said. ‘We went to the library.’
‘They call those books, Carlos. They’re not weird.’
Carlos scoffed and threw a pillow at her. ‘I mean when we were researching. We wanted to find out more about Caleb Covington.’
Julie frowned. There was a strange, unpleasant feeling in her stomach. ‘What did you find?’
‘There is a magician called Caleb Covington,’ he said. ‘But he was born in the year 1812.’
For a moment she sat in dumbfounded silence.
‘Carlos, that’s impossible,’ she whispered. ‘Caleb isn’t ninety-eight.’
‘We checked the census records and everything,’ he insisted. ‘Either that’s how old he is, or he isn’t Caleb Covington.’
The wriggling in her stomach was stronger now. ‘Is that the only thing you found? Some census records with his age?’
‘Of course not,’ he said impatiently. ‘What kind of mystery solvers do you think we are? There were a bunch of articles. Stuff from the previous century, all talking about Caleb’s magic shows.’
‘When was the latest one?’
‘About thirty-five years ago. There was a gap for a while, and then we started finding stuff about the circus. Nobody seems to have made the connection.’
Julie gave him a small smile. ‘Until you?’
‘Until me,’ he said proudly. ‘And Tía, I guess.’
He waited for a moment to deliver his final piece of news.
‘And,’ he said, his eyebrows raised, ‘we found a photograph.’
‘Really? From when?’
‘From like right after cameras were invented. It was him. It was definitely Caleb Covington.’
Julie shuddered. ‘Did he look the same age in the picture?’
Carlos frowned. ‘No. He looked younger, for sure. But I guess he doesn’t look ninety-eight now.’
‘No,’ she murmured. ‘He doesn’t.’
They were quiet for a moment. Carlos was still frowning.
‘What’s going on? You don’t seem surprised at all. You haven’t even told me I’m making it up.’
He was right. Julie stood up hastily and opened her bedroom door again.
‘He’s just a really weird man, okay? Now let me get some sleep before we both get in more trouble.’
Carlos got up and slowly made his way out, shooting her a perturbed look. She ignored it and closed the door behind him.
Julie clambered onto her bed, letting out a sigh. She had a lot to think about, that was for sure.
The hour had grown so late that even the usual liveliness of Caleb’s mansion was dying down. Those who had their own rooms had sloped off to them for a few hours’ sleep before sunrise, and the others had all made their way home.
At the very top of the house, Caleb pulled his curtains closed. The night had given him much to think about.
Of course, he still had more questions than answers. His conversations with the locals of Treegap and its surrounding villages had proven useful, and so had the research he’d had an assistant conduct at the library. But the crux of the matter was just as much of a mystery to him as before.
To think, he mused, that he probably knew more about Miss Julie Molina’s bandmates than she did. He knew their birthdays and the names of their parents. He knew that Alex, the drummer, had spent most of this evening hiding in trees and laughing with his own skater, Willie.
He just needed to know how they’d done it. How they’d spent the last twenty-five years not looking a day older than seventeen.
So far, Willie had refused to tell him anything really useful, and he risked jeopardising that relationship if he pushed it any further. Which was perhaps inevitable, but only as a last resort.
So he needed to add to his list of allies. Miss Wilson had been forthcoming with information, but none of it was much use: she knew little more than the other townspeople did, and wanted to talk more about Julie Molina’s previous refusal to sing a note than about her new band. He did learn one interesting fact, though: Carrie’s father had never seen the boys perform. Not once.
For a group that seemed to earn their bread and butter touring Hollywood, that was more than a little odd. Wouldn’t they seek out a successful sponsor like Mr Robert Wilson?
It was something he was determined to find out. And quickly, too, before it all started to crumble.
In front of the mirror once again, Caleb scrutinised his appearance. There it was. Just like he’d seen this morning.
He reached up, and with a short, vicious tug, he got rid of it.
Caleb opened his palm. Sitting there, making him almost shake with rage, was the offending party. A single grey hair.
Chapter 24
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
The next day was quiet enough for Julie to hope she was off the hook. She saw Carrie and her father in church, and received nothing more than a disdainful glance. She and her aunt spent the afternoon embroidering in the front room. And the last day of July passed quietly, barely noted by anyone.
But the next day, everything shattered.
Julie came down for breakfast in a good mood. Her mind had been floating, revisiting her dances with Luke and filling in the gaps of the song she’d started putting on paper. She hummed it as she walked down the stairs.
‘Julie?’
She found her father sat at the dining table, one hand at his temple as he read through a letter. ‘Sit down, sweetheart,’ he said heavily.
Instantly she knew something was wrong. ‘Where’s Carlos?’
‘I asked him to go get Flynn. They’ll both be here in a minute.’
As grateful as Julie was for that, it didn’t make her feel much better. The last time Ray had sent for Flynn to come over, it hadn’t been for good news.
Ray sighed. ‘Here.’
He passed her the letter. Julie sat and skimmed through it, her heart in her mouth.
It was a short, formally written letter, signed Mr. Robert Wilson. It announced the beginning of a series of major developments, including the demolition of the majority of the woods surrounding Treegap, and let them know with minimal sympathy that the cabin by the river would need to be emptied by the first day of September.
Julie felt like all the air had been stolen from her chest. She read it over and over again, refusing to take in what it said, until tears blurred her vision entirely.
‘Julie?’ said Ray softly.
‘How?’ she choked out. ‘How can they do that? It – it was Mom’s, it’s all we have left —’
Ray came round to pull her into a hug. She leant her head on his chest as he stroked her hair, her sobs coming out muffled.
Then the door opened, and Flynn came to join them. She put her arms round Julie too, and together the three of them cried.
‘I have to tell the guys.’
‘Not today.’ Flynn reached out to put her hand on Julie’s arm. They were sat at the foot of Julie’s bed, looking through the box of Rose’s things. Hours had passed, but still Julie found fresh tears welling up whenever she thought about the letter.
‘Why not?’ she asked, wiping her eyes with her sleeve.
‘You’re not thinking straight,’ said Flynn. ‘It’s too fresh. You need to come to terms with this before you go to talk to them.’
Julie let out a long exhale. ‘You’re right.’
Flynn nudged her gently. ‘As usual,’ she said, her lips quirked at the corner. Julie half-laughed and leant her head on Flynn’s shoulder.
‘Do you want me to tell them for you?’ Flynn offered. ‘It might be easier.’
She thought about it for a moment. ‘No,’ she finally said. ‘I don’t think so. It should be me.’
Flynn nodded. ‘Okay, Jules. You know I’ve got your back.’
They were quiet for a moment.
‘Do you think Carrie might have pushed for this?’ Julie whispered. ‘Because of everything that’s happened?’
Flynn hesitated.
‘No,’ she finally said. ‘I don’t think she would ever cross that line. She of all people should know how that would feel. Honestly, Jules, I think this is just business.’
‘Just business,’ repeated Julie, a bitter taste in her mouth. The thought wasn’t particularly comforting, but it made sense.
Flynn hugged her tighter. ‘We knew this was coming. I thought they might have let you keep the cabin, but… I don’t know, Jules. Maybe if you asked, if your dad went to talk to Mr Wilson, they’d let you keep it? There’s no reason they can’t work their developments around it.’
‘Maybe,’ she murmured. ‘But it was never really ours. It was only ever a place they let us use.’
‘At the very least, they could give you more time. A month to move everything out of it and to say goodbye… It’s sudden, that’s all. But I don’t think they’re completely heartless.’
More time. It sounded so reasonable when Flynn said it. But even then… Even then, the clock was running out on Julie’s time with the guys. Without the cabin, there was no way for them to stay in Treegap.
So far, so good, Luke had said. Well, not anymore.
Even if it were postponed, losing the cabin meant not only losing an important place for her mom, but losing some of the closest friends she’d ever had. That double loss had hit Julie hard.
She sighed, reaching to squeeze Flynn’s hand. Somehow, she supposed, they would have to find a way to bear it.
Julie spent the rest of the day numb, sitting with her father and Carlos in near silence. Ray had managed to summon up the will to reply to the letter, acknowledging the upcoming developments and asking for a partial extension so they could remove all the instruments.
Julie briefly entertained the idea of heading straight to the Wilsons’ house and demanding to hash it out with them there and then. But part of her sensed they weren’t as emotionally invested in this as she was, not by a long way. All she would do was embarrass herself and make everything worse.
It’s just business, she kept reminding herself. Nothing more.
The knowledge sat heavily on her. Though it would hurt them all, she knew that she had to tell the guys before they found out some other way.
The next morning, she woke early, unable to think of anything else. She got up and packed a bag.
Walking by the river and the fringe of willow trees brought fresh tears to her eyes, and she dashed them away with her sleeve as she neared the cabin. How much of this would be allowed to stay? How long until the woods, the valley, the hundreds of towering sycamores gave way to concrete and five-bedroom houses?
There were still tears on her cheeks when she let herself in. The guys sprang up from their seats to greet her, the delight on their faces turning rapidly to dismay.
‘Julie? What’s wrong?’
Alex guided her to the lumpy, sunken couch, and Julie tried to compose herself. Though half of the words ended up mumbled into her handkerchief, she managed to tell them the full story, choking back sobs all the while.
Shock hit them gradually, their faces draining of colour. Julie regretted not saying a word about the Wilsons’ plans for the trees – at least then, they wouldn’t have had to face that as well as the loss of the cabin. But it all poured out at once, the whole horrible mess of it.
‘So we can’t stay here?’ said Reggie eventually, his voice hushed.
Julie shook her head. ‘I’m so, so sorry. We only have until September.’
There was a stricken silence. Alex’s hand was on Julie’s arm, and he gave her a reassuring squeeze.
‘We always knew we’d have to move on some time,’ he said gently. ‘You have nothing to be sorry for, Julie.’
‘No,’ said Luke vehemently, and the others looked at him, surprised.
He stood. ‘There has to be some way out of this. We were going to stay longer, remember? Everything was – everything was good. Wasn’t it?’
His voice cracked as he spoke, and he shook his head, seeming to come back to himself for a moment. ‘I’m gonna get some air.’
Julie watched him go, her heart breaking all over again. Alex gave her arm another squeeze.
‘We’ll miss you so much, Julie,’ said Reggie softly. ‘All of us.’
Julie let out a little sob, pulling them both into a hug. They held her tight, patting her back comfortingly as though she were the one who’d been completely displaced.
After a while she pulled back, wiping her face roughly with her sleeve. ‘I’m gonna see if Luke’s okay,’ she said, getting unsteadily to her feet. ‘See you soon?’
They nodded, their faces solemn. ‘See you soon.’
Julie left the cabin, the slight breeze outside welcome on her face. She found Luke by the river, stood looking out at the water with his back to a willow tree.
‘Hey,’ she murmured.
He met her gaze and gave her a tiny smile. ‘Hey.’
For a moment they stood there in the quiet, watching the rushing of the current.
‘Come with me for a minute?’ he said abruptly, turning to face her properly. ‘I want to talk to you about something.’
Julie blinked back her surprise. ‘Sure.’
He held out his hand. Wordlessly, Julie took it.
After a minute, she knew exactly where they were headed. They kept going, hand in hand and saying not a thing, further into the woods.
Soon she could hear that familiar burbling. Around them, impossibly tall oaks stretched to meet the skies, bright wildflowers blooming like patches of a meadow.
And there it was. Luke dropped her hand to move the overturned basket they used to hide the spring, sitting down on a tree stump beside it.
For a moment more they were silent. Julie’s heart thumped in her chest. She watched Luke staring at the spring, trying to keep her composure.
Finally he spoke.
‘Julie, I can’t not ask you,’ he said, his voice raw. ‘The others didn’t want me to – they said we had to leave you to live a normal life – and I know it’s so selfish of me to want you to leave that behind, but…’
He ran his hands through his hair. He stood and moved towards her again, tears shining in his eyes.
‘Don’t decide anything now. Don’t even – don’t even start to think about it now. But, God, Julie, I can’t face the thought of disappearing from your life without even telling you how much I want you to come with us. How much I want this not to end.’
Tears threatened to spill over when Julie blinked. Her hands found Luke’s, and he pressed them in his, gaze fixed earnestly on hers. ‘You’ve changed everything, Julie,’ he whispered. ‘You have to know that.’
She shook her head, as if that could stop this all being overwhelming, as if that could stop his words going straight through her. What felt like fire raced through her skin, lighting her up inside.
‘What exactly are you asking me?’ she said in a low voice, clinging to his hands a little tighter.
Luke swallowed. ‘I know we have nothing to offer you. I have nothing to offer you, except… except for time. But if you wanted, you could drink from the spring. Maybe next year when you turn seventeen. And we’d come back for you when it’s safe, or you could come and find us, and we could have all of forever together.’
Julie stepped back for a moment, turning away from Luke and running a hand over her hair. A breeze was blowing around them, and she hugged her arms to her chest, her mind in a whirl.
‘I —’ She stopped, crushingly aware of the importance of her next words. She focused on trying to breathe.
Finally she faced Luke. ‘Why me?’ she whispered, knowing the question was arbitrary but needing to ask it anyway.
Luke almost laughed, his eyes wide. ‘You’re asking me that? Julie, you’re incredible. Ever since we met you we’ve all been better, and not just at music. You inspire all of us. Your talent, your passion – the way everything that’s happened to you has only made you stronger… It isn’t up to me, but I could easily spend forever knowing you. Without a second thought.’
Julie’s jaw was trembling. Luke reached up to cradle it, and she leaned into the touch, her eyes fixed on his. He brushed away the tears on her cheeks so gently it hurt.
‘I’d spend forever with you, too,’ she whispered.
For a moment they looked at each other through the tears in their eyes, smiles breaking out despite everything. Then, slowly, Luke inched forwards and kissed her.
Around them, the wind picked up, scattering hundreds of tiny fallen leaves. Julie’s arms tightened around Luke’s back, oblivious to the burrs blowing into her hair, and even the burbling of the spring behind them was unnoticeable now.
Notes:
whew!! took a while to get here but here we go! i hope the slow burn wasn't *too* slow. thanks as always for any engagement - comments especially mean so much!
there is Plot coming and for that, i am very sorry.
Chapter Text
It was at least an hour before they returned to the cabin, voices hushed and hands wound tightly together. They stood under one of the willow trees for a while before going in.
Impossibly, it had started to rain. Julie huffed and made sure she was under a branch wide enough to cover her hair while Luke just looked at her, smiling.
‘What?’ she grumbled.
‘Nothing,’ he said. ‘You’re just cute.’
She blushed, allowing herself a small smile. Then she sighed.
‘Luke,’ she said softly. ‘What are we going to do?’
He was quiet for a moment, rubbing his thumb along the inside of her wrist. ‘Whatever we can do, I guess. We’ll figure things out.’
Julie leant her head in the crook of his shoulder. His arms came around her, and it felt so impossibly warm and secure that she wasn’t sure how she could ever let go.
Eventually they heard the others moving around inside the cabin. When they went back inside, Alex and Reggie raised their eyebrows at their linked hands, smirks coming onto their faces.
‘Well well well,’ said Reggie. ‘What happened to Luke “I have chemistry with everyone I sing with” Patterson?’
Luke rolled his eyes. ‘Oh my God, man, shut up.’
Alex was grinning. Julie went to sit beside him again, and they exchanged looks of exasperated affection.
Then Luke and Reggie flumped down on either side of them. Julie put her head on Luke’s shoulder again, and for a while, the four of them sat hand in hand.
Later, Reggie sloped into the kitchen to fetch through some glasses of iced tea. They collected around the table, the rain pattered gently against the roof.
Reggie asked hopefully, ‘So, uh, when are we going to dinner with your dad?’
‘Oh my God, I completely forgot about that,’ murmured Julie. ‘Whenever, I guess.’
‘Is this week too soon?’
She smiled. ‘No, that’s not too soon. I’m sure he’s missed you.’
‘Really?’
Reggie sounded touched, and his eyes were full of warmth until he noticed the others snickering at him. Then he pulled a face.
‘You’re just jealous that I’m his favourite,’ he said, rounding on Luke.
‘I’m really not,’ said Luke. ‘Not yet, anyway.’
He and Julie exchanged private smiles.
‘You will be. What a swell guy,’ Reggie continued, his voice reverent. ‘And I met your little brother, Julie – did I ever mention that? I told him all about the mystery of the French dip.’
Julie rolled her eyes. ‘Carlos mentioned it. Oh, hey – speaking of Carlos…’
She told them about what he and Victoria had found at the library. The articles they’d found about Caleb; the one grainy photograph. Alex nodded, frowning.
‘That fits with what Willie was telling me,’ he said. ‘About Caleb ageing, but not fast.’
They were quiet for a moment.
‘Guys, what if that’s what Caleb really wants?’ said Julie quietly. ‘Not for you to join his band, but… to figure out why none of you have been getting older?’
From the looks on their faces, she guessed they disliked that idea as much as she did. ‘How could he possibly know about that?’ said Luke uneasily.
‘We’ve been careful,’ said Reggie, his mouth twisted in a frown. ‘Haven’t we?’
Alex had been quiet, looking at the surface of the table. Finally he said, ‘When these woods are destroyed, do you think the spring will go with them?’
This was a blow. At first no one answered.
‘We’d better fill some bottles,’ said Reggie, his voice hollow.
It was one problem too many for Julie to face there and then. With a heavy exhale, she stood.
‘I’d better go home,’ she said. ‘My dad will be waiting for me. And I have a lot of stuff to think about.’
They gave her solemn nods, and hugs that were longer and tighter even than usual. Julie walked back on her own, winding a slow, convoluted path around the bends of the river.
When she got back, she went straight to her room to retrieve the photograph. Then she took it into the garden, sat on the willow tree swing as she gazed at one of the only surviving pictures of her and her mom.
‘What would you have done, Mom?’ she said softly, twirling the ropes around. ‘And what would you want me to do?’
Julie stayed out there until dusk started to creep in, sunset tingeing the sky a muted gold-shot violet. She’d done a lot of thinking, sat there twisting the swing under the boughs of the willow, and though there was still a lot on her mind things were at least a little clearer.
She found her dad prepping dinner, and without a word she rolled up her sleeves to help. They settled into a quiet father-daughter routine, swapping smiles as they chopped and peeled carrots.
After a while Julie turned to face him. ‘So when can we have the Phantoms over?’
‘Whenever you want, mija. How’s Friday? My work plans for then got rescheduled.’
‘Friday sounds perfect,’ said Julie warmly. She gave him a wide smile.
They continued in silence for a moment. Then Ray stopped to look at her, his head tilted to one side.
‘Something’s different with you today,’ he said eventually. ‘Anything on your mind?’
Julie blinked. What was he sensing, exactly? That she’d had her first kiss with Luke and it had left her head spinning more than she’d ever imagined? Or that she’d been offered immortality, and had spent the whole afternoon trying to think about the choice between life and death?
‘Uh,’ she said. ‘Nothing much, Dad.’
He raised his eyebrows, but no further questions came.
Julie peeled potatoes with a faint flush on her cheeks. She had no idea how she was going to hide things with Luke a second time, especially not now, and when her father had guessed so much already just from their facial expressions. Maybe she’d have to pin her hopes on Reggie.
Bad idea, she thought.
Eventually they finished prepping the vegetables. Julie washed her hands and darted upstairs, wanting nothing more than to offload some of her thoughts into her dream box. And when Carlos came asking to play a board game, she only hesitated for a second before going to join him.
The next few days passed quietly. Mr Wilson replied to Ray’s letter to say that they could have an additional month to clear the cabin, and offered the use of his winch for moving all the instruments.
It meant little to Julie. Time was running out either way.
She’d had a note from the guys to say that they were sorting through their stuff, window dressing the cabin so that if anyone stopped by unannounced, they would only see Rose and Julie’s things. The thought made Julie unspeakably sad.
But she also woke up to frequent notes from Luke, even though she went up to the cabin every afternoon. Simple, silly things like You looked beautiful yesterday, as usual! and Can’t wait to sing with you again! And though she mostly put off thinking about the spring, the knowledge of what he wanted – the memory of him asking her – buoyed her from the inside.
When Friday came, she was burning to see them all again. She styled her hair with some of the butterfly pins Flynn had given her for Carrie’s party, wandering in and out of the kitchen twisting her hands until Ray laughed and dismissed her. Naturally, Carlos’ teasing was in full force, and she was deeply glad that their aunt wouldn’t be present for dinner too.
When the knock finally came, Julie had been sat by her window with her knees tucked up to her chest, nerves fluttering about in her stomach. Immediately she jumped out of her chair, darting down the stairs.
She beamed to see them in the open doorway. Ray was shaking their hands, and she thanked God that they’d worn the newer, better-fitting shirts Flynn’s mother had given them.
‘Welcome,’ her father was saying, ushering them inside. Carlos came down to join Julie at the bottom of the stairs, eager to gawk.
As Reggie gave a deeply enthusiastic greeting, Luke’s gaze slid to Julie. He grinned at her, and she smiled back, the nerves in her stomach sparking into excitement.
It felt almost surreal when they were all sat round the table. Julie sat between her brother and Luke, and his presence next to her made it hard to keep focussed on the conversation as a whole. Especially when he kept shooting her smiles, nudging his knee against hers. A perpetual blush had settled across her face.
‘So,’ Ray said casually as they passed around a bread basket, his eyes twinkling. ‘Are you guys planning on performing with Julie again any time soon?’
They exchanged looks. ‘We’d love to, Ray,’ said Reggie. ‘Can I call you Ray?’
He nodded, looking amused. Reggie beamed.
‘We don’t have anything planned, but maybe we could change that.’
Julie brightened. ‘Definitely. What do you think, Papi?’
‘Of course.’ He smiled at them all. ‘Why don’t you do something to mark the end of the summer? We could get some fireworks, make it a last hurrah.’
‘A last hurrah,’ murmured Alex, his expression melancholy.
Julie swallowed. ‘Maybe, Dad. That could be nice.’
‘So who wrote that song you played last time? It was a great piece of music. Very catchy.’
Julie and Luke exchanged uncertain looks. They could hardly say that they’d written it together.
To her surprise, Luke smiled at Ray and said, ‘Julie wrote it. She’s obviously really talented.’
‘You did? That’s fantastic, mija! I have to say, I’ve missed hearing your songs. Anything new you’re working on?’
Her mind went straight to the song on her desk, the one with the hearts doodled in its margin, and she blinked. ‘Uh, a few.’
The others shot her intrigued glances, all of which she ignored.
Miraculously, the rest of the dinner passed by without anyone slipping up or embarrassing themselves. Carlos and Reggie had an animated conversation about their theories on the supernatural. Ray, for the most part, seemed impressed with the guys’ neat shirts and manners. Julie did have to raise her eyebrows at them as they each went for fourth helpings, but Ray was flattered, taking it as a compliment to his cooking.
Finally Ray stood to clear the plates, announcing that dessert would be along shortly. ‘Julie, Carlos, why don’t you give the boys a tour?’
‘Sure,’ said Carlos, hopping out of his chair. ‘Gentlemen, will you please follow me?’
Julie smirked. The four of them rose, humouring Carlos in his burgeoning tour guide routine.
Once they’d toured the upstairs, Carlos bowed to light applause. Then he gave them a toothy grin. ‘Do you wanna play battleships?’ he said to Reggie.
Reggie smiled. ‘Sure, little man. Lead the way.’
As they went down the hallway, Reggie turned back and said, ‘Hey, Alex, you’re great at battleships, aren’t you? Come give me a hand.’
And he shot Julie and Luke a wink.
Alex smirked and followed him, telling the other two not to hide away too long. Julie rolled her eyes at them all, blushing to the roots of her hair.
‘So do I get to see your room?’ said Luke, smirking.
‘What, you mean Carlos’ tour didn’t satisfy your curiosity?’
He gave her shoulder a nudge. ‘C’mon, Julie, I won’t break anything.’
‘Are you sure?’ she said sardonically. But she led the way nonetheless, opening the door for them both.
‘I love it,’ said Luke sincerely, walking further in. ‘It looks like… It looks like you.’
Julie sat on the edge of her bed. ‘What do you mean?’
He reached up a hand to touch the embroidery on the canopy of her bed. ‘Everything. The butterflies, the little musical touches. It’s gorgeous.’ He moved over to the desk, and she could hear the smile in his voice. ‘Hey, Julie, what’s this?’
She realised what he must be looking at and raced over. ‘Don’t touch that!’
‘“Perfect Harmony”?’ he read aloud, just as Julie managed to snatch it and tuck it safely into her dream box.
‘I never said you could look at that,’ she said, indignant.
‘Why not? Who’s it about?’
‘You know exactly who it’s about,’ she said, cheeks aflame.
Still smirking, he took one of her curls in his fingers, twirling it about affectionately. ‘You ever gonna show it to me?’
‘Maybe,’ she said softly, stepping a little nearer to him. ‘If I think you deserve it.’
‘I’ll be on my best behaviour, then,’ he murmured.
Julie smiled. She tilted her head up to kiss him, pulling him closer until they were thoroughly entwined again. He held her tightly, his hand going from her hair to her waist.
All too soon, they heard a knock. They broke apart just in time to hear Alex’s voice.
‘Ray said dessert’s ready,’ he called. They heard his footsteps going back downstairs.
‘Thank God it was Alex,’ Julie whispered.
Luke looked at her questioningly.
She raised an eyebrow. ‘Reggie definitely wouldn’t have knocked.’
Chapter 26
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
The evening went on much as it had begun. Everyone had slightly too much dessert, and Julie just about managed to keep the conversation routed in safe grounds. She had told her father beforehand that the boys had difficult pasts and didn’t like to discuss them, and that they were estranged from their parents – it meant that he didn’t ask any of the awkward questions she’d been afraid of, but instead, insisted on acting as fatherly as possible. He gave them leftovers to take home, and a lot of encouraging words that left their voices a little scratchy.
‘If he tells me he’s proud of me, I’m definitely gonna cry,’ Reggie whispered to Julie near the end of the night.
She raised her eyebrows. ‘Try offering to do the dishes,’ she said. ‘He might ask you to move in.’
‘That’s the goal.’
Finally, when the sky grew dark, they had to say their goodbyes. Ray gave them all brief hugs at the door, so Julie did, too, not caring if it seemed forward. She lingered at the window to watch them leave.
‘Those were nice boys, mija,’ said her father once he’d finished in the kitchen, coming back through to sit near her.
Julie turned to smile at him. ‘So they’re Papi-approved?’
‘Sure. You’ll have to work on your aunt next, though.’ He winked, and Julie rolled her eyes with a laugh.
After a pause, Ray continued, ‘So is the plan to keep playing with them for a while? Until you get your confidence back?’
Julie was quiet, twisting the cuff of her dress around her wrist. ‘They have to leave soon,’ she murmured. ‘So I’m not sure.’
‘They have to leave? Where are they going?’
‘To, uh… To stay with some distant relatives.’
Ray looked like he wasn’t sure he believed her, but he nodded.
‘And what are you going to do when they leave?’ he said gently.
Julie pulled up her knees to her chest, a familiar stinging threatening to build behind her eyes.
‘I don’t know,’ she said eventually. ‘I haven’t really come to terms with it yet.’
Ray nodded again. ‘Well, I have faith in you, Julie. I know you’ll have the strength to sing again on your own.’
He stood, placing a hand on her shoulder for a moment. ‘I’m glad we could do this tonight, sweetheart,’ he said warmly. ‘Don’t stay up too late.’
‘I won’t, Dad.’
He headed up the stairs. Julie watched him go, something strange twisting in her chest.
Julie woke up to two notes on her windowsill – a good morning letter from Luke, as usual, and another one from Alex.
I think I know what Luke has asked you, it read. Meet me by the boat this morning, around ten?
Julie read it over a few times, her heart beating faster.
She got dressed, wondering how he knew. Maybe it had been obvious. In hindsight, it almost definitely had.
Alex was sat waiting on the river bank when she got there. He brightened when he saw her coming, standing up with a wave.
‘Morning, Julie,’ he said. ‘Wanna head out on Mary Ann?’
Julie smiled, her gaze wandering to the rickety old boat. ‘Sure. We’re probably overdue a trip.’
‘Definitely. Sorry it’s taken this long.’
He helped her in as they spoke, and moments later, they were on the river. Alex was a confident rower, guiding them out of the stronger currents and along to where the flow became gentler.
Julie was enjoying herself, watching the way the trees drifted past as the boat bobbed along, noticing where the river was shallow enough to see the sticks and leaves that had sunk to the bottom. She suddenly wished they’d done this sooner, before there were any serious conversations to be had. Before she had to be so painfully aware of how little time there was left.
‘So where are we headed?’ she asked, skimming her hand along the water’s surface.
‘There’s a pretty quiet spot further into the valley,’ he replied. ‘I went there with Willie not long ago. I think you’ll like it.’
Julie was intrigued. It wasn’t long until the river opened out, pine trees towering on the hills around them.
It was another place she’d somehow never been, and the sight was astounding. She held onto the edges of the boat as she turned to look. The breeze was stronger here, ruffling her hair as it drifted across the cool, clear surface of the water.
‘It’s beautiful out here,’ she murmured, something wistful in her voice. ‘How did you find this place?’
Alex was quiet for a moment before answering. He pointed beyond the row of pine trees, his face unreadable. ‘I used to live in that part of the valley. There was a village in that part of the woods, but it isn’t there anymore.’
‘Oh.’ Julie looked out at the riverbank, strangely saddened by the thought. She wondered if Treegap would still be Treegap after they got rid of all the trees.
Alex looked back at her and gave her a rueful smile. ‘So,’ he said. ‘Luke asked you if you wanted to drink from the spring. Right?’
Julie nodded gravely. ‘Right.’
‘Reggie and I figured. Did he tell you we weren’t going to?’
‘Yeah,’ she said. ‘But he also said why. And I get it, Alex, really. I wasn’t mad about that or anything.’
‘Okay. Well, that’s good.’
He paused for a moment, his hands drumming against the side of the boat.
‘You know we would love for you to come with us, Julie. We all would.’ His gaze was fixed on hers, anxious and earnest. ‘But I think it would be a mistake. Not because of anything to do with you, but because the spring is a mistake. If I’d known what would happen, I would never have drunk that water.’
Deep down, Julie thought she understood. But she still felt compelled to say, ‘You really think so?’
‘Yeah. I mean, sure, it’s great being seventeen. But… if I could’ve had a normal life, lived through my twenties and thirties and had all the changes that came with that, I don’t think I would have regretted it. I miss that, you know? I miss wondering what my future would be like.’
Julie nodded slowly. ‘I get that.’
Alex set the oars down, bringing his knees up.
‘We’re not really a part of all this, you know?’ he said softly. He glanced out at the river around them, the birds flitting between the trees. ‘All of these things are alive because that life runs a cycle, and it ends. Plants grow, they germinate, and they die and become something else. We took ourselves out of that cycle, so we’re kind of… not living, not really. We’re just… here. I don’t think it was true that we’re cursed, but I can’t see this as a blessing, either.’
‘I guess cutting yourselves off from your families like that must have been awful,’ said Julie in a low voice.
‘Yeah. And, you know, sometimes we even miss Bobby. Weird as that may sound.’ He attempted a smile. ‘The things that mean the most to us, the things we’re gonna remember for however long our lives turn out to be, are all the things that have to come to an end. But that’s okay, you know? Or… it would be, if we weren’t stuck.’
‘So… if you could, someday, you would die?’
Alex nodded. ‘We’re all meant to. And yeah, sometimes that thought terrifies me. Or it used to. But it means things move on, right? If we’d had normal lives, maybe we could’ve had children, and they could’ve had children, and so on… Or not. But now we never will, we never can, and those lives will never happen. Those people will never exist.’
‘But you would have died anyway,’ said Julie. ‘Reggie would’ve fallen out of that tree, and you and Luke would’ve had death by hotdog.’
Alex smiled slightly. ‘You worked that one out, huh? Okay, yeah, so that’s true. And yeah, dying by hotdog at seventeen would’ve sucked. But you have a future, Julie, and I don’t wanna take you away from that. I don’t want to take you out of the wheel.’
Julie was quiet. She was thinking about everything he’d said, watching some salmon swim in the water below them. It sat heavily in her chest, and heavier still were the memories that kept climbing to the surface, of her time spent grieving and the loss that had carved a hole in her family.
That grief had never left her, and she knew that it would stay with her for the rest of her life. If she had a chance to get away from that – from the terrible reality of sickness and pain – shouldn’t she take it? She would rather have had a mother who never aged than a mother who was gone.
But… If she drank from the spring, wouldn’t they lose her, too? She and Carlos wouldn’t grow up together. They’d have a few years at most before her lack of ageing would show. She would have to leave, abandoning her life like the guys had, forever avoiding anyone who might be able to work out what she was.
And the truth of that had started to shake her, even though the spring also meant an eternity with Luke, Alex and Reggie. Of travelling and making music with them, watching the future as it came.
Of being with Luke.
She voiced some of these thoughts to Alex, barely above a murmur. He listened in silence, nodding his understanding.
‘Have you talked to Flynn?’ Alex asked after a while.
Julie shook her head. ‘No. I know what she’d tell me.’
He smiled. ‘Yeah, I bet. But she’d probably be right.’
‘As always,’ Julie murmured.
‘I, uh… I’m sorry to dump all this on you, Julie. I know it’s a lot. And obviously it’s your decision, in the end. I just wanted to give you my perspective.’
‘It’s okay, Alex,’ she said. ‘I’m glad you took me out here. And I’m glad you told me.’
They exchanged slightly wobbly smiles. Alex reached his hand forwards, and without a second thought, Julie took it and gave it a squeeze.
‘So tell me about when you came out here with Willie,’ she said, her smile widening.
Alex laughed, a faint blush spreading across his cheeks. ‘Sure, okay.’
Knees still tucked up, Alex recounted the afternoon for Julie. He had a soft smile on his face that didn’t quite leave.
They headed back only when the sun reached the height of its arc, making even their refreshing spot in the breeze a little too warm for comfort. Mostly quiet, they listened to the oars dip in and out of the water, birds chirping in the trees.
Alex spoke again when they neared the cabin.
‘I don’t mind if you tell the others what we talked about,’ he said. ‘I guess Luke especially will be kind of curious.’
Julie smiled wryly. ‘I bet. I’m gonna think about things for a while first, though.’
Alex nodded. ‘Sounds sensible. I, uh, I’m sorry again for all that.’
‘Don’t be. I mean it.’
They’d reached the sedge outside the cabin, near the little wooden bridge, and Alex tied up the boat as Julie hopped out.
‘Do you want to come in?’ he asked.
Julie looked at the cabin, sorely tempted. She wanted to sit with them all for a while, to tuck her hand in Luke’s, maybe run through a couple of songs. But something else tugged at her.
‘I think I’m actually way overdue a conversation with Flynn,’ she said. ‘But I’ll see you tomorrow?’
Alex smiled. ‘Sure, Julie. Tomorrow sounds great.’
He hugged her goodbye, and Julie gave him a squeeze before darting back along the river. She didn’t stop hurrying until she’d reached Main Street.
Flynn was going to be furious.
Notes:
sorry if this causes as much emotional injury to read as it did to write :((( would definitely recommend listening to “The Wheel” from the tuck everlasting musical soundtrack for some Bonus Sad!
Chapter Text
‘Four days?’
Flynn was pacing, her arms folded and a scowl on her face. She turned her glare on Julie again, who flinched.
‘All of this happened,’ she said, ‘you kissing Luke, him asking you if you wanted to drink from the spring – and you didn’t tell me for four days?’
‘I’m sorry, Flynn,’ said Julie again, bowing her head. ‘It was just a lot, you know? I barely knew where to start.’
‘How about you start with “Hey, Flynn, I’ve been thinking of becoming immortal”?’ said Flynn acidly.
Julie rolled her eyes. ‘Can you not see how that might be a big thing to think about?’
‘Yeah. So big you’d definitely need the help and advice of your best friend.’
‘Alright. Fair point.’ Julie sighed. ‘Well, I’m telling you now.’
Flynn finally came to sit down with her. They were in her room, on a low couch near the window. Flynn’s mom had brought up a plate of pastries, and when Flynn took one, Julie hoped it was a sign she was feeling slightly more mellow.
‘It is big,’ she said finally. She nudged closer to Julie. ‘And you kissed Luke.’
‘Yeah.’
‘You kissed Luke!’
‘Yes,’ said Julie, blushing. ‘Well, technically, he kissed me.’
Flynn smirked. ‘Okay, I want to hear everything.’
Julie told her all about it, from the guys’ reaction to Mr Wilson’s letter up to her trip on the river with Alex. She took a pastry as Flynn gawped at her, momentarily speechless.
‘Wow, Jules,’ she said eventually. ‘You’re right, this is heavy.’
Julie shot her a scrutinising look. ‘Why aren’t you immediately telling me not to drink the water?’
‘It kind of sounds like you’ve already made your decision.’ Flynn quirked a brow, leaning back in her seat. ‘Am I wrong?’
Julie was silent for a moment.
‘Well,’ she said carefully. ‘I won’t be seventeen for a while. I could always change my mind.’
‘You won’t.’
Julie twisted her hands together in her lap. ‘It will mean we all lose someone we care about again,’ she murmured.
‘Yeah, but the alternative is to spend an entire existence losing one person after another.’
Julie sighed. ‘How are you so confident in this?’ she asked, a little enviously. ‘You’ve known about the spring for weeks, but it seems like you’ve never even been tempted.’
‘I haven’t.’
‘But… how? Aren’t you even a little bit curious?’
‘Julie, I want to be a part of my future,’ Flynn said gently. ‘I want to be out there shaping it. Making things happen. I don’t want to take myself out of that and watch things happen from the sidelines, even if it meant there’d be more future to see.’
Julie nodded slowly.
‘Besides,’ Flynn went on. ‘You have to be there with me, okay? Double Trouble, making trouble for always.’
Julie laughed, shaking her head affectionately. ‘You really are going to make so much trouble.’
She pulled Flynn into a hug. Smiling, Flynn said, ‘We both are, Jules.’
Julie went home after Flynn’s house, finding her father and Carlos playing a board game at the dining table. She found a notebook and joined them, occasionally peeking up to laugh at them when things grew heated. Mostly, though, she just stared at the page, too many thoughts swimming around in her head.
Later, when Carlos had gone to bed, her pensive mood was more obvious. Ray watched her with his eyebrows raised until she noticed.
‘You going to tell me what’s on your mind, Julie?’ he said lightly.
Julie looked up. There was absolutely no way she could tell her father what was on her mind, but for once, she kind of wished she could.
‘Just… sad the summer’s coming to an end, I guess,’ she said, shrugging her shoulders.
Ray looked thoughtful. ‘It’s been an eventful one, huh?’
‘Yeah. Seems like every other week there’s been a party.’
‘You’re telling me.’ He leaned back in his chair, giving her a fond look. ‘Your aunt thinks I’ve let you run wild. But that’s what being a teenager is about, right? You don’t have to worry about any adult responsibilities yet.’
‘Dad… if you could’ve been a teenager forever, would you?’
He looked a little perplexed before breaking into a laugh. ‘Would I? God, no. All those hyped up emotions, that restless energy… No, Julie, I’m glad to have left that behind. Though I’d be lying if I said nostalgia didn’t come in hard sometimes. But you and Carlos have been the biggest joys of my life, you know that.’
‘Yeah, that’s what I figured you’d say.’ Julie smiled wryly. She twirled her pen around in her fingers for a moment. ‘I know we’ve had a lot of parties, but I figured one at the end of the month wouldn’t be a bad idea. Like you suggested? Something to end the summer with a bang.’
‘Well, say the word and I’ll get it arranged,’ he replied. ‘And don’t worry about the cabin for now, Julie. We’ll think about that in September. In the meantime you could use it to rehearse with your band.’
Julie blinked a few times. ‘Wow! That’s – a really great idea, Dad. I think we will.’
He smiled. ‘If we have to say goodbye to it, I’m glad you can at least make some new memories there first. Just take Carlos along one day, will you?’
Julie’s face softened. ‘Of course. I promise, Dad.’
Julie went back to the cabin the next day. She could only spare a couple of hours, and they went agonisingly quickly, the sun creeping across the sky almost faster than she could watch it. She missed the days when she’d been able to spend hours there without thinking about it, paying no attention whatsoever to the passing of time.
As much as she’d loved all the slow summer afternoons with her family, it felt more than ever like her life was split between times at the cabin and times spent wishing she could be at the cabin. She spent most of the afternoon looking out of the window, her palm cupping her cheek.
She hadn’t mentioned her trip out on the boat with Alex to Luke. But she’d got the sense that he knew.
She went upstairs early, doodling in a notebook by the window and glancing out at the fading sunlight. The fields in front of the forest were bleached gold.
Dusk fell slowly, tingeing the sky a little darker every moment. Eventually Julie had to move, the dim light making the pages of her notebook hard to see. She got up to light a few lamps.
Then came a faint tapping sound, light as rain.
She paused, thinking for a moment that maybe it was wishful thinking. But then she heard it again.
She smiled to herself, shaking her head. Crossing to the window, she said, ‘Reggie, I’ve told you you’re gonna—’
The rest of the sentence died in her throat as she found herself looking down not at Reggie, sheepishly dropping another pebble, but at Luke.
Another smile crept up, slow and wide.
‘Gonna what?’ he called up. His hands were tucked in his pockets, a sly grin on his face.
For a moment she merely stared at him. ‘Gonna break the glass,’ she said finally.
Luke peered up at it. ‘Looks fine to me. No cracks.’
She shook her head again, trying to suppress her smile. ‘Not yet, sure.’
‘So, uh, are you gonna come down?’
Of course she was, but… not quite that minute. She arched an eyebrow. ‘What for?’
He laughed. ‘C’mon, Julie, it’s a surprise!’
She thought about toying with him for a little longer, but the impulse dissolved in her eagerness to go. She made to swing her leg over the windowsill. Then, on second thought, she went to her desk to tuck some paper into her sleeve first.
Luke waited patiently (or impatiently) as she climbed out, clambering carefully down the trunk of the willow with her heart in her mouth. He helped her make the final leap, and she staggered into him, laughing a little breathlessly.
His grin was wider than ever. ‘Was that so hard?’
She rolled her eyes. ‘I almost wish you were Reggie.’
‘You don’t mean that.’
His mock-offended look, like a puppy being teased, made her laugh again. And it was impossible not to be happy: here he was, his soft brown hair a little windswept and not quite falling in his eyes, like he’d stepped straight out of one of her daydreams.
‘No, I guess not,’ she murmured. ‘Anyway, where are we going?’
‘I, uh… hadn’t actually thought of that. I guess I just wanted to see you.’
Julie’s heart softened. ‘Really?’
‘Yeah. Sorry. We should probably head away from your back porch, though.’
Smirking, she tucked her arm through his. They crept around the house and into the trees.
There, they linked their hands together instead. For a while, they wandered through the woods as the last of the golden sunlight was sapped from the horizon, talking in quiet voices.
They emerged near the fields that connected Treegap to a couple of the neighbouring villages, behind which sat a small, tranquil lake. The whole place was quiet. Without communicating it, they settled under a tree at the edge of the lake, looking out over the water as the sun set.
Julie nestled into Luke’s side, her head on his shoulder.
‘So, uh,’ he murmured into her hair, ‘no pressure to talk about this, but… I’m guessing you and Alex had The Talk?’
Julie sighed and burrowed in closer. ‘Yeah. We did.’
She felt him nod. ‘Right. I just want you to know that it’s okay. Whatever you decide. I wanted you to have the option, but… I know whatever you choose, it’ll be right.’
Julie stayed quiet, fighting back a sudden swelling in her chest.
‘I mean, you’re way smarter than we are,’ he went on. ‘You’re gonna do so many amazing things. So even if I’m being selfish, I couldn’t feel too bad about you moving on. Not getting stuck as you are right now, forever.’
Julie pulled back enough to face him. He gave her a sad smile, bumping his forehead against hers.
‘Sorry. We don’t have to talk about it.’
‘It’s okay,’ she said softly. ‘I… I don’t mind talking about it.’
As she looked at him, the words got harder to say. She took in a breath. ‘I think Alex is right. About the wheel, and all that. But… I’m not seventeen yet. I might change my mind.’
‘It’s okay if you don’t, Julie,’ he insisted. ‘We all want you to have a life.’
She put a hand on his shoulder and squeezed. ‘Well right now, you guys are my life. Or at least a big part of it. The band, the cabin. We still have a little more time.’
Luke nodded, his expression melancholy. ‘Yeah. You’re right.’ He leaned back against the tree, stretching his legs out. ‘I guess we just make the most of it, right?’ he murmured.
Julie was quiet for a moment. Then, taking pains not to tear the paper, she retrieved the folded page from her sleeve.
‘I brought you something,’ she said. ‘But don’t read it now. Read it when you’re back at the cabin, okay?’
He was alert again, looking at her with raised eyebrows. ‘Is this what I think it is?’
Julie huffed. ‘You know what it is. But you have to promise not to read it until I’m back home.’
‘Aw, but Julie —’
He tried reaching for the paper, but she pulled it back out of his reach. ‘Promise!’ she insisted.
Luke smirked at her. ‘Okay. Fine. I promise.’
Julie was still a little suspicious. She folded it another three times before handing it over, tucking it in his shirt pocket herself.
‘Thanks,’ he said. He moved his arm ever so slightly, and Julie grabbed it just in case, lacing their hands together.
He looked amused. ‘You really don’t want me to read it, huh?’
‘Not right now,’ she mumbled, embarrassed.
‘Well, can I at least know more about it? Is it a solo or a duet? Or full band?’
‘A solo,’ she said, picking at the grass. ‘For now, I guess.’
He gave her a slow, warm smile. ‘Maybe it should be a duet.’
Julie smiled back, her heart fluttering.
Luke patted his shirt pocket. ‘I’ll make sure this gets to Reggie, don’t worry.’
Julie rolled her eyes and gave him a shove. ‘What is wrong with you!’
He laughed and took the opportunity to pull her to him again. ‘Sorry. Best behaviour again, I promise.’
She gave him a sceptical look before settling back against his shoulder. ‘I don’t know if that even exists for you,’ she murmured under her breath.
‘It does, but not until recently.’
There was a chill breeze from over the water, and a distant, ominous rumble. Julie looked up, frowning, and noticed just how grey the sky had become.
‘Uh, I think it’s going to rain,’ she said.
Luke pulled a face. ‘Are you sure?’
Julie glanced pointedly out at the lake. Soon enough, the telltale ripples began to appear on the water.
She turned back to give him a sardonic look, and more thunder sounded. She saw a raindrop land on Luke’s nose and laughed at how his face wrinkled.
‘There are some stables near one of these fields,’ Julie said. ‘Let’s head there?’
Luke gave an exaggerated sigh. ‘Yeah.’ He helped Julie get to her feet, linking her hand in his again. Together they ran along the dirt path, shouting as the rain progressed from drops to sheets.
They were breathless with laughter by the time they reached the deserted stable, now merely storage for old hay bales. Collapsing against one, they caught their breath, shaking the water from their clothes.
‘What now?’ Julie asked when the giggling had died down. ‘You can hardly take me home in this.’
‘Did you do the old pillow trick?’
‘What?’
‘You know,’ he said, blinking at her. ‘Where you stuff a bunch of pillows in your bed so it looks like you’re sleeping.’
Julie closed her eyes for a moment, heaving a sigh. ‘No. I didn’t do the pillow thing.’
Luke tutted. ‘I thought that went without saying. Reggie didn’t tell you to do that last time?’
She shot him a waspish look. ‘No,’ she said again, emphatically. ‘He didn’t.’
‘Well,’ he said, ‘now you know for the future.’
The rain continued to bucket down in droves. Ominous flashes lit up the sky. They watched it for a while, huddled in the doorway.
Eventually Luke found a tarpaulin. Pulling it over a couple of the hay bales, they had a makeshift couch, and flumped down to wait for the storm to end.
By now, Julie had resigned herself to whatever trouble she might face when she got home. She leant into Luke’s side again, and for what seemed like hours they talked about anything and everything: their families, their futures, and most of all music.
The rain kept coming down. Julie didn’t mind it – she’d always liked thunderstorms, especially the summer kind that announced themselves with melodrama and cleared away the hot, humid air. Luke was watching the lightning, too, and she stole frequent glances at him that made her smile.
The sky grew darker and darker, more swollen clouds emerging over the fields. And secretly, Julie was glad.
Somehow, impossibly, she found her eyes drifting closed. And though she tried to blink away her fatigue, it came back to swamp her, heavier and heavier each time.
‘Don’t let me fall asleep,’ she mumbled into Luke’s shirt. He smiled and draped his jacket over her.
‘I won’t,’ he said easily, in the same voice he’d used to tell her that they wouldn’t try to sneak into Carrie’s party.
And sure enough, this was another lie she was glad he’d told.
Morning came damp and cool, the sunlight glorious. Julie awoke still nestled into Luke, her neck slightly sore, hay poking into her legs. She blinked a few times, disoriented.
‘Oh, no,’ she breathed.
Next to her, Luke stirred. He lifted his head slightly, taking in their surroundings. Then he turned to Julie and beamed.
‘Morning,’ he said.
Julie let out a huff. ‘My dad is going to be furious,’ she whispered.
‘Maybe he doesn’t have to know? It looks like it’s barely past six.’
He was right, and the thought comforted her a little. ‘Still,’ she said, regretfully. ‘We’d better head back.’
Luke gave her a solemn nod. ‘Okay. Sorry we got stuck like this.’
‘Don’t be,’ she murmured, a blush stealing into her cheeks. Furtively, she glanced at him again, and an exquisite, happy thrill ran through her.
They held hands the whole way back, jovial despite the waterlogged ground and the stiffness in their necks. And tired as she was, Julie didn’t want to say goodbye. She kept pulling him back for one more kiss.
She was almost floating as she hurried back to the entrance of her house, fully convinced that everyone would still be sleeping.
They were not.
She stopped dead when, on her way to the stairs, she saw her father sat at the table mid-yawn. He sighed and stood.
‘There you are,’ he said. ‘I had half a mind to go round to Flynn’s and collect you. Next time you decide to have an “impromptu sleepover”, tell me about it, okay?’
For a minute Julie could only blink at him. ‘Uh,’ she said. ‘Yeah, of course. Sorry, Dad.’
‘Didn’t you want to stay the whole night? It’s a little early, isn’t it?’
Julie shuffled her feet. ‘I, uh, thought I might get away with it if I came back now.’
Ray sighed. ‘I see. Head back upstairs, Julie, and we’ll talk about this in the morning. You look like you’ve barely had three hours.’
Without another word, she complied, her mind racing.
Carlos emerged on the upstairs landing. He was in his pyjamas, but didn’t look at all tired, giving her a wide grin. ‘Wanna talk about how much —’
‘Carlos,’ she said. ‘I’ll do your chores for a year.’
And she pulled her door emphatically closed, crossing the room and tumbling straight into bed.
Chapter Text
A few more precious August days went by, each one far too short. And for Alex, even though it was an important place to them all, the cabin was starting to feel stifling.
There was a letter on the windowsill that had been sitting there ever since they opened it, seeming almost to lie in wait. Probably the same as the one Ray had received, it detailed the Wilsons’ plans for the area, setting out in black and white an order to remove all personal possessions from the cabin.
None of them could stand to look at it.
And for a while now, Alex had been worried about Willie. He’d spent the last few mornings pacing along the riverbank, his head full of thoughts that wouldn’t quite simmer down, trying to work out what kind of hold Caleb had over him. They hadn’t spoken since Carrie’s party, and there was so much he wanted to say.
One day, he went back into the cabin planning on telling the others he was going to head into Los Angeles. But to his surprise, Julie was there to meet him. She was stood facing Reggie and Luke on the lumpy couch, both wearing slightly stunned expressions.
‘Good, you’re all here!’ Julie marched over to Alex and took his arm, pulling his sleeve to get him to sit with the other two. He exchanged mystified looks with Reggie.
‘So. We’re doing one last concert, okay? I think it’s finally time we play Stand Tall.’
As she spoke, she retrieved the song from the mantel, the paper covered in her mom’s writing as well as hers and Luke’s.
‘What do you guys think? We could play something else if you wanted, but I think this one is great for all of us. This could be our last gig as Julie and the Phantoms, so… I want us all to be on board.’
‘Stand Tall is perfect, Julie,’ said Luke. ‘Your voice sounds incredible on that. We’re behind you for sure.’
Reggie nodded vigorously, but when Alex glanced his way, he could see the dejected slope of his shoulders, the tense set of his jaw. Alex swallowed.
Luke and Julie were now facing him expectantly, and he smiled a little to see them both so intense about music yet again. ‘Yeah,’ he said. ‘Sounds good.’
‘Sounds good?’ repeated Luke, eyebrows raised.
Alex rolled his eyes fondly. ‘Sounds great. Do we have a date set?’
For the first time that morning, something dispirited came into Julie’s expression. ‘August twenty-seventh.’
That wasn’t much more than a couple of weeks away. ‘Okay.’
Julie caught the thoughtful look on his face, and for a moment, she smiled sadly at him. An unspoken thought passed between them.
Practicing a set made it almost possible to shake off the dusting of melancholy that had settled over them all, but not quite. It was too bittersweet, rehearsing for what could be their final performance together.
Later, when Julie left, there was an even more subdued quiet. Reggie was moping, and when Luke wasn’t the same he was restless, gazing frequently out of the window.
Alex grabbed a jacket. The anxiety under his skin was pushing at him, propelling him out.
He walked the mile or so into Los Angeles. There were a few places he knew now where he might find Willie: anywhere with concrete paving, ideal for practicing with the skates, but especially the longer boulevards that were fringed with palm trees.
But today, he wasn’t at any of his usual haunts. Alex realised when the sun was low in the sky that he’d spent hours looking, and still no luck.
He stopped walking, leaning against the wooden sign that pointed back to Treegap with a frown on his face. Willie must be at Caleb’s mansion in Hollywood, he guessed – he had a room there.
It had been over a week now since they’d last talked. Alex had been finding it tougher than ever, lately, not to be able to head out to meet him whenever he wanted. Willie was one of the few people he’d ever known who made him feel calm. More than that; Willie made him feel peaceful.
But this whole situation didn’t. That creeping feeling he’d had when he’d first learned about Caleb was coming back. Willie going quiet now couldn’t be a good sign – not when Caleb seemed to know so much, and Willie was obligated to him for whatever reason.
Alex sighed and dug his heels into the ground. What if Willie was avoiding him on purpose?
He didn’t even know about the demolition plans. As much as they’d all been avoiding the thought, he, Luke and Reggie would eventually have to work out where they were going to go after Treegap. Would Willie want to come with them? Would he even be able to?
Alex started to make his way back. Some resolution came into him, and he walked a little faster. Willie was going to have forever, just like they did, and Alex wouldn’t let him spend it indebted to a conniving magician.
Some way or another, he was sure, they’d find a way to escape together.
As the week wore on, Alex still heard nothing from Willie. He spent almost more time in Los Angeles than he did in the cabin, except on the days Julie came over, but didn’t see him once.
In the meantime, they’d had to start making plans. Luke had refused to plan a route, still stubbornly hoping they’d be able to stay somehow, so Alex had taken it upon himself to look into some options. It pained him, too, but he told himself it was for all of their sakes. Including Julie’s.
Reggie had halfheartedly suggested going east, so east it was going to be. Every Saturday there was a night train that started in Los Angeles, travelling through the Mojave and all the way to New Orleans. Using most of their savings from previous gigs, Alex had bought three tickets for the twenty-seventh.
He’d wanted to buy four.
That weekend, he finally confided in Luke and Reggie, voicing his thoughts on a drowsy morning as they sat by the river.
‘I think I’m gonna tell Willie about the train tickets,’ he said, twisting one of his cuffs around his wrists. ‘And, uh… ask if he would want to come with.’
‘Yeah, Alex, of course,’ said Luke. He was lying down, looking up at a canopy of leaves. ‘I thought that went without saying?’
Reggie nodded. ‘For sure. I mean, there’s no reason for him not to, right?’
Alex glanced at Luke, and saw his mouth twist. Then he sat up.
‘Unless Caleb gives us a reason,’ he said. ‘Didn’t you say Willie’s been super hard to find?’
Alex’s gut turned over. ‘Yeah. I was gonna head to the mansion. If Caleb sees me, fine, but we’re leaving anyway. I can’t go without trying.’
Luke’s eyebrows flew to his hairline. Reggie looked equally stunned.
‘You’re going to Caleb’s mansion?’ he repeated. ‘Aren’t you kind of scared?’
Of course I am, Alex thought. His chest had been in knots all morning. But he gave Reggie a look he hoped was nonchalant. ‘What is there to be scared of? I’m just going to have a conversation, that’s all.’
Reggie thought for a moment, clearly remembering the fruity soda and the attractive dancers. ‘Can I —’
‘No, you can’t come.’
‘Just thought I’d ask,’ he mumbled.
‘Well, good luck,’ said Luke. ‘Head straight back if things get tense, okay? Having Caleb on our tail is the last thing we need.’
Alex nodded. ‘Yeah. Of course.’
And, as he got ready to go, he hoped fervently that the reassurances he’d given them were true.
Even on a sleepy August afternoon, the Hollywood mansion Caleb had rented was a hive of activity. A group of acrobats were practicing on the concrete-paved lawn, shouting impossible-sounding instructions to each other, and Alex shot them baffled looks as he skirted past.
He stayed close to the trees, trying to look a mixture of someone inconspicuous and someone who belonged. Luckily, he didn’t have to attempt this for long.
He found Willie at the back of the mansion, leaning over the back porch railing and looking out at the sycamore trees. Alex sped up, so relieved to see him, and not having had to go inside was far from the biggest part of that.
‘Hey,’ he called, and Willie looked startled to see him. Then a frown flitted over his face, and he ran down the porch steps to pull Alex into the trees.
‘Alex, what are you doing here?’ he said in a low, urgent voice, speaking only when the sycamores hid them from view. He let go of Alex’s arm and took a few steps back, shaking his head. ‘You shouldn’t have come.’
Alex’s heart plummeted. ‘Why not? I need to talk to you.’
Willie’s eyes searched his before he answered. His chest was rising and falling rapidly, his eyes bright with something unspoken. ‘It’s not – it’s not a good idea, okay?’
Alex stared at him, unable to stop the hurt showing on his face.
‘Look, you shouldn’t be here. I shouldn’t be seen talking to you.’
‘Is this something to do with Caleb?’
Willie sighed and looked at the ground. ‘It… It doesn’t matter.’
‘Of course it matters!’ His heart in his mouth, Alex took a step closer. ‘I came here to tell you something important. We’re leaving.’
Finally Willie met his eyes again. His expression was carefully blank.
‘You’re leaving?’ he repeated. ‘When? Why?’
Alex let out a long breath. ‘You know I told you about Bobby, and how he’s the one that owns the cabin? Well, they’re demolishing it. Making a new suburb where all the trees are.’
A mixture of shock and outrage came onto Willie’s face. ‘What? He can’t do that! These sycamores are hundreds of years old – this forest is a home, he – he can’t…’
It broke Alex’s heart all over again to see how aghast he was. ‘I know,’ he murmured. ‘It’s awful. I’m so sorry, Willie.’
For one heavy, horrible moment, neither of them spoke.
‘And the cabin’s going too?’ Willie said. He shook his head. ‘I hope Julie and her family are okay.’
Alex studied him. ‘Luke wanted Julie to come with us,’ he said. ‘He asked her to drink from the spring.’
Willie didn’t look particularly surprised. ‘What did she say?’
‘I don’t think she’s decided yet. But we talked about it for a while. I think she’ll live her own life.’
‘Like you wanted to,’ said Willie softly. But when Alex tried to meet his gaze, he looked away again.
‘Forever is a long time,’ Alex said, his voice a little croaky all of a sudden. ‘That’s why I…’ He shuffled his feet, clearing his throat. ‘I wanted to ask if you’d come with us. We leave at the end of the month.’
Something in Willie’s expression was shut down, closed off. ‘I can’t, Alex.’
This confirmation of his fears left Alex reeling. He blinked, hoping Willie couldn’t see that he was devastated.
‘Why not?’
‘I just can’t, okay? Please don’t ask. There’s nothing I could do about it anyway.’
‘So it is Caleb,’ said Alex in a low voice, indignant.
Willie was still looking at the ground, his arms crossed over his chest. ‘Alex,’ he said brokenly. ‘Please just go.’
‘I thought you’d care that we were leaving. I thought – I thought what we had was… was enough to make you want to come.’
There was an ugly silence, congealing between them.
Willie shook his head. His expression was blank again.
‘We never should have met.’
That evening, there was no hiding his low mood from Luke and Reggie. He’d come back to the cabin with a black cloud swirling in his head, incapable of following the conversation they were having, and banging erratically at his drums when he wasn’t sat taciturn in a corner.
Their words of sympathy were kind, but they didn’t really get it. It wasn’t that Willie had stomped on his feelings (though there was that, too). It was everything else: that pressing sense of foreboding, heavy and tight on his chest. The wish to stay as long as they could, at war with the urge to get out as soon as possible.
Alex just wished he knew what exactly it was that had made Willie say the things he’d said. How much of it was because of Caleb, and how much was something else entirely. But the lack of understanding gnawed at him, and there was every possibility that he would leave Treegap and spend a very, very long time not knowing.
And he had absolutely no idea what to do about it. Or about how to stop it feeling quite so much like heartbreak.
Chapter Text
Time was slipping away faster than ever. And for Alex, Luke and Reggie, that was a feeling that had become uncomfortably unfamiliar lately.
Alex, hearing nothing from Willie, tried to reconcile himself to the idea of leaving without him. And that maybe that was what Willie wanted – or, if he didn’t, that he wanted the safety of staying more than he wanted the risk of leaving with Alex.
It didn’t make things any better to know that Luke and Reggie were going to be devastated too, but there was a shred of comfort in knowing that they were in it together. It would just be the three of them, like always, and they were good at that.
Except when talking to her aunt, Julie gave up all pretence that she was only seeing the guys while chaperoned. She was at the cabin every day, throwing herself into rehearsals and spending hours by the river in their company. Her hand was usually tightly in Luke’s.
Ray was kind enough to turn a blind eye, though as the final week before their performance drew near, he did insist on her taking Carlos along one day. When this had been a vague idea rather than a concrete reality, Julie was happy about it, but when the day came she kind of regretted agreeing.
First Carlos had examined all their instruments, swinging the guitars by their necks and banging experimentally on one of Alex’s drums. Behind him, Alex began reaching an arm out and changed his mind, his mouth a thin, panicked line. Letting him watch them rehearse wasn’t much smoother: whenever Julie got up from the piano, she attempted to ignore the way Luke grinned at her, tilting his head to get her to come over. And for a while, she succeeded. Mostly.
The rest of their rehearsals were less chaotic, but bittersweet. Like they had for their first performance together, they often kept going long after they had everything tightened and memorised, playing for the sake of being in each other’s company.
It wasn’t hard for Julie to notice that something was up with Alex. One day she managed to get him alone for a talk on the river, eventually prising the details out of him.
She sat with it for a moment, wondering how things with Caleb could possibly have got so tense.
‘Does he at least know which tickets you got?’ Julie asked. She knew; she’d written the details down and memorised them. Just in case.
Alex shook his head. ‘I didn’t even get a chance to tell him.’
‘You should,’ she insisted. ‘Send him a note. Make sure he knows so he can go with you if he changes his mind.’
‘You think he might change his mind?’ Alex said, his voice brittle.
‘I don’t think he even made it in the first place,’ replied Julie. ‘No way this decision came from him. You have to see that, Alex. I know this hurts, but it has to be Caleb. It has to be.’
He nodded slowly. ‘I think you’re right. But… what if it’s not?’
Julie shrugged. ‘Then you gave him a chance, and he’s been a fool,’ she said. ‘Promise me you’ll send the note, okay?’
For a moment, Alex didn’t reply. Julie nudged him, her eyebrows raised. ‘Promise?’
Finally she won half a smile. ‘Okay, Julie,’ he said. ‘I promise.’
Los Angeles to New Orleans, ten pm Saturday 27th August, one way.
Willie had read the note ten times at least now. Once he had it memorised, he crumpled it up and stuffed it down the side of his mattress.
Alex hadn’t signed it, but he hadn’t needed to. The handwriting looked like him: neat, nicely spaced, the Gs ever so slightly curly. Willie had traced his fingers over it, trying to picture him writing it, wishing he could convey the words he wanted to say just by touching the paper Alex had written on.
He’d barely slept since the two of them had last spoken. Though in a way, he’d meant them, the words he’d said were buzzing around his head like wasps.
There was no keeping secrets in a circus, and a muttered approximation of what happened had made its way to Caleb, who had been badgering him about it at every opportunity. He wanted to know everything Alex had said, everything he and his band were doing. And each refusal to tell him what he wanted to know resulted in a threatening reminder of his position.
And of course, when their end-of-summer concert was announced, Caleb bought himself a ticket.
As awful as that all was, it at least made Willie feel like he’d been right to try to keep Alex away from this. Better for them to get out while they could, before they could get sucked in to whatever plans Caleb had for himself and be forced into showing him the spring.
Willie hoped that at least if the woods had to be destroyed, the spring would go with them and solve that problem forever.
Then he only had to wait for Caleb to die before he’d get his freedom.
The days wore on. Willie hardly left his room in the mansion except to practice on his skates. He kept telling himself that he just needed to wait until the end of the month, that it would be easier when he knew they were gone.
He read Alex’s note most nights. One day when Caleb sent him out on an errand, he stopped by the train station without quite intending to, spending a few minutes dawdling by the boards and reading the timetable.
But he didn’t buy a ticket. He couldn’t.
Not yet, at least.
He took a slow route back, his mind wandering. He’d always wanted to go to New Orleans. But Alex probably wouldn’t want him to come now anyway, even if it were possible. Not after what he’d said.
But it wasn’t possible, and never could be if Caleb got what he wanted. Willie wished, for the thousandth time, that he’d never signed that contract.
The wording had been subversive even when he signed it, he knew that now. Back when he’d been desperate for a job, he’d actually thought it was limited: being in Caleb’s service for the duration of his youth, and his athletic prime, had seemed more than fair for someone who would eventually get older. And though he and Caleb had both known that he didn’t seem to get injured the way ordinary people did, for all he knew that could have happened eventually. It usually did to the more extreme acts in the circus.
But Caleb could’ve stopped him ageing even if the spring hadn’t, if he’d wanted to. The contract had been designed to keep him in as long as he was serviceable, profitable. And now he was using its terms to get all the knowledge he could about the Phantoms, because by some horrible twist of fate he knew that none of them were getting any older.
And it was making Willie furious.
When Caleb had found him, he’d been so eager to take the job – to travel, to carve a place for himself after spending a few years adrift. And he trusted him. Liked him. They seemed to have things in common, certain differences that set them apart from others. A shared excitement for putting on a good show.
But everything had changed when Caleb learned about the Phantoms. He’d become obsessed. And suddenly Caleb had become someone Willie didn’t like, didn’t trust, would do anything to keep away from Alex. Even break his own heart.
Chapter 30
Notes:
thank you so much to everyone bearing with me here!! who knew writing an ending you've had planned from the start would be this difficult? if you're still reading this niche and sad little fic, you have my whole heart <3 will post the finale soon!
Chapter Text
The last days in August had been almost as balmy and warm as the height of July. There were no brown leaves to be seen anywhere, the summer birds and cicadas as loud in the evenings as they had been at the start of their season. Even as it neared its end, summer was clinging on.
On the night before their concert, Julie went to bed early, knowing full well she’d hardly sleep at all. And sure enough, she stared at the ceiling for hours.
In the cabin, Alex packed away the last of his things and, with a roll of his eyes, started on Luke’s. His things were more collected than they were packed, thrown haphazardly into a corner with his case where he’d obviously been ignoring them. (Reggie had somehow managed to pack, but only after a lot of prodding.)
Alex didn’t mind doing it for him. It kept his mind off other things, like just how much they’d be leaving behind.
Meanwhile, in Caleb’s mansion, Willie was also trying very hard not to think about it. He wasn’t having much success.
He just about managed to sleep that night, his dreams flitting and melancholy. When he woke in sunlight, the first thought he had was today is the day Alex leaves.
Instinctively, he tucked his hand down the side of his bed. He knew that no good could come from reading Alex’s note again, but he couldn’t stop himself wanting to.
His fingers scrabbled around for a moment. He frowned, his heart dropping to his stomach.
A moment later he was up, tearing open the curtains and kneeling on the mattress. ‘God, where is it?’ he muttered, frantic now. He could feel the roaring pulse of his blood, loud and heavy.
He tore off all the bedding, removed the mattress from the frame, got on his hands and knees to search in all the corners. Nothing.
Willie stood. Now he was truly afraid. How long had it not been there? Who could possibly have been in his room?
The door didn’t have a lock, of course. It could have been anyone. But only one person could have any interest in that note.
Caleb.
Caleb was having a leisurely morning. He’d had breakfast with Robert Wilson and his daughter, chatting about their plans for a second Hollywood and how the area might change, and now they drank iced tea on the back patio as the sun curved higher in the sky.
‘There is one thing I’ll be sorry for,’ Robert said, swishing the ice cubes in his glass.
Caleb was intrigued. ‘Oh?’
‘There’s a cabin out by the river there, a mile or so into the woods. I used to spend hours there with a few friends when I was about Carrie’s age. We had a little band, of sorts. Pretty good – we played a lot of gigs around California.’ Robert took a long drink, and Caleb resisted the urge to press him. ‘They’re long gone now, though. So I let the Molinas use the cabin. They’ve always been a musical family – especially Rose, and now it seems Julie, too. It’ll be a shame for them to lose it.’
‘Well,’ said Caleb, unfolding his hands and pressing them to the arms of his chair. ‘You never told me you were musical yourself! But I suppose with such a talented daughter, it only makes sense.’
Carrie, who’d been looking rather grumpy, blushed pink at the compliment. She gave him a sweet smile.
Robert looked melancholy again. He glanced at Carrie. ‘I’d hoped that she and Julie might play there together, just like we did, but…’
‘We did,’ said Carrie, a little disdainfully. ‘When we were little kids.’
Her father shook his head, looking disappointed. ‘Things haven’t panned out that way. So it’s a painful goodbye, to a lot of good memories, but that’s how it has to be.’
Caleb had a feeling he’d found his missing piece. That the last thing that hadn’t made sense was becoming clear. Feigning casual interest, he said, ‘Did your band play the same sort of thing as Carrie? I’ll bet you attracted bandmates from all over.’
Robert looked a little uncomfortable now, inspecting the ice cubes in the bottom of his glass. Carrie was watching him curiously; Caleb took a guess that her father rarely, if ever, talked about this part of his past.
‘No, we were all local,’ he said at last. ‘From this cluster of villages, at least. And our sound was a little different to Carrie’s, but, well, my daughter is unique. Anyway, we parted ways. A long time ago now.’
‘Are these the three guys who died?’ whispered Carrie.
He gave her a look, clearly more discomfited than ever. ‘We have a guest, sweetheart. Let’s talk about something else.’
And he fought valiantly to change the subject. But he hadn’t said yes. In fact, Robert Wilson looked like he wasn’t at all sure about what had really happened to the three young men who, as Carrie had so obligingly confirmed, had apparently died twenty-five years before.
It was well past noon by the time Willie had finished searching the mansion, beyond desperate now. Others in the troupe told him that Caleb had gone out for a social call and a few errands and wouldn’t be back until tomorrow. And when he’d gone up to Caleb’s room, he’d found two stony-faced porters stationed at the door, eager to know what he wanted.
Willie thought about lying his way past somehow, or even fighting them if he had to. But what was the point? Caleb clearly wasn’t here – the wagon was gone – and he’d have been a fool not to take the note with him. Or to have already extracted what he needed from it.
He had to warn them. He had to.
But first, he made up his mind about something else. He grabbed the last of his earnings, strapped his roller skates to his boots, and tore his way into the centre of Los Angeles.
There, he bought a train ticket. Los Angeles to New Orleans, ten pm that night, one way.
Julie stood at the doorway to the cabin, taking a deep breath.
This was it. The last time she’d see her phantom band before their final performance.
She felt calmer than she thought she would. Part of that was that she trusted them so completely now – the song would be great, because they were great, and when they had her back she felt like anything was possible. And she would miss them, so, so much, but all of them would do so many amazing things. The music they’d made together would last forever.
She walked in, closing the door behind her. Looking around at the guys, she gave them a soft, slow smile. ‘Hey.’
They were stood waiting for her, and though they seemed a little subdued they smiled back. ‘You ready for tonight?’ asked Alex.
Julie nodded. ‘All in, right?’
Luke grinned. ‘All in. Let’s give them a night they won’t forget.’
They gathered in a circle, hands linked together, and threw them up in the air.
Just then, someone knocked.
It was more of a pounding than a knock. They jumped back, startled, and Alex moved cautiously to the window.
He was silent for a moment.
‘Who is it?’ Reggie asked him.
‘It’s – it’s Willie.’
‘Then let him in!’ Luke exclaimed.
Alex blinked a few times. Finally he nodded and opened the door, still a little dazed.
None of them were prepared for how frantic Willie looked. His eyes were wide and full of fear, his breathing ragged.
‘Can I come in?’ he said, and he managed to muster up a weak smile.
This time, Alex barely hesitated. ‘Yeah. Yeah, come sit down. What’s up?’
He and Julie ushered him to the one armchair. Though he looked exhausted, he couldn’t relax into it, his hands gripping tightly onto the arms.
Willie was silent for a moment. Then his gaze went to Alex, quiet and intense. ‘Mind if we talk for a minute?’
‘Sure. We’ll head outside,’ said Julie, tugging on Luke and Reggie’s sleeves. She was as curious as any of them, but she knew the two of them needed a moment alone. They went to sit out on the back porch.
Leaving Alex and Willie alone in the cabin, the silence suddenly heavy.
Willie was the one who broke it. ‘Listen,’ he murmured. ‘I have to tell you I’m sorry. Those things I said – I didn’t mean them. Or I did, but – not in the way you must have thought. And… Alex, for what’s coming, I am so, so sorry.’
Alex frowned. ‘What you mean? What’s coming?’
Willie swallowed. ‘I’ve brought you nothing but trouble.’
After a moment of hesitation, Alex took the piano stool and shuffled it over to beside Willie. ‘Tell me everything,’ he said, gently.
Willie’s eyes flickered up to meet his. Alex saw the uncertainty in his face and how it changed slowly to something resolved, giving him a tiny nod. ‘Okay.’
The sense of urgency made his words come out fast, and once or twice Alex had to ask him to slow down. Finally he had the whole story – about the contract, and the things in Willie’s life that had led him to sign it; Caleb’s hunger for immortality; the missing note about the train.
Alex took a moment to absorb it all. Finally, in a low murmur, he said ‘Thank you for telling me.’
‘We have to make sure Caleb doesn’t intercept us at the station,’ cut in Willie. ‘There has to be a way of throwing him off.’
Hope rose in Alex’s chest. ‘Us?’
Willie gave him a rueful smile. ‘I bought a —’
The back door swung open and hit the wall with a crash, bouncing back hard until Reggie shouldered past it. He, Julie and Luke rushed back into the cabin.
‘Uh,’ said Luke. ‘Is there a reason Caleb’s here?’
The blood drained from Alex’s face. Willie jumped to his feet, looking just as afraid but rather less shocked.
Julie and the others exchanged looks.
Then the knock came, one more playful and fluid than Willie’s had been. The leisurely knock of someone who was in no rush.
‘Miss Molina?’ called Caleb’s voice. ‘Am I right in thinking that your bandmates are in there?’
Julie’s heart was hammering somewhere near her throat. ‘What do we do?’ she whispered. ‘Can you guys hide?’
‘Hide where?’ Alex’s face was ashen.
‘Julie, you should go,’ said Luke, his face set. ‘Sneak out the back. We’ll deal with Caleb ourselves.’
Julie shook her head vehemently. ‘No way. We’re in this together, right?’
The knock came again. It was harder than last time.
‘Miss Molina. I only want to have a little talk with you all.’
Julie looked round at them all again. She had a sudden, overwhelming feeling that there was no way out of this.
When she met Willie’s expression, he looked as resigned as she felt. He gave her a barely perceptible nod, even as a terrible sadness entered his eyes.
Slowly, reluctantly, Julie moved to the door. She opened it, and saw Caleb beaming on the other side.
‘Hello, Julie,’ he said. ‘How about the six of us talk out here?’
Chapter Text
Caleb was dressed in his gaudy best. His suit of silk and velvet was ribboned in purple, the colour matching the rounded top of his lacquered cane. As Julie hovered in the doorway, something roiling in the pit of her stomach, he gave her a wide and enigmatic smile.
‘It’s gorgeous out here,’ he prompted. ‘Don’t be shy now.’
Julie pressed her lips together. ‘What do you want?’
‘My, my,’ he said. ‘Miss Molina, where are your manners? I’m here for a simple conversation. And a business proposition, perhaps.’
Julie squared her stance, lifting her chin. ‘We don’t want to hear it.’
‘Oh, you will,’ he said. ‘I don’t think your boys have realised what’s at stake here. Or how much there is to gain.’
Julie heard an impatient noise from Luke behind her. Seeming to echo the sentiment, Alex murmured to her, ‘We should just get this over with.’
‘Are you sure?’ she whispered back. ‘What about Willie?’
Willie came to place a hand on her arm. ‘It’s okay. A lot of this is my fault.’
Julie met his gaze, frowning, but before she could argue he slipped past her. The other three followed, their arms folded as they came to flank Julie on the porch.
‘How did you know I was here?’ Willie asked Caleb, his voice quiet and steady.
‘Oh, William. It really wasn’t hard. For one thing, your skates are right outside.’ He gestured to the pair of roller blades leant against Alex’s boat.
Willie gritted his teeth and said nothing.
‘Right,’ said Caleb. ‘Let’s get down to business, shall we? Do you boys know why I’m here?’
For once, they were wise enough not to say anything.
Julie’s hand found Luke’s, hidden by the porch railing, and she gripped it hard enough to leave prints.
‘Well,’ said Caleb. ‘I guess I’ll have to do the talking. I know who you are. Each of you. I know your families’ names, where you once lived, your birthdays. Your real birthdays.’
‘Tell the town, then,’ muttered Luke after a short, horrible silence. ‘See if they believe you for one second.’
‘Oh, many of them won’t,’ Caleb agreed. ‘But I can think of one person who will. An old friend of yours – Mr Robert Wilson?’
Julie felt his grip go slack.
Caleb tapped his chin thoughtfully. ‘I thought that name might stir some recognition. And, of course, there’s always the matter of showing you unmasked to the people who knew you before. The people who thought you were dead.’
This time he let the silence sit, knowing the words were hitting their mark.
‘Of course, it needn’t come to that,’ he added. ‘Not if we work together.’
‘Why would we want to do that?’ said Alex, his tone sour.
Caleb whirled on him. ‘Ah. Alex. I thought you might ask. Well, see, the thing is – the hands of your friend Willie here are a little tied. He and I both know that he can’t leave with you, as I’m sure you’ve been planning. If he tried… Well, let’s just say he wouldn’t have the law on his side.’
‘What, but you’ll let me go if we give you what you want?’ Willie’s voice was choked, brittle.
‘Exactly.’ Caleb sounded pleased. ‘And it’s not like you wouldn’t get anything out of it. Boys, surely it’s occurred to you that there’s a lot of money to be made here? Enough to set you up for life. However long your lives turn out to be.’
‘We don’t care about money,’ Luke insisted.
Beside him, Reggie shifted and looked at the ground, seeming to have thought the better of commenting on that.
Caleb lifted a brow. ‘What about your families? Do you think they’d care about money? Surely three mourning sets of relatives would appreciate something to make up for their loss. Reginald, I believe you have a niece out there somewhere.’
‘Leave our families out of this,’ mumbled Reggie, angry spots of colour appearing on his cheeks.
Caleb put his hands up in a placating gesture. ‘My apologies. You’re right; I’m getting ahead of myself. I haven’t even told you my proposal.’
He was met with stony silence. Julie looked round at them all, her chest in knots. What if Caleb managed to get them on his side? Or worse, what if he forced them somehow?
‘Boys,’ he went on, a slow smile curving his mouth. ‘I believe there’s something in the woods you’ve been keeping secret. Something that you stumbled across by accident, twenty-five years ago, and that has made sure you haven’t aged a day.’
There was silence again. It was chillier this time, the smirk on Caleb’s face at odds with the fear radiating from everyone else.
‘And let me guess. It was… a spring?’
Julie felt Luke jerk back.
‘Spring?’ he repeated. ‘What are you talking about?’
Caleb gave a light laugh. ‘Nice try, Luke, but I had a pretty good idea already. Even if I hadn’t, the looks on your friends’ faces would have given it away. Yes, I know about the spring. Rather poetic, isn’t it? Like all those stories about a Fountain of Youth. Of course, that would probably be somewhere in Greece, but… I digress. Anyway, how about the four of you show me where you found that spring, and then we can really get talking?’
‘We’ll never show you,’ muttered Alex. His voice wavered ever so slightly.
‘Really? What about you, Willie?’
Willie’s eyes fluttered closed. His jaw was set rigid.
Caleb leant back against the post where Alex’s boat was tethered. He gave his cane a casual twirl.
‘Do the smart thing,’ he said. ‘Show me the spring, and bring all the bottles you can carry.’
‘Bottles?’ Julie and Luke exchanged looks. She was sure they were both remembering what Reggie had said, back on the day Luke had asked her to drink. About how they might still be able to share the water once the woods were demolished.
‘Has this really not occurred to you?’ asked Caleb, his brow furrowed. ‘Surely you have an idea of how much there is to be made from the water of a spring that makes you immortal.’
Julie’s stomach dropped. So one of their fears was true.
‘You can’t do that,’ said Alex, his tone final. ‘The conflict that would cause… It’d be a disaster. Nobody can know about the spring – even you must know that.’
‘I know no such thing,’ said Caleb lightly. His voice was quiet, but no less menacing. ‘I know about people – what they want, what they’ll hand over money for. I know how fast the time goes by, right when you’re starting to live.’
For the first time since the others had come outside, he looked at Julie.
‘Miss Molina,’ he said. ‘I don’t know what your plans are. I don’t even know if you’ve drunk the water. But I’m guessing, from your association with these four strangers, that you know the attractions as well as I do?’
Julie set her jaw. ‘Alex is right. The spring has to be kept secret.’
Caleb let out a bellowing laugh. ‘Well now you’re just being hypocrites! Why do you deserve it, if nobody else does? Why shouldn’t you show me, when I have so much more knowledge, so much more power than you do?’
Caleb had abandoned the post. He was advancing towards them now, each sentence punctuated with a deliberate step.
‘Boys, if you won’t be reasonable, I’ll have to show some more cards. I know Bobby. I know all the members of the police in this town. And I know just how to use your contract, William, to make you give me what I want.’
He was at the porch steps now, close enough for Julie to see the hunger in his eyes. His usually neatly-gelled hair was loosening in the heat, strands coming forward to wave over his forehead, and the look on his face was of someone who wasn’t going to give up. Someone who wasn’t going to go away.
She and Luke had taken steps back despite themselves. Alex had a hand tightly on Willie’s arm, shooting him frantic glances, but Willie had that same resigned look on his face that he’d had when Julie answered the door.
‘Don’t,’ she blurted out, but –
‘If I do,’ said Willie, ‘you let them go. Okay? You let them go and catch their train, say nothing to Bobby or anyone else, and you leave them alone forever.’
‘Willie, don’t,’ murmured Alex, his grip tightening on Willie’s sleeve, but Willie ignored him and stepped forwards.
Caleb looked intrigued now. He finally halted, and was looking at Willie with interest.
‘You’ll show me to the spring?’
Willie’s expression was stony. ‘That’s what I said. On those conditions.’
‘You’re not in much of a position to be calling the shots here,’ said Caleb, amused.
‘And you don’t have a lot of time to be searching these woods without me,’ Willie shot back. ‘You know about your pal Bobby’s demolition plans. And there are a lot of trees in this part of California.’
Caleb’s lips thinned.
‘Willie,’ Alex whispered again. ‘Don’t. You can’t.’
Willie turned to face him, his expression carefully blank. ‘Trust me. This is the way out.’
Caleb fell back a little, his gaze assessing, then pleased. ‘Alright. Willie, show me to the spring.’ He gestured for him to step nearer with a flourish.
As if freed from paralysis, Alex and Reggie moved between them. Luke gave Julie’s hand one last squeeze before joining them, his face grim.
‘Willie, don’t do it, man,’ murmured Reggie, looking desolate. Alex was shaking his head mutely, ashen and pale.
Willie met their gazes. ‘Trust me,’ he said again. ‘I know what I’m doing.’
Julie was gripping onto the porch railing, the wood digging into her palm. A memory flashed in her head – hadn’t Willie said he had no idea where he’d found the spring? She was sure of it; she could picture him laughing as he told them it had been a bizarre fluke.
What would she have done in his position? Would she have lied to Caleb, knowing full well she’d face the consequences later, just to give the guys a chance to escape?
Julie caught Willie’s eye. He gave her a brief nod, as though he knew she understood. She nodded too, slowly.
But the other three wouldn’t budge. ‘Don’t,’ Reggie said weakly.
Caleb cleared his throat, the sound deliberately impatient. ‘Come, now, boys. Let’s not make a scene.’
‘There’s no scene,’ said Willie. ‘Guys, it’s fine. We’ll make our little detour and head back home, and by the time you guys have left Treegap we’ll be halfway to Paris. Right?’
Caleb beamed. ‘Right.’
‘No.’ Alex stormed down the steps, and Caleb, taken aback, had to retreat a little before steadying himself. ‘That isn’t right. You’re not going anywhere near that water. How about you rip up Willie’s contract? The one you made him sign when he was sixteen and vulnerable? How about you leave him alone and let us all go, and live out however many months you have left?’
Caleb’s face changed. Any trace of a smile was gone.
‘William,’ he said. ‘Last chance. Come now.’
Willie swallowed. Slowly, he made to take a step, but Alex blocked his way again.
‘No,’ he repeated. Julie had never seen him so determined.
It all happened so quickly after that.
Caleb, hands curled into fists, lunged forward to grab Willie. And Alex, moving on instinct, shoved him back.
First the porch steps had him careering backwards, arms milling absurdly for half a second. Then, just as he was recovering his balance, his foot caught them – lying by the river as if in wait, where Willie had abandoned them without a second thought. The roller skates.
He fell, head cracking against the wooden post before he crumpled motionless to the ground.
Too fast, everything came back into focus. Julie heard the others swearing, asking each other what had happened. Alex was audibly panicking.
She couldn’t move. She could hardly breathe.
What the hell was going to happen now?
Alex’s eyes were wide, terrified. ‘Oh my God,’ he whispered. ‘Oh my God, oh my God—’
He and Luke knelt down beside Caleb, river water soaking into the knees of their slacks. They leaned in as close as they dared.
‘Is he dead?’ said Reggie faintly. Julie’s arm was looped tightly in his, and she could feel him shaking.
Willie went to the edge of the water. Luke made way for him to pick up Caleb’s wrist, feeling for a pulse.
‘No,’ he said. His voice was quiet, the tone unreadable.
Alex tipped his head forward. ‘He’s breathing,’ he added.
Reggie practically swayed with relief.
‘He’s out cold,’ said Willie, frowning a little. ‘I’ve seen head injuries like this before. This isn’t good.’
There was a long silence.
‘Guys,’ whispered Julie. ‘What do we do?’
‘We need help,’ said Luke eventually. ‘We can’t leave him here like this.’
‘I could get my dad?’ said Julie, her voice small. She knew the second she did, it was over. All of it was over.
Luke shook his head. ‘No. Not Ray. Somebody else.’
‘Flynn will be here soon,’ mumbled Reggie. ‘Reckon she could help us carry him?’
‘We can’t ask her that,’ said Alex disbelievingly.
Julie was sure Flynn would carry a body if asked, but she wasn’t really eager to volunteer her either.
‘I can think of someone,’ said Luke quietly. ‘You aren’t gonna like it.’
Reggie and Alex looked at him uncomprehendingly for a moment. Shock dawned gradually on their faces.
‘Luke, we can’t,’ insisted Reggie. ‘We don’t know if he’d help us or have us put away.’
‘It’s our only option.’ He looked at Reggie imploringly. ‘Help me carry him over there?’
Julie looked between them. ‘Please tell me you don’t mean Mr Wilson?’
The question sat in the air for a moment, answering itself. Julie’s heart sank.
‘It’s the best option, Julie,’ Luke murmured. ‘Bobby already knows something’s off. If he and Caleb are friends, he’ll focus on trying to help him. I think. This way, you can still do the concert and nobody has to know you were here.’
She stared at him for a moment, disbelieving. ‘You think I’m worried about that? I don’t care if people know I was here! I just want – I just wanted to sing with you all, one last time. Before you have to leave.’
Her voice cracked on her last words, and she looked at the ground before tears could blur her vision.
Reggie gave her arm a tight squeeze. ‘Aw, Julie,’ he murmured, sounding close to tears himself.
Luke got up slowly, wincing a little at the muddy water soaking his knees, and went to join Julie on the porch. The others grouped around Caleb, giving them a moment alone.
‘Julie,’ he began, softly. ‘We have to do this. Bobby is our best shot at getting help for Caleb and still getting out. And who knows – maybe if we’re super lucky, we’ll still get to join you at the concert.’
She lifted her gaze to his.
‘This can’t be how it ends,’ she whispered.
‘It won’t be,’ he insisted. ‘I promise.’
When she didn’t look sure, he pulled her close to rest her forehead against his chest. Julie screwed her eyes closed.
‘Don’t do this,’ she mumbled into his shirt, tears forming unbidden. ‘Don’t.’
‘We have to, Julie.’
And he pulled away, even as she curled her fingers into his sleeves. ‘This can’t be how this ends,’ she repeated. ‘It can’t!’
But Luke’s expression was unmoving, though the look in his eyes was as desolate as hers. ‘We’ll see you on the other side,’ he promised.
He moved away, looking to the others. ‘Reggie, come on. Alex, you’ll stay here with Julie, right?’
Alex nodded gravely.
‘I should help you,’ Willie said to Luke. ‘This wouldn’t have happened if not for me.’
Alex rounded on him, looking angry again. ‘None of this is your fault. You’re staying with me, okay?’
Willie blinked at him a few times, any refusal seeming to die in his throat.
With difficulty, Luke and Reggie hauled Caleb up. His head lolled to the side as they looped his arms around their shoulders. Exchanging glances, they started to make their way down the river.
Julie held a hand to her mouth, struggling to contain her tears. Alex moved to her side, letting her grip his hand so tightly it hurt.
‘What if this is the end?’ she whispered.
For a long moment, Alex didn’t respond.
Finally he swallowed. ‘It’s the end of something,’ he murmured. ‘Of what, exactly, I don’t know.’
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