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▎ 𝑭 𝑨 𝑹 𝑭 𝑹 𝑶 𝑴 𝑵 𝑶 𝑹 𝑴 𝑨 𝑳 ▎
𝐒𝐈𝐗𝐓𝐄𝐄𝐍 ━━ OLD NEWS.
࿔·ﾟ*ೃ࿐ ࿔* 🎸🥁🎤🎶

sometimes you miss the
𝗺𝗲𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀, not the person
･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ.･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ.

     ASHLEY did not want to go into school the morning after the dance and if she didn't have a sworn duty - or, at least that's what Flynn called it - to take the two sophomores to school, she probably wouldn't have woken up early for it.

     Julie definitely didn't wake up early. She was still asleep when Flynn and Ashley were ready to depart from Flynn's house but no matter how many times Ashley tried to tell Flynn that Julie wasn't being serious when she said that she never wanted to show her face at school again, Flynn was having none of it.

     So they left the house without Julie. Ashley forsaw some repercussions of that.

     Both Flynn and Ashley were in dance when Julie came running through the doors of the dance studio, midway through the two of them having the worlds most simple conversation - "Why do they even mix the junior and the sophomore dance classes together?" Ashley had asked Flynn for what must've been the third time that morning. "I could be sitting in my car thinking about how awful last night was if they weren't." - and Julie seemed out of breath.

     Ashley didn't blame her. She had missed her first three classes.

     "Oh Julie, how nice of you to join us." Their dance teacher tutnred to see the girl standing in the corner of the room, panting as if she had been running.

     "I'm so sorry." Ashley didn't miss how she shot her and Flynn sharp glances from where they were dancing in the centre of the room. "I overslept."

     Their dance teacher told Julie to go and take her spot beside Ashley and the blonde wanted to run from the room when she saw the look on Julie's face.

Oh dear, they were in trouble.

     "So, why didn't you guys wake me up?" Julie was looking at Ashley and Flynn each in turn, but Flynn was smiling. "I missed my first three classes."

     "I tried to tell her." Ashley saw Julie stifle a smile in the studio mirror. "I tried to tell her that you weren't serious last night when you said that you never wanted to show your face in school again but nobody ever listens to me, so-"

     "I'm a very literal person!" Flynn tried to defend herself.

     "It's okay." The three of them moved in turn with the music playing. "It's those stupid ghosts I'm really upset at. I'd kill them if they weren't already dead."

     "Having a band is supposed to help your social life, not ruin it."

     "Ex-band." Ashley spoke up, remembering the events of last night where both her and Julie had basically broken up their band before they had even begun.

     "Right. Sorry. Ex-band."

     "It's all so messed up." The girls stretched, following their teachers actions as Julie spoke. "I thought they were in this with us. But obviously, I was wrong."

     "Hey, don't blame yourselves." Flynn piped up. "You guys can only be so strong when three cute ghosts ask you to be in a band. Ash, you obviously weren't going to say no to your brother, neither of you are to blame for this."

     Ashley shrugged as they knelt down.

     "And speaking of cute, have you talked to Nick today?" Flynn was smirking at Julie now, her eyes bright. "He was pretty chatty at the dance."

     "And Julie was blushing like a madman." Ashley had to grip the floor to stop herself from toppling as Julie shoved her shoulder. Ashley laughed.

     "Shut up, for one, and no, I'm kinda dreading it." She focused equal parts of her words onto Ashley and Flynn. "At least I know I won't see him in this class."

     As if the world hadn't already handed Julie a problem on a plate the night before, as soon as she spoke aloud that she wouldn't see Nick in that class, low and behold, the boy walked through the door with a group of boys.

Julie almost fell over.

     "What are they doing here?" Julie hissed from behind Ashley.

     "Right on time Coach Barron."

     Ashley heard the name of the school's lacrosse team coach and her stomach dropped. The girl froze in her tracks for a moment, knowing exactly who would be standing amongst that group of boys, before she stood up straight again, not even looking at them. Who said she had to look? She didn't have to.

     "So, students," their dance teacher addressed them and Ashley, feeling rude for having her back turned, spun so she was facing the boys but refused to look up at them. She felt Julie pull the girl almost behind her, as if acting as a protective wall, "the lacrosse team will be part of our class for a few weeks. Many pro athletes have used dance to help them with coordination and mobility."

     "This isn't about flirting with girls." Coach Barron's comment got a snicker from the boys but they shut up when they saw his look. "It's about making us better so we can actually win a game. We lost against Burbank. Burbank!"

     Julie, Ashley and Flynn all shot each other a look and a snicker as their dance teacher tried to calm Coach Barron down, talking about compsure in dance.

     "Everybody pair up!"

     Ashley felt like her inside had rolled over. Pair up? Oh lord.

     Julie and Ashley shot each other a look which read, "Help me!" as the boys scattered amongst the girls in the dance studio. A boy Ashley only faintly recongised from being on the lacrosse team came and took Flynn by the hand to lead her away, even though Julie tried to beg her not to leave them, but then it was just the two of them, waiting for what they knew was about to go down.

     There was a reason Ashley had avoided the lacrosse team since the beginning of her sophomore year. There was a reason she made sure never to go out onto the field when they were practising, or even walk past it if she could help it.

     Luca Martinez.

     Ashley saw him before he saw her but it wasn't very hard to see that he was looking for her amongst the group. When he spotted her and approached her, Julie tried to shuffle away from Nick and say that they could swap and that she would go pair with Luca but Ashley put a hand on her arm to stop her.

     "JuJu, it's alright." Ahsley nodded at her best friend. "I'm a big girl, I can handle this. And besides," Ashley shot Luca a death glare, "if Luca knows what's good for him, he'll be quiet and won't say anything if he doesn't have to."

     Ashley didn't know where her sudden boost of confidence had come from, but she rolled with it as Julie made sure to double check she would be okay before giving in and paterning up with Nick. Ashley moved to the space just in front of Julie, on the girls orders, so Julie could still keep an eye on her and Luca.

     "So, ladies, let's do what we learned last week and we will perform this with the boys this Friday. Coach Barron and I will demonstrate."

     Perform it? Really?

     Ashley stifled a sigh.

     Their dance teacher and Coach Barron demonstrated what they were supposed to do and Ashley tried to hide her frustration that Luca looked almost effortless on his first try. First lacrosse, then music and now dance too? Not fair.

     "Let's do it again. Half-time, no music."

     While they were dancing, it was inevitable that Ashley and Luca were going to fall into some kind of conversation, no matter how much Ashley wished she could avoid it. It had only been a minute or two before he spoke.

     "Ashley." Even now his voice sent shivers down her spine.

     "Luca."

     The two of them copied the dance moves the teacher was doing.

     "It's been a while. I haven't seen you in over a year." Luca had always been the one to state the upmost obvious points, even when you knew them.

     "Hmm, I wonder if it had anything to do with the fact that I've been avoiding you?" Ashley's words came out bitter and she watched as Luca winced.

     He hadn't changed. He was just as Ashley had remembered him - beautiful.

     She had always thought that Luca Martinez was beautiful, she was pretty sure that had been obvious since they met in the 7th grade, but over the year, he had grown into his face more. Sharp cheekbones and jawline, eyes that were the warmest brown. Ashley had always told him that if his future plans weren't to become a professional musician, he totally could've been a model.

     "Well, I deserve that." Luca grimanced and Ashley hummed in agreement.

     "So, how're you and Eden?" Ashley didn't want to talk about them, but after over a year of no contact with either of them, she couldn't help but be a little curious. "I haven't heard anything of her since she moved to Oklahoma City."

     Ashley couldn't help but notice Luca suddenly looked uncomfortable.

     "Oh, we broke up." Ashley turned back to look at him before she realised what she was doing and turned away again - she didn't miss the surprise in Luca's eyes in the mirror. From the mirror in front of her, she could see every part of him.

    "I'm sorry." Ashley genuinely was. Maybe she should've hated them both but Luca had always liked Eden, ever since they became a trio in the 7th grade, so hearing they didn't last provoked some feeling in her. "I know you loved her."

     "It was never going to work." Luca shook his head as they got to a part of the dance where the two of them had to hold hands. Ashley wanted to refuse, but Luca had grabbed her hand before she could and she felt goosebumps pimple across her spine as he did - she couldn't believe that locked away feelings from over a year ago were still there, even after everything that he had done.

     "She didn't want to do long distance and Oaklahoma City is like over a thousand miles away. We didn't even leave on good terms really, she left without saying goodbye and I haven't heard from her since. Still, life goes on."

     Ashley tried to push away the sympathy she felt in her gut.

     The dance teacher addressed them again, telling them they were going to do the dance one more time, with music, as she leaned down to turn on the stereo.

     "And what about you?" Luca was trying so hard to make conversation that Ashley almost felt obligated to talk to him. "Never thought I'd see you in a band."

     "What? After you and Eden ditched me on the night of the talent show when I needed you guys the most?" There was that fire Ashley had been looking for.

It had taken it's time.

    "No, um, I meant because I always saw you as a soloist kinda person, not a band girl." Luca looked upset. "But yeah, I guess I deserve this coldness. I don't know why I expected a year apart to make any difference."

     "Yeah, you do deserve it." Ashley was trying hard to stick to the dance at hand and not turn around and shove him backwards into a group of people. "You and Eden really messed up, Lu. What you guys did was awful."

     Their childhood nickname slipped out before Ashley could even stop herself and she didn't miss the way his eyes softened. She had always loved his eyes.

     "I know, Ash." Now he was using nicknames. Great, she had started a trend. "I don't know how, or if, you'll ever let me show to you how sorry I am. We messed up and it wasn't right what we did. I know we really hurt you."

     "Yeah. You did." Ashley shot him a glare in the mirror. "You ruined what little reputation I had and created a huge fear of performing in front of crowds for me. The one kind of confidence I would need to have a music career and you and Eden crushed it in one night. All to be infatuated with each other instead."

     Ashley accidentally made a wrong turn in the dance and ended up bumping into Luca's chest - he had always been at least a head taller than her and it hadn't changed. She didn't know why she stayed there so long, looking at him before she pushed herself away and turned her back on him again.

     "You're a good dancer." Was he complimenting her now? "I don't know how I'm gonna work with it because if you haven't noticed, I'm an awful dancer."

     "You got that jump down first try." Ashley didn't know why she was rolling with it, but what the hell, why not. "The rest could do with some significant improvement but at least I know you can jump. It's a good start."

     Luca chuckled and Ashley hated the weird feeling that bloomed inside of her.

     The part of the dance came up where Luca had to spin and jump and as he did so, he didn't land as perfectly as he did the first time and Ashley had to reach out to lock her hand around his wrist to stop him from falling on his backside.

     "I take everything back." She lifted him onto his feet and let go of his arm immediately. "Maybe your jumping does need some improvement."

     He laughed again - god, Ashley had always loved his laugh - and that same weird feeling bloomed in Ashley's chest once more, like fire in her veins.

     Well, this could very well become a problem.

     "YOU and Luca were pretty chatty today." Ashley and Julie had just arrived back at her house and after putting their things in the house, were slowly making their way over to the studio - not using the word slowly, lightly. "Is he still awful?"

     "He tried not to be but it was hard to take him seriously when all I could think about was how he ruined my confidence on a night I needed him most." Ashley sighed, shoving her hands into the pockets of her jeans. "He's gone soft? He and Eden split up at the beginning of this year and its changed him a lot. Maybe it's true what they say; your first heartbreak really does a number on you."

     Julie chuckled, bumping Ashley's shoulder with hers as they walked.

     "Just try not to think about how you have to perform with him on Friday."

     "Well, Jules, if you keep talking about it, I'm gonna godamn remember." Ashley raised her eyebrows at Julie and the girl laughed, just as they reached the studio doors. They were wide open when they got there, as if waiting for them.

     They didn't even get the chance to completely make their way onto the threshold before there were voices - or, more like, singing, to be exact.

     "We're sorry!"

     "So sorry!"

     "We're super-duper, crazy, stupid, sorry!"

     Ashley almost stumbled back. Well, she hadn't been expecting that.

     "In case you missed it, we're really sorry." It was Reggie who spoke.

     When he spoke, Ashley couldn't help but remember the night before, the way she had spoken to him, the way his eyes had flashed with confusion when Julie had told them that they had 'let Ashley down a second time'.

     "Yeah, I... I got that part." Julie didn't look impressed.

     "We've been here for like, three hours." It was Alex who spoke this time and even though Ashley was trying to look everywhere but at the boys, she couldn't help but feel his eyes on her as she spoke, burning into her like hot coals.

     "We almost sang to your little brother." Luke stood up.

     "He comes in here a lot. Mainly to use the bathroom."

     "It's not our favourite part of the day." Alex grimaced.

     Ashley had no idea what to say, but she could tell Julie had words itching their way up her throat so she stayed silent, handing off the conversation to her unless she had to step in. Julie was always the better talker when it came to them.

     "Guys, it wasn't okay that we flaked on the dance last night. We know we let you down." Luke looked between the two girls before him, eyes soft.

     "None of us wanted to disappoint you." Alex looked at Ashley when he said this, even though Ashley was still refusing to meet his eyes. "Either of you. You guys are the best thing that's happened to us since we became ghosts."

     Ashley ignored the stab she felt in her chest.

     "So, in the hopes that you'll rejoin the band-" Luke stepped forwards and handed Julie a flyer which Ashley peered at over the girls shoulder, a flyer which read in big letters: NEW MUSIC NIGHT- "we booked a new gig."

     "A mega important, life-changing gig." Reggie called from behind him.

     "Check it out." Luke was still trying. "Tons of managers go here to listen to new bands. All we gotta do is blow them all away, and we're living the dream."

     Julie was silent for a moment before she looked up at Luke.

     "So, this means a lot to you, huh?" Ashley wanted to flinch away at the tone of her voice - she had heard that tone on Julie only twice in her whole lifetime, once when a boy from school had made an insensitive comment about her mom and once last night at the dance. It definitely wasn't Ashley's favourite tone on the girl. "Kind of how playing in front of the whole entire school meant a lot to us."

     "Sounds like sarcasm." Ashley wanted to face-palm as Reggie gasped and realised what was going on. "I'm starting to think our plan isn't working."

     "Look, we know we messed up."

     Ashley was focusing her attention on the plant wall at the back of the studio, trying not to look at anyone - she knew if she saw what she was expecting to see in the boys' eyes, she would break - but she still felt eyes burning into her face.

     "But we need you guys in the band."

     "Of course, you do." Julie was still using the tone. "Because without me or Ashley, no one can see you guys playing. You know, I thought that the music that we were writing was special, but you're too obsessed with your past to even care."

     Ashley knew Julie was right, so why did that comment hit her so hard?

     "I do care." Luke's voice raised an octave, Ashley noticed. "This band has a real chance at greatness. I'm not gonna let that get away from us again."

     "Oh, really?" This time, it was Ashley's turn to speak up. That comment had helped her find her words. "So why did you bail on us to get back at Trevor? Or Bobby? God, I don't even know what to call him anymore. To not be obsessed with your past? Is that it? You care about us but you flaked us out for a grudge."

     Luke was silent, surprised Ashley had spoken up to him.

     "I'll tell you why." Julie shot Ashley an appreciative glance for sticking up for her. "'Cause there's only one thing you care about and that's yourself."

     Ashley knew there was some truth behind Julie's words so why did the comment and the look on Luke's face afterwards, bloom an ache in her chest.

     Julie spun on her heel to walk off and Ashley paused in the doorway for a moment, finally lifting her eyes to meet Alex's gaze. He looked miserable.

     "Yeah, y'all kinda had that one coming." Ashley looked at all three boys in turn as she followed Julie back towards the house, trying to ignore the soft whooshing sound she heard as one of the boys disappeared. It was probably Luke.

     It took Ashley a while to calm Julie down and help her through her sudden bought of frustrated anger that she was feeling, but eventually, the blonde managed to get them both into the house and onto the sofa where Julie started to try and crack her maths homework with the new spare time that she had.

     Ashley huddled in the corner of the sofa just watching her.

     It wasn't long before they were joined in the room by Alex and Reggie.

     "Hey, you, uh... you guys got a second?" It was Alex's voice and Ashley had to fight her urges hard not to look up to meet his eyes. You don't look at people you're trying to be mad at, even if it is your big brother speaking to you.

     Both her and Julie stayed silent as Julie lifted her legs up onto the sofa, pushing to show the boys that she really wasn't wanting to listen to them.

     "Oh my gosh, they can't see us anymore!" Reggie let out a frightened yelp and Ashley heard Alex sigh. A giggle bubbled in Ashley's throat. "Oh. Right."

     From the corner of her eyes, Ashley saw Alex move across the small distance between where he was standing and where she was sitting. He lowered himself onto the arm of the chair and if he was able to emit any kind of warmth, she was close enough that she'd have felt it. She could've reached out and touched him.

     "Guys, please."

     That tone on Alex made both Ashley and Julie look up to meet his eyes.

     "I already told you that I'm done with the band." Julie spoke to him at last.

     "Yeah, we know, all right?" Alex sighed softly. "But before you decide that forever, we just-" he paused briefly, trying to find his words somehow- "we wanted you guys to know that Luke isn't as selfish as you think he is."

     "Yeah, you've got him all wrong." Reggie spoke up.

     Julie scoffed but Ashley could almost feel how genuine they were both being. She looked up to meet Reggie's gaze and wasn't surprised to see he was already looking at her. They only locked eyes for a moment before the blonde went back to staring at her lap - she couldn't let him back in that quickly, could she.

     "You remember that song "Emily"?" Alex's voice was quiet now and Ashley remembered what song he was talking about - the one in Luke's journal which Julie had found, the song which had made him a little uncomfortable when forced to speak about it. The song Ashley knew wasn't written about a girl.

     "Can we at least show you guys who that's actually about?"