Chapter Text
There are four things that all students at Los Feliz Performing Arts High School know to be true. #1 The football team almost never wins a game. Getting your hopes up will only end in disappointment and heartbreak. Cheer for them anyways. #2 If you ever need good weed, go to the band kids. (Rumor has it that a group got busted smoking in the practice rooms during lunch). #3 There is an ongoing feud between Mr. Goebs and Mrs. Laurens during Girl Scouts’ cookie season. They have and will attempt to sell you cookies, especially if you have their class before lunch. Bring enough money to buy a box from each or don’t buy from either. And finally, #4 Julie Molina and Luke Patterson are utterly in love with each other.
Anyone with eyes or ears can tell that it is true because it’s obvious. However, if any attempt to comment on this will be met with confusion and dismissal from the pair. There was a plan hatched last semester to lock them in the music room together, but the two just wrote songs the entire time and everyone involved was highly disappointed. It did result in a pretty killer hit though and it happens to be a fan favorite at every dance their band plays.
The origins of ‘Julie and the Phantoms’ is dramatic, even for an arts high school. Spoken about in hushed tones, the rumor mill tells of another band that was about to make it big. Made up of Luke Patterson (the man without sleeves and lead singer/guitarist of Sunset Curve), Alex Thompson (brilliant drummer and dancer), Reggie Moore (bassist, flirt, and math wizard), and finally Bobby Wilson (older cousin to Carrie Wilson and rhythm guitarist). But right before they were set to play a big showcase, Bobby broke down and confessed to signing with an agent who urged him to go solo. Betrayed and hurt, the remaining band members were left with a handful of songs, a furious promoter who banned ‘Sunset Swerve’ from ever playing there again, and an anger worthy of a vengeful god. For six months, Sunset Curve didn’t play a single venue, relying on busking the piers of Santa Monica and a few YouTube videos to stay afloat in the music scene.
Around the same time, Julie Molina stepped into the hallowed halls of Los Feliz High. Seemingly shy, Julie leapt to the top of the music track with ease. With powerhouse vocals, the ability to write mind-bending melodies, and friendly nature (along with being prone to borrowing drum sticks that made her notorious to the band department), Julie Molina was thought to be the ‘next big thing’ to grace the school with her presence before shooting to the top of the music charts. Along with being best friends with Flynn Brady and Carrie Wilson, Julie was vice president of the Dance Committee, head of the Music Appreciation Society, and member of the Tutoring Club. To say that she was well-known would be an understatement. Then out of nowhere, Carrie and Julie had a falling out. Some say it was because Carrie was jealous of Julie’s talent and popularity, others say that Julie was in love with Carrie’s boyfriend Nick. However, as to why the #Calie friendship ended would never be known. Flynn Brady chose to stick with Julie, forever separating #Jarlynn. After a while, it became the new normal to hear ‘demon’ or ‘backstabber’ shouted down the halls. Yet, even that feud was paused while Julie Molina mourned.
(Rose Molina was a legend in the music industry, famed for her lead singer status in the 90's L.A. indie rock band ‘The Petal Pushers’. Not only was Rose a former rock star, but she also rocked the halls of Los Feliz High with her amazing buñuelos every year at the annual bake sale. Rose and Ray Molina were the resident power parents, with both having successful careers in the music industry. Apparently, they met when Rose was performing at a concert where Ray, a seasoned photographer, was taking photos and got caught in a surprise mosh pit until Rose saved him by pulling him onto the stage. He was mesmerized by her voice and courage and immediately fell in love. This story, considered to be the epitome of romance at Los Feliz, is told every year by a love-struck Mr. Molina at the annual bake sale.)
So while Julie Molina and her family mourned and the remains of Sunset Curve picked up the pieces on the boardwalk, the population of Los Feliz moved on. Carrie Wilson began Dirty Candy with a few girls from dance class, Bobby Wilson was signed to HGC Records and then his first album proceeded to become a hit (much to the chagrin of Sunset Curve), and a new kid started with a tendency to skate through the hallways. And so the world turns.