Chapter Text
He grabbed the cell phone out of his pocket and scanned quickly through the screen. No missed calls. He sighed heavy and put his phone away. He placed his hands on the cold table and watched them as if he had never looked at them before. The truth is, Luke was looking for something to make him forget where he was. And maybe looking at himself was the only way to do it. He shook his head slowly, picking up the cup in front of him and leading up to his lips. There was no hope for her and consequently for him. He knew one day he'd go through that, after all, everybody would. But he wasn't ready. In his 24 years of life no one had ever taught him how to deal with death. He pressed his lips as he felt a chill run his spine.
“Please don't… God, please don’t take her.” He murmured as he covered his face with his hand
“Can I sit here?” He looked up, startled by the soft voice in front of him. He blinked his green eyes a few times as he stared a girl dressed in all-white clothes. Her outfit contrasted drastically with the brown curly hair she had falling over her shoulders.
“Uhm”, Luke quickly scanned discreetly through the rest of the hospital cafeteria. Some people were sitting at the tables next to him, but there were a lot of seats available. “Of course.” He wasn't about to say no to her, it wouldn't make a difference, anyway. Maybe the girl was just some more nurse or one of the doctors send to talk to relatives of terminally ill patients. He didn't need to listen some good feel speech, he didn't need comfort. He already knew that the end was inevitable.
“Did you have a bad day?” She asked softly, with curious eyes looking straight at him. Luke stared at her for a moment before answering. She had this unnerving calm expression, which was kind of annoying, in his opinion.
“Is there a such thing as a good day in a hospital?” his response was direct but he really didn't care if he was being rude.
"It depends," the girl smiled shyly, "It's all about attitude.”
He restrained himself to not roll his eyes. He had heard about that before. Next, she would probably come up with a speech that he had to be strong, have positive thoughts and everything would be alright in the end, eventually. Well…
"Look," Luke shifted uncomfortably in the chair, “I know what you're trying to do, and I really appreciate it," he tried to smile, but he couldn't. “But nothing you tell me is going to change what's going on.”
"And what's going on?” She placed her elbows on the table tilting her body forward, showing interest, as if she were ready to hear a good story.
“As if you didn't already know it” Luke muttered impatiently stirring his coffee cup.
"Pretend I don't know," she shrugged with a smile again, "I want to hear it from you."
He considered whether or not to tell everything that was going on in his life to a stranger. Even though he assumed she already knew a lot of what he was going to say, that was weird. He observed the black liquid swirling into the cup and began to speak in a low voice.
“My mother has been here for two months. She has an aneurysm.” He told her, looking back into the dark eyes of the curly-haired girl in front of him who listened carefully “She found out a year ago, it was too late” Luke took a deep breath taking a sip of coffee before continuing. “I saw her languish all this time. Stop doing the things she likes. Painting, cooking... Now she's trapped in a hospital bed and I..."
He realized he couldn't talk anymore. He couldn't explain that woman that everything in his life had collapsed.
"I know your mother," she said with the same soft tone of voice as before. “Emily, right?” Luke nodded, ruffling his hair as he did whenever he was nervous. “A wonderful woman I must tell you. I talked to her today and ironically she told me about you.”
He shot her a confused look, but she just smiled as if she didn’t have a care in the world.
"I bet she had a marvelous time talking about my troubled teenage years," Luke mumbled with an ironic laugh, “And how I've always been inconsequential and irresponsible.”
"In fact," she cut him off, “she said she had a very special son who wouldn't leave her side for a single moment. She says he's very proud of you.” Luke just kept quiet processing what he had just heard.
"And how can I be sure you're not telling me this just to make me feel better?” He asked, narrowing his eyes at her.
"I don't need to do anything to make you feel better. You're the one who has to want to get better, Luke. And believe that things can change.” She rested back in the chair leaving Luke intrigued. There was something weird about that woman. She was just too young to be a doctor, he noticed.
"Since when you are my mother's doctor?" he asked suspiciously, making her laugh.
"No, I'm not her doctor," the girl simply smiled and paused for a moment. “I have another, uh, patient who really needs me.” She shrugged, her hands in her lap.
"Your name... " Luke looked at the badge on her chest. “Julie?”
"Yes," She confirmed, smiling brightly. She seemed really happy that he said her name. “Julie.”
Weirdly enough, Luke began to wonder if he knew her from somewhere. Pretty hair, innocent and curious eyes, the warm smile with a cute little gap in her teeth…it suddenly seemed familiar to him, for some reason.
"I have to go now, Luke," Julie stood up with a delicate motion and looked at him with the happy expression. “If you need me, you know where to find me.” And just as she came, she went away, leaving Luke with a confused expression in his face. He watched her leave the cafeteria kind of dancing between tables as if she was made of air.
As he was walking back to his mother’s room, he heard someone calling his name.
"Luke?” He stopped in the middle of the hallway turning back quickly. A doctor with gray hair and rectangular glasses walked towards him resignedly.
"Good evening, Dr. Turner.” He greeted. “Is there anything wrong with my mom?”
"No, don’t worry," the doctor tried to reassure him quickly. “In fact, she woke up better than ever today.” Luke frowned upon receiving the news.
"To me she looks the same," he said in a low voice.
"Physically, yes, she’s still very weak," Dr. Turner put her hands in her lab coat pocket. “but today's scans point to a slight improvement in her brain function.”
"So she's going to be able to do the surgery?"
When Emily found out she had an aneurysm, she was already too weak, and so the hypothesis of surgery was ruled out by the medical team. She was receiving treatment that made her even weaker so the news Luke had just received didn't make much sense.
"She's still weak," the doctor lowered her voice. “Her body couldn't take it, we'd rather not risk it.” She paused as she watched Luke’s eyebrows frown again. “but you must not lose hope. This little improvement is already some progress.”
"I know," Luke muttered, "But how did she suddenly get better? Is the treatment working then?”
"That's what we are counting on," Dr. Turner smiled, "I think you can go home now, Luke, we'll take good care of your mother. You’ve spent your whole Saturday here.”
He nodded not really paying attention to what the doctor was saying, just felt the friendly shoulder grip before going her way down the aisle. Luke started wandering around the hospital, as he was used to do. Walking around that hospital was kind of automatic at this point. He ended up in the long hallway leading to the reception. The doctor's words still echoed in his head: although it was good, Luke remained hopeless about Emily's health. He took a deep breath, just as his friend Alex had taught him, in order to calm himself. It was too easy to feel overwhelmed these days. He lifted his eyes and stopped his tracks as he noticed a small silhouette on the other side of the aisle. He recognized her thick curly brown hair and the smile she gave him when she realized he was staring at her. Just as Luke was beginning to walk again, his cell phone in buzzed in his pocket. He picked it up and glanced from the screen to the place she was standing, only to find her gone.
_________
Luke woke up with a strong smell of coffee taking over the house. He looked at his watch and groaned, realizing that it was no more than eight in the morning on Sunday. He decided to get up anyway, it was no use staying in bed. He went down the stairs slowly not worrying about the noises coming from the kitchen. He was used to waking up and finding a dark haired guy rummaging in his closet.
“You have to stop coming to get food in my house” he grumbled, still slow by sleep, crawling to the table. The man turned to him and smirked, taking a quick look towards Luke and huffed.
“I'm doing you a favor” he took the coffee jar and placed it on the table. “You’re like a ghost, don’t ever leave this house, and when you do is just to go to the studio and to the hospital. Haunting every place with your weird mood”
“And you where do you wanted me to go, Reginald?" Luke asked bitterly, pouring some coffee in his mug. “To those dark pubs you go to?”
“At least you'd have fun” Reggie shrugged. “You'd meet people. Some cute, fun girl, I don’t know”
“No, thank you.” Luke cut him off. Reggie leaned his hands on the table and sighed looking at his friend.
“Luke, you won't die if you love someone again.”
“But I'm also not going to die if I don’t” Luke smirked, raising his eyebrow. “This love thing it’s all an illusion and leads to an awful amount of stress I’m not build for.” He continued, watching the exasperated look in Reggie’s face. “And that's no topic for breakfast, too heavy.” He said, making a face.
“That's never a topic for you, you mean” Reggie mumbled in response. “I don't understand why you don't forget what happened to Carrie...” Reggie's voice is muffled as Luke hears a loud noise coming from upstairs. He looks up at the ceiling, immediately dropping the coffee mug on the table. Reggie was still talking like he didn't hear a thing. Luke narrows his eyes as he tries to identify the sounds he was hearing, which seemed like steps of some sort. He got up in one movement and ran up the stairs, jumping several steps until he reached the door of his room.
"What was that, Luke?" Reggie asked panting as soon he reached him.
"Didn't you hear that?” Luke stared at the empty room that seemed intact under a first impression.
His bed was messed up the same way he had left minutes before. Some clothes were thrown on top of an armchair near the window, nothing had changed.
"What?”
"The steps," Luke murmured entering the room paying attention to every detail, "and the noise of something falling.”
"Luke have you been drinking?" Reggie asked, worried.
"Only your bitter coffee," Luke grumbled opening the drawers of the dresser.
Everything that had some value was still there, but there was something in the air. A different smell that although it seemed familiar to him, he couldn't remember where he knew it from.
"What about that smell?”
"Smell of the drug you've been using?" Reggie retorted back. “I'm not smelling anything, dude. I think you have to get some more rest, you're clearly hallucinating.”
Reggie left the room with Luke still scanning his eyes at every detail of the room. He felt a cold breeze hitting his face and looked out the window. It was open, which was definitely not when he got up. He walked up slowly to it and looked into the garden as if he was going to find someone hiding among the well-gardened bushes, but there was nothing but the green grass.
"C’mon, Patterson!”
Luke shut his eyes, irritated, upon hearing Reggie's scream coming from the street, followed by several horn hits. He took his jacket and put it on quickly as he went down the stairs. If it was up to him, he would stay home for the rest of the day, but Reggie was not about having his best friend locked up so he forced Luke to join him, Alex and his boyfriend Willie for a day at the pier and maybe hit the studio after. Luke locked the door, then turned to the black car that was parked across the street. He rolled his eyes when Reggie pressed his hand into the horn again.
"For fuck’s sake, Reggie, you will wake up the whole neighborhood," he cried in response.
Reggie let out a laugh as Luke walked through the front garden and reached the sidewalk. He didn't usually looked both ways since rarely did a car pass on that street, especially that early in the morning. He had barely put a foot on the asphalt when he heard someone calling him right behind him. The voice was so close that it seemed like the person was within his reach. He turned quick back a few steps to see the owner of the soft voice, but there was no one. When he turned forward again, a car passed far above the permitted speed. Luke gasped and took another step back as soon as he realized what had happened. His heart was beating fast in his chest his breath was hitched.
"Wow, that was close," Reggie muttered as Luke approached the car after crossing the street cautiously. “You were going to get totally plastered by that car.”
"Someone called out to me," Luke explained as he got into the car. “A woman, right behind me.” He turned to see Reggie's worried expression shot at him with frowning eyebrows.
"I told you to sleep more, did you listened to me?" he asked earnestly. “There was no one there, Luke.”
Luke leaned against the leather seat not before taking a look at the sidewalk on the other side to make sure there really was no one. He wasn't going crazy, he had clearly heard a woman call his name just as he had heard the noise in his room earlier.
_____________
The cool wind brushed her face messing slightly her brown hair. His feet sank into something soft and only then did he notice where he was. The smell of salt water and sand invaded him and he raised his eyes to the sea ahead. The waves were calm, the blue sky with few clouds. Luke looked around only to realize that there was no one else there. He decided to walk not letting himself dwell on how strange it was to be alone on a beach that he was sure had never been before. In fact, nothing worried him at that moment, he felt completely at peace. He took a few more steps leaving his footprints in the sand, but stopped when he spotted a figure a few feet away. He blinked a few times so he could see better the person who was sitting looking directly into the sea. And then, out the blue, she turned to him with her big brown hair fluttering in the wind He started walking again, just a tiny bit faster than before. She smiled at him and got up slowly. He doesn't know how, but the next second she was already in front of him with her big brown eyes shining on him. Involuntarily, Luke smiled and his hands reached out to her, unable to restrain himself, wondering if she was real.
When Luke opened his eyes he was sure that was the strangest dream of his life. As he stared at the ceiling of his room he began to realize that nothing about it made any sense. Especially the part where that doctor he saw for once in the hospital cafeteria was there, in his dreams. He stood still for some time, thinking about the dream, immersing himself again in the darkness of his room.
"Damn it. I overdid it.”
Luke gulped as he heard the voice again. His heart was racing again and his mind completely awake now. That voice again, he knew it was the same one that called him earlier on the street.
"All right he won't remember it at all," He heard her whisper.
He reached the lamp and lit it, wide-eyed as he found a woman in his room.
"You shouldn't notice," she murmured, "But it's not my fault, I did everything right and..."
"How come you did everything right?" he asked in a hoarsed voice, "What are you doing here, anyway?" He gasped, exasperated. “How did you get in?”
Julie stopped walking and stared at him, petrified. She took a few steps towards him, making Luke gasp.
"There’s no other way out than telling you, I guess" she said, staring him back
Luke waited for her to continue her explanation. Julie was now closer, which made him notice some details of her face. The brown skin glowed harmoniously with the dark brown hair. The lips were reddish and well-designed as well as the eyes and eyebrows, everything just…fit. There was something about her that made him a little dizzy. The same feeling that he already knew her tormented him again and what annoyed him was not being able to remember from where. She looked at him in a weird way, as if she could hear every thought, as if she could see through his body and soul. It was weird, definitely. But as strange as the situation, and Julie were, Luke couldn't help but think she was the most beautiful person he'd ever seen.
"I am an angel.”
__________
He woke up from the trance he had been in and stared at her paralyzed. Julie smiled, taking a few steps back, as if what she had just said made perfect sense.
“What?" Luke was able to ask after coughing a few times.
"Yeah, your angel, more specifically.” She said, simply. Luke crossed his arms feeling the momentary shock pass.
“You're a crazy chick who broke into my house in the middle of the night! You were obsessed with me since that day at the hospital, isn’t that right?” Julie looked at him open-mouthed and laughed.
“You, as always, thinking that the world revolves around you” her condescending tone only made him angrier. He opened his mouth to complain, but closed it upon noticing her voice. His eyes narrowed and pressed his lips: the voice was hers.
“Your voice” He murmured to himself. “You were the one who called me when I almost got hit the other day.”
“Yes” Julie nodded slightly. “You were going get hit by a car! Didn't anyone teach you to look left and right before you cross the street?”
Luke put a hand down his face, trying to make sense of this mess. He couldn't believe that was happening to him. As if he didn't have enough problems and worries in life, now he was going crazy.
“I'm going crazy” he grumbled with his eyes closed. “I'm hallucinating.” Not realizing what he was doing, he left the room going straight to the bathroom where he began searching through the cabinets for a pill, any pill.
“I'm not a hallucination” Julie spoke beside him, making Luke gasp loudly and jump to the side. “I'm here. The weird part is you can see me.”
She leaned into the bathroom wall behind her, her hands twirling some stray curls in her hair as she sighed. Luke looked at her perplexed, confused, wondering if he was delirious or if she was really there.
"You," he pointed her his index finger, "Out of my house." Luke watched as Julie's face quickly turned into exasperated look. Her smile had disappeared and her brown eyes were wide-open and surprised.
"You can't kick me out! My place is here with you and..."
"And nothing!" he cried, losing all the patience he had tried to keep, "You know what? I'm fine. The crazy one here is you!”
Julie looked perplexed with his mouth slightly open. Luke went back to the room and descended down the stairs, her following him along, stopping at the back door of the house.
“Get out.” He hissed.
"But Luke, one does not simply cast the angel himself out of the house... "she tried to argue, but she shut herself up when he saw his face get redder with anger. His nose flared and his breathing was heavy.
"Get out before I call the police. Or the madhouse.” She could see his fury rippling through his veins.
Julie snorted as she started walking up to the door stomping her feet to the ground. She stopped in front of Luke hoping he'd stop her but he just pointed the outside with his head giving her no choice but to leave.
__________________
Fire. The flames engulfed his body mercilessly and despite not feeling any pain, Luke was desperate. He was going to die, he knew it. Wherever he looked, all he saw was the fire dancing menacingly, torturing him before it ended his life.
He shot his eyes open with weak breath. His heart was beating hard and fast and his chest went up and down as if he had run a marathon. But Luke was just in his room, staring at the ceiling again. The sunlight lit up the entire room, announcing that it was already Monday morning. He sighed. Not only he had an unexpected visit in the middle of the night, but also had a horrible nightmare. The worst of all nightmares. He stretched and yawned still drowsy, wondering what his day at the studio would be like.
"Good morning!”
He turned so fast his neck snapped. He couldn't believe it when he saw the curly haired girl sitting in exactly the same chair as the night before.
"No," Luke groaned, closing his eyes, "I am still dreaming. You're not here."
"You're not dreaming," he heard Julie say impatiently, "You didn't have the pleasure of dreaming about me tonight," Luke opened his eyes and saw her grinning. “Any good dreams?” The ironic tone in Julie's soft voice was so clear made Luke’s blood pressure rise.
"Did you make me dream of all that fire?" he asked, livid.
"Oh, so you don't believe I'm an angel," she raised an eyebrow, "But you believe I can manipulate your dreams. Interesting way of thinking, Luke.”
He got up wanting nothing more than to drag her to the nearest police station. Julie, who stared at him curiously, didn’t move when she saw him walking towards her. She waited patiently for him to get closer and try to grab her arm. She made a face and let out a laugh when saw Luke's shock when he realized he just couldn't touch her.
"But w-what... " his voice trailing off.
He tried again, sticking his hand out to touch Julie. His fell open when his fingers, instead of touching the brown warm skin, hit the leather of the armchair.
"Do you believe me now?" Julie asked as she shot him a calm look. “Or am I going to have to make you be swallowed by crocodiles in some other dream?”
She gave him a smile that could not be described by any other word than angelic. Luke blinked several times, ran his hand across his face, looking around the room, took a deep breath, but she was still there.
"You are an angel," he said after a few minutes of silence.
"Oh, heavens, you finally got it," Julie spoke excitedly, "See? It's not so bad…”
"I DON'T WANT NO FUCKING ANGEL IN MY HOUSE," Luke yelled, startling Julie. “GET THE HELL OUT OF HERE.” He pointed to the door, but she just crossed her arms and muttered.
"You're very rude, Luke. Especially to me, who have always taken care of you” she let out a sad sigh. “And besides, I can't get out of here.”
"Why not?" " Luke asked angrily, "Assuming you're really an angel and I don't want you here,” he stressed the word making Julie roll her eyes “look, I'm gonna get a pill for my headache and when I get back I don't want to see you here.”
He left the room feeling like the most ridiculous person on the planet. He really couldn't believe he was having that kind of conversation this early in the morning. His head was spinning. Luke didn't believe that angels existed, he never did, it was never a thing that crossed his mind before. But at the same time, he couldn't deny that Julie was… different and, besides, he couldn't touch her. That could only be proof that she really was an angel, or...proof that he had overcome the barriers of sanity.
"I can't go!”
Luke bounced back when he saw Julie standing up at the end of the stairs with a serious expression in her face. His head glanced back to the bedroom door behind him where he left her then turned to her again.
"I tried," she continued to talk as if she didn’t notice Luke's confused expression, "After all, you, uh, kicked me out. But I just can't get back.” She shrugged with a sigh.
"What do you mean you can't go back?" Luke finished coming down the stairs, stopping in front of her “You just poof …bam, get out of here.” Julie looked clearly offended.
"I can’t just poof, Luke Patterson," she hissed, "There are rules, and I probably broke some, clearly, if you can see me, and now I can't go back.”
"Oh, you break a rule and now I have to deal with you walking around in my house?" Luke snorted walking up to the kitchen “A bit unfair, don't you think?” Luke stopped his tracks at the entrance where a man looked at him with a slightly worried expression.
"Are you okay there, bud?” Reggie asked stirring his coffee.
"Of course not” Luke grumbled when Julie followed him into the kitchen. “I already told you to leave” he grunted at her, who just shrugged.
"Go away?" Reggie winked confusedly “I just got here, what are you talking about?”
"Not you, her…” Luke walked to the fridge and grabbed a bottle of water. When he looked back at his friend, he realized that he was looking at him perplexed.
"Dude, really, tell me," he approached Luke, clapping a hand on his friend’s shoulder "What are you taking? I'm sure we can work it out whatever it is your addicted to"
Luke raised his eyebrows, looking at Reggie examining his face with interest, really not seeing the girl who was standing right behind him looking around the kitchen with wonder in her eyes.
“I’m fine, Reg, I just need my coffee” Luke replied, trying to ignore the girl in white who was now seated in one of the kitchen chairs, looking through the window.
“I don’t know, dude, you look like shit”
“That’s because I had the worst nightmare”
“That sucks, dude. Wanna talk about it?” Luke shook his head and took a sip of his coffee. “Alright then.” Reggie got up and grabbed his keys on the counter. “I’m leaving now, I have to go to Alex’s house to give him a ride, you coming?”
“Nah, I have something’s to set straight before I leave.” He said, locking eyes with Julie across the room. “See you at the studio, Reg.”
“See ya, Luke” Reggie said, walking out the door. Luke finished his coffee and made himself scrambled eggs. He didn’t said a word to Julie, who just sat quietly watching him go on about his daily routine.
After he finished, he went back to his room and she followed him behind, still not muttering a word. He picked a cut off shirt, his flannel jacket and black jeans, heading off to the bathroom. Just as Julie walked to follow him there, he turned back to glared her a warning look. She pressed her lips together and took a few steps back. A part of her wanted to argue there was nothing she hasn’t already seen it before, but she held back as to not stress him more than he already was.
“Let's see if you understand” Luke muttered when he left the bathroom and, unsurprisingly, found Julie sitting in the same chair as if she had never left. “I'm going to work now and when I get back I don't want to see you here.” He repeated his speech from earlier.
"Stop it Luke, it's not going to work," she said, smiling at him fondly.
"Stop what?" he asked, catching Julie’s eyes in the mirror.
“Being rude to me. That’s so outdated, these are supposed to be sensitive times, right? If you're trying to make me hate you so I get out of your way, forget it.” her smile grew larger when she caught his reaction. “I'm your angel, I'll never hate you.”
Luke put his jacket on, thinking of a way of getting her out of his life, he just couldn’t think of it yet. He grabbed his wallet and glanced at her quickly before leaving the room.
"You heard what I said, right?”
Julie nodded slightly and Luke walked out the room. His breath hitched as he reached downstairs and found Julie leaning against the living room door frame, looking back at him.
“Are you sure you're okay to go to work?” She asked, trying to get a read of him. Luke just brushed it off, nodding as he reached the front door.
"Goodbye, Julie”
“Bye” She replied chirpily.
“I'm going crazy," he muttered walking out, closing the door behind him.
“We’re all a little crazy!” He heard her say as he locks it and steps out.
__________
Luke found Reggie and Alex tunning their instruments as he walked into the studio. He had hope that some music would do him good after the last crazy few hours he had. Music has always been his safe heaven.
They had put out their first EP last summer and after a few good reviews and killer shows in some semi-important venues, they started to get some attention and recently had signed their first record deal. Before his mom’s health problems, he would spend days if not weeks locked inside the studio they had put it together after graduation, writing and trying new sounds for their debut album. But it all changed when he got the call of his father giving the worst news he could ever receive.
It was quite a journey, the relationship with his parents. In his teenage years they couldn’t never understand his passion for music and his band, Sunset Curve, which led to an awful lot of fights and yelling from both parts. When he finished high school and applied for the music program at Berkley, they found themselves defeated. Luke got two jobs to pay his tuition and after a couple of years of not exactly talking with his parents, her mom reached out in a quiet afternoon in his spring break. He decided to go home that weekend and after a lot of talking (and some crying) they came to an understanding. Luke told them his plans for the band and, although he could feel his parents weren’t fully on board with his decision, they supported him, for the first time ever.
After graduation they focused all their energy to their new sound they had found the last couple of years of college and it all resulted in their first EP. It was all working out perfectly, things had finally started to fall into place. But then, the call came, his world fell apart and he didn’t know what to do other than come here, try to get one thing right in his life.
Luke greeted his bandmates with a mumbled voice. He was certain his hallucinations were just the result of his stress with his mom and the pressure he felt from the label to get at least some songs out to work with. He knew Reggie and Alex were both staring at him with prying eyes, he knew he looked like shit for not getting enough sleep that night, but to be honest, he couldn’t be bothered by it, he just needed to surround himself with music. Which was particularly hard to do when the reason for his sleepless night was sitting on one of the big amps on the corner of the studio, her legs delicately crossed, looking at the papers scattered with an expression of disgust.
“How can you read anything you write with this messy handwriting? How can anyone understand it?” Julie asked not even looking at him, her eyebrows frowned at the mess in his notebook.
He took a few deep breaths, trying not to show any emotion so Reggie and Alex could pick up, paralyzed with his hands gripping hard the guitar case. He turned back to his friends and smiled nervously then scanned the room briefly. Everything looked exactly as it supposed to be, same furniture, same thrifted rug Alex got them when they first rented the space, the same computer... The only difference was the woman sitting on the amp.
“What are you doing here?” Luke whispered, walking towards her, making sure to have his back to his friends. He placed his guitar case next to Julie and got it out, taking a good look of her face while he was at it. She still had the same warm smile she had this morning and her eyes bright with fondness. If they weren’t in this deranged situation, he would let himself be carried away by that smile that was admittedly wickedly beautiful.
“I am your guardian angel, Luke” she shrugged and placed her hands on her knees. “Wherever you are, I am there too”
“I'm resigning you from this position” he muttered as he closed the case shut. “Go back to your cloud and leave me alone.” Luke knew she didn’t follow his orders, but still left him baffled when Julie just simply crossed her arms and raised her eyebrows.
A faint wind entered through the window that was ajar and brushed through her, to which she showed no reaction. Her brown hair fluttered as she continued to stare Luke. And then the wind hit his face, air filled with that sweet and fresh scent he had scented before in his room. Even her smell was different.
“What did you say there, Luke?” Alex asked, from behind him. Luke shrugged stiffly and turned to face the blond-haired guy with a pink hoodie.
“He’s being weird all morning, I’m telling you” Reggie quipped, shooting a knowing look to the drummer. “First he heard steps in his room and things falling down, and started to talk to empty spaces” Luke made a face. “Maybe he’s seeing ghosts.” Julie let out a laugh but cut herself off then Luke shot her a look.
“It’s not a ghost” He hissed.
“Oh yeah, so what is it, then?” Alex asked, curious.
“She-“
“Is it a she?” Reggie raised an eyebrow, Luke groaned and started to connect the cables to his guitar. Alex came closer, intrigued by the story.
“I-I don’t know what it is, what is going on, maybe I’m going out of my mind.” He says, plucking some strings and turning up the amp. “Or maybe is just stress for all the bullshit that’s going on with my mom and stuff.”
“So, tell us what exactly is going on.” Alex pleaded.
“I’m not telling anything” He immediately shut him off.
“That’s right, you’re not telling us anything. How can we help you if you don’t talk about it with us?”
“Yeah, Luke, how can they help?” Julie says in an amused tone from across the room. Luke points her a warning finger at her and she bites back a chuckle.
“Oh, she’s here with us?” Reggie tries, running his fingers through his hair. “Where exactly, I don’t wanna be rude” He says, looking around. Luke just points behind him and both Alex and Reggie narrow their eyes to the corner where the amps are, not seeing anything. “So, what’s her name?” He asks, straightening his back. “How come we don’t see her?”
“That’s kind of ghosts work, Reg” Alex replies, rolling his eyes at his friend.
“You can tell them my name, they are nice.” Julie says, her legs dangling down now. She seemed awfully excited. “If you want to.”
“Nope, not doing that” Luke shook his head, walking around the studio with an exasperated look in his face.
“So she doesn’t have a name?” Reggie tries again, Luke sighs as he thinks of ways of telling the whole story without making it look like he just gone insane.
“Her name is Julie” He mutters, closing his eyes, instantly regretting saying anything at all.
“Julie” Alex echoes, trying to read Luke’s expression. “Ok, so she has some unfinished business with you?”
“Hey, tell them I’m not a ghost, I’m your angel!” He glances at her, now with her arms crossed in her chest and brows frowned, like a little kid.
“I-I can’t do it, I can’t do this, guys, I’m sorry” Luke stands up and walks out the door, down the hallway. He closes his eyes, letting out a deep breath. Not long after, he senses her smell. "Argh, c’mon leave me alone" Luke whines as he opens up his eyes again to see her next to him, the same undisturbed expression in her face leaning into the doorframe.
“Luke, I'm not leaving you, I can’t, I told you.”
"Let's try it one more time” he said taking a few steps back, he gathered all his seriousness and looked straight into her eyes. “I'm leaving now and then when I go back to the studio I don't want to see you there, got it?”
“Where are you going?” Julie asked, watching him walk away from her.
"Get coffee”
"Oh, great, I coming with you," she grinned at him as she saw Luke's incredulous expression.
"You don’t even drink coffee," he gave her an amused smile as she rolls her eyes. “I mean, do you even get thirsty or hungry for that matter?”
“First of all, how rude” Julie said, as she followed him down the hallway. “Second, that’s not how angels work and thirdly I just wanted to keep you company.” Luke just turned to her.
"I don't want your company and I made that very clear” He snapped at her, stopping his tracks.
He watched her pressed her lips together and her brown eyes shone for just a second. Luke sighed and continued walking while Julie tried to stay reasonably far away from him, walking slowly behind him. Luke even thought that maybe he'd overreacted a little.
"Look...” he began to speak with the most restrained voice as he walked into the small room they made into a kitchen. “I'm not going to die while I drink coffee. So you can go, uh...” Luke thought a little while pressing a button on the machine. “Visit your angel friends.”
"You wouldn't last long without me, I think.” Julie said in a low voice.
Luke groused loudly and turned his back on her at the same time as the machine dropped a low peep warning that the coffee was ready. He went for the coffee mug, but quickly dropped it over the countertop when he burned his fingertips when he touched it. He let out a swear word and looked at the girl behind him as she started laughing loudly.
"Luke!” she looked at him, a disproved look on her face, trying to stop laughing. “What a horrible thing to say.”
He opened his mouth to answer but the door behind her opened. Julie took a few quick steps aside when Alex walked through it.
"I'm sorry interrupt your ghost moment but," the drummer said, with a amused grin. “We need to know if you intend to go back there and show us what you’re working on.” Luke looked at Julie who was watching them with a soft smile.
"Um, yeah sure, I just needed to get some air.”
“I get it. We won’t push it if you feel uncomfortable talking about it.” Luke smiled fondly at his friend.
“Thanks, Alex, I really appreciate it man.”
"Alright, see you in a few, gonna let Reggie know everything’s ok " Alex smiled at him and left not noticing Julie was looking at him completely upset.
"You… you were polite to him, friendly.” Julie said, her voice seemed hurt. Her eyes reaching his “And pleasant! Why aren't… why aren’t you like that with me?” she whimpered, her gaze dropping to the floor.
"Because he deserves it, he’s my friend" he grumbled by drinking coffee quickly. Julie looked at him, petrified.
"When all this is over and we sort the things out," she said sadly, "I’ll see if they put another guardian angel on for you. Would that make you happier, Luke?” He raised an eyebrow as she stared at the ground.
"Wait, it’s not like that, Julie.” he said uncertain “The problem is not with you, personally…It's the situation, ya know?”
"I got it, Luke," Julie muttered without lifting her head. “You don't like me. You like people like Alex and Reggie. I'm going to find you an angel like them.” He took a few steps towards her. Julie lifted her face and looked confused with the sudden approach.
"This guardian angel story it’s not pleasant, that’s for certain,” Luke muttered “but at least I think I have the most beautiful angel” he stopped just to see a tiny smile growing on her cherry lips. “and the most annoying for sure.”
"It's not my intention to annoy you” she whispered as her smile slowly faded and rubbed her eye with the back of her hand resembling a sad kid.
Luke gazed at her and for a few seconds took pity on her. She seemed so fragile and helpless that he even forgot how annoying he first found her to be. Giving in his urge to touch her he reached out a hand to her face, but when his fingers went straight through her body he sighed.
“I'm not in my normal state” he grumbled when Julie looked at him. “I'm comforting a hallucination.” Julie crossed his arms and raised an eyebrow.
"I’ve told you, I’m not a hallucination but an angel.” He sighed, looking into her eyes right before walking out the door and into the studio again.