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It’s a bad day from the beginning.
Julie doesn’t know what it is—school or the band or trying to help four boys who’ve been dead for thirty years figure out how to live in the twenty-first century or (most likely) a terrifying combination of all three—but she’s been stressed out of her mind lately. She barely slept last night, she thinks she got through the school day without absorbing a single word anyone said, and the longer band practice goes, the worse her headache gets at just the thought of how much homework she has to do tonight.
She’s not sure if she ate anything today. That’s probably not a good sign.
She leaves the studio after rehearsal exhausted, her ears ringing and a constant throbbing pain at the back of her neck. She’s a little dizzy, too, so much so that she stumbles when Alex suddenly poofs in front of her, and she has to grab at the stone wall for balance.
“Whoa, hey, you okay?” Alex holds a hand out to steady her but doesn’t actually touch her—he, of all the former ghosts, has been the most hesitant in making physical contact with her, like he’s still not confident that it’s possible. “You looked a little pale in there, I wanted to make sure.”
Julie closes her eyes. Her head’s spinning a little bit. “Um. Yeah, no, I’m—I think I should just maybe sit down.”
She doesn’t bother searching for a low enough spot on the wall, just sinks all the way to the ground. She might, admittedly, black out for a second, because when she opens her eyes, Alex is knelt down next to her, holding her up. He looks terrified.
“Oops,” Julie says.
“Oops?” Alex repeats, incredulous. “Julie, what the hell was that! You—you fainted or something! Wait here, I’m gonna get your dad—”
“No!” Julie stops him before he can poof out. “Alex, I’m fine, I just. Didn’t eat enough today.”
“Well, then, I’m getting you a snack,” Alex insists, carefully helping her to her feet. “We could’ve canceled band practice, you know. You gotta tell us when you’re not feeling good, we’re here to help.”
Julie’s heart warms with affection for him. “Yeah. You’re right. Thanks, Alex.”