Infinite

Epilogue Part I - Happy Birthday

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I'll say a happy, happy birthday
To the special girl right here
She deserves a day to celebrate
With all she holds dear
A happy, happy birthday
To the special girl right here
She deserves a day to celebrate
With all she holds dear
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"Ladies, I think we can do better than that. Who's ready to have an awesome night?" Julie asked into the microphone. Her first term, which had finished a few weeks ago, ended on a high note. Literally and figuratively. (She performed a song that ended on a high C, so quite literally a high note, and ended with all A's and one B, which was the figurative half.) The girls at Marie-Ella's birthday party cheered loud enough for the ceiling to shake. "Alright, well, I don't want the President to be mad with me, but that was awesome." They all laughed, and she started playing the piano. "This one goes out to the birthday girl. Happy Birthday, Marie-Ella."

Julie started to sing a modified "Happy Birthday" for the whole crowd to listen to, but it was just as upbeat as the original. She'd practiced for a couple weeks to make sure she could cue in the beats at the right time so she didn't have to bring in a band to play with her.

"Now, ladies, I do believe the cake is being cut." Julie pointed to the back of the room, where a chocolate cake the size of Marie-Ella (literally) had been cut into more manageable-sized pieces. She played a song, one of the many Marie-Ella requested, as they ate cake and started to play games. Not like pin-the-tail-on-the-donkey, but like truth or dare and spin the bottle. Marie-Ella was already seventeen.

A few hours later, after Marie-Ella's friends and family had left, Julie was packing up the last of her things—the instruments were loaned to her from the White House, so she didn't have to do much outside of her outfits and anything she wanted to bring for herself.

The thing she made sure to bring was a dahlia to honor her mother. Although she wasn't there physically, Julie knew she was watching from heaven. She'd promised herself that a dahlia flower would always be on the piano, reminding her of her roots and that she was making her mother proud no matter what.

In Los Angeles, a different sort of celebration was taking place. This one, however, was not nearly as happy as a birthday. Instead, Reggie and Lynn were, after many weeks of waiting for the right time, finally crossing over. Julie had said her goodbyes before she left for Washington, D.C. two days prior, but Alex and Luke wanted a couple more days. They didn't want to have to say their goodbyes ever, but at least they got the chance to spend as much time as they could with Reggie. Lynn, too, of course, but she wasn't the one they shared all their childhood memories with.

"Hey, we'll always have each other, no matter what. And you guys are always welcome to come join whenever. I hear heaven is quite nice." Reggie let out a laugh, which Alex and Luke couldn't resist joining in on. They all had tears in their eyes because they didn't want him to go. But, they also knew that he was ready. And he'd been ready for a long time. "Come join soon."

"Maybe," Alex said. He and Willie had been teasing at the idea, but they were in no rush. There was so much to do in the lifer world that they'd taken advantage of. "Lynn, come join the group hug."

"I'm coming, I'm coming." Lynn quickly joined in on the group hug that they started only moments before. She would miss certain things, but Kendall had gone up to heaven a couple weeks before. Kendall called it the Christmas present that she'd been waiting far too long to give to herself. "Thank you, guys, for giving Reggie the best afterlife he could have."

"Lynn, you did that for him. Not us," Luke said as they pulled out of the hug.

"No. He'd come back to me with a big smile on his face every time he went to see you two. I'll see you guys in heaven sometime soon." Lynn was the first to dissolve into a flurry of golden magic. She left with a smile on her face and love in her heart. Lynn wanted to leave just like that and she got what she hoped for.

"I'll see you guys soon," Reggie smiled, gave them one last hug, then gave himself to the heavens above. He could feel himself become lighter and, when he looked down at his body, he saw a golden glow enveloping him. He got everything he wanted. Love, which he found with Lynn; life, which he lived without regrets; music, something he got to share with four amazing people; and soul, which he learned about from everyone around him.

In fact, they all managed to get those four things out of the last three and a half years together.

Love. Life. Music. Soul.

His ghost body quickly turned into golden magic and his soul transported to heaven.

"Reginald Peters, it is fantastic to see you here after all this time." Reggie looked around, confused as to who was talking. He couldn't see a face, but he knew he heard the voice. "It's alright. You're not hearing voices. I guess I should introduce myself. I'm God. Welcome to heaven."

Back down on Earth, however, it was just Alex and Luke left in the music studio. It felt so... empty without Reggie to fill it with laughter and his ever-present smiles. Luke didn't want to admit it, but he wanted Reggie back. He couldn't go to heaven, though. Luke wanted two things at the same time—the chance to see all the people who had gone up to heaven and to be close to Marietta. The love of his afterlife, Mari.

"Hey, are you going to be okay here alone?" Alex asked, hoping to go see Willie. He could feel the empty space where Reggie was only minutes ago, and he couldn't take it. Maybe, with time, it would feel a little less big, but for now, he would just have to live with it.

"Yeah, I'll be fine. I'm going to head out." Luke brushed off the pain that was radiating through his soul. "I take it you're going to see Willie?"

"I am. I'll see you later?" Alex replied, waiting for Luke to nod before poofing away to the Kaleidoscope. Luke collapsed to the floor, his breaths going ragged as tears started to stream down his cheeks. He'd give anything to go back to the time when everything was easy. When they were just a band with a dream. But, that was all gone now.

Instead, there was just an empty room.

Soon, Alex would be gone and Luke would be the only one left. And he couldn't let go if he tried. Instead of wallowing away in the music studio where everything started, he decided to go see how Mari was doing after all this time.

"Nat, you cannot be serious. That sounds like a horrible plan. I am not going to a party. Way too many sweaty bodies and the alcohol all smells horrible. And don't get me started on the vomit." Luke smiled, listening in on her conversation. He didn't know whether she was on the phone or whether the roommate in question, Nat, was in their shared dorm.

"Hey, my friend promised me it would be alcohol-free. Please, Mar? I can't go alone. I need my wingwoman." Luke laughed when he heard her roommate, since he couldn't picture Mari going to a party. She was calm, and liked quieter things. He'd learned as much while they were together.

"Sorry, Nat. I'm going to just chill here and watch a movie. Much easier and I don't have to deal with dragging your butt home after you try to get with a guy who's got somebody." Now, that sounded like the Mari he knew. He could picture her apologizing to the guy as she pulled Nat away and pushed her into a car.

"Alright. But, don't say I didn't offer." Luke stood there and let his tears fall once again.

What he wouldn't give to be with Mari again.

Author's Note: We love Luke. And Reggie. But now Reggie is gone! (Quiet sobbing over here.) Vote and comment with your reactions. There's one more epilogue left and this story is over. All the best, MistyRider921.