8- If I could I would

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"Hey!" Michael ran up to me greeting me with a sweet kiss on the cheek.

"What's up? What was that for?" I asked.

"Just congratulating you on your performance last night. You guys are gonna blow up."

"Pffft! It was just a garage party."

"Anyway listen, I was wondering if you'd maybe like to go on a date with me?" He nervously put his hands in his pockets.

"I'd love to, but right now isn't the time. I have feelings for you Mich, but I don't think I have time for a relationship."

"That's ok, I guess I missed my shot. I'll see you around." He walked off.

"Well that wasn't just a 'Whats up'" Kelli smiled mischievously.

"He asked me out...and I said no." I slid down my locker possibly regretting what just happened.

"You know what you said, about doing what's best for me. This Luke thing isn't going away any time soon. So why would I waste Michaels time.

"Awe, my baby is all grown up. She's choosing to like someone who doesn't exist and is also my brother, but she's growing up." She sat down next to me.

"But he did exist, and still does to me, And he might just be air, but we connect in so many other ways, like when we write. We write from the same pains."

"You guys are the most watchable duet-ers I've ever seen, And even though I've never technically met him face to face, I know my brother and I think he likes you too."

"Lukes hurting, I want to help him but I don't know how." I sighed tilting my head back.

"Why don't you come over after school and Show my mom that Emily song he wrote. I think it would change how my parents feel about how they left things. It also might help them loosen the reins on me staying in this program." She helped me up.

"You're a genius." I hugged her

— — —

I walked up to her doorstep with the paper in my back pocket.

As I was about to knock on the door he poofed next to me.

"Hey, what are you doing here?" He asked.

"My best friend lives here." I looked at my shoes. "I also came here last week, on your birthday. I wanted to know more about you.

"You're spying on me? What happened to boundaries?" He scoffed

"Look, I know it was wrong, But I'm worried about you." I took a step closer.

"You don't have to be."

"I get it. I know how hard it is when you want to speak to someone you love and can't. I feel that way every day."

"I don't even know what I'd say to her, even if she could hear me." He stepped closer to me.

"Yes you do... You've already said it." I pulled the piece of paper out of my back pocket. "Trust me," I rang the doorbell.

"Val! I don't believe Kelli is home but you're more than welcome to stay." Emily answered the door.

"Hi Mrs.Patterson, I actually didn't come for Kelli, I came to give you something. Kelli found this in her room and thought I should give it to you." I handed her the paper

_ _ _

"What are you doing out here?" I walked outside of my room to find Luke leaned against the garage door. "I'm sorry for overstepping." I got closer.

"I just had to leave." He sat down.

"You don't owe me an explanation." I joined him on the pavement.

"Yeah, I do. Uh I didn't have many regrets in my life except running out on my parents. Especially my mom, so... Thank you, it's nice to know they have Kelli."

"You helped me feel more connected to my mom, so I wanted to help you feel the same."

"That was perfect." He tried to put his hand on mine.

My heart felt empty, reality setting in that we might never be able to touch.

"This is an interesting little relationship you and I have, because I'd definitely kiss you right now if I could." He chuckled.

"If it makes you feel better, I'd let you."

"We will just have to save it then." I smiled at him. "Oh I almost forgot! Kelli told me the video my dad made is trending on youtube."

He looked confused.

"That's a good thing, it means we will be getting calls from managers in no time!"

"I have something to tell you." He got serious.

"Oh, Ok."

"We figured out we have unfinished business. That's why we came back as ghosts." He avoided eye contact.

"What is it?" I asked, trying to get him to look me in the eye.

"We have to play the show we never got to play."

"At the Orpheum, that makes sense." It all started to come together

Suddenly he grabs his chest, wincing in pain.

"We don't have a lot of time."

"What was that, are you ok?" I stood up.

"We did something that we shouldn't have. The night we missed the dance,We met this ghost and he put a curse on us, and if we don't do what he says then these jolts will destroy us."

"Then you gotta do what he says. What does he want?" I walked closer to him.

"He wants us to be his in-house band. For eternity. But if we can play the Orpheum soon, Then we can avoid all that and actually cross over!"

"Cross over? As in, like what? Like go to heaven?" I looked up at him.

"That's what we're banking on."

"So it's either you cross over, be in his band for eternity, or be destroyed by those jolts?"

"Yeah." He spoke softly.

"That's just great. I-I am going to bed." I walked back into the studio.

— — —

"What's up I got your text." Kelli said as I answered the phone.

"I just don't get it. Right when my life starts to get good, Great friend, Great Band, Great Guy that's alive, Great guy that's dead."

"I seriously don't know why all of this is happening to you." All the guys suddenly poofed into my room.

"I'm not gonna let this get to me."

"You texted?" Julie walked in.

"Uuhhhghhh" Alex moaned,

"Snap out of it!" I walked down the loft stairs.

"Do you want to cross over or what? Get it together!" I woke them up.

"They are never gonna let us play at the Orpheum." Luke wallowed in all their misery.

"Someone told me that you don't ask for permission. You book Gigs by doing it." I pointed at Luke.

"That was me," Reggie smiled.

"No it wasn't. I shook my head.

"No it wasn't." Luke looked at him weird

"Anyway, This isn't over! We were brought here together for a reason: to help each other." I sat down across from them

"Yeah, but like Luke said, people don't just play the Orpheum because they want to." Alex sat back up.

"People don't, But ghosts do." Julie got an Idea.




edited 04/11/24

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