Secretly known

30

No one's POV

Without saying anything, Elli jumps up from the spot she was currently sitting on. Not another second goes by before she embraces her sister in a tight hug. Tears are streaming down her face. Just a few seconds ago, she was getting ready to say goodbye to Julie thinking she would never be able to see her again.

"I can't believe this is real", Elli manages to coax out in between her loud sobs. She was holding on to Julie so tight that she is surprised about the fact her big sister is still able to breathe.

There is one thing she knows for sure, she'll never let Julie go again. She will never leave her. She loves her.

Ray soon follows Elli's actions and joins the hug, which evolves into one huge group hug as Reggie, Luke, and Alex join in, too. To everyone this unexpected situation was just extremely overwhelming. At this point, everyone besides Julie is crying.

"I'd hate to break this up but would someone please tell me why all of you are crying. I mean, I missed you, too, but I was only gone for three weeks. You guys act like that course was the end of the world. You knew I'd be back", Julie says as she steps away from the hug to look into the other's faces.

Ray is the next one to speak, "Where were you? We were worried sick about you. We didn't know what happened to you. What do you mean course? What course? We didn't know when or if you would be back".

The look in his eyes looks like his whole world was shattered into pieces and now it is trying to mend itself. Now that his family is back together, he knows deep inside everything will be fine.

"What are you talking about? Of course you knew where I was? You arranged all of this. Dr Turner said- ", she doesn't get to finish her sentence because Luke interrupts her, "Dr Turner? What does he have to do with this? And why wouldn't he have told Elli. He didn't tell her a single word about this. Are you trying to tell me he knew where you were this whole time?"

Elli didn't know how to react to this. Why wouldn't he have said anything to her? She was almost always talking about Julie. He told her to get ready to say goodbye to her tonight. All of this doesn't make any sense to her.

"What am I talking about?", Julie counters, "What are you talking about? Is this some kind of prank? 'Cause it isn't funny. Also, Elli, why were you talking to Dr Turner. I didn't know you were seeing him".

"I wasn't. Not before you went missing anyway..."

"Before I went missing? I didn't go missing. I was in some sort of detox course to find out how to handle my emotions".

Reggie asks curiously, "Wait... That's a thing? I didn't know that".

Alex slaps his arm, "It isn't...I think"

Before Ray could step in and say that he had nothing to do with that so-called course and that he didn't authorise any of it, they hear a poofing sound.

All of them turn to its direction. A man in a suit is standing there.

Julie and Elli say, "Dr Turner?", while Alex, Luke, and Reggie say, "Caleb?!".

Julie and Elli now turn to the three ghosts, "That's not Caleb. That's Dr Turner".

"No, that Caleb. Caleb Covington. From the Hollywood Ghost Club", Luke says through gritted teeth, "That's the magician ghost we went to see when we found out about Bobby stealing our music. The one who gave us those jolts".

Though Julie doesn't seem to believe it, "No it's not. That is not him. That doesn't make sense. He is Dr Turner".

Then it hits Elli, "Oh no".

Caleb is Dr Turner. He pretended to be him all this time. Or he was him all this time.

"Oh yes", Caleb says with a grin on his face, "Why the long faces? Let's have some fun. A girl only turns 17 once. And just look at this cake. We shouldn't let it go to waste. This is a celebration".

With a snap of his fingers, all of them were seated around the table, including him. He added two more places for him and Julie.

No one moved, not giving in to the game Caleb is trying to play.

"You don't wanna celebrate? That's fine. Let's talk business then", while saying that he looks directly into Elli's eyes, seated across from him.

Why was he looking at her? Why wasn't he looking at anyone else?

"Elli, I told you to be ready to say goodbye to your sister tonight. I never said you wouldn't see her again before you might have to do so", Elli's Dad is stopped before he can do anything about what Caleb had just said. With a snap of his fingers Ray is no longer able to make a sound or move. It's like he's a statue.

Elli wants to jump up to go help her Dad, but she is also stopped before she can do that. He snaps his fingers again. With that she is firmly seated on the chair, not able to stand up or make any huge movements.

Every part of her body started to tingle and shake due to the immense flow of stress and fear rushing through her at that moment. She feels like she is about to pass out.

"No need to make a fit. I did say might, didn't I?", Caleb starts laughing lowly, "There is another way. One where I won't have to make your sister disappear. Or you". He raises his eyebrows, a smirk plastered on his lips.

Elli can feel a comforting hand on her thigh. It's Reggie. By that he wants her to know that he isn't going to let anything happen to her or her sister. He doesn't want to see Elli get hurt.

"What is that other way exactly?", he speaks up, wanting to do whatever it takes to keep her safe.

Tears keep escaping Elli's eyes.

Reggie wants nothing more than to make her feel better. To make her happy.

"Now we're talking", Caleb stands up and leans forward with his arms on the table, his face directed to Reggie, "It's quite simple. To safe your friends, you, Alex, and Luke are going to have to join the Hollywood Ghost Club".

"You're are going to have to say goodbye to your so-called new family".