| 𝙿𝚛𝚒𝚗𝚌𝚎𝚜𝚜 | 𝙹.𝙼𝚘𝚕𝚒𝚗𝚊 | 𝙲𝚘𝚖𝚙𝚕𝚎𝚝𝚎𝚍

26 | UNFINISHED BUSINESS

     AFTER THE PARTY had finished, everyone had gone home and Julie sat inside eating pizza with Flynn and her family. Meanwhile the four ghosts were outside playing basket ball, well the boys were while Hayden leaned on the wall playing with the bracelets that hung around her wrists. She wanted to talk to Julie but decided to let her celebrate with her family, there was always tomorrow.

"Feels like we should be celebrating or something. What do you guys wanna do?" Reggie asked.

The boy got no response as they all felt that somewhat familiar, yet still very painful, spark in their chests. They all fell to the ground in pain, Hayden held onto her stomach, her face screwed up.

"Not that." Alex commented.

"Not the time for jokes." Hayden replied, slowly standing up from the floor.

Luke got up too. "That wasn't like the other ones. It's getting worse."

"Why is this happening to us?" Reg asked, expecting no answer.

"It's because you guys are in serious trouble." The four ghosts looked to see Willie stood in front of them properly since their visit to the Hollywood Ghost Club.

"Willie?" Alex asked.

"No shit, Sherlock." Hayden mumbled, causing Luke to nudge her.

"We need to talk." Willie said, beginning to explain what had happened to the ghosts he considered to be somewhat friends with.

By the time the story was done, they had made it into the heart of LA. Hayden stayed quiet while her band mates asked questions, all of which Willie was up to answer.

"All these jolts that we're feeling is because Caleb put his stamp on us?" Luke asked.

Willie nodded. "He's threatened by you. He wants you under his control. I mean, you're the only ghosts that can be visible to lifers without his help."

"And you let him do this to us?" Alex asked in anger.

"I can't stop him." Willie faced the band. "He owns my soul. Alright? He owns everybody's soul at that club. If he even knew I was here talking to you, he...he would destroy me.

"So if we don't join his club, then the weird power outage thing continues until there's no power left at all?" Reg questioned.

Willie nodded. "Yes."

"What exactly happens when the power goes out?"

"That's...that's it. You're done."

"Uh-huh. Yeah." Reggie nodded. "And what exactly do you mean by we're done?"

Willie sighed. "You just...you don't exist...anymore. Not anywhere."

Alex looked at him in shock. "What?"

"So we have no choice?" Hayden finally asked. "We have to say goodbye to Julie, give up everything we've built together and work for Caleb? That's some club you guys got going on."

Willie shook his head. "But there is another option. That's why I'm here."

"Another option?" Alex said with a small scoff.

"Just please, hear me out. Alright, if you guys could figure out what your unfinished business is, you do it in time, you could cross over and bee free from all of this."

"Okay." Luke shrugged. "So what's our unfinished business?"

"I don't know, but since you all died at the same time, it might be something you need to do together."

Alex stepped forward. "Why should we listen to a word you say?"

"Because I care about you, Alex." Willie spoke through teary eyes. "And I hate that I brought you...and your friends into this mess. I, uh...I can't be away much longer. I'm so sorry. For everything."

The band watched Willie poof away. Hayden couldn't help but feel bad for Willie, he wanted to help, badly but if he did, he would no longer exist. He would be destroyed.

Alex sighed. "This is all my fault. I-I met Willie, Willie introduced us to Caleb, and now...now we're screwed."

Luke shook his head. "We all wanted to go see Caleb."

"We have to tell Julie." Reggie sighed.

Hayden shook her head. "We can't. This just means more loss in her life. But if we don't want Caleb to own our souls, then we have to figure out what our unfinished business is."

"And how are we supposed to do that? Alright? There was so much we wanted to do." Alex asked. "What is it?"

"Yeah, but the night we died, there was once thing we all wanted to do together." Luke spoke.

The ghosts turned. The Orpheum.

"Play the Orpheum?" Reggie questioned.

"Getting that gig was literally impossible." Hayden sighed. "Even after people knew who we were, we had to hustle, call in every favour we had. It took us years."

Another jolt hit the band, groans coming from each member as they doubled over in pain.

"We don't have years."