the lucky one || reggie peters

> four

"I love that dude!" Luke said obviously while Reggie's eyes continued to cut over to Jo. "Please tell me this party's never gonna end."

"It doesn't have to!" Lina said brightly. "My father loves inviting new people to the club. As he always says, a gift this wonderful deserves to be shared. Members can happily live out their afterlives here, carrying out their dreams whether that's skating around all day with my friends or playing bass guitar across the stage."

"You're a bassist! Reggie is too," Alex said.

Jo pushed up from the table and quietly excused herself with one more look in Willie's direction, this time him acknowledging the movement. A moment later, the boy pushed up from his seat and followed Jo up to the bar.

"Y-Yeah," Reggie attempted to match the group's energy, though his focus was on the pair's heated discussion out of earshot.

    A clear glass half-full of amber liquid was deposited in front of Jo as she thanked the familiar bartender. Willie sidled up on the bar beside her, staring down at his clasped hands. "I can't believe you invited them here," Jo murmured.

    "They want to become visible. To some ex-bandmate of theirs," Willie excused. "I knew Caleb could help. What was I supposed to do?"

    "You were supposed to keep your goddamn mouth shut," she snapped quietly. "Duping a bunch of asshole rich people into joining? Fine, whatever, but the guys? You know Caleb isn't going to 'help' them. He's going to do whatever it takes to own them. That's what we are to him! Possessions. To be controlled. The guys, for whatever reason, are powerful which means Caleb will do whatever it takes to own that power."

    "Jo-"

    "No, Willie! There is no logic or reason here that excuses any of that. Because it's the truth and you know it. The freedom to skate around all day, be together? That's fine when it's just us because it's done. It can't be changed... But I thought you cared enough about them- about Alex to spare them from this."

    "I just... wanted to impress him."

    Jo's face softened. "I know, Will. You and Lina both. But you have to know... he's manipulating you. To get what he wants because what he wants right now is the guys. And you led them right into the lion's den."

    Willie scoffed and pushed away from the bar. Jo, eyes welling up with tears, swiped under her eyes so as not to ruin her makeup and threw back the last of the amber liquid before another was dropped in front of her.

    When someone else came to stand beside her, Jo expected to see Willie back, whether to sulk or deliver a comeback, she wasn't yet sure. Instead, she found Reggie's pouting face. "They made eight more Star Wars movies. And they killed Han Solo!" he complained. "What kind of future is this?"

    Jo bit her lip. Leave it to Reggie to make her almost smile in the midst of all of this. "Are you lost, little ghostie? This is the big kids' table."

    "Ha, ha," he deadpanned as he watched her return to examining her drink. "Are you... good? The thing with Caleb seemed... I don't know. Like we were intruding. What was that about?"

    Jo nodded slowly. "Do you know what she/they pronouns mean?" Reggie shook his head. "Well, non-binary people use they/them pronouns, right? So... for me, when I say I use she/they pronouns, it means that I don't really identify with my femininity. I don't mind she/her pronouns, but I'd appreciate the use of they/them for me every once in a while, ya know? But... My full name is Josephine. Going by Jo has always felt like me. Like it's part of my legal name, but it's not so..."

    "Girly?" Reggie suggested with a small smile.

    Jo laughed lightly. "Yeah, I guess. Girly. Feminine... Caleb thinks it's bad for business. Advertising my genderqueer-ness, I mean. So he thinks Josie produces a better image. And Caleb's not one to take no for an answer."