͏͏͏͏b͏͏r͏͏i͏͏g͏͏h͏͏t ͏͏t͏͏o͏͏g͏͏e͏͏t͏͏h͏͏e͏͏r

014. callin' out

Caleb's face lit up in terrifying delight. "Aw, look Luke. Here's your girl now. But I bet you already knew she was coming, didn't you? You two think you've set me up. Oh, and I bet that third ghost boy is in the building as well. I know I'm right, aren't I, Reggie?"

"I-- I-- I dunno! I haven't even been near them! What do you expect me to know?!" Reggie shouted out in a panic.

"You know, Luke, you could always stay with your band and with... your girl if you just took my advice. Help bring her to me, and you can all be true ghosts together. You didn't think your time being a ghost was over, did you?" Caleb said as he pulled out a gun from behind his back.

"J-- Julie, you need to go," Luke whispered to her. "We didn't think he'd actually be prepared. You need to go home and take F-- take our friend with you. If you don't, Caleb's going to kill you."

Julie ignored him. "You know, I have a voice of my own too, Caleb. Did you really think that we came here for you? We could care less. You probably could too, considering you have the entire Hollywood area at your service. You already knew we were coming, I'm sure. But you didn't think we'd actually have everyone here, did you? We wouldn't be that stupid."

"Oh, please. Don't try to trick me, Julie Molina. I went down this path with your kind years ago. You won't trick me the same way. I can promise you that much. Maybe I should let your little boyband go and just take you instead. After all, you still want to see your mother again, don't you?" Caleb asked in response.

Julie scoffed. "You think I'd actually fall for that? I know my mother already crossed over. That's how the boys came back in the first place. Their second chance at life was directly my mom's doing. She's so powerful, I'm surprised you're not completely gone already."

Caleb laughed heartlessly. "You think you know so much because of what these boys have told you, but you're wrong. Even they don't know the truth about your mother. They don't know that I've met her before."

That caught Julie off guard. "I don't believe you. My mom would never have anything to do with someone like you."

"Oh, but she did. She did, Miss Molina. And for what she did to me, you're going to be the one to pay," He seethed.

Julie blinked. "Fine. Take me, then. Instead of Reggie. Let them go live their new lives in peace."

Caleb glared at the girl. "That's a deal, Julie Molina. Don't even try to trick me. You'll regret it." He looked over at Luke and spat, "Take your band boy and go. Your girl is abandoning you after all, Luke. I suppose this is just like last time."

Luke was about to say something in response, but Caleb continued on explaining. "Oh, yes. I know all about Miss Elle Jenkins. I know that she wanted you to die, and then her wish came true. I know that she is still alive and deserves to be haunted. Just ask who the girl married."

Julie could tell Luke was about to go off on Caleb, but she needed him to stay calm for her plan to work. "Luke, leave it. He's trying to get to you. Just take Reggie and get out of here, okay? Leave it be."

Luke stared back at her intensely. "Julie, if you think I'm leaving you in here with that jackass of a ghost--" Julie shook her head. "Don't worry about me, Luke. I'll be fine. I'm not giving you an option."

Luke shook his head as tears gathered in his eyes. "Julie, I'm not leaving you. Please, you have to just stop and--" Julie gave him the world's smallest smile. "It's okay, Luke. I promise. It'll all be okay. Just take Reggie out of here and leave. Please? For me?"

"Come on, Reggie, let's get out of here," Luke said angrily as they stormed out of the room.

"Put the gun down. There's no need for it now that they're gone," Julie told Caleb. "I know I have to die for this, but I refuse to die by the hand of a shooter. Our deal is already made, and I know that. But we didn't agree on how I would die."