FAR FROM NORMAL ── REGGIE PETERS

10. FLYING SOLO

"She has been ruthless." Reggie was smirking and Ashley wanted to laugh.

Alex looked between them, raising his eyebrows before speaking again.

"I think I know why we're here." He had turned to face Reggie to speak and Ashley watched them. "Okay? All ghosts have, like, unfinished business. So, we need to do our unfinished business so that we can cross over."

Ashley tried to ignore the painful stab in her chest at that. If Alex and the boys crossed over, she would lose them forever. She would lose Alex all over again.

"Why would we do that?" Luke finally looked up from what he was writing and Alex turned to face him again. "I'm just saying, this is like our second chance. All we need to do is get Julie and Ashley to play with us."

"Wow, anybody would think I wasn't here at all." Ashley looked at Luke, her eyebrows raised, and he smiled sheepishly at her. Ashley knew he meant well.

"Yeah." Reggie nodded, glancing at Ashley. "Not only can they both sing but they can write too. We all saw the song Ashley wrote in her journal and heard her sing it. They're powerful. Luke and I made a killer melody to one of Julie's lyrics."

Ashley let off a sigh, smiling at him.

"Oh-" Alex seemed put out suddenly- "without your drummer. Cool."

He didn't think it was cool. Ashley could see it.

"Drumming is so '90s, okay?" Luke hit Alex on the arm as he handed the blonde boy his music journal. "We're just gonna stomp our feet now."

"I will fight you if you say something like that again." Ashley turned to face Luke, pointing her finger at him at the same time that Alex started speaking.

"Okay." The blonde looked Luke dead in the eyes but Ashley didn't miss when his gaze flicked to her, appreciation in his eyes. "Well, you know what else is so '90s? Being rude. All right? Get woke. These are sensitive times."

Alex handed Luke his journal back pretty aggressively, thumping his chest with it and Luke winced slightly, groaning as it hit him. Ashley bit back a laugh.

"I feel like that serves you right but..." Ashley trailed off as Alex smiled at her.

"I learned that from my ghost friend." Alex leaned in towards Reggie, grinning.

"Woke." Reggie chuckled. "That's... that's a cool word. What does it mean?"

"No clue." Alex shook his head, chuckling. "Ash, did I use it right?"

"Honestly, Alex?" Ashley shrugged her shoulders. "I'm not too sure anyone really knows how to use that word properly. I definitely know I don't."

The three of them chuckled.

After Luke had gotten over the initial shock that Alex had actually stuck up for himself, he continued to add melody and rhythm to Julie's song. Ashley watched him from the piano, not missing the feeling of two pairs of eyes on her but she didn't need to turn to know who it was. They were always watching.

All four of them jumped when the doors to the studio were flung open apruptly and Julie came stomping into the studio, looking anxious.

"Please tell me that you've managed to put at least some music to that song." Julie wandered over to where they were all gathered round the piano.

"Jules, is everything okay?" Ashley brushed a hand across her shoulder.

"Yes? No? I don't know." Julie threw her hands into the air. "I just found Flynn outside my house getting ready to throw eggs at my bedroom window and now she thinks we're both going off the deep end. I told her the truth, that you guys are ghosts and she tried to text my dad about it.