Hey guys! So this is it! This is the finale! Hope you guys enjoyed my story and please feel free to comment and read my other works!
Now, for the last time, ON WITH THE SHOW!
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Reggie didn't know what he was expecting. He knew that Luke and Julie we're definitely denying something, but when they came back, hand and hand, he couldn't seem to remember anything that had happened. The horror, the pain, the anguish, the uncertainty. Now it was just pure joy, seeing them together, leaning into each other, probably whispering sweet nothings into the other's ear. They were both by the couch, Luke laying across it, with Julie sitting at his feet. Reggie was laying on Julie's lap, while Alex lay strewn across the floor, Willie's hand entangled in his own. It was funny. They had already been so close before, but when they finally cleared the air between them, it made everything feel so real.
But something that wasn't real for some reason was that they were still ghosts, which meant every time they hung out it had to be secret because Julie is apparently not allowed to be able to "lean onto air". That was something that really stung. That they couldn't be a part of the whole family, that he would never be able to talk to Ray or to Carlos(well, if you forget about the incident with the sheet...) and they'll always have to be in hiding. It didn't make him feel great, and he could tell it stressed everyone out, especially Alex.
The first couple days after they got Julie back, they had always stuck together, always had their arms wrapped around each other. Always there when she needed something. It was like a safety blanket, and with the bond between them almost seeming to magnify, it didn't bother any of them that they had been so close.
But, just because they were stuck up in their dreamworld didn't mean they didn't need to wake up.
Eventually, Julie went back to school, the band checking in on her every chance they got, with Flynn and Nick being on guard when they couldn't be there holding her hand or leaning on her shoulder. It had been a pretty traumatic experience for everyone, especially Nick, who had apparently been tortured by Caleb while Caleb had used his body as a host, but it only hurt Nick.
Reggie shuddered.
It had been so scary for all of them, that no one really knew what Caleb was capable of when he hosted Nick's body.
Or nobody wanted to ask.
Nick had told them that it was a dark room, and it felt like it was years that he had been in there but it had only been about a week in real time. Reggie immediately made the connection with how it sounded just like when they died, but he decided not to bring it up. He bet the guys knew about it too, so did Julie, but it must have been so hard, not having control of your body when you were trapped inside your own conscience when it was owned by a psychopath.
Yeah, it was pretty complicated.
He sighed, letting the memories wash over him. He let out a breath he didn't know he was holding as Julie weaved her fingers through his hair, calming him down. But, there was still one question he needed to ask. One question that could possibly explain everything. But it seemed such a hard thing to do. To not know your future. But what if you are your future?
"Julie?"
She looked at him, her eyes soft and bright.
"Yes Reggie?"
Just hearing her voice soothed him, as if the whole world decided to stop and focus on the way her voice traveled through the air so lightly, her words an endless melody. She was a muse, a goddess even, and she was perfect.
"Are we going to die?"
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"Are we going to die?"
Well, Alex definitely hadn't been expecting that. He squeezed Willie's hand tighter, trying to ground himself among the questions that had found a way into the only working part of his brain.
Were they alive? Or were they dead? What did this mean? Are they able to be seen? WHat's going on?
Willie released his grip on Alex's hand, pushing himself up into a sitting position. Alex followed suit, wrapping his arms around his knees and leaning his head onto Willie's shoulder. He looked at Julie, waiting for her to say something in response, but it was Luke who spoke next.
"Who cares."
Alex lifted his head off Willie's shoulder, staring at Luke in bewilderment.
What did he mean by "who cares"?
Luke slowly sat up, wincing a little at the pain radiating off of his chest, Julie's fingers still intertwined with his own. He could see the way she grimaced when he sat up, instantly turning to face him so he could still hold her hand.
God, those two were inseparable.
"Whether we are dead or alive, it doesn't matter. We've died once before, right? And everything has to get better from here on out."
Alex listened to Luke's voice intently, wishing they could just satisfy him for once. But everytime, every single goddamn time someone makes a life changing decision, he can't settle. There's always something floating around in his head saying "it's not enough" or "we need a different plan" or "it won't work".
"But what if it doesn't?"
And sometimes, it comes out of his mouth.
Willie looked at him, concerned.
"What do you mean, Hotdog?"
Alex thrust his hands into the pockets of his hoodie, standing up without shifting his gaze from the floor. Reggie sits up as well as Julie slowly rises to her feet. She lets go of Luke's hand to tucks a strand of hair behind her ear.
"I think what Alex is trying to say is that we aren't completely sure how things are going to play out, so how can you say it will turn out okay? I mean, you turned human but Alex and Reggie are still ghostlike. We don't know what's going on. How can you be so sure?"
Luke looked at her, an excited glint in his eyes that had never been there before.
"I just know."
The doorbell rang, and there was a loud knock on the wood. Julie gave Luke a quick kiss on the cheek, then turned to let Ray and Carlos in. Willie squeezed Alex's hand again, giving him a lazy smile.
"Hey, Mija. How was your day?"
Ray's voice floated through the house, a sense of concern and authority and kindness all wrapped into one. It's crazy how all he ever seemed to care about was his family. Although it filled his heart with an overwhelming sense of joy, to Alex it also felt like a stab in the chest. (Not to offend Luke in any way, it's just metaphorical...) He never had the chance to confide in his family, and it had only gotten worse when he told them he was gay. They pretty much shunned him, could barely even look at him, and then he died without ever getting to say goodbye.
He doubted they even cared.
And that hurt more. Not knowing if they did regret their actions towards their son the last few years of his life. He cringed at the thought of what happened when they found out their son was dead.
Did they mourn for him? Did they even attend the funeral?
Did he even have a funeral?
"Just like always, papa. How was the game?"
Carlos sauntered into the room, a grin spread on his face.
"It was awesome! Mario hit an epic pitch and then I slid home and-"
He stopped short, frozen in full-on professor mode. (They called it "professor mode" because back in high school their english teacher was in full on lecture mode when he saw a spider and for ten whole minutes stood there like a mannequin, his arms held off to the sides, mouth wide open. The class laughed their faces off, and it was awesome, but they still had homework so that sucked.)
But this was different. Because this time, Carlos was staring directly at Alex.
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"I-It's you guys! The boy band!"
Alex and Reggie exchanged a look, but Luke just stood there frozen in shock, mirroring Julie's wide eyes and open mouth.
He could see them. See them! But that meant-
"Carlos, what's going on?"
Ray turned to face them, a deer in headlights, his face a mask of confusion, anger, and pain?
Luke looked down at the thin bandage they had wrapped around his chest, the blood soaking through it occasionally. He guessed the scab split again.
Julie and the boys watched helplessly as Ray dropped the bag he was holding and ran to the closet...
And came back with a first-aid kit and fresh bandages.
Luke couldn't help but to stare in amazement at Mr.Molina as he knelt down next to him, slowly unwrapping the bloodstained bandages. Four complete strangers were in his house completely unannounced, one of them who was injured, and he hadn't even yelled at them or asked them to leave. He had come back with a first-aid kit and a roll of bandages to treat Luke.
Was it possible for Luke to love this family even more than he already did?
He felt the restriction from the bandages melt away, and he looked down, only to see Ray's eyes widen in horror and pain and distress and guilt.
He knew that look.
It was the same look his mother gave him the night he ran away. The one that was plastered in his mind, would always be in the back of his mind. Except, instead of knowing it was his decision, Ray looked at him as if it was his own fault.
Which it wasn't.
So....why?
Ray stood up beside Luke, the look still in his eyes. He opened his mouth to speak, but he closed it before anything came out. Julie moved over towards Luke, slipping her hand into his and gripping it tightly. She stared at him from across the room, searching his face for something, anything, really.
"Dad?" She whispered tentatively, afraid to break the silence and the thin, invisible line of sanity her father might be holding onto.
"Well," he said, wiping his hand under his nose. "Aren't you going to introduce me to the band?"