• • • • • • •
charlotte was screaming, but there was no sound coming out of her mouth. she squeezed her eyes tight, trying to stop the tears from falling from her eyes as she stumbled backwards into the couch.
she watched in complete and utter horror as luke crumbled to the ground, clutching his chest. she tried to run over to them, but it was like her limbs were stuck in molasses, moving so slowly that she could've sworn time stopped.
the boys were disappearing right before her eyes, jolts hitting them incessantly, barely giving the ghosts time to breathe in between. she couldn't do anything to help them. time moved too slowly for that, though it seemed like the boys themselves were in fast forward. the flashes of purple light were unyielding, almost constant. alex called her name, watching her struggle to get to them. his long blonde hair stuck to his face in the tear tracks that made their way down his cheeks.
charlotte couldn't wrap her mind around the scene in front of her. they weren't supposed to be here. they were supposed to cross over. they couldn't be here, it wasn't possible.
finally, she looked to reggie. he looked the weakest of the three, barely moving in between the jolts that rocked his ghostly body. it was a stark contrast to his bandmates, who twisted in pain every time the electricity hit them. charlotte was almost there. she was almost close enough to get to them, to do something, anything that might help them. reggie's supplicating blue eyes, clouded with tears, met char's. his voice broke when he whispered her name.
"reggie..." she reached out to him, just inches between them. she was desperate to grab his hand, or kiss him one more time before he went, but just as their fingertips were about to touch...
charlotte woke up, hyperventilating as she sat up abruptly. she glanced around the moonlit loft, realizing it was the middle of the night. reggie had fallen asleep up in her futon again, and she let out a sigh of relief when she saw him next to her. just to be sure, she carefully tiptoed over to the railing and looked down to the couches below her. the sleeping figures of alex and luke on the couch gave her a little peace of mind, so she padded back over to the futon. just as she laid back down, reggie raised his head and turned to her, blinking slowly.
"is it morning already?" he mumbled, his eyes still half closed.
"not yet." char laughed quietly and brushed the dark hair away from his forehead. "go back to sleep."
he hummed, then opened his eyes further to look at her. "what are you doing up, then? is something wrong?"
"i just had a bad dream." she whispered. "it was nothing."
he frowned sleepily. "what happened?"
char picked at her nails, staring up at the ceiling. "you and the guys disappeared. i was there, trying to get to you in time, but i couldn't save you."
reggie's lips quirked into a frown, and he wrapped his arm around charlotte's waist, pulling her closer into him. "i don't want to go, char." he muttered in a sleepy voice. "i promise i'm never gonna leave."
"you shouldn't make promises you can't keep." she brushed her thumb across his cheek softly, looking into his gorgeous blue eyes that sparkled in the moonlight.
reggie leaned forward to press his lips to hers, sweet and soft and reassuring. it was a familiar sensation now, kissing him, but charlotte still got butterflies in her stomach nonetheless. it was a feeling that she could never get used to, no matter how often it happened.
"i'm not leaving. no matter what. pinky promise." he whispered against her lips. "now, can we please go back to sleep?"
she smiled as a way to say yes, then nestled her head into the crook of his shoulder. she tried to keep her mind away from the terrible dream she just had, but it was no use. the image of the boys flickering away before her eyes was too hard to shut out of her mind. she was completely, utterly terrified of losing them, she realized. they were her family.
charlotte couldn't bear the thought of going on without them. she knew she would have to be strong for julie, who was losing just as much as she, but char didn't know if she'd be able to do it.
reggie had already drifted off to sleep again, his slow, soft breathing signaling that he was sound asleep. char nestled into his arms a little closer, delicately running her fingers over the smooth curve of his bicep until she fell into a deep sleep right next to him.
• • •
hours later, the sunlight peeking through the circular windows lit up the faces of the two ghosts. charlotte blinked her eyes open to find herself still wrapped up in reggie's arms, his lips just barely ghosting across her forehead. for a second, before she had to think of anything else, charlotte let herself close her eyes again and drink in this feeling.
the feeling of waking up in reggie's arms was unlike anything she'd ever known, anything she'd ever experienced. she felt so safe, so protected, and, for the first time, she felt...content. charlotte was completely content with where she was. like anytime she was with reggie peters, she just felt happy. just in his presence, there was this pure, uncontrolled happiness that seemed to take over every inch of her body, that seemed to fill every part of her soul.
she shifted ever so slightly to look up at the sleeping ghost's face. his hair had stayed exactly where she'd brushed it away from his forehead in the middle of the night, pushed back from his face in the greaser-meets-rockstar style he pulled off so well. she sighed, a soft smile crossing her lips. she was really, truly happy for a moment.
suddenly, something blocked the rising sun from coming in, casting a shadow over charlotte's features. she looked up and squinted to meet the eyes of a familiar long haired skater boy in her window.
"what the hell?" she muttered to herself, then popped out to the roof right outside her window. "what are you doing here?"
willie tucked his skateboard under his arm. "i wanted to see if you want to come along to book the guys their gig." his eyes flitted furtively back and forth between char and the window. "i also want-i need to talk to you."
charlotte swiped her tongue across her teeth, thinking. she stuck her hands in the pockets of her sweatpants, then looked back to reggie, who, thankfully, was still sleeping. "how long do you think it will it take?"
"an hour, at most."
she considered it for a second and nodded. "yeah, i'll come. let me change and leave him a note."
charlotte popped back inside the room. she was careful not to make too much noise as she scanned her clothes, looking for something to wear. she took a red skirt off its hanger and grabbed a t-shirt to go with it from her drawers. she quietly snapped her outfit on, smoothing it down while she summoned a pen from downstairs to write a little note to reggie.
with willie. you guys should meet us at the orpheum later. pinky promise i'm not ditching you :)
she signed it char with a tiny heart next to her name, then set the note down next to the bassist. before she popped back out to willie, she leaned down to give reggie a light kiss on the cheek. on her way to the window, charlotte held out her hand, and her leather jacket came flying towards her. she popped out and snapped at the same time, reappearing next to willie as she straightened out her jacket.
"ready?" he asked her.
"yeah. i told them to meet us at the orpheum."
"perfect."
willie held out his hand for her to take, and the two popped off of the studio roof.
the two ghosts reappeared at a gas station in the middle of the desert. warm, dry wind blew every which way, blowing both ghosts' hair all around their faces. the only vehicle in the parking was a bus, with the name "downslide" printed on the side. four guys were pictured next to their logo, their serious faces larger than life. the bell on the gas station rang, and the same four men came out, drinks and bags of snacks in hand. they were laughing loudly, obviously excited for their gig later that night. charlotte almost felt bad taking it away from them, but then she remembered who she was doing it for. the bus engine whirred to life and the doors slid open, allowing the band members inside. willie started to jog towards the vehicle and motioned for her to follow him. charlotte got up to the stairs just as the doors closed behind her.
"god, this is gross." she looked around the tour bus and scrunched her nose up. it was honestly disgusting, so messy that it was like a frat house on wheels. "i think this is what the studio would look like if i weren't there."
"well, that's a rock band for ya." willie brushed a layer of crumbs off of the chair behind the bus driver and took a seat. charlotte did the same, plugging her nose before tossing a half-eaten hot dog towards the overflowing trash can and kicking an empty energy drink can away from her foot. she sat down carefully, avoiding the stains on the seats.
"so, what exactly are we doing here?"
"those guys," he pointed back to the men at the back of the bus, who looked like they were having a burping contest, "are supposed to open at the orpheum tonight. we're gonna drive this bus into the middle of the desert. that way, panic at the disco needs an opening act."
char nodded, liking his plan. "and we know just the band to fill that spot." she grinned.
"exactly." willie snapped his finger towards her, then looked up to the bus driver. they were coming up on an intersection, and he stepped up to the wheel and made a turn. the driver yelped in confusion, but kept driving. willie slid back into his chair. "so, i've been meaning to ask. you and reggie?"
charlotte rolled her eyes as heat rose to her cheeks. "is that really what you wanted to talk to me about?"
"nah, i just wanna know." he shrugged, smirking. "i mean, i'll admit it, he is cute. not really my type, but cute."
"what is your type, then? blond smartasses?" she teased.
"eh. just alex." willie bit back a grin at the thought of the handsome drummer. "at this point, i think my type is literally just alex mercer."
"good answer. as his self-appointed sister figure, i approve." char laughed. "and, yeah. reggie's cute. he's sweet, he's funny, he's hella talented..." she sighed happily. "what more could you ask for ?"
"when did you guys, like, get together?" he asked. "i mean, you were holding hands a couple days ago by the orpheum. even that night at the club, you guys were flirty."
char thought back to the nights in question. the hollywood ghost club was right after she met reggie, and she'd definitely already developed a crush on him at that point. the next night was barely two days ago, and that was the night they'd kissed for the first time. "i mean, i guess not really until after that. right after that, actually."
willie nodded. "so, you're, like, a couple?"
she shrugged. "i guess? i don't really know."
"you don't know?" willie tucked his hair behind his ears, laughing. "i mean, you guys share a lumpy futon. that's a pretty big step."
"well, we've never talked about it." she rolled her eyes. "i feel like labels don't really matter as much when you're dead. i guess we're just happy to be around each other, you know?"
"that's true. sometimes i feel like all these labels are just for other people's benefit, you know? it's nice to just be with someone." he nodded. "being a ghost is nice that way. there's not as many people to please."
willie glanced out the window, checking the mile marker they passed. he got up again, making the bus turn down another wrong road. the driver struggled against it this time, but it was no use. willie's ghostly strength overpowered his own. the skater let go as soon as the driver stopped struggling against him, and made his way back to his seat.
"i, uh, i saw you at the club yesterday." he clasped his hands and leaned forward, elbows resting on his knees.
"yeah, um, i was." charlotte tapped her foot against the ground, nervous for what was about to come.
"char, i'm only asking to-to protect you. i care about you." he licked his lips and closed his eyes. "what were you doing there?"
charlotte tried to think of a quick, easy lie that wouldn't leave her with any explaining to do. there was no such lie to be found.
"and, please, be honest." he added.
she realized there was no point in lying to him. willie was going to know what she did in the end. "i was making a deal." she said, her voice quiet.
willie's face fell, a look of total disappointment and shock replacing the smile from just minutes earlier. charlotte felt a sense of dread come over her as she watched his face change, like she knew exactly what he was going to tell her.
"charlotte, that was about the stupidest thing you could've possibly done." he said, speaking from experience. "you don't make a deal with caleb covington, he's-he's like the devil. there's always a twist that you never saw coming, or-"
"willie. i know what i'm doing. i know what i did. he can't trick me." char said, trying to convince herself as much as him.
he shook his head earnestly. he knew the consequences of her actions much better than she did. "that's what everybody thinks. that's what everybody says." he shut his eyes, breathing in slowly to calm himself down. "charlotte, i know this isn't in your nature, but you need to be scared. you need to be terrified of what he'll do to you."
"what?" she frowned. "why should i be scared?"
"it's the only-it's the only way to survive." he said. "charlotte, if you try to be brave, he'll destroy you."
before she could say anything, willie glanced out the window, then jumped over the seat to get to the steering wheel. she watched, still in shock, as willie stepped on the gas and jerked the wheel to the right. he drove the bus straight into the middle of the desert, gaining ground as fast as he could. the band members in the back were yelling up at the bus driver, who was yelling back, and charlotte could hear willie laughing at the commotion he caused. when he decided they were far enough into the desert, willie stood up from the driver's seat and turned to charlotte.
"alright! we're done." he raised his eyebrows, seemingly forgetting the doomsday-is-upon-us conversation he and charlotte had just had. "one thing before we go."
willie popped to the back of the bus and rummaged through a little cabinet that looked like it was functioning as a makeshift closet. he came back up the aisle and tossed charlotte a bomber jacket with downslide's logo on it.
"for posterity." he chuckled, and offered charlotte his hand. "shall we?"
charlotte swallowed nervously, still processing the words he'd said only minutes earlier. she decided to force a smile, nodding. "there's no place like home." she clicked her heels three times, then took his hand. the two ghosts popped away, leaving downslide and their poor bus driver in the middle of the nevada desert, alone in their frat house on wheels, and way too far from los angeles.
when they reappeared on sunset boulevard, char smoothly fell into step with willie's easygoing skateboarding pace. she snapped her fingers, replacing her leather jacket with the bomber they'd stolen from the back of the bus. she then snapped again, and her leather jacket disappeared from her hands, going back to its home in julie's studio. the streets were bustling with life, as usual, and the two ghosts passed through countless ghosts on their way towards their destination, about a block ahead. the orpheum theatre shone just as bright in the daylight as it did under the stars, the blinking blue and yellow lights complementing the sky of the same hue. under the marquee, she saw the backs of a familiar group of a leather jacket, a pastel blue t-shirt with a fanny pack, and a threadbare surfer's jacket. luke was bouncing up and down on his heels, gesturing emphatically as he spoke to the other two boys. char cracked a smile: she could almost hear his voice in her head, giving alex and reggie some type of pump-up speech. as she and willie got closer, a flash of purple light jolted at the three boys' chests. char winced sympathetically, seeing them double over in pain.
"hey, you guys okay?" willie stepped on the back of his skateboard and slid to a halt, then kicked it off towards the side, where it disappeared into thin air. it must've been like the boys' instruments and char's leather jacket: he could summon it anytime, anywhere he wanted.
reggie was still doubled over, hands resting on his knees. luke clutched at his chest and breathed out through his teeth. always the first to recover, alex straightened up and nodded slowly, his eyes squeezed shut in pain.
"yeah, it's nothing we haven't felt before." he said, then started to smile, eager to hear their news. "how'd it go?"
charlotte smiled. "well, when that opening band figures their shit out, they're gonna find their bus 200 miles outside of vegas." she turned around, showing off the bomber jacket with downslide's logo embroidered on the back.
"with absolutely no chance of getting back in time." willie reached out to luke, who happily fist bumped him.
"and that means there's probably a promoter upstairs right about now freakin' out." he grinned triumphantly. the three boys high fived.
"this is hollywood, luke." char said, rolling her eyes. "i'm sure he's being very professional."
"yeah, totally." willie nodded, looking up to the office building above the theatre with a chuckle.
the five ghosts went quiet for a second. in the silence, alex glanced to charlotte, then over to willie as his cheeks flushed rosy. she gave a quick nod, getting his unspoken message instantly.
"come on, guys," she stepped foward and put her arms around reggie and luke's shoulders, stretching up to her tiptoes, "let's give the lovebirds some space." she guided them away from alex and willie, leaving the two to talk privately, but not out of earshot. she still made sure she could hear them.
"i know..." alex sighed, running his fingers though his hair, "how much you're risking."
he looked into the skater boy's eyes, truly grateful. "thank you, willie."
"i told you," willie smirked, nudging him, "i'd do anything for you."
alex smiled. he rocked back on his heels for a split second, hesitant. then, he sighed and pulled willie into a nearly bone-crushing hug. the other boy almost seemed shocked at first, but buried his face in alex's shoulder, holding him tight as the seconds passed.
finally, alex pulled away reluctantly and took a glance around the crowded street. "alright, you, uh...you better get out of here before caleb catches you with us."
willie nodded, smiling. the two didn't know if they'd ever see each other again, but they were grateful for the time they had together. like willie had said to charlotte earlier, sometimes it's nice to just enjoy someone's presence. to be there in the moment, without thinking about the past or the future. he thought that summed up his and alex's relationship: living for the moment, savoring the time they had. it was bittersweet, this uncertain goodbye, but they would choose to look past that. they would choose to be thankful for the times that they'd screamed in museums together, the things that willie taught alex, and the feelings they got when they saw each other. every flutter of their unbeating hearts, every flush of their cheeks, every cheeky smirk on willie's face, it had all led up to this anticlimactic goodbye. and, maybe it was better that way.
"yeah. i'll see you around, hot dog."
willie held out his arms, and his skateboard appeared in his hands. he set down his board and skated away, right through a crowd of lifers.
alex let out a sad sigh as he watched him go, and ran his fingers through his hair again.
char looked over to him, quickly gauging whether he was okay, then ushered the two guitarists over to comfort their friend.
"alex, you all right, man?" reggie asked carefully.
"yeah." the blond said truthfully as his face slowly started to light up. "yeah, i'm okay."
luke grinned and began bouncing on the balls of his feet again. "well, thanks to willie-"
"and char!" reggie added, pointing to her, standing by his side.
she smiled and laced her fingers with his, absentmindedly running her thumb against the back of his hand as she listened to luke talk.
"and char," luke added, elbowing the ghost girl in the ribs, "panic at the disco needs an opening band."
"then i guess someone up there needs to know we're available." alex looked up to the building above them, a smile on his face. reggie and luke followed his gaze, grins forming on their faces, too.
char was focused on another sight to see. her lips parted as she looked across the street and saw a man in a deep purple coat, crystals sparkling in the sun. caleb covington looked almost out of place in the sunny streets, like he belonged in the shadows and alleyways rather than broad daylight. the very second she noticed him, he made eye contact with her. she could see the familiar glint in his eyes from across the street, a dark magical aura floating around his ghostly body.
his eyes bored into charlotte's soul, and he kept her gaze as he held up his hand to check his watch. somehow, she knew he'd been standing there for a long time, and must've seen their entire conversation- even willie's forbidden hug with alex. caleb grimaced, then tapped the watch face twice, as if to tell her she was running out of time.
all of a sudden, a group of lifers passed him by, and their gazes were broken. when the crowd cleared, caleb covington was gone. he disappeared into thin air, but the sick feeling in charlotte stomach lingered, even as she looked away from that spot.
"char, you all good?' reggie squeezed her hand, bringing her back to the situation at head.
"yeah, yeah, i just-i thought i saw something." she lied (sort of).
"well, we've got a promoter to see." luke grinned.
"we sure do." she grinned, then grabbed the closest hands she could find and pulled them towards the doors. "let's go, boys. onwards and upwards!"
the four ghosts on a mission phased through an wooden office door to find a very, very angry promoter.
"stop-no, no, stop! stop!" he shook his finger at nothing, loudly screaming into the receiver. "stop! stop saying the bus drove itself!" he smacked the phone against its holder, and the plastic broke from his forceful hits. his face was a tomato under his bowler hat, almost matching the color of charlotte's bright red skirt. a broken piece of the phone dock flew off the desk, knocking the name plate that read frank wolfe.
charlotte flinched at the sound of him slamming the desk, and reggie instinctively pulled her just a little closer into his side as he rolled his eyes. "yeah, willie was right. this guy's a total pro."
"okay, reggie, you've got the video, alex, you got the phone number." char said, laying out the plan one more time. she squinted at the promoter's name plate. "hey, that's my dad's name. cool."
"hey," luke pouted, "what do i do?"
"how about you stand there and look ugly?" she teased him.
"excuse you, char! i am very pretty." he said indignantly."you keep telling yourself that, lukie." she patted his shoulder sarcastically.
luke rolled his eyes and playfully shoved her into reggie. "alright, boys. let the magic happen. alex," he pointed at the blond, "no dancing."
"don't you tell him what to do." char gasped, offended. "let the man dance, patterson."
"yeah, patterson." alex repeated with significantly more sass, then stuck his arms out in front of him like like a ballerina. char started to sing the dance of the sugar plum fairy a capella, each note punctuated by a laugh at her ghost friend. with all the grace of a prima donna, alex pirouetted across the floor, behind the promoter's assistant, and, with a flourish of his hand, knocked her pen holder off of the desk. char gave him a little golf clap, and he bowed dramatically.
the woman furrowed her eyebrows and let out a heavy sigh, then bent over to gather all her fallen pens. reggie cracked his knuckles, charlotte floated a pen towards alex, and they got to work. reggie was a quick typer for a 90's kid, and got ray's video of their edge of great performance up on her screen in no time. alex jotted julie's phone number down onto the notepad next to the laptop, then straightened up just as the assitant sat back down in her seat. she stared at the screen with wide eyes, watching julie and the phantoms perform their song from two days ago.
"tasha!" frank wolfe covered his end of the phone, his face still cherry red as a voice came through the other line. "get me cj, tell him i need a band to open in three hours."
"sure, but you might wanna check this out." she waved him over, in awe of the band on her computer.
"what?" he said into the phone, "i'll call you back." he carelessly tossed the receiver down on the desk, and it clattered to the ground loudly, the noise making char flinch again. frank made his way over to tasha's desk, his face slowly starting to go back to a normal shade.
"somehow this video started playing on my laptop. it's got half a million hits in just two days."
charlotte stood on her tiptoes, peering over reggie and luke's shoulders. she looped her arms around their necks to hoist herself up, her toes barely touching the ground. both boys subconsciously wrapped their arms around her waist, lifting her up a bit higher so she could see.
the promoter stared at the screen in wonder, mesmerized by julie's gorgeous voice. "who are they?"
"they're a hologram band. they call themselves," she glanced to the screen and read off the title, "julie and the phantoms."
"tell your friends." reggie added, smirking.
"where are they located?" frank peered closer at the screen, watching luke and julie do their little duet.
"our very own city of angels." tasha smiled.
he threw his arms out excitedly. "book 'em!"
"yes!" the four ghosts cheered, looking at each other with wide smiles. char let herself down from the boys' shoulders, and luke pulled his arm away, leaving her and reggie pressed together, too focused on the scene unfolding in front of them to blush or be nervous.
"sure," she looked back to her computer, about to search for a contact, "i just don't know how to..." her eyes landed on the yellow legal pad next to her, listing julie's phone number in alex's neat script.
"your handwriting is better than mine." luke remarked, impressed with alex's tiny, neat printing.
char nodded, giggling. "definitely."
"yeah." alex agreed. he high fived char behind reggie's head.
"come on, guys. we gotta tell julie." reggie gathered them closer, and they all popped out of frank wolfe's office.
the four reappeared inside julie's studio to find the girl pacing back and forth in front of the couch. there was so much nervous energy radiating off of her that char almost panicked just looking at her. she turned and gasped at the sight of them, then threw her hands up and started firing off questions.
"oh my gosh! what took you guys so long? did willie and char do it? did you talk to the promoter? did they watch the video, did they like us? are we playing tonight? can someone answer me? why is no one saying anything?" she gasped for a breath, waving her arms around wildly. "guys!"
they just stared at her for a second, trying to process everything she'd just said. it took them a while until one of them finally said something.
"whoa, that's a lot of questions!" reggie held up his hands defensively, then nodded to his right. "luke, char, you wanna take this one?"
"take a seat." luke motioned to the couch behind her, and julie sat down, slowly letting out a breath. she tucked her hair behind her ears and smiled expectantly. luke knelt down, and the other three followed, crowding around the little coffee table that held several of julie's coffee mugs, the sunset curve songwriting notebook, and a lot of issues of teen vogue.
"it's fine, everything's fine." luke assured julie.
"willie and i took care of the band that was supposed open tonight." charlotte added with a grin, motioning to the downslide bomber jacket she still wore.
"wait, wait, woah, what do you mean took care of?" julie's eyes went wide.
charlotte laughed. "i mean we drove their disgusting bus into the middle of the desert." she explained. "calm down, jules, i'm not a murderer."
"but the important thing is that there's an opening spot at the orpheum tonight." reggie said, and finger-gunned towards julie with a click of his tongue.
"yeah," alex grinned, barely able to contain his excitement, "you should be getting a call right...now!"
all four of them pointed to julie's phone, but the screen stayed dark. she cleared her throat and tucked her hair behind her ears, looking at them expectantly.
"let's try that one again, bud." charlotte giggled at alex.
the blond blinked and leaned back, nodding. "okay, yeah, right...now!" he pointed again, and this time, julie's screen lit up as the phone started to ring.
"nailed it." alex fist bumped char. julie stared at the phone in shock, until her three bandmates urged her to pick up rather aggressively.
julie held her arms out to quiet them, then answered the call. "hello?"
"hi, this is tasha from the orpheum in hollywood."
all five teenagers freaked out, and reggie swept char up in his arms, spinning her around as they whooped and cheered.
"is this julie of julie and the phantoms?"
julie waved her arms to shush them, and they all froze. char was still in reggie's arms, and alex was standing on a chair, about to throw a pillow across the room.
julie bent down to pick up her phone and cleared her throat. "yes, it is!"
their celebration resumed. char jumped onto the coffee table, spinning in circles as she yelled and danced around. reggie and luke held out their arms, and alex jumped into them, flying over the boys' heads in a lift that charlotte recognized from dirty dancing.
"are you available to open for us tonight?"
julie joined char on the coffee table, a look of pure joy on her face. "yeah, totally!"
"okay!"
"thank you so much!"
"we will see you then, julie!"
"we're doing it!" julie tossed her phone to the couch and threw her arms out, almost knocking char off of the table. "we're playing the orpheum, baby!"
"i'm swimming!" alex giggled like a little kid, flailing his arms around in the air as luke and reggie spun him around above their heads.
• • •
when julie left for her family dinner, the four ghosts that resided in her studio got down to their own business. charlotte filled a watering can with the hose on the side of the house. as she busied herself with watering all the flowers and plants that lined the molina driveway, alex, reggie, and luke gathered around the grand piano to figure out their set list for the coming night.luke twirled a sharpie in his hand. on a sheet of notebook paper in front of him, all the songs the band had written with julie were listed. after staring at the songs and making a hundred different versions of the set list in his mind, luke uncapped the marker and circled a song at the very top over and over. he tapped the marker against the paper a few times, locking in his decision.
"julie and i were thinking we'd start with stand tall." he said, looking up to his bandmates with a grin on his face.
"perfect." alex pushed himself up off the table and forced a smile.
"sounds good."
reggie was significantly less excited than luke, his eyes cast down at the floor while he fiddled with the rings on his fingers. the gravity of their situation was obviously just hitting him, and he didn't know how to handle it. there was such wide range of feelings mixed up inside him that he honestly didn't know whether he wanted to laugh or cry.
"sounds good?" luke repeated, his voice laced with disbelief as he tossed his sharpie onto the piano. "dude, wake up! i wanna hear that it sounds awesome!" his voice rose as he bounced forward on the balls of his feet. "i know this isn't how we wanted things to turn out, but we gotta be all in tonight. this is our second chance at playing the orpheum!" he said earnestly, gesturing wildly around the room, desperately trying to get his friends as pumped as he was.
"i-i get it, i get it, but it's hard." reggie said quietly. "i...do we even know what's on the other side when we cross over? do we all still get to hang together? you..." he looked down at his hands, "you guys are the only family i have."
reggie glanced out the ajar studio doors to the girl outside. she was dutifully watering the marigolds by the front door, a soft smile on her face as she hummed a little tune. he couldn't bear the thought of having to leave her behind. she was the one who made him feel like he was playing to a sold out crowd just by hearing her laugh. to him, she was the definition of happiness. he couldn't leave that behind. he couldn't let her go. this one month wasn't enough for him. he wanted an eternity.
"and, i mean..." a few tears welled in the bottoms of his eyes, "char. i don't-i promised her i'd never leave. i can't-i can't do this to her."
luke licked his lips, unsure of what to say. "char's tough, dude. she'll be okay."
"but she shouldn't have to be, that's the whole thing. i don't want her to have to toughen up and take every stupid little thing the afterlife throws at her." reggie ran his hands through his hair, still looking out the door at her. "i just want her to be happy. i want us to be happy."
charlotte looked back at the three around the piano. her lips quirked into a soft smile when she met reggie's saddened eyes, then went back to dutifully watering the marigolds in front of her. they seemed to beam up at her, little suns on the ground that lit up in the daylight. back inside the studio, alex wiped a tear from his eye after listening to reggie's beautiful sentiment. though he couldn't know for sure, alex thought that those words might've been exactly what reggie wanted to say.
"i mean, yeah. i don't know what's gonna happen either, reg, but..." he shrugged, "it's not like we really have a choice."
a pop echoed through the studio, and char reappeared in the little greenhouse area, still holding her watering can. she sighed, and started to give the plants that basked in the sunlight a drink,
"how goes it, rockstars?" she turned her head and smiled at the three boys.
luke turned to her, putting his easygoing grin back on his face. "we're-"
he was cut off by a bright purple light that rocked the ghostly bodies of all three. their yells were louder than they'd ever been before as they doubled over in pain. the electricity could be felt faintly in the air, like the sky before a thunderstorm.
reggie slowly lifted his head, rubbing at his wrist. his breathing was labored and shaky as he spoke.
"i'm pretty sure we do have a choice." he said to alex. "and it rhymes with the hollywood ghost club."
charlotte frowned and set her watering can down, then leaned against one of the shelves in the greenhouse as she watched them recover from the jolt.
there was a little knock against the studio doors, and julie came in, a look of breathless excitement on her face. julie, much like her ghostly bandmates, had been dreaming of this day for years. it hadn't been quite as long as the sunset curve boys, but still. she always remembered her mother telling her of how she used to work at the orpheum. she remembered the stories of the bands that came in to play, and the dreamy, nostalgic smile her mom would get when she recalled all the free concerts she got to see as a waitress. her mom would always tell her that she was born to perform, that she was born to play on that very stage. and now, thanks to her mom, a bunch of hot dog loving boys, and a ghost girl from the 90's, she was finally doing it. julie was finally living out her mom's dream- and her own.
she smiled brightly. "are you guys ready?"
the worn-down members of julie and the phantoms turned, still clutching their sides and breathing heavily. julie's face fell, her smile replaced by a look of pure concern. after hearing what could be their fate if they didn't cross over, she couldn't push the thoughts of her band, her friends disappearing from her mind.
"w-what's wrong?" she stopped in her tracks, fidgeting with the garment bag she held in front of her. she rocked back and forth on her heels.
"yeah, we're fine." alex reassured her as he rubbed at his chest, walking forward to meet her. "we just got rocked pretty hard by one of those jolt things."
"pretty sure i ghost-peed a little." reggie muttered. charlotte held back a laugh and hopped up to sit on a window ledge near the greenhouse while the boys went to join their lead singer.
"but we're fine." luke repeated, holding out his hands.
"how are you, feeling, jules?" char called to her. "i'd be so excited, if i were you."
"actually, guys, i'm a little nervous." julie said honestly, then turned to her lead guitarist, her cheeks turning a little rosy when his gaze fell on her. "luke, can i talk to you for a second?"
a grin lit up his features, and he gave a slight nod. "yeah."
charlotte met alex and reggie's eyes and tilted her head to beckon them over. alex tapped reggie's arm and guided him over to where charlotte sat on her ledge, leaving luke and julie alone.
"what's up?" the bassist asked.
"we have to give the star crossed lovers their space, don't we?" she put a smile on, and lightly kicked his side. "you guys excited for tonight?"
alex nodded. "yeah. i think so."
reggie, like before, was less optimistic. the only thoughts on his mind were those of what he was inevitably losing tonight. it was all he'd thought about all day. it seemed like, before willie and char left in the morning, none of what was happening was real. but as the moment drew closer and closer, it became harder and harder to ignore. reggie couldn't focus on being on happy when he was losing his reason to be happy.
"i guess so. kind of." he shrugged.
"come on, reggie." she kept the smile on, "you're playing the orpheum. that's something to get pumped about." she nudged him again with her foot, trying desperately to get him to smile.
"we're just..." alex sighed, sharing in his friend's sadness for a moment. "we're really gonna miss you, char. a lot."
"don't say that." she shook her head, shushing him. "i don't want to think about it right now."the truth was, she couldn't think about losing them without bursting into tears. half the time she was outside watering the plants was spent fighting back tears that seemed to take up a permanent residence in her eyes. they were like family. charlotte had already lost one family. she didn't know if her heart could handle losing another.
luke interrupted her unwanted thoughts as julie and he came away from the doors. "guys, band circle."
alex and reggie started back towards them as charlotte slid off of the ledge and picked up her watering can again. reggie stopped, glancing back to her, and then over to luke. the lead guitarist gave him a small nod, then rolled his eyes, grinning. "yo, char."
"what?" she glanced over her shoulder.
"this means you, too." he cocked his head to the side and motioned for her to come over.
a smile spread across her face, and she rushed over to join them. she took the space in between alex and reggie and squeezed their hands tightly.
"we don't know what brought us here, but what we do know is that you're a star, julie." luke started, chuckling. "and just because this is our last night together, doesn't mean we won't be watching you from above...or..." he clicked his tongue and glanced down to the floor. when he looked up, he met charlotte's eyes and grinned. "char, you're really mean to me sometimes," he paused, laughing with the rest of them, "and you might not be a curvie-"
"which i still don't buy." reggie laughed.
"me neither." luke agreed, raising his eyebrow at char. "but, char, honestly, this band wouldn't have survived without you." he sighed. "take good care of julie for us, okay?"
"i'll keep her out of trouble." she smiled. "or maybe get her into some."
"oh, sure." julie laughed. "maybe i'll become a delinquent like you four."
"we prefer rebels without causes." char corrected, smiling.
"totally." luke nodded in approval. "now, let's go rock this show. let's give 'em a night they'll be talking about 'til the sun comes up, okay?" he stuck his hand into the center of the circle. "legends on three."
"one." alex followed, placing his hand on top of luke's.
"two." reggie and char said it together and put their hands in.
"three." julie finished.
"legends!" they all threw their hands high in the air, laughing.
a horn honked from the molina driveway, signaling that julie's chariot awaited her. the lifer backed away from her ghosts, a wide smile on her face. "that's my dad. he's driving me there, so i'll see you guys soon."
she walked back through the band circle, and before grabbing the bag with her dress inside, she took one last look at them. julie smiled, her eyes clouded with happy tears. she nodded at them.as soon as julie left, someone else came into the studio, clapping his hands slowly and dramatically.
"have a good show, boy band!" carlos said, staring straight at the only not-boy band ghost in the room
luke squinted at him, bending down to place his hands on his knees. "who you calling boy band?" he challenged the little molina, whose name was called almost immediately by ray.
carlos walked away, but not before making the "i'm watching you" signal and pointing it straight at charlotte. she burst out laughing at the little boy. "that's one funny kid."
"how did he find out about us?" reggie asked incredulously.
alex rolled his eyes sarcastically. "i don't know, reg. maybe it was the blinds! or, you know what, the blankets!" he looked straight at charlotte. "it could've been any number of things you two-" he pointed to her and reggie- "did in that house."
"it doesn't matter, you guys." luke threw his arm around reggie's shoulder. he took a look around the studio, up at the floating chairs and the spotless loft, the magnificent grand piano and the lively greenhouse. "we're not coming back here anyways."
charlotte squeezed reggie's hand tightly and leaned into him. she looked up to the loft above, wondering if he'd ever spend another accidental night up there with her. as she thought, reggie absentmindedly pressed a light kiss to the side of her forehead and slipped his arm around her waist. luke snickered at the two of them, and without missing a beat, char reached over and flicked his forehead.
they were yet again interrupted, this time by a voice that came from the other side of the studio.
charlotte's face immediately changed, from one of contentment just being by reggie's side to look of pure fear. she quickly masked it and let go of the bassist's hand, cracking her knuckles, ready for a fight.
caleb covington sat on top of the grand piano, wearing his signature sinister grin and a black velvet top hat to match. he absolutely reeked of class, etiquette, and the great gatsby vibe he had going on at the hollywood ghost club. he crossed his legs and leaned back on his hands, those eyes flitting over the four teenaged ghosts in front of him. a strange feeling hung in the air as he eyed them, like when a minor chord goes unresolved or a melody never finishes.
"what a sweet picture." he cooed mockingly, and stuck his bottom lip out. "you're not coming back here, huh?"
they didn't answer him, unsure of where he was going with this, or even why he was there. charlotte moved forward the tiniest bit, putting herself between caleb and the boys.
"and where is it that you think you're going?" he asked, cocking an eyebrow at the four.
"what are you doing here?" char grit her teeth, stepping forward to face him and leaving reggie behind her. she held her hand out, as if telling him to stay back. "you shouldn't be here, i thought we had-"
"such hostility!" he gasped and put a hand to his chest. "i'm just here to congratulate the boys on their big night!" he looked to luke, alex, and reggie and gave them an impressed smile. "not everyone gets to play the orpheum."
"no, no, okay, we know it's your stamp that's hurting us." luke pulled up his sleeve, anger coursing through him as he stepped up to meet charlotte. the two could've been brother and sister with the matching glares in their eyes and their defensive stances. they stared down the magician together, finding solidarity in each other.
caleb hummed.
"we already told you, we have a band. we don't wanna join your little club." he spat.
"yeah, and-and you can't make us, either." alex added from behind, but immediately recoiled under caleb's threatening gaze. "sir."
char glanced back at reggie, noticing the scared look in his eyes, and decided that it was she that would have to go to war for him. through the years of listening to his parents fight, reggie learned not to get involved in arguments. he learned not to challenge adults, not to respond or show anything when they yelled at him. alex tried to be brave. he always tried, but this time, he folded under the pressure, and honestly, char didn't blame him at all. caleb covington was terrifying. he was a force of nature, a force to be reckoned with, and anyone who wanted to fight him had to have the will to do it. luke, however scared he may have been, fought for his friends, no matter what. he always had, and he always would. he fought to get them gigs, he fought the bigots at school who picked on alex, and he even stood up to reggie's dad once. fear would never, ever get the best of luke patterson. this time, it was char who needed him, too. and so, sunset curve's natural leader was the only one who would-the only one who could- go to battle with her.
charlotte stepped even closer to him, her eyes icy cold and her face steely. "you filthy little liar. we had a-"
she was cut off by luke tugging on her arm. he was brave, but he wasn't stupid. charlotte walked that line just a little too closely
"right!" caleb ignored her yet again, choosing instead to focus on what alex had just said to him. "you're crossing over tonight, so exciting!" he feigned a gasp, then frowned. "funny thing about the crossover, though..." he clicked his tongue, "no one really knows what's waiting on the other side."
he grinned at them, a familiar glint in his eye. "but i know what's happening on this side."
they glanced at each other, yet again unsure of what caleb's cryptic sayings really meant.
"and, oh, charlotte." caleb turned to her. "if i were you, i'd be careful how you speak to me. next time, choose your words more carefully, or there won't be a next time after that." he narrowed his eyes. "got it?"
charlotte didn't give him the satisfaction of a response. instead, she ran her tongue across her teeth slowly, never breaking the stare their eyes held.
caleb chuckled at her silence. "i'll see you soon." he kissed the tips of his fingers, then blew towards them, the air coming out of his mouth more like smoke.
reggie gripped char's hand as tight as he could as the strange wind engulfed and knocked them over, then sucked them up into space. he could feel char's hand slipping away from his. he tried to yell for her, and grabbed wildly at nothing to try and get a hold of her again, but it was no use. she had already slipped away from him. it was like he was lost in space, yelling and yelling with no sound coming out of his mouth, wildly flailing, though it felt like he was stuck in a kind of time warp.
char knew the feeling- falling through a vast expanse of nothing, flailing, just waiting to land with her feet on the ground. she'd felt it before, right before landing on sunset boulevard all those weeks ago. it was a strange feeling, one of deja vu and one of total terror. she had a nagging feeling that she knew exactly where she was going to end up, and she didn't like it. but, there was nothing she could do now.
all she could do was wait to fall into caleb covington's own personal circle of hell.
• • • • • • •
word count: 8638
i have been EDITING THIS for SIX DAYS!!!!
i'm lowkey very proud of this chapter tbh she took forever but she's good
willex willex willex willex willex
i feel like i should give char and reggie a ship name so comment ideas cuz my brain doesn't work
also! i made 3 more jatp playlists: carrie, julie, and lalex. so those are in the link in my bio go check em out
carrie's is full of nonstop bops i'm listening to it rn
anywayssss hope you enjoyed
love ya b💖✨