✔️𝐦 𝐚 𝐠 𝐧 𝐨 𝐥 𝐢 𝐚 - ||𝐥𝐮𝐤𝐞 𝐩𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐨𝐧||

𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐰𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐲 : 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞

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hello gorgeous, how you doin'?

tw: mentions of death, blood, detail of willie's accident and later death, possible mentions of PTSD, anxiety/panic attack, swearing/cursing

please read at your own risk, angels! (and please let me know if i missed any)

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𝗹𝘂𝗸𝗲 𝗽𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗻'𝘀 𝗽𝗼𝘃

How can you admit that the one person, someone you'd least expect, that you feel for them more than what meets the eye? How do you tell her that you think about her more than anything, that she leaves your senses numb and stutters slipping from your lips in an unorganized pattern? That she reminds you of Heaven without even touching her lips, that the stars in her eyes shined brighter in a manner that left him breathless.

She reminded him of an angel, beauty and elegance pouring from her soul and into the cruel and confusing world around them. Her smiles innocent and full, pure sunlight falling from them as hell rained down on her. He adored her, how she was the calm to his storm, the moon to his sun. She was Magnolia to Luke, she never had to scream to grab his attention.

Magnolia Grace had that effect on him every time she walked into the room, yet all Luke wanted to do was gaze at her like the Earth to the clouds, the soil beneath his feet to the stars light years away. He wanted to tell her that she reminded him of the morning sun and the plethora of colours that grew in the sky. He hated how close she felt, but remained far away.

How would you put the emotion of never wanting her in harm's way into words, that she's Heaven-sent and his eyes would always find her's in a crowd. He looked at her as if she was made of starlight and poetry, every laugh and smile directed his way made his dead heart beat ten-fold. Every touch lit a spark within him, unable to find himself without her making some joke or innocent embrace that made his skin feel as though he was on fire.

How would you put that into words? To admit an emotion that felt overwhelming yet exhilarating. How do you tell Magnolia Grace, the dancer with the spunk and attitude that complimented his own, that he felt something unplatonic between them.

He felt something beyond friendly between their lingering touches and longing gazes, catching each other's eyes over anybody else's. That he could right her sonnets, poems and endless songs about her smile alone.

He wondered if she felt it, too. If she stared at him the way he looked at her, or that she felt that abnormal rhythm in her chest as he intertwined their fingers, holding each other closer than he would with anybody else.

Luke Patterson knew that Magnolia Grace wasn't just his friend, rather someone that meant the absolute world to him.

Luke Patterson had been waiting for Magnolia for the past fifteen minutes, sitting on the sidewalk for the Japanese girl to pop up somewhere so he could walk her inside. Julie and Flynn had left the four ghosts alone for the night, tucking themselves away into the Molina house for whatever plans they had for the following day, the Molina girl throwing him a wink after hearing he was looking for the spirit.

He picked at a dandelion that blossomed through the cracks of the pavement, pulling it out of the ground and plainly stared at the puffball as he bounced his leg, every now-and-then looking up in hopes to find her.

Alex had tracked down Luke after he had attempted looking for Magnolia, convincing him to play some basketball with him and Reggie while they waited for her. The brunet begrudgingly agreed, letting the drummer drag him away from the side of the road and back into the driveway, the bassist holding a hand-sized basketball in his hands. He waved happily at the pair before challenging them to a game of 1v1v1, hoping Magnolia would come back to have an even team.

The brunet was quite competitive in games like this one, not really into board games like Reggie and Maggie were into, but still willing to try. He didn't understand the strategies or complexities to board games, rather into games and bets that brightened his spirit. Like, who could run across the street the fastest, or who could go the longest without sleep.

It alarmed Alex, himself and Bobby how fast Reggie could down a can of Red Bull and recite the summary of Hamlet by heart. It also scared them how the Peters boy could recite the entire Home Alone script without missing a beat, his sleep-deprived self made him quite cranky, so they ended the bet before they could go a fourth night.

The night was young, the moon hanging above their heads as it rained its heavenly light on the three ghosts down on Earth, their free spirits rioting the Molina driveway as hollars of victories escaped their mouths, a sound of a thud coming from Carlos' basketball hoop. The space was cleared the moment people began to leave, Carlos and Ray Molina cleaning up the mess of paper decorations, saving their video footage and pushing Mrs. Molina's piano back into the studio.

They wanted to celebrate, something more extravagant than throwing a small ass basketball into a kiddy hoop that hung a foot above them. Their performance tonight felt electrifying, as if the planets were aligned the moment they sang together as a band. It didn't feel right to use that word, especially when the overbearing feeling of being struck by lightning coursed through the deceased members of Sunset Curve's bodies, an electric hammer being slammed into their ribs.

The three fell to the ground with a groan, clutching their stomachs tightly at the excruciating pain that seemed to worsen over time. They couldn't move from their bodies, their muscles tightening underneath their clothes as they gasped for air.

"Why is this happening to us?" Reggie gasped, sitting up as he clawed at the white shirt underneath his leather jacket, swallowing his own saliva as he looked back at his best friends. Both Luke and Alex were gasping for air, finding them in the same position he was in, the two on the ground with their chest heaving, wheezing with every breath they made.

Nobody had an answer for him, all standing up to heave to their knees, trying to concentrate on their own breathing as the pain that weakened them weighed on their chests. They had barely noticed, the skater approaching them with an unsure look on his face. He held his arm, gazing at the blond from afar before building up his own courage, staring at the three struggling ghosts with saddened eyes.

"It's because you guys are in serious trouble." Willie introduced himself, a shamed glint in his eyes as the boys straightened up, both Reggie's and Luke's eyes flickering between the long-haired skater and Alex. Willie's dark-eyes stared into the drummer's electrifying blue-ones, his own guilty conscience eating away at his soul the longer he stared into the pools he missed swimming in. He fell in love, something that was quite rare for the hidden world of the dead, especially since time in itself was tricky.

Willie hated it, how he felt as though he led Alex to Caleb, to let him get in harm's way when he had the slightest bit of the upper hand. He hated the genuine hope behind the blond's eyes as he took cautious steps towards him, staring at him as if he were a dream. The words that he let slipped from his lips when they had last met stung, a genuine pain to separate himself from the blond.

He wanted to be there, holding his hand as if times were simpler, but he just... couldn't.

Before anyone could let a single word out, the spirit phased through the front gate easily, using the heel of her palm to wipe her eyes. She sniffled quietly, barely noticing the four ghosts staring back at her as she angrily rubbed at her eyes.

Luke's eyes softened, recognizing the saddened look behind her eyes as she looked up to meet their gazes, unable to identify the fourth male from the dim light the moon had casted over them. He wanted to wrap her in his arms, tell her that everything was going to be okay like she had done to him a million times over, but he knew that Magnolia was quite prickly when it came to her personal life.

So, he'd wait... no matter how long it took.

Magnolia paused her own mental breakdown, awkwardly waving at their piercing gazes with forced smile. She kicked over a pebble as she made her way down the stone steps, towards her group of friends--with their plus one--as they watched her skip down the staircase, her eyes darting over to the mysterious male, hiding amongst the shadows as he remained rooted to his spot.

Willie's lips parted at the sight of her, the ballet dancer he had grown to care for was out of her bloodied costume, the same scar that marked her left temple. It reminded him of Harry Potter, but he knew the scar was on the wrong side, but it didn't stop him from flicking at her forehead when she had those no-brainer moments. He trusted Magnolia with his life and nobody in the world could change that, not even Caleb Covington and his persistent theatrics.

Leaving his only friend behind made him feel like shit, especially since she had put so much of her own trust in him. He hated how easily he could tell the truth to her, how he kept his own skeletons in the closet when she told him her own, especially when it came to her biological father. They were the coziest peas-in-a-pod, living mundane lives while he picked her up from the hospital to drag her out around Los Feliz.

There were days where they played Robin Hood, taking from the rich and giving to the poor, rather letting troublemakers like themselves stay under the radar of those with authority. They both seemed to have that problem, which was probably way they had stuck together for so long, but unfortunately for the duo, all good things come to an end, eventually.

"Who's your friend?" Magnolia quizzed, pointing at the tall male that lurked in the shadows, his dark-eyes watching her figure as she descended down the stairs. Her question was directed at the boys, the three flickering their eyes from herself to the man in the dark as a frown settled onto her lips at their unanimous vow of silence. They had half-expected her to say something, especially with her vague past with Willie, to know if the skater was on their side. "Are you guys okay-"

Everybody's eyes had widened in surprise, immediately rushing to the Asian girl's side as her foot managed to catch onto the surface of Carlos' skateboard, underestimating the stable surface. She yelped in surprise, going as far as a few inches before toppling off the board completely, landing on her back and arms with a painful groan erupting from her throat. Her head thudded lightly against the concrete floor beneath her, a feeling of déjà vu hitting her like a ton of bricks.

Her tawny-eyes found their way to the stars, the impact literally taking her breath away. Her honey-glazed irises fondly traced every constellation in sight, the moonlight creating a shine behind them as her mind busied with the mind-numbing pain of her own accident. It felt as though it were happening all over again, her own blood pooling from her head as the stars that reflected galaxies in her eyes and her bangs spread out on her forehead, the spotlights that once rained down on her in streams were replaced with starlight.

The only difference this time was that she was able to choose where she laid, to stare up at the stars and watch blinking satellites follow the world's atmosphere. That, and the four boys that looked down at her with worry glazing in their eyes, asking her if she was alright, or commenting how graceful her fall looked.

She hoped she fell like a badass.

"My back." Magnolia groaned, reminded of the pain in her lower back as the four boys tried to reach out and grab her arms to haul her back upright. She whined as her hand rubbed her tailbone as she glared at the skateboard merely a few feet away from where she laid. Luke helped her sit upwards, but her eyes skipped over the trio and onto the long-haired skater, his face shadowed by the harsh moonlight that casted it. The spirit blinked, her eyes widening in surprise as she eyed the other ghost. "Jesus?"

Luke's lips curled into a smirk of amusement as Alex stifled a laugh, using his knuckles to hide the smile on his face. Reggie cackled at her response to seeing the mixed-ethnicity boy, dramatically wiping a tear from his eye as he teetered to-and-fro with his hands on his knees. Their hands dropped to their sides as soon as they realized the Japanese girl wasn't in any real pain, practically indestructible in her ghostly form, crookedly smiling as Magnolia sat up with her eyes bugged out of her head.

Willie snorted at her retort from the simple glance she had thrown his way, squatting down to meet her level with a cheesy grin on his face as he extended his hand for her to take. Her lips parted as she stared at the mixed-ethnicity boy in slight disbelief, eyeing him as if he were some sort of illusion or trickery set out before her very own eyes.

"Still dorky as ever, Magnolia." Willie retorted, flicking the center of her own forehead, making her flinch as she immediately rubbed at the spot with a massive grin growing on her face. Her fingers cautiously neared his face, nearly smacking him hard enough to lose his balance as she squeezed both of his cheeks in one hand, testing his name off of her tongue.

As soon as the skater had given her a nod of confirmation, a bloodcurdling squeal left the Japanese girl's lips and scrambled upwards to launch herself at him, wrapping her arms around his neck. Willie cackled, falling onto his bottom as the spirit rambled on about how much she's missed him, attempting to tell him everything that had happened in one breath. It was as if he were bombarded by a small dog, her groans of pain replaced with excited chatter.

He honestly forgot how much Magnolia liked to talk, sputtering random thoughts and plethoras of stories. It was nice to have someone occupying that empty space, especially since he was quite reserved himself when it came to his own thoughts.

"I missed you, too." Willie claimed with a chortled laugh, ruffling her hair the way he would a dog's, making her scowl and slap his hand away. Magnolia attempted to press down the mess the skater had caused, playfully narrowing her eyes in his direction as her fingers worked on the knots.

The deceased members of Sunset Curve stood there speechless, watching to two interact as if their sophistication and cool flew out the window, leaving two dorks with a shared IQ. It was endearing, really, like watching two puppies being put into a playpen together after being separated for an unreasonable amount of time. The three blinked, Alex and Luke's lips parting slightly as realization hit them like bricks, both attractive Asian--and half-Asian--descents were a lot like each other than most would recognize.

They used the same lingo, their words loose and tone relaxed as they spoke, one talking with a bloom of confidence and the other adding to the conversation with facts he had learned over the years. Their mannerisms were quite the same, the Japanese girl adding more gracefulness as the skater added a daring complex to their duo, the perfect mix of chaos. It was as if they were the same person, separated into two different bodies.

"Is this my sweater?" Magnolia paused her tangents, picking at the sleeve of Willie's sweater, the cropped top cut to expose his stomach with the colours similar to one's of an arcade floor. She stared at it for a minute before looking back at him with her eyebrows cinched together, making Willie mimic her face. After months of being separated from one another, that's what she had to say to him. "You are real, right?"

A mischievous smile grew on the mixed-ethnicity boy's face as he eagerly hopped back into his feet, holding his hand out for the girl to take. There was one way to know how much the two valued each other's friendship, a chain of events that tied the relationship into a pretty bow, the action needed to exert a phenomenon of energy and enthusiasm. It took practice to get where they needed, and tonight was the night where they would put that to the test.

"Only one way to find out." Willie offered, a grin on his handsome features as he challenged her to back out. Magnolia narrowed her eyes at his hand, raising a perfectly arched brow at his unspoken dare, making the skater roll his eyes at her. "C'mon, Nolia. Trust me."

Luke nudged Alex lightly, as if to silently ask what was going on as Willie hoisted the Japanese girl onto her feet, the two rubbing their hands eagerly as they got into position, both standing right in from of each other. All Alex could do was shrug and watch in amusement as Magnolia crouched, Willie doing the same before the two slapped hands, going off slowly as they mimicked the other's movements in an exaggerated and elaborate manner.

The three blinked, slightly impressed by their coordination as their super secret and unbelievably ridiculous handshake picked up more handshakes, Reggie's head nearly boggling out of his head as he watched both Asian descent interpret a patty-cake clap into it before going back to slapping forearms and lacing their fingers together into a wave.

"Okay, Jafar." Magnolia retorted teasingly, the ending the drastically long and overcomplicated handshake with a dorky fistbump, mimicking an explosion with their hands as they created their own sound effects for the final gesture. The duo were left grinning, quiet giggles leaving their lips, joy radiating off of them as it was the first time they had completed their sacred handshake without any mistakes.

"Wasn't that Aladdin?" Willie tested, his eyebrows cinched together as he repeated his own reference in his head before turning back to the Japanese girl next to him. She simply shrugged, looked him up-and-down as if to silently judge his own reference by his appearance. He was used to it, of course, knowing she never really judged him.

Well, unless it came down to his socks. Magnolia hated his bacon-printed socks.

"You just look like a Jafar boy." Magnolia decided, humming at his long hair before bringing her attention back onto the Sunset Curve boys, their lips parted as the duo interacted, unable to find the words to truly understand their deeply-rooted friendship. Willie blushed under their gazes, getting caught up in their little reunion to include the others in.

He never was one to be put into the spotlight, maybe in big groups, but never to be caught in the attention of others. He shied away from their amused and confused gazes with a timid smile, jutting his thumb to the front door. He knew he couldn't stay in one place for too long, it's be easier for him to find him, to find her.

"There's... There's a lot we need to talk about." Willie confessed with a shy scratch to the back of his head. Magnolia hummed in agreement, looking between the two parties eagerly to see if they liked Willie, too, but their reactions were quite mixed in opinions. Alex was eager to see him--even if he had dismissed him the last time he had met, one saying things a lot harsher than they intended to be--as Reggie seemed to vary both parties as well.

Luke, on the other hand, wasn't such a big fan of the skater as he was when visiting the Hollywood Ghost Club. He knew something was wrong, especially since his best friend was fussing over him earlier today, quoting how Willie had wished the two hadn't met. He knew it, then, when Willie had dismissed the idea of Magnolia as a whole, only to learn from the girl herself that the two knew each other.

He thought they'd be acquainted, or something, not exactly expecting the two to be joined by the hip. He couldn't put his finger on why, but he didn't like it.

"You're telling me." Luke grumbled, his eyes narrowing at the pair with a slight pout on his lips, his arms crossed over his chest as his eyes flickered from Magnolia to Willie. It was as if he were expecting them to let out some big secret, but there wasn't much of a secret to unfold as the two were practically best friends, goofing off just as much as Luke did with Alex and Reggie.

"I forgot that you guys know each other." Alex cut in, drawing Willie's attention back onto him that made the blond brighten up immediately, wanting to clear up this afternoon's meeting to truly understand what was going through the skater's head, still holding that compassion for him. "So, what... what do we need to talk about?"

Willie felt ashamed of himself, as if looking into the eyes of the Mercer boy would reveal the truth within his soul, making him want to hide and skate away as far as possible. He didn't think he could bare the thought of the disappointed look in Alex's eyes, not the same way he had seen them earlier today. He couldn't bare the thought of Alex hating him, calling him deceitful and cruel when he knew he had no choice in what Caleb wanted.

He couldn't bare the thought of Alex dying wither, to die without knowing where he stood and how to prevent the inevitable of having to sign your soul over to the Devil, himself; Caleb freaking Covington.

"C'mon, Wendy Wu. Let's get this show on the road." Willie offered, jutted his head to the door once more, turning on his heel as his eyes left the Mercer boy's blue-ones, leaving her ridiculous nickname to linger in the air. The Japanese girl furrowed in confusion, her eyes darting between the two males in slight confliction. On one hand, she wanted to stay with Alex, the other wanted to go and ridicule Willie for his behaviour. The Peters boy gestured for her to get some answers from the retreating male with his eyes, him and Luke taking care of the deflated blond.

He meekly smiled at her, making her frown.

"Lead the way, Sasquatch." Magnolia commanded, noting how Willie ignored the blond promptly before furrowing her eyebrows in confusion. She had remembered how highly Alex had talked about him, a shy blush and unknowing smile coming onto his face as soon as the skater was brought up. She could only assume Willie felt the same way, judging by the longing look in his eyes as the drummer and himself gazed into each other's eyes. It was disgustingly adorable. "Are you and Alex fighting?"

Magnolia grabbed his bicep to catch up with him, Willie's eyes staring ahead casually as if to keep himself from mouthing the truth to the Japanese girl by his side. He knew he was absolute shit at lying, especially when it came to Magnolia whenever she noticed something wrong with her own brother. No matter how long they spent away from each other, his best friend could read him like a book.

From afar, Alex frowned at the sight of the skater, knowing Magnolia was getting mad at Willie for him, judging by the frustrated look on her face as she jabbed her finger into his chest. Luke and Reggie frowned, noting the saddened and longing look behind the blond's eyes as the skater barely made eye contact with him, flat out ignoring his presence altogether.

"That wasn't cool, Will. You have, like, the fattest crush on him. He likes you, you like him." Magnolia huffed, prodding her index into Willie's sternum, only to yelp when pressed to hard and hurt her own finger. She cradled her index finger, blowing air upwards to hit her bangs as Willie snickered. "It's not that big of a deal, I think you guys make a cute couple."

The long-haired skater's cheeks darkened against his tanned complexion at his best friend's nonchalant tone, shrugging simply as he turned to look at her with his lips parted. He sneakily peeked at the blond behind them, Alex being comforted by his bandmates.

"You have a crush on Luke!" Willie hissed out lowly, quickly glancing behind him again to find said Patterson boy curiously gazing at their back, only to harden as soon as his hazel eyes met Willie's dark ones. He quickly looked back at Japanese girl beside him, who was staring at the angry red lines on the tips of her fingers with a soft hum.

"Yes, thank you for stating what I already know. Do you want my thesis paper, too?" Magnolia stated without skipping a beat, a gleeful smile overcoming her features at the Patterson boy's name leaving her best friend's lips. She half-smirked to see the mixed-ethnicity boy's guffawed expression, slightly impressed by her bump in confidence that glowed around her.

"Look at you. You're a lot bolder than I remember." Willie commented with a grin, glad to see that the Japanese girl found herself confident in things other than dance. It was always his own personal challenge for the spirit to try something new, whether it was skateboarding--which she was not good at, she fell, like, twice and never wanted to do it ever again--or redressing mannequins at fancy boutiques to her own particular styles.

He waited four hours for her to finish dressing up the entire store at the dead of night, it was not a fun night. Especially, when the security system in Hermès went off after Magnolia managed to wrestle a slim tight bodice onto a mannequin.

"Dying will do that to you." Magnolia stated, her bright smile dimming into one that ghosted over her lips, making Willie's own fade at her words. She knew how observant Willie was, and how much of a literature nerd he was, and the moment the words had left her lips, he just knew. His lips parted in surprise, eyes holding remorse as she playfully hit his arm with a thin-lipped smile came onto her lips, punching him lightly on the shoulder. "C'mon, slowpokes! I wanna go see Chinatown!"

She turned around, the smile replaced with one wide and excited, poofing behind them to gently push them in the direction of the door. Willie could only watch his best friend round up her friends with encouraging words and nudges to get to her favourite hotspot in all of Los Angeles. If only they knew how much Chinatown meant to her, then maybe they would be a tad suspicious, too.

With an encouraging nod, Willie replaced his broken smile with a crooked grin, gesturing everyone out the door.

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Magnolia adored Chinatown, an entire neighbourhood dedicated to bringing Asian cultures to life and promoting their lifestyles onto tourists. She had always found it quite refreshing from the city skylines and boring tall towers of Los Angeles to the Pagoda-style buildings and red lanterns that draped over the city. They illuminated the streets of Downtown Los Angeles, the LED lights that decorated a few of the restaurants and boutiques would bring the world to life.

It was a place the Japanese girl cherished with all her heart, the peaks of truly understanding her culture a few blocks down Chinatown to Little Tokyo, a neighbourhood dedicated to Japanese culture. Nobody could express how happy young Magnolia was when her adoptive parents had first brought here there, wanting her to grow up with the Japanese influence. They couldn't take away that little girl's spark, her curiosity and crooked grin blossoming the more she visited.

It made her believe the world was beautiful, that her world was worth-living in. She wanted to feel that way again, to feel like little Magnolia and simply enjoy life with every ounce of innocence she had. She was afraid of dying, never getting to see the bright lights of Chinatown and being here with her favourite people in the entire world.

Before they left the Molina household, Magnolia had opted visiting the Central Plaza first, eager to see the lights come to life before midnight had struck, her arm wrapped around Luke's, her fingers tucked away from the chilly winds that threatened to nip at them into Luke's paid coat pocket, their fingers intertwining underneath the fabric. His thumb brushing over her knuckle in a soothing manner as her own traced the bone from knuckle to knuckle, her cheek pressed against his shoulder to rest as her face lit up like a Christmas tree, pointing to her favourite boutiques and hotspots of the neighborhood.

A welcoming blush of pink dusted across their cheeks, the autumn winds picking up all over California and brushing against their cheeks, the pair secretly sneaking glances at the other as they wandered the streets of Chinatown, Willie, Alex and Reggie a few feet away. Magnolia looked up at him, the same time Luke had back down at her, catching the other's gaze with soft smiles on their faces before hesitantly looking away in the opposite direction. Luke attempted to clear his throat, gripping onto her hand gently as she reciprocated his gentle embrace as shy smiles overtook their features.

Magnolia managed to catch Alex's sly wink, making her flush as her free hand reached to tuck a strand of her dark hair behind her ear. She'd hum the lyrics to an unknown song, one that perked up Luke's ears as he casted his eyes downwards at the girl, a soft smile falling onto his lips. He heard the soft thuds of a rhythm being built, Magnolia using her free hand to pat at the side of her thigh as her eyes flitted around the scene.

Her eyes casted over to the trio ahead of them, Reggie standing between Willie and Alex--per the skater's request of putting some distance, but didn't stop the sneaking glances between the two males--as the bassist highly spoke of Mystic Grill, a quaint little restaurant that they had passed three blocks ago. Magnolia half-listened to his rant, commenting every now-and-then to reassure him that someone was listening as her eyes darted between her best friends.

Alex looked as though he wanted to say something, but stopped himself as Willie looked away from him, letting his guilt eat him up. The blond didn't know exactly what to say, or why the skater was ignoring him and his attempts to have a civil conversation, but he saw how... upset Willie looked without him having to put it into words. He had initially thought he was upset with Magnolia and Luke, catching him glancing at the pair through the window, only to realize he was just avoiding him.

Fantastic.

"You know what we need? A song." Magnolia announced as she lifted her cheek off of Luke's shoulder, brightly smiling at the four other ghosts. Willie raised a brow at her attempt to lift their attitudes, the Chinatown neighbourhood oddly quiet, even with four usually rowdy ghosts together as their words and loud voices carried into the wind and falling upon deaf ears. She noticed the skater's expression, knowing he wasn't much of singer, himself, unlike the four band members he had acquainted himself with. "C'mon, please."

Willie raised an amused brow as he watched Magnolia retract from the boy's side for Luke summon his acoustic guitar from thin air, a smirk playing on the Patterson boy's face as he cooly played at the strings. Alex, too, pulled out his drumstick from the back of his pocket with a grin, eager to comply to the Japanese girl's request. Reggie plucked a few egg shakers from an open-cart, promising to put them back after when he had caught the Patterson boy's raised brow, raising his hands in mock defense.

The skater seemed to be the only one opposed to the idea.

"Weren't you crying fifteen minutes ago?" The mixed-ethnicity boy quizzed, feeling her yank on the end of her sweater with a couple of whines. She rolled her tawny-eyes at his lack of enthusiasm, bringing things up that happened ages ago, when she was happy right now and wanted to life everybody's mood from such a glum state.

"I was crying, but now, I'm smiling. See?" Magnolia insisted, using her free hand to point at her smile, showing off her pearly whites to the skater, making him shake her head at her. She huffed at his stubborn attitude, grinning to him as she nudged his arm with her elbow. "C'mon, I know you wanna."

"You're annoying." Willie stated, unfazed by the Doran girl's encouraging bumps to join in on their fun. He shook his head at her with a slight smile at her persistence, his dark hair flying around ever-so-slightly with every move he made. He tried to ignore the Mercer boy's hopeful look, focussing his voice low enough for her to hear. "Magnolia, I'm not singing-"

Magnolia started off the song, her voice soft and melodious as she danced circles around the skater boy, Alex grinning as he drummed his sticks along the side of the buildings, creating a steady rhythm for the ballet dancer to follow. He could see Willie's eyes peeking back at him, a small smile growing on his face as the strumming of Luke's acoustic sounded around the entire neighbourhood, Reggie not too far behind with a few egg shakers. The four wore matching grins as they followed Magnolia around the Central Plaza.

She danced atop of a bench, half-dragging Willie around in hopes to bring him out of his sour mood, belting out lyric-after-lyric, their music loud and proud to be heard by all of Chinatown. There was Spanish flare to the song that Willie could immediately recognize, one she had tucked away to honour her Spaniard father. At the time, the skater knew it as a simple poem with no realistic rhythm. He was proud to see that Magnolia Grace curling out her shell, sharing her words and thoughts with whoever dared to listen.

They didn't stop, they couldn't as the energy that radiated between them almost felt thrilling, to feel alive as their sound radiated through them. They didn't feel complete, of course, needing their missing piece.

Of course, there was a thing called "curfew" and said missing piece had to participate in it.

Luke strummed the steady flow of Magnolia's lyrics, a glint of admiration in his eyes as his hands made fast work on his guitar, watching the girl harmonize with the band they've created. Her voice was one he hadn't heard before, something soft and airy like a feather in the wind, but strong and heavy like iron when she hit notes of a Broadway singer. He couldn't stop the grin that grew on his face, smiling back at Reggie and Alex, wholeheartedly following the Japanese girl's easy beat.

She twirled and flitted around the park, pouring her heart and soul into the lyrics that tumbled from her lips, hitting a note that Willie could've sworn that whole neighbourhood rumbled back to life.

"You'll wake up the entire neighbourhood." Willie hissed, a small laugh leaving his lips as he watched the Pagoda-style buildings come to life, the dim candle lit behind the windows and grumbles of the people that hid within them, awakening from their slumber in hopes to find the musically-inclined culprits, only to find their sound carried through the wind. The band of misfits remained invisible to their eyes, the gentle strum of a guitar, steady tapping and an easy shake of an egg shaker sounded lulling the occupants of Chinatown into growing massive grins.

They could hear the voice of Miss Magnolia Grace, her voice a whistle in the wind as her feminine tone fluttered through the air. She stood at the edge of a fountain, coins and tokens were thrown within it, all submerged in water that reflected the lights that surrounded them. Magnolia carried the grace of ballerina, able to do gentle turns around the edge without having to fall in before pointing at the skater.

"Take it away, William!" Magnolia called, the steady pace of Luke's guitar filling the air as Alex's eyes widened in surprise, not taking the skater before him as much of a singer. A dancer, absolutely, but a singer was didn't seem to fit Willie's falsetto. They eagerly waited for the skater take the reigns, seeing as he may know the next set of lyrics to the song Magnolia had been humming to herself.

What surprised the trio was Willie's impeccable Spanish, rolling his r's and his improvised accent becoming the cherry on top of the song. His voice was much like Magnolia's, soft and gentle as his voice hit octaves hers could not, grinning as more lyrics spilled from his lips. Alex could feel his cheeks heating up, the rhythm of the song going into his subconscious as his eyes zeroed onto the long-haired skater, the Spanish lyrics slipping past his lips easily as a loose grin grew on his lips.

Magnolia took Reggie by the hand, dancing with him as Willie grew confident in the Spanish lyrics. The skater had always been good with languages, thus helping the Japanese girl find a blend on English-to-Spanish ratio, something beautiful and full of life, just like Anthony Fernandez. Both ghosts backed Willie up on vocals, repeating his words like an echo as cheers and giggles elicited from Chinatown, their silhouettes hidden behind the windows as they danced to the rhythm. The spirit spun the bassist with such flare, making both giggle like children as they skipped around the Plaza.

Willie turned back to the spirit, pointing back at her to take it away as she span Reggie like a top before leaving the bassist's side to hop onto a bench, adrenaline and glee filling her soul as the poetry slipped from her lips. She had a bright smile on her face, one contagious as it spread onto the four other ghosts with her.

Luke neared her with his hands strumming the strings of his acoustic, his tongue trapped between his teeth as a smile came onto his handsome features. They locked eyes, his hazel eyes dimly lit underneath the red lanterns that hung above their heads meeting her tawny-colored eyes, created a liquid gold underneath the lights. There was an unspoken chemistry that erupted between the two whenever they sang, something both could no longer ignore.

A smile grew on his face as Magnolia stood above him, cupping his cheeks as she sang the lyrics to him, her own shy smile overcoming her pretty features. Her words were like liquid gold, their eyes locked on each other as they found themselves lovestruck, the glints in their eyes holding admiration, hope and, inevitably, longing.

"If you close your eyes and let the music play, keep our love alive, I'll never fade away. If you close your eyes and let the music play, keep our love alive, I'll never fade away."

Willie paused his own dancing, his eyes widening in surprise as a smile fell onto his lips. Funny enough, the skater had thought the two were quite the match, especially with contrasts in character. Luke was someone he saw as energetic and charming at first glance as Magnolia was proper and divine, two worlds unexpectedly colliding.

He looked back at Alex and Reggie, jutting his thumb towards the pair as they gazed into each other's eyes, silently asking them if they were seeing the same thing he was. Both the blond and the blue-eyed bassist just gave him smug looks, as if to tell him that they had already known, waiting for the two idiots to confess their feelings to each other. It was quite obvious the moment they had met, leaving everyone who knew them practically bouncing at the tips of their toes to see who would make the first move.

Reggie's eyes looked back at the pair, making sure Luke's eyes stay on Magnolia's and not wandering anywhere else, leaving both Willie and Alex to simply glance at each other. Building up his courage, Willie smiled at him, a toothy grin that made the blond's unbeating heart pound against his ribcage before steadily smiling back it him. This one was breathless, making the skater's cheeks turn pink.

"If you close your eyes and let the music play, keep our love alive, I'll never fade away."

She pulled away as she belted out another note, making Luke grin charmingly at her as they stared into each other's eyes. Her eyes flickered upwards, catching Alex and Willie smiling quite dumbly at each other, making her lips quirk up as fingers slipped from the Patterson boy's jaw to his shoulder, smiling down at him before going off to grab Reggie's and Alex's hands, pulling them into the Central Plaza.

Alex opened his mouth to say something to Willie, only to be dragged off by the Japanese girl with her beaming smile, dragging the Peters boy in tow towards the center of the Chinatown, the howls and laughter of the people within the area cheering the invisible musicians on. The Mercer boy immediately grabbed Willie's wrist, the tapping of Alex's drumsticks banging against concrete material ceasing to continue as Magnolia tugged on his wrist.

"Remember me, for I will soon be gone. Remember me, and let the love we have live on. And know that I'm with you the only way that I can be. So, until you're in my arms again. Remember me, yeah."

The five ghosts giggled childishly as Alex tugged Magnolia into a spin, the movement effortless and unflawed as if they rehearsed the move a hundreds times over, the spirit that took lead of the song sang out the lyrics with just as much pride and glee, her voice unwavering to bring an upbeat tune to the rather somber lyrics. They didn't catch it at the time, rather focussed on the sound they made together as the Peters boy and Willie belted out Spanish echoes after her words. Luke continued to strum at his guitar, grinning as he watched Alex pull Willie into a dance.

The three ghosts cheered from the sidelines, watching Willie and Alex lose themselves to the music, lost in the other's eyes as if it were the only place they'd rather be. Shy and timid smiles were placed onto their lips, unable to blush in embarrassment as Luke, Reggie and Magnolia clapped and cheered, the Patterson boy's guitar disappearing from his arms before draping his arms over their shoulders with a smile on his lips.

Magnolia leaned her head back onto Luke's shoulder, staring at the couple lovingly as they kept their eyes on each other. Luke looked down at the girl, curling his lips upwards to find the Doran girl entranced and in utter awe at the love their friends had found in the afterlife.

"Remember me, yeah. Remember me."

Magnolia's voice rang out, her tone softer, feminine and pronounced as she struck the final note of her sacred song, smiling at the pair goofily as Willie dipped the taller male. Their breaths were stuck in their throats, staring longingly into the other's eyes. Alex's eyes beautiful and serene, holding an entire ocean behind them, the spark of the morning sun looming within them as Willie's were the colour of the midnight sky, holding the entire universe within them as a sparkle came into view. There were stars in his eyes, something Alex grew to become fond of.

The loud cheers of the people of Chinatown sounded the entire neighborhood, applauding the phantom musicians, who paid no mind to the groundbreaking praise of the lifers that surrounded them. They truly believed that they didn't need that crave, anymore. Everything they ever needed was right here.

The applause and constant chatter pulled the boys from their daydream, bashfully blushing as Willie hauled the Mercer boy back onto his feet with a shy grin. Alex's eyes were trained on him, his lips parting in surprise at the elegance the skater had, despite shredding on his own skateboard around the streets of Los Angeles.

The three ghosts grinned easily at them, letting them live in their little moment before bugging the hell out of them about their own little Dancing With The Stars moment. It was adorable, but what kind of friends would they be if they didn't tease them about it?

"We need more jam sessions like this." Reggie expressed with an easy grin, thinking that they should just let loose every once-and-awhile, it wasn't everyday they could wreak havoc on the living, anyway, especially, with band practice almost every single day. Luke and Magnolia hummed in agreement, watching both Alex and willie fumble with their words, losing their cool. "How'd you come up with the song so fast?"

Magnolia let the corner of her lips curl upwards at the thought of the song, something that she had crafted merely months ago to accomodate for the broken feeling in her chest after being ripped away from her adoptive parents. It was a simple little poem, words on a page that carried no rhythm or beat to describe the pain she felt. Back then, she would've laughed at the simple thought of making it a song, nonetheless one that got people up and moving on their feet.

"I've been holding onto it. It's for special occasions." The Japanese girl clarified with a proud smile, quite pleased with herself on how the song came together. The lyrics were tucked away into her mother's pocketbook, something Gracie Kimura gave her the moment she had left her with her adoptive parents, hoping her own little scriptures would help out young Magnolia out on her journey to the new world.

She hoped she did okay, wanting to make her mother proud.

"It was perfect, Mags." Luke complimented her with a goofy smile, making her blush and quietly thank him under her breath. He put his nose to her hair, hiding his smile as Magnolia grumbled quietly.

"What did you want to talk to us about, anyway?" Alex asked softly at the ghost next to him, barely noticing the skater shift his weight from one foot to another, quite nervous to share what he had originally planned to tell them. The Mercer boy turned back to his friends, leaning in to playfully punch at Reggie's arm, who giggled with him. "As much as I love waking all of Chinatown with our awesome sound."

Willie's smile faded slightly, seeing their curious gazes focus back on him.

"It's about those 'jolts' you've been getting over the past few days." Willie started uneasily, uncomfortable with all the lively stares he was getting turning into one's much curious and innocent. The adrenaline calming into a simmer to give the skater their attention, and what he was going to do was let them down. He wasn't a traitor, he knew that, but he knew that the three ghosts deserved to know. He wasn't going to let Caleb receive the upper hand in a game they weren't even aware they were playing.

His explanation was clear and concise, explaining what had been happening over the course of a few days after they left the Hollywood Ghost Club that night. The jolts of pain and agony, the feeling of emptiness it left behind and why he was here, right now. Despite his efforts to level out Caleb's playing field, the boys were beyond angry and confused to why this was happening to them, why the Covington magician put all this effort to catch three amature ghosts.

"This is because Caleb put his stamp on us?" Luke growled, his fists tightening from the skater's words of explanation, his words dripping like venom. It was like an anger nobody could describe, one the Patterson boy had felt when truth came out that their old rhythm guitarist was a dirty, lying thief, creating a living for himself from Sunset Curve's legacy. No one knew how to handle his temper, his annoyance for the old magician's persistence to keep them on a tight leash.

Magnolia's breath hitched at the name leaving Luke's lips, the calculating gaze on her face as the man's name drew an overwhelming prick of panic through the spirit's already chilling body.

"C-Caleb? As in, Caleb Covington?" Magnolia stuttered, the feeling of déjà vu dissipating into fear, the name dripping in poison as it left a bitter taste in the girl's mouth. It felt as though her own heart was ripped into two pieces before being stepped on repeatedly, her own breath catching in her throat as she slowly looked at her best friend, who hung his head rather shamefully. He avoided their eyes, more specifically her own, afraid to see the fearful look in her eyes. "Willie, please. Tell me it isn't true-"

Magnolia pleaded, begged and prayed to any higher power that was listening that the Caleb they were speaking of was someone else. Some other sick and twisted magician that bounded souls to Earth like a ball and chain, someone who played Devil's Advocate and mended deals with the utterly desperate, leeching off of it as if it were some five-course meal.

Caleb Covington was a dangerous man, not many people who dealt cards with the dead man were never the same. It was dangerous alone to even speak to Caleb Covington, nonetheless have two teenage ghosts that dared to play the game, striking a deal with the conniving magician.

Luke noticed the distress the Japanese girl was giving off, searching the boy's eyes for any sort of lie in his truth, trying to get to him in hopes he'd shed light to why. He wanted to be upset with her, to tell her that she shouldn't even consider siding with him, but he knew he couldn't. Magnolia knew Willie longer than they have, she always searched for the good--with the exception to Bethany Monroe and Donevan Ballentine, of course--and hoped that whatever reason Willie had was a good one.

"Maggie, he let him put these stamps on us. We can't trust him." The brunet expressed, his distaste for the situation they caught themselves in evident in his tone. He ignored the guilty and apologetic look said skater had shot him and the boys, gently pulling Magnolia back by the arm on onto their side before draping his arm around her torso. She did little-to-none to resist, but her own confidence cowered to let fear fill her heart as she stared at her best friend as if he were accused of blasphemy.

She knew it wasn't his fault, it never was, but they weren't smart like Caleb was. The dead magician would stoop as low to harm the ones the loved, a constant reminder to why Willie had to do what he did. No matter what they lost, no matter how victorious they felt, Caleb Covington would always be two steps ahead of them. He would twist their words, find loopholes in the deals he made.

He was a monster.

"They're my friends. They're our friends!" The Japanese girl pleaded, knowing personally where this would end up, how they were all little pawns in a game they couldn't win. They were insignificant against Caleb, powerless and small against the dead magician's source of power. It didn't matter how much glitter and glitzy dances the man disguised his hell with, Hell was still Hell. Her breath picked up, unable to filter and carefully think her words out as she felt her own thoughts race. "Will, we can't make another deal-"

Her gaze was pleading, she wasn't as strong as she was before, her mental strength deteriorating as bricks of truth hit her one after the other. She was rightfully afraid, her words jumbling around in her head before tumbling out of her mouth. Willie's eyes widened, wanting to stop anymore panic that dared to fill up the girl more, making her feel claustrophobic in her own clothes as she picked at the collar of her yellow shirt.

Alex, who was to her right, realized what exactly she was going through, giving Luke a gentle nod before tugging the hyperventilating girl to his side. He quietly asked her if he could hug her, making her squeeze her eyes shut and nod before being enveloped by Alex's embrace. The tall blond rested his chin on her head, whispering messages of reassurance into her ear as he rubbed her back.

She wanted to cry, she wanted to throw up and scream, but that was their reality.

Willie's eyes softened, watching Magnolia's tears slip from her eyes, Luke and Reggie letting the blond take care of the whimpering girl. He knew how scary it was, he knew what she was afraid to do and what more they could lose from it. Willie knew Magnolia was afraid of dying, he knew how far Caleb was willing to push to get her to stay in the spirit world.

No matter what it took.

"I'm not letting them, I'm not letting Caleb get to us, again." Willie promised, his voice cracking as Magnolia cupped her hands around her ears, the same way Ethan did whenever he was upset. The only difference was that she could hear him talk, she could hear her try to reassure her when all she wanted to do was crawl into a small ball. He didn't stop talking, catching the boys' attention as his words directed comfort for his best friend. "He's not taking anything anymore, I promise."

Luke's eyes snapped away from the Japanese girl, his eyes carefully watching her hold onto Alex like her life depended on it before narrowing them at Willie, his nostrils flaring as his hands tightened into fists. Reggie turned his watery gaze onto the skater, one confused as he clenched his eyebrows together to understand what he could possibly mean.

"What are you guys talking about? What deal?" Alex asked, confused to what either Asian descents could possibly mean by their so-called-deal with the Covington man. Willie's reassurance for the Japanese girl falling flat as he looked at Alex with saddened eyes, deeply inhaling as he looked back at Magnolia. He silently asked if he should tell the truth, knowing their duo trusted the boys with a secret so sacred, one that involved too many people as is.

She didn't give him an answer, flinching as she felt Luke's thumb swipe under her eye to catch her fallen tear.

Despite their attitudes with each other may seem as though they shared a singular brain cell, they were a lot smarter than they looked. With their combined wits, they were able to outsmart the Covington man and intertwine their deals to cases that not even the magician himself wanted to break. A deal that Covington couldn't back out of, but nonetheless attempted to find loopholes in to get what he had wanted.

It helped that the two were a lot cunning despite their shyed appearances, the Japanese girl taking the role of the prissy Princess as the mixed-ethnicity boy becoming the dumb skater in Caleb's eyes.

Magnolia's biological father was a businessman, a man who argued and settled for nothing less than his prize, someone who debated until the room went silent with verifying points and a tone no matched for anyone in the Conference meeting. He was loud, abrasive and persuasive, something dear Magnolia Grace had picked up, which validated her strong-opinionated self.

Willie's father was a doctor, a man who calculated and assessed every situation with caution and care, someone who thought out every possibility and solution with the tools he was given. He was brilliant, caring and just, something Willie had, in no doubt, picked up from him, rather not his mother.

"We had to outsmart Caleb, so that Magnolia couldn't sign her soul over. We made a deal." The skater admitted, making her whimper and open her eyes carefully, turning her head over her shoulder to look at the long-haired male in the corner of her eye. The trio stared at him expectantly, wanting him to be precise with whatever he was telling them. Judging by the look on the Japanese girl's face, they knew it was true. "To let her go, we both lost something valuable."

The skater seemed to hesitate in naming their prices, what they had wanted came at a bigger cost than what they had initially expected, but nonetheless, took the offer. They had to, they sacrificed what meant was valuable to them in trade of each other, that was what their friendship meant to the other. They learned to trust each other, to find harmony and finding company in one another.

"Willie's brother for my safety, my drive for to save Willie. That was the deal." Magnolia spoke softly, her voice slightly muffled as her lips brushed against the sleeve of her jacket. Her tone was softer, any louder she was afraid it would break as their terms in agreement were spoken aloud. No one but Caleb Covington, Magnolia Grace and Willie knew about this deal, something the two hadn't bothered to tell since there was no one they could trust. Every ghost desperate enough from Los Angeles to Australia were under Caleb's influence, under his terms and conditions.

Magnolia Grace's drive was an elegant piece of work, her pièce de résistance that had drawn the Covington man in in the first place, eager to understand how and why her ability to move people the way she did. It wasn't mind control, or a simple mark engraved into their skin that glided their souls with the grace and agility she had possessed, but rather the love for dance she had. Her drive was beautiful and intricate, something unflawed and utterly perfect that no one dared to touch.

That was why Willie had struck out his offer first, opting to protect the Japanese girl from the same fate he had suffered. To be bounded to Earth by the hands of Caleb Covington, himself, to live his life bound to the Hollywood Ghost Club as long as Death would allow it. He did it to protect her from letting Caleb control her and use her for the precious ability she possessed, to mark her pristine and ivory skin with an ugly purple stamp as if she were property.

It wasn't until Magnolia had to strike the same deal, to save Willie from being destroyed by Caleb through the method of his choice. He was going to hurt Willie, to kill him until there wasn't a Willie to remember, to make him a distant memory to those who did know him. She gave the illusion of her power away, unknowingly holding onto the ability to save Willie from dying a painful end.

Thanks to Andrew's ability to loophole and articulate his words in a way to make sure there were no room for argument, Magnolia managed to intertwine their deals and make each other unbreakable.

"Do you think he's willing to make that deal, again?" Reggie quizzed hesitantly, understanding that both things sounded important to both Asian descents by how glum they looked. The terms of the deal seemed unfair and just, but in some way, they managed to get away with something bigger than themselves. The Peters boy was hoping that they were willing to help them out, to break the same deal they had with the dead magician.

Caleb was a lot smarter now with the knowledge of both Asian descents accumulating around each other, thus easily separating with the distractions of the lives of their loved ones. He was unpredictable, both unsure and afraid what he would do.

There, that's when Willie separated himself from his only friend for her own good. He lied to her the first time since they had met and left her behind to fend for herself in a world she barely knew. He felt like an asshole to just push her away, but it was the only way to keep each other safe. The only way for Caleb to never find her, again.

"I doubt you want to lose something important-" Willie persuaded, not wanting the three ghosts to consider such an offer, an offer that could ruin them altogether if they weren't smart enough. Caleb Covington was a ruthless snake, a conniving man that would do what it takes to get what he truly wanted, no matter who got in the way. If they tried to pull the stunt they had, it would be easy for Caleb to use the people they love to get under their skins.

"If it means we get to stay, then I'd give anything-" Luke insisted harshly, not wanting to leave the fairly good afterlife he had on Earth, finally finding his adrenaline back when it came to the band, to be united with his friends and make new ones, to find someone that understood him. He would give up anything to stay with them...

"You don't understand! Caleb's threatened by you. He wants you under his control. You're the only ghosts that can be visible to lifers without his help." Willie interrupted, his tone rising slightly to get through their stubborn heads as they insisted on making the deal himself and Magnolia had made, to give up what was valuable to them to keep each other safe. He was getting frustrated, wanting them to understand instead of pretending to know everything when they didn't. "That's his leverage, he can ask for anything if you're desperate enough."

Luke and Reggie stood in silence, their jaws clenched at the skater's words.  Of course, they knew they would give anything to stay, but Caleb covington could ask for anything... anyone, in turn to be freed of Caleb's curse. The Patterson boy looked over to the side hesitantly as his eyes softened, finding Magnolia resting against Alex's chest.

She turned her head to look off onto the other side, finding Luke looking back at her sadly and a ghost of a smile on his lips at the sight of her. She raised her hand behind the Mercer boy's back, quietly waving at him as a gentle smile fell onto her lips. He gentle brushed her fingers behind Alex's back, slightly smiling at her as she wiggled her fingers underneath his warm touch.

"So, you let him do this to us, knowing what would happen?" Alex grilled, his eyebrows lowering as his face flushed, beyond angry at the thought of the ghost before him giving them up like fish bait. His hands clenched at his sides as he learned of Willie's betrayal to them, to him, but it seemed as though the skater wasn't enjoying the the finger being pointed at him.

Willie flinched as the edge in Alex's voice sharpened, accusing him of simply letting Caleb get between them and their short-lived afterlife. He never wanted this to happen, any of this. Even if he had the upper hand against Caleb, he was no match for the magician, falling into despair at the thought of losing more than what he could possibly gained.

He got Alex, now he was going to lose him.

"I can't stop him." Willie proclaimed, stopping the tears that threatened to leave his eyes as he stared at the blond, who simply shook his head at his statement. The skater icked his lips as he searched his face, hopes to show how genuine he was through his words as he gently took one of the hands that rested on the small of Magnolia's back. "He owns my soul, alright? He owns everybody's soul at that club. If he even knew that I was talking to you, he'd-"

Willie choked back his words, the clear depiction of what his punishment was for disobeying Caleb Covington in favour of Magnolia Grace earlier in the year. He remembered the pain, the sickening feeling to his stomach as he claimed to taste the blood on his tongue, the same way it did on the day of his accident. He felt as though he were dying all over, again, to feel that red Porsche striking his body as he idiotically skated in the middle of traffic.

He remembered his head lulling to the side, the distant sound of an ambulance and chatter of the people above him. Willie remembered blood pooling from his lips and the head wound bleeding out through the crack in his helmet. That was what death felt like, to feel uselessness in the muscles in his body until his consciousness drifted away.

That what Caleb did to him, torment him with his death day as a punishment, to experience death until Magnolia was forced to come out of hiding.

"He'd destroy me. For good." Willie concluded, a broken look behind his eyes as the memory haunted him behind his eyelids, to feel every ache and pain in his muscles, the sharpshooting pain on right side of his head to his clothes covered in his own blood. He would say that was okay, trying to get up and dust himself off like he usually did, only to feel his head heavy and stuck to the concrete.

Nobody said anything, nobody could when the skater looked so far gone into his head, fear taking up his own handsome features at the thought of Caleb Covington. He was a horrible man, no amount of cutesy dance numbers and jazz music could cover up the Hell he worked for, the Hell that he managed down at the Hollywood Ghost Club.

"So, if we don't join his club, the weird power outage thing continues until there's no power left?" Reggie asked quietly, drawing the mixed-ethnicity boy from his thoughts as he blinked at the bassist, reilleterating the question in his own head before softly nodding at his question. 

"And... and if it goes out?" Magnolia croaked out, pulling her body away from Alex's embrace to face her best friend properly. The skater softly inhaled, unable to find the words to put their fate into a kinder sentence, the looming possibility of death happening, again, lingering in the air. "Please, please don't say what I think you're about to say-"

He muttered the words "you're done" under his breath, afraid of their reactions as he could hear the soft gasp leaving Magnolia's lips at his statement, Caleb's curse taking their lives and freedom no matter how strong they believed they were. Reggie asked to what he meant, disbelief lacing his tone as the vague words plainly seemed to imply a game over.

"You just- you don't exist anymore. Not anywhere." Willie clarified hesitantly, his voice weak as their realities set on their shoulders, the truth coming out ten-fold as the air seemed heavier to breath. Nobody wanted this curse. Hell, they wouldn't wish it upon anybody to live in ongoing suffering with every jolt of pain threatened to pull them away from the life they knew.

For once, they were happy with where they were, enjoying their lives playing with Julie and becoming a band, one real enough to achieve their dreams of making the Rock n' Roll Hall Of Fame.

It seemed as though it were ages ago since they made that daydream, wishing to stamp their statement onto the world and show everyone on the band they missed out on in the 90's. At the time, they were joking around about a country album, or when Magnolia claimed she wanted an entire soundtrack to soft and elegant ballroom dancing music, all simply dreaming of achieving those milestones in their journey as a band.

Now, they were left with broken dreams, hearts holding on to a thin thread and a lingering curse casted by a magician that wanted their abilities under his thumb. Caleb Covington didn't like when he was powerless, he didn't like being undermined by a couple of ghostly teenagers, so he seeked for them and their abilities to make sure he seemed untouchable, to continue ruling in power over the spirit world.

"There has to be another way." Magnolia muttered sadly, looking back at the three ghosts she had grown to love and care for, finding their spirits down in their graves as the inevitable were to come and snatch them into oblivion. She looked back at them with saddened eyes, tears threatening to pool from her eyes and down her cheeks as she reached to grab Luke's hand. "I'm not saying goodbye to you. To any of you."

She twisted the silver band around Luke's ring finger, his hazel-eyes casted downwards at it numbly as Magnolia tried to give him the comfort that he needed, making his heartache worsen as he looked back at the Japanese girl's troubled features. Her facial features he would fondly trace with his eyes, her skin that was silky and smooth underneath his touch and her compassion for others wanted him to keep fighting, to not give in so easily into Caleb's wished.

He knew if he left, if they all left and vanished into the wind, he would leave her behind, too. Luke would leave Magnolia behind and let her be alone all over again. He'd rather have her leave him then let her experience that sort of heartache, he would take that bullet with a shot of truth if he needed to.

"I don't think we have a choice, Maggie." Luke whispered, making the Japanese girl whimper at the impossibility of the situation. He gently tugged her into his arms, letting her bury herself into the collar of his fuzzy coat as her breathing haggard, the Patterson boy gently rubbing circles into the small of her back, letting himself enjoy the hug as if it were his last. His eyes darted over to the skater, his jaw clenched. Willie stared at the two sadly, the later option eventually hurting the girl just as much. "So, that's it? We have to say goodbye to Julie. To everything we've built together, and work for Caleb? That's some club you guys got going on."

"There... there might be another way." Willie started, a little hesitant in himself as if he were afraid to say it aloud. The suggestion itself wasn't as cruel as giving into Caleb, or to let the jolts of electricity inevitably diminish their soul from ever existing, one with a choice and was personal to anyone who decided to participate. "Please, just hear me out. If you guys can figure out what your unfinished business is, and you do it in time, you could cross over and be free from all of this."

It was the safest option given, all requiring to leave behind the world they knew, but the most plausible option they were given. At least this time, they had a choice, they could leave on their own terms and make do with whatever time they had left. All that they needed to do was figure out what they needed to do to finally get to their afterlives, whether it be Heaven or Hell.

Magnolia gripped onto him tighter, squeezing her eyes shut at the thought of unfinished business and having no control of what it may be, or when they would be able to complete it. Some ghosts had years to figure out and fulfill theirs, some not even making it to the spirit world and taking the one-way bullet train to Heaven or Hell.

It really depends.

The Patterson squeezed her back, not so in love with the idea, either. He rested his chin atop her shoulder, his senses filled with the flowery and sweet scent of lavender and vanilla, something he didn't know how Magnolia managed to obtain in the afterlife. Her hair tickled his face, something that took all of his will power not to move away as she embraced him, feeling her fingers mindlessly play with the chestnut curls that sat at the nape of his neck.

"Okay, so what's our unfinished business?" Luke asked, nodding to his suggestion before looking back at his best friends, silently agreeing that this would be their best and safest bet. Their heads were hung low, frowns settling onto their faces as they quietly awaited the long-haired skater to answer their question, only for him to lick his lips before admitting that he wasn't sure.

"I don't know, but since you all died at the same time, it might be something you need to do together." Willie suggested, hoping with what little he knew about the three deceased members of Sunset Curve were to help them ultimately figure what they needed to do to pass on. It was a safe bet, seeing as everything in the spirit world had a balance to it. Whether it be life or death, there would be that balance that took three lives that day in 1995, there was no doubt that their unfinished business was something they had to do as a band.

"Why should we listen to a word you say?" Alex proclaimed, betrayal lacing his tone as he tried to hold back the frown that dared to etch itself onto his handsome features. There was an underlying tone of anger to his voice, thinking that the time they had spent together meant absolutely nothing to him, that he had meant nothing to him.

"Because I care about you, Alex. I hate that I brought you and your friends into this mess." Willie confessed, his dark-eyes flickering over to his friends briefly, quickly adding them in before they could feel excluded. In all honesty, it felt more personal than it did. His eyes flickered over to the Japanese girl in Luke's arms, releasing a breath he didn't realize he'd been holding onto. "You've been my longest friend, Magnolia. You've done so much for me, and in the end, the least I could do for you is help out."

He stepped away from the group of four, his look sorrowful as he searched Alex's face, hoping to find that sliver of forgiveness for his moment of betrayal. Not only to the Sunset Curve bot, or Magnolia, but to him. Willie had never wanted to make Alex feel like a fool if he really did feel something for him, and if he did, he was a fool, too.

"I can't be away for too long. I'm sorry, for everything." Willie apologized, his voice cracking and nearly breaking as he stared at the four with a solemn look on his face, tears threatening to pour from his tear ducts. Magnolia looked over her shoulder to catch the skater sign something to her, something most would think as a Rock n' Roll symbol, but it meant something different to her. He signed the words "I love you" before leaving, empty space left in his place.

She stared at the spot sadly, making the sign for "I love you" behind Luke's back, staring at his spot before turning back into Luke, feeling his warmth radiate through her clothes as Luke's lips brushed against her left temple, overlaying the scar underneath her bangs. She smiled into his shoulder, her cold nose rubbing against the fabric as the scent of pine wood and peppermint flooded her senses, her body relaxing into his.

She didn't want Luke to go, she didn't want any of them to go. For once, Magnolia Grace wanted to be selfish and keep them here, but with their predicament, it was near impossible.

"This is all my fault." Alex proclaimed, stressfully running a hand through his blond hair as he solemnly met the eyes of his bandmates. They all knew it wasn't his fault, all of them didn't know what they were up against, especially when the ghost had put the dead magician into a new light. The three couldn't even blame Willie, especially since he barely had his own freedom to do as he pleased. "I met Willie, he introduced us to Caleb, and now, now... we're screwed."

His two bandmates shook their heads to refuse the Mercer boy's claim, Reggie putting a comforting hand on Alex's shoulder and rubbing his arm in hopes that he would feel better, especially with the dump truck of information the mixed-ethnicity boy had left with them. At least with this, they were able to level out whatever playing field Caleb had set them up on.

"We all wanted to see Caleb." Luke reassured the blond's troubling thoughts, offering him a soft smile over the Japanese girl's shoulder after brushing her back down to her back. She hummed at the feeling, only for her to furrow her brows at the thought of a certain lifer came to mind, the girl that gave them the gateway to been seen by the living.

"What about Julie?" Magnolia suddenly asked, her hands moving to rest on Luke's chest as his hands stayed bounded to her waist, looking at him curiously with a tilt of her head. She turned to look back at the two boys, both holding solemn looks on their faces at the mention of the Molina girl. "You saw her, tonight. She looked so... alive."

The spirit frowned at the plethora of reactions Julie might have at receiving the news of the boys' inevitability to pass on sooner than most would like. 

"We can't tell her. This just means more loss in her life, but if we don't want Caleb to own our souls, we have to figure out what our unfinished business is." Luke decided with a deep exhale from his nose, letting Magnolia slip from his grip to interlace their fingers, walking down the streets of Chinatown. Nobody had the heart to tell the Molina girl the news, afraid of how she'll react and what she would do, especially with how much she had lost already.

It wasn't safe to say if how Julie would take the news, not until they could figure everything out and solve it before it came down to her figuring it out. Sure, Magnolia thought it was kinda stupid, but it was their lives, if they didn't want Julie to know, she wasn't going to be the one to tell her.

"What about Maggie?" Reggie asked, his gaze falling onto the Japanese girl who teetered on her heels, her eyes immediately darting up to meet their eyes. The deceased members of Sunset Curve looked back at the girl with them, their gazes saddening at the realization that they would have to leave her behind, too. They weren't sure if she was meant to help them get out of Caleb's web, or pass back onto her mundane lifestyle. "She can perform with us, how do we know if she's part of it?"

Her body froze, gulping down her fear as Reggie's theory were to interlace with her own reality. She stiffy shook her head, slowing down the group of boys as they discussed their afterlife plan. She couldn't meet their eyes, afraid of their reactions as she seemingly added to their problems as a whole.

She didn't want to become a burden, but her body language intrigued the boys to stop and glance down at her worriedly at her uncharacteristic silence.

"I'm not." Magnolia whispered, insistence dripping off of her tone as her eyes glossed over, her lips trembling as their faces showed concern for the Asian girl. She bitterly laughed at the horrible timing, the world seemingly to hate those who cheated death, throwing obstacle after obstacle in hopes to catch them. They were hanging onto a thread, their existence on Earth nearly ceasing and in the hands of others.

It wasn't fair, how they struggled through life and death, yet find themselves facing the cold, empty feeling of death grasping at their necks all over, again. There would no easy way to say how much Magnolia would give to keep them by her side, to keep them on Earth and away from Caleb Covington, to put their own safety above her own. She thought the jolts were simple triggers, something that happened to ghosts if their unfinished businesses were so close to being found.

Magnolia Grace was stupid to think that something that felt like pain was something as welcoming as Heaven, rather the claws of Death raking across their souls and condemning them to whatever afterlife they saw fit. 

"There's... There's something important I have to tell you. All of you." The Japanese girl hesitated, the red LED lights of the Pagoda-style building reflected off of her face as she stared down her friends. She nibbled at her bottom lip, afraid of admitting her own demise aloud to know that it was true. Magnolia Grace was insignificant, merely just a vessel that held emotions and a personality, that's what they meant to say to her face.

They were killing her because she wasn't worth the troubling emotions of pain. Her body was resisting her, she wouldn't have anywhere else to go, her physical body spitting out its spirit. Soon enough, she wouldn't go home at all, whether her parents went through with the plan, or not.

"Spit it out, Mags. It can't be that bad." Reggie insisted with a kind smile, nudging the Japanese girl in the arm with his shoulder. She hadn't bothered to reciprocate the playful bump, her thoughts swarming around her brain like bees in a beehive, one entering as soon as the other left. A heavy breath left her lips, walking ahead of the three before turning on her heel with a watery smile on her face, one bittersweet that made their stomachs sink.

"I'm dying." Magnolia admitted to the three boys as she scratched her cheek, tears threatening to leave her eyes as her own cruel reality set in. She looked off to the side, staring through the outline of her soul through the glass, laughing through her nose bitterly before catching their eyes. "My physical body, it's getting weaker."

Luke's lips parted in surprised before twisting into a bitter frown, frustration trapped behind his hazel-eyes, the dim light of the red lanterns that hung above their head capturing the flakes of green that hid in his irises. They were the reflection of the beach skyline, a warm honey colour deepening the longer she stared, drifting into an ocean green as they locked onto her softer features. His eyes were the key to his soul, his music and voice the lock he protected himself with. 

She didn't want to look at Luke, to look at him the way she did, but she didn't want to stop. Magnolia never wanted to stop drowning in his forest green eyes, complimenting the chocolate brown that swirled within them. She didn't want to stop feeling her gaze on her face, to feel like the sun had set and left her alone in the cold.

She drew her eyes off of Luke, picking at the lint balls at the end of her navy-coloured, fleece jacket. It took everything within her to keep the fat droplets that pooled at the corner of her eyes in, unaware of one after the other came tumbling down her pretty features. She bitterly laughed, shaking her head and letting her dark hair fly around as she did, catching her tears with her sleeve.

"What does that mean?" Luke interrogated, his voice breaking over so slightly and the possibility of her words, his eyebrows cinching together as he prayed to anyone that was listening. He hoped and prayed that this was some cruel prank, that the Japanese girl he had grown to care for was lying through her teeth, but he knew better. He knew she couldn't lie, that she couldn't keep dodging their questions with vague responses.

He knew her better than that.

He looked back at Reggie and Alex, all heartbroken at her words, wanting her to paint the picture in bright words for them to understand. They wanted to understand why their fates favoured death than living, why the innocent suffered punishments and to understand why someone who fell into Death's waiting hand without committing blasphemy.

She didn't die, she was alive. Magnolia Grace was waiting to go home, her accident causing her to fall into a comatose state. She wasn't dead, so why did they treat her that way?

"It means, at some point, I won't be able to get back into my body at all." Magnolia explained with a slight bite of her bottom lip, her jaw clenching as she carefully thought her words over. She missed their concerned gazes morphing into horrification, a look of pure shock and fear for the girl rolling onto her faces. "I've been trying for months, but I keep getting pushed out. Imagine getting rejected by your own body, it's sad."

The spirit tried to lighten up the mood with a small joke, only to receive no chuckles, or the simple crack of a small in return. Luke's lips parted to say something, anything, to get the Doran girl back on her feet, to keep on trying. He didn't know what to say, he wanted to wipe the tears that threatened to leave her eyes, but he couldn't move.

Magnolia was leaving them, whether they liked it or not.

"Why didn't you say anything?" Alex asked softly, a frown etching onto his handsome features as the spirit before them simply shrugged, pushing her hands into her pockets to seek her shelter. She wanted to hide away in her coat, she didn't want them to worry about her when there were things more important to think about.

"I found out a few hours ago. I think... I think my dads are pulling the plug on me." The Japanese girl expressed, her voice cracking before hiccup left her lips, this time her tears streaming down her face, staining her cheeks as she did her best to blink them away. She wiped her eyes angrily with the end of her sleeves, feeling sick to her stomach at the thought of her own parents killing her off. Alex tried to reach out to her, only to back away slowly and rub at her eyes to see galaxies behind her eyelids. "It doesn't matter, anyway."

There was a good distance between herself and the boys, as if an invisible barrier kept them away from her, to keep the pristine glass figure on the opposite of the wall safe and out of harm's way. Her words pierced their hearts like knives, an unexplainable plethora of emotions striking them all at once as if the entire time they had spent together, their laughs, tears and late talks were thrown into the wind. Magnolia made it seem as though it weren't some life-changing shit and wanted to move on, to push through and that was it.

It made them feel hurt, angry, broken and miserable all at the same time, as if the Japanese girl insisted that they shouldn't care about her and her own problems. They were all in this together, they were a team, a band. Through Hell and back, to go through their inner demons like a working machine, they weren't going to let her go that easily.

No, not without a fight.

"Of course it matters! We care what's happening to you. I care!" Luke interjected, his voice strong with his hazel eyes glossing over as he searched the Japanese girl's face, breaking through that invisible barrier to get to her. He cupped her cheeks, looking into her eyes in hopes they told a different story, to care for her, to hold her... anything. Magnolia held onto his wrists and let another tear slip, letting the Patterson boy gently stroke it away with the pad of his thumb. "How can we get you back? Maggie, tell me what I can do-"

Her eyes told the stories that nobody but herself could explain, her emotions complicated and her understanding of the simplicities of it enough. When she felt happy, she would smile. When she was sad, she would cry. Why was it so hard to explain the emotion of happiness and sadness at the same time? She didn't know if she could cry or laugh. If she should hold look closer, or push him away.

In those tawny-eyes that stared into his hazel-eyes, her irises the colour of liquid gold underneath the dim light the red paper lantern above their heads, he could see how much she's loved, lost and hurt. He could see the pain trapped beneath the surface of her skin, wavering it away with a cheeky smile and kind words. Luke could see that Magnolia had always been taking care of herself, taking care of others, yet the only people who had taken care of her was her adoptive family.

The betrayal she felt was unbearable, her own loved ones who promised to protect her were ripping her away from a life that had barely started.

"I don't want to go." Magnolia whispered, cupping the side of his face with tears pooling at the corner of her eyes, Luke gently trying to shake his head, wanting to tell her that there was an entire world out there waiting for her. He wanted to say that she wasn't going anywhere else but home, back to the world of the living where she belonged, but the soft smile on her face made his lips part, the words of reassurance he had built up was long gone. "I want to stay, I want to help you. At the end of the day, I'm not gonna let anything happen to you, any of you."

Reggie and Alex's eyes watered, glossing over as Magnolia gazed at them with an angelic smile, one soft and airy with another ghostly tear leaving her eyes, absorbing into the fabric of Luke's coat as she rested her cheeks in his palms. She could feel every callous, the hard skin against the velvet of her skin, finding comfort in the hands of the boy she cared for.

She cared for him more than words could express, the word 'love' coming too soon as soon as she realized that she would do absolutely anything for him. That she would want to spend all her tomorrow's with him, to see that dorky face of his and watch the furrow between his brows appear whenever he had writer's block. She wanted to stare in this hazel-eyes and wipe his tears away, to laugh, smile and dance with him while going on crazy midnight adventures until the crack of dawn.

She was in love with Luke Patterson, the ghost that made her feel the love she had been longing since she watched Cinderella find her Prince. The sort of love she would see in movies, or when her dads were together, that moment in those cheesy Disney films where Shang Li finds love in Mulan's integrity and bravery than her beauty and prosperity.

"I love you guys too much for that." Magnolia confessed with genuine sincerity behind her words, catching the three off guard, their lips parting in shock at her words. Sure, they had jokingly poked at each other about loving one another, but they had never heard it without the lace of amusement, rather hearing the Japanese girl say the words with just as much love within her heart. Their hearts warmed, letting the tears that rimmed their eyes fall at her words.

"We love you, too!" Reggie exclaimed happily, his tears staining his cheeks as he and Alex eagerly joined in on their embrace, holding onto the pair on either side, elliting a giggle from the Japanese girl and the Patterson boy. Her heart filled with joy and surprise, as she wasn't expecting the proclamation of the love of their friendship so soon, but nonetheless, held them tightly as if they were to disappear into thin air.

The throbbing pains in their chests dimmed at her words, watery smiles on their lips as they wrapped them in a hug that warmed their souls. It was like sitting next to a radiator in a winter storm, the numbing warmth filling every sense. The butted heads every once-and-awhile, as the huddled group swayed to the non-existent beat.

Magnolia caught Luke's gaze on her face, a goofy and dorky smile on his lips as her nudged his forehead against hers, making her gently butt at his own. The four leaned into the huddle, Reggie butting head with Magnolia and Luke as Alex was on the opposite side, all goofily smiling at each other as if these moments would be one of their lasts.

"I know there's one thing we all wanted to do before we died." Alex mused with a soft inhale, hating to break up such a moment between the four of them, especially since it was their lives on the line. He wanted the simplicity of the moment to last forever, to hold the ghosts he loved so dearly tight and enjoy whatever afterlife had set course for them.

Both Luke and Reggie looked at each other in realization before turning back to the Mercer boy with shocked looks, knowing exactly what they all had wanted to do the moment they had died. Willie must've been right, that they all shared the same fate, that must mean that they had an united shared business that they must do together.

"Play the Orpheum?" Reggie guessed with his eyebrows raised and lips parted, something he knew was expected, yet remained unbelievable based on his tone alone. Magnolia's stomach churned at the thought of the venue, the place that seemed to house their collective bad luck of performances. The same place seemed haunted, cursed by the touch of death as it claimed three souls, and one in the making. "Getting that gig was literally impossible. Even after people know who we were, we had to hustle. Call in every favour we had. It took us years."

It was true, Los Angeles' Orpheum was beautiful and charming, a place that housed a grand stage for those who dared to step into the spotlight. The venue seemed to always be booked, scheduled for big time performers and the occasional ballet recital, it was almost impossible to book within the limited time they had, especially with no one to represent them.

The boys quickly pushed themselves away from Magnolia, afraid she would be caught in the short circuit as electricity coursed through their body, the pains in their chests increasing as Caleb Covington's jolts spiked their phantom hearts, ripping through whatever muscle and tissue to increase the affliction of their curse. The spirit gasped, watching Luke stumble into a lamp post, clutching at his heart as Reggie toppled over himself, falling onto his back. Alex grunted at the sting, sliding his back down the shoppe window and onto the concrete.

"You don't have years." Magnolia stated, her eyebrows furrowing as she quickly wiped at her tears before making quick work to move each Sunset Curve member onto a bench she had spotted nearby. She moved one-by-one, taking Reggie's arm over her shoulder to haul him over to the beautifully sculpted bench, holding true Chinese design to the piece. "If we don't tell Julie... then what's our strategy?"

The Japanese girl grunted as she draped Reggie onto the bench, blowing her bangs upwards before reaching for the blond and quickly glancing back at the Patterson boy, his hazel-eyes hiding behind his eyelids as he tried to find his breath. She pulled the Mercer boy off of his feet and pulled his arm onto her shoulders, holding his torso as she carefully dragged the limping boy into the Peters boy's direction.

"'Our'?" Alex repeated in slight disbelief, his voice croaking at the sudden weight of his body increasing, the mubing pain inhibiting him from moving a single muscle to, at least, give the girl less weight to carry. He felt bad, not wanting her to bring their heavy bodies over her shoulders and drag them into an upright sitting position. "Mags, we can't let you-"

Alex sighed in relief, his body finding the proper back support and a comfortable spot along the bench. He looked back at the Doran girl, her tawny-eyes holding determination despite the sweat that collected at her hairline. They were heavy, even for ghosts, it also didn't help that Magnolia trained with her legs, not with her arms. She didn't have the appropriate arm strength to lug around three ghost boys around.

Oh, what the things she could do with Willie's upper body strength.

"It's cute how you think I need your permission." Magnolia cooed, crouching down to meet their eye level as a sweet smile stretched onto her face, soft pants leaving her parted lips before she booped both boys' noses with the tip of her index finger. Reggie blinked as Alex flinched at the sudden action, her watery smile easily forgotten in the wind as she turned on her heel, going to the lamp post to collect the last Sunset Curve member. "I was part of the team the moment you brought me to Julie's garage, dumbos. We're in this together."

She gently tapped at Luke's knee, searching his face worriedly as his chest moved up-and-down, making her softly smile. Magnolia reached a hand to squeeze Luke's cheeks in one hand, making him open his eyes to find the Japanese girl pinching at is cheeks as she usually did, a small smile--one as large as it could be with her hands on his face--growing on his lips. The spirit released his face, grabbing his arm the same way she had with the other two, pulling it over her shoulder and dragging him towards the bench.

"There she is." Luke jested with a crack of a smile on his face, his words breathless as tired. He had insisted he was okay, trying to walk himself towards the bench, but Magnolia remained persistent as she pinched at his side using the arm she had used to wrap around his torso, making him yelp. She giggled as she lugged the brunet next to Alex, letting him rest by him as she stretched out her back. "After we come up with some shitty plan to cross over, we're getting you back into your body. Even if it's the last thing we do."

She looked down at the three boys, a gentle smile finding its way onto her face as she giddily draped herself over the boys, lying atop of their laps as she smoothed down the skirt of her overall dress. The deceased members of Sunset Curve chuckled at her theatrics, Luke's hands finding its way to her scalp.

He smoothed down any knots and combed through the thick mass, feeling the silky raven-coloured strands of her hair over his fingers. She beamed up at him, the soothing feeling opting her to relax against his thigh as the two boys by his side grinned at the spirit on their laps, her body still as a log as she hummed.

"I second that." Reggie agreed to Luke's proclamation wholeheartedly, smiling down at the Japanese girl as he picked at her socks, pulling them up to mid-calf. Admittedly, they were Willie's from the tacky and cartoonish fast food design on them, but she called it fair since he still had her sweater. She had three pairs all stolen from his wardrobe in his old home, all relatively new. He noticed, of course, but hadn't bothered to comment on it.

They were hers, now. She didn't make the rules.

"We love you, Mags. We're serious." Alex muttered, squeezing her fingers and intertwining them, making her giggle as her cheeks dusting pink, still not used to having others tell her she loved her. Sure, her parents and brother said things like that, telling her that they love her everyday, but she hadn't heard it in such a long time.

She missed feeling the invitation of warmth that coursed through her body with the genuinity of the three little words.

"I love you guys, so much." Magnolia whispered, giving each boy a watery smile as she squeezed onto Alex's hand, silently letting him know that she was here for him, for them. As she gazed at each Sunset Curve member, her ghostly heart tapped rhythmically against her ribcage as she stayed true to her words, loving each boy with all the love in her heart. She knew from that very moment, she wasn't going to be scared anymore.

A single thought raced into her mind, her heart wholeheartedly agreeing as her conscience eased into the idea of her love for the three boys she had the pleasure of meeting that one fateful night. Despite putting herself back in that sort of danger, she wouldn't take it back. She was glad she left that hospital room the day she did.

Magnolia Grace knew that she loved the boys, she knew she would die for them the same way she would for Willie or Ethan.

And if that was what it took to save them, then so be it.

⋘ ──── ∗ ⋅◈⋅ ∗ ──── ⋙

word count: 17043

GOOD MORNING/AFTERNOON/EVENING ANGELS!!!

okay, so i know y'all had to wait, like, a week for this to come out (and i really do hope it was worth the wait) but hear me out-

its the fact willie and maggie had a duet before luke and maggie did for me

im actually rlly happy with how this turned out, especially with the maggie and willie trope we have going on, and have honestly been waiting for since it was first introduced. i was thinking about making such a slow burn and learn about maggie's and willie's past, but honestly i feel like i could do so much more to it later in the chapters left.

honestly, im kinda sad our magnolia journey is coming to an end, especially with an estimate of six chapters left, but dont worry lovies, im not done dragging you through the mud yet. and thank you to all the lovely commenters and voters (and ofc to the ppl who add this book to their reading lists) i have found the inspiration to put more HEART WRENCHING scenes to the book :))))

and there are, like, to chapters ahead of this one that are DEDICATED to the **haha** pain factor that i love doing so much. y'know, pull at your heartstrings just a little, if not, i do hope you like how my version of developing all the characters in this book.

BABES THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR THE 29.2K READS AND OVER 1.1K VOTES, Y'ALL SPOIL ME TOO MUCH I LITERALLY LOVE YOU GUYS-

i hope this was worth the wait, angels, because i'm (probably) gonna push the next chapter out in a couple of days, but it really depends how busy and/or motivated i am to get my HEART WRENCHING chapter out.

please leave a vote on the chapter if you enjoyed it, and please leave a comment (i'll really appreciate it if you do) if you're up for it and please remember that i love you guys and to stay safe!!!

xoxo, the author that will possibly come back in a few days with another chapter (with a maggie solo, one thats honestly needed) or maybe not. **haha**

SEE YOU NEXT TIME, LOVELIES!