[1.5]
"it was wonderful to have you up there with me, my dear. you dance beautifully"
Despite Mickey's wishes to be left alone, the guys didn't feel like they should meet with Willie's ghost friend without her. Alex had been the one to climb up to the loft to tell her about it. She had stopped crying by the time they arrived, but she still was in a horrible mood. However, Mickey agreed to come with them. Maybe finally meeting Willie or some new ghosts would help distract her.
So, Mickey changed out of Bobby's old sweatshirt, which she had put on for comfort, and settled for one of Reggie's dark green flannels. Luke and Reggie had been a little surprised that Alex coaxed her out of the loft on the first try, but they didn't make a comment. They also didn't mention her little breakdown at Trevor's house.
Reggie simply wrapped his arms around Mickey from behind and rested his chin in the crook of her neck, which she appreciated.
Mickey wasn't very enthusiastic when she met Willie, though she managed to smile at him. Of course, he understood — Alex had explained the situation to him beforehand. Maybe he could get to know her better another time. Willie took the four ghosts to some hotel that none of them had ever heard of, even when they were alive.
"Right this way," Willie said, leading them down a hallway with a skip in his step.
"Woah," Luke said, looking around. "So, this is where your hotshot ghost lives, huh?"
"Yeah, we've walked past this hotel, like, a million times. How come we've never heard of it?" Alex asked him.
"That's because this area has been sealed off for decades," Willie explained. "I mean, you would've even know this place exists unless you're invited. All right, I gotta go make sure everything's cool, but I'll be right back."
Once Willie left, the four of them walked over to the railing that looked over the room.
"The Hollywood Ghost Club?" Reggie said, reading it off a sign. He held Mickey a little tighter, not liking the vibe the place was giving him. "This place is creepy."
"Yeah, well, so are we," Alex told him.
"I'm not creepy," Mickey muttered, brushing her hair behind her ear. "I'm adorable."
"The adorablest," Reggie muttered, kissing the top of her head.
"Well, the princess must be feeling at least a little bit better if she can compliment herself," Luke whispered to Alex with a hopeful smile on his face.
"I don't know about this," Reggie said, looking back out over the crowd. The club was full of people who were seemingly having a good time.
"Well, if you get scared, you... you can always hide behind me," Alex told him hesitantly. "I'll be hiding behind Luke."
Mickey smiled as he moved to stand behind Luke, who rolled his eyes. "You guys need to grow up, okay? We're gonna get back at Bobby. He needs to pay for what he did to us."
"Yeah," Alex muttered. Then he leaned over to whisper to Mickey and Reggie. "I'm still gonna hide behind him."
Luke scoffed. "If anything, you'd wanna hide behind Mickey. She's the most intimidating when she wants to be. Also, she kicks really hard."
Reggie chuckled and Mickey smiled up at him. "I'll protect you, Reg."
Then Willie poofed back to their sides. "We're all good," he announced with a grin on his face. He seemed to always be smiling, Mickey noticed.
"Uh, cool. Hey, just so you know, we have, like, an hour, because we got a gig with Julie," Alex reminded him.
Willie nodded in understanding. "Oh, yeah, no worries. Let's go." Willie led them down the stairs, and Reggie pulled Mickey along by the hand. He didn't plan to let her go for the rest of the night. "Normally, I'd have my deck and I'd backboard this heavy twenty set, but tonight, we have company."
"I don't know what any of those skateboard words meant," Mickey whispered to Reggie, who snickered.
"Hope you guys are ready for this," Willie said before sliding down the handrail. When he landed, he gestured to the grand stage that was set up at the front of the room. There were also tons of people, all dressed in suits and gowns.
"Are you guys seeing what I'm seeing?" Alex asked them.
Luke readjusted his jacket. "I think we're a little overdressed," he said sarcastically before walking down the stairs.
Reggie nervously fiddled with his leather jacket and combed his fingers through his hair. Mickey rolled her eyes and smiled up at him. "You look perfectly fine, Reg. Willie is wearing a blazer and black cargo shorts. I wouldn't call that the height of fashion."
Reggie smiled appreciatively as they reached the bottom of the stairs. Before they could ask any questions, two people walked right through Willie, shocking the four of them.
"Woah! I thought these were all going to be ghosts," Reggie said.
"Yeah. It's called the Hollywood Ghost Club," Mickey added.
"These are all lifers," Willie said, gesturing to everyone in the room.
"Oh, uh, lifers are actually—"
"Alive people," Reggie cut Alex off. "I was listening."
"Well, maybe I was just saying it again for Mickey," Alex muttered, pouting.
"But this is a very exclusive crowd," Willie assured them. "Everybody here has, uh, paid a lot to get a sneak peek at the afterlife."
"I always knew rich people did weird stuff like this," Reggie muttered while Mickey nodded in agreement. She wouldn't be surprised if Trevor and Carrie did something like that.
Then, a man in a white suit approached them. "Gentlemen and lady, I have a table for you. Right this way."
The five ghosts were led to a table that was right in front of the large stage. There was a reservation card sitting on the white tablecloth for a "Mr. William." The man in the suit took it away before leaving them alone. Reggie pulled out Mickey's seat for her before taking his own. Once they were seated, she reached for his hand and pulled it into her lap, making him smile at her.
"Okay, so who's gonna make us visible so we can confront our old bandmate?" Luke asked Willie, wanting to get to the point.
"Oh, no, no. None of these lifers have the power to do that," Willie told them. Mickey frowned and was about to ask what he meant, but then the lights dimmed. "Oh, but here comes the ghost who does."
"Ladies and gentlemen, back from the dead by popular demand, please welcome Caleb Covington!"
Willie and all the lifers cheered as a ghost appeared on stage, floating high above it. Mickey's jaw dropped, never having seen anything like it. She then wondered if she could learn how to fly.
"Did you miss me?" Caleb asked the roaring crowd. "I did too!" Mickey bit back a smirk, thinking his confidence was entertaining. "Welcome to the party of your dreams. From the Egyptians to the Druids, to the person sitting next to you, we've all wondered, "Where do we go when the final light is snuffed out?" Allow me to show you."
"Let me introduce myself. We got some time to kill. Consider me the pearly gates to your new favorite thrills. We could go make history or you could rest in peace." As Caleb sang, he slowly floated towards their table. Mickey couldn't help but lean forward and move to the beat. Caleb seemed to look right at her and smirked. "But here there ain't no misery, 'cause on the other side, we live like kings. Whatcha gonna do? Whatcha gonna do? Let your body loose, let your body loose. Whatcha gonna do? Whatcha gonna do? Show you a thing or two, 'cause you ain't seen nothing."
As the chorus hit, a slew of ghosts flashed on stage. There were tons of dancers and an entire band. Mickey sat back in shock but grinned. She couldn't help but keep her eyes glued to the dancers, holding back from mimicking their movements in her chair.
"Life is good on the other side of Hollywood. Life is good on the other side of Hollywood. So welcome to the brotherhood where you won't be misunderstood. Life is good on the other side of Hollywood."
Caleb looked at Mickey again, and the smirk on his face could only be described as mischievous, but she hadn't recognized it at the time. He snapped his fingers and suddenly, she was gone.
Reggie no longer felt the feeling of her hand in his and looked at her chair with a panicked look on his face. He looked at Alex and Luke with a worried expression, but Willie grinned and made him look back at the stage.
That was where she was — the stage. Mickey was no longer wearing a flannel shirt and leggings and was instead dressed in a satin purple dress that matched Caleb's suit. Reggie gulped, taking note of how well it hugged her frame and how short it was. Caleb had Mickey on his arm and was grinning down at her. She was only shocked for a moment before her feet took over.
She had no idea how she suddenly knew the moves to the jazz routine but had no complaints. Mickey hadn't danced once since dying, so she was happy to take Caleb's hand and let him twirl her around.
"Everything has got a price but happiness is free. Just so happens, you're in luck. We've got a vacancy. We can set the night on fire and break out of the scene. Your soul print on the walk of fame on the boulevard of your wildest dreams."
When Mickey disappeared again, Reggie craned his neck to look around, but he didn't have to look far. Caleb sauntered to their table and pulled the table cloth up, where Mickey then appeared. Willie, Luke, and Alex all grinned up at Mickey as she danced on their table, while Reggie watched with pink cheeks and his mouth open.
"Whatcha gonna do? Whatcha gonna do boys? Let your body loose, let your body loose. Whatcha gonna do? Whatcha gonna do boys? It ain't bragging if it's true. Now you ain't seen nothing."
Mickey spun around the table before letting her leg rest on Reggie's shoulder. His eyes slowly trailed up her body, where he was met with her smiling down at him. Then Caleb pulled her away and back to the center of the dance floor, where they continued on dancing together.
"Life is good on the other side of Hollywood. Life is good on the other side of Hollywood. So welcome to the brotherhood where you won't be misunderstood. Life is good on the other side of Hollywood."
Caleb dipped Mickey dramatically before spinning her under his arm and behind his back. Once again, she had disappeared from the dance floor, though didn't immediately disappear. Reggie tried to enjoy the song, but without Mickey in his sight, it was impossible.
"The rain don't blind the rising souls. They got too much to see. I got your glamour, got your gold. Got all you'll ever need. Let me hear you now. I got your glamour, got your gold. Got all you'll ever need. I said watch me make a move, watch me make a move, boys. I said watch me make a move, no, I don't disappoint. Watch me make a move, I'm ya number one choice. Watch me make a move. Come one and give me that noise. A tomb with a view. Ain't it something?"
Caleb then gestured to one of the acrobatic hoops on the ceiling. That was where Mickey reappeared, wrapping her body around it. Reggie stared up at her with wide eyes and rose from his chair. Luke had to grab him by the shoulders and have him sit back down.
Mickey did several tricks and flips as the song continued. No, she definitely didn't know acrobatics and it was clearly Caleb's magical doing, but she was having far too much fun to care.
"Life is good on the other side of Hollywood. So welcome to the brotherhood where you won't be misunderstood. Life is good on the other side of Hollywood. Ain't it the best? Long live the dead!"
Caleb disappeared behind a black cloth and the crowd went crazy. A few seconds after, Mickey flashed back in her chair, which started the guys. She was out of breath and still wearing the purple dress, but she had the biggest smile on her face. It was as if she hadn't been falling apart at the mere thought of her brother just an hour ago. Mickey quickly stood and leaned into Reggie's side.
"Mickey!" Luke exclaimed, grinning. "That was so sick! How did you even know how to do all that?"
"I - I have no idea. I guess that Caleb guy used his magic," she admitted, grinning. "But that felt amazing, guys."
"Man, dude, I knew I recognized him," Alex told them. "He's the guy that bumped into me outside the Orpheum."
"Wait. Isn't he that magician dude that died a horrible death doing a trick?" Reggie asked them.
Alex shrugged. "Yeah, I wouldn't really bring that up when we meet him."
"Yeah, but you guys should come back when he shows one of his movies," Willie told them excitedly. "I mean, for Titanic, he literally floods the entire place. I mean, the guy has got skills."
"All right, but he can just, like, wave his arms and make ghosts visible to lifers? They all saw Mickey dancing with him?" Luke asked.
"Told you. Guys got skills," Willie said proudly.
Reggie looked around the crowd. "So, where'd he go?" Then he turned back to the others and jumped back in shock. "Oh, wow! Found him! Ha."
They all turned to see Caleb standing behind Alex and Luke. He smiled at them and held his arms open. "Hello, boys and girl. Caleb Covington. Welcome to the Hollywood Ghost Club. Enjoy the show?"
"Yo, that was... I mean.. Did you... Like, and Mickey!" Luke said, just completely overwhelmed by everything he saw.
"I know," Caleb said, chuckling.
Luke nodded. "Right!"
Then Caleb grinned at Mickey and gestured to him. "And it was wonderful to have you up there with me, my dear. I mean, I helped you with the steps, but you're naturally very gifted. You dance beautifully."
"She was amazing," Reggie said, wrapping his arms around her waist and smiling down at her. "She's a ballerina."
"Well, thanks for having me," she told Caleb, blushing slightly.
"This is Alex, Luke, Reggie, and Mickey," Willie introduced.
"Yeah, it's really nice to meet you," Alex said to Caleb.
"The pleasure is mine," Caleb replied. "Nothing warms my heart more than sharing this magic with new friends. Please, sit. Sit."
"Uh, thank you for the invite," Alex said as they all took their seats.
"Of course. Of course. Now, my friend Willie tells me that you boys have some magic of your own," Caleb said, looking at Alex.
Alex awkwardly cleared his throat and glanced at Willie. "Well, Willie and I? I mean, I wouldn't really call it magic, but, I mean—"
"Oh, no. No, he means your ghost abilities," Willie cut him off. "You know, like, to be seen by everybody when you play with Julie."
Luke and Reggie looked back and forth between Willie and Alex. It was quite awkward to watch, and Mickey held back a snicker when she saw the embarrassed look on Alex's face.
"No, totally," Alex said, turning back to Caleb and acting as if he hadn't basically admitted to having a crush on Willie. "Right, no. Cause when you said it, I was like, is that what he said? Cause..." Caleb waved him off, letting Alex know that it was no big deal.
"Yeah, but we can't really, uh, wave our arms and do all this magic stuff," Luke said.
"Well, I've had some practice. Our gifts are so rare, so special. It's not often I come across other spirits who possess similar talents. It's no surprise we found each other," Caleb told them.
"Yeah, definitely," Luke agreed.
"If you'll forgive me, fellas and Mickey, I've gotta go pay the bills if you know what I'm saying. I'll be back later to chat," Caleb said, standing from the table. He smiled at Mickey. "Consider the dress a gift from the club. You look stunning in it."
"Thank you so much," Mickey said, grinning as he walked away.
"I love that dude. Please tell me this party's never gonna end," Reggie said to them.
"Me too," Mickey agreed. She felt like she could stay there and dance forever.
|||
While Caleb was gone, the five ghosts got up to explore the club. Willie and Alex went off on their own while Mickey, Reggie, and Luke talked to some lifers. It felt good to actually talk to other people and ask them questions. They were taking the time to learn all kinds of new things about life in 2020. Some of it was good, but not all of it.
"They made eight more Star Wars movies and they killed Han Solo?" Luke and Mickey shared a wide-eyed look before turning to Reggie. He looked absolutely crushed by the news. "What kind of future is this?"
"Reggie!" Mickey shouted as Reggie whined and ran off. She sighed and chased him down. As she grabbed his hand and made him look at her, she held back a smile. It was very hard for her to not make fun of him for this. "Reg, it's okay."
"He's the best character, Mickey!" he told her, pouting.
"Um, one, I can't believe you just disrespected Wicket like that," Mickey said, rolling her eyes. "Clearly, the Ewoks are superior to everyone else. Two, we don't have to watch the movies. If we don't ever watch them, then they never happened."
Reggie released a breath and nodded. "You're right. Not about the Ewoks, but you're right. Ow!" Reggie leaned back as she smacked his shoulder. "Maybe they aren't all bad. Let's go ask some other lifers about them before we make the final decision."
Reggie took her hand and pulled her across the room to investigate. She smiled lovingly at him, though he wouldn't have caught it. "Sounds like a plan."
|||
Luke stood to the side, biting his lip as he watched Willie and Alex talk. He waited until Willie left before he took the seat next to Alex, grinning at him.
"Oh, you got a crush on Willie," he said in a soft tone.
"What? No," Alex said, looking in the direction Willie had gone off in. Then he nervously glanced back at Luke. "No, man, no. We're just—"
"Alex, I'm happy for you," Luke told him, putting a hand on his shoulder.
Alex bit the inside of his cheek and looked down at his lap. "You really don't mind?"
"You deserve to be happy, and if that's with Willie, then I'm psyched for you," Luke said. "I know better than anyone how lucky he is."
Alex smiled softly at Luke, glad that it wasn't an uncomfortable situation. His anxiety had him thinking that Luke would hate Willie solely because they used to date, which he knew was ridiculous deep down.
The pair's sweet moment was interrupted by Reggie rushing up to them, dragging an amused Mickey along with him. "You guys are not gonna believe this, but someone just told me they added a character named Jar Jar. What's a Jar Jar?"
"I thought he sounded cute and fun," Mickey said, shrugging.
"He did not!" Reggie said, his voice pitch raising. She just laughed at his reaction, knowing there was no way they would be watching the new Star Wars movies now.
Caleb then finally re-graced them with his presence. "I take it you all are enjoying yourselves?" he asked them.
"Yeah, I mean, you'd have to be insane to have a bad time here," Luke said.
Caleb smiled and looked around the bustling room. "Well, entertainment is our specialty. So now, I understand there's something I can help you with."
"Yeah, we hope so," Reggie told him. Then he wrapped his arm around Mickey's shoulder. "There's an old buddy of ours who ripped us off big time. Not only that, but he hurt Mickey, and that can't slide. We wanna make things right."
"Yeah," Luke agreed. "We wanna look him in the eyes and make him admit what he did to us. Then he's gonna have to face Mick and explain how he could be so cruel to his sister."
Mickey felt her eyes start to well up with tears again, so she looked off at the crowd. She was having such a good time, but now she was being reminded of just how horrible of a day she had.
"So, if you could make us visible, that would be perfect," Alex told him.
Caleb chuckled while eying Mickey. He wasn't quite sure what to make of her change of attitude, but perhaps he could make use of it. "Well, sure, I could do that, but we're at a party. Why focus on those who have wronged us when we're among friends? Now, I understand that the four of you are talented musicians. And Mickey, as stated, you're a beautiful dancer. I doubt your dream is to settle a score. No, your dreams are bigger than that! You're like me — born to perform your music in front of a sold-out crowd. Please, sit."
Mickey couldn't help but agree with Caleb. She didn't want revenge on her brother, not really. She wasn't even sure she'd be able to face him even if Caleb made her visible to him. But dancing like she had for the lifers earlier was even better than performing on stage with the guys and Julie — she was meant to dance.
"What if I were to tell you that with a wave of my hand, you could share the spotlight with me and join my house band?" Caleb asked them.
The guys chuckled while Mickey's smile dimmed slightly. "W - we already have a band," Luke reminded him.
"Yes. Yes. But, when you're done performing, you disappear. You cease to exist. No bows. No... no soaking up the applause. No real connection with the audience. Here the audience knows what you are, and more importantly, they know how special you are."
"Well, it could be cool to play here," Luke said, looking at the others. One of the last things he had said when he was alive was about how much he loved the connection with the audience. Caleb could give that to him.
"Oh, it's not just here," Caleb said, sitting forward. "We party like this all over the world. Tonight, Hollywood. Tomorrow, Paris."
"Paris?" Mickey whispered with a dreamy look on her face.
"And you, my dear," Caleb said, taking Mickey's hand from Reggie's. "We don't just do music and movies. We can put on a ballet for you. An entire crowd of people mesmerized by you and you alone. You'll never have that playing in your band. You were simply born to dance, and you know it. You would be the lead in any ballet you'd want us to show — Odette, Giselle, Clara. You name it, the part's yours."
"Nikiya in La Bayadère."
Caleb held back a smirk, knowing that his plan was working. Each of the four ghosts looked mesmerized, and none more than Mickey.
"It is all your dreams come true. Forever," he told them. "I'm gonna give you some time to think about it. Oh, by the way, make sure you try the sliders. They're to die for."
"W - w - we can eat here?" Reggie stuttered out with wide eyes.
"Here you can," Caleb assured them.
He walked away while snapping his fingers. Then waiters brought over silver trays stacked full with pizza, meatball subs, and sliders. The three boys eyed the food hungrily, and even Mickey had missed the taste of pizza — she almost never got to eat it because of her strict diet at the ballet academy. They all immediately reached for the food, but Alex stopped them.
"Wait! I want the one without cheese."
The three boys ravaged the food. Mickey watched with an amused smile on her face as they stuffed their mouths full of food, not wanting to waste time chewing. She grabbed a slice of pizza and ate it at a normal pace, savoring the taste. It was much better than the last thing she had eaten, which inevitably killed her as well.
"Oh my god!" Luke groaned happily with a slice of pizza in one hand and a burger in the other.
Mickey sat back with a grin, just watching as they devoured the food. She had tapped out after two slices. Eventually, Willie joined, and the pair enjoyed the show. It was shocking how little time it took for them to inhale the three trays of food, and soon it was almost gone.
"Oh, pizza! Man, I missed you," Luke said, biting into the last slice.
Mickey watched Reggie with an amused smile. He was making smooching noises while pressing a sandwich to his lips. When she laughed, Alex followed her line of sight and raised an eyebrow.
"Reg, are you kissing that meatball sub?" he asked.
"It's what you do with the things you love," Reggie declared.
"And yet I don't think you've ever kissed M—" Luke was cut off by Reggie throwing the meatball sub in his face. Luke's jaw dropped and he stared at Reggie, whose cheeks were red. "Dude! Ow! Also, you totally wasted that sub."
Before Reggie could defend himself or change the topic, Caleb stepped back on stage and spoke into the microphone. "I take it you're all enjoying the feast? So many delicious sights. So many tantalizing sounds. But your eyes still hunger for more."
Mickey was too busy watching Caleb on the stage to notice Reggie looking at her.
"Something sweet. Something... savory," Caleb said, walking behind a keyboard. "How many newcomers do we have in the club tonight?" The four ghosts raised their hands, smiling. "Ladies, let's show our guests how we do dessert. A one, two, three, four!"
The band started up and dancers ran out on the floor. This time, Mickey stayed seated, just watching with an excited grin as Caleb sang.
"Watch me make a move. Watch me make a move, yeah. Whatcha gonna do? Whatcha gonna do? I say, watch me make a move. Watch me make a move, oh. Whatcha gonna do? Whatcha gonna do? I say, watch me make a move. Watch me make a move, yeah. Whatcha gonna do? Whatcha gonna do? Watch me make a move. Best you ever knew."
Willie then grabbed Mickey's hand and they ran out to the dance floor. They joined in with the ensemble, dancing happily while the guys watched.
"Life is good on the other side of Hollywood. Life is good on the other side of Hollywood. So welcome to the brotherhood where you won't be misunderstood. Life is good on the other side of Hollywood."
Mickey and Willie danced over to the guys and got them to stand up. Mickey twirled around Alex and Luke before landing in Reggie's arms. She grinned up at him before pulling him onto the dance floor.
"Life is good on the other side of Hollywood. Life is good on the other side of Hollywood. So welcome to the brotherhood where you won't be misunderstood. Life is good on the other side of Hollywood. Of Hollywood. Ain't it something."
Reggie dipped Mickey as the song ended. Everyone started to clap for Caleb, but not those two. Reggie kept Mickey in his arms, not taking his eyes off her. The band started playing soft music and he pulled her closer to his chest.
"Caleb was right, you know," he said, leaning his forehead against her. "You look absolutely stunning in that dress."
She felt his hand slide across the silk before it rested on her lower back. "Really?"
"You always look stunning," he muttered softly. His other hand trailed up Mickey's arm and then he held her jaw. Mickey blushed when she saw Reggie's eyes flicker to her lips. "You're the most beautiful girl I've ever seen. And you're somehow even more beautiful when you dance."
"Reggie," she whispered, leaning into his touch. Reggie moved his head down, and there was no doubt in her mind that he was going to kiss her.
And then came Luke.
"Dude. Dude!" he said, roughly grabbing Reggie's shoulder. He sighed and tried to wave Luke off, but it didn't deter him.
"Not right now, man," Reggie said, glaring at him for half a second before looking back down at Mickey.
However, Luke wouldn't take it for an answer. He lifted Reggie up from behind, tearing him off of Mickey, who finally snapped out of her daze. She followed after the two with a frown on her face.
"We were supposed to be at Julie's school at nine," Luke told them, panicking.
"Oh shoot," Reggie muttered. "That's right. Maybe we can still make it."
Mickey then glanced at the huge clock on the wall and saw it pointing to Midnight. They were way late. They definitely couldn't still make it. "Where's Alex?" Mickey asked, looking around the crowd.
"Alex!" Reggie called. "We forgot—"
"Up here!" They all turned their heads up to see Alex awkwardly holding on to the acrobat circle on the ceiling. "Julie. I know. This place is... One sec." Alex wiggled around, trying to stay upright on the hoop. "This place is some kind of time warp."
"Poof down here, bro. We gotta get going," Luke said.
Once Alex was back on his feet, they all ran towards the door. Luke grabbed his coat as they passed their table. Before they could make it up the stairs, Caleb poofed in front of them.
"Gentlemen, lady, what's the rush?" he asked them. "The party's just getting started, and you have an eternity, after all."
"You know that girl that can see us? We sort of bailed on her," Reggie explained. "See, there's this dance at her school, and her friend Flynn is, like, a super cool DJ, like—"
"I don't think he has an eternity to hear the story," Alex interrupted.
"Basically, we're late for a gig," Luke simplified.
Caleb frowned slightly. "But what about my offer?"
"It's very cool of you, Mr. Covington, but, like I said, we already have a—"
"A band of your own," Caleb finished, nodding his head. "I understand."
"Well, maybe I could stay and—"
"Mick, we gotta go," Luke told her. "We promised Julie."
Mickey sighed and nodded her head. Caleb smirked at her eagerness to stay, but it came off as a smile to the four ghosts. "Oh, if you ever wanna come back and fix that little problem with your friend, the Hollywood Ghost Club is always open."
"Yeah, we'd love to come back," Mickey said, grinning. The guys nodded along.
"Ah! Music to my ears," Caleb said. Luke moved to shake his hand, but Caleb held his wrist. They heard a little sizzling sound and then he moved on to Alex's wrist. Next, he did the same thing to Reggie. Finally, Mickey reluctantly let go of Reggie's hand and Caleb did the same thing to her. They all looked down to see a purple design on their wrists. "Oh, it's just a little club stamp."
"Cool," Reggie said before retaking Mickey's hand.
"Until next time," Caleb told them.
"Peace," Luke said before heading to the door.
"See you around," Reggie said before copying Caleb's charming smile and little chuckle. Mickey and Alex eyed him, holding back groans from how awkward it felt to watch. Alex nudged him. "What? That's what he just did."
Reggie smiled once more at Caleb before following Luke. He pulled Mickey along with him, but she waved at Caleb. "I'll definitely be back, Mr. Covington."
After leaving the Hollywood Ghost Club, the four ghosts flashed to the high school. They went to the gym as fast as they could, hoping that the dance wasn't too late — though Mickey had her doubts.
"Julie, we are ready to rock this dance!" Reggie yelled as all four of them ran into the empty gym. The decorations were still up, but there were no dancing students. "Which is clearly over."
Mickey sighed sadly and leaned against Reggie. Julie was sitting under a balloon arch, but slowly got to her feet and looked at them disappointedly.
"Look, we are so, so sorry that we bailed on you," Luke told her.
"Yeah, I mean, the night really got away from us," Alex added.
"Yeah, and Mickey," Reggie couldn't help but mumbled, his cheeks heating up. Luke hit his arm, giving him a pointed look that clearly meant it wasn't the time.
"Just please tell me it had nothing to do with you getting back at Carrie's dad," Julie told them, a hopeful look in her eye. Mickey bit her lip and looked at the floor.
"Pft. Oh, of course not," Luke lied.
"No, we wouldn't do that," Reggie said in a high-pitched voice.
"Us? No," Alex added.
Julie focused on Mickey, who had stayed quiet. Then Mickey glanced at her apologetically. "Seriously? You're lying to me? And Mickey didn't even want to get back at him!"
The guys shared a look before Alex spoke up. "Okay, look, it was something we needed to do."
"B - but we'll do whatever it takes," Luke said, stepping closer to her. "We'll play the next school—"
"What? Another dance where you can bail on me and make me look like a fool?" Julie asked, the hurt clear in her tone. "Save it. You know what really sucks? Our songs were good. And all four of you knew what I've been through, and how tough it's been for me to play, and then you do this? Bands don't do that to each other. Friends don't do that to each other. This was a mistake."
"You mean the school dance, right?" Luke asked with a heartbroken look on his face.
"No. I mean joining a band with you guys." Julie looked at them all one last time before running out of the gym.
"Julie!" Luke yelled, but he didn't chase after her.
Mickey put a comforting arm on his shoulder. "She needs some time, Luke."
"Well, if... if Julie's not in the band, then—"
"There is no band," Luke mumbled sadly.
Then suddenly, a sharp jolt ripped through all their bodies. Mickey scrambled and held her chest. It didn't last long, but it was so painful that it left her gasping for air. She looked at the guys, who had gone through the same thing.
"What was that?" Alex asked.
"It felt like we were dying all over again," Reggie groaned. He looked towards Mickey to make sure she was okay.
"How can we die if we're already dead?" Luke asked them.
They all shared worried looks. Whatever the hell it was, it had hurt like a bitch. They could only hope that it didn't happen again.