okay, here's the actual last chapter. it was pretty rude of me to leave the whole book on a cliffhanger that huge. so, here ya go! now we must wait for a season 2 announcement
"i can't exactly run around school claiming that i can see ghosts"
"Yeah. You both do."
Carrie and Mickey shared a nervous look and both gulped. The time had come — they had to come clean. Mickey had spent weeks trying to keep Carrie a secret, but after what had just happened, it was impossible. The pair continued to stare at each other, not quite sure how to start. Neither of them wanted to explain it all.
"One of you say something," Alex said, sighing. "Explain!"
Carrie's eyes widened and she quickly placed her finger on her nose. "Nose goes!"
"Nose g — fuck," Mickey muttered, having put her finger to her nose just a second too late. She groaned and tossed her head back while Carrie smiled triumphantly.
"What was that?" Reggie asked, confused by their actions.
"That's a game to choose who has to do the unwanted task," Mickey explained. "Carrie taught me two weeks ago. I'm not good at it yet."
"Two weeks?" Julie repeated, shocked. "W - what? How long has this been going on? How long has she known?"
"Um, like, the whole time, actually," Mickey muttered.
"The whole time!" Julie exclaimed. Her hands flew to her hair and she pulled on it anxiously.
"I feel like this is, like, a sit-down conversation," Carrie told her. Mickey nodded in agreement.
She and Carrie made their way to the couch. Reggie was the first of the others to move. He sat next to Mickey and pulled her into his side. Sure, a major bombshell had just been dropped on them all, but he was just happy that Mickey was no longer in pain. Slowly, Julie, Alex, and Luke sat around them.
"Okay, so, like, in my defense," Mickey said, putting her hands up, "part of this is totally on you guys. You all just, like, forgot that I didn't show up here with you all when we died. I told you about appearing in a girl's bedroom and that she could see me."
"Woah, I did completely forget that," Luke muttered with wide eyes. "I mean, I guess you stopped talking about her, and then everything with the band and Caleb kept us distracted."
"That night, Mickey appeared in my room and I was totally freaked," Carrie told them, finally feeling confident enough to speak up. Though, Julie was still eying her warily. "I didn't believe her at first when she told me that she was a ghost, but then my dad ran in after hearing me scream, and he couldn't see her."
"Wait. Wait, you saw Trevor?" Alex asked.
Mickey sighed and nodded. "I did, but at that point, I still thought it was 1995. I had no idea it was him at that time." Reggie kissed the top of her head to comfort her. "Anyways, after I found out it had been twenty-five years, I went off to find you guys. Luckily, I thought of checking our old house."
"And then later that night you left to go tell Carrie that you had found us," Reggie remembered.
"Yeah, and Reggie was really sad and pathetic until you came back," Alex teased. Reggie scoffed but didn't deny it, which made Mickey smile. He had nothing to be embarrassed about now.
"Right. And then I didn't see her again until the spirit rally," Carrie said, sighing. "I was mad and jealous, so I told Mickey to leave me alone and to not tell Julie about how I could see her."
"So, wait, you've known this entire time that the guys aren't holograms?" Julie asked, leaning back in shock. Carrie nodded slowly, biting her lip. "Why didn't you say anything? Or, like, tell people?"
Carrie chuckled and rolled her eyes. "Probably the same reason you said they were holograms. I can't exactly run around school claiming that I can see ghosts — well, a ghost. Mickey was the only one I could see when you all weren't performing."
"Yeah. She didn't get the pleasure of seeing you do that cute little butt dance at the rally," Mickey said, smirking at Reggie.
"I can do it again," he offered, grinning.
Alex quickly shook his head and sighed. "Please don't."
Mickey chuckled and kissed Reggie's cheek before continuing. "Anyways, I went to Carrie's house later to check on her. Once I explained everything, she wasn't mad at me anymore. But we still agreed to keep her a secret from all of you. Then we spent like twenty minutes just looking at pictures of Paul Rudd."
"Really? You still have a thing for him?" Alex asked, raising an eyebrow. "Isn't he, like, old now?"
"Oh my god, Alex. He literally looks the same," Mickey told him, grinning. "I'd still marry him on the spot."
Reggie cleared his throat and pulled Mickey into his chest. "I'm right here."
Mickey playfully smirked up at him. "And?"
"Can we focus up, please?" Julie asked, crossing her arms. "I mean, what all did you tell her? Does she know about... you know?"
Carried sighed and looked down at her lap. Then she gave each of the guys an apologetic look. "I am so sorry for what my dad did. I can't believe that he would steal your music and claim it as his own. He had no right, and at the very least, he should've given you all credit — if not for you, then for your families."
Luke studied her for a moment, and they all looked to him. He was the one that was most hurt by Trevor stealing the songs, after all. He looked conflicted. No, he didn't want to forgive Trevor, but at the same time, it wasn't Carrie's fault. He shouldn't hold that against her. But on the other hand, she and Julie were enemies, and he felt like he needed to stand by Julie's side. Eventually, he sighed and nodded.
"You have nothing to apologize for, Carrie. You're not the one that stole our legacy," he said, frowning. Then he glanced at Mickey. "And you told her about who he is to you?"
"Yeah. I went to her place that night that we performed Finally Free at that club and told her about Bobby."
"Ah, also known as the night that you almost had sex with Reggie right on top of my piano," Luke said snarkily.
"They did what on my mom's piano?" Julie asked with wide eyes.
"We were not gonna... that's not — we were just kissing," Reggie stuttered out, his cheeks heating up. "Shut up, Luke! That's not relevant to the story."
Alex and Luke snickered while Reggie hid his face in Mickey's neck, feeling embarrassed. Mickey ran her hands through his hair comfortingly, though she had a pleased smirk on her face.
"Anyway," Carrie said, giggling — the guys were just as goofy as Mickey had described. "Yes, I do know that she's my dad's sister. I didn't want to believe her at first though. I mean, he never told me about her."
"Did you ever ask him about her after that?" Reggie asked, finally pulling his head away from Mickey's neck.
Carrie and Mickey shared a meaningful look before she shook her head. "No. Not yet. I just, I was a little scared at first to ask. But then I showed him the YouTube video and thought he would tell me about Mickey. He didn't, not even after the show tonight when he saw her. He went straight home and locked himself in his room. Based on how much he was crying, I'd guess he's either drinking or on the phone with his therapist. Maybe both," Carrie explained, shrugging. "I don't know what's going through his head right now."
"Well, I hope he feels like the shittiest brother on the planet," Luke grumbled.
"It - it doesn't matter," Mickey told them, leaning against Reggie. "He saw us. He knows we aren't holograms. That's a problem for another day though. I'd just like to enjoy the fact that we no longer are feeling those jolts and don't have to worry about Caleb taking our souls."
"Yeah. Let's hope we don't ever see him again," Reggie said, nodding.
"Something tells me that's not the case," Alex muttered to himself. He did his best to not worry about Caleb, but it was hard considering how powerful he was. And he was worried about Willie, hoping that he wasn't in trouble.
"Speaking of that guy, what was happening up on stage tonight?" Carrie asked, frowning.
The four ghosts shared an upset look. "Caleb trapped us in his club," Luke explained. Both Carrie and Julie listened intently, not wanting to miss a thing. "It was like we couldn't control ourselves. He had us right where he wanted us and we would've joined him if it weren't for Julie."
"Yeah," Alex said, nodding. "I could hear her singing in my head and it pulled me back. Our connection to you and the band was stronger than Caleb's magic."
Julie smiled at the ghosts she had grown to love, but then her gaze landed on Mickey, who was avoiding her eyes. "But Carrie's the one that pulled you back, wasn't she?"
Mickey gave her an apologetic look and nodded her head. "I, um, I never heard you. I was back at the club, dancing when the guys started to disappear. I was so confused and didn't know what was happening. But then I heard Carrie as clear as day like she was standing right next to me, begging for me to come back. And it worked. You saved me, Care Bear."
Carrie smiled and held Mickey's hand. "Anything for you, Mickey Mouse."
The guys all flinched when they heard the familiar nickname leave her lips. They studied Mickey, wondering if she'd have the same sad expression on her face, but she only smiled at the younger girl. They really did love each other, they realized. Carrie was her family, and nothing would change that.
"And that's why Carrie was able to remove Caleb's stamp," Julie realized. She wasn't upset, just surprised. After all, she was the least close with Mickey. It wasn't either girls' fault — it was just how it was.
"Carrie, if you hadn't gotten here in time, I would've lost her," Reggie said. He was smiling at her affectionately while hugging Mickey tighter. "I can't imagine my life without her, so I can never repay you for that."
"No thanks necessary," she said, shaking her head. "But if you ever hurt Mickey, I'll kill you. Again."
Reggie leaned back, intimidated by the younger girl's glare. Luke and Alex snickered as she threatened him. Mickey smiled and then kissed Reggie's cheek, knowing he'd never hurt her. The six of them sat in silence for a few more moments before Alex spoke up.
"So, like, what now?"
"Well, the band's back," Luke said happily.
"Yeah, but Caleb is still out there," Alex said, sighing.
"And Bobby is still a problem," Mickey mumbled.
"And Nick is totally gonna keep asking you out, Julie, even though you clearly have something going on with Luke," Carrie added. She had a pleased smirk on her face as Julie blushed and Luke confidently raised an eyebrow.
He chuckled and leaned back in his chair. "I think I can handle fedora boy."
"He can be very persistent," Carrie said, shrugging. "Just a warning."
"Well," Julie said, fiddling with her hands awkwardly. "This is definitely not how I thought tonight would go."
"No kidding," Carrie agreed.
The four ghosts stayed silent as the ex-best friends looked at each other. This was the longest they had been in a room together without being hostile. Everything had changed in the last hour, and neither knew what to do about it.
"I - I guess I should go home and try to talk to my dad," Carrie said slowly.
"Um, if - if you'd want to, um, I'm sure my dad wouldn't mind if you stayed over," Julie hesitantly offered, which surprised all of them.
"Are you sure?"
"Yeah," Julie said, nodding. "Maybe it'll be like old times. I mean, we certainly have lots to talk about now."
"And I have a lot to apologize for," Carrie said softly. "I've been horrible to you."
"Yes, but you're not the only one that has to apologize. I mean, I'm the reason we stopped being friends in the first place," Julie said, looking down at her lap, feeling ashamed of how she acted.
"What if we just... call it even and split a tub of mint-chocolate chip like we used to?"
Julie smiled a real smile at Carrie's suggestion. "Sounds like a plan. Let's go ask my dad if you can stay."
Carrie nodded happily and they both got up, but she turned to look at Mickey, smiling. Mickey got up to hug her again.
"Thank you so much, Carrie," she whispered, squeezing her tightly.
"No. Thank you," she said, pulling back. "Thank you for coming into my life. I didn't realize how horrible I had become in this last year until you showed up and made me feel like myself again. You're the best aunt any girl could wish for."
"And you're a totally bitchin' niece."
Then, Carrie and Julie went to the house, leaving the four ghosts behind.
"I guess Bobby didn't mess up everything," Alex said, twirling one of his drumsticks. "She's kinda cool."
"She actually reminds me a lot of you, Mick," Luke added, shrugging. "She'd definitely use itching powder to beat someone in an audition."
"Luke, the itching powder was your idea," she reminded him, smiling. "So, what now?"
Alex and Luke eyed Reggie, who had wrapped his arms around Mickey from behind before resting his chin in the crook of her neck. They saw the loving look in his eyes as he looked at her with a soft smile. They could see how happy he was that she was still there with them, and they knew they needed some alone time. Alex and Luke shared a look, silently agreeing to get out.
"I might try to go look for Willie," Alex told him.
"Yeah, and I can go help him," Luke added, nodding his head. "If we find him, gotta give him the ol' "don't hurt my ex-boyfriend again" speech."
"Okay. Have fun," Reggie muttered, not taking his eyes off of Mickey.
The guys chuckled, and Alex winked at Mickey before they poofed out, leaving the couple alone. Reggie quickly turned Mickey in his arms and leaned his forehead against hers.
"Do not ever scare me like that again," he whispered, shutting his eyes tightly. Then he took in a shaky breath. "I thought I was going to lose you."
"I know," she muttered. Mickey reached up and brushed a strand of hair that had fallen on his forehead back into place. "But I'm here. I'm okay. We're both safe."
He took her hand and pressed it to his lips. Then Reggie opened his eyes and she could see tears welling up in them. "Mickey, how could you not tell me that you knew the Orpheum wasn't your unfinished business? Why'd you let me think we'd cross over together?"
Mickey sighed and looked at the floor. "I was never in Sunset Curve, Reggie. But you guys were just so hopeful about it working. I didn't want to distract you guys from the Orpheum and ruin your chance. I didn't want you to worry about me."
"I always worry about you, Mick."
She sighed, feeling horrible for lying. "Are you mad at me?"
Reggie gently lifted her chin so that she'd look at him. He didn't look angry with her. He looked just as perfectly in love with her as he had always been. "Mickey, I've only ever been mad at you once in my life, and that's because you said that Back to the Future was "only okay." And even then, I got over it. I just don't want you to keep bottling things up. I want you to come to me with all your problems so that I can help you. Let me be there for you when you need me."
She leaned into his touch and smiled softly. "I'll always need you."
Reggie slid his hands down her body before pulling her closer by her hips. "I love you so damn much," he whispered.
Mickey wrapped her arms around his neck and stood on her toes to kiss him deeply. "I love you too."
"You know," he hummed as he placed a kiss on her jaw. "I hate Caleb, but he certainly knows what he's doing when he puts you in these dresses."
Mickey playfully rolled her eyes as Reggie's fingers toyed with the end of the green dress. Though she couldn't help but shiver when he brushed the skin of her thigh, which he noticed as he smirked down at her.
"Careful with those hands, Reginald," she said in a teasing tone. "Luke has a horrible habit of walking in at the worst times. Wouldn't want to start something you can't finish."
"I'm willing to take that risk," he said, grinning cheekily.
But it fell when Mickey stepped back from him. He watched as she started walking towards the stairs to the loft. Then she looked at him over her shoulder, and as she pulled her hair down from her updo, she smirked at him.
"You coming or what?"
He looked her up and down with parted lips before swallowing thickly. "Yes ma'am." Then he was quickly following her up the stairs.
Mickey giggled as he picked her up and spun her around once he had caught up. Once she was on her feet, she backed up until she hit the wall, pulling Reggie along by the collar of his vest. His hands moved to her sides and he smiled down at her lovingly. Mickey unbuttoned the collar of his shirt before beginning to kiss down his neck. A groan left his lips as he squeezed her hips tightly.
"If Luke comes in, I'll fucking kill him."