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Luke Patterson knows that his interactions with lifers can only go so far. As in, the limits of the Hollywood Ghost Club walls.
Aka, the only building he can actually be tangible in.
He knows it’s because of Caleb that he can even touch the lifers at all—one of the selling points of the club in the first place is that lifers can “interact with the dead!” And he also knows that he, Reggie and Alex are lucky to still be together and play music, even if it is working for Caleb. They get to have fun together and Alex gets to be with Willie, which makes it almost worth it in Luke’s eyes.
But Caleb has strict rules about lifers, and the problem is, Luke’s never been good at following rules in general, so when he meets Julie Molina, there’s only a moment’s hesitation before he plunges in. Face first, full charge, he once wrote, back before he became a ghost, when he had a band on the rise and a whole life ahead of him. Words Luke intends to live by, even in his ghostly life.
Screw Caleb and his stupid rules.
She’s shorter than him, and now the same age. Her brown skin compliments his paleness, the contrast quickening his heart that does not beat whenever they touch. Julie’s hair falls in curly ringlets, and Luke adores being able to twirl them around his finger when he cups her face. Her lips are sweeter than any dessert he could ever eat at the Club, and her voice is the harmony to his own melody.
Every time Luke steps onto the stage, he searches the crowd for her. And he doesn’t quite settle into the rhythm of the show until he catches her eyes, locked on him, smiling. The grin that splits his own face to match means he can focus on entertaining, on connecting to the rest of the lifers around him. It also means that thirty minutes after the performance has ended, he will meet her in a closet or empty room so they can talk or create songs together in private.
Luke knows this can’t end well for either of them. He’s a ghost; dead, for all eternity, or at least until Caleb releases him or finds his unfinished business. And she’s alive; breathing into him, pulse racing against his still skin when his lips meet her neck, blood pumping through her veins as he traces them with a feather-light touch. She’s always warm, and it makes him forget the coldness of his ghostly body for a few minutes when she hugs him or links her fingers with his.
And there’s also Caleb to consider; what he would do if he ever found out. Luke doesn't quite know why Caleb has rules about no relationships with lifers, but he does know he wants to keep Julie safe from him. Honestly, they’re lucky Caleb hasn’t already made Julie a deal for her soul, and Luke prays that their luck can hold. Caleb’s dangerous, and if there was any other way for him to meet up with Julie, Luke would take it in a heartbeat (pun intended).
When they steal moments together, they talk often about her future career—what kind of sound she’s going to have, how many albums she wants to make, ideas for logos or album covers using her doodles. Even though she’s only seventeen, Julie’s got her whole life ahead of her. Luke wishes he could be with her in that, but her destiny outshines his own, and if all he gets to be is a distant star in her universe, then so be it. He was an alive seventeen-year-old once (an hour in the dark room notwithstanding), and he wants all her dreams to come true in a way they never did for him.
There’s a kind of hidden desperation in each of their encounters, like this might be the last time they see each other. The chance of discovery, the reality that every day that passes means Julie’s one day older, the knowledge that this relationship can’t even exist outside of this building—it creeps into the back of their minds, bleeds over into their conversations, spills into their kisses and loving touches.
This can’t last, so we have to make the most of what we have, they tell each other. Because getting a small slice of happiness with each other is worth the inevitable pain.
Luke still remembers the first time he saw her, a year ago—searching for her mother’s ghost, desperate for any scrap of evidence that she wasn’t truly gone. How the music had seemed to grate on her ears, flinching at every little change in key or beat of Alex’s drums. It struck Luke as odd—who comes to a music club when they hate music?
And then he had gotten to talk to her, heard her story, listened to her. And his heart broke for the girl who had lost the joy in music and her way in the world. They had a few bumps in the road (mostly his own doing, with his occasional lack of tact and focus on music instead of her emotions), but they’ve been steadily growing closer, and now Luke can’t imagine his ghostly life without Julie.
His friends know, of course. Luke couldn’t stop smiling after that first night, and Reggie had caught on quickly. Alex cautioned him against it, but after seeing how much peace Julie brought Luke, and vice versa, he agreed to help in whatever way he could. Willie tells Luke about his favorite hiding spots, and Reggie keeps a lookout when needed. She’s met all of them and fallen into an easy friendship with the group, which makes it easier for the two of them to sneak away when Caleb’s not looking.
It’s not perfect, but the two of them make the secret relationship work. Until it doesn’t.
They’ve commandeered the dressing room off of the side of the main ballroom for tonight’s meetup. Alex gives them the all-clear, Luke takes Julie’s hand, and they slip into the room, closing the door gently.
“Hi,” Julie whispers with a smile.
“Hi,” Luke whispers back. “You got something new for me today?”
She nods, leaning up on her tiptoes to press a soft kiss to his lips. “I started the chorus, but I need a good hook for the bridge.”
Luke leans down to plant a kiss of his own on her. “Let’s get to it then.” They pull up chairs to the counter, moving aside old wigs and makeup brushes to clear a space for their work. Julie pulls out the notebook, Luke whips out a pen, and they get to work.
Like always, their brainstorming session is wonderful, filled with scribbled handwriting and many innocent (and some not-so-innocent) touches as they forge their way into the creation process. Luke loves the way Julie’s nose scrunches up when she smiles, and the happiness bubbles within him till he feels overflowing with it.
Julie catches him staring. “What?” she asks with a slight smile. “I have something on my face?”
Luke shakes his head. “Just glad to be here with you.” He leans forward to rest his forehead against hers, reveling in the softness of her skin, the way her breath stutters at the touch. Gathering her hands in his, Luke brings them to his mouth and softly presses his lips to her knuckles.
“Promise me something,” Julie whispers.
“Anything,” Luke murmurs into her talented fingers.
Julie sighs contentedly, but twists her hands out of Luke’s grasp to frame his face. Luke’s eyes flutter at the contact and warmth radiating from her hands. “Promise me that even when I stop coming here, you’ll keep writing?”
Luke lets out a deep breath, a soft bittersweet smile gracing his lips. He had mentioned back when Julie and he were first starting to meet that he hadn’t written music for himself or for the boys since they became ghosts. Caleb was strict on the only music allowed being what he chose. Luke had no lyrics running through his mind, no melodies begging for his fingers to play; until Julie made him feel alive again, and his lyrics, his music came back. They had helped each other find the love of music again, just one more piece in the beauty of their connection.
A part of him worried for the future. Both he and Julie knew that their interesting little relationship wouldn’t last forever. Julie would age and live. Luke is stuck at seventeen playing for Caleb. He didn’t know if his ideas would stop once he and Julie had to part, if it was her presence, her music ability, that allowed Luke to be creative again.
Luke smiles wider to ease the concerned look that doesn’t fit on Julie’s face before chuckling lightly.
“Of course Jules, anything for—”
He’s interrupted by the door to the dressing room banging open, slamming against the wall. Luke springs to his feet, scrambling away from Julie to try and act like they weren’t too familiar . His undead heart drops as he sees Caleb in the doorway, face stony. There’s anger in his eyes, but the magician doesn’t move a muscle.
“Caleb,” Luke breathes. If he had any blood left, it would be frozen in his veins. They’ve been so careful, keeping everything hidden, only staying together for small increments when no one will notice they’re missing. How did he find out?
Luke wonders if there’s a way to salvage this, to keep Caleb from realizing what Julie means to him. He straightens and says, “We were just talking, Julie was helping me with a—”
Caleb holds up one hand, stopping Luke’s ramble before it can really get going. “Luke, you’re needed in the backroom. Adam needs your help setting up the next act.” His voice is calm but cold, and Luke is hesitant to leave Julie alone with Caleb. Unfortunately, he doesn’t have much of a choice; they’re already in trouble, there’s no need to make it worse. So with an encouraging look to Julie, Luke leaves the room, heading to help out the ghosts clearing the stage.
They keep him busy for the rest of the night, and suddenly it’s time for the final reprise of the night, and Luke’s poofing onstage to play their typical closing song. He searches the crowd for Julie, but can’t see her anywhere. It’s not often lifers leave early, but it does happen, and Luke fervently hopes that Julie was able to go without any trouble from Caleb.
As soon as the night is over Luke finds Caleb and pulls him aside, drawing from his years of facing down angry teachers and upset parents and kids who bullied his friends to face down the magician.
“Where’s Julie?” he demands.
Caleb simply smiles, and a shiver races down Luke’s spine. “Miss Molina went home. A bit too much partying for a seventeen year old in one night can be harmful, you know.” Luke’s hands flex instinctively, the possibilities flashing dangerously in his mind.
“You, on the other hand, are going to be plenty busy. The old storage closet on the third floor needs to be organized, and I believe the bathrooms on the fifth floor are in desperate need of a thorough cleaning. I suggest you get to work. Wouldn’t want too much time to think about any possible…distractions,” Caleb says with a smirk.
Luke swallows hard and bites down any argument he might have had. If Caleb sent Julie home, there’s a slight chance he might not know how deep Luke’s love for Julie runs, so he will keep silent and take whatever Caleb dishes to him. If it would keep Julie safe, Luke would clean the entire club top to bottom; he needs her alive, needs her to live a full, long life away from Caleb.
So he nods once and poofs away to his room to change into more comfortable clothes, getting started on his mind-numbing tasks.
~~~
Julie Molina never thought that she would fall in love with a ghost, but here she is anyway, stealing precious moments alone and enduring flashy shows meant to entrap the living into signing away their souls. Luke has become a part of her, and she wouldn’t trade that for the world.
But when Caleb Covington catches the two of them together in the dressing room, she wishes she could be anywhere but there. Terror floods her veins at the blank expression on the magician’s face, so different from the expressive showman Caleb is in front of an audience. The contrast means he’s not performing for anyone; they’re alone, and from what little Julie knows about Caleb’s powers, he could do just about anything to hurt them at this moment. There’s no witnesses to stop him, just two teenagers who want to spend time together.
Luke is tense as he stands and attempts to explain, and Julie wants to help where Luke is clearly floundering. But she’s positive saying anything will make it worse, so she stands silent while Caleb sends Luke away, leaving them now fully alone.
Caleb simply stares at her for a long moment as Julie’s hands become slick with sweat. She can’t poof out like the ghosts, and Caleb’s blocking the only exit out of here. Julie’s heart pounds as she watches Caleb warily.
And then he’s stepping aside from the door, waving a hand to show her out. “Why don’t you head home, Miss Molina. It’s been a long night and I’m sure you’re exhausted.”
Julie blinks, surprised. But she’s not going to question it, so she walks forward.
Caleb grabs her arm before she can step through the doorway. Goosebumps prickle along her arms from the coldness of the ghost’s touch. “I would ask that you not fraternize with my workers, Miss Molina,” he says sharply.
“I’m not fraternizing,” Julie retorts. “I was just talking with someone whose company I enjoy.” She tries to pull her arm out of Caleb’s grip, but he holds on tighter.
“Really?” He raises an eyebrow. “Last time I checked, I was in charge of who Luke keeps company.”
Caleb releases her, and Julie stumbles out of the room into the crowded ballroom. Holding her arm against herself, Julie rushes towards the doors, keeping her eyes peeled for Luke. She knows it’s a fool's hope to see him again tonight, but she can’t help herself from searching anyways.
She reaches the main exit when Caleb poofs in front of her, once again blocking her from leaving. Julie startles backwards a step, not expecting the ghost in front of her.
“One more thing, Miss Molina,” Caleb says. “You come here every three days, yes?”
How does he know that? Julie’s eyes widen at the realization that Caleb has been keeping track of her—she can’t stay away from Luke for too long, desperate to see him and settle her erratic and lovesick heart, so she times her appearances at the club to be every few days. Luke and the other boys know when to look for her, but she always sits in the back, and she never interacts with Caleb, preferring to keep out of his line of sight as much as possible. Julie thought they were being subtle, that they had pulled the wool over Caleb’s eyes.
Caleb ignores her spluttering in response. “When you come on Monday, please stop by my office before the show begins. I have some things I would like to discuss with you.” He tips his hat to her and disappears, leaving the doors open for Julie’s escape.
She runs through them and into the warm LA air, racing down the sidewalk to clear her mind. Caleb knows that she and Luke have been seeing each other; Caleb knows who she is; Caleb threatened her, and there’s not a damn thing she can do about it.
Tears blur Julie’s vision, but she keeps going until she runs (literally) into a park bench, tripping over herself and falling onto the faded blue plastic. She sits upright, wincing, and wipes her eyes.
Julie feels helpless and guilty, like she’s the one who got them found out. She might have just ruined Luke’s afterlife, and now Caleb is after her too. Why couldn’t she have just stayed away from the club? Why did she have to bear her soul to Luke, the most caring and empathetic person she’s ever met, living or dead? If she hadn’t fallen for Luke, none of this would have happened.
She knows it’s truly Caleb’s fault, but Julie can’t help feeling somewhat responsible for this turn of events. It was going to happen sooner or later, but Julie just wishes they’d had a bit more time.
On her way home she debates with herself on whether or not she should go back to the club on Monday. One the one hand, Julie would be much safer if she simply stayed away. Maybe Caleb would just forget about her, the troublesome lifer, and let her go on her merry way, living her life as a normal girl. But that would mean never seeing Luke again—never knowing if he’s okay, living forever with the uncertainty of what Caleb could be doing to him. Never hearing him sing again, never sharing another song-writing session together, never seeing his face split into a smile or his eyes crinkle in joy.
Julie’s heart catches at the weight of it all, and tears spring to her eyes once more. She might not have ever said that she loves Luke, never said it to him or allowed herself to acknowledge the truth of the matter, but the feelings are there nonetheless. Julie Molina is in love with Luke Patterson, and that means she cannot leave him alone at the club, danger to herself be damned.
The next few days pass in a haze, and her resolve falters only a fraction, but never enough to stop herself. Julie’s terrified of Caleb, don't get her wrong, but the thought of losing Luke is too much to bear, and her love overpowers her growing fear. Ray and Carlos notice the difference in Julie, but she’s kept the club and Luke a secret from them for over a year, and Caleb Covington is not going to be the one to make her break her silence now.
Finally, Monday comes, and Julie walks the halls of her high school, barely paying attention to her teachers as she gathers her homework for the day. She doesn’t know what the club has in store for her tonight, but she is Rose Molina’s daughter: she will go in there standing tall, and not let a ghost get the better of her. The thought of finally seeing Luke again keeps her afloat through the day, and eventually the sun goes down, and Julie heads out to the Hollywood Ghost Club.
~~~
Luke spends the weekend in a state of mild panic, thoughts running wild as he cleans and organizes and dusts and whatever other random jobs Caleb sends him on. His playing is half-hearted at best, and he hasn’t had a chance to talk to his friends, Caleb sending them out into the crowd and assigning Luke more cleaning as soon as he poofs offstage.
Monday finally rolls around, and Luke becomes a nervous wreck, trying to figure out if Julie will be back to the club or not. He checks their normal note-leaving spots when Caleb finally lets him out of the building, but there’s nothing. If she’s sticking to their normal routine, Julie should be coming tonight. But Luke’s worried that Caleb might try to trap her, now that he’s taken an interest in her.
Alex and Willie are off on a date, and Reggie always spends Mondays haunting his brother, so Luke’s left alone to stew in his thoughts. He could go check on Julie, but keeping his distance is probably best, even though every fiber of his being wants to make sure she’s okay. And Caleb could be monitoring him, now that he’s been alerted to their relationship.
Luke aches to hold her, and he scribbles down half-formed lyrics in an attempt to get the intensity of the feeling out on paper. There’s only a few hours before their show tonight, and Luke’s restless energy needs an outlet, so his songbook quickly fills with lines about Julie and falling in love with a wicked beauty like her. She makes him feel alive, spurs his creativity and fits in easily with his friends like she’d always been there.
She’s a part of him, their souls musically and romantically intertwined. And however they move forward, through whatever pain Luke’s sure is coming, they can get through it together.
An hour before Luke’s supposed to be backstage, he feels a tug from Caleb, calling him to his office. Luke shoves the songbook in the hidden floorboard and poofs away, landing in Caleb’s book-covered lair. Sometimes he wonders if the magician has actually read all the books that line the walls of this office, because Luke’s never seen him read a single page of anything that wasn’t a contract before.
“Sit,” Caleb says, waving a hand to the empty chair in front of the desk. He doesn’t look up from the papers in his hands. There’s mounds of other papers in front of him, and about fifty different types of pens, from old-time quill feathers to modern Sharpies. The clutter seems the antithesis of who Caleb is, and as he sits, Luke realizes that maybe that’s the point: to put people off their guard. Showmanship first, get the lifers to sign whatever deal he wants, then reveal the controlling manipulator when it’s too late.
The chair is hard beneath him, and as the silence continues, Luke squirms, unable to keep still. His mind races through possible apologies, excuses as to what he and Julie were doing, denials of how long he’s known her and what she means to him. Keeping Julie safe is the top priority here. The tension increases, and Luke’s knee bounces in place as he waits for Caleb to do something. He still hasn’t looked at Luke once, and Luke’s not sure if he can take much more of this oppressive silence.
Finally Caleb sets down the paper and sighs heavily. “What is it you like about interacting with lifers, Luke?”
Luke blinks, not expecting this question. “In general?”
Caleb nods. “Would you say that interacting with lifers makes you feel alive?”
He’s startled into silence, mouth opening and closing as he tries to form some semblance of thought. Caleb caught him off-guard, and now Luke’s not sure what to think. Where is Caleb going with this? It’s obviously about Julie, but it’s not about whatever punishment Caleb might give Luke, and there’s no condemnation in his voice.
The magician picks up his paper again, seemingly bored, though his tone is anything but. “On the off chance you get close enough to touch them, does the feel of their body heat pull you in? How about their pulse, thrumming in their wrists? Does the beat of their heart make you want to listen longer? The way air moves so seamlessly from their nose and mouth, without any thought?"
Luke gapes at him, his mind running in circles as Caleb’s words sink in slowly.
Caleb looks up again, threading his fingers together as his gaze settles on Luke's. "Do you find an allure to lifers’ life?”
"I don’t follow, sir." Luke says slowly, ignoring the way the room shrinks and the space feels too small, too tight. Maybe tacking on a ‘sir’ will help lessen whatever Caleb has coming. His own undead heart pounds in trepidation.
"Then let me make you understand," Caleb says with a snap, his eyes finally revealing the anger that must have been burning steadily for the past three days. Luke clutches his hands to stop their shaking.
"Why are you involved with Miss Molina?” Luke lets out a shaky breath at the direct question. “You have one chance to tell the truth,” Caleb continues sharply, “and if you lie we're going to have serious problems. So choose your words carefully."
Luke’s instinct is to lie despite what Caleb just said; to try and downplay their relationship so Julie can stay safe. It’s the same as when his mom used to ask where he was going when he had a gig with Sunset Curve; protect his interests, protect his music and his loved ones. But he knows Caleb is dangerous, knows that lying to a powerful ghost who owns his soul is a bad idea.
Is Julie worth it? Luke thinks of her smile, her light, her life, and decides that it is.
“Because I enjoy her company, and her musical abilities,” Luke answers. He keeps his voice steady, though his fingers are twisting together, a habit he picked up from Reggie. “She’s warm and nice, and her company is something I cherish. As do my friends.” It slips out, and Luke bites his lip to stop talking. He doesn’t want to incriminate his best friends for his mistake. It’s his own fault he got caught up with Julie, and they don’t deserve to be in the middle of this mess.
“We weren’t doing anything—”
“So if I were to ask if you were attracted to her, you would say no?”
Luke’s mouth truly falls open at this and fails to return to its closed position. Caleb’s always discouraged relationships in general, but in the two years Luke’s been working at the club, he’s never interfered with anyone’s affairs like this, and certainly never outright asked any of the ghosts about their love life.
Caleb poofs away the papers until only one folder remains, a dark blue one labeled Lucas Patterson. Luke’s stomach churns at the thought of Caleb having a file on him—no good ever comes of people having files on other people, and especially not ghost magicians.
“I guess,” Caleb chuckles darkly. “We shall just have to see for ourselves.”
Before Luke can even begin to guess what that malicious statement means, Caleb poofs beside him and grabs his right arm. Luke tries to jerk away, startled, but Caleb’s thumb digs into his wrist, the same location as the purple stamp that appeared when he and his friends signed their souls away.
And suddenly, Luke’s not seeing the office: he sees the first night he met Julie, noticing her in the crowd, how she’d winced at the smallest change in the music and how that had caught his attention.
What is happening ? He tries to yell, but he cannot speak. He can only watch himself talk with Julie, begin to become her friend, introduce her to his family, talk about mothers and pain and music and deepening connections. Luke sees the first of their intimate meetings, stealing away from the crowd, first to simply talk, then to create music, write songs and form melodies and begin to dream together. Their first kiss flashes before his eyes, as does their second, and third, and however many others they’ve shared in their hidden year together.
The emotions also tremble through his body like shockwaves. Interest in the new lifer, affection in their friendship, anticipation for each visit, grief and mourning about lives lost, joy in the creation of new music. And growing steadily through each interaction, love. A simple word to describe the rush of feeling Luke experiences in those moments as he watches himself and Julie form a bond not easily broken.
Just as suddenly as the memories began, it ends, and Luke’s vision returns to the room, lightheaded and aching. His wrist is on fire, and the mark, which is usually unnoticeable under his skin, is now pulsing a bright purple. Luke gasps, and Caleb finally lets go of his arm. Luke cradles it against his chest, trying to alleviate the pain to no avail.
“What did you just do?” he grits out, his breath coming in heaves. He didn’t know he could feel physical pain anymore, even at the club where Caleb allows them to do things like eat even when they don’t need to. Being dead has those privileges, but obviously, his soul belonging to someone else means much more than he originally thought.
Caleb smirks and steps back behind his desk. His eyes hold bright anger once more as he says, “Well, that was certainly illuminating.”
Realization dawns on Luke in an instant. “Y-you saw that? All of it?” The pain dulls in his hand, but his head still pounds from the magical intrusion of whatever Caleb instigated. If he saw all those memories, same as Luke, then that means he knows. There’s no denying it now.
A second folder appears on the desk, and Luke can see it reads Julie Molina. He lurches in his seat, but Caleb holds a hand up to stop him. Luke is getting really tired of that move.
"You used up your one chance to tell me the truth, but I shall ask you a follow-up, and I do hope you'll be honest this time. Would you still involve yourself with Miss Molina if she were dead?"
Luke’s heart drops at this thought. Julie dead is not something he wants to think about; she is alive, and that’s what’s most important—her ability to move on and have an exciting life for herself. But he can’t stop his gut reaction of slight happiness as he considers Julie being with him forever; they share something powerful now, but as ghosts, they could never be separated, never have to worry about the future.
His conflicting emotions must show on his face, because Caleb nods once. “As I thought. Are you sure your... attraction, " Caleb spits as if it's a horrid crime, "has nothing to do with the fact Miss Molina is alive?”
“What?” Now Luke’s confused all over again. He’s in love with Julie, yes, and attracted to her, and before this conversation, Luke would say her being a lifer isn’t a part of it. But now that his club stamp is pounding to a beat of pain Luke can only link to his earthly death, he isn’t so sure. His mind has been poked and prodded and Caleb is more than happy to keep dissecting.
A dry laugh escapes Caleb. “Not at all? You really want to pretend that’s not a factor in your attraction to her? That you don’t miss being alive, and this is the next best thing to having it yourself?”
Luke shakes his head rapidly. “That’s not true,” he argues, fiercely thinking over the moments he just witnessed in his head. That can’t be true. He loves Julie for who she is, the brightness of her joy and the intensity of her creativity. Julie is not a tool for him to pander at being alive again.
“Don’t tell me your heart doesn’t wish it could race, like hers does when you’re close.” Caleb’s tone is mocking, and Luke flares in anger at the insinuation.
Caleb continues. “Her warmth, as you said, is enticing. Don’t you miss that sensation? Of feeling shivers run down your spine when the one you love is near?”
Luke twitches in his seat, uncomfortable and silent and shaking his head. Caleb’s lying, he has to be. Luke wouldn’t fall in love with someone just because they can give him what he can never have again. He determidly doesn’t think about how wonderful it feels to place his cold fingers on her arm, to wind himself around her in a hug that allows her warmth to seep into his bones.
Caleb points to Luke, grinning madly. “You and I are cut from the same cloth, Luke. When we can’t have something, we fight all the harder to get it.”
“I’m nothing like you,” Luke snarls, jumping from the chair. He can’t be sitting, even as scared and confused as he is, because Caleb has to be lying. He has to be. Caleb is a power-hungry monster, and Luke is not.
“You are, though,” the magician says. “We both love the applause, the attention of an audience. We loathe being told no, and we fight back against anyone who dares stand in our way of what we want. You haven’t been dead long, so you crave that spark of life you can never have again. Me, I know that lifers have a lot more to offer, so I tempt them to come here. But let’s face it, Luke. Julie can not bring you life.”
“I know that!” His voice is desperate, tears beginning to form. Tears of anger or despair, Luke isn’t sure which. He’s feeling too much, mind whirling. His hands clench into fists, wanting to punch Caleb, to find Julie, to talk to Alex or Reggie or Willie, to poof away and forget this ever happened.
But the truth of Caleb’s words find a foothold in him. Luke can’t deny the joy he feels when he hears Julie breathe, when he sees her hair has grown longer, when she talks about a future he won’t have. It’s all tinged with loneliness, of course, because Luke knows that he can’t be a part of her life forever. But the bigger part of himself rejoices when he’s reminded that Julie is alive.
And he can't have fallen for her just because she’s alive. But it did play a factor in their friendship, in their romance. Their whole relationship has been built on the fact that Julie is alive, and Luke is not. Luke hates himself for never seeing what Caleb is pointing out; that in some way, whether it was his intention or not, Luke has been using Julie because she makes him feel alive again.
Caleb smirks and sweeps the two folders into his arms. “Thank you for this chat, Luke. Everything will be taken care of shortly. Now, you’re needed backstage in ten minutes, so I suggest you get going.”
The dismissal brings Luke to a halt. Just like that? After sending him into a tizzy, there’s no punishment, no warnings?
It feels very unlike Caleb, and a pool of dread begins to fill his ghostly stomach.
“What’s that mean? What are you taking care of?” he tries to demand but it comes out more as a plea.
Caleb simply raises an eyebrow. “You love her because she’s alive, Lucas. Time to find out if that remains true in death as well.”
~~~
Julie reaches the club ten minutes before the big show starts. She blends into the crowd with ease, threading around other lifers ready for a good time. Her nerves are at an all-time high, and she texts Flynn one more time before following the signs along the wall to Caleb Covington’s office.
Is this a terrible idea? Probably, but she wants to see Luke again, no matter the consequences. Dread at whatever Caleb wants to talk about mixes with anticipation at seeing the boy she loves, so full of life and energy one wouldn’t even consider him dead, despite his cool touch and limited tangibility.
Caleb’s office door is an imposing dark wood, and Julie takes a deep breath to steady herself. No matter what happens, her time with Luke has been incomparable and the best time of her life, and if she can make it through this meeting with even a chance of seeing Luke again, she’s going to take it.
Julie knocks twice, and when Caleb calls her to enter, she opens the door slowly, though she does wonder briefly why a ghost who manages an entire crew of ghosts who can poof anywhere needs a door.
The magician is seated behind a large desk filled with stacks of papers. Bookshelves line the room, and Julie scans the titles, her eyes catching on many books by and about famous escape artists. Seems about right for Caleb, she supposes.
“Thank you for coming, Miss Molina,” Caleb says from his seat behind his desk. “Sit down, we have much to discuss.”
Julie sits down gingerly, tense for whatever confrontation is coming. And she hasn’t been able to see Luke or talk to him, so she isn’t sure of the best way to proceed. Should she deny their relationship, try and downplay it? Or lean into it and ask that Caleb let Luke continue to pursue this romantic connection with herself? Which option would cause the least amount of problems for herself and for Luke?
Caleb smiles, and it’s a showman’s smile through and through: overly excited and confident that Julie will listen to whatever he says. “Would you like some refreshments before we get started?”
“No thank you,” Julie quickly denies the offer. She’ll eat later, when she can see Luke is well and whole. The food at the Hollywood Ghost Club is always excellent, and she does enjoy whatever feats the ghosts provide, but one less distraction from the conversation will make it go by faster.
Caleb waves a hand, and two golden cups appear on his desk. “I insist, Julie. You look half-parched anyways, and I always find discussion flows easier over a shared drink.”
Seeing no other way out, Julie reaches forward and gingerly picks up a cup, peering inside to see a fizzy purple juice. Of course it would be purple, she muses. Caleb’s favorite color for himself. But she does not take a sip until Caleb drinks from his own glass. Enchanted food doesn’t exist here, even though ghosts and magic are real enough in the world; Julie had asked Luke early on in their friendship, afraid of repercussions impressed on her from countless fairy tales. Even so, she’s wary of Caleb and his offerings, and sips slowly, waiting for Caleb to begin.
“Well Miss Molina, I would like to offer you a position here at the Hollywood Ghost Club.”
Julie chokes on her drink, the fizzy liquid catching in her throat at the bluntness of the proposition, causing a coughing fit to follow. Caleb merely sits patiently as she tries to catch her breath before hoarsely responding.
“Excuse me?”
Caleb leans back in his chair and Julie sits straighter. The calm waves exuding off the flamboyant ghost are chilling, and Julie deeply mistrusts them; there’s got to be more to his statement than meets the eye. A position at the club? Whatever can Caleb mean?
“You’re a very talented girl Julie, and I would love to have you work for me. Your singing is a local legend and would suit my stage perfectly,” he says lightly as if he wasn’t asking the most absurd and horrifying thing possible.
“But how can I work for you? I’m a lifer,” Julie asks confused, her eyebrows stitching together. That’s the whole problem, the reason she’s in this situation in the first place: she’s alive, and in a relationship with a ghost. How can Caleb want her to work for him if she’s a lifer?
The moment she thinks the word, Julie’s eyes widen in panic. She had been using the terminology of ghosts around Luke and his friends for months, only to forget that she isn’t with the boys right now. Julie had just let slip a very clear ghost term in front of someone who could hurt Luke. It’s one more sliver of proof that Julie’s become too engrossed in the ghostly world when she shouldn’t be.
Caleb’s lips twitch at the ghost term falling off Julie’s lips before they tilt into a slight smirk. The barest of whispers fall from his lips so quickly Julie almost feels she imagined it before Caleb is leaning forward again with his elbows planting firmly on the desk.
“I can think of a multitude of things you could do just as easily, being a lifer, and I would greatly enjoy employing you Miss Molina. We do occasionally have lifers perform with us, and your talents would certainly not go to waste. Plus, I believe one should learn all there is to know about the inner workings of the stage, and I offer many benefits to working behind the scenes as well.”
Julie’s thoughts race a mile a minute. Caleb wants her to perform here. Work here. At a club meant for ghosts and high-paying customers. The place where her friends live, where the boy she loves is trapped. Julie hasn’t performed much music on her own since her mother’s death, though she was able to stay in her music program at school thanks to Luke and his encouragement and help to find the happiness she had lost in making music.
And Caleb is offering to give her a bigger audience. A steady audience, because the club is always packed, no matter the time of year or day. Payment certainly, because there’s no way Caleb would offer employment if he wasn’t going to pay her. And a seventeen-year-old undiscovered musician can only make so much. Her father would be thrilled to see her sharing her talents with the world.
Julie could see Luke more, could maybe even sing with him on stage. From the first harmony they ever riffed together in a small corner of the ballroom, Julie’s longed to be able to perform with him. Luke’s power, his stage presence, his energy and brightness when he’s up there, even though he’s supporting Caleb, keeps Julie’s eyes pinned on him like a magnet. When they write together, trying out different melodies and lyrics against each other, Luke comes alive and music overflows from every part of Luke’s soul. If Julie agrees to take Caleb’s offer, she could be with him on stage; make that magic she feels in small bits and pieces with him, and make it a thousand times bigger.
But it’s Caleb—and that gives her pause. He’s a ghost who owns the souls of her friends. They don’t talk about the negative effects of the whole thing often, but Julie’s picked up small hints about the control and power Caleb has over them. It would be different, as a lifer, but the magician is intimidating, and even though he’s dead, he radiates power in the room. Doing anything with Caleb could be dangerous for her.
Her mind wars against itself, love for Luke and her friends against her common sense and the dangers she fears. Caleb must notice, but he sits in silence for a minute longer before commenting.
“Obviously there is a lot to think about, but I advise you to do it quickly. I can understand if you’re overwhelmed, but if you don’t want to accept my offer, I am afraid of what might happen if I break that news to Luke.” His tone edges on pitying as he leans back in his seat once more.
Julie’s heartbeat stutters before picking up its pace. “I’m sorry?” she asks, dimly aware of how Caleb’s eyes look sharper and his teeth more akin to that of a predator stalking its midday meal.
“Luke is a good worker, and a talented guitarist. It’d be a shame if something happened due to others’…” he pauses, giving Julie a long look from her hair down to her shaking hands. “Actions.” he finishes with a hiss.
Julie’s throat goes dry and her blood freezes. “Leave Luke alone,” she pleads. “He’s got nothing to do with this.”
Caleb raises an eyebrow. “Doesn’t he? I was under the assumption that he was the main attraction here. You clearly don’t care about watching my dancers or interacting with most of my other workers. In fact,” Caleb’s face changes to one of fake horror. “You’re not even looking for your mother anymore, are you?”
“What?” How does he know that? Julie hasn’t even told the other ghosts about the real reason she came to the club, though she’s sure the boys have picked up enough hints to guess at it. But Caleb’s right, in a way; she knows she’s not going to find her mom, yet she comes here anyway. That Luke is what’s keeping her coming back for more.
Caleb shrugs. “I’ve had, shall we say, a chat with Luke recently.” Julie’s breath hitches at the insinuation. “And I have to say,” he continues, “I appreciate the tenacity of you to keep coming here, knowing that your mother won’t be here and how much I don’t approve of your relationship with Luke. You knew it would get you in trouble, yet you persisted. How… valiant of you.”
Sarcasm drips from his voice, and Julie can hardly breathe anymore. She knew it was dangerous to keep coming back, but there had never been any confirmation as to Caleb’s stance on her relationship with Luke. But now there’s no denying it; Caleb is not only aware of her feelings, he is also against it. And that makes talking with him more treacherous than before. Caleb has all but threatened to hurt Luke if she does not agree to work for him, and Julie cannot allow herself to be the reason Luke is in pain.
Trying to gather her thoughts, Julie takes another sip of her juice, the sweetness now tasting sour and drying her throat even more. She coughs once to clear it, then asks, “You’ll leave Luke alone if I work for you?”
Caleb nods once. “As long as my work gets finished and it doesn't interfere with your output. Though should I catch either of you slipping, my answer is subject to change, as are all my rules.”
Julie’s wheels turn as more questions tumble out, almost unconsciously. “What would I be doing? How often would I work? How much do you pay? How long each night would I have to be here?” Working for Caleb seems like an easy way out of all their troubles; Julie can come to the club and see Luke, create new songs and talk and laugh and just be with him, and he won’t get punished for it. She’s almost done with school, graduation only two months away, and her father has been hounding her for future plans. Having some sort of income would be nice, and she can take time to hopefully meet some industry associates and start to get her name out there.
But as the questions pour from Julie, Caleb smiles slowly, the pure evil in such a smile making her mouth close with a snap. In her eagerness to keep Luke from harm and be with him, she’s forgotten that she’s talking with a master manipulator who always gets what he wants. And now, Julie fears she has played right into his hands.
Caleb doesn’t let her question it any further, producing a stack of papers with a flourish. “So, Miss Molina, would you do me the honor of joining the staff of the Hollywood Ghost Club?”
“Are you gonna answer any of my questions?” Julie says. “I need to know before I sign anything.”
Caleb raises a hand in an exaggerated sign of reassurance. “We can take it one step at a time, Julie. Any and all questions will be answered during your first week of work. Now, shall we get on with our business?” At Julie’s hesitation he adds, “I’m sure a few broken fingers will clear Luke’s mind so he can focus on his work, if you’re still unsure. We wouldn’t want his mind to wander too far into forbidden territory any more than it already has, yes?”
Julie tenses, reality crashing over her like a cold bucket of water. She hasn’t signed anything yet, she can still escape this. And do what, exactly? Leave Luke to deal with whatever consequences Caleb doles out, including physically hurting him or worse? And what about the other boys—Reggie, Alex, Willie—who have done nothing but welcome Julie into their group, into their friendships? If Caleb is so willing to throw around physical threats against Luke, who’s to say he won’t use their friendships against one another?
She really should have left the second Caleb told her he wanted to talk, but she was a fool in love, letting her heart lead instead of her head. And now she’s stuck, with no good options.
Julie downs the rest of her juice, the sourness settling into the pit of her stomach, and picks up the pen lying on the desk, growling out, “Where do I sign?”
She ignores Caleb’s feral grin as he points to a dotted line at the bottom of each page. Julie doesn’t let herself think about the consequences; she doesn't even read the papers, opting to get out of the office as soon as humanly possible. Her stomach is churning at how careless she’s being, but she can’t bring herself to care. Luke’s in danger, and this is the only thing she can do to keep him safe.
There’s twenty papers in all, and each time she signs, her hand hurts more and more. At first just a pinch in her right palm, then a sting, and by the last page, her palm is on fire and her hand is shaking. When Julie finally puts the pen down, she clutches her hand in shock. There, on her palm, is her own signature, carved into her skin, a drop of blood sliding down from the ending swoop of Molina .
Her breath stutters as she stares at the magician, who stands and makes the papers and pen vanish in a flash. “Thank you, Miss Molina. I look forward to our partnership, and I’ll be in touch soon. For now, I imagine you would like to get back to your family. Good night, Miss Molina.”
Julie bolts for the door, not looking back once. The blood oozes from her palm as she runs. Her breath is coming in gasps, and Julie can hardly see straight from the panic that’s taken hold of her. The desire to see Luke and make sure he’s okay is at war with her primal need to get away from Caleb and the danger he poses to her. Tears blind her vision and she stumbles into people, flinching away from the coldness of tangible ghosts ready for a show. Her mind is a blur until arms come around her and stop her momentum.
“Woah, hey Julie, what’s wrong?” Alex’s voice breaks through Julie’s haze, and she wipes her eyes to see the drummer in his favorite pink sweatshirt. He must not be on tonight, to be out here and dressed so casually. Alex rubs a hand down her arm soothingly, and Julie shoves down the next sob threatening to escape.
“Is Luke with you? Have you seen him?” She asks quickly, her eyes darting around him to search for the guitarist. When Alex shakes his head, her stomach clenches in anxiety.
“I’ve been gone all day, but Willie is on tonight with him, and I’m sure he’s fine. What happened?”
Julie opens her palm to him, and Alex goes still at the sight. “I signed a deal with him,” Julie whimpers. “I said I would work for him. But I don’t know what that means, Alex.”
Alex pulls her into another hug, this once tighter than before. Julie’s stomach roils, and she pulls away to focus on breathing and keeping everything down. Something is seriously wrong with her.
Caleb’s last words about seeing her family come back to her, and she wonders if it was a warning of some kind. She needs to see them, make sure they’re okay, that Caleb hasn’t done something to them. Julie looks at Alex and tearfully asks, “Make sure Luke’s okay for me, please? And tell him I’m sorry. I have to go.”
She pulls away from Alex and runs towards the doors, ignoring his yells in favor of making it home without being sick on the street. She doesn’t know what she just agreed to, with her own blood no less, but it won’t be good. She’s even less sure of what her family will say when she tells them that ghosts are real, and that she has agreed to work for one.
But Julie knows one thing for certain: Caleb Covington is not a ghost to be trifled with. Maybe she should have learned that sooner, before it cost her everything.
~~~
Luke hates being poofed away by Caleb. Poofing on his own? It's a fun and easy way to get around. Being forcibly removed from one location without his consent? Not what Luke wants in his life, especially after Caleb threatens the girl Luke’s in love with. He spends the next ten minutes pacing backstage, trying multiple times to teleport out of there with no success. Caleb’s blocking his abilities, and it’s maddening when all he can think about is Julie.
The show begins with thunderous applause, and when Luke poofs onstage, he can’t focus on anything except searching the crowd for Julie. His distraction doesn’t go unnoticed, and when Caleb turns his back to the audience, he glares at Luke and mouths, “Perform.” Luke takes the hint, and lets his muscle memory take over as his eyes rove the crowd.
Finally their first break comes, and Luke poofs offstage, sets his guitar down, and poofs away again to find his friends. He has to warn them, give them the same message that’s been replaying in his mind for the past hour. Luke runs into Alex at their normal table, and he grabs Alex’s arm harshly, pulling his friend to his feet. “Have you seen Julie? We need to find her and tell her to lay low,” he babbles, his words tripping over themselves. “She can’t come back here, Caleb, he’s—tell her not to come back.”
And then he notices the look in Alex’s eyes; sorrow and regret and grief and fear. Luke’s undead heart drops as Alex says, “It’s too late.”
~~~
Luke spends the next week living (ha) in agony and mental anguish. Caleb sends him on more cleaning errands all around the club, but the only thing that does is give Luke time to think and dread whatever Caleb has in store for Julie. He tries to ask once, but Caleb sends him away with a threat to break his fingers, and Luke makes himself scarce quickly. What little free time he has, he spends with Reggie and Willie and Alex, telling them everything that transpired and letting them try to comfort him. But it’s all in vain, because he knows it’s all his fault for dragging Julie into the world of ghosts and terrifying magicians who steal your soul.
Exactly ten days after he last saw Julie, Luke is once again backstage, getting ready to perform for Caleb and the lifers out in the audience. He still searches the crowd for Julie during each moment on stage, but his hope of seeing her again dims each day that passes. None of the boys have been allowed to go find her either, so Luke is completely in the dark about Julie's well-being. He hopes she’s staying home with her family for as long as possible before Caleb comes to collect on whatever deal he made with Julie.
Mere minutes before Caleb is supposed to open the curtains, the magician appears in front of Luke and pulls him aside. Luke’s whole body tenses at the deviation from the normal. Maybe Caleb is finally going to tell Luke what happened to Julie, and his breath quickens.
But all Caleb says is, “You’re doing a solo tonight.”
Luke blinks, taken aback. A solo? Caleb never gives anyone solos; it leaves the chance that someone else would outshine Caleb, which is an impossibility. Except for tonight, apparently. What’s special about tonight? It’s not Luke’s birthday, or any sort of anniversary from the club. So why now?
“You’ll be playing your guitar only.”
“Not singing?” Another surprise, though not quite as unexpected. Most nights he plays and sings, but occasionally Caleb wants to spice up the background sound, so it’s not unheard of.
Caleb nods. “That’s being handled by someone …else.” The vagueness of the statement unsettles Luke even more. It sounds too ominous for anything good to come from it, and Luke knows better than to trust anything Caleb gives him that looks like a gift.
“You’ll be playing that latest song you were working on,” Caleb continues. “What was it called? Shiver , right?”
Luke’s mouth drops open, but then he remembers the horrible moments of Caleb rifling through his memories, and he realizes that’s how Caleb must know about the song he was working on with Julie. But why does Caleb want him to play a song that’s barely finished, that he’s only practiced a few times? That very few people have even heard?
There doesn't seem to be anything else to say, so Luke nods shakily, his fingers tapping an uneven beat of fear and curiosity. What could be happening that would make Caleb give him this chance?
Luke doesn’t have time to question the magician more as Caleb poofs away and appears on stage, welcoming the night’s audience to their show. His thoughts keep spinning, trying to figure out the cause, but nothing comes to mind. None of his friends are on with him tonight, so there’s no one to calm Luke down. He misses Julie’s steadiness in this moment, and his heart aches at the thought of her.
And then he’s poofing with the rest of the ensemble and playing along as planned, the normal routine helpful for his steadily growing nerves. It’s been a while since Luke’s played by himself in front of anyone that wasn’t his friends, and even though he performs almost every night, it’s different when you’re by yourself. The nerves mix with anticipation and curiosity as to who will be singing with him for this solo production.
Their last song finishes and Caleb bows low. “Thank you!” he addresses the audience. “Now, before we allow you to get to those tasty morsels, I have a special surprise for you. Some of my ghosts here are not only talented musicians, but they write their own songs as well. So tonight, I would like to welcome Luke Patterson to center stage.” The other ghosts poof away, leaving an almost empty platform.
Luke walks forward slowly, eyes darting around in search of his friends. He finally spots them scattered around the ballroom, and they all share similar expressions of confusion and fear. Luke tries to smile reassuringly, but he’s not sure what is going to happen. His fingers tremble, and he clenches them against his guitar.
Caleb turns back to the audience. “Luke has written a new song, and you all are the exclusive crowd that get to be the first ones to hear it. And, he will be joined by a special guest momentarily. So here’s Luke Patterson performing Shiver!”
The magician poofs away, leaving Luke alone on stage under the bright lights and applause. His heart races, and even through his confusion, Luke relishes the feeling of people cheering for him, for what he has created. So he takes a steading breath, glances at Reggie one more time, and begins to play.
The intro is longer than most of his other songs, which gives him time to settle into the music in a way he hasn’t been able to for a long time. Luke’s eyes fall closed of their own accord as his fingers move along the instrument he was born to play.
He hears the tell-tale sound of someone poofing onstage, and in the next second a voice shimmers into the air. A voice Luke knows as well as his own. A voice he shouldn’t be hearing right now.
Luke’s fingers falter on the strings as his eyes snap open. There, just to his left, is Julie Molina, singing into a microphone. Her eyes are wet and misty, but her voice is strong, carrying on with the next lyrics as Luke fumbles to begin playing. Lyrics they wrote together. Lyrics he shared with her, just as he had shared everything.
His body goes on autopilot as realization hits him, wave after wave after wave, like a never ending ocean of distress. Julie had poofed onto the stage with him. She’s here, at the club, after ten days of radio silence. She had made a deal with Caleb, had signed her name in blood. Caleb had collected on that deal.
Julie moves carefully towards him, one step at a time. She’s still singing, and he’s still playing, but the rest of the world has faded into obscurity. Luke can’t believe she’s here; it’s his worst nightmare come to life. But she’s singing with him, creating music from the words they wrote together; something Luke’s always wanted in his daydreams for them. Joy at seeing her again tumbles with horror at the circumstances of it all.
Luke forces his body to move, taking a step towards her too. The song is almost done, Julie’s heavenly voice ringing out into the rafters of the club. Her eyes stay fixed on his, and he can’t look away. She’s here. She shouldn't be here, but she’s here. They’re in arm’s reach now, but Luke can’t stop playing and Julie can’t stop singing. They draw strength from each other, though neither truly has any left to give.
The last note echoes into the air, and then silence reigns for an infinite moment. Luke slings his guitar behind him and pulls Julie into his arms, crushing her against him, ignoring the thunderous applause that drowns them. All Luke can focus on is Julie, the way her breath feels against his skin after so long without it.
But her breath isn't warm like it once was. There’s no pulse racing in her neck, no heartbeat in her chest for him to keep time to.
She’s as cold as ice. As cold as him.
As cold as death.