Author's Note: A special thank you to everyone who took the time to review the last chapter! Enjoy!
Disclaimer: I do not own Julie and the Phantoms.
Chapter Four
Nick strode up the walkway to the Wilson mansion with confidence. In his mind, Caleb thought of how easy it had been taking over the body of one of Julie's friends and posing as him. He had already successfully interacted with Julie Molina three times; once at her home after the concert, once at "his" home, and then at school the next day. She hadn't suspected a thing.
True, he had almost let his anger get the better of him at her house while discussing the boys he so desperately wanted in his house band. And yes, his excellent dance moves had shone through the next day during their dance rehearsal, so much so that little miss Molina had questioned how he had gotten them down so quickly, but it had been easy to chalk it up to practicing with the little twerp's sister. Who was, in fact, an annoyance.
Caleb sighed dramatically. He had long been on his own with only those who gave him their souls for company. He had never thought he would have to stoop so low as to embody a teenage boy, complete with a perfect housewife for a mother, lawyer for a father, and sickly sweet younger sister, but if that was what it took to get those boys in his band and Julie Molina out of his life… Well, he could deal with it. For now.
Reaching the doorway, Nick pressed the doorbell. Caleb was aware that the boy, Nick, had once dated the girl living here. Good for him. She seemed like she was going places, if anything William had told him were true.
It wasn't hard to figure out that William had helped the boys escape his grasp. What had been harder was figuring out what role William had played. Eventually he had gotten it out of the boy that he had driven a bus carrying a band out into the middle of nowhere, so that the manager of the Orpheum had to find a replacement band. A replacement band that just happened to be Julie and the Phantoms.
The boys were learning to use their ghost skills too much for his liking. He needed them under his control. Now.
The door swung open to reveal a tall man with his hair pulled back into a bun. He wore linen pants and a white linen shirt.
"Nick, I didn't expect to see you here. I thought you and Carrie had broken up."
Nick smiled charmingly and pushed past the man. "Actually, I'm here to see you, Trevor."
The man raised his eyebrows questioningly.
"Shall we sit down somewhere?"
Trevor narrowed his eyes at the boy, but motioned for him to follow and led the way down a hallway to an office. Inside, hundreds of vinyl records lined the shelves, and the walls were decorated with photographs of the man himself. Nick paused to look at a few as Trevor sat down behind the desk. Eventually, Nick went and seated himself, crossing his legs.
"What do you need kid?"
Caleb smiled crookedly. This might just go easier than he had anticipated.
"Well, Bobby…" he dragged the name out. "Why don't you tell me?"
Trevor's mouth dropped open and his face paled. "I don't know what you're talking about."
"Oh, but I think you do," Nick said. He stood up and leaned across the desk, causing the man to shrink back in his chair. "You and I have a problem. A common problem, if you will. But a problem that can be solved if we work together."
Nick pushed off from the desk and wandered back to admire the pictures on the walls again. He was quiet for a minute. "You see, Bobby, I know that you real name isn't Trevor. And that you were once part of a band with three other boys. Three boys who have recently come to my attention."
"Look" Trevor began. "I can pay you. I've got lots of money-"
"Ha!" Nick laughed derisively. "You think I want something as petty as money?"
"I didn't steal those songs!" Trevor cut in. "I was part of that band. And yeah, maybe I should've given credit to the other boys for the arrangements and songs, but they died. They didn't need the money!"
Nick shook his head sadly. "Bobby, Bobby, Bobby… You've got to think beyond the money. What about your name? Your legacy?"
"What do you mean?" Trevor asked uneasily.
"If I'm not mistaken, and I don't believe that I am, the boys that were in a band with you are now part of a different band?"
Trevor shook his head. "No, they're dead."
"Bobby, I think we should agree right now not to lie to each other. I saw them in a concert on Friday night with a girl named Julie Molina, who I believe you also know."
Trevor stared at him.
"A band I believe they're calling Julie and the Phantoms. The problem is, the phantoms are just that. Phantoms."
"The boys are dead. I saw the ambulances arrive. I was at their funerals. I've visited their graves!"
"Let's start again, shall we?" Nick asked, with patience dripping in his voice. "I was at a concert on Friday. You were also there. You looked like you had seen a ghost. Which makes perfect sense because you had, in fact, seen a ghost. And not only one, but three."
Trevor shook his head vehemently. "There's no such thing as ghosts."
Nick smiled wickedly. "Oh no?" With a simple wave of his hand, the lights in the room went out and plunged the room into darkness. He also dropped the temperature so much that he could see small puffs of air exit out of his mouth when he took a breath.
"What the hell?" Trevor shouted. "What did you do?!"
With a snap of his fingers, the temperature returned to normal and the lights flashed back on. He smiled at Trevor. "No such thing as ghosts?" he asked sweetly.
"Who- who are you? What do you want?" Trevor asked shakily.
Nick avoided the first question and instead answered slowly. "What do I want…"
"We had so many suppers together," the older man cut in. "How come you didn't bring any of this stuff up then?" He paused. "…You were always so sweet to Carrie."
"Your old band mates and I don't exactly see eye-to-eye at the moment, and I'd hate to ruin the surprise I have in store for them."
"What-" Trevor cut off abruptly. "No. No. This is impossible. I can't be talking about them. They're dead."
"Life. Death. Is it really that different?" Nick drawled. "In fact, Bobby, I think it's about time I invited you to join my exclusive club. Only kindred souls get to join, and membership is for eternity."
Trevor raised his eyebrows skeptically. He shook his head. "No. I don't want any part of this."
"Oh Bobby," Nick sighed. "Think about it. If those boys are still around, in the land of the living, what's stopping them from telling the world about how you stole all their songs and never gave them any credit or their families any money? Do you think award committees will still let you keep all your Grammy's? Do you think you'll get to keep all your fortune? Because I don't. I think you'll be sued and lose everything. How would you like to explain to your daughter that her father is a fraud?"
Trevor bit his lip. "What do you want?" he asked again.
"Firstly, I want you to join my Hollywood Ghost Club. Secondly, you're going to help me get your bandmates to join as well. That will involve you sabotaging Julie Molina's efforts at making it big. I'll help with that too, of course, but since you're so well connected in the music industry, I figured I'd make that your number one priority. And once those boys are a part of my club, you won't ever have to worry about them again."
"What are you going to do to them?"
"I'm not going to hurt them, if that's what you're implying. I simply want them to play at my club. I'm in need of a new house band, and happen to like their sound. They just need the right circumstances for it to happen."
Trevor bit the inside of his cheek. "Well, if no one is going to get hurt."
"And what about you, Bobby? Will you join the Hollywood Ghost Club?"
"I…" Trevor looked around anxiously. "I suppose there's no harm in it."
"Excellent," Nick said, smiling. "It's been a pleasure doing business with you, and I look forward to seeing you in the future." He reached out a hand. Somewhat reluctantly, Trevor reached out and shook it. Nick's smile widened as a purple tattoo appeared on the older man's wrist. "I'll be in touch." Getting up, he left the room without so much as a goodbye, his smile turning into a smirk.
"One, two, one, two, three, four," Alex counted the band in. Together, they played through a rendition of a Sunset Curve song. As Luke strummed the last few notes on his guitar, Julie stood up and went to grab her water bottle.
"Guys, we have to take a break," she said, her voice hoarse. "I know you don't need vocal rest, but between my music program at school and our practices, I could use a break."
Alex immediately got up from behind his drums and made his way over to the couch to sit beside Julie with Reggie not far behind. Ever since they first made contact with her four days ago, the boys seemed to gravitate toward any physical contact with Julie. Luke frowned at the sight of Alex and Reggie sitting with Julie sandwiched between them, their thighs pressing against her legs.
"C'mon Luke," Julie called. "Come sit down and sit still for once in your…" she trailed off, unable to finish the sentence.
"Death?" Reggie supplied helpfully.
Luke's frown deepened, but he bounded over and sat on the coffee table across from the trio. "So, I've been thinking. Our next big gig should be even bigger than the Orpheum. I'm thinking a halftime show at a sporting event. Maybe the Super Bowl?"
"I think we might be a way off from that still," Julie laughed.
"Well, maybe just halftime at a football game? Like the Oakland Raiders or San Diego Chargers? They're both close by."
Julie laughed. "You clearly haven't caught up with the sports news, Luke. We now have not one, but two, NFL teams right here in L.A."
"Really?" Reggie asked. "My dad used to watch football. Sometimes he would let me join him. He liked the Chargers."
Julie smiled sadly at Reggie. "We can watch sometime if you want. I don't really get what's going on but I have gone to a few high school games. I know a couple of the guys on the team."
"Nick?" Luke asked sweetly. A little too sweetly in Julie's opinion.
"Yes," Julie said pointedly. "Nick is one of them."
"Who's Nick?" Alex asked.
"Just a guy-" Julie began.
"-who has a crush on Julie." Luke finished.
Julie watched as Alex and Reggie exchanged a glance. "We're just friends," she protested. "He dated Carrie for, like, so long. It would just be weird."
"But you like him?" Reggie asked.
All three boys turned and looked at her. Reggie winked at her, Alex was giving her an encouraging smile, while Luke looked… Julie couldn't read the expression on Luke's face.
Julie shook her head. "Look, I love you guys, you know I do. You're like brothers to me. But I'm not talking about guys with you. Now or ever. If only for the simple reason that I have watched a ton of movies, and in all of them, brothers tend to meddle in their sisters' love lives."
"We would never!" Reggie scoffed.
Alex raised his eyebrows at Reggie. "Really, Reg?"
Luke rolled his eyes. "Yeah yeah yeah. Fine. No football games. Yet." He stood up. "What next then? We can't just keep playing in your backyard and at high school dances." He started pacing in front of the loft.
Julie watched as Alex and Reggie exchanged another look.
"Dude, chill," Reggie finally ventured. "We didn't even know we'd be here a week ago."
"If you haven't noticed, Reginald, we can't exactly book gigs the way we used to. We need to capitalize on our last performance while we can!"
"And we will, okay?" Alex spoke up. "But we need to come up with some new material."
"We have plenty of material!" Luke argued. "I've written plenty of material." He poofed up to the loft and out of their sight.
Alex's eyebrows raised even higher and Reggie looked like he wanted to be anywhere else.
"We're gonna give him some space," Alex whispered to Julie. "Come on, Reg. You can help me try to find Willie. Want to come, Julie?"
"Thanks." She managed a small smile at Alex. "I think I'll stay here though."
With a shrug of his shoulders, Alex poofed out of the room, Reggie not far behind.
Julie got up and slowly walked over to the ladder to the loft. Climbing up, she found Luke sitting in an old bean bag chair, his song-writing journal gripped so tightly in his hands she should see his knuckles were white.
"Luke?" Julie asked cautiously. "What's going on?"
"Nothing!" Luke spat out.
Biting her lip, Julie pulled herself up to the loft and sat down a few feet from Luke on the wooden floor. "Want to show me what you wrote?" she asked quietly.
Luke's finger tapped a rapid nervous rhythm on his journal and he shook his head emphatically.
"Well, maybe we could use the time now to write together?" Julie ventured.
Luke looked over at her, his eyes suddenly hopeful. "Really?"
"I'm sorry I've been so busy lately, Luke. But you have to realize that I have a life outside of the band…" her voice trailed off as she realized what she had just said.
Luke blinked.
"I'm so sorry Luke! I didn't mean it like that!"
Luke sighed. "Yeah. I know. I don't have a life." He scuffed his shoe against the floor. "I guess it just felt like I did when I was with you. But don't worry. I've gotten the message loud and clear. I'm dead." Without another word, Luke poofed out as Julie watched in dismay.
"Hey disappointment!"
Julie turned at the sound of Flynn's voice. "Hey underachiever."
"Okay, where's your smile and what happened to my Jules?"
Julie sighed. "I said something to Luke yesterday and now I can't find him anywhere. He poofed out on me and I couldn't find him anywhere last night or this morning."
Flynn shrugged. "Don't worry. I'm sure he'll poof up."
Julie gave a small smile. "I hope so. It just doesn't seem like he's been in a good space since the Orpheum performance. The guys won't tell me what happened after I left to go to the show, except that they saw Caleb and that was why they were late… You don't think they're wishing they took him up on his offer, do you?"
"Do pigs fly, Jules?" Flynn scoffed. "Those boys clearly love you. I know I had my doubts about them in the beginning, but I'm sold now. And as your manager, they would need to inform me of that first." She linked her arm through Julie's and they began walking towards music class.
"Julie! Flynn! Wait up!"
Both girls turned to see Nick jogging up behind them. Breaking in between them, he slung an arm casually around each girl's shoulder. Julie watched as Flynn's eyes just about bugged out of her head. She shook her head laughing as Flynn gently brought Nick's arm up and over her head.
"You know I love you, right Nick? But you're just not my type. So don't ever do that again."
"Gotcha!" Nick winked at her. Smiling, he turned to Julie. "So partner, what do you say we practice our dance routine after school?"
Looking over to Flynn, Julie saw her best friend raise her eyebrows meaningfully.
"I don't know, Nick. I've got a few things to do after school. Besides, you were amazing on Sunday. I don't know how you improved so fast."
Nick smiled. "Must just be your help. Please Julie? I don't want to make myself look like a fool in front of the entire school."
Julie sighed. "Okay, but just for a few minutes. I have some stuff with the band I need to take care of. Why don't you come home with me after school and we can practice right away?"
"Cool!" Nick smiled. "See you later Molina!"
As soon as Nick had continued off down the hall, Flynn spun around. "Girl! What was that?! Nick is totally into you."
"I know," Julie sighed. "It's just…"
"Luke?" Flynn guessed.
"Yeah."
Flynn sighed. "I know you like Luke, Julie. But we've been over this. He's dead. Nick is alive. And will continue to be alive! You don't have to worry about him crossing over. Or you getting older while he stays the same age forever. You don't want to be, like, forty years old and he's still seventeen. That would just be weird."
"I know that," Julie sighed back.
"Why not give Nick a chance?" Flynn asked gently. "Maybe it works, maybe it doesn't. You'll never know if you don't try."
"Maybe," Julie acquiesced.
"Let me know how dancing goes," Flynn said with a wink as they headed into the music classroom.
"That was perfect!" Nick exclaimed, after Julie nailed the spin perfectly in their dance routine.
"Aw," Julie blushed. "It was teamwork."
"No, you're amazing Julie." Nick smiled at her.
"Want some iced tea?" she asked, trying to change the subject.
"Sure!" Nick said, following as Julie led the way to the kitchen. He watched as Julie poured two glasses and then sat down on one of the chairs at the table. "So, do I ever get to meet these bandmates of yours? I'd like to tell them how great they are."
"Uh, probably not," Julie hedged. "Since they're holograms and all. They're not actually here. I stream them. You know? Like at the dance?"
"The dance they didn't show up to?" Nick asked.
"It was a timing issue," Julie said. "With the time difference and everything. They thought I had meant 9:00 their time, when it was actually 9:00 our time. It's a whole thing."
"Sure, sure," Nick said, picking up his cup.
Julie gulped down her glass of iced tea. "Well, I hate to kick you out Nick, but there is some stuff I have to take care of before my dad gets home."
"Right," Nick said, gulping down the last of his drink. "I should get going anyway. I've got lacrosse practice tonight."
Julie walked with Nick to the door. Grabbing his backpack, Nick turned to Julie. "See you tomorrow?"
"Yeah. Definitely. See you tomorrow." As Julie started to close the door, Nick suddenly darted closer and kissed her quickly on the cheek. Before Julie could say anything, Nick took off down the front path, turning only at the front gate to wave goodbye.
"OMG! He kissed you?!" Julie read the text message from Flynn.
"Ya," she typed back. "What am I supposed to do now?!"
"Hey Julie, you got a minute?"
"Gah!" Julie chucked her phone at the being that had materialized right in front of her and grabbed at her heart, which had started beating wildly. "Luke! You can't do that! You just about gave me a heart attack."
"Sorry," Luke said, without an ounce of regret in his voice.
Julie took a deep breath to try and even out her breathing.
"Julie?"
Julie looked up to see Luke rubbing the back of his neck in his typical nervous fashion.
"What?" she asked tiredly.
"I just… The boys told me I was being a jerk the past few days. And I guess maybe I was." He paused. "So I'm sorry. For snapping at you. And for poofing out on you."
"Yeah, that sucked," Julie said quietly. "I tried to find you but I couldn't, and Reggie and Alex had no idea where you went either."
"I just needed to clear my head. I had to go somewhere to think."
"What's this really about, Luke?" Julie asked. "I know something's been bothering you."
Luke walked over to where Julie had thrown her phone and picked it up. "I guess I just don't want to let this chance slip through our fingers again. I don't want to mess this up for everyone again."
"What do you mean?" Julie asked, confused.
"I suggested we go get street dogs that night when… we died." Luke explained, his voice much quieter than usual. "It was all I could afford after running away from home." He shrugged his shoulders and handed her the phone before turning away. "It's my fault that we all died."
"Oh Luke," Julie breathed. "That's not true."
"Alex and Reggie are too nice to say it, but I know it is," Luke went on, as if Julie hadn't even spoken. "And then it was my fault again that we went to the Hollywood Ghost Club and met Caleb. I was so focused on trying to get back at Bobby. I almost ruined everything again." Luke walked over to Julie's dresser and picked up the picture of Julie and her mom. "So I'm sorry that I've been pushy about wanting to write together and wanting to book more gigs. I just don't want to mess up again. Because you're part of the band now, and I couldn't bear it if messed up your chance too."
"Hey," Julie said softly. She slowly walked over to where Luke was standing. "Hey, look at me." She waited for Luke to turn around. "We're a band. We're in it together. And you're not going to mess it up." She watched as Luke's eyes glittered with unshed tears. Wrapping her arms around him, she rested her head against his chest, reveling in the feeling of being able to touch him. "We're not going to let anything or anyone mess this up for us."
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