Left Behind

0.2 Always, Bon Jovi

-Present day-

"Ain't it the best? Long live the dead!"

Covington stops singing and the crowd goes wild. The lifers always exploded at the end of every song, but they especially love it when Covington sings. He is extremely charismatic and knows exactly how to work the crowd. Despite the fact I missed being able to perform with Sunset Curve, I still feel the adrenaline pumping through my body at the end of the performance. I walk off the side of the stage, ready to go back to my room like I do at the end of all the performances as I am strictly prohibited from interacting with the lifers. 

"River wait up." a deep voice calls after me and I smile. Willie. I met Willie about 10 years ago after he died in a tragic road accident and we quickly became friends as we were the only people in the Hollywood Ghost Club even close to the same age. I smile at him.

"What's up man."  we high five and started walking to my bedroom together.

"That was a killer set. Covington doesn't know what he's doing keeping you as a backing singer. He clearly just doesn't want you to up stage him in front of his lifers." I laugh and hit his shoulder. 

"Come on now, stop. You know I don't want to perform lead, I only did that with my band." He opens his mouth in protest but I quickly keep talking to stop whatever he was going to say.

"Anyway, where have you been all day, I have been extremely bored." A strange glint shone in his eye and I narrowed my eyes. I knew that look all too well.

"You haven't" I smirked.

"...I have" I shrieked and tackled him into a hug. I had been waiting for this day ever since he told me he had never had a relationship before.

"You need to tell me everything. Spare no detail of the outside world." I said while pulling him into my room.

"Beck you need to meet him. He is everything I could want in a ghost. He's tall and handsome and ughhh." he flopped onto my bed and groaned. I had never seen Willie this way before. My heart warmed for him but I had too shove back the pang of pain I felt when I remembered the last time I felt this way. Luke.

"So are you going to see him again?" I smiled and hid my true thoughts. He frantically nodded his head. 

"I'm meeting him tomorrow night. We're going to go for a walk across the beach." I smiled once again but felt like crying. If only I could leave this club. I faked a yawn and rubbed my eyes.

"I am so happy for you Willie but its getting late. I think I need to get some shut eye if were performing again tomorrow." He stood up off my bed and gave me a one armed hug. 

"I'll see you tomorrow for rehearsal then. Night Beck."

"Night Willie." I waited until he shut me door then shoved my face into my pillow and sobbed for the first time in years. I felt claustrophobic in the Hollywood Ghost Club. I missed my friends despite the fact they would be 25 years older than the last time I saw them. I even missed my mom, though I doubt she even knows that I was missing. The feeling of resentment bubbled up in my chest as I thought about everyone that had it better than me. Willie could come and go as he pleased, Covington got to travel around the world performing, the other ghosts got to talk to the lifers in the club. It just isn't fair. I eventually fell asleep, but even my dreams haunted me. 

-Dream reality-

Me and Alex were sprawled on the couch in the studio watching the new Law and Order episode when Luke, Mason and couple of the other boys walked in. Masons eyes narrowed when he saw me laid on top of Alex. 

"River get up." He said quietly. Alex frowned and pulled me closer to him. 

"Why should she get up, we're watching TV together." I felt sick to my stomach. I looked at Alex, silently begging him to stop talking.

"It's okay, I'll get up." I muttered and stood up. Luke started laughing. 

"Come on bro, leave them alone, they're just laid with each other." Luke gently punched his arm and I cursed under my breath. Mason visible tensed up.

"No bro, I don't wanna see my girl laid on top of some other guy." He punched Luke back in the arm though this was not a friendly tap like Luke's was. He slightly winced though I don't think Mason realised as he was too busy glaring at me. He stomped over to me and pulled me out the room by my arm, his fingers digging into my flesh. I called weakly over my shoulder.

"I'll see you guys at school tomorrow?" But I was out of earshot before I got a response. 

-End of Dream-

I woke up to Willie shaking me. I shot out of bed, a layer of sweat covered my body.

"River are you okay?" I couldn't stop trembling. I felt my heartrate slow down as I took in my surroundings and I released a breath as I realised it was just a dream. 

"Yeah I'm good." I realised that Willie was dressed very differently to his normal skater  boy vibes. "Woah what's with the penguin suit? Wait what time is it?" 

Willie quickly explained I had slept straight through the day and that the boy he met had two friends who were looking to get back at an old friend who had screwed them over. They were coming to tonight's performance to meet Covington. 

"Wow that's a lot of information." I laughed my head swarming with excitement. The performances were always so much better when Covington tries to impress other ghosts so they join the club.

"Oh I almost forgot. Get dressed because Covington wants to talk to you."

My stomach clenched. Oh no.

--

Hi Guys!

This is my first proper chapter of left behind and I am extremely proud of it. I know Luke and the others haven't properly been in it yet but I assure you it will be coming soon. If you have any feedback or anything you want adding to the book, feel free to comment or DM me, I respond to everyone :) Each chapter will be named after a song which I think shows how River is feeling in each part so I recommend you listen to them as you read. No pressure though :)))

Thanks for reading, icantenglish x