Edge of Great // Julie and the Phantoms (Reggie Peters)

24

The group made their way back to Julie's. They were in a conga line chanting Stand Tall.

"You girls and your Phantoms were unbelievable tonight," Ray complimented. "You know, I'd like to thank them for bringing music back into your lives."

Julie smiled before saying, "We already did. But I didn't thank you, Papi." She gave Carlos her dahlia, as did Reyna, and the two hugged Ray.

Carlos looked at the dahlias a moment then said, "Hey, Julie, Reyna, can I talk to you two for a second?"

Reyna nodded. "Yeah. Yeah, uh, just give us a minute." The two were going to the garage.

"Okay, I'll wait up. Don't ghost me." He winked.

Reyna rolled her eyes and she and Julie walked to the garage.

---

The garage was dark; almost pitch black. The girls opened the door. They held hands tightly.

Reyna bit her lip before saying, "I... I know we already said this, but, uh... Thank you, guys."

"You're welcome," a voice Reyna knew to be Reggie's said.

"Dude!" Luke protested.

Reyna and Julie exchanged a look and Julie turned on the lights. They saw the boys on the floor, barely able to lift themselves from the ground.

The blonde's chest felt tight and she could barely breathe as she asked, "Why... Why are you here? We thought-"

Another jolt hit the ghosts and Reyna's hand flew to her mouth.

Julie grasped her friend's hand again as she looked around and said, "No -- no! We thought you guys crossed over! Why didn't you cross over?"

"I guess playing the Orpheum wasn't our unfinished business," Alex replied as the three attempted to sit up.

"Point Caleb," Reggie muttered.

"We wanted you two to think we crossed over, so we pretended to," Luke told the girls. "We just -- we had nowhere to go."

"We thought you'd both go straight to bed."

"Yeah, well, I knew they were gonna come out here, but nobody ever listens to me," Alex argued as he stood.

Yet another jolt hit the boys.

By now, Reyna was shaking in terror and panic. Thinking she'd lost them had been bad, but this was so much worse. "You have to save yourselves! Go join Caleb's club! Please! It's better than not existing at all!"

Julie nodded. "Please just go. Go! Poof out! Do something! Please! Do it for me and Rey!"

Reggie shook his head. "We're not going back there."

Luke made his way to the girls. "No music is worth making, Julie, Reyna, if we're not making it with you two." Julie and Reyna looked at him tearfully. "No regrets."

Julie hugged Luke as she sniffled and said, "I love you guys."

Luke started glowing and Julie stepped back. "How can I feel you?"

"I... I... I don't know. I..." Luke replied as Julie gasped and touched his cheeks. In return, Luke sniffled and touched her cheeks a moment before taking her hands. He turned to his bandmates. "I feel stronger." He turned back to Julie.

Reyna knelt next to Reggie and closed her eyes as he tried touching her cheek, only to have his hand phase through her.

Reggie attempted to touch Reyna's cheek again and her eyes widened, feeling pressure. It was gentle; a welcoming touch full of what seemed to be love.

"Reg," she whispered. "How?"

"I..." Reggie chuckled, "I feel stronger."

"Alex, Reggie, come," Julie said. "You too, Rey."

The boys stood and Reggie took Reyna's hand as they made their way to Julie and Luke. Everyone sniffled and gasped as they hugged.

Reggie said, "Whoa... I... I... I don't feel as weak anymore."

They pulled away from their hug as Luke chuckled.

"Yeah, me neither," Alex agreed. "Not that, you know, I was ever weak." The group chuckled.

The ghosts held their wrists up, watching as Caleb's stamp disappeared.

"What do you think that means?" Julie and Reyna wondered.

"I think the band's back!" Luke replied, causing everyone to smile.

Reggie chuckled before Alex asked, "You guys think we could try that hug thing one more time?"

Reggie nodded and chuckled before saying, "Yeah. I like this."

"Me too," Julie and Reyna replied. "Aww!" Everyone chuckled once again.

The five hugged and jumped in a circle. As they did so, Julie and Reyna exclaimed, "We played the Orpheum! Whoo!"

"Yeah, we did!" Luke cried, causing the group to giggle.

For the moment, all was well in the world. The band was back, the club stamp was gone, and Caleb was gone. At least, that's what they thought.

---

The next day, Nick and Max, flowers in hand, made their way to Julie's, and rang the doorbell.

A whoosh sounded and Caleb said, "How sweet. The broken-hearted teenagers fighting for their girls."

"Do I know you?" Nick and Max asked.

"You two will."

Nick and Max gasped and a purple smoke entered their mouths as Caleb possessed them. Wind howled and bones cracked.

"I have a fight too," Nick/Caleb and Max/Caleb said.

Julie and Reyna opened the door and smiled. "Hi, Nick! Hi, Max!" The boys handed the girls the flowers with a devious smile.

Julie and Reyna sighed and said, "Thanks."