Diner Gal | JatP Reggie Peters

Chapter 12

Y/N sat on a stool at the counter in Le Paradis du Chanteur, a broom leant against the edge. She played with a pen whilst staring down at blank pages of her notebook, her whole body felt heavy and she couldn't will herself to do anything, the truth had hit her full force like a bright red truck with flashing neon signs that read 'Caution! Heartbreak!'. She knew she didn't love him; it was too soon for that but it didn't stop the aching feeling of knowing all of her options were really only one option: let him go. No matter how selfish Y/N wanted to be she knew that it wasn't fair to any of them, she wasn't heartless or ignorant, she knew what accepting Caleb's offer would do and she refused to take the easy way out.

She would much rather a future alone and without Reggie in it, knowing that he's safe and happy than condemn him to a life he never wanted, well afterlife but the sentiment stayed the same. Plus, it wasn't just Reggie, there was Luke and Alex too and they would have to suffer through the consequences of her choice just as much as Reggie would. It wasn't fair. Y/N sighed and put the pen down on the paper, her chair scraping against the floor as she got up and walked over to the office, staring at the drawer that withheld her chance, her hope. With a slight sigh, she found the courage to open the it and hold the contract in her hands.

Reggie would rip it for you if he were in the same situation.

So, she did, she closed her eyes and did it.

She ripped it.

A blinding light filled the room, a warm sensation wrapped itself around her fingers, growing until it was so unbearably hot that she dropped the ripped pieces of paper, almost instantly the light faded and the heat from before waned into a fuzzy tingling in the tips of her fingers. Y/N hesitantly opened her eyes and saw the contract on the floor, singed along the rip lines. A dark purple mark was burned into the paper, the lines disintegrated and spread across the paper until there was nothing left but thin streaks of ash on the floor. She did it. She really did it, she let him go. All that was left was to wait until the end of the Friday event and then live out the rest of her life as if she'd never heard of Julie and the Phantoms.

Easier said than done but Y/N was determined. If she could take on an evil ghost magician, she could handle pretty much anything.

---

"And that's kinda what happened, I guess..."

"Y/N, you're like one of those really cool superheroes whose origin story is like, the saddest but coolest thing of all time: A waitress who was looking for more in her life than just scrubbing tables comes to find she can communicate with ghosts, specifically three incredibly handsome, cool and charming musicians who teach her there's more to life than work. Then, the bad guy comes in and messes everything up, though we do have to mention he has amazing food at his ghost joint, but because the waitress is so cool, she saves herself and the three ghosts. But the hero always has to have someone die or sacrifice something, like Cal, sad really. The end!"

Y/N slumped, a terrible sludge-like feeling eating her up inside. She had totally forgotten about Cal, assuming the boys hadn't found Cal a way out, she had pretty much just sacrificed any chance at freedom he would ever get. Sighing, Y/N looked up to meet Reggie's questioning gaze who quickly turned pale with realisation, "Oh- sorry, I guess that would still be a sore subject, and you know what, I'll just stop talking now..." She forced out a chuckle which quickly faded into a sad smile, her gaze turning toward the floor "It's okay, Reggie. I know you didn't mean it like that, I just wish there was more I could do...I feel useless, like I can't save him, I can't even get credible information sources to even start to help him. I just, I wish I could do more." Y/N let out a breath, looking back up at Reggie, "Sorry, that was a lot, huh?"

Reggie bit the inside of his cheek, his brows furrowing, "I just had an idea, I'm not sure if it would work but it's the best I've got." Y/N's eyes widened, "Well anything is better than nothing, I'm all ears."