Healing - JATP Fanfic (Luke x OC)

Chapter 6

Harry: Hey, can you be ready in an hour? I want to take you somewhere

Aliyah: Sure

Aliyah: What should I wear?

Harry: Something nice but kind of casual

Aliyah: Okay. I'll see you in an hour

"What did I just agree to? A date? A real date? Oh god, oh god, oh god." Taking a deep breath, Aliyah tries to calm herself, but since Brielle isn't there—she's at Julie's house—there's nothing to stop her from panicking. It's been years since she's been on a real date and she has no idea what to wear, how to act, or what's expected on one.

Pulling out the most casual of all the dresses she owns, which compared to the rest is like wearing a sweatshirt and sweatpants, she pulls it over her head, remembering why she liked this back in New York. Most of her dresses were designed for red carpets or fancy galas, not a kind-of-formal date. The red flower pattern throughout the dress is really pretty and she likes how flowy it is in comparison to a lot of her other dresses, which seem more like second skins.

Now, onto the makeup. Putting on mascara and lipstick first, she pulls the foundation out, although she doesn't need much. Her skin has never had many problems and with a five step skin care routine, thanks to being on Broadway, acne is never, ever present. Next is a tiny bit of blush and nude eyeshadow, before moving on to her hair, which should be curled before she even thinks about doing anything else to it. At least she's quick to do her makeup, because curling her hair is a half hour job. By the time Harry shows up at her door, she's ready and looks better than he could have expected.

"You look amazing." Harry says, just as Willie pops in, but she doesn't realize he's there, not that she can cancel her plans now, anyways. Willie doesn't say anything, but when Harry makes direct eye contact with him, it's clear he can see Willie. Harry doesn't say anything to Aliyah, assuming she has no idea ghosts exist, let alone that one is in her apartment. He has no idea just how wrong he is with that assumption.

As soon as they are both gone, Willie poofs away to find Nick, who is presently walking around his deserted high school, as it's Sunday and anyone who is there on a Sunday has no life. Just like Nick currently does.

"So, how's life treating you?" Willie asks. He'd use the word afterlife, but Nick's actual body is still well and alive, unlike his which has been underground for more than a few years.

"My lack of one currently is alright. I guess I just miss being able to talk to all of my friends." Nick continues walking down the empty halls, with a million memories flooding his mind of all the good times he's had in high school. He used to watch as Carrie would hand out flyers to her performances against that column and talk with his buddies in the morning at that table. Man, I miss high school. "And watching Caleb as he controls my body is just a little too weird."

"I can't even imagine watching your body from the sidelines. A real out-of-body experience, am I right?" Nick laughs at the awful pun, not even caring that it is, in fact, what he has to go through.

"Definitely." Continuing their walk through the high school, Willie's fingers brush against Nick's, and as much as he wants to grab his hand, Willie is well aware that Nick is (supposedly) straight, Nick is still trying to convince himself he only likes girls, not guys or even both, no matter how much he wants to do things with Willie he could have only seen himself do with girls. Like kissing, cuddling, and more.

"So, this is your high school, I take it?" Willie asks, trying to break the nervous tension between the two of them.

"Yeah. Technically, I'm still in high school, but, as you can see, that clearly isn't possible." Nick motions to his spirit body and makes both of them laugh.

"Hey, try opening that locker without touching it." Willie points to a random locker, and Nick looks at which one he's pointing to, feeling his whole body go into shock for a moment. That's Julie's locker. "Oh, come on. Don't balk out now."

"Alright." Nick remembers the tricks Willie taught him, unlocking the locker and opening the door from a distance to see the familiar scrapbook paper covering the inside with hundreds of lyrics taped to the paper.

"Who's locker is this?" Willie wonders, interested by the words covering the inside of the locker.

"Julie's." Willie tries to do everything not to react too adversely because he's heard loads about her, but not from Nick.

"Who's Julie?" Willie wonders, trying to keep up the façade.

"A girl I really liked, but she likes someone else." She likes Luke, Willie thinks, before shutting the door and bringing Nick to the one place that really reminds him of Alex. The museum where they let out all their frustrations about life by screaming at the top of their lungs.

"You'll find someone that realizes what a good guy you are one day." As much as Willie wants that to be him, Nick is going back in to the lifer world and there is a really good chance he doesn't. He can't even bring himself to figure out how to tell the guys they're probably going to become ghosts again unless they can help him figure out his unfinished business.

Which means they might as well start saying their goodbyes now. He's been trying to figure his out for fifty years, with absolutely no luck.

"I'm going to assume we aren't here to see the art pieces on display." Nick says, looking to Willie and feeling butterflies in his stomach.

Do I actually like guys?

Nick knows the feeling of butterflies means he likes someone. That's what he used to feel around Julie. And even Carrie, a long, long time ago. After Carrie became a lot meaner towards Julie, he stopped liking her, even if he couldn't bring himself to dump her.

"You would be correct." Willie takes Nick's hand walking them through the front doors to a part of the museum that is still under construction, even almost three months later. "Scream as loud as you can."

"What?" Nick is baffled by his request, trying to figure out what in the world he wants him to do.

"Just let all your frustrations out. Like this." Willie screams at the top of his lungs, letting out some of his frustrations about his afterlife.

"Okay." Nick says, screaming decently loud, but not letting everything go for one moment, like Willie wants.

"Put your heart into it. Don't hold back." Willie stares straight into his eyes, creating this undeniable chemistry between the two of them momentarily, before screaming again. Nick joins in, feeling how good it feels to just let it all out.

After screaming and talking for another half hour, Willie heads back to Aliyah's apartment where she and Brielle are talking about her date with Harry. Aliyah doesn't notice him for a while as she goes through every detail of her date. Willie is happy for her, since he found out about her terrible ex-boyfriends, and also managed to convince her to start dating Harry, especially after hearing that Brielle approved of him.

"Willie?" Brielle looks directly at him, trying to figure out whether she's seeing things again or it's really him.

"You can see Willie?" Aliyah's face goes ghost white, ha ha I know, trying to figure out herself what's going on. As soon as Brielle rubs her eyes, she doesn't see him anymore.

"Not anymore, but I've seen him more than once." Willie decides right then and there that he needs to read over that book again.

She hasn't ever been able to see me, Willie thinks, finding the tattered book in the nearly empty club. They're in Beijing right now. This book has to have the answers.

Author's Note: Happy Memorial Day (to all those living in the USA)! Here's another chapter because I don't have any classes today. After trying to get this to be the ending of chapters four and five, I've finally set it up so I can put in Caleb's book (to be published Friday)! I'm so excited for you guys to read it (since I wrote it after chapter 3 because I had a lot of free time and it was so much fun to write), because it's got so many cool things in it that just make this story so cool. Also, are you guys enjoying the Nick & Willie ship? Let me know how much you guys liked this chapter by commenting, voting, but have a good day!

Loves,

mistyrider921

~𝄞~