"and they tell you that you're lucky, but you're so confused / 'cause you don't feel pretty, you just feel used"
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Josephine "Jo" Newton is the rhythm guitarist for Caleb Covington's legendary house band at the Hollywood Ghost Club. Playing her in...
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Willie plopped down from a picnic table onto the cement as he skated past a pair of police officers writing tickets for two lifer skateboarders. "Good day, officers," he said in a cheesy British accent as he passed them by. Three ghosts then popped up in his path and he kicked up his board in front of them. "Hey! What's up, guys? You brought another friend!"
"The infamous third bandmate, Luke," Alex introduced.
"Hey, man, I'm Willie," he said as they bumped elbows. "Long time no see, Reg."
"Yeah," he smiled, glancing around in what he thought was an inconspicuous manner. "Is Jo...?"
"Sorry, man. They stayed back today. Trying to avoid the big man's wrath." Willie looked at the three of them suggestively. "So... you guys here to learn some 'tricks.'" With the flick of his hand, the cops' vehicles' sirens went off, giving the skateboarders time to get away unpunished.
"Do it again! Do it again!" Reggie exclaimed.
"Actually, we were thinking a little bigger," Luke said. "An old bandmate stole from us. We wanna confront him face-to-face."
"Alright. Is this, uh, old friend of yours a lifer?" Willie asked.
"Oh, that's fancy ghost lingo for the living," Alex told his friends. "Little something I picked up," he added to Reggie quietly, making the corner of Willie's mouth turn upwards.
"Ah! Then, yes, he's a lifer," Reggie said, exaggerating the unfamiliar word. "Too much of a fancy-pants for street dogs."
Willie winced. "Yeah, I'm sorry. Speaking to lifers is even out of my league." He glanced around at them hesitantly. Jo wouldn't like it... but Caleb and Lina... "You know, but there is one ghost who might be able to help you guys. He's kind of a big deal."
"Literally, anything would help," Luke said hopefully.
"Oh, alright. Well, um, I gotta go take care of some things, but I'll meet you where Alex and I met, eight o'clock."
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That night, Willie led the bandmates to the top floor of an old hotel in Hollywood. They entered a space marked by a sign as "members only" with a fancy, gold logo. "Right this way," Willie said.
