Wake Up| JATP

Chapter 30

Nicole had never expected to meet Caleb, when she imagined him she expected him too look a lot more evil but he looked completely normal which freaked her out even more. Luke stood in front of her protectively, holding her hand. "What are you doing here?" Caleb gasped dramatically. "Such hostility!"  Nicole scoffed a little too loud. "Ah the one I haven't met finally here in front of me. Come out, don't be shy." Nicole looked at Luke who was begging her not to move. She ignored his gaze, thought it was difficult and moved so she was practically face to face with Caleb. "You would fit in well with my dancers, petite waist, pretty face, the boys will be pining." Nicole glared him down as he placed his fingers on her jaw. "I'm just here to congratulate you on your big night." He laughed and it sent shivers down Nicole's spine. Luke tugged on her sleeve and she slowly made her way back to him. "Not everyone gets to play the Orpheum." Luke had had enough of small talk. "No. Okay? We know that it's your stamp that's hurting us." Caleb grinned and it made Nicole's stomach twist. "Oh, what? This one?" Nicole was winded and she went flying back. The pain she felt was something she had never experienced before, it was like her insides were being burnt out. "We already told you! We have our own band we don't want to join your little club! Just leave her out of this! She isn't a part of it." Luke knelt next Nicole pulling her into his arms as she groaned and cried in pain. "You're crossing over tonight! So exciting!" The way he changed attitudes so quickly frightened them all, he was truly a mad man. "Funny thing about the cross over, no one really knows what's on the other side. But I know what's happening on this side." Nicole felt her whole body twist and turn as they teleported. She landed on her feet luckily and the boys did the same. She looked down and realised she was no longer in her T-shirt and jeans but in a beautiful frilly dress that stopped at her knees. She looked over at the boys and saw that they too were no longer in their normal clothes but in tuxedos. "He's got style, I'll admit that."

Called descended down the stairs and everyone was quiet. "Well don't you look nice." Nicole could feel Luke checking her out beside her and she couldn't help but grin. "How'd you know our sizes?" Nicole couldn't help but snort at Alex's question but she quickly went silent as Luke glared down Alex. "That's your question?" Caleb sighed and looked directly at them. "I know you boys aren't my biggest fans and I highly doubt you are either." He looked at Nicole for a split second and she swore he was staring into her soul. "And an eternity in my club might seem overwhelming. But I just put you in sweet threads so humour me this one last pitch." He handed something to the man beside him and the way he spoke was as if he was trying to encourage them. "Isn't it nice that you're all here together? And believe me, everything you want, including Willie, is here." Alex looked conflicted and Nicole felt so bad for him, he was having to choose between his oldest friends or the possible love of his life and it must've been tearing him apart. "And, on my stage, you don't vanish when the music stops." He took a step closer, standing in front of Luke who looked mildly uncomfortable. "You soak in the applause for as long as you want. The connection that you will feel with that audience, will be like no other. I promise." Nicole was angry. She was beyond angry. Why did he think that he could just push them all around? They were happy as they were they didn't need all that Caleb had offered. "No offense, Caleb. Actually no I take that back, full offence, we don't need you, or your house band and your eternal glory or whatever you're offering okay? We have each other, we have love and we have friendship and that is all we need. Music is our passion we don't need audiences to prove that." Luke held tightly onto her hand afraid she might slip away and the boys looked at her in admiration. "Hmm, you've got a mouth on you, pity. You're going to be hard to control. You were so pretty too." Before Nicole could ask what he meant she had been sent flying back, the force of the blow had knocked her out.

She woke up god knows how long later, her head was throbbing. She wasn't in the place she had taken the blow but instead in a small box room. There was no light therefore there was no escape. A sob escaped her lips as she realised this was it. She was going to disappear forever. She didn't even get to say goodbye. She banged her fists on the walls desperately hoping someone would help. "Help! Please! I-I'm not supposed to be here. Please." Her back slid against the wall and she fell to the floor with a thud. There was no use, she was stuck. Faint music played in background so she realised she mustn't have been too far away from the stage. Nicole had never thought that this would be her ending, she thought that the boys would cross over and her and Julie would grow closer and maybe one day Nicole would figure out her unfinished business but it wasn't a priority, she rather enjoyed being able to live her life again, even if it wasn't exactly the same. She began to sing quietly to herself. If she was going to die tonight she would do it doing the one thing she loved. "Don't blink, No I don't wanna miss it, hands down can't let myself forget it you know..." It was like she could hear the song in her ears, it was faint but it was there, furrowing her brows in confusion she carried on singing. "And it's one, two, three, four times, that I'll try for one more night, light a fire in my eyes. I'm going out of my mind." The music got louder, and Nicole scrambled off of the floor. She looked around and a light flashed before her eyes but it only lasted a second before she was back in the dark room again. "Whatever happens even if I'm the last standing I'mma stand tall."  The music grew louder and Nicole felt herself teleport. She stood in a stage. Julie was beside her, Luke, Alex and Reggie too. Luke looked as if he could cry. They were stood in the Orpheum playing in front of thousands of people. Nicole nearly burst into tears at the sight. She never thought she'd see her boys or Julie ever again. She quickly joined in, playing her guitar when she needed to. "Right now I'm loving every minute, hands down can't let myself forget it no, cause everything is rushing in fast, keep holding on never look back!" They all joined in with the chorus jumping in their doors as the crowd went crazy. The entire performance there was a smile on all of their faces. They were finally living their dream. "Whatever happens even if I'm the last standing imma stand tall, imma stand tall, whatever happens even when everything's down imma stand tall, imma stand tall. I gotta keep on dreaming, cause I got a catch that feeling." Nicole and Luke moved closer together at the centre of the stage as they sang. Their voices mixed together so perfectly. He looked directly in her eyes and tucked a piece of hair behind her ears. She finally found what she was missing and she was never letting it go.

Immediately after the show the four ghosts disappeared and Nicole didn't even get a chance to breath before Luke picked her up and spun her in a circle. "I was so worried about you, don't ever leave me again." She laughed into his shoulder, pulling away. "I won't."

Nicole felt herself be pulled into a sort of black hole. They were where they started. "Alex please don't start crying again." The group shared a laugh but it was short lived. "What happened to you Nicole? Did he hurt you?" The girl simply shook her head, pulling her knees to her chest. "No I was just all alone in a little box room, just like this one I suppose. I started singing to cheer myself up and then poof I was at the Orpheum." Reggie wrapped his arm around her shoulder pulling her close. "I'm glad you're okay." The twisting, pulling feeling came again and suddenly they were on the garage floor. It was fake for a moment before the doors opened and a figure walked in. Everyone was silent as they still were in immense pain after the nights adventures. "I-I know I already said this but thank you guys." "Your welcome." Nicole burst into laughter at Reggie's comment. Julie flicked the lights on and stared in awe at the band in front of her. "Why are you here? I-I thought-" Julie was cut off as they were all hit with another jolt, this time Nicole was hit too. She groaned in pain, trying to stand, using the piano as support. They all coughed and spluttered and poor Julie looked traumatised, not knowing who to look at. "I-I thought you crossed over. Why didn't you cross over?" The boys slowly stood up, gripping whatever they could to keep them sturdy. Luke wrapped his arm around Nicole's waist and she did the same hoping they could rely on each other to stand. "Guess playing the Orpheum wasn't our unfinished business." Alex came over and wrapped his arm around Nicole's shoulder using her as support. Her knees felt like jelly and she was sure she was going to collapse under the weight but she held on. "Point Caleb." Reggie grumbled under his breath, coming to Luke's other side. Julie stood teary eyed in front of them all. They definitely could've looked better but it had Ben an extremely rough night and all Nicole wanted to do was sleep. "We wanted you to think we crossed over so we pretended to." Nicole smiled sadly. The night definitely hadn't turned out how they wanted and she couldn't tell if that was good or bad. "We had no where else to go." Luke let out a sob and it shattered Nicole's heart completely. She gripped his hand in hers and rubbed gently circles with her thumb. "We thought you'd go straight to bed." The four sat down on the floor, they felt as weak as ever and couldn't rely on themselves to stand anymore. "Yeah well I knew she was gonna come out here but nobody ever listens to me." Nicole laughed, causing the others to join in. Another jolt hit them, it was getting worse, it was like drinking pure acid. A sob escaped Julie's lips as she began to move frantically. "You have to save yourselves! Go join Caleb's club! Please! It's better than not existing at all. Please just go! Poof out! Do something please! Do it for me." Julie's sobs echoed through the small garage. It took all of Nicole's strength to stand up and give the girl a hug. "We're not going back there." Luke stood up and joined them. "No music is worth making Julie if we're not making it with you." Alex and Reggie got up from the floor, still clutching their sides in pain. "No regrets." Everyone stared at each other, watery eyed. "I love you guys." Their bond was unbreakable, they knew that. They had helped each other achieve what they couldn't alone and a beautiful friendship was created. They all pulled in for a group hug. "How can I feel you?" Nicole furrowed her brow in confusion as she watched Julie take Luke's hand. Nicole moved forward slowly placing her hand on Julie's shoulder and for once it didn't fall through. "What the hell?" Big smiles were plastered on all of their faces. "Can we get that group hug thing again?"

It was sometime later and everyone was just lounging about trying to soak in the evenings events. Luke and Nicole were curled up on the sofa and every so often she would steal a kiss which would make Luke smile.

"Who would've thought our afterlife would be better than our actual one?"