Revolution that's been dancing in the rain (Book 1)

19. I need help

"Willie" I call out for the ghost,
Its had taken me longer to find him this time.
He wasn't at the beach or any of his usual skating spots so I roamed the street by the Orpheum
looking for him.
There is where I find him sat on a bench not far up the road.
"Jessie what are you doing here" he looks up surprised to see me.
I know I still hold a lot of anger towards him, but the look on his face now and the way he had looked at Alex tell me all I need to know.
"I need some help"
"You want me to help you?" He asks dumbfounded
"You really do care for Alex don't you"
"I" He smiles sadly and looks to the empty spot of the bench beside him.
Saying nothing else, I push a little harder
"The same way you cared for Tyler, before I came around"
"You knew about that"
"We all had our pasts" I sit next to him
"I'd do anything for him, anything"
"Even risk your after life" I counter
"Already am" He shrugs, and he is.
Helping us in anyway risks his eternal damnantion
"Good, I need you to get a book for me"
"A book?" he looks confused
"Let's take a ride"
I bring him to my fathers bookstore
"I don't know where in there it is, probably in the aparment upstairs, its a big brown bound book has a fancy C embroidered on it in gold thread"
"Why can't you go in"
"This is my dads store, he'd never let me leave with the book"
"Your dad" he asks nervously
"He's not going to be able to see you" I roll my eyes
"You really think theres somthing in there to save the guys
If there isn't I dont know where else to look, and we only have an hour so"
"I'll be fast"
Just then my phone starts ringing
It's a facetime from Carlos
"Actually guys I'm a bit nervous"
Julie's voice comes through from the other side of the phone
"I gotta go, bring me the book as soon as you find it"
"You got it boss" he salutes, poofing inside

I rush home. Carlos finding out about the boys isn't the worst thing,
but if he tells Ray it might be an issue.
If I can't find somthing to save the boys they need too preform,
so Ray can't think his kids are having a mental breakdown.
I get there just as Julie's getting into the car
"Jessie there you are are you coming with us" she hugs me
"You're going, good, no I'll drive over myself"
"Of course I'm going" she laughs
"Right, of course. See you there"
I head to the studio to see Carlos talking the the boys
"Who you calling boy band" Luke pouts
I hold back a laugh even after all this time they still act like others can see them
Ray shouts for Carlos who turns and sees me
"Jessie"
"Better go ghostbuster, important night for your sister" I lean against the door
"Can you see them too?" He asks hopeful
"Can you see them?" I ask raising an eyebrow
"Julie was talking to them" He looks back towards the boys
"How about you delete the video, respect you sisters privacy and go enjoy her show"
"You wont tell her I was spying" He asks nervously
I hug him and kiss the top of his head
"Not if you do what I just said, now go before Ray pops his top"
He laughs "Okay see you there Jessie" he walks past me heading for the car
"Oh Jessie"
"Ya Carlos" I turn to him
"Thanks for being there, you know when mom died."
He says looking a little shy
"For Julie." He adds "It meant a lot to all of us and I don't think we ever said that to you"
My heart melts at the boy in front of me
"It's family Carlos, you don't let down family" I hug him hard and he runs off to the car
"I'm so glad you think so Jessica"
The guys and I turn around to see Caleb sitting on top of the piano.
"What are you doing here" Luke charges towards him, puting himself in front of the rest of us
"Such hostility I'm just here to congratulate you on your big night, not every one gets to play at the Orpheum"
"No, no, okay we know that it's your stamp that's hurting us"
"Hmm" Caleb looks down disaprovingly
He must realise that it was Willie that told them, that's not good.
"We already told you we have a band we don't want to join your little club"
"Ya and you can't make us either" Alex points stepping up beside Luke coughing nervously at Caleb's stare "Sir"
Reggie stays in the back looking unsure,
I know he's not feeling confident about crossing over.
I step beside him and place a hand as steady on his shoulder as I can.
He smiles at me putting his hand through mine
"Right you're crossing over tonight, so exiciting"
He stand up from the piano
"Funny thing about the cross over no one really knows what's waiting on the other side, that is if you make it over, isn't that right Jess"
"How do you two know each other" Reggie asks looking at me, but I can't respond.
Instead I just look down at the ground, pulling my hand back.
"What's going on" Luke demands and I can feel his eyes on me.
"How about I show you whats happing on this side, care to join us Jessica" He walks towards me
"Do I get a choice" I look up, glaring up at him
"Haven't I always given you a choice" He smiles down at me, a sinister predatory smile
and with that he teleport's us to the club.
The boys and I appear in Caleb's dressing room, our backs to the L shaped stairs that lead to his office.
Each of the boys have their instruments and we're all dressed up.
Alex in a pink prom style suit,
Reggie in a red single button three peice with black butterflys,
Luke in a double breasted navy three piece suit,
and me in a black and red flapper dress with a black feather boa and black gloves.
It's insulting, his way of showing how much power and control he has over us.
"Sweet threads" Reggie compliments and Luke gives him a dirty look
"How, how did you know our sizes"
"That's your qustion" Luke asks annoyed and amazed at his friends
It's funny right there, the three responses show off their entire personality's.
Reggie, sweet, innocent and a little behind.
Alex, nervous and anxious, always asking qustions.
Luke, blunt, annoyed and a little hot headed.
I can't imagine how life will be when they're gone.
"I know you boys aren't my biggest fans and an enternity at my club might seem overwhelming but I just put you in sweet threads so humor me this one last pitch"
He walks over to us
Now, for starters, isn't it nice that you're all here together?
And believe me, everything you want is here."
He walks behind us
"Willie" He puts a hand on Alex's shoulder
"Jessica" He places a Lukes shoulder, and the two of them look at me confused "Each other" He puts a hand on either one of Reggies shoulder
"Why would Jessie be here" Alex questions
I send a pleading look at Caleb to stay quite but it doesn't work
"You don't know?"
He laughs
"Caleb" I whisper pleading
"Jessie's my great granddaughter."
"WHAT!" The three boys yell in unison and I step away from them slightly
"I let her leave to go to school, once she graduates next year she comes back home to be one of my dancers again, she's an amazing little danccer, had her own solo show"
"She" he puts his hand on eiter one of my shoulders "brought in a lot of customers"
"You're, you're a Covington" Alex asks still confused
"He's your great grandpa" Luke shouts
"Why didn't you tell us" Reggie asks, sounding hurt
I look down, mortified and ashamed
"Don't worry Jessie, there's someone here for you too. I wouldn't leave my own granddaughter out"
I look up confused who could be here for me?
Julie's safe at the Orpheum right?
"Hey Essy" I snap around
"Tyler" I rush to him instinctively "What, are you, your"
"I'm a ghost, Caleb brought me back for you"
"For me?"
"For you, and on my stage, you don't vanish when the music stops.
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."
He says this to Luke and I know I should say somthing, that's exactly the kind of thing Luke needs to hear to convince him to stay, his connection to his audiance is the most important thing to him."
Cheering can be heard from the crowd
"Oh! Shh. Do you hear that? They're waiting for you."
The three boys are hit with a jolt, I turn to help but Tyler who's now holding the tops of my arms keeps me facing him
"That one looked like it hurt." He backs up
"Now, let me remind you, you don't know if
playing the Orpheum is your unfinished business.
Do you really have time to make that mistake?
I suggest you accept my offer, because the clock is ticking."
They're hit again and once again I'm stopped from turning to help
"Ouch! You know where to find me."
Caleb go's onstage and starts preforming
"Isn't this great Essy, we can be together again. Forever" Tyler says facing me to him
"You want to be here forever?" I ask confused
"Of course, I want us to be together, and with a new band we'll have more time to spend together.
Tonight is the start of our new life here"
I step back out of his grasp
"Tonight?"
"Yes tonight, you and me here. Preforming, living the dream"
"But, I have a year left, of school, until I have too come back"
"Do you really want to spend another year apart, It's a miracle I'm back.
Caleb did this for you, for us."
A Miracle?
"Wait, wait I don't understand"
I back up
"You want me to stay"
"Of course I want you to stay"
"But- tonight, you want me to come back tonight, forever?"
"Uh Jessie"
I turn to see the boys starting to dance
"We're not doing this"
"Don't you want to, dont you miss me?" He says ignoring my friends sudden loss of autonomy
He grabs my arms again
"We have a second chance, to have back what we used to have, to be who we used to be.
Don't you miss me?"
"Of course I miss you I just"
I hear drumming from the stage and turn to see that Alex has been teleported onstage
"Alex!" I shout trying to reach him but I'm held in place
"Forget him, don't you want to be with me" he shouts clearly getting annoyed
"Of course I want to be with you"