Dead and Alive

Chapter 4

"Oh shit," Flynn said as soon as the doors slammed behind Julie, "I did not see that coming." Sometimes she really hated her Gift. It was uninformative at the best of times, but when it didn't even trigger any kind of warning... "I should go to her.""No, don't." Willie put out his hand to stop her. "I've seen her like this before. She just needs time."Flynn eyed him. It was weird to hear Willie talk about Julie like he knew her that well. She was Julie's best friend and had been since grade three. It was strange to think she really hadn't been Julie's only best friend. "Okay," she said reluctantly, and sat down on the couch with a sigh. "I just don't like to see her upset.""Of course not. She's your friend." Reggie came and sat beside her, and Flynn couldn't help the small jolt of awareness from him being so close. He was really cute, and talented and so nice... Stop it! she told herself fiercely. Dead, remember? But she couldn't stop herself from turning to look at him, or noticing the pure green of his eyes, the same shade as the plants by the window. She'd never seen that shade in a person's eyes before. It was mesmerizing.A corner of his lip turned up uncertainly. "Is there something on my face?""A ton of soot, actually," Flynn said quickly, hoping her blush wasn't noticeable."Oh, yeah, right." His cheeks colored, the pink vibrant against the paleness of his skin. For a second Flynn had the hope it was because of her."We're all filthy," Luke said with a grimace. He turned to Willie. "And we really can shower? Even as ghosts?""Yeah." Willie nodded. "Although picking up the soap can be hard if you haven't had practice. Well, at least when you're not solid.""But we are solid." Alex went over to the couch. "Thus, my confusion with the whole dead thing." He rapped his knuckles against the wooden armrest to illustrate."Well, as much as I'd like to stay for your showers, I should probably head home." Flynn stood, then realized what she'd said and her face flamed. She looked at Reggie without meaning to. "Not that I want to stay while you shower. That's weird. Not that you're weird for showering! You probably shower really well! It's just—""We'll walk you," Alex said, before she could dig herself any deeper."It's okay," Flynn said, grateful for the change of topic. "I literally live three doors down. It takes me less than seven minutes.""It's dark though," Luke said as he and Reggie both got up from the couch. "It's probably not a good idea for you to walk alone.""It's fine," Flynn said. "I walk home alone all the time.""I actually usually walk with you," Willie said."You?" Flynn said, incredulous. It would have never occurred to her she had a ghost escort in a million years. "But you were invisible before now!""Yeah, but ghosts can do some cool stuff." Willie grinned. "I could've kept you safe.""You have got to teach us cool stuff!" Reggie said excitedly."Thank you?" Flynn said to Willie, unsure how to feel about this new information. She was just getting used to Willie being real; she didn't know how to think about him having been around her—having been protecting her—when she didn't even know it. She hid her confusion by picking up her sparkly backpack and putting it over one shoulder. "I'll be back to check on Julie before school tomorrow," she said to Willie."I'll come back tomorrow, too." Willie smiled.Flynn smiled back tightly. Her Gift had flared at his words: a strange kind of warning that she didn't understand. She started backing up towards the door, suddenly eager to leave."Wait!" Reggie jogged up to her. "I'll walk you home." The pink was back on his cheeks."We can all go," Luke said, "get some fresh air?""No! Um. Nope, it's fine. You can have the first shower," Reggie said quickly. "You should probably get the blood off your face, anyway.""Blood?" Luke touched his face in exactly the wrong spot and then looked at his fingers, frowning."Closer to the left," Reggie said. "Bye!" He opened the door and ushered Flynn out with a gentle hand on the small of her back.And suddenly they were alone.Reggie had no idea what to do with his hands.Flynn was there. Right next to him. And he knew if he were at all cool, like Luke, he'd just reach out and take her hand.But he wasn't cool. He was a giant dork with ashes all over his face and there was no way a girl as awesome and smart and hot as Flynn would like him.He jammed his hands into to pockets of his leather jacket instead.Flynn glanced over at him. Her dark brown eyes reflected the soft glow of the streetlights, and for a moment Reggie was pretty sure he forgot how to breathe. If he still needed to breathe, that was. He was dead, after all. Breathing probably wasn't a big priority."It's nice of you to walk me home," she said."Oh, yeah. Well, better safe than sorry!" he said, then winced at how stupid he sounded.To his relief, she laughed and took his arm. He could feel the pressure of her hands over his bicep, the way it made his heart beat faster in his chest. It was so hard to believe he might actually be dead."Tell me about yourself," Flynn said. "Like, do you have any siblings?""No." He glanced at her. "It was just me and the dog. I'm not sure my parents really wanted to have children." He meant it as a joke, but he could tell from her expression that it hadn't landed like that."That's really sad," she said, confirming it."It's okay," he said, not wanting to see the way her forehead wrinkled in distress. Especially not distress for him. "It was fine, really." Okay, that was a lie, but he didn't want to upset her. Especially not because of his life. Which wasn't even his anymore, was it? It was so weird being dead. "And besides, it was a long time ago."She frowned. "For me, maybe. But not for you.""Okay, yeah, true. But maybe I'm just trying not to think about it?" He grinned at her."You're right, I'm sorry." She bit her lip and dropped her gaze.Oh shit. He'd been trying not to upset her and of course had done it anyway. "It's just strange, you know? This whole solid-but-still-a-ghost-thing. I mean, I can still feel my heart beating, but why is it beating if I'm dead?""I don't know." Flynn's frown had changed to one of curiosity instead of distress, and Reggie gave himself a mental high-five. "It's almost like you're not dead at all. But that doesn't make sense, either. Because if you weren't dead, how would you be here? Anyway, this is me." She stopped in front of a house that looked to be around the same size as Bobby's old one, only without the driveway leading around the side. She made no move to go inside."I don't think I ever knew the people who lived here," Reggie said inanely. Flynn was standing right in front of him, her beautiful face tilted up so she could meet his eyes. He knew he was no towering giant. He and Luke had always been average height, Alex just a bit taller. But Flynn was so small and cute, she made him feel gigantic.Her gorgeous mouth tilted up into a smile. "Well, you have now.""I guess so, yeah." He rubbed the back of his neck, feeling terribly awkward. What would Luke say? Nothing came to mind."So, I guess I'll see you tomorrow?" Flynn asked."Oh yeah, for sure. I'll be there. For you to see. Tomorrow." He just stopped himself from cringing at how stupid he sounded.Her eyes creased with laughter. "I'm glad you'll be there to see. Thank you for walking me home." And then, to Reggie's utter shock, she got up on her tiptoes and kissed his cheek. Before he could even react, she'd turned and ran up the short driveway into her house.Reggie touched his cheek, still feeling the soft imprint of her lips beneath his fingers. He could feel the grit of the soot from the fire and he hoped she hadn't gotten a mouthful of ash. Twenty-five-year-old ash from a fire that, as far as he knew, had actually just happened. And then killed him.He turned and started walking back towards Bobby's—no, Julie's—studio, thoughts whirling.He was dead, and had just been kissed by the prettiest girl he'd ever met.He didn't know if it was actually the best or worst night of his entire life. Or afterlife, as it were. All he did know was that he really, really wanted to see Flynn again."Hey Alex, can you sleep?" Luke whispered.Alex groaned and put his forearm over his eyes. He hadn't been sleeping, but it didn't mean he wanted to be fully awake. "Not with you talking to me.""Be quiet," Reggie grumbled. He rolled over.Luke sat up from where he'd been lying in the middle of the pull-out couch. "Why didn't we make Reggie sleep on the floor?""We should've made you sleep on the floor," Alex muttered. "At least Reggie is sleeping.""Not anymore, I'm not." Reggie sat up. "There. I'm awake. Happy?""How can you guys be sleeping right now?" Luke slid to the end of the bed and got out, managing to pull all the blankets off Alex in the process."Because it's the middle of the night?" Alex grabbed for the blankets and failed. "And apparently dying is tiring?"Luke paused where he was pulling on one of the T-shirts they'd found in the loft to scowl at him. "Willie said we didn't need much sleep.""'Much' doesn't mean none," Alex huffed. But he got up as well and started rummaging through the bag. "Oh hey, my jean jacket's here.""My leather jacket smells like smoke," Reggie said. He yawned, then raised an eyebrow at Luke. "Don't you have any shirts with sleeves?"Luke frowned at Reggie. "It's easier to play guitar without them.""Besides, he wants to show off his arms." Alex smirked, then grinned unrepentantly when Luke's frown was turned on him."Well, I can play bass with sleeves on just fine," Reggie said. He grabbed a white T-shirt and put it on, then found a pair of black jeans. "Are these yours?""I don't wear black jeans." Alex shook his head so Reggie shrugged and pulled them on over the boxer briefs he'd been sleeping in.Alex found jeans and a comfy pink hoodie. "So, we're all dressed. Now what?""We could rehearse?"Alex looked at Reggie and then Luke. "It's, like, three in the morning! Do you want to wake up the whole neighborhood?""Fine." Luke collapsed back onto the sofa bed. Then raised his head. "We could write songs!""Look, it's great that your Gift makes you all hyped for creating music all the time, but Reggie and I have to be in the mood to do that. And o'dark early after finding out we died twenty-five years ago isn't the right time, okay? At least not for me." Alex sat down on the bed, feeling the same sadness and despair he'd felt when he first realized they'd become ghosts.Luke sat up. "Jeez, Alex. I keep forgetting how hard this has hit you.""And it hasn't hit you hard?" Alex stared at him. "How could it not have hit you hard? We're dead!""Because I don't feel dead!" Luke got up and bounced on his toes. "I feel good. Really good! We have a new band and a new chance! And all the shit we had to deal with is gone! This is great!""Yeah." Reggie nodded enthusiastically. "No more school, or parents or any of that stuff! I miss my dog, though.""Huh." Alex hadn't thought about it that way: How much stuff he wouldn't have to worry about any more. Like his parents constantly comparing him to his sister, and him always being found wanting. "I guess there really is a lot less shit to deal with. Isn't there?""Yeah." Luke put his hand on Alex's shoulder. "None of us have to hide who we really are from our parents.""Or the world," Reggie added. "And Willie's kind of cute." He grinned at Alex.Alex blushed immediately. "Shut up.""Flynn's cute, too," Luke said to Reggie."So's Julie," Reggie shot back, making Luke blush and Alex laugh.The three boys grinned at each other, and Alex had a moment of feeling profoundly grateful for being there, with them. No matter what the future might hold."So, if we're not writing music, and we're not playing music, what are we going to do?" Luke whined, immediately ruining the moment. "I'm so bored.""Let's go exploring!" Reggie said. "I bet a ton of things have changed since we died. We should go check it out.""Willie did say we could teleport," Alex reminded them. "Think it will work?""Let's try!" Reggie said enthusiastically. "But somewhere close by to start. I know! I'll teleport to the loft." So saying he closed his eyes. There was a flash of golden light and Reggie reappeared in the loft. "Holy shit!"Luke whooped and Alex burst out laughing."I'm going to try!" Luke closed his eyes. Nothing happened. He opened his eyes, took a deep breath, readjusted his stance, and tried again. He opened his eyes and made a frustrated noise."Okay, let me." Alex closed his eyes and thought about the loft. He cracked one eye open to see Luke staring at him. "I'm not in the loft, am I?""No," Luke said succinctly. "Apparently Reggie is the only one who knows how to be ghost-y."Reggie teleported back to them in another flash of golden light. "You guys can't do that?""Nope," Alex said as Luke shook his head. "It's all you.""Wow." Reggie frowned. "That doesn't make sense."Alex made a face at Reggie. "This is the only thing that doesn't make sense to you? Just our luck that we can't even do ghost stuff properly."Reggie ignored him to grab one of the cookies that Ray had brought them the evening before. He ate it quickly and then shoved another into his mouth."I thought ghosts didn't need to eat?" Luke raised his eyebrow."I'm hungry!" Reggie said, mouth full. "I haven't eaten in twenty-five years."Luke looked at Alex, who shrugged. "Reggie likes food?""Are they good?" Luke reached for one, and his hand went right through. "What the hell?""Is this another thing we can't do?" Alex reached for a cookie and his hand also went through. "Damn!""More for me!" Reggie grinned. He went to pick up a cookie, but his fingers slid through it. "I was just able to do that.""What's going on?" Alex asked, anxiety coiling in his chest. Right when he was beginning to feel okay about what was going on, something else just had to happen. He started to pace, trying to get the awful, crawling feeling out from under his skin."Whoa, whoa!" Luke got in front of him and grabbed his forearms. "You're freaking out.""I know!" Alex hissed at him. His lungs felt sharp and tight, like the air was whistling past his lips but not going down. He pulled his arms away and kept pacing, tugging at his hair."He's on the catwalk," Reggie said, using their name for Alex's compulsive pacing. "What do we do?""It's not so bad," Luke said to Alex. "If we can't pick up food, it probably means we don't have to eat, right?""Right!" Reggie joined in, "and...um." He looked at Luke helplessly."Maybe the teleporting will work now?" Luke closed his eyes and poofed. It looked like he disappeared into a shimmer of air. He reappeared a moment later in the loft. He shouted in joy and surprise.Alex stopped pacing. "We can do that now?""Try it!" Luke said from the loft. "It feels awesome!"Alex closed his eyes. A second later he opened them and he was looking into Luke's hazel ones. Luke was grinning so hard it must have hurt."We have ghost powers!" Luke cried, brimming with happiness.Reggie poofed up to join them, only he disappeared and reappeared in what looked like a flash of golden light. Alex had no idea why it was different for him. It would have to be one of the many things he asked Willie next time he saw him."This is so cool!" Reggie said, delighted. "Where do you guys want to go?""Hollywood!" Luke and Alex said at once."Let's go to where the Orpheum was," Luke said. "See what's happened since it burned down.""Good idea," Reggie agreed. "Last one there is a stupid spirit!" He disappeared.Alex rolled his eyes. "Reggie is so dum—"Luke cackled and poofed out."Damn it!" Alex shouted, now he'd never hear the end of it. He closed his eyes and disappeared.