Dead and Alive

Chapter 11

"Oh my God, Jules!" Flynn said excitedly, plopping her tray down in front of Julie's. "I have got to tell you about last night!"

Julie smiled up at her friend, trying to muster up some enthusiasm. "You mean with Reggie?"

"Yeah! He showed up and he was soaking wet, and oh my god his chest through his T-shirt and then we kissed and—" She stopped. "Are you evening listening?"

Julie looked up from poking her French fries with her fork. "I'm sorry, Flynn. Just drifted for a second, I guess."

"Julie, I kissed Reggie! I think that deserves more than partial attention."

Julie sat up as Flynn's words penetrated. "Wait, you kissed him?"

"Yes! And it was good! Like, really good!" She paused, "in fact, I think I want to do it again."

"Flynn!" Julie reached across the table to give her friend an awkward hug. "That's so awesome!"

"He's so great," Flynn gushed. "Sweet, and kind, and really talented, and he's so cute, and his eyes are really green..."

Julie let her friend go on about Reggie uninterrupted, happy to share in Flynn's excitement and joy. Finally, Flynn ran out of ways to describe Reggie's eyelashes. "Okay, Jules," she said, eyebrow raised. "You are not nearly as into this conversation as a BFF should be. What's up?"

"I'm sorry I'm not doing a good job of BFF-ing right now," Julie sighed. "My night was shit."

Flynn's expression turned distressed. "What happened? Wait. Let me guess. Did it have something to do with Reggie showing up at my place soaking wet?"

"Exactly." Julie's mouth thinned. She told Flynn everything that had happened from Reggie's apparent flashback to the talk they'd had with her dad. By the time she'd finished Flynn's eyes were round with concern.

"You're grounded?"

"For at least a week," Julie moaned. "And I can't hang out in the studio past 10 pm. And we're meant to have dinner together every other night!"

"How's that going to work with, you know, them being ghosts?"

Julie shook her head. "No clue. Oh, and dad wants them to go to school."

"Um, don't you need like, parents and identification, and I don't know, a pulse to be a student?"

"I know, right? This is a huge disaster!"

"Maybe Luke's right. Maybe you should just tell him," Flynn said. "It will be bad, but there's no way you can keep this up. Not if you can't just zap them into existence without screwing up Willie's life." She frowned. "Afterlife?"

"The boys managed to stall everything by saying they'd need until at least the weekend to get their IDs from their parents' places, so there's that," Julie said.

"It's not a lot of time." Flynn's forehead creased. "What happens on Monday when your dad expects them to go to school?"

"What happens tomorrow night when they're meant to come to dinner and they're invisible?" Julie gently banged her head off the table. "I am so fucked."

"What about this Calen guy Willie was talking about?"

"Caleb?" Julie lifted her head. "Willie said he'd talk to him and we should be able to see him sometime this week."

"Maybe he can help?" Flynn said, but she flinched.

Julie tilted her head. "Flynn, did your Gift just go off?"