Long Way Home ~ Reggie Peters

Chapter 8: The Haunting Hour (Edited)

(Zach's POV)

"They made 8 more Star Wars movies and they killed Han Solo?" Reggie asks, sounding hurt and upset. Luke and I look at the couple apologetically. "What kind of future is this?" Reggie lets out a groan before running off.

"Reggie, wait!" I called as I chased after him. Unfortunately, Reggie found out about what happened to Han Solo and we just didn't have the heart to tell him. I searched the crowd for Reggie, preventing him from finding out that they added a character named Jar Jar.

I found him talking to another couple. When I reached him, it was too late. They already mentioned Jar Jar to him. He looked at me with horror.

"They just told me that they added a character named Jar Jar," Reggie explains, sounding even more upset.

"Reggie, I'm sorry---" Reggie lets out a huff before walking over to the table where Luke and Alex are, I followed behind him.

"You guys are not gonna believe this! But someone just told me they added a character named Jar Jar. What's a Jar Jar?" Reggie cried out to Luke and Alex as I try to calm him down.

Before things could get worse, Caleb walks over to us. "So I take it you're all having a good time?" He asks with a smile.

"Yeah, you'd have to be insane to have a bad time here," Luke says and we all nodded in agreement.

"Well, entertainment is our specialty," Caleb says. "Now, I understand there's something I can help you with?"

"Yeah, we hope so. There's an old buddy of ours who ripped us off big time," Reggie explains, "and we wanna make things right."

"Yeah, we wanna look him in the eyes and make him admit what he did to us," Luke says and I nodded in agreement.

"So if you could make us visible, that would be perfect," Alex adds.

Caleb chuckled before saying, "Well, sure, I could do that. But we're at a party! Why focus on those who have wronged us when we we're amongst friends?"

"Now, I understand that the four of you are talented musicians. I doubt... your dream is to settle a score. No! Your dreams are bigger than that. You're like me, born to perform your music in front of sold-out crowds," he continued.

He snaps his fingers and a waiter pulls up a chair for him. "Please sit," he tells us and we all sat across the table from him. "What if I were to tell you that with a wave of my hand, you could share a spotlight with me, and join my house band?"

"Oh, we already have a band," I inform him.

"Yes! Yes, but when you're done performing, you disappear," Caleb tells us. "You cease to exist. No bows, no soaking up the applause, no real connection with the audience."

"Here, the audience knows what you are, and more importantly, they know how special you are," he continued.

"It could be cool to play here," Luke shrugs.

"But it's not just here, we party like this all over the world. Tonight; Hollywood, tomorrow; Paris!"

"Oh là là," Reggie mutters.

"It is all of your dreams come true, forever," he added as we all stare at him, unsure what to say. I tilt my head a bit, suddenly intrigued by the offer.

"I'm gonna give you some time to think about it," he says before standing to walk away. "Oh, by the way. Make sure you try the sliders, they're to die for."

"We can eat?" Reggie asks.

"Here you can." Three waiters placed platters of hamburgers, pizza, and meatball subs on the table in front of us. The four of us begin to grab as much food as we can.