End of May // Luke Patterson

08

Reggie, Luke and Ruth sat on the couch, watching Alex pace back and forth, deep in thought.

"I think he's practicing his model strut," Reggie guessed.

"He's so nervous, it's almost making me nervous," Luke said as Ruth rested her head on his shoulder.

Ruth nodded. "We're all pretty nervous, Alex."

Alex looked between them. "Okay, you guys know I don't handle change well. Excluding Em joining the band, as she was already part of it in a way. All right? Death? That was a change. Okay? Then we became ghosts-"

"Another change," Ruth interrupted.

"Yes, thank you. And now we can be seen whenever we play with Julie. Big freaking change!"

"You have to admit it was a cool change."

"Yeah, but still."

"With Julie, we can play on stage again and be the band we never got to be," Reggie said. "With Ruthie as a band member."

"I mean, who wouldn't be? I just - you know, I wanna figure out."

"Forget why," Luke told him. "Man, I say we invite Julie to join Sunset Curve."

Ruth nodded. "Having another girl in the band would be nice."

Reggie grinned. "Yeah, she could be the new lead singer."

"I'm the lead singer!" Luke argued.

"Dude, that girl has the voice of an angel and can make us visible. Without her, we're just like elevator music."

"You don't have to be so mean about it. And we're on the runway again." Luke pointed to Alex.

"I'm sorry, okay?! I gotta clear my head," Alex said as he walked to the garage and tried to open it in frustration.

"Dude, you're a ghost," Reggie told him. "Just poof out!"

Ruth nodded. "It would be a easier."

"Don't tell me how to ghost!" Alex inhaled and poofed out.

Reggie looked between his twin and friend and said quietly, "You love her, don't you?"

Luke glanced down at Ruth and back up. Though he verbally said nothing, his eyes said it all.

"I knew it!"

---

Alex walked the streets of LA, trying to clear his head.

He saw two men walking towards him who looked like Ghostbusters. Had Ruth been with him, she would have definitely said something about Ghostbusters and begun singing the theme song. Even now, Alex could hear her singing the theme and the band laughing before joining in with her, always bringing a smile to their faces.

"Oh God, I'm busted," Alex muttered. "Oh God! No!" He cowered into himself, but the men went through him.

Alex stood straighter. "Okay."

"Beep beep!" a boy called with a chuckle as he skated. "Comin' through! Hey! Oh! Nice hat! Cheese!" He chuckled and hit Alex, knocking them both to the ground.

Alex groaned and coughed. "Aah!"

"Ah," the boy said with a cough and cleared his throat. "Oh man! Oh, you dinged my board."

"I dinged your board? Dude, you ran me over. You're lucky I didn't... Y-Y-You... you... you ran me over. You're a ghost?"

"Mm. Yeah. Ever since I learned the hard way that..." he removed his helmet and threw his head back, causing his hair to fall down his back, "...skating in traffic was bad. Hey, sorry I, uh, smashed into you. I thought you were a lifer and I'd just pass right through."