Regret || Reggie Peters

//*Chapter Seven*\\

•Reggie POV•

In case it wasn't obvious, I've been extremely worried about Asher. He said he had to be somewhere, and he hasn't been back since.

Alex left shortly after Asher did, saying that he needed to go for a walk and clear his head...he hasn't been back either.

Just as I'm thinking about this, Asher poofs in and I let out a sigh of relief.

"Where have you been??" Luke questions anxiously. "We could've used your help convincing Julie to join our band."

I roll my eyes at Luke. "Don't mind him, he's just grumpy." I tell Asher.

Luke ignores us and continues humming a melody to Julie's song. "Guess that means I'm buying lunch that day, I know all your secrets, you know all my deep dish, guess that means that some things they never-"

"Wait, so..." I interrupt him as Asher moves closer to me and grabs my hand in his. I try my best to ignore the blush on my face and continue speaking. "When she says deep dish, is she talking about pizza or...?"

Luke never gets a chance to answer my question because Alex suddenly poofs in, looking like a mix between grief and anger. Though, as soon as his eyes land on Asher, the anger overrules the grief.

He stomps over to Asher before shoving him into the wall and Asher visibly flinches. Alex is shouting at him but I can't hear a word he's saying because I'm too focused on the way Asher is shivering against the wall and how he's curling in on himself and how he's staring off into the distance almost as if he's not truly here.

That's when I remember what he told me. That's when I remember how he died, and in that moment I don't give a fuck that Alex doesn't know. All I see is red as I punch him directly in the jaw, successfully making him stumble away from Asher.

After that, I don't bother to give Luke or Alex an explanation, I just pull Asher into my arms. "It's okay, I'm here." I try to soothe him. "It's just me. It's Reggie."

He visibly relaxes at the sound of my name and turns around in my hold to look me in the eyes. "Reggie." He whimpers before wrapping me in his arms and sobbing into my shoulder.

"What the hell, Alex?! Why'd you do that?!" Luke whisper shouts as he elbows Alex in the side.

"I-I don't know, I just, I got mad and-shit, I'm so sorry." Alex tells Asher with tears in his eyes.

"I-it's fine." Asher mumbles.

It's not fine. I know that, Alex knows that, even Luke knows that. I don't tell him that though. It would only make him feel worse.

Unfortunately, Alex doesn't seem to think so. "It's not okay." He says. "I should've just talked to you about it instead of getting mad, it's just...why wouldn't you tell me?" It comes out as a shaky whisper.

Luke and I share a confused glance. Tell Alex what?

"I didn't want you to be sad about it." He says. "I thought that I could make some excuse about why I had to leave and then you would all move on with your lives thinking I was off, doing whatever."

My heart sinks as I start to get a bad feeling in my stomach.

"Asher, what's he talking about?" I ask him, carefully.

Asher looks down before speaking. "Well...I'm kind of...dying." He says, and I'm immediately confused.

"What are you talking about, you're already dead." Luke states, copying my thoughts exactly.

Asher shares a look with Alex and then hesitates slightly. "Could we maybe talk about this after we convince Julie to join the band?" He asks, mostly looking at Alex. Alex gives him a nod and the rest of us agree.

Just then, Julie walks in. Talk about perfect timing. "Okay guys, I'll join your band, but on one condition." She says. "We have to convince Flynn that you guys are real. I figured we'd play that song you stole from me." Julie says, with a pointed glare directed at Luke. "She's giving us thirty minutes to practice so we better get started."

"Let's do it." Asher says.

We practice for half an hour before we figure that we got it down pretty good.

Then Flynn walks in with Julie, radiating sarcasm.

"All right guys, you ready?" Julie asks us, and Flynn looks at her like she's crazy.

"Oh, could you tell Flynn to move over a bit?" I ask. "I need some space to rock out and I feel kind of weird going through her."

Julie nods and repeats what I just said to Flynn. Flynn just laughs. "Boy, when you create a world you really live in it."

"Just sit." Julie sighs exasperated. "You'll notice that there's no projectors around, nothing to create a hologram."

She makes her way over to the keyboard and the me and the others get ready to rock. "The boys took a poem I wrote about you and made it into a song." Julie tells her.

Flynn looks touched. "Aww, I wish I didn't have to talk to your dad after this."

Julie ignores that comment. "It's called Flying Solo."

Julie starts to play around with her keyboard before diving into the lyrics.

"If I leave you on a bad note
Leave you on a sad note
Guess that means I'm buying lunch that day
I know all your secrets
You know all my deep-dish
Guess that means some things they never, they never
Change
We both know what I, what I, what I
Mean
When I look at you it's like I'm looking at me"

Suddenly, me and the guys all become visible and Flynn jumps in shock.

"My life, my life would be real low, zero, flying solo
My life, my life would be real low, zero, flying solo without you
Hey, yeah
Hey, yeah
My life, my life would be real low, zero, flying solo without you"

Julie walks up to Flynn and grabs her hand as Flynn just stares at her incredulously.

"Yeah, you know who I'm likin'
Way before I liked them, duh
Cause you liked them first
And if somebody hurts you
I'm gonna get hurt too
That's just how we work, yeah, that's just how we work
It will never
Change
We both know what I, what I, what I
Mean
When I look at you it's like I'm looking at me
My life, my life would be real low, zero, flying solo
My life, my life would be real low, zero, flying solo without you
Hey, yeah
Hey, yeah
My life, my life would be real low, zero, flying solo without you"

I suddenly feel Flynn pass her hand right through me. "Cool, right?! I exclaim.

"They're Ghosts!!" Flynn exclaims.

"We prefer the term, Musician Spirits." Alex butts in and we all agree.

"So does this mean you'll join our band?" Luke asks impatiently.

"Actually, I think your joining her band." Flynn sasses.

We all laugh. "Imma go with what she said." Julie tells Luke and he smiles at her adoringly.

"My life, my life would be real low, zero, flying solo
My life, my life would be real low, zero, flying solo without you
Hey, yeah (yeah)
Hey, yeah
My life, my life would be real low, zero, flying solo without you
You"