•Asher POV•
The minute I found out that Caleb had stamped them, I knew what I had to do.
I overheard the boys talking about these weird jolts that they got sometimes and I knew what that meant almost instantly.
That's how I found myself here, at the Hollywood GhostClub, about to agree to join Caleb's stupid ghost band in exchange for the boys freedom.
"Asher, Stop!" Reggie's voice reaches my ears. I turn to face him and my heart breaks at the many tears running down his face. "Don't do this, I need you."
"I have to! If I don't then I'll die anyway and so will you!" I shout. "It was different when I was the only one who had to-"
"-Aghh" I stumble back in pain as another jolt hits me. Only a moment later, Reggie gets knocked down as well.
"Well, isn't this a welcoming sight." Caleb's voice echos.
"Caden!" Reggie shouts in anger. "Or should I say Caleb?"
Caleb smirks down at us. "So, you want to exchange your soul for theirs?" He asks me.
I nod. "Whatever it takes." His grin only grows.
"Ash, wait...Willie told us everything!" He says. "Willie told us that if we complete our unfinished business then we can cross over and be free of this!"
"Do you even know how hard it is to figure out what your unfinished business is?! Never mind, finishing it." I tell him.
He grabs my hand in his. "Ash, if you go with him then I'll have no choice but to come with you."
"What? What are you talking about? You're not coming with me!" I protest.
He smiles down at me, sadly. "Wherever you go, I go." He says, simply.
"Great, now I have two band members!" Caleb chimes in, happily.
"Shut up!"
"Shut up!"
Reggie and I say at the same time.
"The boys and I already figured out what our unfinished business is and we can easily figure out yours too." Reggie tries to convince me.
There's no figuring out my unfinished business. I knew that. However, as far as Reggie's life goes, this plan could actually work.
"Lets finish this." I tell him and a small smile reaches his face.
We walk out of the GhostClub with our heads held high and our hands with a particular finger raised in Caleb's direction.
We then poof over to the studio where Luke, Alex and Julie are all there waiting for us.
"So..." I say awkwardly. "Reg says you know what your unfinished business is?"
"Yeah, but it's never gonna happen." Luke grumbles.
"Come on, guys!" Julie shouts. "Get! It! Together!"
"Julie's right." I agree. "We can save you guys."
"You guys?" Alex asks incredulously. "Have you no care for yourself?! I love you Asher, but it seems that every time something goes wrong for you, you run away and hide it! So tell me this: do you at all plan on making it out of this alive??" Alex asks in defeat, knowing the answer.
"You have to understand-"
"Understand what?!" Reggie suddenly yells. "Understand that you expect me to go on without you?! I'm in love with you, Asher!! I always have been, so don't expect me to let you vanish from existence!!" He sobs as I stare at him in shock.
It's only when he poofs out of the studio that I come back to my senses.
Love? Reggie? Me? That just doesn't seem...wow.
"Umm, I should-I mean I gotta-"
"Dude, relax." Luke says. "Just give him a moment to calm down." He says, as if I don't need calming down myself. "Julie has something to show you."
I turn to Julie, desperately seeking out the distraction.
"Right uh...so my mom wrote this song about you..." she starts. "It's well, I know it's about you because underneath the title it says 'Asher Mercer's Song' so umm I just kind of wanted to sing it to you."
I stare at her in confusion. "Julie...I never knew your mother." I tell her.
She nods her head in agreement. "You're right...but she knew you. Just listen."
She sits down at the piano and starts playing a beautiful melody.
"It's like a storm
That cuts a path
It breaks your will
It feels like that
You think you're lost
But you're not lost on your own
You're not alone
I will stand by you
I will help you through
When you've done all you can do
If you can't cope
I will dry your eyes
I will fight your fight
I will hold you tight
And I won't let go
It hurts my heart
To see you cry
I know it's dark
This part of life
Oh it finds us all (finds us all)
And we're too small
To stop the rain
Oh but when it rains
I will stand by you
I will help you through
When you've done all you can do
And you can't cope
I will dry your eyes
I will fight your fight
I will hold you tight
And I won't let you fall
Don't be afraid to fall
I'm right here to catch you
I won't let you down
It won't get you down
You're gonna make it
Yeah I know you can make it
'Cause I will stand by you
I will help you through
When you've done all you can do
And you can't cope
And I will dry your eyes
I will fight your fight
I will hold you tight
And I won't let go
Oh I'm gonna hold you
And I won't let go
Won't let you go
No I won't"
As she finishes, I can't help the tears that fall from my eyes. It really is a beautiful song but I still don't understand what it has to do with me.
Although that might be because I've been a little bit distracted by thoughts of Reggie. I mean, It's really hard to focus on anything else right now, but this seems important to Julie so I'm gonna try.
"I know you're probably really focused on Reggie right now." Julie says as if reading my mind. "I would be too if the guy I liked told me that he loved me."
"You like someone?!" Luke exclaims with a hint of jealousy.
"Oh my god." Alex breathes out in exhaustion.
"Besides the point." Julie shrugs off Luke's question. "What I'm trying to tell you with this song, is that there was most likely a time in your life where you weren't doing too great and you felt alone...but you weren't."
A warm feeling grows in my chest.
"My mother wrote a note attached to the song." Julie continues before reading out the note. "She says, 'To Asher Mercer, the guy who thought he went unnoticed. I noticed you as soon as I saw you and I have been silently looking out for you ever since. It's been hard ever since you moved with that jackass you call your boyfriend. I sometimes blame myself for not watching over you better. If only I had the courage to ask you to be my friend. We would've made a great team. - Rose Morano.'"
"Rose Morano." I whisper. "She sat beside me in math class before I moved."
"She had always told me of the brave poet who endured the pain. I always thought it was a made up fairytale." Julie tells me in awe. "This whole time it was you."
YOU ARE READING
Regret || Reggie Peters
FanfictionTW: Abuse, Gaslighting, Death, PTSD, Alcohol ~~~~~ Asher Mercer is in trouble and he doesn't know it. Reggie Peters does. Reggie notices everything about the older boy and yet he doesn't know how to help him. When Asher moves away, Reggie is faced...
