"Alright, let's start from the top." Luke announces, and Reggie and Julie nods. Alex stares into space, absentmindedly twirling his drumstick with his hand.
Sparkling eyes. Luscious hair. His hands interlacing with mine.
"Earth to Alex!" Julie says loud enough for Alex to stumble out of his stupor.
"H-huh?"
"We're practising Stand Tall one more time," Reggie offers. Alex blinks and nods simultaneously.
"Oh, yeah.. Of course."
"Are you alright?" Luke lays a hand on Alex's shoulder.
"It's about you-know-who, isn't it?" Reggie wiggles his brows and the boys scoff.
"Who?" Julie intercepts, looking confused.
"Right... she doesn't know. Alex?"
Alex looks down before taking a deep breath and telling her about him.
Willie.
"We met while I was walking in the streets one day, like, literally bumped into one another, then we talked about stuff and once he took me to this museum where we screamed and I watched him practise his skating skills and he's so pretty and then he took the boys and I to this.. Ghost Club, and he could dance! And I wanted to dance with him but he disappeared and-"
"Alex."
"Yes?"
"This is cute and all but.. The point?"
Alex blushes, realising he overshared. "Well.. I'm worried about him. I don't know if Caleb has threatened him or anything. I haven't seen him since.. well.. before our performance at the Orpheum."
"Why don't you go find him?" Julie says.
"What- Now?"
"Well, maybe after practise, but essentially yes since we've only got 5 minutes of practise left."
"But... I don't know where he is."
"Trust me," Julie says, "You will."
~~~
After practise, Alex poofs out of the studio, wondering where he should start.
If I go to the Hollywood Ghost Club, Caleb will be there.
Alex picks on his fingernails, feeling anxious.
Think, Alex, think!
Where would he go? .....
"I might have an idea," he says to nobody in particular. He poofs out.
~~~
Alex walks along the street where he first met Willie, recalling the day he got shoved over by a skateboard and a guy with the most beautiful hair he's ever seen. His cheeks turn pink at the mere thought of it, but he keeps walking along.
It's only been a week since the performance at the Orpheum, yet everything feels so different.
The boys lost the stamp Caleb put on them, but it's only a matter of time before he finds them and threatens them again. Meanwhile, the boys are figuring out what happened to them. They're still ghosts, but.. they feel much more solid. As if they're human.
But we're not. We're still dead.
Ghosts can't come back alive, can they?
He pushes the thoughts out of his mind. He's tired of mulling over the little things in his head. All he wants right now is to find Willie.
He stops at the stone bench. Someone else is occupying the space.
Somebody else is occupying the space Willie and him-
"Alex?"
Alex looks up to sparkling eyes. No, wait. They look more bloodshot than sparkling at the moment.
"W- Willie?"
"You're.. you're still here." Willie looks confused, and he tries to wipe the tears that threaten to be unleashed.
"Yeah. Well, I.. I don't really know what happened. I guess the Orpheum wasn't our unfinished business after all."
"Oh."
Alex stands awkwardly, unsure of whether he should say or do something. Willie gestures to the space on his left.
"Come, sit."
Alex shuffles to the bench, hands in his pockets. His heart beats faster as he gets closer to Willie.
"Have you been crying?" Alex mumbles softly. He's not sure if Willie would want his feelings showcased, so he looks the opposite direction.
"Ha.. I guess you could say that."
"Because of me?" Alex jokes, and turns around. Willie doesn't laugh -- instead, he looks forlorn.
"Alex, I..."
This time, Alex is the first to interlace their hands together.
"I'm here. You don't need to worry any more." he smiles, and squeezes Willie's hand.
Willie wipes a tear from his eye. "I was so worried about you."
"Me? You should be worried about yourself. Have you figured out how to leave the Hollywood Ghost Club?"
"I can't.. I can't leave."
"Why not? He could make you.. disappear or something if he finds out that you helped us."
"He doesn't know."
"How do you know that?"
"Alex.. I don't want to talk about this now."
Alex sighs, looking down at the floor.
"Hey."
He looks up. Willie looks him in the eye.
"Promise me you won't go looking for trouble just because of me. I need you here with me."
You can't promise him.
You need to save Willie.
Alex looks at Willie's face, etched with concern. He can't make Willie any more worried than he was.
I don't want to cause him any more pain.
Alex looks into Willie's eyes, bright and sparkling. He wipes a stray tear from his cheek, letting his hand linger there longer than necessary.
I thought it would be nice to write out a scene about what happens to Willie and Alex after the performance at the Orpheum. The other one shots will probably have less of a plot and not be as canon, so to speak. Hope you enjoyed this!
