˗ˏˋ I BELIEVE ࿐ྂ
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* ˚ ✦ ᷾

*･῾ ᵎ⌇ ⁺◦ ✧.*･῾ ᵎ⌇ ⁺◦  ✧.*

"NO MUSIC IS WOR MAKING IF WE'RE NOT MAKING IT WITH YOU."

*･῾ ᵎ⌇ ⁺◦ ✧.*

JULIE WALKS INTO the garage with a sad expression upon her face. she looks around the dark space, memories filling her mind. she sighs and says, "I... I know I already said this but, uh, thank you guys." she says to her band, hoping they can hear her from wherever they are now.

she doesn't expect a reply, but instead she gets a weak, "your welcome."

"dude!"

"seriously?"

julie blinks in confusion and turns on the lights, seeing the four spirits lying helplessly on the floor. "why-why are you here? i-i thought..." her cry was cut off as a jolt zaps the band, all of them groaning loudly in pain. "no...no! i thought you crossed over. why didn't you cross over?" julie questions, tears spilling from her eyes.

"guess playing the orpheum wasn't our unfinished business." alex grunts as he sits up, the rest of them doing as well.

luke holds on tightly to y/n, even though she protests, but he refuses to let her go.

"point caleb." reggie says, his voice thick from his tears.

luke clears his throat, "we wanted you to think that we crossed over, so we pretended to."

"we just..." y/n stutters, shaking her head, "we had no where else to go." she inhales sharply, trying to to cry more than she has.

"we thought you'd go straight to bed." reggie whispers.

"yeah, well," alex mutters, "i knew she was gonna come out here but no one listens to me."

the zap is heard and y/n yelps, clutching onto luke as he groans as well.

julie sobs and rushes to her friends. "you have to save yourselves right now. go join caleb's club. please." she begs. "it's better than not existing at all." she looks to y/n tear streaked face and cries even more, "please just go. go! poof out! do something! please. do it for me."

reggie shakes his head. "we're not going back there."

y/n stands up, luke watching her carefully as she walks over to julie. "no music is worth making if we're not making it with you." she sniffles.

luke comes to her side. "no regrets." he whispers.

julie cries and throws her arms around the pair of them, holding them tightly. y/n and luke gasp softly before hugging her back. "i love you guys." julie sobs.

her eyes open slowly before widening. she pulls away from the hug and holds one of their hands, each in one of her own. "how can i feel you guys?"

y/n and luke look to each other, both of their skin having a magical brightness illuminating their features. "i-i-i don't know." luke answers.

luke slowly removes his hand from julie's and cups y/n's cheeks, looking over her for any sign of pain. he brushes his thumb over her cheekbone, wiping her tears.

y/n places her open hand on top of his and luke wraps his calloused fingers around hers. "i-i feel stronger." he whispers, facing alex and reggie.

julie gasps. "alex, reggie, come." she says softly.

alex and reggie stand and they all embrace each other in a group hug, the other two's skin glowing as well once they come in contact with julie. "woah." reggie whispers. "i-i-i don't feel as weak anymore."

"yeah, me neither." alex agrees. "not that, you know, i was ever that weak." he adds, making the group chuckle softly.

the phantoms look to their wrists, and their purple stamp glows brilliantly before floating off their skin. "what do you think that means?" julie asks.

a tear of relief rolls down y/n's cheek as she smiles. "i think the band's back."

"you guys think we could try that hug thing one more time?" alex asks quietly. they all smile like idiots and put their arms around each other again, all holding each other, scared the others would slip away. "hugs are good." he says, earning real laughs from everyone.

"i like this." reggie agrees, his eyes still watery.

"me too." julie says.

"aww." y/n says.

"we played the orpheum!" julie reminds, spinning the group in a circle.

"yeah we did!"

they pull away and luke immediately hugs y/n on her own. his arms wrap around her tightly and he buries his face in her hair and she hugs back just as tight.

"i think we'd better give these two a moment." alex says, pushing reggie and julie out the door.

he holds her face in his hands as they look at each other, both still with red and puffy eyes. he brushes a fallen hair out of her eyes. "i'll give him this, caleb's dress sure looks amazing on you."

y/n laughs, sniffling and looking back at him. she puts her hands on the sides of his face as well, leaning her forehead against his. she closes her eyes and smiles.

he does as well, savoring the moment. his stomach full of butterflies, so much so that he can't wait another second.

he leans in and presses his lips to hers, pulling her as close as her can. y/n smiles into the kiss, her hands finding the back of his neck as their lips move slowly.

they take their time together, not wanting to take a second of it for granted.

luke pulls away and stares into her eyes before planting another quick peck making y/n laugh at his childish behavior.

he grins at her and hugs her again, before they hear a quiet, yet audible "aww." from outside.

they look over to see the three peeking in through the windows as they quickly look away.

y/n and luke laugh at their friends, before going out hand in hand, and in the future, the way they would enter the every performance, their hands always entwined.

and they did.

because they believed. they believed that they could make it.

together.

*･῾ ᵎ⌇ ⁺◦ ✧.*

wow.

another book done.

i'm so proud of this book, and i hope that you guys enjoyed this journey as much as i have.

i am so happy the way this turned out, and i hope you liked it too.

now, for the important part.

i probably will NOT write season two (which there probably will be) because i wanted to end this one like this. i had this ending planned pretty early on, and i feel like this is a pretty good place to stop.

but who knows, maybe i'll change my mind.

i love you guys so so much, and it's on to the next story!

*･῾ ᵎ⌇ ⁺◦ ✧.*

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