CHAPTER THREE

THE BAND HAD decided to go back to the Orpheum and just look around. They were all sat on the room by the sign, Reggie without his shirt after their jump, and Luke smacked Andy's leg. "Hey, I know being dead isn't our first choice, but, I mean, it sure is easy getting around."

Reggie scoffed. "Easy for you, maybe. I lost my shirt on that one." Right as he finished, Reggie's shirt popped back on his body and he smiled. "Ooh, never mind! There it is."

Alex looked up at the Orpheum sign. "Okay, so, why'd you bring us here? Just another painful reminder of where we never got to play. Thanks, Luke."

Andy sighed. "Yeah I'm a bit confused on this one too." Luke looked at the scenery. "I mean, boys and sister, the game isn't over yet."

They all m hopped down below the sign to walk on the street and luke continued. "I'm telling you, we've been given a second chance. Let's find some music. Let's see how many clubs we can hit before sunrise."

They all nodded and Andy laughed as Reggie walked through another person who couldn't see them.

The group spent the whole night just going in and out of clubs and listening to all the music each had to offer. It was really fun for them all, yet a bit sad as they each knew it would never be them in the spotlight again.

The next morning they hopped back to the studio and landed behind the grand piano. The person playing shocked them all as it was Julie, the girl who said she couldn't play piano, singing and playing brilliantly.

Julie hugged some of her sheet music and Alex went near her after a moment but Luke pulled him back and poofed the four out of the studio.

They landed right outside and Alex looked at Luke confused. "Oh, dude, why'd you stop me? Julie needs a hug." Luke turned to alex. "Bro, a ghost hug isn't the feel-good moment that you think it is. All right? Trust me. What Julie needs right now is just a bit of privacy."

Alex scoffed. "You know what? I think you poofed us out because you can't handle when people cry. I should know. I cried in a room for 25 years, and I didn't get a single hug from any of you. All I got was yelled at by Andy to stop crying."

Reggie went towards Alex. "All right. Bring it in." Alex put his hand up quick. "Don't touch me!" Reggie moved back a bit. "This is why no one hugs you."

Andy rolled her eyes. "Obviously Julie needs a hug, but not from a ghost. She needs someone who can actually hug her to hug her."

Luke gave Andy a confused look, not understanding emotions that well. "O-okay. I think the first thing we should do, once we get the courage to go in there, is ask Julie... why she lied about playing the piano."

"You're an idiot." Andy instantly noted.

Alex nodded. "Yeah, you know, maybe tell her how amazing she is." Luke nodded. "Yeah, course, bro."

Reggie spoke up. "She's legit. I got ghost bumps." All their attentions were taken away by a girl Julie's age walking into the studio, crying.

"Oh my gosh. Was she crying too?" Alex questioned and Luke looked at him nervously. "Yes! And the only thing scarier than one girl crying is two girls crying."

Reggie nodded and Alex voiced his opinion. "He's right." Andy rolled her eyes. "You all are just wimps." Luke ignored his sister as he spoke. "Guys, we definitely can't go in there."

Reggie got an idea. "But we can listen." The three boys quickly moved to the door and peaked through the window at Julie's conversation. Andy rolled her eyes, not caring to peak in as she could hear just find while standing near the opened door.

They listened as the new girl, now known as Flynn as Julie had called her, ranted about Julie giving up music being like Christmas getting cancelled.

Flynn continued to rant and Andy gave the boys a confused look when she brought up something called Instagram and liking photos, the boys shrugged back, also not understanding the lingo.

Julie then then began talking about how she realized playing music would keep her mother's memory alive.

The two girls began walking out and the guys pretended they weren't just listening in. Reggie sat on the floor, Luke did a pose, and Alex played with the lantern.

Andy rolled her eyes at them yet again and Julie smiled when she saw the group. "Oh hey!" Her friend gave Julie a look and Julie moved towards her, eyes widening as she realized what she had just done. "Let's hustle!"

They began walking off and Julie waved goodbye to the ghosts. Andy saluted back with a smile and Reggie spoke up. "Don't worry! We weren't listening!"

Luke kicked Reggie and he made a noise of shock at the fact that he was just kicked.

Once Julie was gone, the group walked through the door into the studio. Reggie hit Luke's shoulder. "I wonder why Julie didn't tell us she could shred on the piano?"

"And sing. That girl can sing." Luke added and Andy put her hand on her face, shocked her friend and brother could be such idiots at times.

"It probably has something to do with her mom. You know? Must've been hard." Alex spoke and the four began walking around.

Alex spoke again. "Anyways, I feel for her." Luke went by the piano. "Yeah, but, now she's got music back in her life, just like us."

Alex bent over a rail from upstairs. "Yeah, I'm not sure you can call what we have a life." The three downstairs nodded and Andy went over to her cello with a smile, lightly plucking the strings to make sure it was still as good as she left it.

"Oh hey, some of the clothes we left behind are still up here." Alex noticed as he threw a trash bag off the rail. "Sweet." Luke replied. Alex threw down Reggie's backpack into Reggie's hands.

Luke took off his shirt. "Oh, same clothes since '95, guys." Andy covered her eyes and turned away from her brother dramatically, making Reggie laugh.

Their attention was taken away as Julie's dad went through Reggie with a camera. Reggie looked at the man. "Oh, that was weird! But somehow I can tell this man has a kind heart."

"So, how've ya been?" Julie's dad asked taking a photo. Reggie looked around before figuring he was asking him. "Honestly , not that good. See, we ate these hot dogs, and—"

"Julie sang for the first time this morning. Ah! She hadn't done that in almost a year, you would've loved it." Julies dad continued and Reggie moved close to him confused. "Yeah, we saw cause we were... oh!" Reggie put a hand near the man's face and continued. "Oh, I get it. He... he's not talking to us."

Andy pat the boys back. "No... he isn't honey." Luke sighed. "You are so lucky you can play bass." Reggie gave Luke a confused look and Alex finished. "Pretty sure he's talking to Julie's mom."

"She's such an amazing young woman. Everyday she reminds me more and more of you." Julies dad added and Alex smiled with a point. "Called it!"

"Oh, I'm, uh... I'm taking pictures for the real estate website. I don't really wanna move, but... I guess it's best for Julie."

"Move?" Luke questioned as he leaned against the piano Julie's dad was taking a seat at. Alex joined them downstairs as they watched the older man tear up as he spoke.

"There's so many memories of Julie playing next to you, and... Carlos trying to sing with his missing two front teeth." Julies dad laughed.

Luke put a hand over his mouth and Reggie gasped. "Oh no, Luke, not you too." Luke tried to hold back his sobs. "He... he's talking about moving, but the poor guy, he doesn't wanna move."

Julie's dad took a photo of the group, still unable to see them. "It's like they grew up... out here." Her dad continued.

Reggie began crying too. "Oh man, now he's got me too." Andy wrapped an arm around Reggie's shoulders in comfort and the boy scooted closer to her.

Alex looked at Andy, the only other one not crying. "Okay, how am I the emotional one?" Reggie looked at his friends. "C-c-can we go see my family and see how they're doing?"

Luke nodded. "Yeah." Alex looked at Julie's dad. "Yeah, listening to this feels... wrong."

"Hey, do you remember when the kids were at your sisters, and we came out here on our anniversary..." Julies dad began to remember.

Luke shook his head. "Yeah. No, definitely wrong." He hopped out and Andy was quick to follow, followed by Reggie, and finally Alex as they all went to where Reggie's home last was.