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chapter six: what was that?
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"you okay, fin?"
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fin followed willie into an old hotel, the boys behind her. she was surprised when they had entered and she had seen that it had actually looked nice inside.

"right this way." willie told the band.

fin looked around, instantly getting a bad feeling about this place. she scratched the back of her neck, stepping closer to alex, making the blonde look at her with furrowed eyebrows.

"whoa." luke said, looking around. "so this is where your hot ghost lives, huh?"

"yeah, we've walked past this hotel, like, a millions times. how come we've never heard of it?" alex pointed out, thinking what everyone was else was thinking.

"that's because this area has been sealed off for decades." willie answered. "i mean, you wouldn't even know this place exists unless you're invited. all right. i gotta go make sure everything's cool, but i'll be right back."

the group walked over to the railing, looking down at the space below.

"hollywood ghost club?" reggie questioned. "this place is creepy."

"yeah, well, so are we." alex told him.

fin leaned on the railing, "am i the only one that's getting a bad vibe from this place?"

"yeah, i don't know about this." reggie said, leaning on the railing besides fin.

fin continued to look at the space below them, noticing that everyone was dressed in clothes from the 20s.

"well if you get scared, you - you can always hide behind me." alex told he both of them. "i'll be hiding behind luke."

fin smiled slightly as she watched alex go stand behind the patterson boy.

"you guys need to grow up, okay?" luke said. "we're gonna get back at bobby. he needs to pay for what he did to us."

"but we already made him think that he was going out of his mind. can't we just. . . go home and practice for the dance tonight?" fin told him, receiving a look from him. "no? okay."

"i'm still gonna hide behind him." alex whispered.

"we're all good." willie said, poofing next to luke.

"oh, uh, cool." alex said, everyone giving the long haired boy their attention. "just so you know, we have, like, an hour because we got a gig with julie."

"oh yeah. no worries." willie said. "let's go."

the band followed willie down the stairs, fin not liking the feeling that she was getting in her stomach.

"normally, i'd have my deck, and i'd backboard this heavy 20 set, but tonight. . . we have company." willie told the ghosts as they walked down the stairs. "hope you guys are ready for this."

the four ghosts then watched as willing slid down the railing of the stairs, an excited smile on his face. he then extended his arm out, gesturing to the scene in front of them.

"wow." alex said. "are you guys seeing what i'm seeing?"

"i think we're a little overdressed." luke said, fixing his jacket before he walked down the stairs.

fin, reggie, and alex followed him, stopping once they were next to willie. an old couple walked through alex and willie, having huge smiles on their face.

"whoa. i thought these people were all going to be ghosts." reggie said.

"these are all lifers." willie told the group.

"oh, uh, lifers are actually -" alex started.

"alive people. i was listening." reggie interrupted.

"but this is a very exclusive crowd. everybody here has, uh, paid a lot to get a sneak peek at the afterlife." willie said.

"i always knew rich people did weird stuff like this." reggie said.

"lady and gentlemen," a voice said, making the band look at a man that was in an all white suit. "i have a table for you. right this way."

the group followed the man to a table that was directly in front of the stage. the boys sat down, fin sitting between alex and luke, willie being on the other side of alex and reggie being on the other side of luke.

"william." the man in the white suit said, taking the tag off the table.

"oh, yeah. thanks, man." willie told him.

"okay. so who's gonna make us visible so we can comfort our old bandmate?" luke asked.

"oh, no, no. none of these lifers have the power to do that." willie told him before the lights dimmed in the huge room. "oh, but here comes the ghost who does."

"ladies and gentlemen, back from the dead by popular demand, please welcome caleb covington!" the announcer introduced.

this made everyone cheer and clap, fin being the only one that didn't. that feeling just wasn't easing up.

"did you miss me?" fin heard a voice said, making her look up to see that a man, who she assumed was caleb, was floating.

"wow. such an entrance." fin mumbled.

"oh yeah!" willie yelled as everyone else cheered.

"i did too." caleb said, making the crowd laugh. "welcome. . . to the party of your dreams. from the egyptians to the druids, to the person sitting next to you, we've all wondered, 'where do we go when that final light is snuffed out?' allow me to show you."

caleb          the performers          both

let me introduce myself
we got some time to kill
consider me the pearly gates to your new favorite thrills

fin's eyes followed the man as he started to float closer to them.

we could go make history or you could rest in peace
but here there ain't no misery
cause on the other side we live like kings

what ya gonna do? what ya gonna do?
let your body loose, let your body loose
what ya gonna do? what ya gonna do?
show you a thing or two
cause you ain't seen nothing

life is good on the other side of hollywood

fin watched as a band bunch of dancers appeared behind caleb, exactly how the band does when they perform with julie. fin didn't react like the boys did, the bad feeling still not going away.

life is good in the other side of hollywood
so welcome to the brotherhood
where you won't be misunderstood
life is good on the other side of hollywood

everything has got a price but happiness is free
just so happens, you're in luck
we got a vacancy
we can set the night on fire and break out of the scene
your soul print on the walk of fame
on the boulevard of your wildest dreams

caleb walked up to their table, grabbing the cloth and pulling it, making a girl appear on top of it. fin leaned into her chair, shocked at the trick.

what ya gonna do? what ya gonna do, boys?
let your body loose, let your body loose
what ya gonna do? what ya gonna do, boys?
let your body loose, let your body loose
it ain't bragging if it's true
now you ain't seen nothing

fin followed caleb's movements with her eyes, watching as he poofed from behind her and the guys to the stage again.

life is good on the other side of hollywood
life is good on the other side of hollywood
so welcome to the brotherhood
where you won't be misunderstood
life is good on the other side of hollywood

fin raised her eyebrows, caleb throwing his cane before he poofed and caught it.

the rain don't blind the rising souls
they got too much to see
i got your glamour, got your gold
got all you'll ever need
let me hear you now

the dancers and the other performers joined caleb, clapping along to the song. fin looked at her bandmates, seeing that they were dancing to the music, clapping their hands and stomping their feet.

was she really the only one that got a bad vibe from this place.

the rain don't blind the rising souls
they got too much to see
i got your glamour, got your gold
got all you'll ever need

the performers stopped singing, caleb being the only one singing as the dancers started to dance again. fin felt alex nudge her, but she ignored him.

i said watch me make a move, watch me make a move, boys
(what ya gonna do? what ya gonna do?)
i said watch me make a move, watch me make a move, no, i don't disappoint
(what ya gonna do? what ya gonna do?) amen
watch me make a move, i'm ya number one choice
(what ya gonna do? what ya gonna do?)
watch me make a move
come on and give me that noise
a tomb with a view
ain't it something?

caleb gestured up, making fin and the guys look up to see a girl in a big hoop appear. reggie stood up, looking up at the girl in awe. luke pulled him back down to his seat, snapping the peters boy out of his trance.

life is good on the other side of hollywood
yeah, life is good  the other side of hollywood
so welcome to the brotherhood
where you won't be misunderstood
life is good on the other side of hollywood
so welcome to the brotherhood
where you won't be misunderstood
life is good on the other side of hollywood

fin watched as two girls pulled a silk sheet over caleb's body, stopping at his neck.

ain't it the best?
long live the dead

the two girls then pulled the blanket over caleb's head before they dropped the blanket, showing that caleb had disappeared.

fin looked around, seeing that the boys were standing on their feet, clapping and cheering along with the crowd. she drowned out the conversation that the boys were having, focusing on the bad feeling that has gotten stronger and stronger as the song went on.

she felt someone put their hand on her shoulder, making her look up at a certain blond.

"what's wrong?" he asked.

"i - i don't know." she mumbled. "i - i wanna leave."

"okay, okay. we can -" alex started.

"no, no. i don't wanna ruin your fun." fin said, standing up. "stay with luke and reggie."

"i can take you to the exit." willie suggested.

"it's okay, i can find it." fin said, getting up from her seat. "guys, don't forget that we have a gig."

"we won't. don't worry, fin." luke reassured, a smile on his face.

fin nodded, leaving the table and heading towards one of the doors. she stopped when caleb appeared in front of her, jumping slightly.

she understands why julie doesn't like that now.

"leaving so soon?" he questioned.

"uh, yeah." fin answered, that feeling getting worse. "i don't really feel good, so i wanna go home."

caleb hummed, his smile dropping as he started to examine fin. his eyes scanned her body, starting at her feet and ending at the top of her head. fin shifted in her spot, feeling uncomfortable under caleb's gaze.

"well, i wanted to introduce myself to you myself." caleb said, his smile returning to his lips. "caleb covington."

fin watched as the tall man stuck his hand out, waiting for fin to take it. she wasn't gonna shake it, but then she remembered the manners that she was taught from a young age.

"fin." she said, shaking his hand.

caleb's smile widened, "pleasure to meet you."

"likewise." fin mumbled.

she then felt a small sting on the inside of her wrist, making her take her hand out of caleb's. she looked down at her wrist, seeing some kind of mark on it. she looked back up at caleb, her eyebrows furrowed.

"oh, that's just a little stamp." he told her. "in case you wanted to come back."

fin felt like he was lying, knowing how a stamp would feel if it was for a club. she nodded slightly, dropping her wrist to her side before she exited the building.

~~~

after she had left the hollywood ghost club, she had went back to the studio. she had some time before she needed to get to the school, so she changed her outfit.

she changed into a pair of gray cargo pants, a burgundy cropped top, her low top vans, and a bomber jacket that used to belong to her brother. she put half her hair up into a messy bun, but due to how short her hair was, some strands fell out, framing her face.

once she was ready to leave, she felt a slight sting in her chest. it felt like when caleb put the stamp on her wrist. she rubbed her chest quickly before she poofed out of the studio and into the gym of julie's school. she looked around, seeing that there were a bunch of kids in the gym, dancing to the music that was blaring from the speakers.

after she had changed she left, hoping that the boys were on their way to the school.

fin looked around the gym, noticing that flynn was on the stage, at the dj booth.

"is everybody fired up for julie and the phantoms?" flynn asked into the mic, making the students cheer. "great! keep that fire cause that's later. we're a bit behind schedule but don't worry, just enjoy these mind blowing beats."

fin saw that flynn walked off to the side of the stage, making the carter girl poof there. she appeared next to julie, making the molina girl look at her, a smile on her face.

"hey, buttercup." fin greeted, mirroring julie's smile. "am i late?"

"just a little, but you're here now." julie told her. "where are the guys?"

"is one of the guys here?" flynn asked before fin could answer.

"no, it's fin." julie told her best friend.

"oh, hey, fin." flynn greeted, a smile on her face.

"hey, flynn." fin said, her smile widening.

"she said hey." julie told her.

"i like our band name." fin said. "'julie and the phantoms.' thats so dope."

"she said that she likes the name you came up with, flynn." julie said, making flynn's smile widen.

"why, thank you, fin. i had some free time in french class. and you'd better like it because i registered it on insta, snapchat, twitter -" flynn said, listing off the names to the social media apps.

"no, i love it." julie told her.

"you explained what instagram is. . . but what's snapchat and twitter?" fin asked.

julie looked over at fin, giving her a look that said "later" before she turned back to flynn. "i'd love it even more if the rest of the phantoms were here."

fin saw that flynn gestured behind julie, making fin look back to see a boy with blonde hair. she smiled slightly, seeing that he was wearing a fedora.

"cool hat." she mumbled.

"nick!" julie exclaimed, making fin look at her weirdly. "look, flynn, it's nick." she continued, turning to her best friend, only to see that flynn had walked away

"thanks for the introduction." nick said, a smile on his face.

"so you made it." julie pointed out.

"obviously, jules." fin muttered, smiling slightly once julie rolled her eyes slightly.

"wouldn't miss it." nick said. "the truth is i can't wait to see you play again. your song has been stuck in my head for weeks."

"well, someone should let it out." julie said, her eyes widening once she realized what she said. "i don't know what that meant either."

"i like your shoes." nick said, making fin give him a look.

"thanks. i just like to doodle on them sometimes." julie told him.

"i can't tell if the crowd is getting restless or bored." a familiar voice appeared, fin remembering that it belonged to carrie. "never a good sign. oh, hi, julie. got a new bag?"

fin glared at her.

"actually, it's my hologram projector. just did a little upgrade." julie answered, making fin look down at said object.

"oh, so simple." carrie said. "you know, i was expecting something a little more. . . sophisticated."

"it's what's on the inside that counts." julie shot back.

carrie snickered, making fin glare at her even harder. "yeah, that's what a lot of people have to tell themselves. come on, nick."

and with that the couple walked away.

"julie, i know how to pick shit up now. just give me something to throw and i'll aim it at her head." fin said, glaring at the door that they had walked out of.

"wow, you must be serious." julie said, a small smile on her face. fin looked at her with furrowed eyebrows. "you called me julie for the first time."

"oh, yeah." fin said.

"i like it better when you call me buttercup." julie told her, making fin smile.

julie then pulled out her phone, checking the time. the guys were 15 minutes late. fin hoped that they would make it before it was too late.

"they'll be here. don't worry." fin reassured the curly haired girl.

julie nodded, a small smile on her face. fin smiled back, butterflies erupting into her stomach.

the smile dropped, fin feeling a huge amount of pain coming from her chest as a purple light appeared. fin groaned, stumble back slightly as she went to go grab to her chest.

"you okay, fin?" julie asked, worry in her eyes.

"yeah." fin answered, rubbing her chest slightly. "yeah, i'm fine."

~~~

it had been almost 2 hours since fin had gotten to julie, and the boys still didn't show up. fin was sitting besides julie, anxiously playing with her hands.

"i can only stall for so long." flynn told julie, making her and fin look up at the girl. "it's 11:00. i think you and fin should just play by yourselves. i mean, holograms or no holograms, you'll be amazing."

"you saw me the other day. i can't play without them." julie said, fin looking over at her with a sad face. "they'll be here. they have to."

flynn walked back to the stage, going to her dj booth. julie looked over to fin, worry in her eyes.

"they'll be here, right?" she asked the carter girl.

fin shrugged, "i hope."

"issues?" nick asked, making both girls look up at him.

"always." julie answered.

before fin could react, nick sat down where she was, obviously not seeing her. julie's eyes widened, seeing fin disappear inside nick for a few seconds. she released a small breath once she saw fin quickly shift over, obviously uncomfortable.

"i still don't like that." she whispered to herself. "how do ghost possess people?"

julie smiled slightly before she turned back to nick, who was looking at her.

"my machine won't work." she told him. this made nick pick up the hologram. "you don't have to."

he put it back down, before he started to pull the wire, seeing that the plug was in julie's hand. nick looked at the latina, slowly taking the plug from her hand.

"here's. . . the problem." nick said before he plugged it into an extension cord. he then turned it on, julie avoiding eye contact. "that is unless. . . you didn't want it plugged in." the blonde said, standing from the floor.

he reached his hand out to julie, the girl taking it. he pulled her onto her feet, fin standing up beside her.

"hey, don't let this crowd freak you out." nick told julie. "what i saw last time you played was insane. you got this."

fin looked at julie, seeing that she was smiling up at the blonde.

"i knew you had it in you." nick said before he walked onto the stage.

"wait. what?" julie asked, the smile vanishing from her lips.

"shit." fin mumbled.

nick grabbed the microphone from flynn, fin frowning.

"hey, everybody!" he yelled into the mic, grabbing the students' attention. "we fixed the hologram thing. who wants to see a show? come on."

this made the gym erupt into cheers and claps.

"now. . . give it up. . . for julie and the phantoms!" nick yelled, making the crowd cheer once again.

he then gestured for julie to come on stage, which she did. he gave her the mic before he ran off to the side of the stage.

"uh, hi." julie said awkwardly. "so here's the thing. . . even though we got the machine fixed, thanks to nick. . . i can't seem to link with the band. wifi, am i right? i'm sorry, but. . . i'm gonna have to cancel."

this made the crowd let out a choir of gasps, fin frowning at the reactions.

"they are so dead." she mumbled to herself, referring to the three boys that weren't here.

carrie then walked onto the stage, making fin roll her eyes.

"um, anyone know the heimlich?" she asked. "julies choking.

this made the teenagers laugh, fin glaring at the girl.

"give me the mic." fin told julie, making the molina girl shake her head. "she deserves it."

"only one way to save this dance." carrie said, walking over to flynn's dj booth. she then took the mic from julie. "who wants to see dirty candy?"

this made the crowd cheer. carrie went to go touch a knob on flynn's equipment, but flynn beat her to it, breaking the knob off.

"oops." she said, holding the knob. "knob's broken."

"okay. two can play at this game." carrie said before she turned to the crowd. "party at my house!"

the crowd erupted into cheers again. carrie then dropped the mic on the booth before she walked off of the stage, following the rest of the students out of the gym.

"i'm sorry, jules." fin said.

julie turned to her, a sad smile on her lips.

"well, that backfired." flynn said, putting her arm around julie's shoulder. "oh, i mean, the whole night wasn't a bust. the new guy found someone."

fin looked over at the boy flynn was pointing to, seeing that he was dancing with a girl who was a lot taller than him.

"little man has game!" flynn said, making julie and fin smile.

~~~

it was now 12:00, and the three girls were sitting on the gym floor, flynn and julie popping the balloons that were sprawled around the gym. fin was just leaning back on her hands.

"i can never show my face at this school again." julie said.

"that's what we get for depending on boys." flynn said.

"this is why i like girls." fin said as she laid down on the gym floor.

julie chuckled, making flynn look over at her with furrowed eyebrows. julie looked at fin, asking if she can tell flynn that she liked girls. fin nodded, smiling as a thank you.

"fin said that this is why she likes girls." julie told flynn, making the girl chuckle.

"i support you 100%, fin!" flynn said, making fin smile.

"thanks, flynn." she said, closing her eyes.

"she said thanks." julie told her best friend. "i don't know if i should be mad or worried. they're ghosts. i don't know what kind of trouble they can get into."

"imma get us some ice cream from the cafeteria. fools gave me the keys." flynn said before she stood up from the floor. "fin can you eat?"

"nope." julie answered, fin pointing at her.

"well, we can crash at my place and forget about this whole nightmare. fin you can come too." flynn said, making fin smile.

flynn then walked off, a small smile on her face. julie mirrored her smile, which made fin mirror hers.

"get me two. . . of everything." julie called out.

"i miss ice cream." fin mumbled.

"julie, we are ready to rock this dance, which is clearly over!" the voice of reggie yelled, him and the guys running into the gym.

fin sat up, glaring slightly at the three ghosts. fin stood up, julie doing the same as the boys walked over to them.

"look, we are. . . so, so sorry that we bailed on you." luke apologized.

"yeah, i mean, the night really got away from us." alex added.

"and the twins." reggie mumbled, earning a slap on the back from luke.

"just please tell me it had nothing to do with you getting back at carrie's dad." julie told them.

"oh, of course not." alex quickly said.

"no! we wouldn't do that." reggie said at the same time.

"guys, cut the crap." fin said, crossing her arms.

"seriously? you're lying to me?" julie asked the three ghosts.

"okay, look, it was something we needed to do." alex reasoned.

"b - but we'll do whatever it takes." luke started, stepping forward. "we'll play the next -"

"what?" julie interrupted. "another dance where you can bail on me and make me look like a fool? save it. it looks like the only person i can depend on is fin. and you know what really sucks? our songs were good. and all of you knew what i've been through, and how tough it's been for me to play, and then you do this? bands don't do that to each other. friends don't do that to each other. this was a mistake."

"you mean the school dance, right?" luke asked.

"no. i mean joining a band with you guys." julie answered before she ran out of the gym, fin frowning.

"julie!" luke called out. "julie!"

"if - if julie's not in the band, then -" reggie started.

"then there is no band." luke finished.

"is that all you guys -" fin started to ask, but was interrupted when that same jolt of pain from earlier appeared with the purple light.

the same thing happened to the boys, all of them yelling in pain as they grabbed at their chests.

"it's happening to you guys, too?" fin asked as she rubbed her chest.

"what was that?" alex asked her.

"i don't know, but it feels like we were dying all over again." she answered.

"how can we did if we're already dead?" luke asked.

~~~

okay, i updated!!!! okay i think we have like two or three more episodes left until we're done with the season. notice how i said season and not book because i'm hoping we get another season of jatp. but i hope u guys enjoyed.