Bruises - JATP Fanfic (Luke x OC)

Chapter 22

"Hey, what's up?" Luke asks Brielle, who is currently ignoring him because she is still processing that they got stamps, after finding out late last night, and will be gone from her life soon. "Brielle?" Luke wonders, trying to figure out why she isn't responding. "Gabriella?"

"Why?" She half-yells at the ghost, packing up her backpack.

"Why what?" Luke thinks that it's because he used her full name, but not really sure.

"Why did you have to go to that stupid club?" Tears of anger have started to form in her eyes as she zips up her backpack, ready to go to high school and endure another long and boring day.

"How do you know about that?"

"I heard you guys talking about those stupid stamps." Brielle walks out of the garage, wishing and praying to every god that she could just forget about Luke. "My parent's souls are bound to that awful place."

"What?" Luke poofs in front of her, trying to wrap his brain around the information.

"You heard me. You guys are goners. Either you are tied to that club or you disappear. No way out." Brielle walks to the entrance to the garage/music studio area, close to breaking down. Luke reaches out for her arm, just to have it slip out of his ghost hand. "I'm used to people leaving, but Julie is going to be in for a shock. She can't lose someone else."

"None of us wanted to hurt you. Or Julie. We had no idea what that place was." Luke yells to her, and Brielle knows that everyone who goes there for the first time has no idea what that place is. And everyone is sucked in and finds out what that place really is. After Brielle leaves the house, Luke finally realizes what she said. Her parents are a part of that place as well. Now, he has even more motivation to complete their unfinished business.

Alex is currently at the Orpheum, replaying the moments before they died from bad hot dogs, wishing they hadn't gone to that club.

"We're going to be legends."

That single sentence runs through his mind a million times as he tries to calm himself down from the shock of information that was delivered the night before.

"Is this seat taken?" Willie poofs right next to Alex, feeling absolutely awful for bringing them to Caleb's club in the first place. Alex shrugs, feeling as if he's trapped in an impossible situation.

"This whole thing sucks." Alex sighs, as Willie continues to stare at the ground. He would give anything to undo this whole mess.

"I messed up." Willie looks around the empty Orpheum, with nothing but sadness and despair.

"No. It's like you said. Caleb owns your soul. You didn't have a choice." Alex places his hand on top of Willie's hoping he understands that none of this is Willie's fault. Caleb would have figured out some other way to trap them if Willie didn't bring them there.

"Still, I should have known what he would do. I know what he's capable of, and I still brought you there." Willie feels Alex squeeze his hand, feeling comforted even though he made one of the biggest mistakes of his afterlife. "I should have skated away when you asked about being seen by lifers." Willie pulls his hand away, feeling like he doesn't deserve Alex's kindness after all he's put them through.

"I would have still followed you." Alex reaches out for Willie's hand again, trying to feel the calloused hands of the guy he's crushing on.

"I would do anything to take back what I did to you." Another jolt runs through Alex, and he pulls his free arm around him, squeezing Willie's hand lightly with the other. "I am so sorry. I mean, did you figure out what you're unfinished business is?"