CALEB COVINGTON seemed to be a complex individual.

One minute he's saying he doesn't hate Lennon and the next he's shocking her to death.

But if he wanted the boys in his house band, he had to leave her alone.

He needed one last go at her before he let her go.

That was a later task though. He was going to be nice enough to let Lennon and Luke have one last talk before the Orpheum.

"Promise me something."

Lennon looked up, "Anything, Luke. You know that."

"Don't forget me."

She was taken aback by what he said.

"How could I forget you?"

He shrugged his shoulders, "I don't know."

"I'm not gonna forget you." She smiled softly, "Even if I tried."

"You're funny."

"I know." She said, "But in all seriousness. No matter what rollercoaster life takes me on, I'm never going to forget you. How could I forget my soulmate?"

Luke was worried that, no matter what was said, Lennon was going to forget him. Yeah, reassurance was nice, especially coming from her, but crossing over meant moving on.

"I'm not going to forget you." She smiled, "I promise."

Before either of them could respond, the honking of her car broke their attention.

Lennon had picked up Carrie along the way. Something about how she didn't want to hear her dad freaking out over dead people.

Carrie's words, not Lennon's.

She sighed, "I gotta go, but you got this. All of you. I won't forget you either." She smiled.

A small smile rested on his face. Lennon out a breathy laugh and headed towards the exit of the garage.

"I'll see you later."

She had barely made it out of the garage before Luke called her name.

"I... wanna give you something."

"If I knew we were giving gifts I would've gotten you something."

Luke smiled, "Don't worry about it."

He took the dog tag necklace that he always seemed to be wearing off and held it out for her to take.

Her eyes flickered back and forth between the tags and his eyes, "I can't take that."

"What? Why?"

Her logical reason was that he always wore and would possibly miss it, but also thinking logically is that she didn't know what would happen if they did cross over. She didn't know how "life" was on the other side.

She stepped back into the garage and stood in front of him.

Lennon threw her one braid over her shoulder and put the necklace on. She held the two dog tags in her hands, looking down at them for a moment before drawing her attention back onto Luke.

"Thank you."

She gave one last look inside the garage, "You guys are gonna be great. You always are."

Once she was out of sight ( and Carlos quickly following in and out of the garage ) they turned and faced each other; Luke's arm resting on Reggie's shoulder.

That semi-happy moment was interrupted by a ghost poofing on top of the piano.

"And where is it that you're going?" Caleb asked.

"What are you doing here?"

"Such hostility!" He gasped, "I'm just here to congratulate you on your big night. Not everyone gets to play the Orpheum."

"No. No. Okay, we know that it's your stamp that's hurting us." Luke said, "We already told you, we have a band. We don't wanna join your little club."

Alex took a step toward, "Yeah. And you can't make us either."

"Right. You're crossing over tonight. So exciting! Funny thing about the cross over, no one really knows what's waiting on the other side." Caleb sighed, "You really think you'll be able to sing to her once you pass on?" Caleb asked, "Because if you did. You'd be sadly mistaken."

Luke let his shoulders drop slightly. He hadn't thought about the after. I mean, he had for sure, but he hadn't thought about the singing.

"I seemed to have hit a soft spot." Caleb smiled.

"She has nothing to do with this. She doesn't deserve this."

Caleb pouted, "You don't think I know that. I don't just go around stamping people for fun." He smiled, "Lennon's special. I know that. You know that. She knows that. But, have you ever sat down and wonder why someone who's connected to you, can also see your friends?"

Whatever walls Luke had up were coming down the more and more Caleb talked about Lennon. He might not have shown Caleb that the more he talked about her the more vulnerable he got, but Caleb didn't need him to express that. He knew what he was doing.

"Lennon's not like your friend Julie. Lennon, in a very short story, doesn't know herself as well as she thinks. Hearing you is new. Hearing me is not."

"What are you talking about?"

Caleb adjusted himself on top of the piano, the smile never leaving his face, "You're special to her because you're soulmates and not everyone has those, so you lucked out. But I've known Lennon a lot longer than you. She was able to see me, talk to me, interact for months and you knew she could see me and thought nothing of it. Is that not odd? Life is strange. Lennon knows that good and well."

He wasn't wrong. Luke, as much as he hated it, knew that. He never took the time to wonder why Lennon could see Alex and Reggie. If they ( Lennon and Luke ) were connected because they were soulmates; why could she also see his friends, let alone Caleb.

"Like I said, no one really knows what's waiting on the other side. But I know what's happening on this side."

Kissing the palm of his hand and blowing towards the boys; just like magic, they were gone.

CALEB COVINGTON was a lot smarter than what people gave him credit for.

"Well, don't you look nice?" Caleb smiled down.

Poofing into the Hollywood Ghost Club wasn't on their agenda.

"How... how'd you know out sizes?" Alex asked.

Luke furrowed his brows; holding the collar of the suit he now wore, "That's your question?"

"I know you boys aren't my biggest fans. And an eternity at my club might seem overwhelming. But... I just put you in sweet threads, so humor me this one last pitch." Caleb said, "Now, for starters, isn't it nice that you're all here together? And believe me, everything you want, including Willie, including Lennon, are here. And on my stage, you don't vanish when the music stops. You soak in the applause for as long as you want. The connection that you will feel with that audience will be like no other. I promise."

"Where is she?"

Caleb had his hands resting on Luke's shoulders, "You don't believe me?"

From the same entrance Caleb came from, so did she.

She held the railing on the steps as she made her way down towards the others.

Caleb rested his hands on her shoulders, "She can be any Lennon you want her to be." Caleb smiled, "She'll do whatever you ask."

Luke could only stare. She looked like her. Hell, her hair was styled the same as it was before she left the studio. She looked like his soulmate, the only difference was that she wore a dress that hugged her body.

But overall, it wasn't really her. Just something Caleb magically made with a flick of his wrist.

"You sing to this Lennon; your Lennon can still hear you sing, Luke." Caleb said, "I'll make you a deal. This Lennon will do whatever you ask and if you really miss her... your Lennon will hear what you tell this Lennon. I'm offering a deal you can't refuse."

Luke felt his face soften the more he looked at her. Definitely Lennon in some sense, but not the girl he'd grown so fondly for.

"She'll do whatever I want her to do?" Luke asked.

Alex furrowed his brows, taking a small step forward before noticing Luke's hand behind his back, gesturing for him to stop.

"Anything." Caleb answered, "You can tell her how to act, what to say. You have free range. All you have to do is guide her. Try it."

Shifting his eyes from Caleb to the girl who was presumably his soulmate.

He held his hand out and she quickly repeated his action. Just holding her hand out.

But like Caleb said, if this was going to work, Luke had to guide her.

He sighed, taking her hand in his and laced their fingers together. Once again, it took her time to process, but she did smile at the gesture.

If Luke remembered anything about Lennon was that she was warm. According to him, she was "stupidly warm".

Standing in front of him was something just as cold as he was.

"It just takes some getting used to."
Caleb said.

The cheers from the other side grew louder and the smile never left Covington's face.

"Oh! Do you hear that? They're waiting for you."

Caleb took a step back as the three teenage ghosts winced in pain; another shock coursing through their veins.

"That one looked like it hurt. Now, let me remind you, you don't know if playing the Orpheum is your unfinished business. Do you really have time to make that mistake?" Caleb asked, "I suggest you accept my offer because the clock is ticking."

Taking a sip of the drinking that was held by a nearby waiter; Caleb watched as, once again, another shock ran through the boys.

"Ouch. You know where to find me."

With that, he left the four of them alone as the show started.

Luke looked up at the girl smiling down at him, "Whatever happens, you'll get us out of here, okay?"

Her smile faded as she tried to process what was being said to her.

She wasn't dumb and Caleb wasn't going to make something she wasn't. Luke had total control over what happened with her and how it would happen. It was like teaching a new dog old tricks.

"Okay."

But until she could figure how to get the guys out of the Hollywood Ghost Club. They would, for now, have to play with Caleb.

Luke, Alex, and Reggie all had their doubts about the girl Caleb presented to them.

But she wasn't dumb.

-lucy has something to say !!

(word count: 1721 one thousand seven hundred twenty-one)

um, hey

this was long awaited but i didn't know how to write it and honestly i don't like how i wrote it cause wtf was that ending...

anyways

these truly only one chapter left and these two bitches still haven't kissed wtf 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

luke could've kissed lennon's clone if he wanted to but i guess he's loyal. yes king respect for you for not cheating on a girl who's not your girl, proud. ✋😫

anyways

i'll try and get that last chapter out as soon as i can

but for now

bye :))))