𝄃 𝄞♬♪ 𝄂
But then, those days end
And the dreadful days come
When you fight until it's done

Alex had learned guitar a long, long time ago, but this was the first time in the last three decades that he'd touched one for a purpose other than to put it away. He wasn't even sure, after all this time, that his friends knew he knew how to play the instrument they both knew like the back of their hand. Before the drums, he'd learned a fair few chords, then dumped it once he discovered the percussion instrument that managed to relieve him of the majority of his anxiety.

He plucked out a few notes on the acoustic guitar—the one Luke didn't cherish more than his life—tuning it to the right notes. After all this time, something within Alex felt right. As his fingers settled on the strings, he started to pluck out a melody, one that felt far more cheerful than he was presently feeling.

However, it quickly turned somber as thoughts of Willie started to plague his mind. It was the first time in a long time that Alex had truly wanted and wished for something on his birthday, but it was a one-day-only deal and it killed him when Willie had to leave.

"Can you hear the beauty? And can you hear the pain?" Alex's voice started to shake as he sang, but it didn't stop him. The song that he'd crafted over the last several weeks of heartbreak before his birthday, and for a week after, didn't have a melody yet, but it didn't seem to stop him from singing it. "Do you understand how hearts break? And why the tears run down their face?"

He didn't know Reggie and Luke were listening, but once they realized who was in there, they couldn't help it. The words and emotions were raw and they could both tell this song was for the special ghost in his life.

"We should get Willie," Luke proposed, and Reggie immediately jumped on the bandwagon. They managed to find Willie in record time (they only had to look at the Hollywood Ghost Club) and pull him back to Julie's (without telling him why).

"And you fall apart, because you swore it should've lasted," Alex sang, before Luke and Reggie had the chance to explain the situation. There wasn't any time to do so—not that Willie actually needed it. He figured out what was going on pretty quickly. They were trying to get him to reconsider cutting Alex out of his afterlife. It wasn't going to work, though. Willie had made up his mind.

And if he'd learned nothing else from his scoldings from his mother, he was very, very stubborn.

The song quickly ended, and it didn't take Luke long to start begging Willie. "Please, Willie. He's hurting because he doesn't have you in his afterlife. You are the best thing to ever have happened to him, don't you see that?"

Willie faltered for a moment. He couldn't be the best thing in Alex's afterlife. The thing that held that position was the band. He was not even a close second if he was second. Though, it didn't take much for Willie to come up with a sizeable list of things that ranked above him.

"I'm not the best thing for him," Willie sighed, "And, until Caleb's out of the picture, I can't risk his afterlife."

"Fine. But can you at least say hello to Alex?" Luke grabbed Willie's arm, which was covered with yet another hoodie. This one had a simple saying in white on the front, "These battle scars aren't fading," complementing the light blue of the fabric.

"Sure. I can't be away for long, though." Willie agreed with a huff, walking into the music studio as Alex put away the guitar. He had on his ripped jean jacket, which only highlighted the light pink of his shirt. Although Willie hadn't made any noise, Alex's head snapped in the direction of the doors. "Hey, Alex."

"What are you doing here? When did you get here?" Had he heard the song Alex just sang? He didn't want an audience, and would've been humiliated if even one soul heard what he wrote.

Because if anything held true, it was that Alexander Theodore Mercer did not write songs.

"Just a couple minutes ago. I didn't know you played the guitar," Willie replied with a smirk. It didn't feel condescending, but, rather, playful and teasing. And it lifted Alex more than he thought it would. "That song is— you should get it recorded."

"Oh, I couldn't. I'm a ghost. And I don't need that." Alex brushed it off. He didn't even think about the idea of recording the song. It would have never crossed his mind if Willie hadn't brought it up. And it still didn't really even stay in his mind after it had been brought up.

"Well, I was told to say hello by your friends outside. And I think they're still listening." Willie pointed to the door, whispering to Alex. "I have to go now, though."

"I might kill them." Alex barely registered that Willie had to leave, steam fuming from his ears as he walked outside.

"Oh. You figured it out." Luke and Reggie gave unconvincing smiles to say sorry, but he didn't forgive them.

"Aren't you guys supposed to be somewhere?" Alex asked.

"Uh, you know..." Luke stumbled on his words, trying to come up with a good excuse.

"I think..." It seemed as though Reggie hadn't found one either.

"That's what I thought," Alex mumbled, walking back inside.

The wind became louder than either of Alex's friends as they stewed in their loss against the quietest member of the band. It didn't even occur to them that he'd probably never said that much in a conversation ever. Alex didn't even think about music as he thought about how odd this year had been in comparison to the last.

He'd lost and gained Willie in the span of a few months. Caleb had, after possessing a lifer, let them get on with their afterlives (though, he suspected he wasn't through with them for good). They'd released music and performed at Coachella. He and Willie managed to get inside Area 51. Some of it didn't even feel real. It could've all just been a fantasy. Or a dream. Or, for that matter, a hallucination.

Alex needed some air. It was all just too much to think about. He didn't need his friends knowing about his ability with a guitar or that he wrote a song. And he surely didn't want his friends to hear the song, but all of those things happened. It didn't matter how many times he meditated or told himself that he was all good—the anxiety was too much for him to handle. So, he walked through the crowds of lifers until he found a seemingly empty building that no one dared to walk into or out of.

Then, he screamed. Just like Willie had taught him to almost two years ago. There was nothing in the abandoned office, but it felt good to just let his feelings go and yell as loudly as he possibly could.

"I'm impressed." Alex noticed Willie in the corner of his eye. "I didn't know you even thought about doing that again." He turned towards the other ghost, who held a smirk as he leaned against the wall.

"Well, I just had to get it out." Alex admitted. He didn't want to say he hated his birthday, but that day didn't hold good memories for him. It never had and probably never would. As Willie moved towards him, Alex could tell something was off. He never led with his right foot when he started walking and never clasped his hands together. "Hey, do you remember the last time we went to the Hollywood sign?"

"Yeah, that was a ton of fun." Alex scoffed. He knew that it had to be Caleb, or at least a very powerful ghost. Not that those two were mutually exclusive.

"I'll believe it when I'm standing next to the real Willie." Alex walked out of the building, knowing that he would get played like a fiddle if he stuck around. It didn't take long for the fake Willie to follow behind him. He noticed, even if the poser didn't think he did.

Every nerve ending on his body told him that this was a dangerous situation and getting back to Julie's was imperative.

"Why don't we chat?" Willie's voice sent chills down Alex's spine. "I have a proposal."

"Why don't we not?" Alex ripped his arm away, starting to run. He had to get out. And, when he hit the corner of the sidewalk, that was exactly what he did. At Julie's he could at least delude himself into thinking he was safe, even if he wasn't. Out in Los Angeles, that wasn't the case. But, it didn't seem to matter.

The spirit posing as Willie had followed him anyway.

Author's Note: As it turns out, Alexander Theodore Mercer does write songs. And this one's really good (and mine, so please don't steal it). Who's not happy Caleb is posing as Willie? Vote and let me know in the comments. All the best, MistyRider921.