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It all started with Flynn, Reggie, and the couch. She followed Julie into the studio and flopped on the couch, right on top of Reggie. He jumped up with a yelp. Julie explained what had happened and Flynn apologized.
The second time happened two days later. Flynn perched on the edge of the couch, ready to hear the band’s new song. Unfortunately, she perched right on Reggie’s lap. He picked up a nearby notebook and waved it in her face. She yelped and scooted over on the couch, amid ghostly laughter.
The fifth time, Flynn carefully chose a seat on the couch. But it was still on Reggie. This time he simply put his arms around her, grinned, and proudly proclaimed himself a lady’s man. This earned him grins from his fellow ghosts and an eye roll from Julie. And an embarrassed glare from Flynn when she found out. After that, it became a running joke amongst the ghosts. They would try to guess how long it would take before Flynn realized she was sitting on Reggie. Sometimes Reggie would tug at her clothes. Once, he tied her braids together, much to the shock of Julie. It took them half of practice to determine why Reggie could touch her hair; usually, they could only touch objects. Luke had pointed out that Alex had touched Carrie’s wig that one time. It only spiraled from there. Alex thought it was because hair was technically dead once it left the scalp. Luke thought it was less important than band practice. Flynn finally said that it was probably because wigs and extensions didn’t count as people parts (Reggie’s words). Julie just brushed it off as some weird ghostly physics law.
The ten hundredth time (they’d all lost count) happened on a Friday. Flynn danced into the studio, hands clasping her headphones. She was in the zone! She danced over to the couch, flopped down, and closed her eyes. Her feet tapped to the beat as her head bobbed. From underneath Flynn’s upper body, Reggie grinned. “Hey Alex!”
“Dude, why are you whispering?” Alex asked, looking up from the book he stole from Julie. “She can’t hear us.”
“But look. This is perfect!” His voice squeaked on the last word and he practically vibrated with excitement.
Alex shook his head with a reluctant grin. “Just tell me you’re not going to put her hand in warm water. I don’t think Julie would appreciate that on her couch.”
“But it’s Luke’s couch.”
“Same difference, man. I’m pretty sure neither of them wants pee on the couch.”
Reggie was quiet for a moment. “I wonder if Ray has any shaving cream. Or whipped cream. Oh! Or sharpies!”
“I don’t know. She might feel you drawing on her.”
Reggie’s megawatt grin reappeared. “There’s only one way to find out!”
Alex stood up. “Fine, I’ll get a sharpie. But it’s all on you if you get caught.”
As Alex poofed out, Reggie reached beside him for the box full of pens. He carefully lifted up one of Flynn’s braids and began to weave the pen through it. Counting the pens, he figured he could get at least half of her braids done. Humming along to the beat blasting out of Flynn’s headphones, Reggie began his work. He had finished five braids by the time Alex returned.
“No luck.” He shrugged. “But I found some stickers in Carlos’s room.”
“Alright!” Reggie cheered. “Those will be next! What’s the time so far?”
“Ten minutes. You just might beat the record if Julie doesn’t show up.”
“Nah, she’s at the dentist. I’ve got time.”
Twenty minutes later, Flynn’s hair sported numerous blue pens. Her sweater was dotted with small round stickers and her shoelaces were tied together. The ghosts couldn’t resist a classic. Reggie had just finished filling her overall pockets with the pen caps when he sighed.
“I’m out of ideas.”
Alex nodded. “Took long enough. I think she’s asleep now.”
Reggie peered at the girl’s face. Her toes had stopped tapping a while ago and her head leaned further back on the couch. “I think you’re right.”
Alex grabbed a nearby notebook and ripped a paper out of it as quietly as he could.
“Dude!” Reggie whispered. “What are you doing? She might hear that!”
Alex ignored him and scribbled something on the paper before folding it into a three-dimensional triangle and standing it up on Flynn’s stomach. Reggie furrowed his brows as he read, ‘Flynn heart Reggie’.
“Niiice!” He raised his hand for a high five. Alex obliged.
“And now we wait.”
It was another ten minutes before Julie and Luke walked in. Julie stopped dead in her tracks; Luke walked right through her before stopping in shock. She opened her mouth to speak before shutting it again. As Luke moved to high five the boys, she reached into her pocket and pulled out her phone. She snapped a couple pictures before clearing her throat and tapping Flynn on her shoulder.
“Uh, Flynn?”
The girl jumped and looked blurrily at Julie. “Julie? How long have you been here?”
“I think the real question is how long have you been here.” Julie smiled and shook her head.
“Huh?” Flynn eased herself up, scattering pens in every direction. She grabbed the note before it fell. “Flynn heart Reggie?!” She squeaked. As she shook her head, she felt something odd. Reaching back, she grabbed a strand, feeling the pen woven into her braid.
Her eyes narrowed. “Which direction?”
Julie pointed at Reggie who had launched himself off the couch as soon as Flynn woke up. Flynn removed the pen and flung it in his general direction. Reggie flinched as it sailed harmlessly through him.
“Hey! The note was Alex!” He protested.
Flynn extracted a second weapon and threw it after the first. Reggie picked the pen up as it sailed passed him and then threw it at Alex. Flynn leaned forward to grab a fallen pen. Before she could grab it, she spotted a problem. She groaned and bent to unknot her shoes before thinking better of it. She kicked them off and grabbed another pen. Somehow, she had to break the laws of ghost physics and hit Reggie at least once! Luke watched amused until one of the throws missed and a pen smacked him in the face. Somehow objects thrown by ghosts at other ghosts could hit. He picked it back up and threw it at Reggie. Soon, pens were flying everywhere. Julie made a hasty exit to grab a drink before she got caught in the crossfire.
She came back to pens scattered everywhere and Flynn mock lecturing empty air. Reggie and Luke stood behind her grinning.
“Sweetie? Other direction.”
Flynn pivoted. After a few more choice words, she rolled her eyes and sat down again.
“Uh, Flynn?”
“What now?”
Julie couldn’t help but giggle. “You just sat on Alex!”
“Arrrgh!” Flynn jumped up once again and fled to the house.
**
Two days later, Flynn was back. She sailed into the studio with Julie, brandishing a full backpack.
“I have a solution.” She proclaimed, placing her shimmery rainbow backpack on the couch, and beginning to rummage through it. She pulled out a package of brightly coloured rolls of duct tape. She held two up, grinning. “These are for you boys.”
They reached out automatically, leaving three rolls of tape hanging in midair. Luke looked at Julie, confused. “What are these for?”
Julie relayed his question, furrowing her brows at Flynn. She was in the dark. Flynn grabbed an extra roll and quickly ripped off a long piece.
“Here.” She held the piece in front of her. “Where are they, Julie?”
Julie pointed at Alex who was directly in front of Flynn. The girl walked forward, pressing the tape into empty air where Alex stood. Predictably, it went right through him.
“Is this like pin the tail on the donkey?” Reggie screwed up his face.
Luke snorted, “Yeah, put the tape on the ghost. It would work better if she could touch us.”
Alex just smiled and placed the strip of tape on his chest. Flynn ripped off another piece and held it up to form a cross. Alex placed the second piece and moved back. Luke turned to Julie with puppy dog eyes.
“Is this really necessary.”
Julie shook her head with a smile. “Humour her.”
Luke made an x on his own chest with green tape. Reggie was forming what looked to be a heart out of his tape.
“There.” Flynn nodded. “That solves that.”
It was too bad that she forgot about ghost physics: whatever object they touch becomes invisible when it stays in their possession. The tape would last a couple hours.