[center][img]https://64.media.tumblr.com/1a1451a24be757ea0035a7d535520bcd/tumblr_inline_ok0edn3gnh1tmc11y_250.gif[/img][img]https://78.media.tumblr.com/e89e1271adec50c34283de55b1f1c7a2/tumblr_pd7z5dgC011wvvyspo4_r4_400.gif[/img]
[img]https://66.media.tumblr.com/4dcc5cc88d6ebd76d8281571a357c644/fee0bb0a6a248f81-2a/s540x810/2fc2e81a7014346c8d43d14d603bbd8515f51f26.gif[/img][img]https://i.pinimg.com/originals/89/bc/b7/89bcb7c34deeecd3615cabe62b3940d3.gif[/img]

[img]https://fontmeme.com/permalink/211207/2233501ed95fc07cc0263809536dbefe.png[/img][/center]

[hr][hr]

[indent][indent][color=darkgray][color=fd9100]“OK, OK, slow down, hun. Calm down.”[/color]

This was a weird position for Jillian O’Brien. A position she had not found herself in for a while. She used to be very good at being a soothing influence on her friends, at least in high school. How many times did Liv come up to her in a panic over makeup choices, or Kat ask her for help with homework, or Danny… well, Danny needed everything back then. Jill would always be there to offer a friendly ear, a kind gaze, and a relatively firm grip on reality before inevitably switching to pump up mode. It’s why she was able to handle all the various tragedies that befell their class. At least on the outside.

However, she was more on the giving end the last chunk of months, especially with Mei. So many rants and raves that her now-girlfriend had to deal with in Jill’s deep spirals. All the demons and ghosts that resided in her mind needed somewhere to go, and Miss Midnight had more than enough experience to deal with them. So when Mei came up to her in a state, talking about what she did to try and cleanse the town of its sins and what resulted, Jillian did her best to try and dig back into her past and find that side of her that was able to deal with this in a calm and rational manner.

[color=fd9100]“OK. You with me? OK. First of all, I can’t believe you went and did a ritual without me. I mean, I may not have known what to do in regards to everything, and it’s probably for the best I didn’t see you offering up the blood sacrifice, but I would have at least been there in spirit. 

Speaking of spirits, second of all, are you sure there are now spirits wandering around? Again, I don’t know what went into this ritual, but I know it took me a lot to get to the point of talking to the dead. I’m sure I looked great doing that. But, are you sure it’s not just the wishes of what you wanted to do with this thing? Not that I’m doubting you and your abilities, I just, I know your sister coming back has been stressful, and... you know I’m in this for keeps, right Mei? You carried me all those days and nights, I can start paying you back. You can come to me with anything that’s bothering you. I’ll be here for you. For allllllll this.”[/color] Jillian was trying to straddle that line of support and skepticism and she wasn’t sure she was succeeding. She was rather out of practice.

[color=C652D5]“Baby; this has nothing to do with the ice bitch, ok?”[/color]

Mei sighed through her nose. How could she even begin to articulate everything that had happened between her signing off on her latest broadcast to when she came running through the door of her apartment and straight into Jillian’s arms.

It all started after she left Elder Island and began the trek back towards Eden. It was weird, there were a lot of people on the street, [i]a lot[/i] considering it was midnight on a weekday. Then she noticed they weren’t on the street but in the road, just walking without emotion. Then she saw faces, faces long since gone beyond the world of man; she was just tired, Mei thought. Until she nearly ran over someone and her heart all but stopped.

[color=C652D5]“I swear, Jillybean. I nearly ran over Quinton Woods with my car. I think I emptied whatever pit of hell is reserved for people on Edenridge. They’re all back. Hell, I think I saw Charlie.”[/color]

Miss Midnight took a hold of her girlfriend’s hands and squeezed them tightly. The feeling in her heart; she wasn’t sure if it was fear, trepidation, excitement or something in between. All she knew was that she needed Jillian by her side.

The redhead could feel the sensations emanating from Mei’s hands as they enveloped her own. Any previous notions of unflappable behavior were dispelled with the tremors she felt. Jillian looked back up at Mei, trying to piece together everything given the story she was told.

It was hard though. Chasing ghosts was all well and good, but actually hitting them with cars? Jill wanted to believe, if only for a moment, that it was possible. There were so many ghosts surrounding her that if Mei did manage to bring them all back to the surface that Jill would notice. Maybe not her father, since he seemed to be pretty much at peace with the choices he made, but Quinton? Olivia? Kat? Allison? Matt Carson? So many souls taken with unfinished business. So many that she had crossed paths with… or shared blood with. She shuddered to think about that last bit. Maybe it was in tune with her girlfriend’s vibrations.

If nothing else, she could swing a stick at Charlie Decker’s ghost in some sort of vain attempt to do to him what she felt he did to her with his actions. On more than one night, as she had learned.

[color=fd9100]“OK, OK, well, it doesn’t surprise me that if Quinton really did come back to life he would be stupid enough to almost get himself killed again. Shoot, if you saw Charlie, I would have told you to hit him anyway to make sure that fucker stayed dead. But… what.. and why? I’m not going to ask how. I believe you told me that, but what’s the game for them being here? If they are here? What do they want?”[/color]

[color=C652D5]”I’m really not sure.”[/color] Mei shook her head. [color=C652D5]”The ritual I did was a cleaning one. It was supposed to rid us of the curse, not bring back…everyone affected.”[/color] That was it, that was where it went wrong. Something in her wording or phrasing may have been mis-translated; the book she used was in ancient Gaelic after all. [color=C652D5]”I think I figured it out, Jill. I think I know what happened. So basically…”[/color]

[i]KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK[/i]

The banging on the door interrupted her and she glanced over at it. Mei let go of Jillian’s hands and stood up to head over their potential guests. She wasn’t expecting anyone, it was well after midnight and visitation as this was reserved for a Jillian O’Brien booty call but since the redhead was currently sat on her couch; she was curious and a bit excited. Maybe someone from the other side was reaching out but who?

Mei opened the door and her dark eyes widened at the sight before her. [color=C652D5]”Oh fuck.”[/color] She turned back to face Jillian slowly. [color=C652D5]”Babe, I think this one’s for you.”[/color] 

As Mei sidestepped away from the doorway to reveal the guests that stood there, for they would still be essentially tied at the waist even in death, Jillian looked around for the telltale signs that maybe she had downed another Texas mickey’s worth of vodka and didn’t realize it. How else would it explain what was happening in the doorway? There was no way that Katherine Dunbar and Olivia Madden could be standing there in front of her eyes, in front of Mei’s eyes apparently, so it wasn’t some sort of hidden drunk sneaking up on her. It couldn’t be, but then what was this?

Jill thought about standing up for a second but there was no need. Once Mei opened the door, the invited guests took the opportunity to rush to their former queen bee. [color=FFE900]“Jill!”[/color] squealed Kat, forever the more excitable of the pair. She reached out to give her friend a huge hug, one that had Jillian questioning if she really was back from the dead. Ghosts don’t hug like that, right? It lasted a couple of seconds before the blonde girl peeled back. [color=FFE900]“It’s you! We’ve been looking all over for you!”[/color] A confused look crossed her face, one Jill remembered from some of the late-night study sessions that were meant to make sure Kat’s grades stayed where they needed to be to keep her on the squad. [color=FFE900]“I wouldn’t have expected to find you here though. I mean, you were heading to Boston proper, right? Going to be an Eagle?”[/color]

[color=417571]“She could be visiting for the weekend. Edenridge Halloweens do hit different with the cursed history and all,”[/color] Liv said sarcastically as she settled in next to Kat. Olivia was always the cooler head among the trio, reigning in Katherine’s bubbly optimism and Jillian’s fiery determination by keeping things grounded. She leaned in, not getting as close as Kat dared, but still taking the sight of the redhead. [color=417571]“Although she’s not really dressed for the part. She just has the ghoul makeup on her face from the looks of those bags under her eyes.”[/color] The brunette’s coolness did make her a bit of a bitch at times, but Jillian did appreciate the fact that Olivia would always be one to tell her whatever truth she needed to hear. Not so much right now though.

[color=FFE900]“Liv! The hell!”[/color] Kat seemed to be offended on Jill’s behalf. [color=FFE900]“We haven’t been able to talk to Jill in how long and that’s what you want to say first?!?”[/color] The Dunbar girl’s ghostly hand drifted back to Jillian’s and patted it. [color=FFE900]“I’m sorry, girl. Liv’s just mad because her face has a problem that concealer isn’t going to fix.”[/color]

[color=417571]“I’m not mad about it,”[/color] Olivia said in a contradictory tone. Jill was perplexed for a second but as Liv’s head turned with a scoff and those bangs shifted back to the side, it became clear. She didn’t want to remember. She wanted her friends to truly be back among the living. But as the nickel-sized bullet hole peeked out from under that brown fringe, it served as confirmation that it wasn’t going to happen. [color=417571]“I guess Charlie was aiming for brains but knew there weren’t any in your head and that’s why you took two to the chest.”[/color] 

[color=FFE900]“Liv!”[/color] Katherine covered up the two holes and the reddish marks on her green crop top that indicated where Decker put the shots that ended her life. [color=FFE900]“…Eh, you might be right.”[/color] That’s usually how those exchanges ended. Sure, they sniped at each other, but that’s what friends did, right? Especially on the squad? It’s how they kept each other in line, and solidified bonds. Bonds that lasted beyond the grave apparently.

Back in the day, Jillian would have been right in the middle of it, content to let Olivia take a shot at her rotating cast of boyfriends if it meant she could get a better barb in regards to Liv’s inability to beat Kat out for another’s attention. Right now, she couldn’t say anything though. [color=fd9100][i]What could I say to them? Sorry you’re both dead? Sorry I look like shit? Sorry I definitely took some of your clothes afterwards? I don’t even know where they are anymore?”[/i][/color]

[color=FFE900]“Anyway, it’s so good to be able to do this again!”[/color] Kat leaned in for another hug. [color=FFE900]“It gets really hard to not be able to have that contact with someone who can feel it. But enough about me, what about you! Like I said, how’s living in Boston? Is it everything we thought it was gonna be?”[/color]

Jill was worried that she was going to have to break her friend’s unbeating heart to tell her about everything that happened after their deaths, but thankfully Liv shook her head and pulled Kat back. [color=417571]“Sorry, Bean. I think Kat’s forgotten everything since the day we left.”[/color] She turned back to the blonde. [color=417571]“Kat honey, you know what happened, right? Jill’s not living in Boston. She’s been here. Been in this god-forsaken place this whole time.”[/color] A saddened look spread upon her face. [color=417571]“Been struggling a lot from what I’ve seen.”[/color]

[color=fd9100]“You both… saw all that huh?”[/color] Jill looked away, ashamed of her post-high school life yet again.

Liv solemnly nodded. [color=417571]“Didn’t see all of it, per se, but heard enough and saw the results.”[/color] Now it was the brunette’s turn to rest a cold hand on the redhead’s shoulder. [color=417571]“I’m so sorry, Jill. I wish we could be there for you. It sucks having to watch and not be able to do anything about it. At least you had someone to stick around and help you through everything. Although, I have to admit, I would have bet on Caitlin or Lanie to have taken that role up. Not our gracious host over here.”[/color] She finally turned to address the other former cheerleader in the room. [color=417571]“How have you been, Miss Midnight?”[/color] she casually asked Mei. [color=417571]“I think all you’ve done for Jill since we left more than makes up for you snapping Kat’s mix CD in half when you found out there was a Florida Georgia Line song on it.”[/color]

[color=FFE900]“I just liked the twangy guitars,”[/color] Kat sheepishly said, now looking away from the group.

[color=417571]“There are many better uses of guitars,”[/color] Liv again ended up shaking her head, a habit that was not helping her hide the scar of her last encounter with another living human being. [color=417571]“Anyway, you still fighting the good fight against the world?”[/color]

In a weird way, Mei had hoped that the gruesome twosome wouldn’t have noticed her leaning against the door they had previously stepped through. She didn’t get along with them when they were on the mortal plain the first go round, she didn’t see this being any different.

When they were alive, Kat and Liv were what one would consider the stereotypical high school cheerleaders, which of course, Mei herself was not. She didn’t really consider it until most of them were six feet under but the midnight girl realised that they were not people she would’ve associated with by choice. At least Jill, Lanie and Caitlin had some distinctive personalities. Kat and Liv were interchangeable, background players.

[color=C652D5]”I’ve been with Jill.”[/color] The dark priestess began. [color=C652D5]”She’s been taking care of me.”[/color] It was true in her eyes at least that Jill had her saviour as much as she’d been hers. Without her to support and to look after, basically a reason to keep going, Mei may have given up a long time ago. [color=C652D5]”Can you tell us anything about what’s going on out there?”[/color]

Jill blushed a little bit at the thought of her still taking care of Mei given what had happened, but Kat was more than happy to take that statement at face value. [color=FFE900]“That’s Jill for you! Still doing her best for the squad no matter what!”[/color]

Liv, however, was more focused on the question that Mei asked. [color=417571]“Are you asking if what you’ve done is causing mass panic on the streets?”[/color] She paused for a second. [color=417571]“Yeah, don’t give me that look, I know you had something to do with this. I’m surprised it took you [i]THIS[/i] long to be able to raise the dead. But it’s fine. Charlie Decker isn’t out for more blood, Maxine James isn’t seeking out your sister, Matt Carson is… well, who knows with that guy. He was a ghost before he died. I think a lot of us are just taking the opportunity to finally have some interaction with those in the area we want to talk to.”[/color] She looked sadly over at Kat. [color=417571]“Or, you know, completely block everything out like she has been doing since she died.”[/color]

[color=FFE900]“I don’t know what you’re talking about, Liv. Everything’s been going fine the past couple of years.”[/color]

[color=417571]“Right, girl. Keep telling yourself that.”[/color] She turned back to Mei. [color=417571]“But no, we’re not adding to this army of the dead. I wouldn’t want anyone to join this parade anyway. Sure the cheer section is stacked, but what is there to be happy and cheer about?”[/color] Olivia nodded over at Jillian. [color=417571]“I’m honestly surprised given what our fearless leader has gone through that she didn’t end up joining us, but I’m relieved she’s on the path away from that fate now.”[/color]

She closed her eyes, almost as if to keep a tear from falling, but there was no liquid coming. [color=417571]“I know Kat may be delusional, but like I said, I’ve seen enough to know what you’ve done for Jill, Mei. When we couldn’t be there and almost everyone else who had a choice chose not to be there, you not only stayed, you rode with her. You gave her a reason to actually stay attached to this world.”[/color] Olivia opened her eyes again, they looked softer than the usual icy look she gave. [color=417571]“And I guess one of the reasons I’m here is to apologize to you and thank you for everything you’ve done. I know I treated you like a ghost in high school, and a lot of times I couldn’t see what Jillian saw in you to keep you as close as she did. I do now. I wish I could act on it better than I did when I had the chance. So I’m at least going to say I’m sorry. I’m sorry for icing you out all those years and not doing what Jill had the smarts and the heart to do and look past the darkness to see the person you were inside.”[/color]

Mei was taken aback by the girl's words. She mulled over how to respond. Other than with Jill, she was rarely the emotional type. Her dark and striking makeup often hides the turmoil beneath the surface.

[color=C652D5]”I appreciate that, thank you.”[/color]

Of course Miss Midnight managed to conceal how she really felt. The women in the room could pore their respective hearts out as much as they wanted, as they should in such a situation but Mei wasn’t there, not yet. She still needed to get over that particular hurdle.

[color=C652D5]”By the way I wasn’t trying to raise the dead…it just kind of happened. I was trying to cleanse the bad memories and make this damn place liveable again.”[/color]

This earned another shake of Olivia’s head. [color=417571]“I don’t think that’s a job you can take on all by yourself, Mei. There are so many demons in this place, it’s going to take a tanker full of industrial strength Purell and a Vatican’s worth of exorcists to clean away the taint. I’d just focus on making one other person’s life better at a time. At least then you can see the progress.”[/color] Liv looked longingly at Kat. [color=417571]“That’s another reason why I’m here…”[/color]

While the two darker-haired women were having their tete-a-tete, Jill was a bit overwhelmed by the situation. At least Liv was giving her space and talking to Mei but Katherine, she was the same Kat she was up to the day she died. For better and sadly for worse. It meant she was clinging tightly to her friend, likely since she had spent the past couple years clinging on to only Olivia.

[color=FFE900]“So, you have to catch me up! How is Boston? Don’t tell me if Lucas Hayes is still with that stuck-up Victoria Kelly! I don’t want to know! Tell me about you!”[/color]

Now Jill was more confused. [color=fd9100]“You… haven’t been watching me? I thought Liv kinda implied that’s what you two were doing.”[/color]

[color=FFE900]“Well, she was more focused on keeping track of you, but I was more worried about the Celtics and how everyone was doing and… it’s hard, OK?!? But that’s why I want to hear about it straight from you!”[/color] Kat was either lying, or dying did more to scramble her brain than it did Liv’s.

Jillian did what she always used to do when Katherine needed some help understanding things. She breathed a heavy sigh, brought Kat into a soft hug, ignored the fact that she wasn’t aware ghosts could be hugged, and softly started, [color=fd9100]“Kat honey, you don’t want to hear about it. Losing you and Liv sucked. It sucked so hard. I could barely keep the squad together during that year. I struggled so much without you two. None of us had the same heart, or the same drive.”[/color]

[color=FFE900]“But you won, right? Tell me you beat Pinehurst.”[/color]

[color=fd9100]“Yes, but it was hollow. We dedicated the win to you two, the latest in a list of cheer casualties. But you should have been there with us. I shouldn’t have to tell you this second-hand. We should have celebrated together.”[/color]

[color=FFE900]“It doesn’t matter, Jilly! I want you to be happy even if I’m not there! And winning makes you happy!”[/color]

[color=fd9100]“But it didn’t, Kat! It didn’t bring you back! It didn’t bring Liv or Ally or anyone back! And it just got worse. And then everything spiralled and then I couldn’t win anything. I was a loser. A useless loser that no one cared about.”[/color]

Now the ghost was the one controlling the hug. [color=FFE900]“I know, Jill. I’m sorry.”[/color]

Once again, Jill was confused. [color=fd9100]“If you know, and if you’re sorry, then why are you asking me for a recap on how my life went to shit?”[/color]

Kat pulled back for a moment before leaning in close and whispering in Jill’s ear, [color=FFE900]“Because all I’ve done since I died is watch you take more hits then I could ever take, and watch Liv be so miserable that she couldn’t do anything to help, and I knew I had to channel my inner Jill and do something keep her spirit up. But it’s hard to do while watching all that going on, especially with some of the others hanging around. So I went back to when we were all happy and I never left. At least not according to Liv. Worrying about me takes her worries off everyone else, and off herself. You know how much she blames herself for taking the both of us into the library that day? That we ended up in the wrong spot because she wanted to see if the new copy of People was in?”[/color]

Jillian nodded. [color=fd9100]“Probably more than I did.”[/color]

[color=FFE900]“I know it,”[/color] Katherine confirmed. [color=FFE900]“And I can’t let her keep doing that to herself. It’s not her fault. And you know I would have done the same for you, right? I would have done those news things, I would have been with you so you weren’t so alone, I would have kicked Mike Barrie in his stupid face for being such a… terrible person.”[/color]

[color=fd9100]“You did always have a super high kick.”[/color] 

That brought a smile to the dead blonde’s face. [color=FFE900]“And I would have used it without thinking. But it’s not your fault either, and it hurt me seeing you think that way. So that’s why I’m so happy for whatever Mei did tonight to let this happen. So I can finally tell you these things and that even though you may not feel it, we’ll always be there for support. Besides,”[/color] Kat finally broke her gaze with Jill to look over at the other two women in the room for a moment. [color=FFE900]“I think you’re in good hands. And all this time, I never knew! I mean, yeah, you never kept a boyfriend for very long in school, and you always were like a momma hen protecting the squad and… I mean there was that one sleepover that, you know, and… shoot, did I just miss all the signs or something?”[/color]

[color=fd9100]“There were at least two of us missing the signs in that case, because it took me a while to figure it out too,”[/color] Jill admitted. [color=fd9100]“Probably longer than it should have.”[/color]

[color=FFE900]“Well at least we both got there! And I think Liv finally knows now that you’re going to be alright. Maybe she can finally rest easier and maybe I can stop acting like I haven’t got a clue all the time! I mean, I know I said I wanted to be an actress and all, but it’s hard doing it 24/7!”[/color]

[color=fd9100]“You would have been a great Karen Smith, KittyKat.”[/color]

[color=FFE900]“Well, I can still be a great me. Even like this. And maybe now, you can go back to being that great you?”[/color]

Yet again, Jill had to look away. [color=fd9100]“I don’t know? Maybe?”[/color]

[color=FFE900]“Yes, Jilly! You’re going to! I mean, we can already see it starting to come back to you. And you know why?”[/color]

This was going to be a first. Katherine Dunbar giving an answer that eluded the great Jillian O’Brien. [color=fd9100]”Why, Kat?”[/color]

[color=FFE900]“Because you’re not going to be thinking about the past anymore. Staying in the past is sad. It makes you sad. So, think about the future. And when the good things in the future happen and become past, you can think about that past and you won’t have so much sadness to think about. It’ll only be the good times. Like the night before Ally… well, you know...”[/color]

Another mention of Allison Davies reminded Jillian there were more ghosts out there. [color=fd9100]“How is Ally? Is she… is she all right? Is she coming by?”[/color]

A shrug was the immediate response. [color=FFE900]“Dunno! Ally’s her own person. But next time we see her, we can at least tell her something good.”[/color]

[color=fd9100]“OK, Kat,”[/color] Jill said, content to let the blonde have her way. [color=fd9100]“Just tell her I’m sorry, OK? I’m sorry for a lot of things, and a lot of people…”[/color]

[color=FFE900]“What did I just say, Jill?”[/color] The whispering had stopped now, enough to catch the attention of Olivia at least. [color=FFE900]“No more of that! Promise!”[/color]

[color=417571]“Kat, is everything all right over there?”[/color] Liv was moved enough to finally check in.

Miss Dunbar steeled herself, making it look as if she was the one who had just received the massive pep talk instead of giving it. [color=FFE900]“Yes,”[/color] she softly affirmed. [color=FFE900]“Yes, it’s fine. Jill’s going to be fine. And that’s good.”[/color]

Jill was still unsure if she was going to be fine, but she did feel better. Maybe all that confidence that she thought was dead and gone just went to someone on the other side that could collect it and get it back to her. Kat was still willing to grow and be that voice she needed, even if she never had it in life. Jill could at least try to reward that. She smiled over at Olivia and Mei, wide enough so Kat could see. [color=fd9100]“You heard her, Olive Oil. I’m going to be fine.”[/color]

[color=417571]“Glad you got that affirmation,”[/color] Olivia nodded, before readdressing Miss Midnight. [color=417571]“How about you, Mei? Need any more podcast fodder while I’m here?”[/color]

[color=C652D5]”I always need more things to talk about.”[/color] 

Mei really wanted to allow Jill to have her moment with her girls. They were never her friends as they had so clearly stated in the past few minutes. She had always been on the outside due to her love of the macabre and the netherworld. If anything, she was only allowed on the squad because of her older sister Reagan. When you’re kin to the ice princess it regrettably opens some doors. Mei had always loved to dance and thanks to her lifelong training with her father, it was no question that Miss Midnight was arguably the most athletically and rhymically gifted of the legendary Celtic cheerleaders; the problem was she just didn’t have the same passion for it as the others.

[color=C652D5]”I’m glad you two have found peace where you are.”[/color] Mei made her way over to Jill and locked her fingers with the redheads. She planted a soft kiss on her lover's cheek and smiled at the ghostly duo. [color=C652D5]“Thank you for watching over her but I’ve got to try and figure out how to send you guys back to where you were. I can’t imagine you being here is healthy.”[/color]

[color=FFE900]“Already?”[/color] Kat whined. That was the Kat Jill remembered more than the steely pep-talk giving blonde. [color=FFE900]“But we just got here!”[/color]

[color=417571]“Yeah, but we don’t need to linger,”[/color] Olivia said, tempering her friend as she drifted over to the couch where everyone gathered. [color=417571]“We already crashed date night, we don’t need to make things any more awkward.”[/color] She pulled Kat up and mimicked Mei’s move, locking her fingers in with Miss Dunbar’s and holding tight. [color=417571]“Just promise me that whatever equivalent of a wedding you two have, I don’t know if it’s going to be another blood ritual or something like that, remember this spell so we can come back and give our girls a proper celebration, hmmm? We may not be able to bring presents, but we won’t cost you any food or anything at the open bar.”[/color]

[color=fd9100]“Look, just do that gentle breeze thing to sway whatever we have hanging, that’ll be present enough.”[/color]

[color=417571]“Maybe I’ll learn better tricks than that by the time it happens.”[/color]

[color=FFE900]“Oooooh yeah!”[/color] Kat chimed in excitedly. [color=FFE900]“We can make all the dances be to Cruise!”[/color]

[color=417571]“We’re not haunting the ceremony with songs that deserve to be dead, Kat.”[/color] One more shake of Olivia’s head for the road. [color=417571]“Anyway,”[/color] She motioned down and wrapped both living members of the Celtic cheer squad in a hug, Kat joining in to make it a quartet. [color=417571]“Keep going at them for those of us who can’t, all right?”[/color] The hug didn’t last long, Olivia didn’t want to push the envelope with Mei post-apology, but hopefully the sentiment showed as the ghosts rose.

In a way, Mei felt a strong sting like feeling which she equated to guilt. She did not blame herself for Olivia or Kat’s untimely deaths but she did nothing to mourn them. They never saw eye to eye but death seemed to have changed their ways and brought them a kind of peace. It had obviously given them time to reflect on who they were and who they wanted to be. Mei on the other hand, she had tried to fix everything but herself; perhaps this was a wake up call? Plus this talk of marriage…She had only just gotten Jill to fully come out; marriage was a whole different kind of witchcraft.

[color=C652D5]”I’m sorry for what happened to you both,”[/color] The Wiccan girl began. [color=C652D5]”And I’m grateful to you for watching over Jill. I’ve gotta do some Bitchcraft and send everything back to where they came. Whatever happens next, it’ll be nice to know the gruesome twosome will be watching over us as guardian angels in lipgloss and nail polish.”[/color]

[color=FFE900]“And it’ll match too!”[/color]

Looks there was one more shake of the head to come from Olivia after all. [color=417571]“We’ll do our best to keep up the watch. Over both of you. You’ve both got protection from beyond, although Jill still probably needs it more than you do, Mei.”[/color]

[color=fd9100]“Hey, fuck you, Liv! I’m learning! I can do supernatural things! Maybe!”[/color]

Now Liv was laughing. [color=417571]“Can’t wait to see it. If you get the other form of cursing down as well as you got the first one, you’ll be a force. All right, let’s get out of here, Kat. I don’t think we should be near the epicenter when Miss Midnight rings last call.”[/color]

Kat still had that pleading look on her face. [color=FFE900]“Can we at least go to the mall before that happens? I want to see the new stuff out at American Eagle.”[/color]

Olivia looked somewhat surprised that her traveling partner wanted to look at something that wasn’t from high school. [color=417571]“The mall is definitely closed right now.”[/color]

The blonde pouted. [color=FFE900]“Does it really matter for us?”[/color]

Liv thought for a second. [color=417571]“I guess not. All right, let’s go.”[/color]

That brought a smile to Katherine’s face, wider than the one Olivia had, as the two moved, hands still entwined, towards the door. There was no need to open it as the pair faded through en route to wherever they would end up.

Alone again with her girlfriend, Jill finally had the opportunity to parse what the hell just happened. It was just like old times, the nicknames, the sass, everything sounded like it was during an average junior year hangout. But it was different. They were different! Kat was plotting and thinking up schemes to help her best friend, and Liv. Liv sounded mature and able to have emotions and… what did that make her? Even in death, Jill’s friends were growing and getting better and what had she been doing?

Exactly what Kat said she did. Dwelling on the past. Letting old wounds fester. Not even trying to move on, content to just let the pain take her. It wasn’t healthy. How many people could see that? How many dead people could see that?

But she was getting better now. She had a reason to get better. Reasons. They were out there. Even if she couldn’t see them.

Jill let out the huge sigh she had been holding in and let herself collapse against Mei, head resting on the black-haired girl’s shoulder. Even if she barely moved, it still felt like a marathon session. She didn’t even think about how the two of them would take the revelation that she was fully embracing her sapphic side now. But they were both perfectly fine with it. She almost wished she gave in ages ago.

[color=fd9100]“So… that was a lot,”[/color] she finally spoke in a soft tone. [color=fd9100]“Fuck, I didn’t even get to tell Kat how fat Tori Kelly got. I don’t even know if she actually cared. But fuck… I… I never thought I would see them again. Definitely not like that.”[/color] Another sigh, softer, but leading to a smile on the redhead’s face. [color=fd9100]”I guess it’s nice to know they’re happy for us.”[/color] 

Mei planted a soft kiss to Jill’s forehead before wrapping her up into her arms. [color=C652D5]”When I did the spell I had no idea this was going to happen, I’m glad it did.”[/color] She wanted to enjoy the bliss of a happy Jillybean but she knew that they couldn’t stay like that forever. She wanted to stay in their little hideaway and be together but there was still too much to do and Mei didn’t know how much time they had. Seeing Liv and Kat had proven something to Miss Midnight; not all the returnees would be good. Edenridge was a place of many horror stories and now those stories would have come back to life.

[color=C652D5]“Don’t get too comfy babe, we’ve got worlds to save. Goddess help us.”[/color]

It was a tough ask. Jill knew Mei was right, that what had been done needed to be put back the way it was. That her fallen friends’ time back in this realm would have to be short. But she could at least stall for a little bit longer. Just to have this moment, this feeling of absolute comfort basking in the glow of what turned out to be a welcome reunion of the Clovers, and another affirmation that her relationship with her fellow ex-cheerleader was the right path to pursue. It was the best Halloween she could ask for. It could last a little bit more before work had to happen. [color=fd9100]“Fine… just a few more minutes… the worlds can wait... let Kat check out another storefront… just for this… I love you, Mei.”[/color]

Mei allowed her lips to fall upon Jill’s and shared a kiss with her beloved. She didn’t want the moment to pass. There were people who had gone whom she wished to see. She wasn't as hard as she made herself out to be. Yet the balance of nature had to be restored. Still, that could wait, if only for a brief moment. Mei was lost in the whisper of a dream with her girl. The monsters at the door could claw for just a little longer.

[color=C652D5]“I love you too.”[/color][/color][/indent][/indent]