electric touch // luke patterson

haunted - taylor swift

AFTER A GOOD CRY SESH AND HUG, julie kissed gracie's cheek before entering her house. the blonde glanced down at the studio before sighing and walking back to her house. she thought about going on a run or taking a bath - anything to distract herself from the anger she anticipated luke to feel about her.

apparently that wasn't the case, though, because as gracie walked up to her house, her face relaxed at the sight of luke leaning against a banister as he played with his chains.

"hey." she greeted softly, slowly walking up her steps.

luke looked up, his eyes flickering across her, "hey."

gracie leaned her hip against the railing, giving him a quiet look, "i'm sorry for overstepping."

"no, i..." he shook his head, looking down at her with an expression she was desperately clawing at, attempting to read, "i just had to leave. that was..."

"you don't have to say anything." she told him, her lips moving down at his red-ringed eyes.

he shook his head, momentarily breaking their stare to glance away, "yeah, i do. uh... i didn't have many regrets in my life except for running out on my parents. especially my mom, so... thank you."

gracie felt a small smile work it's way onto her face, "you helped me open up... to my own mom and everyone else, so... i wanted to do the same thing for you."

a small smile grew from a smirk he held as his eyes flickered around her face. silence fell upon them as he stared down at her, into her dark green eyes. he tilted his head down slightly, his hands twitching by his side, "that was perfect."

luke reached out for her hands only to press his lips together in embarrassment when his went right through her's. gracie looked down at her hands, smiling sadly.

he sighed, turning to look out into her yard, "this is an interesting little relationship you and i have."

gracie bit her lip, chuckling slightly. she looked at him, her eyes bouncing around his freckles before she gasped softly, "oh my gosh, i have news."

he perked up, turning to look down at her again, "oh, do tell."

she grinned, bouncing on her heels, "wanna hear the gossip or the mega exciting amazing thing first?"

he scoffed, a grin coming onto his face, "like that's a question - gossip!"

she giggled, clapping her hands in excitement, "nick asked julie out today. i was a little distracted so she didn't tell me until like an hour ago, but i've been meaning to tell you ever since."

luke's grin fell into a soft one as he watched her talk, "yeah?"

she nodded, "mhm, and she said yes. this is great, i've been shipping them since julie started liking him, which was forever ago."

he gave her a confused look, "shipping?"

her cheeks burnt, "oh, like... rooting for a couple to get together. like - i ship..." her eyes caught on his, burning her face even more, "well, i can't think of anyone right now. but it's like preparing to send them off so the ship has sailed."

"got it." luke clicked his tongue, "so what's the mega exciting amazing thing?" he leaned down onto the railing, his forearms holding him up.

gracie pushed her tongue against her cheek, "flynn said the video that ray made is trending on youtube." he gave her another look, shaking his head slightly. she sighed, "that's a good thing. that means people love our music. we'll definitely be getting calls from managers now."

she was smiling wistfully, looking off into the setting sun. luke felt guilt clutch at his stomach as he watched the girl beside him. butterflies soared in his stomach when he looked at their close proximity before they crumpled and turned to dust when he remembered the conversation he had had the night before. he slowly stood back up, watching the golden light reflect onto her face.

"there's something i have to tell you." he said, instantly regretting it when her small smile dropped and she stood as well.

"oh... okay." gracie waited patiently, her eyes roaming his twisting face.

he took a breath, "we figured out that we have unfinished business. that's why we came back as ghosts."

"oh. what is it?" she asked, tilting her head slightly. he almost wanted to tell her to stop. he almost wished he never came over. that way he wouldn't feel even more guilt tug at his dead body as he watched the girl he liked so much smile up at him unknowingly.

"we have to play the show we never got to play." he said softly, a slight shrug to his shoulders.

gracie nodded slowly, "at the orpheum? that makes sense." she was just about to ask another question when a flash hit luke's stomach in a jolt. he groaned, slamming into the beam that supported the porch.

"we don't have a lot of time." luke winced, rubbing his chest.

gracie had her hands outstretched like she wanted to help stabilize him, a scared look painted on her face, "what was that? are you okay?"

luke rebalanced on his own, licking his lips as he looked down at the girl guiltily, "we did something that we shouldn't have. the night that we missed the dance, we met this ghost, and he put a curse on us," gracie's features were slowly transforming into an anxious one, "and if we don't do what he says, then these jolts will destroy us."

gracie furrowed her brows in confusion, "then you gotta do what he says. what does he want?"

luke twisted his mouth to the right, shaking his head, "he wants us to be in his house band for eternity. but if we can play the orpheum soon, then we can avoid all that and actually cross over."

gracie's face transformed into suspicion in half a second, ""cross over"? as in, like what? like, go to heaven?"

luke shrugged, "that's what we're banking on."

gracie nodded slowly, "so it's either you cross over, be in his band for eternity, or be destroyed by these jolts?"

luke's lips parted and he stared at her guiltily for a second before nodding, "yeah."

gracie stared at the ghost in disbelief for a moment before scoffing as she rubbed her brow, "that's just great." she chuckled, backing up, "that's - that's perfect! thanks, luke."

"gracie..." she ignored him and walked into her house.