"Do you think this mysterious girl will wake up soon?" Evie asked Everett, who was sitting in a chair looking at the unconscious girl on the bed.
He only grunted and nodded.
He had been waiting for almost a whole minute now, and he was getting impatient, she could tell.
What if she was a Huntress?
She had been unconscious for more than a couple of minutes, and that really couldn't be possible. It looked more like she was just sleeping.
Maybe she was acting?
Evie was too worried. The boys were monsters, literally, so what if this girl showed up just to kill them?
Evie would never let that happen.
But right now, it was a risk to have Everett in this very room with a potential killer on the bed.
But she would protect him, no matter what.
She just loved him too much.
That's all she wanted to do. Protect those close to her.
"I doubt she's hunter," Everett said with a growl, "She's too scrawny to be one. And she doesn't have deformed doll feet like you. Look, she's wearing flat shoes."
"Yeah, you are right," Evie said, crossing her arms. "I don't know why I'm so scared, I should be used to these things by now."
"You never get used to it," he said sharply. "But I am here to protect you."
"T-Thanks," she moved a strand of hair behind her ear, "So! Zeth told me her name is Jade but she doesn't have an ID nor weapons on her, I have nothing but her face and I don't have facial recognition technology with me."
It was too much stress to imagine that Alex, chivalrous and somewhat impulsive as always, had brought a Trojan horse straight to the boys.
That would be bad, really bad.
She knew not who was hunting them, because someone was, one concert after another lately she found Hunters with tranquilizer darts, over and over again, and this was too much of a coincidence.
"Evie, you better go rest, you're probably exhausted," Everett said.
"I will not leave you alone."
"I was Death Match champion multiple times in Mount Everest. I can handle this. I insist you leave or I will carry you to your room myself and stay until you fall asleep."
She sighed, dropping her shoulders.
"Well, there's no point in arguing with you," Evie nodded, opening a pocket on her belt, taking out a small disk. "I'll leave a microphone here," she placed it on the door, "Just in case."
"Why do you protect us so much, Evie?"
She closed her eyes and took deep breaths, trying not to show any emotion.
"I get paid to babysit you," she looked back at him.
"Liar," his ice blue eyes were fixed on her, making her heart beat faster. She couldn't look away. His stare was so intense. "Why did you come here, Evie? Why did you come to suite?"
She decided not to reply, not to make any kind of excuse, because she knew that Everett knew her well enough to understand that she didn't just come to say hello.
The girl on the bed made a sound, like a moan, and began to move.
"She's waking up," Evie said and turned to look at the girl, then at Everett, "Are you sure you don't want me to stay, Big Guy?"
"I can handle this," Everett nodded, "I don't think she's hunter."
Evie nodded, walking over to the window, opening it slowly and quietly.
"I'll be listening to everything," Evie said, climbing to the window frame, pulling her grapple gun from its holster, shooting a gargoyle one floor below, "Be careful, Big Guy." She then jumped, swinging her way down.
Everett then groaned, turning to look at the girl on the bed.
"W-What happened?" Jade was beyond comfortable and warm.
Everything was very quiet.
She opened her eyes, and for a moment, she felt serene.
The headboard behind her was massive, shaped like a golden cloud with lightning bolts coming out of it.
The room was large, airy, and furnished in browns, golds, and beige. There was also a ceiling fan above her.
This was big. The walls were made of stone and the windows were arched so this was a castle, right?
A castle... The Hallow Inn was a castle!
"Oh shit..." Jade sat up, almost sinking into the bed like quicksand. "How did I get here?"
"Alex brought you here." A deep voice said, very, very deep.
Jade looked up.
White, blue, and purple hair? Ice blue eyes?
The chair looked like a toy compared to him!
And he was wearing a white furry vest.
"My God!" Jade yelled, "Everett Frostakov?" The guy didn't say a word; he just stared at her like she was some particular kind of ant. "Oh god! I'm a fan!"
"I know," Everett said, pointing at the shirt Jade was wearing. He was more handsome in person, and bigger too. His hair looked soft, and it glittered like his snow-white skin, "Your survival instincts suck. You should take knife and stab me to escape."
"Escape? I don't even have a knife and..." She blinked a lot, frowning, "No! I'm not going to stab... Oh my god! You're Everett Frostakov! Oh holy Jesus! I'm going to pass out again!"
"You shouldn't faint if someone kidnaps you," Everett said, growling.
"And you... Kidnapped me?" She asked, "Well, it's a very comfortable kidnapping."
"You talk lot of nonsense for someone so small," Everett replied.
"I'm sorry, it's just... I'm nervous," Being in Everett's presence was like being in a cold blizzard with no clothes on, waiting for the end of time to arrive. His gaze was penetrating, his tough face intimidating, and his heavy breathing was too loud. Jade was an inexperienced climber about to climb a mountain, fearful but excited at the same time to have taken the risk.
"How long have I been here?" Jade asked.
"Time is an illusion," Everett said, hunched forward as if Jade was a threat, as if he had been anticipating something bad from the beginning. Jade tried hard to contain her excitement, forcing herself to stay calm and collected.
"Is... Is this your room?" Jade tried to make small talk with him, but Everett shook his head. "And the boys... Alycandro and Zeth and Draco..." She looked around, but Everett only pointed to a door behind him. "Oh! Are they outside?" But Everett just nodded. "Hey... Can you tell them I want to go now?"
Everett nodded and stood up.
Jade looked up, her mouth wide open.
He was practically a giant!
And he was supposed to be twenty-six years old?!
But on what planet?!
"Is she awake yet?" a soft, sweet voice asked as the door opened.
Jade started to shake; her heart was pounding like crazy.
Oh God!
"F-Frank Rubinstein?" Her eyes were so wide they almost popped out.
Frank had a green towel around his waist only, his black and white hair was drenched on his forehead.
Oh Jesus Christ!
Jade bit her lip and took a deep breath.
Frank fixed his natural brown and bionic green eyes on her.
"Hi, I'm Frank," then he turned to Everett. "Hey, the shower's yours, I'll take care of her."
Jade couldn't stop looking up and down at Frank.
Small drops of water ran down his pecs; one was made of metal, as round and firm as the fleshy one. The metal plates on Frank's back clacked and buzzed when he turned his back on her to close the door behind Everett, who had to duck to avoid hitting his head with the frame.
"I want to apologise on Everett's behalf, in case he said something rude," Frank said, turning to face her, "He's not rude, he's just... Everett. Anyway! What's your name?"
"I'm Jade," she said and Frank offered a beautiful smile.
"Nice to meet you... I hope you don't mind that I only have a towel on!"
"Oh, of course it doesn't bother me!" Jade said, her eyes fixed on the boy's perfectly sculpted abs and obliques, blushing red.
She was so close!
She wanted to touch him!
And that expensive body wash smell!
It was intoxicatingly sensual!
Of all the Monster Mash boys, Frank definitely had the best body, bulky and with well-defined muscles, all very aesthetic for someone so big.
"So, why am I here?" Jade asked, but then there was a sound outside the window, like a metal cord retracting. Jade quickly turned to the window and thought she saw someone peeking inside. But that was ridiculous. It was obvious that she was easily twenty stories above the ground. "What was that?"
"Evie," Frank whispered.
"W-What?"
"Oh! I... You know? They say there are ghosts in this hotel. Zeth says that the ghost of Lord Commander Reefael Darktide still haunts these halls," Frank blushed, holding his towel in place with his bionic hand, walking towards a closet to Jade's left slowly, as if his bionic limbs weighed him down, buzzing slightly with each step.
"Did you take a shower?" Jade asked what was already obvious and Frank nodded, opening the closet door.
"Yeah, sorry. I had just stepped out of the shower when Alex told me he had brought you to my bed. And I had already left my clothes in the laundry chute so, I'm really sorry, I swear I'm not a pervert."
"No problem," She didn't know what else to say.
She couldn't believe that she was here, in Frank Rubinstein's room, watching him choose night clothes as if she were with a lifelong friend.
God!
This really couldn't be happening!
She even pinched herself to make sure she was awake!
"Jade?" Frank spoke and she looked up at him, "I'm going to grab some clothes and leave. I'll get dressed in the bathroom."
"Oh! Sure! If you must!" she said, blinking a lot with her hands on her cheeks.
"Oh well, I think I must! If you could just... Oops!"
It was then that the towel fell from his waist to the floor...
Jade gasped.
She covered her eyes with her hands.
Oh, Jesus Christ the Redeemer!
Frank's towel had just fallen!
And she was there when it happened!
There wasn't a single girl in the world who could say she had witnessed this in the flesh!
There was no way!
And she was the chosen one among millions!
This could not be!
Why did these things happen to her?!
"Please tell me you've got your towel back on," Jade whispered, her body burning inside.
"No but, you can look now," Frank said, and she moved two fingers to look at him.
She sighed, long and hard.
Frank was wearing neon green boxers with a black elastic waistband.
Phew!
"I swear I didn't see anything," Jade said.
"Thanks for covering your eyes," Frank rubbed the back of his neck. He was so red with embarrassment that he looked like a stop sign, "I put on my boxers as quickly as possible."
There was a sound outside the window again, and Jade turned quickly.
There was no one there, but Frank grunted.
"Oh! But I think our ghost was not so decent and saw everything!" he yelled, as if he wanted someone to hear him, but who?
Then he turned to look at Jade.
He caught her checking and inspecting every minute detail of his body. He reached down for the towel and wrapped it around his torso instead of his waist like when he entered the room.
"I... I hope that it is not a disappointment to see that I am, well... You know... Almost a robot."
"What? No! It's not that! I mean, I've already seen you shirtless in the 'Frozen Heart' and 'I've Seen The Darkness' videos... Many times... So, I'm already familiar with your..." Sensuality? God! Control yourself, Jade! "It doesn't matter."
"It matters to me sometimes. Not as much as before, but it still affects me."
"Don't worry, it's alright," she assured him, and Frank nodded, taking off the towel to toss it onto the chair where Everett had been sitting earlier, "Actually, I think I like you a lot... I mean! Your body makes me really hot! I mean... What did I say?"
"I... I'll get dressed quickly."
"Take your time," Jade said.
"So, you're a fan," Frank said, and she nodded, "What's your favourite song?"
"Oh! I guess 'Hunter In Disguise' because I particularly like it when you all sing like... I don't know? Super loud?"
"You mean the chorus? The part that goes 'I'm so sick of your lies! So leave before you stab my ba-ah-Ah-AAAHHH! Ah! BAAACK!' right?" He asked, as if he hadn't just sung impressively.
"That was awesome," Jade said.
"Oh! Thanks, but Zeth is the one who brings that part to life. And the bridge is the best part I think, Finn nails it every time."
She was surprised that talking to this guy came so naturally.
Her heart had calmed down a bit, but only a bit.
She had to keep her feet on the ground, her mother had given her that advice.
She had to understand that this would be temporary, that she was just very lucky and that there would be no wedding or anything like that.
This was just amazing and she had to live in the moment.
She sometimes closed her eyes with her headphones on and the music playing loud to feel like she was with them, and now it was actually happening.
And she wouldn't screw it up.
God! She had to tell her mother as soon as she got out of here!
Even thinking of it made Jade feel alive, and she couldn't help but smile.
"I am so lucky," she whispered, and Frank looked over his metal shoulder.
"Were you talking to me?" he asked, and she jumped.
"N-No!" Jade quickly replied.
Frank rummaged through many outlandish outfits in the closet, from black vests with studs and spikes to a bagged tailored suit that probably had just come from the dry cleaners, until he finally found a green lightning bolt pyjama shirt and pants.
"Here are my PJs," Frank chuckled lightly, turned around, and closed the closet door. "I don't sleep very often but when I do, I can't sleep without my PJs, you know? The other guys usually sleep in their underwear, but I am not that kind of guy."
"Oh! I see!" She bit her lip. He was sweet, she couldn't deny it. "It must be very sexy to live with them!"
"Well, I don't like Finn... I mean! Boys, I don't like boys, so..." He chuckled.
God! His smile and his laugh were so cute!
"Oh no! Me neither!" Jade muttered, trying her best to compose herself, her cheeks still flushed. "I mean! I like boys, but no... Not your friends. I mean! You all are handsome! You, in particular, are very handsome! Wait... What did I say? I mean... You're handsome but I don't like you, I mean I do like you but you're ten years older than me and I don't like older men and... I mean, I'm barely eighteen and you're already too old for me." She sighed, "I better keep quiet, right?"
"Thanks for saying I'm handsome." He chuckled a little. "You're nervous, aren't you?"
"A little, yes." If she blushed any more, there would be no way to go back to her natural skin colour ever again.
She was being silly, ridiculous! She had to calm down!
"Hey, your cat is with Alex and Zeth, in case you were wondering," Frank said, putting on his shirt.
"Oh! It's not my cat!" Jade replied, standing up, "It's my friend's... Oh God! Melody! I am sure she would love to meet you! Where is my phone?"
"Well, let's say it's in the dining room," Frank said, "It's not like we checked your phone or anything, no, I mean..."
"I have to call Melody!" Jade tousled her hair a bit and ran to the door.
"Wait, don't leave!" he reached out with his bionic hand to hold her by her forearm, and she blushed.
He was touching her...
FRANK RUBINSTEIN WAS TOUCHING HER!
"Zeth wants you to sign some papers clearing the band of any 'anomaly or kidnapping' before you leave but that's out of caution." Frank explained.
"Oh well but, no... It wasn't a kidnapping. Or maybe yes but I wouldn't call it that," Jade whispered.
"Great! We can take a picture with you if you want!"
Jade was paralyzed.
Was this international music star asking her to take a picture with him?
With them?
Melody would never believe any of this!
No one who read Melody's blog would believe it!
"You really mean it?" she asked, and Frank nodded.
"Sure. But after you sign the papers, and after we make sure you are not a trained killer."
"A what?!"
"A painkiller," Frank sucked at improvising, "I mean, Zeth doesn't want you to leave without taking a painkiller first."
"Wait! Can I take a picture with you? Really? OH MY GAWD!" Jade sounded so excited that even her voice shrilled a bit, and Frank closed his eyes as if he had been hurt, "Oh! I'm sorry, I didn't mean..."
"It's okay," Frank rubbed his ear, "It's just that after getting wet, sometimes my bionic hearing screeches a bit. I usually turn it off for concerts too."
"I didn't know you had bionic hearing," Jade said, looking down. Frank's bionic hand was still holding her. "Um... Hey, do you think I can get my arm back?"
"Oh! Sure! Sorry!" Frank released her, and they both blushed, giggling a little.
Having Frank in person and seeing him on a screen or in photos was so not the same, not even remotely similar to this experience. But Frank's face had an air of familiarity, something that made her think that perhaps they had met before, maybe even before he became famous.
"Hey, haven't we met before?" she asked, inspecting every inch of Frank's face.
"Well, I once heard someone say that I'm Milo Mannheim on steroids, although I don't use steroids, but maybe that's it?" he replied, and Jade snapped her fingers.
"Sure! I guess that's it, although..." she cocked her head, "No, I think it's something else... Have you ever visited Hallow Woods before?"
"Actually, I grew up here," Frank nodded.
Just her bad luck!
Maybe Jade would have met Frank if she had never moved to Los Angeles when she turned eight.
But maybe Erich knew him!
He had lived his entire life here in this small town.
"Maybe I look familiar to you because my grandfather was the CEO of Franco's Pharma... Before he died and the company went bankrupt. His name was Victoriano," Frank said as if embarrassed, "It was a little difficult, everything fell at once. First it was my accident, then the bankruptcy, it even was on the news."
"Oh! Sure! I remember the advert that was on TV. It said something about 'Franco's Pharma, your trusted pharmacist since 1914' and the song was very catchy. Jesus! It must have been hard to be a millionaire and lose everything," Jade said but Frank shook his head.
"Actually, we never had a single dime from the company. My grandfather never gave us anything, although before my accident, he called me to meet but... I never made it to the appointment." Frank looked down as if something were making him sad, "Dad said it was a calamity that the whole company went to hell without us enjoying that wealth, but I say it was good because my younger brother and I learned a lot about hard work. My brother is actually working with NASA."
"Optimistic, I like that... But I don't think that's it," she frowned, "I'm sure your face is familiar."
"Maybe you met my dad?" He asked and she shifted her shoulders, "He used to have a mechanic shop on Witchpoint Road. In fact, I used to go with him often and from there, I found my passion for repairing things. It was a very big place, and very successful, until he had to sell it because... You know. Hospitals are not cheap at all."
"I'm not sure if I remember your dad, I left when I was a little girl."
"His name's Viktor. He is identical to Chris Redfield from Resident Evil... Although I don't know if you play video games."
"No, sorry." She shook her head.
"Or maybe you met my mother? She worked in the diner next to the gas station, she was a waitress. Many people remember her as 'Miss Mexico' because, well, it's obvious. Alex isn't the only boy of Mexican descent in the band."
"I actually visited that diner once, but I don't remember the waitress, just the smelly animatronics," Jade said.
"Hey! Maybe you met my younger brother! He is eighteen so..."
"What's his name?"
"Franklyn," he said proudly, "Franklyn Rubinstein."
"Franklyn is your brother?!" Jade covered her mouth, "Oh god! You're Franklyn's older brother who was obsessed with robotics! I can't believe it!" She was shocked, really shocked, "Wait... Franklyn is the boy I used to play with when..."
"Hey, Frank," someone opened the bedroom door. Jade swallowed hard. She could recognise that voice anywhere! It was very distinctive! "Oh. Hi, I'm Finn, Finn Seamons."
She was breathing like an asthmatic dragon again.
Melody once said that they should both pay for a Meet-and-Freak with the boys, firstly because the proceeds from these extremely expensive tickets went to the boys' charities, and secondly because talking to the boys for a couple minutes, taking a picture with them, breathing the same air as them, and even being able to touch them was a dream that no girl would want to miss. But Jade was never interested in that because she would probably faint just by seeing them in person.
And now she was here!
Face to face with the last guy she needed to meet!
And his smell was like Caribbean lotion!
"Frank, is everything okay?" Finn asked. "I was just a little worried you were not coming out yet."
"Yeah, Don't worry. There's a ghost around anyway." Frank turned to look at the window. "Hey. Can you tell Zeth that Jade wants to take a picture with us?"
"Actually..." Finn bit his lips. Jade wasn't sure but those piranha teeth looked pretty real up close, "I think Zeth isn't in the mood, you know? Maybe we should, I don't know, not take risks."
"Risks? Seriously?" Frank frowned, "Don't you think, I don't know, that everyone is exaggerating?"
"Fine! Whatever... Put on something nicer. You know Zeth hates it when you're in pyjamas for pictures!" Finn rolled his eyes.
"A ghost, huh?" Jade looked back, at the window, and this time, she was sure she saw someone...
A black-haired a girl.