Hallow Woods University was huge, a majestic castle no doubt, but nothing compared to the much larger Lyonfort. Up here, on a stone bridge that connected the interior of the school with the bell tower, Evie walked like a model on the runway The soles of her stiletto boots had a perfect non-slip feature for smooth stone like the one this castle was made of, so slipping and falling didn't worry her at all. What worried her was this girl, Jade, because she could make Evie fall into the void, into oblivion, and she feared that too much.
When she reported all her findings to Zeth after meeting with Erich, everything turned from grey to black.
Zeth now wanted to take this girl to Lyonfort, he wanted to be close to her, to have her under his protection.
That wouldn't be a bad thing if Evie wasn't so jealous of her for no good reason.
"Everything looks calm, no sign of any hunters in sight," Evie told herself while using her electronic telescope. Looking at everything from above was one of her favourite activities, and now that she was up here in the Bell tower, she finally had a moment to rest, to take a long breath.
Up here, the air was lighter.
Then her wrist communicator beeped, and she picked up quickly.
"EV-13 here. Do you need something, Sapphire?"
"EV-13, we can't find Ruby anywhere," Zeth said.
"Fine, I'll look for him. I'll let you know when I find him." After that, she started searching for her favourite vampire with her telescope.
There were a lot of trucks, and dozens of staff members unloading a lot of things, from reflectors to huge cameras. Evie saw an old black car parked near a local news van and grunted.
"So, Jade is here," shd whispered and lowered her electronic telescope.
There were footsteps behind her, heavy, a familiar sound. She half-shut her eyes, looking over her shoulder.
"I know you're behind me, Draco."
"Good heavens! I wanted to scare you! It's not fair! It's never been easy to surprise you!" Draco said, and she turned to look at him as he slowly sat down on the stone bridge with his feet dangling off the edge.
God! There was no one in the world cuter than him! The way he swung his legs and moved his head while humming, his pretty scarlet hair and cute little eyes of the same colour. It made something inside her feel all warm and fuzzy.
"It's stressful down there with so many people, huh?" Evie asked, walking towards him, sitting next to him, letting her shoulder touch his.
She smiled when he looked up at her.
He nodded, hanging his head.
"I'm not feeling okay today." He sighed and put his hands on his knees, leaning forward as he stared at the pool below. "Doo-Dooroo-Doo-Doo! Well, Daddy says I NEED! to wear a cape! To live up to my name." Draco was singing a song he wrote with a playful voice, "Because I have fangs! I should drink some blood. Go find a PREY! But I just wanna play. I just wanna spread my wings!"
It was one of the most popular songs of the 'Bite Me, Darling' album, quite catchy and cheerful.
In fact, that pop-rock song (Draco always said it was more like bubblegum rock) sparked a lot of controversy because it was rocky ground. Some critics said that it sounded quite so preposterous when the guys insisted that they were still quite normal, and some others said that Draco was abusing his image of a cute boy to make people believe that he really was one, as if those stupid critics really knew him.
Over the years, however, Monster Mash came across as the kind of cool, friendly, amicable and quite grounded band, the guys-next-door type of group, so the controversy didn't last too long.
"I don't want any blood in my life!" Draco suddenly sang loudly, almost breaking the line between singing and shouting, nodding his head frantically and making horns with his fingers with his eyes closed, "I wanna fly like a bat! Aah! Aah! AAH! AAH! AAAAH... Argh!" And then he started coughing miserably.
"You tried to hit Finn's whistle note, the one that sounds like a bat, and you almost lost your voice, didn't you?" Evie asked and Draco nodded, still coughing.
"Shit. Yeah, the Eb7." Draco's eyes were watering from coughing, "Ow. My throat hurts. Do you have any propolis on you?"
"Oh Draco! You are incorrigible!" She said, laughing a little. Then she opened a small bag on her belt and handed him a candy, which Draco accepted with both hands and a laugh. "I'm sorry I kind of told Zeth that you sneaked out with Alex last night. I hope I didn't get you in trouble, but I also know that..."
"You know I'm Zeth's weak spot and he never makes a big deal when I am involved in any potential or actual mess," Draco and Evie laughed in unison, "No problem, you're just doing your job."
"So... You wanna talk about something?" She rubbed his back, "I'm here for you."
"Evie, do you think anyone could love someone as childish and overactive as me?" he laughed, but it was a bitter kind of laugh, not his usual smiley chuckle. His voice sounded tired. "I mean, Veronica, Marissa and Alicia loved me but, it's been centuries."
"I'm sure love will come back to you, Draco. Why do you think it will not?" Evie smiled softly and took his hand from where it lay on his lap, intertwining their fingers, "Everyone loves you, don't doubt it for a second."
"Yeah, Mashers," Draco frowned, "You know? I've never had a problem with falling in love with more than one person at a time, poly relationships are my thing because you know I'm too emotional, but would it be weird if I liked someone... Different?"
"That girl? Jade?" Evie asked, unsure if she was happy for him or worried.
"I mean, she is cool, I don't quite like her but my happiest marriages started just like that anyway... And ended horribly. Except for Luna Alfaro. We just never worked together." He rolled his eyes, "I disgusted her."
"Well..." Evie began, "I understand that those were different times, and that you were at war, but even though Luna didn't love you, she didn't despise you either."
"I know she at least trusted me more than she trusted my father, brother and sister," Draco shrugged, "Our marriage was just my father's strategy to keep the Alfaros in check. Oh! The irony!"
"Irony? Because you love... Some sexy bandmate perhaps?"
Draco widened his cute scarlet eyes.
"How did you know?"
"Everyone knows you love him, except for him," she put a hand on his shoulder, squeezing gently before letting go again, "So, you want to tell me about it?"
Draco sighed and leaned against her, his face pressed against her neck.
"It's nothing, really."
"Don't be like that, you can tell me anything," she whispered, stroking his hair.
"What if I ruin our friendship with my feelings?"
"He cares too much about you to hate you... Again."
"I guess you're right," he mumbled, and hugged her tight.
That took her by surprise, but she knew how loving and touchy Draco could be so she wrapped her arms around him tightly.
Draco's hugs were always full of love and hearts, they were warm and strong, and if his hugs had colour, they would be pink, and with the scent of bubble gum.
"I'm worried that Jade will come between Mr. Sexy Smile and me," Draco whispered, "I don't want to think that suddenly he'd rather spend time with her than with me."
"But Mr. Sexy Smile isn't like that," Evie replied, "Okay, listen you cutie pie..."
"I like it when you call me that," he chuckled.
"Well, cutie pie, you and Mr. Sexy Smile have something special. But maybe you should understand that it's just platonic because he is straight."
"I know," he pulled away from her slightly, looking into her eyes.
"You and your boy are soulmates. As a couple or as friends, you were born to be together."
"You really think so?" He blinked rapidly and put his forehead on her shoulder, "I just don't want some random girl to come between us, Evie. I'm afraid he will forget about me."
"I get it, that's why I never said anything," Evie whispered and Draco raised his eyebrows.
"What are you talking about, Evie?" his pupils shrunk, looking at her face in utter shock.
"I never wanted things to get weird between you and Mr. Sexy Smile," she answered, "You two deserve to be happy, no matter what so I... I never agreed to go on a date with him even though he asked me a thousand times."
"MulÈumesc," Draco said and gave her another quick hug, "I appreciate everything you've done for me."
"Yeah I..."
"Wait. Oh! My! God! Hold your horses!" Draco moved away from her and began patting her shoulder repeatedly, "Oh! OH! Oh Evie! You like him! You love Mr. Sexy Smile! Don't you?" He bit his lip and nodded frantically, laughing, "Yes! Yes you dooooo!"
She blushed and looked away.
"Yes, I like him but..."
"Are you gonna confess your feelings for him? Are you going to marry him?" He asked all in one breath, excitement clear in his voice.
"I... I don't think so," she admitted and looked down, "I don't want to come between you and him."
"Aw, c'mon, Evie!" Draco whined, blinking rapidly his cute puppy eyes, "Come on! We gotta tell him right away!"
"But, I can't!"
"We gotta tell him now!"
"No. I don't want to be the third wheel, you know?"
"Whoa, whoa! WHOA! Third wheel? NO!" Draco gasped dramatically, "If there's only one person in this world who I would never be jealous of for being Mr. Sexy Smile's girlfriend, it's you!"
"Draco..." She blushed scarlet red, speechless.
"Woah! Who would have known cold little Evie had a crush on Mr. Sexy Smile?" He laughed and crossed his arms, looking at her with the corner of his eye playfully, "And I guess he's not the only boy you like, right?"
"Don't talk nonsense," She tried to avoid his gaze, "Love is for children."
"There are things you can't hide," Draco replied, "You're the closest person to us, you know us well. I'm childish but also very old, Evie. I know that sooner or later, people fall in love."
"Yeah, but... What if nobody likes me back?"
"Come on! You're amazing! And beautiful! And very sexy," Draco bit his lip with a fang.
And she blushed, but accepted the compliments nonetheless.
"Well... You are the cutest person in the world," Evie said, poking his cheek, and he laughed.
"You say that every day, Evie." And then he hugged her tightly. God! She loved his hugs so much! He was such an affectionate guy.
"You know, I can keep this relationship strictly platonic," Evie whispered.
"You don't have to worry about coming between us." Draco moved away a bit, "But if you ever feel like you need to tell someone about your love for Mr. Sexy Smile, I'd be glad to listen and share some love too."
They both laughed.
"At first I thought it was his pheromones that attracted me to him," Evie whispered, "It was kind of illogical to be so attracted to Mr. Sexy Smile but, I have come to the conclusion that it is his irreverence and, I don't know, seductive charm? Sexy smile? Whatever you want to call it, I think I went from disliking him for being such a womanizer to liking him for being so tenacious and carefree. I don't know, but maybe I..."
"You fell in looooo-ove," Draco wiggled his eyebrows and she nodded, laughing a little, "It's really weird seeing you laugh, you know? You always have this serious girl mask on and..."
"Oh, shut up! It's not a mask!" Evie pushed him a little.
"Of course it is! When you relax you are the most beautiful woman I have ever seen in my life! Like right now!" He winked.
"Stop it!" she smacked his chest lightly, but it was hard to suppress the small smile creeping onto her lips.
"Anyway, that's why I don't care if you date Mr. Sexy Smile or whatever."
"Thanks, Draco."
"And do you love anyone else from the band? Aside from Frank, obviously." He asked as if it were just a normal thing to ask.
She turned cold inside.
The answer was an obvious 'Yes, everyone in the band' but that wasn't the point. The reason she didn't answer him was because, well... Because she wasn't ready to admit that she might have fallen for Draco too. That she might have gotten attached to him, maybe even more than she should, and that he might, indeed, not love her back.
Maybe someday she would tell him, but not today.
"Evie, you can tell me," Draco put his hand in hers and his eyes were filled with scarlet concern, "Is everything alright?"
"Everything is fine, Draco."
He stared at her suspiciously for a moment.
"Alright, if you insist. But if you ever, ever feel sad or upset, please tell me, okay?"
"Thank you, Draco. You are so kind to me," she muttered and stood up with a grunt.
Draco followed her with his eyes while she walked towards the bell tower.
"Evie, don't go."
She stopped and glanced at him.
"You okay?"
"No. I think more than one of us loves you, Evie," He said, shocking her.
Evie froze.
"Oh, Draco... I..."
"You haven't noticed?" Draco cocked his head, "I mean. Frank always writes songs with you in mind, Alex has asked you out a thousand times, Finn talks to you more than to any of us, Everett only smiles if you're around, not to mention he hugs you way too often, and Zeth..."
"Zeth?" she widened her eyes.
"You think I haven't noticed?" Draco raised an eyebrow, then shifted his shoulders, "Hum. I thought you knew I knew."
"What do you know?" she was one split second away from cutting her own bangs, "Draco... What do you know?"
"Evie, I'm old and I have eyes. I've known Zeth for over six thousand years too and I know what's going on here. Listen, if you have feelings for them, you better say it." Draco said, seriously this time, "Because I have a feeling something bad is about to happen."
"I... I see," she mumbled.
"Tell me... Are you in love with Monster Mash, Evie? Even... Me?" Draco asked and she stood there perplexed, paralyzed. Evie wanted to tell Draco that his guess was more accurate than he thought, but she couldn't.
She swallowed hard.
"Draco, I just... I..."
"Draco! Draco! Where are you?" Evie heard a lot of people calling out for him, and she saw Alex pulling his hair searching the entire parking lot.
"Draco! Draquito! Where are you, pendejo?!" Alex shouted. Everett was next to him, lifting Jade's old black car with one hand, checking underneath it.
"Damn it," Draco sighed, "VorbeÈti de lup Èi lupul la uÈÄ."
"You couldn't have picked a better Romanian phrase for this moment." Evie laughed.
"I don't want to go down there, I'm feeling a little overwhelmed today."
"Well... I'll tell Zeth you're up here then," Evie said, texting quickly, then put away her phone, "It's nothing personal, it's my job."
"And you only look after us because it's your job?" Draco asked as she pulled her small electronic telescope from the pocket on her belt, "Or is it something else, Evie?"
This caught her off guard.
She had to reply, she really wanted to but...
The sound of a motorcycle made her turn.
There was someone, a green-haired boy, approaching the university, and with a quick skid, he stopped his green motorbike next to Jade's car, inspecting it slowly.
"Light-brown skin, athletic body and green hair?" Evie whispered. "Basil Iskov? Why is he here?!" Evie lowered her electronic telescope, "Damn it! Draco, I have to go!"
"Where are you going?"
"Hunting," Evie pulled her grapple gun out of its holster, then pressed her earpiece while running down a stone bridge with her stiletto boots almost breaking, "BC-13! This is EV-13. I need you to babysit the guys while I'm gone!"
"What? Hey, but I was about to go home! Where are you going?"
Evie jumped, landing on a stone bridge below.
Basil Iskov was watching her from afar, and with a quick manoeuvre, he turned his motorbike around and began to accelerate back from where he came from.
"Shit! I'm sure I just saw VI-93 in the parking lot!" she said to her earpiece, firing her grapple gun at a gargoyle, jumping and swinging down until she landed roughly with a roll next to her motorbike.
"VI-93? No way! He is still alive?!"
"I think yes! BC-13, if something strange happens, I want you to inform me immediately!" Evie swung her leg over her blue motorcycle, and the engine roared as soon as she hit the pedal.