The club was ready.
There were neon lights, music, cameras, a disco ball, everything.
Mashers queuing outside were screaming and anxious. Their makeup was off, they couldn't keep their lips still, and their voices were high as they tried to talk over each other.
Evie parked her blue motorcycle across the street, walking past extremely emotional girls. She entered the darkest part of an alley. With a quick turn to the right, she was behind the strip club, with the sound of her high heel boots echoing in the silence of the night
"Hey, señorita, got a smoke?" Alex said. He had emerged through the small door at the back of the club, smiling, dressed only in a purple robe and sandals.
"Are you going to smoke back here naked?" She chuckled.
"I have a robe on," he said as Evie handed him a pack. He put a cigarette to his lips and lit it with a silver lighter. "You know? I used to smoke back here before and after every show."
"This alley must bring back a lot of memories, this place in general," Evie said.
"Plenty," Alex adjusted the purple robe he was wearing when the wind blew a little hard, then took another drag on his cigarette, "When I started in the stripper business, I was so nervous. People's attention, money, working a few hours a day, it was a dream come true," He paused in thought for a moment, remembering those nights. He looked around at the lonely alley. It was like a lifetime ago. "I can't believe I am here again." Alex sighed before taking another puff. "But this time, it feels different. I haven't changed much though. I still dance like a stripper but now I do it singing for thousands and millions of people."
"Was it difficult? To stay in your underwear and dance for the girls?"
"Nah. I was more afraid of singing than dancing shirtless, but with my dysmorphic thing, sometimes I see Everett and Frank and feel tiny compared to them. I try to remind myself that I am just fine, but it not always works. I mean, anyone would look small next to Everett, and a body as big and toned as Frank's is my goal!." Alex shook his head, then looked at her with a sad smile, taking another drag on his cigarette.
"Don't compare yourself to anyone, Alex. Believe me, I understand you. The same thing happens to me very often." she bit her lip. "Sometimes I look in the mirror and feel beautiful, other times I feel too small and vulnerable, and other times I feel like the girl I could never be."
"It's a nightmare that never ends, huh? Everyone tells you that you look good, super sexy, but you don't feel that way." Alex smiled at her, a genuine kind of smile.
"You've chosen lines of work that unfortunately rely heavily on your looks," Evie said, "And I know how you feel, but I'm serious, you're handsome and you have a super sexy body."
"You know? It's funny."
"What?" She asked, leaning forward.
He glanced back at her and exhaled some smoke slowly.
"I was never monogamous, I always fell in love with more than one person at a time and I was never rejected. My looks, my body, it always helped. I never got nervous around a girl, nor did I worry about not being loved back. But when it comes to you? You never make it easy, girl. You're beautiful, smart, deathly... And I want nothing more in life than to kiss you again." His voice had gotten quieter, almost seductive, "But you keep pushing me away. You don't give me the chance to be yours."
Evie laughed.
That sounded like him alright.
But she had to hide the sparkle in her brown eyes.
"I'm not pushing you away. I'm just trying to be professional. And I remember your college years well enough." She winked at him and bit her lip.
"Is that so?" Alex put his hand on the side of her face, gently caressing her cheek.
"Yes. And I don't feel like losing your friendship for another kiss."
"We will never stop being friends no matter what and you know it well. I promised you I would never say anything or bring it up again, but that night in Las Vegas..."
"Your pheromones were to blame. You and I are still friends and no one should know."
"Yes, I know, and I won't talk about it again. It was once and that's it and it wasn't like you and I did the whole thing." Alex blushed, "I just want to remind you that regardless of that, you and I are still friends."
"Sure, friends and that's it," Evie sighed, "Hopefully that will change soon."
"Oooohhh. You should be careful what words you say around me, especially when you look at me like that, biting your lip," His voice sounded so husky. "Evie, how about..."
"If you ask me out again I'm going to say no again," she crossed her arms, but didn't stop smiling, "Against my will."
"So you want to..."
"Morally, it wouldn't be right," she said.
"But you are with me, and I am very not-moral," Alex pointed out before putting his cigarette out against the wall.
"Immoral. That's the word." She chuckled and gave him a playful smack on the arm, making him laugh, "You'll need more than that to make me say yes, pretty boy."
"How about this?" Alex wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her tight against him, "Why do you insist on keeping me away?"
"Because I don't want to be an obstacle. I don't want to be the one who ruins everything between you and someone who loves you," Evie closed her eyes.
"Are you talking about Jade? Because I'm not monogamous and everyone knows it," Alex chuckled, "And if we're honest, she's cute but she's just a friend."
"No. I mean true love. There is no one more blind than the one who does not want to see." Evie whispered into his ear as her fingers dug into his beefy chest.
"You say very weird things sometimes, Evie." Alex blinked a lot, letting her go. She took a step back. "Even if there's someone who loves me and I love back, who knows! Maybe I can have another poly relationship."
"I've never been in a poly relationship, so I don't really know how that works," Evie said, taking Alex's hand in hers, "I've been in love with more than one person for a while now, that's all I know."
"Frank and me? Maybe Everett?" Alex asked, She nodded involuntarily, "I don't see why we can't be together. You drive me crazy, Evie, and if you're worried about Jade, I can't see her that way. She's a friend in my eyes only."
"And if that weren't the case? What if one day you fall in love with her?" She stepped towards him and put a hand on his forearm, squeezing it lightly.
"Evie, she doesn't know me beyond what the media or interviews say about me and I don't know her beyond the fact that she is Erich's daughter. And that's another factor, because Erich is a friend of mine I can't just date her!"
"I thought immoral was your middle name?" Evie raised an eyebrow.
"Jade and I have nothing in common. And mentally speaking? I don't think we're compatible either." Alex replied, sighed and ran his fingers through his hair, tugging on it slightly.
"If you say so," Evie nodded and let go of his arm.
"I think there's something you haven't stopped to consider." he took her face in his hands, and looked her straight in the eyes, "I love you, Evie."
Evie gasped.
"Alex... Are you serious?"
"Look," he moved a strand of hair out of her face and smiled softly, "You and I? We know each other better than anyone else. We've been through fire and laughter together. No girl has ever understood me like you do and believe me when I tell you that I understand you more than you think with your tragic past and your fears of not looking perfect and unbreakable. So what do you say? You and I may have something, obviously the others should know, especially Frank because..."
"Because he still loves me, I know," Evie swallowed nervously, "And you think Frank will accept that?"
"He will. The guy is monogamous but also very mature and I guess he will understand. But will you?"
"And you will accept the fact that I am in love with more than one person?" Evie asked, her face flushed red from the intensity in her voice.
"If you're talking about all of us Monster Mash brutes, believe me, I have no problem with that. And if you fall in love with someone from outside, just say it and if we all agree we accept them into the group. It's not an open relationship though, cheating is cheating, but the idea is to love more than one person at a time with the consent of everyone."
"Then I'm willing to risk it all." she wrapped her arms around his neck. "I'd like to talk about it with you and Frank and all of you. Because I don't want to be the third wheel."
"You talking about Jade again? Because you're no third wheel. Technically you arrived first, Evie. And I still don't understand why you think we like her that way."
"That's the thing. I am not talking about her. And I must confess something..."
"You're in love with someone other than Frank, Everett and me, aren't you?" Alex asked and she trailed off, "Hey, it's okay. Zeth isn't monogamous either, nor is Draco. I have no idea about Finn but something tells me he's not monogamous or one hundred percent straight either."
"How did you..."
"Please!" Alex laughed, "It's obvious you have feelings for all of us. We'll just have to see if Frank and Everett and Finn are open to a poly relationship."
"And you think they have feelings for me?" Evie asked. The feeling of being human, vulnerable and foolishly in love came back. It was a breath of life.
"I thought you could read people like a book," Alex winked, "You look tense. Relax. It's not wrong to love more than one person. It's wrong to do so behind other people's backs."
And then everything collapsed like a house of cards in a hurricane.
Alex hit the nail on the head blindly right then and there.
Evie was guilty of that crime, because no matter how much she had changed, she still hid dead bodies in her backyard.
"Alex, you're right," Evie said, clenching her fists, "About everything."
"Hey, how about accepting a sexy dance for you? A private dance, huh? That might help you relax."
"Out here?"
"Yeah. I know we're not going to get caught, I've done this before. And it would be nice to see if I still got the touch before filming." Alex scratched the back of his neck sheepishly and Evie bit her lip.
"Alex, I'd love to but..." She felt so bad. Secrets and lies, she always relapsed, a way of life, an addiction even. "I think it's time for me to go to work. Good luck tonight."
"You okay?"
"No. I'm not okay." Evie whispered, "I'm just sick of always keeping secrets."
"What the..." Alex pulled his phone out of his robe when it rang, and quickly checked it, "Great. Zeth's already around the corner. I better head inside."
"Good luck tonight," Evie smiled sincerely, "I'll be among the Masters watching your backs."
"We'll continue this conversation later, beautiful," Alex slowly entered the club again, and Evie sighed.
Maybe it was time to reveal her feelings for him and for all the boys, but it was also time to talk about a secret she had been ashamed to reveal for a long time.
There were voices in the darkness, loud footsteps, screams of fans.
Oh no. Zeth, Everett and Jade had already arrived!
And they were getting closer and closer!
Evie sneaked into the club, and stood paralyzed behind the curtains that overlooked the backstage.
"I haven't danced in a strip-show in years," she heard Alex say, "I hope everything goes well. And I hope that having allowed alcohol is not a problem or we will have a lot of drunk girls soon. There are regulations, right?"
Evie took a quick look beyond the curtains.
"It's only one alcoholic drink per girl," Draco said, sitting on a folding chair in a red robe, looking at his phone and moving one leg up and down. "Zeth asked that they put a stamp on those who already had one and they will only be able to order the drink with a ticket that Egor will give each one with their name, each ticket has a number to know whose it is."
"Oh God, Zeth is going to kill me!" Frank kept pacing in circles in an electric green robe, holding his head. "What should I tell him?"
"That you got us into trouble for playing super spy maybe?" Finn replied, in a turquoise robe. "And that we're going to be on national TV tomorrow night without any preparation?"
"We only have tomorrow morning for rehearsal! What are we going to do?!" Frank panicked. He put his hands on his hips and frowned deeply. "Why isn't anyone taking it seriously?!"
"This music video is a stupid idea, and it was yours!" Alex said, pointing a finger at Draco, who was still playing games on his mobile. "We should have fought to film at the school and not here!"
Evie then heard the back door open, and instinctively ran to hide in a janitor's closet, closing the door behind herself.
"Watch your head, Frostakov," Evie heard Zeth's voice.
"Ouch!" Everett complained.
"I told you to watch your head!"
Evie heard the footsteps go away and slowly opened the door a little to listen to the conversation.
"Sorry I'm so late," Zeth snapped, walking like a model past the curtains and into the backstage area. "I hope you didn't miss me much."
"Back door is too small. I hit my forehead," she heard Everett say.
There was a mirror on the wall, and Evie used it to see what was happening.
"Where's Jade?" Alex asked, and Zeth, who was leisurely grabbing a golden robe and a white one for Everett, pointed back.
And that's when Evie saw her entering through the backdoor...
Jade.
Her hair was black with thick sparkling-golden streaks. It was soft, bright, and beautiful.
She was wearing a shiny red wedding dress with an open leg, elegant but with the rebellious Monster Mash touch too. It was fit through the hips and waist, with only one sheet illusion mesh sleeve with golden lace applique cuff details. Her left arm was uncovered to show off an expensive-looking bracelet around her wrist. It also had a detachable low-back chapel train with golden lace simulating dragon scales, and the veil was red with a Dragon Princess tiara holding it to her head.
"You can do this, Jade," the girl told herself and took a long breath, "They're all yours now. You just have to relax."
"Say hello to the new and improved Jade!" Zeth exclaimed, and Jade ducked between the curtains and entered the backstage.
Evie had to poke her head a little further to see everything from the reflection in the mirror.
"That's... Jade?!" Frank asked, finally stopping his frantic pacing.
"Damn... She looks hot." Draco's jaw dropped, and his phone slipped from his fingers like butter.
"Ay, Ay, Ay! Señorita! And here I am in éstas fachas," Alex put a hand to his mouth, his golden eyes shining.
"She doesn't even look like the same girl!" Finn exclaimed, turning to see Everett, who was already approaching the locker room. "Her hair looks like it's straight out of a shampoo commercial! And it shines like gold! Your sister did this, Big Guy?"
"Yes. We wanted to do more but respected Jade's decision not to change style so much."
"Do you like my wedding dress?" Jade asked, spinning like a princess.
"Your shoes are like golden dragon heads! They are amazing!" Draco said, standing up, jumping a little in his place with a huge smile and a slightly childish laugh. "ArÄÈi grozav!"
"Draco said you look good in Romanian," Zeth explained when Jade cocked her head. He then opened the locker room door, and walked in followed by Everett.
"Thanks. Zeth was kind enough to buy wedges instead of stilettos," Jade said, "I'm still a little clumsy in these shoes though."
"Wow! That bracelet definitely goes with those shoes! And those long dragon-shaped earrings are amazing too!" Frank said, leaning a little closer to admire her jewels.
"Looks savage but works," Alex chuckled a little. "This dress screams 'Marry Me' to any man who sees you!"
"Thank you." Jade smiled brightly.
"I guess I'm done here," Evie whispered, emerging from her hiding place in the closet, sighing, "I can have it all. I just need to find the courage to do it without secrets, but this is not up to me alone to reveal."
Evie then came out the back door, head down, pulling out her grapple gun and pointing it up at the club's roof, ascending at full speed, but this time she didn't land gracefully.
She hit her shins on the edge of the roof and fell face first onto grey pebbles.
"Fuck!" She grunted and rolled on the ground like a log, her eyes on the sky, on the stars, "Alex is right. It's not wrong to love more than one person but... It's true. I should never have loved one of them behind the others' backs."