Jade wasn't a party girl, and this club was too loud for her. This wasn't her thing.
But being the ñ of attention? Oh yeah, baby, that definitely was.
The six members of Monster Mash were wearing skin-tight Velcro-tailored suits, which were very easy to remove for the final show. All of them were hanging out with the fans while Egor prepared the stage. The director, a young man in a huge white shirt and long black hair that covered his eyes, watched everything from a director's chair, observing several screens in a corner while his camera crew filmed all over the club. This guy was probably Sam Morgan, he looked pretty spooky, and from time to time he would glitch like he had jumped straight out of an old VHS tape.
People were standing in a circle around her, clapping and cheering her to the beat of an unapologetic pop (Or maybe R&B?) song with the guys, mostly Zeth, taking the opportunity to praise themselves, and rightfully so.
The song really packed a punch with those powerful vocals.
They never disappointed.
"Frank! You and me in this scene!" Zeth shouted and Frank ran to the centre of the club, into a circle of people clapping and fanfare-ing for Jade.
"Cause you like talking 'bout me! But baby, I adore it!" Zeth and Frank lip-synced together, "I'm savage, you're a coward! Keep talking, I like it!"
"Everyone, sing!" Zeth ordered with one hand raised.
"I keep my heart inside a jar so yes, I'm heartless! So whaaaaaaat?" All the Mashers around sang in unison. The song had barely been repeated twice and it seemed like everyone already knew it. "Baby, I'm GOOOOOOLDEN! Draped in gold! Yeah! My throne is GOOOOOOLDEN! Made of gold! Yeah!"
Zeth approached a random girl in the audience, and unfortunately, that girl was Brooke, who looked way too happy with his warm arms snaking from behind to wrap her around her waist. Jade got jealous, and people stopped paying attention to her, even the camera, which filmed Zeth and Brooke very closely.
"Louder!" Frank shouted, and Finn just watched on a stool by the bar. Jade thought about approaching Finn and asking him why he wasn't dancing or having fun with the others, but decided against it.
This was her night, where she would be the centre of attention, and she didn't want to think about anything else.
"I am too EXPEEEEEENSIVE! For someone like you. I have good TAAAAASTE! And you know that I do." Everyone was singing, jumping around with drinks in their hands and making too much noise, "Baby, I'm GOOOOOLDEN! Draped in gold! Yeah! My throne is GOOOOOOLDEN! Made of gold! Yeah!"
Alex suddenly entered the scene, jumping and dancing as if he were drunk. It was amazing how easy it was for him to be himself, caring little about making a fool of himself.
"I was REVIVED! In a sarcophagus. I'll live my LIFE! And you'll get a free curse." The people finished singing and then everyone started laughing.
"Young ladies and young men," Elord Darke's voice came over the club's speakers, "We're going to take a short break from filming. Just five minutes."
The crowd around the boys dispersed a bit except for the occasional fans who wanted a photo or autograph.
After a few flashes and doodles, Jade felt ignored again.
No one came up to her to ask about the boys or anything, it was just them getting attention and her being her own loner self again.
"Hey, Jade!" Alex said, placing his arm around her. "Come over here!"
"I want you in sight at all times, Alfaro," Zeth said after taking a selfie with Brooke, and Alex stopped walking, turning around, "That's right. No going backstage alone. Mr. Darke told me everything about your past in that alley."
"Fine!" Alex grunted, going back to Zeth and Frank. Jade followed him.
"I see Zeth got along really well with Brooke," Jade whispered.
"You know that blonde?" Alex asked.
"Yeah, Brooke's my friend, I think," Jade bit her tongue.
"Do you like the song Zeth wrote, Jade?" Frank asked, signing one last autograph.
"Yeah but, what's up with those lyrics?" Jade asked. Zeth chuckled and then replied.
"I wrote that song after a Christian singer started going on and on about our 'devilish music' saying that we made a deal with the devil and that we wanted to seduce teenagers to join the dark side." Zeth laughed, "Pl-ease! And he kind of got worse when we released 'I've Seen The Darkness' so I said, why not? And we recorded the song."
"But we weren't supposed to shoot a video for it," Frank said.
"Too late now!" Alex laughed heartedly. "Hey! Jade! Speaking of 'immoral practices' and all that nonsense, I'd like to ask you something!"
"What?"
"If you were a girl..."
"I'm a girl."
"If you were a girl and somehow I want to date you," Alex bit his lip, and he looked very excited, or maybe turned on. He was drenched in sweat, breathing heavily. He actually smelled like chocolate. "I mean, if you wanted to be with me but you also love the other guys in the band. I don't know. Do you think a poly relationship will fix everything? Or do you think it would make things worse?"
"Alex, why are you asking that?" Frank cocked his head, "I thought you weren't into monogamy. Since when do you ask for opinions?"
"I just wanted to ask a girl what she thinks about it," Alex laughed nervously, rubbing the back of his neck. "I forgot you were standing there and I know you're very 'traditional' when it comes to romantic relationships but..."
"Hey! I'm not that traditional," Frank frowned.
"But you're monogamous," Alex said, "And very prudish. You don't date more than one girl at a time."
"Obviously I would never do that behind the girl's back!" Frank said as if frightened, "But, I mean, if both girls are okay with it being a three-way relationship... I'm not sure if that's for me either."
"See! I told you, you wouldn't understand," Alex said, "I mean, you've never been with more than one girl at the same time and..."
"I never said that," Frank frowned, "But I have never cheated on a girlfriend or been romantically involved with more than one person at a time."
"Wait! Is there really a chance someone can date all of you at once?!" Jade gasped. Oh god! Had Alex just confessed his love for her too?
First it was Zeth and now Alex?! Really?! Wow! Amazing!
"Why are you asking that, Alfaro? You've always been polyamorous," Zeth looked weirdly at Alex.
"It's just that I..." Alex got nervous, but in the love-struck kind of nervous, "Zeth, I like a girl, but I think she loves all of us."
Jade couldn't say that she loved everyone as such but that didn't matter now. Alex wanted her to be his girlfriend!
"You're asking me if I'm okay with a poly relationship that involves all of us and just one girl?" Zeth asked and Alex nodded, "Okay, Alfaro, listen up. Work and love don't mix well. It can end up on an indefinite hiatus if you know what I mean."
"But isn't that better than, I don't know, loving someone in secret? Or worse! Having an affair behind everyone's back?" Alex asked. Zeth froze, looking suspiciously at him. "What? Oh! No! Wait, I'm not having any affairs, I swear!"
"I don't think anyone in the band is having any affairs," Frank said, placing an arm around Zeth, "I think we all trust each other too much to hide if we love someone."
"That's true," Alex agreed.
"I guess so," Zeth said, avoiding Frank's gaze.
"I think a poly relationship with you guys is every Masher's dream come true." Jade said. Oh god! She felt so empowered and seductive! Was Alex suggesting that she be the whole band's girlfriend? Really? Oh yeah! That would be amazing!
Jade would be the envy of the whole world! She would have plenty of boyfriends to choose from! And she would be so famous that not even the Kardasharks would compare to her!
"So you think a poly relationship would be the solution to all problems, Alfaro?" Zeth asked.
"That always worked for me," Alex replied, "I had a lot of crushes on girls in college, and we always avoided jealousy and silly dramas that way."
"But isn't it dangerous to just date whoever you want and that's it?" Jade asked, because she was not willing to share her men with anyone!
"You're confusing open relationships with poly relationships." Frank explained, "Open is having a partner but continuing to date whoever you want. Poly is only dating people you love and not hooking up with anyone outside the group, it more or less goes like that," Frank concluded. Alex and Zeth looked at him strangely, "What? Just because I've never done it that doesn't mean I don't know what it is!"
"I don't know. I think being poly is my thing, and a good option in case this girl wants to be with all of us at the same time," Alex said.
"Yeah, I've always had poly relationships too and there were never any problems," Zeth said with a finger on his chin, "Not to mention Draco with his quadruple relationship. They were literal goals."
"Jade, what do you think of it? As a girl?" Frank asked and she nodded effusively.
"I think that would be a great idea!" Jade said, already imagining cameras, interviews and a house in Malibu.
"And it would be quite liberating," Zeth said. "No more secrets nor midnight rendezvous."
"What are you talking about, Zeth?" Alex asked.
"It's nothing. We'll talk later. We came to have a good time." Zeth dismissed, "Egor! Play the song one more time! The break is over!"
And the whole club exploded into laughter, screams and whistles.
The music was too loud, and while everyone was dancing and enjoying themselves, there was one person who wasn't: Finn.
He was sitting alone at the bar with his head resting on his hand, and every so often he lifted it to see his friends fooling around. Finn would have gone with them to have a good time any other time, he would have tried to fit in, but since last night's concert, he had already lost a lot of strength.
And tonight the last of him had broken, and it was all because of Zeth and Jade.
His heart was broken, the dreamer was gone, and any illusion of a perfect love had vanished.
And then there was a sound behind him, heels to be precise.
"Why so lonely, Seamons?" Evie leaned against the bar in front of him, beautiful as always in her battlesuit, attentive to everything around her.
"Hey Evie," Finn said, head down.
"You look sad. I guess this isn't your ideal environment. You've never been to a strip club before?"
"Oh. No, not the case," he giggled, "My lifeguard friends and I were frequent customers at the Femme Nu Club in Honolulu."
"Mr. Seamons, I didn't think you were the type to go to a strip club." Evie said with a sarcastic laugh, "I thought you didn't like women in general."
"No. I said I'd never been in love with anyone before Zeth and, you know, the mystery girl," Finn said and blushed.
"So you've never loved anyone, but you do like women?" Evie asked and Finn nodded, "Wow. I didn't know that. I thought you'd never been on a date or anything."
"Oh! No, that's not true. I have been on dates before but, you know, nothing serious. My dates always made that clear before we started." Finn said.
"Started what?"
"Oh! It's just that, me and my dates, well... Fuck," Finn blushed, "Let's say that Waianae side going toward Kaena Point has lots of beachside parking that's pretty quiet at night. It was all pretty straightforward. No expensive restaurants or romance, my dates didn't need me for that, but I assume you don't want any details."
"Definitely not. Although now I understand why that girl made you so nervous, the one who called you 'Barracuda Seamons' when we went to Oahu," Evie replied, "But if it's not the place that makes you sad, what is it?"
"I feel like shit tonight. You know? It's horrible to always do your best and never receive anything but indifference. It has been this way time and time again, and it doesn't bother me to be ignored, but rather how often it has happened. Well I've had enough. I no longer have the strength to fight."
Hell, even his voice sounded numb.
"You always get up and fight again." She tried to make him feel better, but he just rolled his eyes.
"Well, not tonight," Finn looked at her, straight in the eye, "I can't take it anymore. I don't feel anything, I'm on autopilot. Even though I don't need to sleep, I just want to lie down in my bed and do nothing but close my eyes. I really want to fight, do my job and get out of here, but I don't even have the strength to do that tonight."
Evie remained silent for a moment, nodding her head. She didn't know exactly what Finn was feeling, but she could get an idea. She was always in the shadows, hidden in plain sight, and more than once she felt what he was feeling right now.
A feeling of annoyance, of not wanting to do anything, constantly wondering if this time the effort would be worth it.
"Come on Finn, the music is great, it's quite a party and here you are, being all grumpy and distant." Evie said.
"I'm not interested in socializing or working today," Finn whispered, pulling out his phone, looking at a photo of the band where they were all posing for a photo with the stadium full of fans behind them. "Last night I thought for a second that Zeth and I had something special, but tonight I almost die of envy because Zeth and Jade kissed."
Evie froze.
"He... He kissed Jade?!" she swallowed hard, Finn just nodded. "T-That must have hurt," she whispered, more to herself than to Finn. "Is that why you're sad?"
"Yeah, a little," Finn shifted his shoulders.
"Maybe... Maybe Elise can give you an answer?" Evie rubbed her forehead, still trying to pretend that she wasn't hurt knowing that Zeth and Jade had kissed.
"She saw my future a while ago, and told me I'd watch the seed grow and become an apple tree. She said that only the shadows praised me but that I sought glory in the light." Finn laughed, sarcasm included. "I no longer know who I am or what I want. I don't even know who to love anymore. I blame you for my confusion," Finn said, joking a bit. But then he realised what he had just said and hid his face behind his hands. He then looked up at her and smiled nervously.
"You blame... Me?"
"Evie. I... Okay. you're way too smart for this." Finn rolled his eyes, "I don't know why I keep hiding the fact that I..."
"I love you too," she said and Finn blushed, "I love you, Finn. And I know the mystery girl is me." She put her hand on Finn's chin, "And I love you because you never sit around waiting for things to happen, you make them happen. So I don't understand why you're not doing anything."
"I am not in a mood. I always fall in love with people I can't be with. Evie, I... I'm in love with you." He said, taking off his suit jacket and tossing it onto the bar, leaving him only in his sleeveless button-down shirt, "And I know that Frank and you have a past and I shouldn't feel this way but, if I could, I would kiss you and make you the happiest girl in the world."
"You already do," she said. Evie let her eyes fall on the contour of his round shoulders and biceps. The V shape of his torso and how his shirt looked so tight was sexy.
He turned her on.
He had definitely been working on his physique, but not on his interior lately.
"But Alex has a solution, Finn. We can have it all now."
"How?"
"A poly relationship."
"I've never been in a normal relationship, let alone a poly one," Finn laughed a little, "It's not something that scares me either way. It would be interesting to try."
"Then go out there and have fun and forget about the kiss between Zeth and Jade. This could be your night!" She reached out and grabbed his arm, giving it a squeeze. It felt warm and comfortable under her fingers, like someone had placed a soft blanket over his muscles.
Their eyes met and they both blushed lightly.
"You're the bright side of this story," Finn told her, taking her hand, "But I don't want to give you, or give myself, any hope. I don't think I'll be around for long."
"What? Why?"
"Zeth's never even noticed me," Finn said, head down, "But this perfect stranger walks in and all of a sudden she has all his attention? Why? I can deal with the fans' indifference, but not with Zeth's, you know? And it hurts. It hurts and I want to just fucking quit! It makes me feel uncomfortable and the truth is I'm already annoyed. I don't want to work in an environment where I'm no longer happy."
"Is all this apathy because of that kiss?" Evie asked and Finn shifted his shoulders.
"It was the last straw. I know it's probably dumb, but even though I don't dislike Jade, I don't like seeing her with Zeth." His expression hardened, "I never thought I'd see Zeth with someone, and then all of a sudden she came from outer space and... I just don't want to..."
"Share Zeth?"
"I wouldn't be afraid to share Zeth if it were with you because I love both of you." he avoided eye contact.
"Finn, I know I can trust you like no one else so I'm going to tell you a secret, but you can't say anything."
"Of course I won't tell." Finn agreed, "Tell me, what's wrong? Is everything okay?"
"I'm hurt about Zeth too, because I... Me and him..." But Evie stopped herself from saying it.
"You have a crush on him too, don't you?" Finn asked like a very adorable know-it-all. That was definitely better than what she was going to say.
"Yeah, and you're right, it's not fair that a complete stranger just walked in and kissed him," Evie grumbled, "But it's his decision, not ours."
"Oh! OH! Hey! Sorry, excuse me, coming through," Draco said behind Evie, sticking his tongue out, climbing onto the bar, "Let's fool around a bit!"
The crowd cheered, and Draco began lip-syncing and dancing on top of the bar while several girls jumped and even fainted.
"We love you, Draco!" Jade yelled as she twirled to the music and giggled, throwing her arms around.
Evie grunted.
"Let's make it shower!" Draco took a water dispenser and began to drench everyone, and they all screamed, laughed, clapped, and cheered.
"Draco! Don't do that, you moron!" Alex shouted among the crowd but Draco didn't care, he just kept on showering everyone with his tongue out, spinning on the bar with a hand in his hair, moving his hips like a stripper.
"I top every social pyramid. People follow me, yes, it's called authority. And I'm gold." Draco was lip-syncing his part.
"You don't know how much I envy Draco," Finn told Evie with a laugh, "He is the life of the party."
"Yes, I would also like to be as carefree as him.... Wait... I'll be back in a second," Evie said as she saw Alex waving among the crowd, "I won't be long."
"Yeah, take your time," Finn nodded and watched her leave.
Draco hopped down from the bar and bowed to thank the crowd, and Finn sighed.
"You having fun, Finn?" Draco asked, giving Finn a pitcher full of water that he'd gotten from somewhere. Finn took a long gulp, wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, and looked at the vampire. He was smiling genuinely as usual, but Finn's fake smile didn't reach his eyes.
"No. I'm about to make a hard decision actually," Finn said, taking a look around.
Jade was dancing to the music with Zeth.
That. Was. Enough.