CHAPTER 30

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"I was furious because you didn't accept Kevin. That's why I made the line. I wanted to speak directly with you," Alex told Draco amidst awkward giggles. "I was planning to tell you to give Kevin another chance, but... After hours of waiting in line, I thought it was worth trying. I mean, everyone seemed so excited to be in the band. They said that you were a sensation on YouTube and that you earned a lot singing covers. I figured I could give it a try. In fact, I didn't even know what song to sing until I stood in front of you both."

"You chose well," Draco said with raised eyebrows. "Although I expected something different from you, I mean, I was not expecting 'Se Me Va La Voz’ by Alejandro Fernandez. I thought you would sing something in English, but from the moment I heard you, I knew we could finally sing covers in Spanish for Latin American fans."

"Sometimes I think I'm taking Kevin's place," Alex sounded regretful.

"Everything always has a reason for being," Draco tried to quiet Alex's guilt, for he knew that oppressive feeling well.

"I was going to ask you to give Kevin another chance after you accepted me, but you said I was the last member you needed... So, I left not knowing that Everett and Finn would join us later anyway." He looked down and sighed. "I would have fought for Kevin, but you said we were too many already with Finn and Everett." Alex ran a hand through Draco's hair and smiled slightly at him.

"Hey! You sang well for a rookie without vocal experience. Talent without experience was good news, it meant that you could achieve much more than what you showed that day. You earned your place. Besides, your dance moves hypnotized us when we rehearsed together for the first time! You have talent with those hips! That's why you're the band's choreographer."

"You all picked up stripper moves fast. You're quick learners," Alex ran a hand along the edge of the stage. "Even Frank was agile, even though he fell flat on his face a lot... Hey! And what about Frank's audition?"

"He had just turned twenty-four when he auditioned, but Frank was fourteen when Zeth met him in ninth grade, they were in the same class. Zeth was pretending to be a high school student again, one who looked too old for being fourteen like those pseudo-teenagers on Netflix, but anyway!" Draco and Alex laughed a bit before the vampire continued, "Zeth immediately liked Frank's energy and attitude. Years passed, and we got along so well that Zeth and I told him our secret, and he..." Draco clenched his fists, his eyes and teeth.

"Draco? What's wrong?" Alex crouched down a bit to be eye-level with him. "You're okay, right?"

"We should have protected him... But..." Draco shook his head with all his might, but a tear came out of his eye. "The first auditions day... He knew us... He could have skipped the line, but he waited his turn. God! Zeth and I actually bought him a cake the day before and celebrated his birthday in the hospital... He could have told us he wanted to be part of the band in that moment and we would have said yes!”

"You know Frank likes to work hard to get what he wants," Alex said, "You know he wouldn't have accepted without auditioning like everyone else."

"You know what was the funniest thing?" Draco laughed, but wiped away a tear, "Frank convinced a nurse to help him go to the audition. It was the first time he left the hospital in two years, and came to audition in a wheelchair." Draco was really trying not to cry, but he couldn't help himself, and Alex immediately put an arm around his head, pressing the vampire against his chest and stroking his hair.

"Calm down, let it out," Alex whispered. "I'm here for you, bro."

"Frank was in a very bad condition. He had no legs, he had lost an arm, he was wearing an eyepatch, bandages around his chest and back... But he was also wearing a second-hand suit jacket, shirt and bowtie, and slacks," Draco sobbed into Alex's chest. "It was our fault, Zeth's and mine, because we should have seen the bomb in his backpack before it exploded. We should have suspected that Vanessa Helsee had sent Evie to... God! It was our fault for not realising Evie was a Hunter! But what the two of them had really seemed genuine!"

"You and I know that Evie is a very good actress,” Alex pushed back and put his hand on his friend's chin, then lifted his face, but Draco was staring at nothing, at the edge of the stage. "Draco, are you okay?"

"Frank opened my eyes without knowing it." Draco looked at Alex with teary eyes and a smile that was because of memories of Frank during his audition. "Alex, he saved me! Despite being all fucked up, Frank was still smiling, holding the microphone with a weak hand, holding on to it just like he was holding on to dear life! And he put on an energetic performance of ‘Like I Would’ by Zayn Malik, saying he didn't know what came over him. He was determined to get his place, he sang with all his might, ready to earn his place in the band! Frank was fighting to live, Alex! And I was dying to die! Do you know how shocking that was?! Frank opened my eyes! He was such an inspiration! God! He was so worried about losing his job at the pizzeria! I... I..."

"Hey, hey, calm down, it's okay," Alex hugged him tight, and the tears of joy, emotion, or sadness that came out of Draco's eyes soaked his tank top. "Everything's okay now. Frank is living his dream, he is happy now! You changed his life by giving him the chance. Henry wouldn't have been able to build those prosthetics for him if it hadn't been for the money and swords you and Zeth gave him. You are Frank's hero just as he is yours. Correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't you and Zeth start the YouTube channel to raise money for Frank's recovery in 2017?"

"That's right, and it was surprising how many people supported our Patreon to help Frank, and even more surprising that the channel was monetized after appearing in the news but... Guilt is killing me," Draco said.

"And the happiness of fulfilling a dream keeps Frank alive," Alex replied, but he also had a little wet and teary eyes by now, "And it was all thanks to you and Zeth, and now Frank helps more people in his condition thanks to Monster Mash, and you founded this band, you had the idea and Zeth joined you. It is you who have saved millions, Draco, including me."

"Thank you for that," Draco choked out.

"I can take you home if you want," Alex suggested, "I can take care of everything. This used to be my workplace, I can handle this."

"That's okay; we've got to shoot this video," Draco said, drying his eyes, "I owe it to Frank, to you and Zeth, to Finn and Everett, to our workers, and to the fans and charities."

"So let's make this night unforgettable," Alex told him, wiping a tear off Draco's cheek. "We will not let Anton steal hope and opportunities from all of our people for a simple whim of his. Let's stand strong like Frank and win this battle. Understood?"

"Yes," Draco said, "Let's do it."

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