FNF Multiverse

Chapter 20 - It's Complicated

"Your character receives an anonymous letter, inviting them to a secret gathering of artists and creatives in an abandoned warehouse. They attend, and find themselves in the midst of a wild and vibrant underground art scene. But as the night goes on, they begin to suspect that something sinister lurks beneath the surface. What do they discover?"

I don't simp for her, but I love the color contrast on this pic.

Okay, the prompt seems unrelated now to what I wrote, but I mean, it's basically the same...

And yes, this story gets complicated by chapter 20.1, trust me 😮‍💨.

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"And now, for a personal favorite of mine - 'Stay'!" said Grace.

The crowd erupted in another wave of cheers.

"Alright, here goes."

The singer held the mic close to her mouth and began to sing. Her voice captivated everyone who heard her, unable to believe she wasn't a bigshot yet.

Half-way through her song, a certain blue-haired boy standing in the very back caught her eye, the natural color poking out of the hood of his hoodie.

"Benjamin?" she thought, but she kept on singing, not missing a beat. Benjamin was all alone, his little boyfriend nowhere to be seen. This was Grace's one and only chance. If she was going to take her partner back, it was now or never. She patiently continued to nail every note until the song ended, then hurried off the stage and pushed past the crowd to find Benjamin before he ran away again. Luckily he was still standing there, his eyes fixated on the drawn curtains.

"Benji!" Grace called, waving cheerfully.

Benjamin turned around, his eyes wide in fear and his small frame trembling.

"Don't...call me that," he muttered, finding his voice. He pulled his hood further over his eyes.

"So, have you come here to finally come back to us? And be with me?" Grace smiled hopefully, her eyes twinkling like shining stars.

"I'm...gonna have to pass on that offer," said Benjamin nervously, looking away, suddenly feeling overheated. But Grace had noticed his hesitation. Better than his usual automatic response of no.

"You're thinking about it," she giggled, which earned her such a soft glare it was almost cute.

She knew she was starting to lose Benjamin. He could run away at any second, and even with Grace's growing fame and power, she wouldn't be able to stop him. She had to think fast. Do something she hadn't done before.

"B-Benjamin, I've decided something. I...want to run away with you guys."

Benjamin narrowed his eyes, trying to see if Grace really meant what she said, and Grace tried to use her years' worth of experience from watching her parents' smooth covers and escapes to pull on her best acting face. Even if she was lying, no one could tell what was behind her white smile.

"Really, I mean it! I've realized that the life of fame's not for me, even for the money," Grace laughed, "and I hope you can accept me as part of your group, even as a third wheel?"

Benjamin didn't meet Grace's eyes, but Grace knew he was already ensnared in her trap.

"Hey, there's an art gallery going on on Thursday, super rich people are gonna be there, like those art-loving fanatics who'll buy scribbles for a million, know what I mean? Our parents won't be on the guest list, but my friend is going there, she invited me and..." Grace paused for effect, and it seemed to work as Benjamin looked up at her. "You can take the invite."

Benjamin stared at her again, not believing anything coming out of her mouth.

"Serious! Here," Grace bent down and took an envelope out of her black lace-up boots, "the invitation. Andrea gave it to me right before my performance, the silly goose, so I've had to carry it all this time. And now it's yours. Take it. You won't see me there, but I'll give you Andrea's number so you have one familiar person."

Grace's smile seemed so genuine, Benjamin was starting to fall for it. He knew trusting her was almost the same as turning himself over back to his old life, but after everything that had happened that day, he was incredibly tired and feared his life not only from the crimson gleam he'd learnt to avoid, but also from the sinister laugh he heard after running from the abandoned mansion. It had haunted him ever since, not leaving his mind for a second, not giving him time to process everything.

And he had just broken up with his boyfriend too.

With nowhere to go, nothing to lose, and almost nothing to live for, Benjamin agreed to go to the art gallery, a decision he was sure he would regret. Grace was indescribably overjoyed. Her plan had actually worked this time. Benjamin was starting to trust her, and soon he would come back to the safe side. She would make sure of it.

"Great, then here's Andrea's number! She's the gal who gave me the invite." Grace showed her phone to Benjamin.

Benjamin gulped. "I, uh, don't have a phone..."

"Can you memorize the number?"

Benjamin looked at the listed number long and hard. He tried to hurry so he wouldn't waste anymore of Grace's time, but this way his brain didn't process any of the digits.

"Take your time," said Grace, still smiling, holding her phone patiently. This time Benjamin managed to memorize the phone number, going over it in his head as he confirmed he was finished. Grace put her phone back in her purse. "Well then, see you later! You can introduce me to...what's his name? Pi...pico? Or something like that. Later, Benji!" The singer skipped away, ignoring Benjamin's hurt face, humming a tune. If she was excited before, she was over the moon now.

Once she was safely backstage, away from any unwanted ears, she quickly typed in Andrea's number and called her. She picked up almost immediately.

"What's up girlie?"

"I got Benji- ahem, Benjamin!"

"Really? That's so good!"

"Yeah, I know! Well, almost. He's still distrustful."

"I'm guessing you have a plan?"

"'Course I do, bestie! I gave him my invitation, and tomorrow you're gonna show him around."

"Invitation...? Ohhh, the art gallery?"

"Yeah, the one your dad's hosting."

"Anything for you, G! And put in a good word for you?"

"Like, of course!"

"Got it."

Andrea cut the call, leaving Grace to continue building her scheme as she watched the victimized painter from the shadows.