The Criminal Diaries

      It’s been three weeks since the flawless wedding of Natalia and Edward, and Raquelle and Terrence happened. The newlyweds had a short but incredible honeymoon at hot places, which gave them the best and brightest memories and many photos and videos. Also, the band “Against The System” finally released their self-titled album. It reached the first place in many charts, the sales are growing every day around the world, and critics warmly accepted it and gave mostly positive reviews. And the fans of “Against The System” adore the new songs, enjoy them, listen to them many times, and discuss their favorites.       Closer to the evening, Edward, Daniel, Terrence, and Peter are supposed to attend a very prestigious award ceremony in the field of music. This is going to be their first public appearance together on the red carpet. They are going to perform as headliners with their new single. The men are also nominated for one of the most important nominations and fighting for the prize with not less worthy bands and solo artists. And the guys are coming to the ceremony not alone but with Natalia, Anna, Raquelle, and Helene to have their support.       Gorgeous limousines come by one of the luxury and big theaters of the city, and celebrities of different levels leave them. They warmly greet the guests and walk on the red carpet with their heads proudly raised and their perfectly straight backs. Girls and women have the pleasure of wearing expensive designer dresses and incredible jewelry, and men and boys put on stunning new suits, to which some of them added a tie or a bow tie. There are those who wear something extravagant that shocks the public. In a good or a bad sense. Someone arrives alone, or someone is here with their second half, a friend, or even a family member. Flashes of hundreds of cameras, loud and happy shouts of the fans who came together behind a special fence, dazzling smiles that show perfect teeth…       A huge number of bodyguards and police officers provide safety for the celebrities walking on the red carpet, giving autographs and taking photos with fans, and prevent bad things from happening, and do not let anyone hurt any of the celebrities. Reporters, journalists, photographers, and directors from different channels, newspapers, magazines, and other organizations are reporting from the ceremony, telling what’s happening, recording everything, interviewing celebrities, and taking photos of every single celebrity from all sides. There are those who pose and give autographs and interviews with reluctance, and someone refuses to do any of these things. But everybody is quite amiable to the media and fans, who came here to see their idols with their own eyes.       Another limousine arrives at the theatre at some moment. When the driver stops the auto, leaves it, and opens the back door, Terrence, Edward, Peter, and Daniel leave it with their head proudly raised. They do not hide their wide smiles at the sight of the happy fans whooping for joy and waving their hands at everybody, while several photographers and directors capture their appearance. While Edward, Daniel, and Peter look a little excited since they are experiencing all of this for the first time, Terrence looks very confident and feels in his element. Next to him, his bandmates calm down some time later and let themselves relax and enjoy this moment. And before they decide to walk on the red carpet, the men help Raquelle, Natalia, Helene, and Anna Seymour leave the car. Even if the girls are madly excited, they brace themselves quickly and show confidence and calm, literally blinding everyone with their twenty-two-tooth smiles.       After posing for photographers near the limousine, the proud and confident men, hugging their gorgeous girls by the waist, go down the carpet and keep smiling widely at the happy, whooping fans. The men and the girls come to the big billboard with a logo of the musical ceremony and some organizations that collaborate with it. Since it’s wide enough, several celebrities are posing against it, and photographers standing behind the fence are taking photos in a non-stop mode.       The members of “Against The System” are also posing for all these people with their charming cuties, whom many people look at with admiration they cannot hide. While the girls themselves slay everyone with their charming smiles and pose just like any legendary models. After a short joint photoshoot, Peter, Edward, Terrence, and Daniel pose without the girls, who go aside, getting the attention of everyone. The men have the pleasure to pose all together as they hug each other, letting people know they are ready to have millions of girls around the world in love with them with just one smile. The friends do not miss a chance to play the fool with each other and laugh at each other's jokes or a question from a photographer.       At first, Raquelle poses for photographers alongside Helene, Natalia, and Anna, helping them feel much freer before hundreds of cameras and having a lot of fun with them and those who picture them. And later, after getting used to that, all the girls start posing alone. Edward, Daniel, Peter, and Terrence also go on different sides and pose for photographers alone confidently enough, showing that they are going to be the kings of the scene and the lords of the ladies’ hearts.       A little later, they start posing with their sweethearts. Next to those who literally shine and blossom. The men press their girls to themselves with a lot of tenderness and love, hugging them by the waist with one or two arms, and sometimes keeping them on the female thigh as if they want to show that these cuties belong to them only. Give them tender gazes and cute kisses before hundreds of cameras that click every single second. And the stunning beauties do not hide their happy smiles, hug their men around the waist, keep their hands on their shoulders or put them on the chest, to which they press themselves as closely as possible, show some care for them, and watch them with admiration and kiss them touchingly.       “All your fans rejoice because you have finally become a husband and a wife,” the girl speaks into a microphone with a slight smile while the operator standing near her is recording the interview. “People still discuss your wedding. They are especially admired by the dresses, which you and your sister-in-law Natalia chose.”       “Honestly, it still seems an unreal dream,” Raquelle replies with a slight smile into the microphone that the reporter points to her. “I can’t believe I’ve been married for two months already and have the surname of my husband.”       “Oh, you’ve become Raquelle MacClife now!”       “Yeah, but since everyone knows me as Raquelle Cameron, I will continue to work under this name and make it my pseudonym.”       “Excellent!” the male reporter exclaims. “Terrence, what do you feel? How’s your role as a young husband?”       “Just wonderful,” Terrence replies confidently, speaking into the microphone that the male reporter points to him. “I’m really happy Raquelle has become my wife. We took a long way to this decision. And we finally did it.”       “All your relatives are probably very happy for you?”       “Madly happy! They literally slept and dreamed of our wedding. They didn’t rush us, but they hinted that they wanted it so badly.”       “In this case, we congratulate you on getting married with all our hearts and hope your marriage will be long and strong,” the female reporter says with a slight smile.       “Thanks a lot,” Terrence and Raquelle thank.       “Say, why did you decide to get married on the same day as Edward MacClife and his sweetheart Natalia?” the male reporter asks. “Didn’t you want your wedding day to be yours only?”       “It was our day anyway,” Raquelle replies confidently. “And we agreed to get married on the same day because we wanted to share our happiness with our close people.”       “Yeah, when Edward and Natalia told us about their engagement, we somehow decided that it would be great to get married on the same day,” Terrence adds.       “And you didn’t mind it?” the male reporter asks.       “No, not at all! I’m really glad I got married on the same day as my beloved little bro.”       “I wouldn’t have thought I’d get married on the same day as my best school friend,” Raquelle adds.       “Has something changed about your relationship after you got the rings on your hands?” the female reporter asks.       “The fact that my husband started to treat me much better,” Raquelle laughs shyly. “He’s always taken care of me and fulfilled all my wishes. But now Terrence is much more tender and caring for me. I am really happy and can’t complain about anything. I… I have no reason to reproach him for. Even if I want, I can’t find a reason.”       “Did you learn to live together and get used to each other’s habits?” the female reporter asks.       “Yeah, I’d say so! We don’t have to get used to a joint life after a wedding, ‘cause we’d lived together for a long time before we had a wedding.”       “And how’s this time going for your new relatives?”       “They’re getting used!” Terrence says confidently with a laugh, while Raquelle shakes something quickly off her red short dress with an asymmetric skirt and one short sleeve from the air fabric. “Getting used to living in the house they got from Mother and Father on their wedding. I mean, Natalia is getting used to it. Edward had lived in it before the wedding.”       “Yeah, Edward’s parents gifted him the house and moved into another house when he and Natalia were on their honeymoon,” Raquelle adds.       “Great,” the female reporter replies with a slight smile. “And as far as I know, you often talk about how much you love each other and how much you’re attracted to your family in your interviews.”       “It’s true,” Terrence nods. “We’re close to our families like never ever, even if we’re all living our own lives now.”       “Excellent!” the male reporter exclaims. “Anyway, we’re very happy for you two and for Edward and Natalia.”       “Yeah, may the fans of Etalia and Tequelle rejoice,” Terrence smiles shyly.       “You have a lot of them! Many people love both couples and think they’re very beautiful.”       “We know.” Terrence pulls slightly down the sleeves of his dark gray jacket that he put on with the pants of the same color and a black shirt. “My brother and I have wonderful taste in girls.”       “Can’t deny it!” the female reporter laughs. “You all are literally made for each other.”       The reporters keep talking to Terrence and Raquelle about their recently concluded marriage and the relationship between Edward and Natalia, laughing a lot, smiling, and sometimes blushing because of some of the answers and questions.       “I heard that this is the first time you attend this type of appearance and accompany your men from ‘Against The System.’” the male reporter notices cheerfully. “Tell me about your impressions. How are you feeling here? Do you like it or not?”       “I like it very much,” Natalia speaks into the microphone with a shy smile and fixes her wavy, well-done hair with one movement of her hand. “Though I’ve attended some appearances before. With my parents. But they were not as global as this ceremony is. Those were parties for fewer people, which, however, were prestigious appearances and sometimes were mentioned in the media.”       “Yes, yes, I know! Your parents, Anthony and Letitia Rochester, are very famous to some people and are often mentioned in the media. Some people call them those who have great influence in the world of fashion. The popular fashion journalist and one of the best lawyers in the show business.”       “It’s correct.”       “Say, are you attending this appearance as the sweetheart of Edward MacClife for the first time?”       “Yes, this is our first public appearance together.”       “Wonderful.” The reporter moves his eyes to Anna and Helene. “What about you. Anna, Helene? Are you accompanying Daniel Perkins and Peter Rose for the first time, as well?”       “Yes, I never attended this type of appearance before,” Helene smiles shyly, folding her hands in front of herself and squeezing her dark blue clutch that perfectly fits her blue short dress with one long sleeve made from soft chiffon and a deep décolleté. “I’m working in a non-public sphere and don’t have to do with the show business. But I came here for the guys and Peter because I want to support them.”       “Do you like being here?”       “Yes, I really like it. I could see this type of ceremony only on TV, but now I’m at the one.”       “Actually, I could have attended a public appearance with Daniel much earlier,” Anna confesses with a slight smile, squeezing the clutch that perfectly fits her short green sleeveless dress with sparkles and an attractive décolleté. “But, unfortunately, it happened that we did it together today.”       “Do you mean the case when Terrence MacClife told everyone that his colleagues could not come to an appearance due to their business?” the reporter specifies.       “Exactly…”       “I hope your expectations are met? Is this how you were imagining a public appearance for celebrities?”       “Yeah, I’m happy I’ve finally arrived here and ended up in the same circle alongside celebrities.”       “As far as I know, your parents are kind of famous people to some extent.”       “Yeah, they are running the elite restaurant with five Michelin stars. Famous people come there regularly. Besides, my parents have plans for opening restaurants in other cities and even countries.”       “Yes, yes, ‘Platinum Palace’ got a great love of the celebrities and restaurant critics.”       “Right,” Anna nods.       “That’s good you love this place,” the reporter smiles shyly. “Did you get the support of Raquelle Cameron, I guess?”       “Yes, Raquelle really helped us get used to it,” Helene replies amicably. “At first, we were a little excited and worried because we would not take it, but later we calmed down and began to feel more confident.”       “Alright, Natalia, tell me, how are you living with the marriage to Edward?” the man asks. “And what do you think of the marriage of Raquelle and Terrence?”       “Edward and I are very happy to become husband and wife and are living in the house his parents gifted us,” Natalia confesses with a wide smile and glances at her black clutch that perfectly fits her short, slim, tight dress with golden sequins and an attractive décolleté that expresses her big breasts. “And we’re madly happy for Raquelle and Terrence, who are kind of made for each other.”       “That’s amazing!” the reporter exclaims. “You, guys, still keep getting a lot of congratulations from people around the whole world.”       “And they got what they wanted,” Anna laughs shyly. “The guys finally got married and became a family. And my friends and I are very happy for them.”       “Now everyone’s gonna wait for the news about children with impatience. And guess who’s gonna be the first one to make their fans happy and tell everyone they’re expecting a child.”       “Their families are waiting for it already,” Helene smiles shyly. “At first, they dreamed of these guys’ wedding, and now they’re starting to hint that they’d like to see them with a child in their arms.”       “It always happens. That’s a family.”       Natalia, Helene, and Anna nod confidently and keep talking sweetly to the man reporter, being confident enough and imagining themselves to be so-called celebrities who are coming here, posing for photographers, giving autographs to fans, and having interviews with reporters.       “Another good event happens after one!” the girl reporter exclaims with a wide smile. “Edward’s wedding with his girlfriend, Natalia, Terrence’s wedding with the famous model Raquelle Cameron, and then the release of your band’s album that got positive reviews from critics, reached the first place in many charts and broke a few sales records.”       “Yeah, our business has been doing fine lately,” Edward speaks into the microphone with a slight smile, folding his hands in front of him and pulling the sleeve of his beige jacket that fits his pants of the same color and a snow-white shirt. “After we had several crazy months.”       “Are you happy with what you have gotten thanks to releasing your album?”       “Undoubtedly!” Peter smiles widely, keeping his hand on the button of his gray jacket that perfectly fits his pants of the same color and a little darker shirt. “It’s just a beginning, but the current result is very incredible to the guys and me. We are very happy that our first work together got such positive reviews. Though we were super excited before the release and worried about what people would think of it.”       “If you keep doing the same, you will easily take the first place of the famous band ‘The Loser Syndrome.’ Many media already pronounce your bands real competitors and often put you against each other.”       “Any information about us being enemies of ‘The Loser Syndrome’ is an absolute lie,” Daniel replies confidently, getting his hands out of the pockets of his brown jacket, which he is wearing alongside pants of the same color and a white shirt. “We are all very close friends of Liam, Zach, and Brad. Besides, they visited Edward and Terrence’s wedding and had a good time there. I think you understand that enemies can’t obviously be a part of such an important event.”       “Yeah, rivalry between us is a tale of the media,” Edward smiles shyly. “We adore those guys and speak to them when we have free time. Our bands are good in their own way – no meaning to compare those who sing in different genres. ‘The Loser Syndrome’ is a pop trio that caught their wave, and our band is more of a rock band that doesn’t mind experimenting.”       “I think the fact that you sing about what you get through and what’s trending at the present bribes people.”       “Our songs aren’t always based on real events,” Daniel notices. “Some of them are our imagination. Stories about what we dream, what we want, and what we aim…”       “Great!”       While Edward, Daniel, and Peter smile shyly and look at each other, Terrence comes to them and steals the reporter’s attention.       “Oh, here’s the frontman of ‘Against The System’!” the reporter exclaims with a wide smile. “How’s your mood, Terrence? Do you like being here?”       “My mood is incredible!” Terrence replies cheerfully with a slight smile. “And I really love being here.”       “Your bandmates and I are talking about the release of the debut album of ‘Against The System’ that got positive reviews around the world.”       “I think it’s an amazing success! The lads and I are very happy we’ve finally released our first album. And we’re much happier people warmly accepted it and have said no bad word about it.”       “I believe your band is already planning a tour in many countries to promote your work?”       “Yes, we’re working on this question and going to travel to as many countries as possible.”       “But I think it will not happen earlier than in half a year or one year,” Daniel assumes. “We need to agree on days of shows, get all the documents for traveling abroad, choose clothes, a tracklist… We’ve gotta do many things…”       “Anyway, we will be waiting for the announcement of your first tour with impatience. But now I would like to talk about Terrence and Edward finally getting married to their beloved girls two months ago.”       “We’re very happy for the guys,” Peter smiles shyly. “Raquelle and Terrence and Edward and Natalia are made for each other and should be together. It would’ve led to the wedding early or late.”       “But to be honest, we’re still surprised that Terrence didn’t start to protect against the double wedding,” Daniel adds funnily. “We thought he’d like to be the only hero of the day. But to our surprise, this guy easily agreed to get married on the same day as Edward.”       “Why couldn’t I share my happiness with my close person?” Terrence shrugs. “We were getting through this together and calming each other when we were terribly nervous and worried before the appearance of the brides.”       “So, may the ride for the birth of the child begin now?” the reporter asks. “Let’s find out who is going to be the first one to become a father and take his child in his arms?”       “I don’t rush!” Edward replies confidently. “Natalia and I want to live for ourselves and get used to a life together. Establish our life, so to speak.”       “Does it mean you give in to your brother and let him become a father first?”       “Time will show,” Terrence shrugs with a slight smile. “I don’t have a goal of becoming a father immediately. It will happen when it happens. Though I don’t hide the fact that I want to take my child in my arms. And it doesn’t matter who it would be: a boy or a girl.”       “Alright,” the reporter smiles shyly. “Then, we will be waiting for any news about your future child.”       “Who knows, maybe the future children of Edward or Terrence will become a star of the scene or a star of the runway and glossy magazines,” Daniel laughs shyly.       “Who knows, Daniel, who knows,” the reporter smiles mysteriously.       “We promise we will not hide this amazing piece of news and will tell our fans about it,” Edward promises.       “Alright, guys, but now I would like to hear a couple of words about your emotions about the nomination for the ‘Breakup of The Year.’ This is one of the most important nominations of this musical ceremony. Many beginning artists want to get it, but are proud to be just nominated. What do you expect? Win or lose?”       “Actually, we don’t expect a victory,” Peter confesses. “Really. Don’t expect. To us, it would be an honor to get our first award ever in our careers in such a prestigious nomination. But even if we lose, we will not get upset and will keep working and doing what we love.”       “Yeah, besides, we’re not working for awards, we’re working for our fans,” Terrence adds confidently. “Fans are more important to us. If we win, it’s amazing! Will be happy for each other along with our girls! If we lose, we will just congratulate the one to win.”       “Moreover, we have very many talented competitors who deserve to get an award in the nomination ‘Breakup Of The Year,’” Edward adds with a slight smile.       “Right, all your competitors are good in their way,” the reporter notices confidently. “There are beginning, famous, and professional artists with many years of work.”       “As people say, may the best one win,” Daniel smiles shyly. “If we deserve this award, we will get it tonight. If we don’t, we will be lucky next time.”       “Anyway, I hope you will win your first award and perform brilliantly with your new song as the headliners of the show.”       “We’re terribly excited!” Edward confesses. “Because we’ll be performing this song for such a large audience for the first time.”       “Let me show curiosity and ask if you are going to release a music video for this song?”       “Of course, we will!” Terrence exclaims. “The guys and I will start getting ready for the shooting of a music video very soon.”       “Your debut music video for the song ‘Electric x Magnetic’ became one of the most viewed videos on the Internet. And people notice your talent and your beautiful sweetheart.”       “Sadly, our girls will not film in this music video,” Peter upsets with sadness in his eyes.       “But don’t you exclude that you will invite them to shoot in your music video again?”       “We don’t do, surely!” Terrence replies confidently. “And they would shoot in our music video again with pleasure.”       “So, then we will be waiting for any news about your worldwide tour, music video for the new single, and any other things about your work,” the reporter says into the microphone. “And last, say a couple of words about what you expect from this award ceremony.”       “Honestly, we expect kind of nothing,” Edward shrugs. “We came just to have fun, listen to songs of artists, talk to our familiars and friends, and be happy for those who will take an award home.”       “Yeah, and we’ll also be performing as the headliners and closing the ceremony,” Daniel adds with a wide smile. “And we hope we will be accepted well tonight.”       “And we would like to wish luck to those who are nominated at least for one award,” Peter says amicably. “Very talented people are nominated for every single award. We know a bit about their music and think every one of them deserves to get an award. Anyway, whoever wins tonight, the men and I will be happy for them.”       “So, I got it. Thank you all so much for this interview, guys. I had the pleasure of talking to you. I wish you luck in winning. Rock on to the fullest and steal the hearts of your public and people, who are watching the live translation of the ceremony.”       “Thank you so much,” Terence, Daniel, Edward, and Peter thank with a slight smile.       Lastly, the girl reporter hugs all the men amicably, lets them go, turns on the camera, and starts speaking something into the microphone. While “Against The System” is giving an interview, Raquelle, Natalia, Helene, and Anna are busy talking to some celebrities with pleasure and meeting those they do not know yet. There are many famous singers, bands consisting of two or more people who may be only girls or only men, and people of different sexes, and some people who worked on soundtracks for movies and TV shows, many of which are nominated for some awards, directors, scenarists, operators, and many others.       It’s possible to see the members of the band “The Loser Syndrome” – Liam Caulfield, Zachary Jefferson, and Bradley Charles. The girls of the men from “Against The System” greet them warmly and talk about something sweetly. The young guys have a perfect mood, walk with a head proudly raised, having perfectly done hair, wearing new expensive suits from the best designers, talking to all the celebrities, and barely having time to give autographs to their yelling from happiness fans, who literally faint and take photos with them. Peter, Terrence, Daniel, and Edward run into them while giving autographs to fans and taking photos with them, and express their happiness from the meeting. The meeting that makes their fans incredibly happy. And the photographers do not even have to persuade them to pose together against the billboard since they agree to do it with pleasure, showing they really have a wonderful relationship. While Raquelle, Natalia, Helene, and Anna give autographs to those who want them, take photos with them, and answer some of their questions.       While some celebrities give autographs and interviews, pose for photographers, and talk to people from their surroundings, others just arrive here in gorgeous limousines. It’s getting dark outside, but it’s still warm. Sometimes the light wind blows long plumes and skirts and perfectly done hair of girls and unbuttoned jackets of men and ruffles their carefully done hair. Reporters are reporting from the ceremony place and interviewing everyone who does not refuse, and journalists are working on the material for articles. The organizers do their best to happen and carefully watch what’s happening around. Nobody is free and stands in the same place. Everybody works too hard, while the celebrities enjoy every single moment and the time they are spending in a good company of people from their surroundings, showing proudly expensive clothes and gorgeous hair, which the best stylists picked up for them or were made on their own.       One of the last guests to arrive at the theatre is a famous singer, Brianna Armstrong. As the others do, the girl leaves the limousine, waves her hand at everyone, and fixes her blonde, wavy hair graciously, while helpers fix her gorgeous, long red dress from light fabric. She poses for photographers against the billboard, sends them some air kisses, and happily accepts the compliments about her look. Fans are impatiently waiting for her with her CDs, magazines, some merch, and small photo cameras or mobile phones as they dream of her leaving her signature on all of this and taking a couple of photos with them. And of course, this talented, attractive girl gives attention to everyone who comes here for her, with pleasure. The sirenian singer greets her good friends warmly from “The Loser Syndrome” and is happy with meeting the guys from “Against The System,” who introduce her to their girls, of whom Raquelle is the only one who has met her several times. After they wish each other to win the awards they are nominated for, they go on different sides. Then the girl meets some of her friends. Including the duo “Lost In Time” that consists of Derek Walst and Gordon Hudson, who are nominated for one award too.       Later, all the famous guests, reporters, photographers, and journalists get invited to the building of the big theatre. Those who have been here for a long time manage to eat some food and drinks they are offered, talk to almost everyone, and, surely, take a couple of photos on their phones with their friends and those who accompany them. And when almost all the guests come, the organizations start seating them down and helping to find the places reserved especially for them in the room lighted up with black, yellow, and red colors. There are thousands of comfortable red chairs placed in four lines – much more than the guests, and some of them have the celebrities’ names pinned. There are hundreds of places on the balcony, and multilevel boxes, but everything that happens on the big scene is not seen as good as it does from a parter. To their happiness, the places in the same line closer to the scene are reserved for Terrence and Raquelle, Edward and Natalia, Peter and Helene, and Daniel and Anna. It lets them see everything on the stage and two big screens showing only a logo of the ceremony on a black background.       If someone gets an award, he or she can get up on stage on the little stairs on both sides of the stage. There are fewer running people on the scene, checking out the sound and microphones, and the light not to have any confusion later. Directors and photographers prepare their cameras for the best material, and journalists and reporters take notes for articles and reportages. The famous guests sit in their places and are patiently waiting for the beginning of the ceremony, talking to those who accompany them or sit next to them.       Some time goes by before the organizers finally announce the beginning of the ceremony, which should be opened by a famous singer. Who shows up on the scene and starts rocking on along with his R’n’B song and dancing with his many dancers, among whom are boys and girls, very well. The guests start shaking along with the rhythm and clapping their hands, and someone who knows the lyrics sings along with the guy, who moves so quickly and skillfully that it’s hard to watch him. This energetic guy shows by far not the easiest movements and flirts with the dancing girls, whose outfits are quite revealing and open a lot of what too shy girls prefer to keep secret. He does not look excited and scared and is acting like he is singing for himself, not for thousands of people in the room and millions of people around the world.       After he finishes his performance, the singer hears loud applause and whoops from the guests, whom he bows to and waves his hand at with a slight smile. Then he speaks into the microphone, “Thank you so much!” and leaves the scene alongside his dancers. In parallel, two hosts show up on it: the woman at the age of thirty wearing a gorgeous long light brown dress and fixing her perfect ombre hair – dark on the top and lighter from the bottom slightly, and the light-haired man of the same age wearing a black suit with a bow tie and a white shirt. The two are holding small cards, on the back of which it’s possible to see the logo of the ceremony, and microphones, in which they start to speak after the guests stop applauding.       “Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen!” the man host pronounces solemnly.       “Welcome to the annual ceremony, Music Choice Awards 2018,” the woman host adds loudly. “And we are Bethany Carlson…”       “And I am Seth Fletcher!”       The famous guests clap for two seconds, and some of them make loud whoops.       “Another year has gone by, and we came here together again to congratulate those who will go home with an award,” Bethany says with a slight smile.       “We reward those who surprised us and their fans around the world for the whole year,” Seth says confidently.       “This year, we have very many new nominators who deserve an award, showed their incredible work to the whole world, and got love from a great army of fans for one year.”       “But before we start announcing the winners of the nominations, we would like to tell you one short story.”       Bethany and Seth entertain the guests with some jokes that have to do with some celebrities, but are harmless and funny. Many people “suffer” because of these two, even the men from “Against The System,” who show their ability to laugh at themselves again. Some celebrities laugh at the hosts’ jokes but get a little blush and look confused. The guests watch the ceremony closely, many cameras translate the ceremony on the Internet and many channels around the world, shooting what’s happening on the scene and to those who are sitting on comfortable chairs, and flashes of cameras light up from all sides literally every second.       Later, Bethany and Seth announce that it’s time to call the winner of one of the first nominations and invite two famous actresses on the scene, so that they call all the nominees and finally announce the name of the winner they see on the card they get. The winner accepts the congratulations from some of their friends, goes on the stage, takes the award, and gives a short speech of gratitude. The hosts entertain the public with jokes and invite the music artists, who make everyone happy with their amazing performances. Including Brianna Armstrong, who performs with a very famous rapper, “Lost In Time” rocking on, along with the song that was written by Edward, and showing their perfect dance skills. The beginning artists and the so-called veterans win. Someone is happy for them, someone is upset over the loss, and someone can barely hide their resentment and jealousy, even if they completely understand that millions of people see them now.       At some moment, Seth and Bethany invite Terrence and Raquelle to the scene since they are honored to announce the winner of the nomination and give the award. The winner is the band “The Loser Syndrome” that accepts the award quietly as if it’s something usual after they have won probably hundreds of these over the years of their career. And then they perform with their song, giving their all to make it unforgettable. They do not play any instruments and only sing. Their musicians, who show up on the scene too, play the music. The entire room dances along with their song. Including Edward, Daniel, Peter, and Terrence. They are one of those who support “The Loser Syndrome” really hard, sing louder than everyone, and actually know their discography by heart. Just like Natalia, Helene, Anna, and Raquelle, who cannot remain indifferent. The musicians communicate a lot with each other and some guests from the first lines and show good dance movements, not letting anyone doubt that they are united and connected with a tight bond.       After the band “The Loser Syndrome” finishes their performance with an epic jump they make at the same time, bow to the public and leave the stage along with the people’s applause, Bethany and Seth come back here. Following the script strictly, they continue their speech and invite the celebrities to announce more winners. But later they ask two men and two girls from a famous band to go on the scene to announce the winner of the next nomination.       “It’s time to announce the winner of one of the most important awards of this ceremony,” the tallest guy says confidently with a slight smile.       “‘Breakup of the Year!’” the guy, who is lower but looks more muscular, exclaims. “New artists get nominated for this award every year after getting recognized by their work and getting love from their fans around the world.”       “All the winners of this nomination get a great success and build a brilliant career in the future,” the girl with long hair that reaches her thighs and is black on the top of her head and light on the bottom of it says with a shy smile. “Every nominator is good in their own way and deserves to get this award.”       “And we are happy to introduce the nominators of this year,” the girl with short hair that almost covers her neck says with her head proudly raised.       Short fragments of songs by all the nominated artists are shown on the big screens. Including “Electric x Magnetic” from the band “Against The System”. Terrence, Edward, Peter, and Daniel have a mini heart attack and slight smiles on their faces as they watch all of them singing the chorus. And when all the nominators are introduced, the men exhale with a shake, tensing all their muscles and dreaming of taking their first award deep inside. While Raquelle, Natalia, Helene, and Anna are super excited and holding the hands of their men and pressing themselves closely to them.       “I don’t know what about you, guys, but I can’t wait to know who won,” the red-haired girl confesses. “So many amazing nominators! And everybody’s good in their way.”       “But as it’s been said by our charming Raquelle Cameron, there is always only one winner,” the tallest guy notices confidently.       “Let’s find it out then!” the long-haired girl exclaims happily. “We are all dying of a wish to know the winner!”       “So, the moment X, ladies and gentlemen…” the low guy smiles mysteriously. “We are opening this envelope…”       One of the members of the band opens the envelope slowly, as if he plays on the nerves of the men of “Against The System,” who tightly hold their girls’ hands with heavy breath.       “So, the winner of the ‘Breakup of the Year’ is…” the long-haired girl pronounces slowly.       “The band ‘Against The System!’” the members of the band claim happily into the microphone.       While everyone starts applauding excitedly, Daniel, Terrence, Peter, and Edward get up sharply with loud, happy whoops. Not believing their ears and eyes, the men smiling widely hug touchingly Raquelle, Natalia, Helene, and Anna, kiss them tenderly, and lift them from the floor for a second, while the girls hang on their men’s necks with excited whoops. After this, along with these exciting applause and loud whoops, Terrence, Edward, Peter, and Daniel hug each other tightly and start a group hug and say something they cannot hear due to the deafening applause that is louder than their own song that starts playing after announcing the winner.       After accepting the congratulations from several more people, including their friends’ girls, Liam, Zachary, Bradley, Gordon, and Derek, the four men quickly go to the scene, being a little shocked and not really understanding what they are doing while their girls hug each other with happy whoops and wide smiles on their faces. When Peter, Terrence, Edward, and Daniel go up to the big scene, they come to the band that called the winner and hug every member amicably. Then one of them gives them the glassy statuette with a signature “Breakup of the Year: ‘Against The System’” that the four look at with great admiration in their eyes.       “Oh, gosh, someone, tell me we really won this award,” Daniel says with a wide smile after he comes to the microphone stand alongside his friends.       The people start applauding loudly, and many of them whistle, shout, and raise their hands.       “Guys, are you in the same trance as I am?” Edward asks in a little shaking voice, feeling how fast his heart is beating.       “Definitely, yes,” Peter nods and grabs his throat. “My heart is beating so fast that it’s about to stop.”       “Sorry, ladies and gentlemen, we are just shocked…” Terrence confesses awkwardly and exhales sharply. “Actually… We didn’t really expect we would win… And thought we would leave it… Without an award… But… We won. We won, guys! It’s our first-ever award!”       The guests applaud loudly again, while the cameras are focused on the excited members of “Against The System” breathing heavily.       “To us, to our band, it’s a great honor. The honor… To get the award for the nomination ‘Breakup of the Year.’ We are very happy that people love our work and find something good about it. We’re happy… More and more people discover us… That’s good our hard work led to taking our first prize at home. And we would like to thank those who gave us this win and this award and appreciated our merits.”       While Terrence says it, Edward, Daniel, and Peter standing behind give the award from hand to hand to look at it better and admire it. And when MacClife, Sr. falls into silence, he gets the award, and his younger brother takes the microphone.       “We’re thanking those who have to do with our success,” Edward says with a slight smile, stuttering a little. “Many thanks to our beloved girls, who are the band’s biggest fans. Many thanks to my wife, Natalia, for her infinite support and endless love that always motivates me. Many thanks to my parents for always believing in my brother and me… Thanks to our friends for supporting… Thanks to the brothers of Terrence and me on the father…”       “And the whole team of us that helped us to record our first album,” Daniel adds with a slight smile, pointing the microphone in Edward’s hands at himself. “Thousand thanks to my girlfriend, Anna, for being the best thing that has ever happened to me. And I would like to thank my little sister Cassidy, who knows how to make my mood better and can make me laugh even in the darkest and gloomiest days.”       “We would also like to thank Zach, Brad, and Liam from ‘The Loser Syndrome’ for the incredible chance to get famous,” Peter points the microphone at himself. “Without their help, we would not be standing here with this award in our hands. And I would personally like to thank my girlfriend, Helene, for all her love, support, and care. The girl, who is the best one in the world.”       “And I would love to thank my beloved wife, Raquelle, for always motivating me to do what I like and staying by my side, no matter what,” Terrence says with a slight smile. “I’m madly lucky to have such an amazing woman. Next to whom I grew up to some extent and became smarter and wiser.”       Natalia, Anna, Helene, and Raquelle cannot hold down their wide smiles and wipe tears carefully under their eyes and press themselves closely to each other.       “And the most important thing, many thanks to Edward, Peter, and Daniel,” Terrence says with a slight smile. “I’m really happy to work with my brothers. The brothers I love with all my heart. Who mean a lot to me. If not for them, I wouldn’t have fulfilled my dream of starting a musical career. Yes, we had many barriers in our way. And we will have more in the future. But we’re sure we can get through it. Because we will do this together. Unity is the key that opens any door. This is the lesson we all learned very well.”       “It’s true,” Peter adds shyly. “We consider each other a family. These men have become a family to me. My brothers, whom I can always count on. Who accepts me the way I am, no matter what. With all my demons. I’m madly lucky to meet such cool guys and create a band with them. We are ‘Against The System’. We’re here, standing on this scene with our first award for what we worked hard on for so long. We’re united by the common business we love. We’re united by friendship. Brotherhood. And together, we’ll stand any storm. Even if the whole world is against us and wants to break us.”       “You all know that ‘Against The System’ started their path without me,” Edward notices. “I didn’t really think of a musical career. Which I dreamed about, but which I thought I couldn’t start. I’m madly grateful to my brothers for such an amazing chance to fulfill my dream and become a musician. Start to create my music. The music I want to give to the world. The music, which would let me tell something about my life and my wishes. Without them, I would hardly be standing here before you. I owe Terrence, Daniel, and Peter for everything that’s happening here. And… I’m very glad I proved that not everyone, but at least myself, that sometimes dreams come true. Even if they seem unreal.”       “These guys came into my life when I stayed all alone,” Daniel smiles shyly. “When I lose my family and friends. When I had nobody to count on. It was hard, but I got through it. And now I no longer feel lonely. Because I have a family. My brothers. My pack. My loyal boys, for whom I’d go through fire and water. The people whom I'm not afraid to trust with my secrets and my life. I surely know that I’m gonna be 100% safe and sound with these guys by my side.”       “Thank you so much!” Terrence, Edward, Peter, and Daniel shout into the microphone at the same time. “We love you!”       Everyone starts applauding excitedly and making loud whoops, while Edward, Peter, Terrence, and Daniel wave their hands at them with a shy smile and leave the scene with the award in their hands, as well as the band that announced them as the winners, saying a couple of words to them and thanking them for their warm congratulations.       

***

      Some time before the show ends, all the members of “Against The System” leave the room and follow the organizers to the place where they can get ready for the performance as headliners that will close the award ceremony. All their girls also go with them to spend some time with them and help them. The organizers prepared a large light dressing room with several tables with mirrors, the edges of which are framed with bright lamps, chairs, and comfortable soft sofas. There is an absolute mess around and on tables: some hair stuff, hairsprays and nail polishes, hairbrushes, cosmetics, many brushes, rubber bands, and many other things. And many clothes, bags, and other things that belong to the men or someone else are thrown here.       “Damn, guys, I still can’t believe we won,” Terrence confesses with a wide smile, sitting comfortably on the sofa next to Raquelle, whom he is hugging sweetly. “I thought we would’ve gotten nothing ‘till the end!”       “Oh, when I was going on the scene, everything was kinda in a daze,” Peter confesses, leaning on the table and hugging Helene from behind, who is sitting in a wrapping chair. “I barely moved my feet! I was sure it was a dream!”       “Yeah, yeah, me too!” Daniel jabs with a confident nod, sitting on one of the sofas filled with bags and clothes, along with Anna, who is sitting on his laps and having her arms around his neck. “I was really overwhelmed when those guys called our band name! And I thought I’d be able to say a word.”       “A-a-a, shit, I think I was never stuttering so much from excitement,” Edward confesses excitedly, sitting on the sofa next to Natalia smiling shyly, whose head rests on his shoulder. “I even felt awkward while we were standing there with big eyes and couldn’t connect two words for the first few seconds.”       “Come on, everything was good!” Anna exclaims, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. “The people were supporting you with applause! And Gordon, Derek, Zach, Brad, and Liam were supporting you much louder.”       “Brianna Armstrong was very happy, too,” Raquelle adds confidently, eating vanilla cookies that she takes from a small packet in her hands. “She was clapping loudly along with everyone and shouting out, ‘Bravo!’ to all of you!”       “I actually think all those celebrities were happy for you much more than for the others,” Natalia notices funnily, working her hands actively. “We heard such loud applause when you were pronounced the winners! So much applause! Many shouts! The people were literally not breathing while listening to your speech! Everyone was really touched.”       “Listen, my bros, it seems like we’re getting more popular in the show business,” Peter notices cheerfully with a wide smile.       “Trust me, guys, we’ll surely become history in several years!” Terrence says confidently. “We just need to record two more albums that would become platinum in the countries of the world before we’re legends. The legends that many generations will remember.”       “Being so successful, your debut album will become platinum in one month or two,” Helene chuckles kindly. “People are ready to stand in a queue to get it! And when they got an opportunity to preorder it, it was closed a few minutes later. Because it was sold out!”       “Right!” Raquelle agrees. “They buy the album faster than hot muffins!”       “Yeah, our gentlemen were torturing people and feeding them promises for too long,” Anna laughs shyly. “And now they’re attacking the sellers in shops and asking them to sell their desired album like hungry wolves.”       “The album’s release didn’t depend on us, beauties,” Daniel notices with a slight smile. “It’s a much harder thing! Not as easy as putting a camera on a stand, recording a video, editing it a little, and publishing it on your YouTube channel.”       “And we made a nice surprise for everyone by releasing a couple of songs,” Edward notices with a slight smile.       “A-a-a, I can’t wait to go on the stage and perform the new song,” Terrence confesses confidently, running his hands through his hair. “We’ll be performing it for the first time! The first time will never be forgotten. So, you must appreciate it!”       “Yeah, I still remember us performing ‘Electric x Magnetic’ for the first time on the morning show,” Peter smiles slightly. “Those emotions were unforgettable! I will never forget what I felt while going on the stage and seeing those whooping people.”       “That’s right…” Daniel agrees. “We performed that song for the first time… And it was our first performance in full strength.”       “And I almost screwed it up,” Edward adds a little hesitantly. “I’m still ashamed that I really peed my pants and didn’t wanna go.”       “But you did it!” Peter exclaims. “You got through fear and performed brilliantly! Rocked on so hard that the people were fucking excited at how amazing it was!”       “I did it thanks to you and the lads. Without you, I wouldn’t have gone on the stage. Even if I’d made myself turn off my brain and focus on the performance.”       “That show was really incredible!” Raquelle notices with a wide smile. “You know how delighted the girls and I were when we saw you! We were at Natalia’s home… And we whooped like crazy and danced in the entire room.”       “It’s alright, girls, we’ll be shouting very much louder ‘cause we’ll see our men on the big scene singing live for the first time,” Helene replies confidently. “We’re much luckier than the others, who will be watching their show on TV or the Internet.”       “It’s okay, when the men start touring, our familiars and friends will buy tickets and see their live show, too,” Natalia says cheerfully.       “After releasing the album, our next mission is a worldwide tour,” Terrence smiles widely. “Play our music in all the places of the Earth.”       “Now we have too much to do: promoting the album, interviews, attending the shows, parties, ceremonies, and other appearances,” Edward notices cheerfully. “The guys and I have no time to be bored.”       “That’s right, we’re getting used to the life of the people from the show business,” Daniel says with his head proudly up. “Soon, we’re gonna meet all the most famous musical artists and celebrities of different professions.”       “Having such an incredible ability to give the glad eye, talk to people, and make anyone do what you want, you’re quickly gonna become close to people with them,” Raquelle laughs shyly.       “And you’ll also help us meet influential people,” Peter smiles mysteriously. “You’ve been a part of show business for ages… You know many celebrities…”       “You’re doing this well without Raquelle’s help,” Natalia chuckles kindly. “And even without Terrence’s help, who is known by every single dog in the celebrities’ circles.”       “Listen, guys, life is getting better!” Daniel notices cheerfully. “We had fun at the wedding of Edward and Natalia and Terrence and Raquelle some time ago… We released our first album…”       “Yeah, while these lovebirds were lying under the sun at hot islands for two weeks, you and I were promoting the album and giving interviews,” Terrence laughs shyly. “And singing their lines in ‘Electric x Magnetic.’”       “And I think we did it brilliantly! You were running wild on the stage with a guitar in your hands instead of hiding behind the drums. And you sang much more than usual.”       “You were wild too! It was so awesome that I wouldn’t mind repeating it.”       “And we didn’t forget you and shared photos and videos with you,” Edward smiles innocently. “So to speak, let you imagine yourself being at those paradisiacal places we attended.”       “Yeah, did our best for you not to miss,” Terrence adds. “And remember we existed.”       “And judging by everything you sent us, you felt very, very good,” Peter smiles mysteriously.       “Right,” Edward nods. “Those places are amazing. My first trip abroad was just incredible.”       “And I finally went somewhere as a tourist for the first time in several years,” Terrence adds.       “Aren’t you regretting deciding to celebrate a wedding?” Daniel asks.       “Regret?” Natalia asks surprisingly. “No, c’mon, buddy! Not at all! I don’t regret it at all! I’m madly happy! And I’m loving the new stage that has started in my life.”       “Are you missing your home?” Anna asks. “Your parents?”       “I terribly missed the apartment, in which I lived a bigger part of my life, for some time after I moved. But I got used to the new place little by little, and I’m now focused on the house Mr. and Mrs. MacClife gifted us.”       “I said you’d get used to it soon,” Raquelle smiles shyly.       “Yeah, you were right. I just needed time.”       “That’s good Mr. and Mrs. MacClife gifted you their house,” Daniel says confidently. “The house Edward bought is too small. But you’ve got a big house in a beautiful, safe neighborhood…”       “Can’t deny it,” Edward smiles shyly. “When I finish repairing that small house, I will try to rent it out. While Natalia and I are living well at Mom and Dad's house. Enjoying our life together. Getting used to. Learning to treat each other’s habits quietly.”       “Oh, c’mon, we understood that you feel very good, judging by your happy faces,” Helene replies confidently.       “That’s right!” Terrence exclaims with a wide smile. “My bro is happy, and I’m happy for him and my sis-in-law… Uh-h-h… I still can’t get used… To calling the girl, who was my friend for a long time, like this…”       “You’ll get used to it, my dear brother-in-law,” Natalia laughs shyly. “It’s also weird to me to call you like that after you were my friend for so long.”       “It’s okay, guys, you’ll get used to it,” Anna replies confidently. “Though even if you’ve become family, you still remain friends.”       “That’s right!” Daniel agrees, while one hand of his is placed on the knee of Anna still sitting on his laps. “You’re the best friends forever. And nothing can change it.”       “But that’s cool you got along before the wedding,” Peter notices with a slight smile. “You don’t have to get used to new relatives.”       “If I’d been told Natalia would become my sister-in-law when I was a kid, I wouldn’t have believed it,” Raquelle replies.       “Well, if you hadn’t met two pretty bros, who stole your hearts, it would’ve remained something unreal.”       “Agree,” Edward notices with a wide smile, caressing softly Raquelle sitting not far from him on the shoulder. “However, I got the sister-in-law, whom I love with all my heart.”       “And we’re actually lucky!” Natalia exclaims. “The parents of our sweethearts accepted us, and the other relatives did…”       “So true!” Raquelle laughs shyly, fixing her hair with a slight smile. “We’re really lucky!”       “As I understand, your relatives started to ask you about when you’d make them happy with the birth of the baby?” Daniel suggests.       “Oh, yeah! Grandpa Frederick and Aunt Alicia started to hint that I shouldn’t have saved the birth of a child for later.”       “At least, they’re just hinting now,” Anna notices. “Not forcing you.”       “Right! If I’d gotten married much earlier, they would’ve literally told me to get pregnant the next day after the wedding.”       “Anyway, we don’t rush,” Terrence confesses confidently. “When the time comes, the baby will be born. And now we’re doing our business and enjoying a life together.”       “I’m sure your kid would be super popular with the fans,” Daniel laughs. “After growing up, they’d be the most popular boy or the most popular girl in their circle.”       “We’ll talk about it later, when the time comes,” Raquelle says shyly.       “It’s okay, guys, we’ll celebrate the MacClife kids’ birth,” Peter assures and goes to the other side of the dressing room. “After the newlyweds live some time for themselves, they’ll start to make us happy with the news about kids.”       “We promise not to hide this amazing piece of news,” Natalia promises.       “Uh-huh!” Edward agrees, gets up from the sofa slowly, and starts walking through the entire room. “When it’s confirmed, you’re gonna be one of the first ones to know it.”       “So true,” Terrence adds with a shy smile.       “Yeah, guys, don’t worry,” Raquelle smiles widely.       “We don’t doubt it,” Daniel says confidently.       “Us too!” Helene and Anna pronounce at the different time.       The men say nothing with a slight smile and either shake their heads with a slight smile or press their girls to themselves, while Raquelle throws the empty packet of cookies in the trash can and sits on the sofa again.       “Okay, let’s not get stuck on the wedding,” Raquelle suggests shyly. “Change the subject. Better talk about the show, the band’s first award, and something like that.”       “Right, we’re gonna be performing soon!” Terrence clicks his fingers.       “A guy is supposed to perform on a piano right now,” Peter says thoughtfully. “He even got an award for something, as far as I remember.”       “Everybody says he’s very famous, but I’ve never heard of him,” Anna confesses.       “As well as the people in the room,” Natalia assumes. “Everybody reacted to his victory kinda quietly.       “But when the men and I go on stage, everybody will be watching us and dancing along with our song,” Edward says confidently with his head proudly raised. “We’ll have a spectacular close ceremony that everyone will remember for the whole year.”       “Well, since everybody listened to you so closely when you gave your speech, they’ll forget everything and won’t stop looking at you singing your song,” Helene says confidently with a slight smile.       “No wonder,” Daniel pronounces, gets up from the sofa, and fixes his hair with his head proudly raised. “Because we’re too attractive boys.”       “That’s right!” Peter agrees, while Helene gets up from the chair and glances at the mirror to make sure she still looks good. “It’s impossible not to pay attention to such pretty boys.”       “We definitely have a chance to get nominated for the title of the sexiest man of this decade,” Edward adds confidently.       “Oh, gosh…” Raquelle laughs shyly with her mouth covered with a hand. “The MacClife syndrome spread over you three…”       “C’mon, Raquelle, leave it,” Natalia waves her hand. “They can do anything today! They won the first award! How couldn’t they be proud of themselves and get infected with, as you said, the MacClife syndrome?”       “It’s just the beginning, beauties!” Terrence says with his head proudly raised. “Be sure, the guys and I will conquer the show business and the whole music world! We will become the legends!”       “We will make history!” Edward exclaims confidently.       “Let’s see how much time it’s gonna take,” Anna says with a slight smile.       “Little time, girls, little,” Peter smiles mysteriously.       While everybody laughs shyly and looks at each other, sitting in their places, standing in front of the others, or walking in circles in the dressing room, someone knocks at the door. Then it opens, and the smiling George appears on the doorstep, making those who are sitting get up.       “Hey, here are my stars!” George says cheerfully, closing the door and coming into the dressing room. “My favorites!”       “Oh, George…” Peter smiles shyly.       “Congrats on your first-ever award, guys. I am madly proud of you.”       “Thanks a lot…” Terrence, Daniel, Peter, and Edward thank with a slight smile.       “And thank you very much, sweet girls, for supporting my wards,” George says with a thank, keeping his hands on Edward and Peter’s shoulders.       “It couldn’t be otherwise, Mr. Smith,” Raquelle smiles shyly. “Supporting our beloved men is our duty.”       “We do know how much they need it,” Natalia adds amicably. “So, we’re next to them. Especially at very important moments.”       “I’m very happy you treat my wards so warmly,” George replies with a slight smile. “Keep doing the same. If you keep giving your sweethearts motivation, they will make you happy again.”       “We’re trying, Mr. Smith,” Anna nods.       “By the way, George, why didn’t we see you among the guests?” Terrence frowns slightly. “You said you wanted to come to support us.”       “Oh, I was very late and arrived literally at the last minute,” George replies a little hesitantly. “Everybody began taking their places… And when I came, I got a place in the last line.”       “That’s why…” Daniel pronounces thoughtfully. “We thought you couldn’t come…”       “No, Daniel, how could you think I wouldn’t come to support my wards? I would not have left you without my support.”       “Thanks, George,” Edward thanks with a slight smile. “We’re glad you’re with us at such an exciting moment.”       “By the way, I came here with my wife, not alone. She is now sitting in the room, and I went to find your dressing room and talk to your team about something.”       “Yeah, haven’t you seen Blake or Ashton somewhere?” Peter asks. “We have something to ask him about.”       “I saw Blake recently,” George replies amicably. “He picked up a girl and is talking to her cutely.”       “Isn’t she someone from the dancers of Brianna Armstrong?” Edward chuckles kindly.       “No, I didn’t see those girls, and Brianna is invited to the scene to announce the winner. That’s a girl from the theater staff. Very sympathetic girl. And young. About the same age as he is.”       “I see…” Terrence pronounces thoughtfully. “If Connor went by a sympathetic girl, he wouldn’t be himself.”       “Come on!” George exclaims. “He’s a young boy, his hormones are going crazy. Let him speak to girls, hang out, and fall in love. What else would he do it again?”       The men say nothing and just shrug and look at each other before Blake runs into the dressing room without knocking on the door.       “M-m-m, nothing changes,” Daniel smiles slyly. “If you need Blake, just talk about him to someone. He’d fine you anywhere for several seconds.”       “Guys, I was just told you must be ready in twenty minutes,” Blake says confidently. “I was asked to tell you they would be waiting for you behind the scenes.”       “Alright, guys, get ready,” George says thoughtfully. “But I need to talk to one of the members of your team about something. I’ll be back to you a few minutes before you go on the scene.”       George claps Blake on the shoulder and leaves the dressing room in a rush, closing the door, while the others watch him.       “Hurry up, lads, faster!” Blake exclaims. “You haven’t even changed your clothes! They’re giving the last awards!”       “We know, Blake,” Terrence replies amicably. “Thanks for telling us.”       “Rock on there as hard as you can, guys! The people are kinda bored in the room. You’ve gotta have them a little excited before they all fall asleep.”       “Don’t worry about it, buddy,” Peter smiles slightly. “It’s gonna be super loud and hot there soon.”       “Hey, Connor, the lads and I have one mission for you…” Daniel says thoughtfully.       “Which?” Blake asks. “Go to the room with your beauties? I’d do it with pleasure!”       “Thanks, buddy, we’ll do it without you,” Edward raises his hand with the palm of it on Blake. “We’d actually like to ask you to provide us with tasty food after the end of the ceremony.”       “Food? Uh-h-h, okay… And what do I buy?”       “You know our preferences,” Peter replies confidently. “But if you forgot, I want something from chicken.”       “Something saucy for me,” Daniel adds. “To get my throat burning!”       “And don’t forget about sweet food for me!” Edward exclaims.       “Buy everything for me,” Terrence waves a hand. “I’d eat anything after this party!”       “Okay, I got it,” Blake slightly shrugs.       “And yeah, don’t forget about our sweet girl.”       “Don’t worry, men, I will do everything you love. Any other wishes?”       “No yet,” Peter pronounces amicably. “You can be free. Go have fun with the twin sisters from Brie’s dancers.”       “Uh-h-h, no… They’re busy now… But I met one very sympathetic girl who is working here.”       “George already told us,” Daniel smiles mysteriously.       “Okay, Don Juan, go have fun,” Terrence lets know. “But by the end of the ceremony, tasty hot food must be waiting for us. We do need energy for the party that will start after this ceremony.”       “Okay, I got it,” Blake raises his hand. “But if you need a service of a trustworthy company for your sweet ladies, I’m always at your service.”       “Oh, get out already, loveable bodyguard!” Edward chuckles kindly.       “C’mon, Connor, go,” Daniel jabs. “The lads and I need to change our clothes and get ready to go.”       “Okay, as you want…” Blake shrugs and looks at all the girls who are watching him with a slight smile. “By the way, girls, you all are charming! All men’s eyes are on you only.”       “Thanks, Blake,” Raquelle smiles shyly.       “We tried hard,” Anna fixes her hair.       “Everything for our men!” Helene adds.       “To make them happy,” Natalia smiles shyly.       “Trust me, they aren’t the only ones who you make happy,” Blake replies confidently.       “Okay, hot horse, get out of here,” Edward says confidently. “We’ve got a little time, but you’re showing off here!”       “Okay, okay, I’m getting out!” Blake raises his hands. “Luck, lads! And congrats on your first award! Your speech was really emotional.”       Blake glances at Daniel.       “And yeah, Dan… Remind Cassidy that she and I agreed to meet tomorrow and walk in the city. I promise I will personally bring her home when we want to say goodbye.”       Blake runs out of the dressing room quickly and closes the door, while everybody laughs quietly, watching him, and then looks at each other.       “My sister spends too much time with,” Daniel says thoughtfully. “And I don’t like it.”       “C’mon, Daniel,” Natalia smiles shyly. “The guys just walk together and talk. They have something common to talk about.”       “Every day, I pray that they don’t fall in love with each other. Or the kid is gonna get a lot of problems.”       “Don’t worry! They won’t fall in love! Blake doesn’t care about it as much as Cassidy. Besides, I think she needs a different guy for love. Someone to be older. More experienced. Someone who is almost the same age as you. She can be just friends with people of her age. I see nothing bad about it.”       “I don’t know what I’ll do if someday Cass comes to me and says that she’s in love with Connor.”       “She won’t fall in love, buddy, calm down,” Raquelle assures. “Cassidy just likes speaking to that boy. He does nothing bad to her. They just walk and entertain each other.”       “Yeah, these guys have been close in the past two weeks,” Anna smiles shyly.       “And this fact tenses me a lot,” Daniel confesses.       “I dunno, I personally see no reasons,” Anna crosses her arms over her chest. “Stop picking on him and expecting something bad from him. He got better a long time ago and aims to get on well with you.”       “I don’t pick on him! I just worry about my sister. I’m afraid that the boy can easily use her as well as he did to many of his exes and reject her after getting sick from her. I don’t want Cass to go home with tears and say Connor played with her and rejected her. She’d hardly take it. Cass is too little and quite sensitive.”       “Cassidy needs friends, Daniel,” Helene notices. “Friends of her age. Blake is one of her age. They have the same interests and mind. She can’t always speak to those who are five or ten years older than her. Yes, that girl treats us well, but remember that she may feel bored with us. We’re adult people, but she’s a child.”       “I know, friend…” Daniel crosses his arms over his chest. “But I don’t feel quiet.”       “Relax, dude!” Terrence exclaims. “We pinned Connor to the wall so that he’d hardly protest against us. And he wouldn’t hurt Cassidy. Fear of our anger. Afraid to lose his job.”       “I think so, as well,” Edward agrees. “Blake would be afraid to make you mad ‘cause he understands that you’d rip anyone for Cassidy. He does know he’s at your hook.”       “I dunno, guys…” Daniel sighs tiredly. “This situation tenses me.”       “The best thing you can do now is to accept the fact that they’re speaking,” Peter advises confidently. “And not to meddle. If they wanna talk, they’ll do this secretly. Despite all your bans. And Cass won’t surely listen to you.”       “She doesn’t even listen to me,” Daniel chuckles quietly. “When I remind her that I’m her older brother, who literally replaced a mother and a father to her, it doesn’t always work.”       “Anyway, if you don’t wanna make her your enemy, you'd better let Cassidy speak to Blake,” Raquelle advises. “Of course, you can know everything they do. You have a right. But don’t ban. Let the girl get experience. Even under your control. You’d get nothing by giving a ban. You’d just make her distance herself from you. Or push her to start any kind of dependence again.”       “You’re kinda right, yeah. I surely love my sister, wish her all the best, and will never leave her. But sometimes it’s too hard. Because she’s uncontrolled to some extent. Stubborn and mean. Loves doing what she wants.”       “Oh, Dan, I completely understand you,” Terrence replies confidently. “You think everything is easy with my little brother, who sometimes may be very annoying and insolent?”       “And how many nerves I spend on him!” Edward exclaims as he glances at Terrence. “How much he annoys me sometimes! And how much I suffered from Will and Jer! It’s okay, we get through it. Remember that we aren’t strangers to each other.”       “At least you two don’t have to watch each other and replace your parents,” Daniel notices. “I have to do this. Cassidy and I have no parents. And as an older brother, I must educate my sister and take care of her. Until she meets a decent guy and gets married to him.”       “Don’t think about it, Daniel,” Peter advises. “Maybe those two will end it all with friendship or a short pastime. Maybe everything will be over soon.”       “I wish it were really the friendship and nothing more.” Daniel takes a couple of walnuts from a small open packet and eats them.       “Accept it, Daniel,” Natalia says confidently. “Don’t be an enemy of your sister. And she’ll surely thank you for that someday.”       “Okay, I shall try,” Daniel promises. “I think you’re all right. I should take it easy. Besides, Blake really got much better and hasn’t done a bad trick to us or bullied us for no reason.”       “Wonderful, then,” Raquelle smiles slightly.       “Okay, guys, let’s change the subject,” Edward suggests confidently. “And start to get ready for the performance.”       “Yeah, since Connor said they’d be waiting for us, we should change our clothes,” Terrence says thoughtfully.       “As I understand, are you gonna be on the scene in twenty minutes?” Helene specifies.       “We should be standing behind the scenes in twenty minutes,” Peter replies quietly. “And then everything depends on how long the winners and the hosts will be speaking.”       “Listen, maybe we can eat something quickly?” Raquelle asks. “Or at least, drink? All my cookies are gone! I want a little bit more.”       “We can,” Natalia nods. “Maybe we should really go to eat? Then the girls and I will come back to the room, and you’ll be getting ready.”       “Hey, they’re offering tasty drinks here,” Edward notices. “I’d drink something with pleasure.”       “Then let’s go at least to drink?” Peter suggests. “Wet the throat. I’ve got a dry one due to the excitement.”       “Cool idea!” Helene exclaims. “Let’s go!”       The men and the girls want to leave the dressing room, but they pay attention to Daniel, who stops Anna, taking her by the wrist.       “Uh-h-h, beautiful, stay for a second…” Daniel says little hesitantly.       “What’s wrong?” Anna wonders.       “Hey, guys, are you coming?” Raquelle addresses Daniel and Anna as she frowns slightly.       “Go, guys, I’ll catch you later…” Daniel says quietly. “I need to talk to Anna…”       “Talk?” Anna opens her eyes widely. “About what?”       “Something that’s important to me.”       “Listen, lovebirds, if you wanna stay alone for a while, say it exactly,” Peter smiles mysteriously.       “Yeah, ‘talk’ is a synonym for the word ‘flirt,’” Natalia laughs shyly.       “I want to do something before I go on the scene,” Daniel confesses a little hesitantly and raises his head. “And I won’t go there until I do this.”       “What?” Anna rounds her eyes in surprise.       “Hey, that’s interesting…” Terrence rubs his hands with a sly smile.       “Okay, buddy, now speak out what you want to do,” Edward says confidently.       “Is that so important that you refuse to go on the stage until you do what you want?” Helene smiles mysteriously.       “Uh-h-h…” Daniel stutters. “Yes… It’s very important to me…”       “And what’s that?” Natalia asks.       “I… Uh-h-h… Listen, guys, I… I’ll explain everything later… Go to drink something, and I’ll catch you…”       “M-m-m, secrets again, Perkins?” Peter shakes his head with a sly smile. “Don’t dare to say you got into something again!”       “No, no, I didn’t get. The case is different.”       “Anna, maybe you can explain what he wants from you?” Raquelle moves her eyes to Anna.       “Yes, Anna, what’s happening to Daniel?” Edward wonders.       “I swear, guys, I don’t understand anything, either…” Anna shakes her head and moves her surprised look to Daniel. “What’s going on, Daniel? Why did you change? You kinda got pale and scared… As if you saw a ghost!”       “Or real blood,” Terrence laughs shyly and gets a slight clap on the forearm from Raquelle.       “It has to do only with us two, sweetie…” Daniel replies hesitantly, caressing Anna’s shoulders. “I want to do something that has to do with you and me.”       “And what’s that?” Anna wonders.       “Nothing terrible. Don’t worry.”       “Yeah, nothing terrible…” Peter chuckles kindly. “As if you really saw something terrible or got a problem… You got so pale for the reason.”       “Listen, guys…” Daniel looks at all his friends. “I… I promise I’ll explain everything… But later. Let me do what I want, and then you will know everything.”       “We’re your friends, Daniel,” Helene recalls. “If you wanna do something, do this with our pretense.”       “No… I… I’m not sure if I should do it with your pretense… I don’t know if I can… It’s… Too personal…”       “God, what’s wrong?” Natalia moans tiredly. “Speak out, at last! You do say we’re like a second family to you, but you try to hide something again.”       “I know, but…”       “Don’t be afraid, Daniel,” Edward says confidently. “Just do what you want. We aren’t strangers to you. We will get everything. And we ain’t gonna mock and laugh.”       “C’mon!” Raquelle exclaims.       At first, Daniel hesitates and regrets talking about the wish to do something. But then, seeing that his friends are not going to leave him alone until their friend confesses everything, he realizes that nothing bad will happen if he does what he wanted here and here, with the pretense of his friends and girlfriend.       “Okay…” Daniel pronounces hesitantly, looking at everybody with a little scared look, comes to Anna slowly, takes her hands softly, swallows nervously, and looks into her eyes a little scarily, while she looks at him with a slight smile, and their friends are watching what’s happening with interest. “It’s… Gonna be not easy for me to do it… But I should… But first, I want you to listen to me.”       “Sure, sweetie, speak,” Anna smiles shyly. “I’m listening to you. And whatever you say now, I will support you anyway.”       “Okay…”       Daniel spends several seconds getting ready to do what he wants, looking nervous enough, and looking like he is going to get a terrible punishment or be disappointed after he does something. Nevertheless, he puts himself together and starts speaking what he has had in his mind for a long time.       “Anna, my dear…” Daniel pronounces with a slight smile in a little shaking voice. “I have no words to describe everything I have felt for you the whole time we’ve been together. It’s been about two years… I was never as happy as I’ve been happy since I met you. Since the day you became my girlfriend.”       While Anna smiles much wider, the others look at each other mysteriously. The men chuckle quietly, but the girls stop them and ask to be silent, seeing that Daniel is too excited and does not know what to do.       “I will never forget the day you accidentally ran into me running somewhere after the call that made me mad. Since that day, my whole world and my life have changed and turned upside down. I consider our first meeting a blessing. Because it gave me a chance to meet the most amazing and inimitable girl in the world, who became so close and beloved to me.”       “Daniel…” Anna smiles shyly.       “I will not forget myself saying that I wanted to be with you and felt sympathy for you earlier than I planned,” Daniel laughs shyly. “Yes, maybe I looked like an idiot… But I don’t regret doing that stupidity… The stupidity that made me absolutely happy and gave me a reason to live. That gave me a chance to feel beloved and needed.”       The girls do not stop smiling widely, while Anna barely holds her tears down, and the men chuckle kindly, watching what’s happening with interest and listening to their friend, who is getting over his excitement more or less and just saying what he feels while holding his girlfriend’s hands tightly.       “Meeting you is the real gift of fate that I could get. You’re not only the one I love. You’re my best friend. The friend I can always count on at any time. You’re always with me, no matter what happens to me. You always take care of me with love and soul. I’ve said many times that I was looking for the one to give me the love that I got from my parents. Someone to recreate the atmosphere I grew up in. Or even make it much better. I was looking for the one I could talk about everything with. And I found my perfect girl. She’s standing in front of me. And disarming me with her gorgeous smile.”       It’s getting harder for Anna to hold her tears down, and she looks at Daniel smiling shyly with half-wet eyes.       “And now I don’t doubt that nobody will tear us apart. Because we can overcome anything together and get much closer to each other. Whatever life gives us, I will never leave you. I’m absolutely sure I really want it and will not change my mind. And yeah… And I really want us to become a family. I want to keep building what we’ve already built. I wasn’t sure about it fully and asked myself if it would give me happiness. But now I’m absolutely sure that I want to live my whole life with you. Want to see you by my side every day and never break with you.”       At this moment, Daniel’s friends start smiling mysteriously but do not find the courage to speak aloud about their guess, just watching what’s happening with great interest and waiting for what is going to happen.       “That’s why I want to do something right now,” Daniel says a little excitedly and swallows nervously. “I want to ask you one question. Want to hear your answer.”       Daniel falls into silence for two seconds and exhales sharply. And then he puts a hand in the inside pocket of his jacket with a slight smile and takes a small box made from black velvet. While the girls open their mouths and ooh, and the men smile widely and shake their heads, Perkins gets down on his knee before Anna, who closes her mouth with both hands with widely open, wet eyes.       “Anna Charlotte Seymour, my treasure, princess of my heart…” Daniel pronounces in a little shaking voice. “Will you marry me?”       “Oh, my God, he proposed to her!” Helene exclaims happily.       “Guys, am I now sleeping?” Terrence shakes his head and puts his hand on his heart. “Did I live ‘till this day?”       “Okay, friend, do not dare to say, ‘No’!” Natalia jabs excitedly. “Agree now! Or I don’t know what I’m gonna do to you!”       Anna gets frozen in surprise as she watches Daniel take the box, get down to his knee, and propose to her to marry. At some moment, the girl glances at her friends with tears coming to her eyes, and they persuade the girl to agree, repeating words like “yes” and “agree.”       “There could be no other answer…” Anna whispers in a little shaking voice, wipes tears carefully under her eyes, bends to Daniel with a slight smile, and grabs his face softly. “Of course, yes.”       “Yes?” Daniel rounds his eyes with a slight smile. “You will?”       “I will. Without doubt.”       What a great relief Daniel feels when hearing that Anna agreed to become his wife so confidently. His nervousness and fear of getting ashamed in front of his friends immediately leave, and he smiles widely, rejoicing loudly and screaming with happiness like crazy in his mind. While the girls literally cry from happiness, and the men watch what’s happening with a wide smile, Daniel smiles widely as he takes a ring made of real silver with a few-carat brilliant and two or three small diamonds near it, and the unusual weaving of the other half of the jewelry. The man puts the box in the pocket, takes Anna's hand, smiling widely and wiping tears off with a free hand, and puts the magnificent ring on her ring finger with his shaking hand. When the ring is on her hand, Anna looks at it with admiration in her eyes, moves her eyes to Daniel, and starts laughing nervously. The man wants to get up and hug her, but the girl bends to him, grabs his face, and gives him a tender kiss on the lips, to which he answers immediately, standing on his knee.       “Bravo!” Peter rejoices with a wide smile.       “Bravo!” the others repeat funnily.       Peter is the first one to start applauding loudly, and then Edward, Terrence, Raquelle, Helene, and Natalia join him. While Daniel and Anna kiss each other with great love after becoming fiancé and fiancée, paying no attention to anything, their friends start applauding louder every second and shouting out something like, “hooray,” “bravo,” or “finally.” During the kiss, Daniel gets up on his feet and keeps kissing Anna with a greater tenderness and love, holding her face softly, while she places her hands on his hips. But later, the lovers hug each other tightly and very touchingly, along with deafening applause, whistles, and whoops of their rejoicing friends. The girl runs her hands over the man’s back and nuzzles her nose in his shoulder, against which she wipes tears off, while he lifts her up for a few seconds in happiness, caresses her head tenderly, and runs his fingers through the long, soft hair of his fiancée, the smell of which he breathes in, not hiding his wide smile.       “Guys, you’re engaged!” Natalia shouts happily. “Engaged!”       “The wedding bouquet pointed at our soon-to-be bride,” Edward smiles widely.       “Yes, friends!” Daniel exclaims with a wide smile, and his head proudly raised, hugging Anna by the waist. “Anna and I are engaged.”       “A-a-a, I can’t believe it!” Peter whoops happily. “It has finally happened!”       “You knew it, guys,” Anna smiles mysteriously. “You knew he’d propose to me to marry tonight.”       “No, Anna, come on!” Raquelle protests. “I swear we knew nothing!”       “Yes, Daniel said nothing to us,” Edward adds confidently.       “It’s true, sweetie,” Daniel addresses Anna. “I told nobody about my wish to propose to you to marry. Well… Except Cassidy… She knew it.”       “Cassidy knew it?” Anna rounds her eyes.       “I showed her the ring when it was ready to know what she thought of it. And she really liked it.”       “A-a-a-a, dude, do you know you just made me freaking happy?” Terrence yells happily. “I lived until for this moment! I lived!”       “You did it, Daniel!” Peter yells with a wide smile. “You did! You made Anna happy as well as all of us.”       “Oh, gosh, guys!” Natalia pronounces happily and puts her hands on her cheeks. “I’m so happy for you! You’re gonna get married soon, too!”       “Hoora-a-a-ay!” Anna shouts funnily, raising her hand. “I’m getting married!”       “I’m gonna marry!” Daniel throws his hands.       After laughing quietly, Edward, Peter, and Terrence literally attack Daniel, while Natalia, Helene, and Raquelle attack Anna to congratulate them on the long-awaited engagement.       “I’m engaged, girls!” Anna cannot believe with wet eyes from tears. “It seems like a dream!”       “It’s not a dream, sweetie!” Raquelle smiles widely, caressing Anna’s head. “You’re gonna get married soon, too! As you wanted!”       “Yeah… Wanted… Much! I was dying of how much I wanted!” Anna shows her friends the ring gifted by Daniel. “Look, girls! Here!”       “Gosh, what a beautiful ring!” Helene admires with gloss in her eyes, looking at Anna’s engagement ring better. “I’ve never seen anything like this in a jewelry shop!”       “Indeed, it’s magnificent!” Raquelle agrees with a wide smile.       “I’m in love with it!” Anna exclaims. “No jewelry of mine can be compared with this one.”       “A-a-a-a, friend, we’re so happy for you!” Natalia whoops happily, hugging Anna around the shoulders and pressing her to herself. “You’ll also get married to your beloved man!”       “You’re my angels, girls! Thanks to you and your bouquets, I’ll finally get married to Daniel! My wait is over!”       “Well, you said you were happy with everything,” Helene recalls. “So, my grandma was right that you didn’t tell the truth and were actually waiting for the proposal.”       “I really wanted to marry him. But I was ready to wait and leave everything as it was. If I had insisted upon a wedding, Daniel would’ve been scared and never proposed to me. Or actually left me.”       “Ah, my darling, I think Perkins has been ready to marry for a long time,” Raquelle smiles mysteriously. “He just reflected on his decision well. That’s the thing that changes everything.”       “But that’s good he understood that nothing terrible would happen if he got married to you,” Helene laughs shyly. “You’re a perfect wife to him! Cook well, watch the order at the house, and take care of this man.”       “I’m glad Daniel appreciated it,” Anna replies quietly       “Congrats, friend!” Natalia exclaims happily. “Congrats! Congrats with all my heart! You deserved this gift.”       “You’ll be very happy with Daniel, sweetie,” Helene smiles shyly. “You can’t find another wonderful man like him.”       “Next to him, you’re gonna feel like a queen,” Raquelle adds confidently with a slight smile. “And since your parents adore him, they’re gonna be jumping with happiness when you tell them you’re gonna get married to him.”       “I know…” Anna smiles widely, wiping tears carefully under her eyes. “I know…”       “A-a-aww…” Helene, Natalia, and Raquelle look at Anna with tender feelings.       “Aw, girls…” Anna smiles widely. “I love you so much…”       “We love you, too, sunshine,” Natalia, Helene, and Raquelle pronounce at a different time and take Anna in a group hug.       When Raquelle, Helene, and Natalia step away from Anna, they hug their friend by one and share an amicable kiss on the cheek with her.       “So what, bros,” Daniel pronounces with a sly smile, and his head proudly raised. “I did say you’d know everything soon.”       “So, were you, asshole, planning the engagement for a long time?” Terrence stares at Daniel surprisingly. “Your sister knew everything, but you told us nothing?”       “Sorta.”       “But when did you decide to propose?”       “I began to think about it a lot before the story of the amnesia. But it was the reason why I had to put my plans aside. And proposing to marry after making peace wasn’t kinda good. Though I really wanted, to be honest… However, I had waited for things to get better. Waited for Edward and Natalia and Terrence and Raquelle to get married.”       “Hey, why did you do it now?” Peter wonders. “I thought you’d go on a date with Anna, invite her somewhere, and something like that…”       “Some time before the ceremony, I just promised myself that if you and I won the award in the nomination ‘Breakup of the Year,’ I would choose the moment before going on the stage to propose to Anna. And we won… So, I should’ve kept my promise. Even if I gave it to myself only.”       “So, would Anna have had to wait if we’d lost?” Edward wonders.       “No, I would’ve done that. But I would’ve, as Pete said, gone on a date and invited Anna to a beautiful place.”       “Wow, I didn’t really hope to live ‘til your wedding!” Terrence confesses funnily. “I thought Parker would’ve gotten married sooner than you would’ve decided at least to think about it! But no, you, sly ass, outsmarted everyone and planned the engagement secretly!”       “A bride’s bouquet does miracles, men!” Edward laughs shyly. “Anna caught it – so, our friend proposed to her, and we didn’t even know about it.”       “Listen, we can finally call him a fiancé!” Peter notices happily and covers his face with his hands for a second. “Oh, shit! Daniel Christopher Perkins is a fiancé! A-a-a-a! Who would’ve thought! No, no, it’s not real!”       “Hey, did you think Anna would agree?” Terrence asks. “Or were afraid she’d love to think or decline it?”       “Nope, I was sure Anna would’ve agreed,” Daniel confesses with a slight smile. “Though I was terribly excited and afraid that something would go wrong. But… It was much better than I expected.”       “But how long would you and Anna have kept a secret from us if we hadn’t made you do this with our pretense?” Peter asks.       “Not so much. I would’ve told everything at once. And Anna wouldn’t have been silent for too long. But since I knew you wouldn’t have laughed and would’ve let me do what I wanted, I let you become witnesses of this event.”       “We? Laughing?” Terrence surprises loudly. “Come on, Daniel! How could we be laughing at such an important moment? Moreover, we were waiting for your engagement for so long! How long you were feeding us with promises but doing nothing…”       “Yeah, we started to lose hope little by little,” Edward confesses. “Thought we shouldn’t have expected your wedding.”       “Listen, we’ve been lately fucking lucky!” Peter exclaims cheerfully. “Edward and Terrence’s wedding, the band’s first award, and now Daniel is gonna get married!”       “Yeah, when I told you about my engagement, I couldn’t even imagine Perkins being a fiancé,” Edward laughs shyly.       “Ah, fiancé…” Terrence pronounces cheerfully and sharply exhales. “I’ve always wanted to call Dan a fiancé! A-a-a, fiancé! Perkins is a fiancé!”       “Yeah, Perkins, why the fuck did you play time like that?” Peter shakes his head. “Anna is such a cool girl! Beautiful, smart, caring, loyal, and loving. But you were torturing her!”       “Exactly!” Edward exclaims. “The girl was waiting for you to grow up and propose to her for so long! She was silent, waiting patiently… You made her wait for two years! Two years, man! Even Terrence didn’t wait for so long!”       “Yeah, I confess, I’m a little late…” Daniel says confidently. “But now I’m absolutely sure about my decision. And stopped doubting she’d agree. And I realized that living in a marriage wouldn’t be so bad. If you meet the right person, you can still do anything and not be limited.”       “Huh, she just couldn’t reject it!” Terrence chuckles kindly. “Especially after you hinted at a long and happy life together. So, Anna was patiently waiting for her ring and the desired, ‘Will you marry me?’ But she was silent and was happy with what was happening. Well, or pretending that she liked everything.”       “That’s what I liked! I liked the fact that nobody forced me to marry. Anna didn’t have hysterics because of living together and being unmarried. Even if she could do. And her parents could’ve banned us from living together until getting married.”       “Thank, heaven!” Peter pronounces happily, raising his hands. “Our friend finally grew up for that! Hoora-ay!”       “Hey, guys!” Daniel points at the men with a finger. “You’re the first ones to be on my guest list! Got it? You’re gonna be groomsmen!”       “M-m-m, that’s interesting…” Edward smiles mysteriously.       “You must come to my wedding! I don’t know what I will do to you if you don’t!”       “No, buddy!” Edward shakes his head, clapping Daniel on the shoulder. “We won’t miss this historical moment not for anything! And as the people who have experience for weddings, we’ll help you and Anna celebrate it so that your guests remember it for a hundred years.”       “Deal, guys!” Daniel clicks his fingers. “We’ll have fun at one more wedding! And one more bachelor! Right, my bros?”       “Yea-a-a-ah!” Terrence, Peter, and Edward make happy whoops.       Edward, Peter, and Terrence congratulate Daniel on the engagement with wide smiles on their faces, hugging him tightly by one and clapping him on the back, a shoulder, or the head.       “Congrats, fiancé!” Terrence congratulates happily.       “Congrats, buddy,” Edward smiles widely.       “Congrats, bro,” Peter pronounces with a true smile.       “Thank you so much, guys!” Daniel thanks with a wide smile. “Thanks.”       “So what, Rose, you’re the last!” Edward notices cheerfully. “The last one to be unmarried from our gang.”       “Yes, Pete, I’m passing the baton to you!” Daniel says confidently, clapping Peter on the shoulder. “It’s your time to propose to Helene to marry.”       “Let’s not forget that you caught the garter at the wedding, while Helene caught the bouquet,” Terrence smiles mysteriously. “So, you must have a wedding.”       “And as far as I understand, am I gonna have to tolerate your jokes about Helene waiting for my proposal for too long?” Peter chuckles kindly, putting his hands on his hips.       “If you don’t wait for two or three years and make the good girl wait, we won’t be joking at you,” Edward promises with a sly smile.       “Don’t worry, guys, when I propose to Helene, you’ll be the first ones to know,” Peter promises. “Now I’ll only say that I’m thinking a lot about it. Now I’m able to think of living with this girl and even marrying her.”       “Go, go, blond, think faster!” Daniel exclaims cheerfully. “We all wanna have fun at your wedding to Helene!”       “God, you first play your wedding and then talk about another!” Terrence laughs shyly. “Or don’t you mind a double wedding?”       “Well, if Rose grows up into that in the nearest time, we can have another double wedding!” Daniel shrugs. “Why not? I’d be happy to have fun at the wedding of my neighbor, best friend, bandmate, and so-called brother. And become a groom myself!”       “It would be grandiose!” Edward notices cheerfully.       While Peter says nothing and just smiles mysteriously, the girls come to him and the men, wishing to congratulate Daniel.       “Congrats on your engagement. Daniel!” Raquelle exclaims happily.       “Congrats, Daniel!” Natalia and Helene congratulate with a wide smile at a different time.       “Thank you so much, girls!” Daniel thanks amicably, taking Raquelle, Natalia, and Helene in his hug and sharing an amicable kiss on the cheek with them. “Raquelle, Natalia, Helene…”       “Take care of our friend and make her happy,” Helene says with a slight smile and threatens Daniel with a finger. “Remember that we’re waiting for you. If you hurt our friend, you’re gonna have to explain it to us.”       “Yeah, we’ll shake you up worse than the lads!” Natalia says confidently.       “Relax, girls,” Daniel laughs quietly. “You don’t have to do this. Anna is gonna feel very good with me. You know it well.”       “Okay, but we warned you!” Raquelle exclaims. “So, Perkins, be a good guy if you don’t wanna ask for troubles!”       “I swear solemnly!” Daniel raises his hands.       Helene, Natalia, and Raquelle shyly laugh along with Daniel, and then the man hugs every one of them again, while the men surround Anna, congratulate her, hug her tightly, and share an amicable kiss on the cheek with her.       “Congrats, Anna!” Edward congratulates amicably.       “Congrats, friend!” Terrence exclaims with a slight smile.       “Congrats, honey!” Peter pronounces happily. “I believe you got what you were waiting for so long?”       “I did, guys!” Anna smiles widely. “And I still can’t believe it!”       “You’ll be surprised, but we can’t do either. We started to lose hope of hanging out at your wedding. But now we’ve got a chance!”       “I didn’t believe I’d hear these words. And I was ready to accept the fact that I would never get married.”       “Yeah, Daniel is late enough for the proposal,” Terrence admits. “But now you two are sure you want it.”       “If he’d wanted, I would’ve remained his girlfriend. Because I love him too much.”       “No, my darling, Perkins would’ve proposed to you early or late,” Edward smiles shyly. “People may be dating and living together for years and then play a wedding. Yes, of course, someone lives happily, and someone breaks up. But trust me, when a man is serious towards you, he’ll surely decide to marry you someday.”       “I know…” Anna nods. “But it doesn’t make sense now.”       “Take care of our friend, Anna,” Peter smiles shyly. “Love him and be loyal to him. Daniel needs care and love. And you’re the only one who can give what he needs. You know that the lads and I wanna see him happy.”       “And remember that you can always come to us if you need help,” Terrence says amicably. “As close friends of you and Daniel, we’ll always find a way to help you and advise you on something.”       “Losing this treasure would be a sin!” Edward exclaims, caressing Anna’s shoulder softly. “You can’t find another man like him!”       “I don’t need another one,” Anna replies confidently. “I wanna take care of what I have.”       “Wonderful, then.”       After Anna hugs Edward, Peter, and Terrence tightly again and thanks them for their warm words, the others join them.       “So what, guys, congrats to you again with all the heart!” Raquelle exclaims happily, who is hugged by Terrence by the waist. “It finally happened!”       “A bride’s magic bouquet does real miracles,” Helene adds funnily, while Peter puts his arm around her neck and presses the girl to himself. “Maybe, omens don’t always work, but there are exceptions sometimes.”       “That’s why I’m starting to believe in miracles of this omen,” Terrence laughs shyly.       “Hey, Daniel, the ring you gifted Anna is just magnificent,” Natalia smiles widely, while Edward hugs her around the shoulders. “The girls and I really love it!”       “Indeed, it’s really very beautiful,” Edward notices, looking at Anna’s engagement ring on her hand. “I would say, unusual. I didn’t see anything like this in jewelry shops.”       “Right, because I made a custom order,” Daniel confesses with a slight smile.       “Order?” Peter wonders.       “Uh-huh. Used my fantasy and created my own design.”       “Did you?” Raquelle smiles slightly.       “Yup. And I had to pay a lot of money for the exclusive ring and pay for all the additional changes. There were a lot of them, honestly. Though I’d pay any price for my beauty.”       “M-m-m, does it mean anyone doesn’t have the same ring?” Anna smiles mysteriously while Daniel is hugging her by the waist. “Will I be the only one to own this beauty?”       “Exactly, honey. You’re the only one to have this ring.”       “That’s cool!” Peter exclaims cheerfully. “But the ring is really very beautiful.”       “It’s my favorite jewelry now!” Anna confesses with a wide smile, glancing at her new ring that shines on her ring finger. “Everything I have is nothing in comparison with this beauty.”       Anna does not hold down her happy whoops, while the others smile shyly, and Daniel hugs her tightly with his arms.       “And when we play a wedding, we’ll have one more bride,” Raquelle says confidently, hugging the blushed Helene around the shoulders. “Yes, yes, Marshall, we will be waiting for your wedding with Rose after Perkins and Seymour’s wedding.”       “Don’t worry, girls, the guys and I already told Peter to get ready to propose next,” Daniel laughs amicably.       “Oh, gosh, guys…” Helene gets blush, closing her face with her hands for a second.       “Yes, yes, sweetie!” Anna smiles widely. “Soon, you will make your grandmother, who’s been dreaming of your wedding and getting grandchildren for a long time, happy. And Sammy is gonna jump with happiness in the whole apartment. If he moves into Pete’s large house.”       “He may be so happy that he may be able to destroy my whole house and annoy me at any time,” Peter adds funnily.       “Hey, buddy, you'd better think of making our friend happy instead of finding excuses,” Natalia advises funnily. “She’s also waiting for that happy day.”       “It will happen someday, friends,” Helene smiles shyly. “If it happens, you’ll be the first ones to know.”       “Hey, how happy Cassidy is gonna be after she hears her brother’s gonna get married!” Edward assumes with a wide smile. “And how overwhelmed Mr. and Mrs. Seymour are gonna be!”       “Yeah, fiancé and fiancée, when are ya gonna tell the others about your engagement?” Peter smiles mysteriously. “Relatives… Friends…”       “Cass will know it tonight when we’re back home,” Daniel replies with a slight smile.       “And I’ll call my parents or visit them tomorrow,” Anna promises confidently.       “Yeah, they’d probably call all their friends and familiars and tell them their daughter is gonna get married,” Raquelle assumes funnily.       “A-a-a, is this really true?” Anna makes a quiet, happy whoop. “I still can’t believe it!”       “You have to believe, friend,” Terrence notices with a slight smile. “We all became witnesses to this amazing moment.”       “That’s right!” Helene exclaims. “And we promise we’ll help you have the wedding that everyone will remember for a long time!”       “We’ll surely talk about everything during the dinner, with which we’ll celebrate our lovebirds’ engagement,” Edward adds with a sly smile.       “Undoubtedly!” Daniel nods. “When we sing the song, we can celebrate it somehow.”       Time goes too fast while everyone is busy with this talk, and nobody notices that the performance of the men is getting closer and closer. That’s what two organizers of the ceremony come to remind them of, knocking at the door quietly, opening it, and looking into the room, while the friends fall into silence sharply.       “Young men, you must be standing behind the scenes in ten minutes!” one of the organizers says confidently.       “Your team is checking and preparing your instruments,” the other organizer adds. “We ask you to go behind the scenes immediately and expect our orders.”       “Thanks a lot, we will come now,” Terrence replies amicably.       The organizers nod and rush to go somewhere, discussing something on the way and examining the papers in their hands.       “So, we’ll be performing soon,” Edward says thoughtfully. “Gotta change our clothes.”       “Listen, do we have time to drink some water?” Daniel asks tiredly. “I got so excited that my throat is dry now.”       “Why we go!” Peter exclaims. “There is a cooler of water placed not far. Let’s get some water.”       “Right!” Edward exclaims. “I forgot about it at all.”       “Go, go,” Helene agrees. “And then the girls and I will come back to the room and be waiting for your performance.”       “Oh, gosh, gosh, I’m gonna see you on the scene for the first time!” Natalia jabs excitedly. “I’m so happy! So happy!”       “And how happy we are that we’re gonna perform for you on stage,” Daniel smiles mysteriously. “I can’t wait to get out and sing.”       Keep talking about something excitedly and laughing shyly at something, Natalia, Anna, Helene, Edward, Daniel, and Peter leave the dressing room, while Terrence and Raquelle do not rush to follow them. To be clear, the girl does not. And the man decides to stay with her and find out why.       “Won’t you go?” Terrence asks.       “Nope, I’ll go later…” Raquelle shrugs slightly.       “Why?”       “Just don’t want.”       “Let’s just stand with the guys.”       “I’ll catch them now. But now I’d like to talk to you.”       “You have problems?” Terrence comes to Raquelle smiling shyly, and caresses her cheeks tenderly. “Something’s bothering you?”       “Not quite. But we really have something to talk about.”       “You’re scaring and tensing me.”       “Don’t worry, sweetie, don’t be so nervous. It’s okay.”       Raquelle takes Terrence in a tender hug, to which he answers a little hesitantly, caressing his wife’s back. The girl herself puts her arms around the man’s neck and caresses his head softly, running her fingers through his soft hair. After she steps away, the girl smiling slightly takes her husband’s hands, looking into his eyes with all the tenderness and love.       “I just wanna thank you.”       “For what?” Terrence rounds his eyes.       “For everything. For everything you’ve done to me. For always supporting me, being by my side, and caring about me as nobody else does.”       “And thank you for making me so happy. I’ve never felt as good as I do now.”       “Sometimes I did something stupid and bad towards you. It especially often happened at the beginning of our relationship. But you found the courage to forgive me and keep loving me, despite all my weaknesses.”       “After our meeting, I was just sure that I would marry you someday. I knew you would become the mother of my children. Just looked at you and thought, ‘I will marry her!’ And I got married.”       “You’ve always had so many fans, among whom you could choose anyone.”       “But I chose you. Because you didn’t act as the others did. And I liked it. I liked the fact that you weren’t like everyone.”       “Yeah…” Raquelle laughs shyly. “I didn’t imagine my love story would be like this, of course. I thought it should’ve been tender, innocent, and romantic. But… Ours started differently. And… I liked it.”       “I’ve met many different girls. Many of them were good. But none of them made me look at her so that I was ready to sacrifice everything. And I had no time to date someone and look for girlfriends. I was busy with my work: endless shootings, interviews, traveling, and so on. I was living on a schedule and barely found time to spend it with Mother, my friends, and to have a rest. But I was happy with everything and complained about nothing. Though I sometimes needed something new… Sometimes wanted to have some fun and try something new… But I could not… Because I had no time. A wish to stop living in poverty and help Mother with money was too strong. And for that, I was ready to work for hours.”       “I lived in the same way. The same crazy schedule. And I was happy with that. I was just working, going somewhere, and barely standing on my feet from terrible exhaustion at the end of the day. I wanted to earn money for my grandfather and me and prove to myself that I was worth something. That I’m not what I was considered. When I got a chance to show myself, I doubted. But then I realized that it was time to kick everybody to say I could do nothing and would never be happy. So, I was working hard for hours. Working to hear praises again and again. Critics had me upset, but praises gave me high… However… You know what I’d been before I met you…”       “Many things have changed since that time. Good and bad things happened – I don’t deny it. But I regret nothing. Because that’s what brought me to the moment I found my happiness next to you and started to live much better than before. We’ve gotten through so much that I’m afraid of nothing and ready to overcome any difficulties that we’ll surely run into in the future. Just like any family couple.”       “Everything I’ve experienced for years of my life has taught me a lot. I no longer have to prove that I am worth something and am not what everyone considered me. I don’t have to jump outta my skin to get praise from someone. Because I learned to love myself. And I let go of my offences on those who bullied me.”       “And despite your career issues, you still shine,” Terrence smiles shyly. “You shine as bright as a star in the sky. And I didn’t leave my acting career and am ready to work on it.”       “I’m sure you’ll get a proposal that you won’t reject. You’ll do what will make people stop associating you with Mason Houston, on whom all girls had a crush in the 00s.”       “I don’t mind them associating me with Mason. And I will never forget the work on ‘American Love Affair.’ I’ve already outgrown that character. It would be stupid to remain a young boy for people. I’m not already eighteen. I'm almost thirty. I am an adult man. Mason Houston has grown up.”       “Of course, you will, my honey,” Raquelle caresses Terrence’s cheeks tenderly and runs her fingers through her hair, running them over his forehead to the back of his head. “So much is waiting for you.”       “I know…” Terrence smiles shyly. “However, I’m interested in acting much less. At the moment, I’m fully focused on music. Working with my band is in the first place. The first album with my songs is recently out. My own songs that I was working on.”       “I don’t doubt that every new album of yours will be much better than the previous one. I listen to the debut album with pleasure all day. I am already learning the lyrics of songs to sing louder than everyone at shows of you and the lads.”       “If our child loves my music and takes after me, I’ll be madly happy and teach him or her everything I can do.”       “Who knows, honey…” Raquelle moves her eyes aside for a second with a slight smile. “And if they love watching me walk on a runway and shooting for magazines and commercials, I’ll teach them all my secrets.”       “Not loving you is impossible. People do love you. They’re literally ready to hold you in their arms. You and I still receive a lot of congratulations on the wedding from around the whole world! Though it’s been a long time.”       “I know…” Raquelle shrugs. “And to put an end to my new life, I decided to change my hair a little. I went to a hair salon and dyed my hair…”       Raquelle easily moves a few strands of her hair off her forehead. She used to have brown hair, but now it has turned into an ombre. A dark shade on the top blends perfectly into a blond one on the bottom, so that she has a very beautiful gradient.       “People say, when a girl wants changes, she gets a new hair: cutting, dying, and doing something to her hair,” Terrence smiles shyly.       “Maybe…” Raquelle smiles mysteriously. “I always dyed my hair before great changes in my life. When I started a modeling career, I dyed my hair black. When I started to date you, I changed it to brown. And now I got a double shade.”       “You’re gorgeous with any hair color. Though I’m admired by this color. I really love it so much. With new hair, you even look two or three years younger.”       “Thanks, sweetheart,” Raquelle thanks and gives Terrence a sweet kiss on the cheek, after which he smiles shyly. “I knew you’d like this.”       Terrence says nothing and, holding Raquelle’s face in his hands, rubs the tip of his nose against her nose with a quiet chuckle and makes her shyly laugh. At some moment, they hear the voices of the organizers who let everyone know that Bethany and Seth should be ready to come back to the scene.       “Hey…” Raquelle smiles slightly. “Before I’m back to the room, I would like to say something…”       “What?” Terrence asks.       “I’ve got a little surprise for you. I mean, the news nobody knows yet.”       “Surprise? Which surprise?”       “I learned it just recently and… I’d like you to know it first.”       “Speak, I’m listening to you.”       Before she answers, Raquelle says nothing for several seconds and smiles mysteriously, while she has a special gloss in her eyes, takes Terrence’s hands softly, and looks into his eyes, saying in a little shaking voice:       “I’m pregnant.”       Terrence opens his mouth, setting his surprised look on the smiling Raquelle, says nothing for two or three seconds, and tries to make sure that he did not mishear it.       “Are you w-w-what?” Terrence asks in a shaking voice.       “Pregnant,” Raquelle smiles widely. “We’re expecting a baby.”       “But…” Terrence stutters and shakes his head with a slight smile. “Wait, you… Wait… Are you sure you’re pregnant? Isn’t this a joke?”       “No, honey, it’s not a joke,” Raquelle replies softly. “You’re gonna be a dad soon. Just like you wanted.”       “But how did you know?”       “The doctor said.”       “The doctor?”       “Yes. Somewhere two weeks ago, I started to feel the same symptoms that I had during my first pregnancy. When I had a miscarriage… So, I went to the doctor when I had some free time. They examined me… I gave all the tests… And they confirmed my pregnancy. Well… I actually made several positive tests before I went.”       “That’s why…” Terrence pronounces thoughtfully. “I was wondering why you’d lately looked tired…”       “So true. Slight dizziness and nausea that I suffered from were caused by the pregnancy.”       “But why didn’t you tell me about it before?” Terrence wonders. “We could go to the hospital together!”       “I would’ve done. But you and the lads had an interview and a performance with the single on the day I went to the doctor.”       “I would’ve explained everything and gone with you! No problem! Everyone would’ve understood me!”       “I didn’t wanna bother you. It wasn’t hard for me to go to the doctor.”       “You should’ve told me.”       “Sorry… I just wanted to make sure that I was really pregnant. So that the examination at the hospital confirmed my pregnancy, not a test. And if you want, I can show you the document from the doctor when we’re back home. It confirms my pregnancy clearly.”       “Oh, damn…” Terrence pronounces with a slight smile, still being a little shocked and trying to accept that he is really going to hold his child in his arms soon. “I can’t believe it! We’re gonna have a child… I’m gonna hold them in my arms!”       “I can’t believe it, either,” Raquelle confesses shyly. “But it’s the truth, Daddy.”       “So, does nobody else know that you’re expecting a child?” Terrence asks with a slight smile.       “Nope, nobody yet. You’re the first one to know it.”       “Maybe you shouldn’t have gone to the ceremony?”       “It’s okay, Terrence, I feel great. Talking to people and distracting myself somehow, I don’t feel bad. Though I can’t say I feel so bad. The only thing I can complain about is a strong sickness in the morning and the hatred for many smells.”       “And how do ya feel now?”       “I didn’t wanna go anywhere in the morning ‘cause I was throwing up. But I stopped closer to the evening. Though I would’ve gone anyway for this important event to be next to you and support you.”       “No, Raquelle, if you’d gone with us in a bad condition, I would’ve preferred to lock you at home,” Terrence says confidently. “So that you can have a rest and take care of the child.”       “Pregnancy is not an illness! I don’t wanna stay home all day long and go crazy, lying on the bed and emptying the refrigerator. If I feel great, I’ll be happy to work and go to parties and make public appearances.”       “Are you sure?”       “Absolutely.” Raquelle caresses Terrence's face softly and kisses him sweetly on the tip of his nose. “As you see, everything isn’t so bad.”       “Gosh, is this really true?” Terrence wonders with a wide smile, closing his mouth with both hands. “Will my dream come true? Will I finally become a father?”       “It’s true, Terrence,” Raquelle nods confidently.       “Tell it to me again!” Terrence takes Raquelle’s hands. “Tell me it’s the truth! Please, Raquelle!”       “Truth, truth, and truth one million times.”       Shaking slightly from tension and barely holding down a loud and happy whoop, Terrence grabs Raquelle’s face softly but tightly and gives her a tender kiss on the lips full of love. When he breaks it, he kisses his sweetheart on the forehead with a wide smile.       “Damn, you made me so happy!” Terrence exclaims happily, swallowing the air he lacks so badly. “I was waiting for this moment! I wanted to take my child in my arms!”       “Oh, you should’ve seen me jumping from happiness when I was told I was expecting a child,” Raquelle laughs shyly. “I didn’t care about throwing up, feeling weak, feeling dizzy, and wishing literally to faint. I was too happy to think of these little things. Though I was a little confused after the doctor told me the results of my tests.”       “Okay!” Terrence points at Raquelle. “From this minute on, I will take care of you personally and make sure you need nothing and feel good. You must take care of this child like a brilliant one. And you are especially banned from being worried, excited, and nervous. No bad emotions! You got it?”       “No, no, I promise I will not harm this baby and will do my best for them to feel good. This time, I will take care of our happiness like a lion. Our child must be born, and I will do my best to make it real.”       “And I’ll do my best to take care of this baby and you,” Terrence promises confidently, caressing Raquelle’s cheeks and moving some thin strands off her face. “And if I see or know you don’t listen to me, I'm gonna be very mad!”       “Don’t worry, sweetie, I’ll no longer make the same mistakes again,” Raquelle replies confidently with a slight smile. “With such a touching care of such a caring man, this baby is gonna be happy.”       Terrence whooping happily hugs Raquelle tightly but tenderly. And at some moment, he lifts her up from the floor at some moment, twists her around several times, and puts her on her feet, still holding her in his strong hug. While the girl, wiping tears off secretly, laughs shyly when her husband covers her whole face with kisses, gives him a couple of kisses and caresses his cheeks with both hands.       “Hey, when will we tell the guys about it?” Terrence asks.       “Right now,” Raquelle replies confidently. “Or they’re gonna be mad…”       “Hey, what’s your gestation period?”       “Almost two months.”       “Gotta wait for too long…”       “Tomorrow or after tomorrow, I’ll tell Grandpa Frederick and Aunt Alicia this piece of news. They always ask me about a child when I visit them. So, I’ll make them happy.”       “And I’ll be happy to tell my parents! Mom’s gonna jump for joy when she knows about the child! I’d say, she dreams of a grandchild more than Father.”       “And your brother, friends, colleagues will know it…”       “And the fans.”       “Sure! They must know it! Before the journalists start to publish articles about my pregnancy, and look for any hints at it. Make a knight's move and tell them everything. First.”       “Ah, if only you knew how much I wanna tell everyone this piece of news!”       “And I can’t wait to share my happiness with everyone.” Raquelle glances at her belly. “If only you knew how hard it was for me to be silent and not to tell anything before. But I held myself down ‘cause I wanted to choose the moment and tell you everything first.”       “Hey, when can we know the gender?” Terrence asks.       “The doctor said we’d do it when I’m on the fourteen or fifteenth week.”       “I see…”       “But it’s bad that my mother and father can’t see them. I only take the baby to Kingston and show them the graves of my parents when they grow up. So that they know their grandfather and grandmother.”       “But we’ll do our best for them to remember your parents.”       “Sure. I want them to know their grandfathers and grandmothers and love them.”       “It will happen, my sweetie.”       “And who do you want?”       “It doesn’t matter.” Terrence caresses Raquelle’s belly, which looks absolutely flat yet. “The important thing is that my child is healthy. I’m gonna love them, no matter what their gender is.”       “What do ya think of naming the girl Alexa in case we have a daughter?”       “Alexa? Beautiful name! I’d be happy to name my daughter like this. And we can name the boy… Like… Warren?! What do ya think?”       “Good! I love it!”       “If we have a girl, she’s gonna be as beautiful, brave, and talented as her mom.”       “If we have a boy, he’s gonna be as proud, confident, and determined as his dad.”       “So, my little copy is gonna be running in our house. Though something tells me you and I will have more than one child. Maybe, boys only… Maybe I’m gonna be the first one from the MacClifes to have a daughter. Nobody from my family has become a parent of a daughter yet. So… I have a good chance to change it.”       “Don’t say you’re Terrence MacClife, the unique and irresistible man, who always differs in a good sense.”       “I am!” Terrence smiles mysteriously. “I will change the history of the MacClifes and become the first father of a girl.”       “Oh, MacClife, you’re incorrigible…”       “And I love you, my treasure.” Terrence kisses Raquelle on the temple. “You can ask anything you want from me. Your wishes are always the law to me! And this rule will never change. And when you give birth to a child, I will do much more than ever for you.”       “I’ll do my best for you to take your baby in your arms in several months,” Raquelle promises with a shy smile, puts her arms much tighter around Terrence’s neck with a much wider smile, kisses him sweetly on the cheek, and rubs the tip of her nose against his nose. “I promise…”       “Aw, Raquelle, sweetheart…”       Terrence hugs Raquelle tightly again and presses her to himself for much longer with a wide smile on his face, while she just puts her hands on his back.       “I love you,” Terrence confesses in a lower voice.       “Me too,” Raquelle pronounces softly. “Very much.”       “My queen…” Terrence hugs Raquelle much tighter. “Gorgeous queen…”       “Hey, hey, be careful,” Raquelle pronounces shyly. “Don’t squeeze me so tightly.”       “Sorry, sorry.” Terrence weakens the grip and lets his forehead lead on Raquelle’s forehead. “If you feel bad, let me know it immediately. We’ll explain everything to the guys and go home.”       “Okay, I will. But you have no reason to worry now.”       A few seconds later, Raquelle and Terrence step away from each other, and the man caresses the girl’s cheek tenderly.       “Okay…” Raquelle smiles shyly. “I’d better come back to the room… So that you can change your clothes and get ready to perform.”       “Would take two minutes,” Terrence shrugs.       “Maybe you need to think about something or do something.”       “I need to do something, but I need the lads to do it. We never go on stage without wishing each other luck with words or hugs.”       “I think you’ll have time to do this.”       “Sure. And… There is one thing I want to do so that my performance is absolutely unforgettable.”       Raquelle looks questioningly at Terrence and smiles shyly, expecting some action from him. And he comes closer to her and waits for two seconds, not stopping to look into her eyes confidently, and gives the girl a very tender, short kiss on the lips. Since she reacts this positively enough, MacClife, Sr. gets her involved in a more continuous one, hugging his wife by the waist with one arm and putting his free hand on her cheek while she caresses the nape of his neck softly, strokes his hair, or keeps her hand that gets covered with his hand later on his chest. The place where his heart is beating crazily. However, the kiss does not last too long. Terrence and Raquelle stop it with a wide smile and let their foreheads contact, holding each other’s hands, which they press to their chests. And after stepping away, the girl caresses the man’s cheek with all the love and tenderness in her eyes.       “Good luck, my happiness,” Raquelle smiles widely. “Show everything you can. Do your best for the people to remember this performance for a long time.”       “Undoubtedly, my precious diamond,” Terrence replies confidently with a slight smile. “Nobody will ever forget the closing of the ceremony.”       “The baby and I are waiting for you to get out,” Raquelle lets know, caressing her belly tenderly, which she glances at. “Don’t make us wait.”       “Wait a little, just a few minutes to go.”       “See ya later.”       Terrence says nothing and caresses Raquelle’s belly softly, wishing to do this more frequently soon, when he can feel the child pushing and moving. After sharing a long, tender look with the girl, he kisses his sweetheart on the cheek with a wider smile and caresses her tenderly. Then the man nods as if he lets her know that she can go. The girl sends him one more ogle gaze, takes her small clutch from the sofa, and closes the door after she leaves the dressing room, knocking the heels of her dark red shoes. While Terrence watches her with a slight smile on his face and decides to put on black jeans, a leather jacket with long sleeves, pockets, zippers, and magnetic buttons, and a simple t-shirt, which the stylists prepared as a suit for the performance.       

***

      While everybody was walking somewhere, many of them lost each other. For example, after Terrence left the dressing room, Edward and Natalia came back there. The man does not waste time and puts on a black suit that consists of jeans with pockets and zippers, massive shoes with a hard lacing, a leather jacket with quarter sleeves and many zippers and rivets, and a gray t-shirt.       “Excellent,” Edward pronounces with admiration, putting on a choker with Natalia’s help. “I only need a guitar to look like a truly handsome man.”       “You’re handsome anyway,” Natalia replies with a cute smile, having her arms around the small of Edward’s back from behind and putting her chin on his shoulder. “And with this fringe, you look very cute.”       “Yeah. The stylists do know how to keep an image of a cute guy from ‘Against The System’ that looks younger than his real age. I just need to have my fringe on my forehead.”       “And this cute guy is only mine. Nobody else.”       “Undoubtedly, my beauty.” Edward turns on Natalia, grabs her by the waist with his arms, presses her closely to himself, and rubs his nose against her cheek with a wide smile. “And you’re mine, too. By law.”       “So, are you ready to rock on and show everything you can?”       “Absolutely! But I can’t believe it’s really happening to me.” Edward shakes his head. “Oh, damn, I got famous! Four years ago, I wouldn’t have thought I would be a part of famous people! But here I am, among the celebrities!”       “You got it all thanks to your talent, sweetie,” Natalia smiles widely, caressing Edward’s cheek tenderly. “You were destined to be successful in music.”       “But the piece of my fame would’ve hardly been along if I hadn’t joined the men’s band but had sang covers and posted videos on the Internet.”       “By the way, people still talk about the videos of you singing in the underpass and on the day you and I made up.”       “Yeah, you’re right… Because… I often meet those who recognize me and say that it was incredible.”       “People are admired because they can listen to your voice forever.” Natalia puts one arm around Edward’s neck and does the same with the other hand. “I still can’t stop listening to your band’s album. And I especially adore your solo parts.”       “Nice to hear it,” Edward pronounces in a low voice with a slight smile.       “People see who’s good, and who shouldn’t do one or another thing. They highly rated your talent when you finally stopped hiding it.”       “I wouldn’t have done that without my close people’s support.”       “But you did.”       “Because you’re next to me, Natalia.” Edward grabs Natalia by the waist with his arms, with a wide smile, and presses her to himself. “You’re my angel, who came to me from heaven. You changed my whole life and made it different. More amazing. You taught me to be more confident and discover my power.”       “You just became yourself,” Natalia says in a low voice. “Got out of the cocoon you were hiding in for a long time and showed you to the whole world. Started doing what you want. Nothing holds you down anymore.”       “You’re right. I became free. Free and happy. I don’t remember when I was much happier than I am now. When I’m married to the girl of my dreams. Meeting you is a true blessing.”       “I hope you haven’t been disappointed in me for the time we’ve been living together as a husband and a wife?”       “Not at all, my love,” Edward caresses Natalia’s cheek tenderly and moves some strands off her eyes. “Vice versa! I got much happier. Happy because I have a close person by my side.”       “Me too…” Natalia pronounces with a slight smile. “Despite a wish to get married, I was a little afraid to change my life, but now I really like what’s happening.”       “As well as I do. Now I know there’s nothing bad about a marriage. Your life won’t change a lot if you have a good person by your side.”       “You’re right…”       “Thank you so much for coming into my life and showing me how amazing it can be,” Edward thanks with a slight smile. “I didn’t even know there would be a wonderful girl who would give me everything I need.”       “And I didn’t guess there was one wonderful man who would pay attention to the one, who nobody wanted to notice,” Natalia replies shyly. “The man, with whom I felt very good since the first minutes after meeting. So good that I sometimes wanted to show initiative. But I held down. Because it would’ve been stupid to impose yourself on the one you knew for five or ten minutes. Even if he pretended to be the one he wasn’t.”       “But I was amazed ‘cause I wasn’t afraid to be imposed on you and find any reason to meet you as often as possible.”       “And I’m glad you showed your initiative towards a coward like me. Who sometimes can show her claws.”       “Yeah, you can. But I love you anyway.”       “Ah, Edward, sweetheart…” Natalia gives Edward a tender, short kiss on the lips and, keeping her arms around his neck, looks confidently into his eyes. “Anyway, I don’t regret everything that’s happened to us. I guess we should’ve gotten through this to come to what we came.”       “You know, if someone suggested that I choose any moment from my life and change it, I would refuse,” Edward confesses thoughtfully.       “Refuse?”       “Yes, my life wasn’t a gift. I had to experience a lot. Had to suffer, worry, and solve my problems on my own. I felt lonely for a long time and suffered because I had nobody by my side to support me and help me with a word or a business. But I want to change nothing now. Really. I don’t want. If not for all of that, I wouldn’t have gotten the good life experience and realized my mistakes. And I wouldn’t have become who I am now.”       “I get it.” Natalia caresses Edward’s cheeks with both hands. “You wouldn’t have met your family and me and become a part of ‘Against The System.’ Nobody knows what would’ve happened to you and how this story would’ve ended…”       “Something good would’ve hardly happened to me. I would’ve been an idler to everyone who had no money, home, or family. Maybe I would’ve even started to take banned substances and ended my life badly. Who knows…”       “And I wouldn’t have grown up and become smarter… Wouldn’t have learned to be less capricious.”       “C'mon, let’s not remember the past. Let’s live in the present. Be what we have become. I don’t want to lose, separate, or fight with anyone. I am done. Now I just wanna be me, live with my beloved wife, and play in the band with the guys who mean a lot to me.”       “Right,” Natalia smiles slightly, twirling the thick bracelet made of silver on her left hand. “Better enjoy what’s happening now.”       “Ah… I still can’t believe I’m singing in a band and gonna be touring around the world soon.” Edward steps away from Natalia softly and comes to one of the posters of a random band that he looks at with a slight smile on his face. “Gonna see the world… Sing my songs at many places… Though I wasn’t able to leave the country because I had no money and was charged for the murder some time ago.”       “Don’t think about it, sweetheart,” Natalia says softly, closing in closer to Edward and caressing his shoulder from behind. “It’s all over.”       “I know that there will be ups, downs, and stops in our career,” Edward says confidently, turns to Natalia, and takes the pendant in the form of a heart of the silver necklace on the girl’s neck. “But I’m ready to overcome all of that proudly and worthily. Ready to do what I’ve wanted to do all my life.”       “You will!” Natalia exclaims with her head proudly raised. “You will become history and stay in the memory of many generations.”       “I wish many people heard about us. I wish many people loved our music. I wish our music helped someone survive and find meaning in life.”       “It’s already a motivator for many people. Salvation. A reason to be happy. The guys and you sing of love and many other important things.”       “Sometimes it works like therapy. You write a song, express all your feelings, and understand you feel much better.”       “And you’ve already become quite honorable people among celebrities.”       “It would be great to befriend the great celebrities. Especially those you had a crush on in your childhood and your teenage years.”       “Right,” Natalia smiling mysteriously comes to Edward so closely that he presses his back to the closed door, on which the poster is hanging. “But someone has a crush on you right now.”       “Really?”       “I personally have a crush on you, pretty boy,” Natalia says in a nice, low voice, pulling Edward’s leather jacket down, walks her fingers over his chest, and runs her hand shyly underneath his t-shirt. “Maybe you can sign something for me? Or take a couple of photos with me?”       “I have a much better idea,” Edward smiles mysteriously, presses Natalia to himself by the waist, and gives her not a very long, tender kiss on the lips, giving all his love to it, while she answers him back, putting her hands on his chest. “It’s much better?”       “Yeah…” Natalia laughs shyly. “Much…”       Now Natalia shows initiative and gives Edward the same kiss on his lips. But she does it more tenderly. And a little later, the girl starts teasing the man, not letting him kiss her. Edward quickly gets involved in this game and plays by the same rules, giving Natalia a couple of short kisses playfully on the curve of her neck and tickling this sensitive enough area with his nose.       “Stop, Edward…” Natalia pronounces through a laugh. “Edward, stop, it’s tickling! Hey! Stop…”       However, Edward keeps tickling Natalia’s neck as well as her hips. That’s why she cannot hold down her loud laugh. So, the girl catches a good moment and gives him a more continuous kiss on the lips, putting her arms around his neck, starting to caress the nape of his neck, and holding the back of his head, while he runs his hands over her back. And she is not going to let him go so easily and keeps leaving short and continuous kisses on his lips with a sly smile, while he starts to breathe a little heavily.       “Not so fast, beauty,” Edward laughs shyly. “Hey… I can’t do this so quickly.”       “Get used to it, sweetheart,” Natalia smiles slyly. “Get used… You know how hungry I am.”       Natalia keeps doing what she is doing, covering Edward’s face with a lot of kisses, while he cannot hold down his shy laugh and answers her back.       “Natalia, I have a concert…” Edward chuckles kindly, while Natalia still covers the man’s face with short kisses and caresses it with both hands.       “Just a little bit, kitty…” Natalia moans quietly with pity in her eyes. “Please…”       “Don’t worry, my playful kitty,” Edward caresses Natalia’s head tenderly. “We’re gonna have very little time to have some fun. But not now. Now I have to go. The lads are waiting for me.”       “Uh-huh…” Natalia steps away from Edward. “Or you’re gonna be waiting for them ‘cause they ran away nobody knows where.”       “It’s okay, they’ll run very soon when they realize they have little time before going on the stage.”       “In this case, I probably need to come back to the room. And wait for your appearance with impatience.”       Natalia wants to take her small handbag from the sofa. But Edward turns the girl on himself at once and kisses her on the soft lips without warning, grabbing her face two moments later and caressing the tender skin on the lady’s neck. At first, the girl tenses a little in surprise and makes a quiet moan, but she relaxes sharply the next second and puts her arms around his waist, pressing herself to him as closely as possible. After he steps away, the man looks into her eyes with a slight smile, caressing her face with his hands and wrapping one of the girl’s gold strands of hair around his finger.       “Couldn’t let you go without a kiss for luck,” Edward smiles shyly.       “Shake everyone up and show everything you can,” Natalia says with her head proudly raised. “Or show what people have never seen before.”       “I will, sweetheart. You’re gonna shout from happiness. I can guarantee it.”       “Good luck, sunshine. I will be near.”       “Thank you so much.”       Natalia kisses Edward tenderly on the cheek and caresses it. Then the girl takes her clutch, leaves the living room, and closes the door, knocking with the high heels of her golden shoes with an open toe and golden patches on their straps. While the man smiling widely watches his sweetheart with tenderness in his eyes before she leaves, comes to the mirror, and looks at himself with his head proudly raised, admiring his look again.       

***

      After Edward leaves the dressing room, Peter and Helene enter it. The man quickly puts on a leather waistcoat placed on the naked body with many rivets and zippers, the same black jeans as Edward and Terrence, new shoes, and a simple choker. Probably, this is the first time Rose does not wear bracelets and wristbands and replaces them with leather gloves with cuts on fingers.       “Okay,” Peter exhales, fixing the shoulders on his waistcoat and gloves, while Helene fixes his little ruffled hair slightly. “I’m ready.”       “You look magnificent, sweetie,” Helene smiles shyly. “My drummer is ready to win the hearts and shake the walls.”       “I’ll make those sleepy folks dance along with every hit of the drum.”       “If you find all the men,” Helene laughs shyly, pulling one of her hanging earrings that is made of clean silver and shining beautifully under the light. “The guys kinda disappeared…”       “The lovebirds are just flirting for too long,” Peter chuckles kindly. “No need to worry. These fools will show up soon.”       Helene smiles mysteriously, biting her lips slightly, while Peter comes to her, presses her closely to himself by the waist, and grabs her face tenderly.       “So, while they’re flirting there, but we’ll flirt here,” Peter purrs with a slight smile. “Moreover, I don’t wanna go on stage if I don’t spend time with my beauty and kiss her. Kiss my fiancée…”       “Sammy can’t surely annoy us now,” Helene laughs shyly.       “Not only Sammy…” Peter gives Helene a short, tender kiss on the lips, while she puts her arms around his neck and runs her fingers through his blond hair.       “I still can’t believe I’m gonna see you on the scene.” Helene caresses Peter’s cheeks with both hands. “These are definitely different feelings. Not similar to those I feel when I see videos of your performances. Or hear you playing for friends.”       “Performing for a big public and playing for friends are different things. Playing for friends and close people, you can make mistakes and play the fool, and nobody cares. They clap, whistle, dance, and sing along with you. While a great unfamiliar public is more exacting and pays attention to even the smallest thing. Many fans are like this. If you go wrong at least once, everyone’s gonna criticize and shower you with mud.”       “The most important thing is that you love what you’re doing. You do like. Right, my love?”       “Madly love. And I’m madly grateful for such a wonderful chance to fulfil my dream. And I’m grateful to the guys for letting me become a part of their plan. Grateful to Daniel for proposing to create a band. I owe Terrence for becoming our leader and making our band famous thanks to his talent. And of course, I thank Edward for making our work better thanks to his powerful, energetic, and doing much for what we started.”       “I’m glad you found those who had the same dreams as yours.”       “Music has always been my salvation. It’s another reason why I survived in the hell where I spent years. And now I know I can survive anything. Because I have music. I have a family. My brothers and sisters. My fiancée. You, guys, are what I wanna live for. And I will live.”       “And you gained success ‘cause you wanted it,” Helene smiles shyly, caressing Peter’s cheek tenderly. “Besides, you’re very purposeful: if you decide to do something, you will get it in any way. Without this thing, you wouldn’t have ended up in the music business and found the courage to take your demons under control.”       “I don’t know what I would be doing now if all of that hadn’t happened. I think I… I would’ve kept cutting myself and… Done my best to… Kill myself. My demons… They would’ve killed me… Without a chance to survive.”       “Peter, please, don’t talk about it…” Helene begs with pity in her eyes.       “It’s the truth, Helene. Solving my problems with self-harming was my greatest mistake. It was stupid to think it would help me feel better… My fatal mistake was my suicide attempt. Letting those who definitely wanted to take a victory in this game.”       “Sweetheart…”       “And I’m really happy I’m no longer doing this terrible thing and stayed alive,” Peter smiles slightly. “I did take the hand everyone was giving me for nobody the hell knows how long.”       “Don’t think about that horrible period.” Helene hugs Peter tightly, caresses his head tenderly, and kisses him on the cheek sweetly. “It’s all over now. Now you’re surrounded by those who love you and wish you all the best.”       “Those I love with all my heart,” Peter smiles slightly, putting his arms around Helene’s waist and caressing tenderly the small of her back.       “I’m sure that those idiots are now biting their elbows, seeing how much you’ve gotten,” Helene says confidently. “They do understand that they underestimated you. They didn’t know that the future star was standing in front of them.”       “I’m gonna think it’s the truth.”       “And the important thing is that you didn’t forget what love, regret, and loyalty are after living in an atmosphere full of negative and evil. Yes, hatred and a wish for revenge were killing you. But they didn’t destroy your tenderness and kindness.”       “Sometimes I’m also surprised by how it happened. I guess… The reason for that is… Love… My mother showed. She showed it, she did it rarely… That’s why I knew what it was.”       “Maybe. That’s why the angels and the demons were fighting inside you for years. But the love of the guys and me won. The angels won. They defeated the demons.”       “Anyway, I'm glad it happened like this.”       “Glad?” Helene steps away from Peter and stares at him surprisingly.       “Yes, they treated me terribly, they used me as a doormat, made me nothing, and wished me to suffer and die. But I am proud of myself. Because I overcame all of that. I found the strength to keep my humanity. I learned to protect myself. Not to hurt anyone. Now I can stand up for myself.”       “You haven’t forgiven all those people for their mockeries?” Helene rounds her eyes.       “Not yet, but I’m in process. But my offence is getting weaker. More and more every day.”       “That’s how…”       “I don’t wanna excuse anyone. But all those people have reasons to be mad and take it out on weak folks. There were reasons to fall so deeply. I ended up there for the reason, as well. And I chose victims. I blamed the whole world for my trouble. I understand them. I completely do.”       “I think you’re right.”       “Anyway, may all their actions be their responsibility only. Their sins are their sins. I’m not responsible for them. If someone fell on the bottom and couldn’t get out, it’s their payback. If someone died, it’s their payback too. Just like in the case of Marcus and Garret.”       “These cads got what they deserved.”       “Their death became relief to me, speaking the truth. I feel better ‘cause I know they’re dead. And I’m not sorry. Not sorry for these assholes. Even if I know where at least Marcus was buried, I will never go to check on his grave. Never.”       “It’s your right.”       “By the way, I recently went to that house where I lived with my mother. I took some things that nobody stole, to my surprise.”       “But why didn’t you suggest that I go with you?”       “Better not. I don’t want you to see that place. The place will always remind me of my suffering. I’d rather leave my past there. Not take it with me.”       “But I wanna know where you lived before.”       “Oh… Okay… If I go there again, I will take you with me. Show you my first home and introduce you to Brittany, who was the neighbor of my mother and me.”       “Okay, sweetie.”       “So, my happiness…” Peter smiles slightly. “From this moment on, I’m not gonna let offences, anger, and disappointment in my heart. I’m gonna have thankfulness and love. Love for those who saved me. And proved that life can be beautiful. Not the whole world is against me.”       Peter falls into silence for two seconds and moves his eyes to both of his wrists, on which he sees some tattoos covered partly by the leather gloves.       “By getting these tattoos, I kinda left my past life behind and started a new one,” Peter adds with a slight smile.       Helene opens Peter’s wrists with a slight smile to look at his tattoos better. There is a musical note framed with beautiful curls on one hand and a microphone framed with the same curls on the other hand. Both tattoos fully cover his small scars and one big scar on the left hand that has not healed after his suicide attempt.       “It took a while before you got these tattoos,” Helene notices thoughtfully. “You spoke, spoke, but you got them some time ago.”       “Just wanted to get something special,” Peter confesses. “And I thought of nothing better but tattoos related to music.”       “Great.” Helene cracks a slight smile and runs her fingertips softly over Peter’s wrist. “I love them so much.”       “Me too. It’s much better than I expected.”       “And the scars aren’t seen.”       “Now I can stop wearing tons of bracelets on every hand.”       “I saw you without them so rarely. Can’t remember when it happened the last time.”       “And…” Peter takes Helene’s hands and kisses every one of them, while she looks at him with tenderness in her eyes. “After everything that’s happened, I have a stronger wish to learn to trust my close friends and value them. Appreciate my second family. That I will never betray.”       “I know, my sweetheart.” Helene caresses Peter’s face with her hands and runs them over his hair. “I know how hard you’re learning to trust your close people.”       “And I’m afraid to lose them so much.” Peter presses Helene’s hands to his chest, putting his hands over hers and smiling tenderly at the girl. “Afraid to lose what means so much to me. And stay all alone. Afraid to get possessed by the demons again and stand in the way of evil and revenge, making everyone hate me until the end of their lives. Though nobody will forgive me for what I did once.”       “You will never be alone, Pete,” Helene says confidently. “Nobody will leave you. Neither me nor your friends.”       “I know. And I’ll never stop saying you’re my salvation, Helene. My treasure. My love. The meaning of my life. My happiness. My gladness.”       “Peter…”       “I won’t do anything that would separate me from you and make me betray you. Never. I’d better die than lose you. Better sacrifice everything than lose the one to be the meaning of my life.”       “You know I’ll never leave you and will always be with you. Besides, you and I will get married soon.”       “I know,” Peter caresses Helene’s cheeks tenderly with his hands. “You’re a real angel that was sent to me to make me the happiest man and give me care, caress, and love… You’re the girl who became the reason why I really wanted to change and end what I’d been doing for so many years.”       “You’re my good guy,” Helene replies confidently, running her hand over Peter’s hair, while she places another hand on his chest. “I see you’re trying hard. See how far you’ve gone.”       “Everything could’ve been otherwise if I’d been able to protect myself and not let anyone treat me like a doormat. If I’d had such wonderful friends and close people earlier, I would’ve gotten through that and wouldn’t have come down to hate, violence, revenge, and crimes.”       “Better late than never. It’s never too late to change you and your life.”       “I would’ve hardly changed if I hadn’t had all of you. And I’m madly lucky to meet such a wonderful, loyal, and very kind girl like you, who’s always been by my side. I think I’ve been lucky twice in my life only: when I met the men and the girls and when Jessica introduced you to me.”       Peter smiles widely as he kisses Helene on the cheek several times and rubs his nose against it, making her smile widely and blush.       “May all girls envy and kick themselves,” Helene smiles slyly. “Because I got a gorgeous, handsome drummer who can use and give everything in double size. And to thank him, I’ll be giving all my love to him and making him the happiest in the world. As he deserves.”       “Just like the drummer, who won’t leave his beauty without attention,” Peter purrs with a smug smile. “Who won’t give her to anyone. Because she’s mine…”       Peter leaves a few kisses on Helene’s cheek again and rubs the tip of his nose against it. She laughs shyly and chooses the moment when the man’s face is too close to hers and, grabbing the blond’s leather waistcoat with her hands, gives him an unexpected, very tender, continuous kiss on the lips. To which he answers with pleasure, putting one hand on the back of her head and caressing the sides of her waist with the other hand.       “Be careful with my waistcoat,” Peter laughs quietly in between kisses. “I’m gonna be performing in it.”       “You can take it off now,” Helene smiles mysteriously and runs her hands over Peter’s torso. “So that I can admire your gorgeous body. And touch your tough muscles that drive me crazy. I have a right. Because you’re my fiancé.”       “Not now, my love. But I will show you what all girls are literally ready to die for with pleasure later.”       “What if I rip your waistcoat apart?” Helene laughs playfully, pulling Peter’s waistcoat. “Ar-r-r-r… Rip! To the heck!”       “Then I will do this!” Peter leaves a kiss on the curve of Helene’s neck without warning and barely bites the thin skin on it with a quiet growl, making her shake slightly with closed eyes and a peaceful smile on her face.       “Hey, hey, hey, Rose, don’t get hot,” Helene says softly, clapping Peter on his shoulders, while he keeps caressing her neck with his lips. “Hold yourself down. People are going here. Someone may come here and see what you’re doing.”       “And why? May they watch! I don’t want and won’t hide who I love more than anything in the world. Besides, you’re my fiancée. And I can show my love for her as much as I want.”       “Be shyer, sweetie. Shyer…”       “But I wanna play with you a little,” Peter whines, playing with Helene’s hanging silver earrings and running his thumb over her lips.       “Don’t worry, sweetie, if we’re lucky, we’ll have much time to spend it together in your incredible house. Maybe I will even stay for a night.”       “M-m-m… It would be great if you stayed… For the night… For tomorrow’s morning… Or maybe half of the day…”       “We’ll see, pretty boy.”       Helene leaves a few short kisses on Peter’s lips and gives him a more continuous one, putting her arms around his waist and running her warm hands over his back, while he holds her head and runs his fingers through her hair. Their kiss lasts for several seconds before they hear the announcement saying that there is less time to go until “Against The System” goes on stage.       “Okay, it’s time to go,” Peter says. “Gonna go on stage soon. And if the guys don’t show up, I’ll have to find them.”       “So, I’ll go to the room then,” Helene shrugs with a shy smile. “Maybe the girls are gonna come soon. Or maybe they’re waiting for me.”       Helene looks around the dressing room as if she is searching for something, while Peter looks at her with a tender smile that shows his straight white teeth. At some moment, the man takes her hand softly, looks into her eyes for two more seconds, and gives her a more continuous kiss on her lips without words, putting his hands on her hips and pressing her closer to himself. The girl answers him back with pleasure and puts her arms around his neck, the nape of which she caresses tenderly. After they step away, Peter and Helene share an ogle gaze and a wide, true smile on their faces.       “Show everybody how to sing and play!” Helene exclaims with her head proudly raised. “May everybody see the great star standing in front of them!”       “Everybody’s gonna be standing and applauding after we end playing our song,” Peter says confidently.       “And don’t even dare to doubt yourself. You can do this, honey. You can do much more than you think.”       “Thank you so much, my sweetie,” Peter caresses Helene’s cheeks tenderly. “Believe in me and enjoy me singing and playing on that big scene.”       “I can’t wait to see the angel in action.”       “A little time to go.”       Helene smiles shyly, takes her little clutch from the table, on which many hair stuff and different cosmetics are placed, kisses Peter sweetly on the cheek, and caresses another, looking confidently into his eyes.       “Best of luck, sweetheart,” Helene wishes. “I’m waiting for you.”       Helene leaves the dressing room and closes the door, knocking the high heels of her dark blue shoes made of nice to touch velvet material. Peter watches the girl with admiration in his eyes, looks around, exhales sharply, and looks at his reflection in the mirror to make sure his hair looks good and his waistcoat and jeans are not dirty.       

***

      After Peter leaves the dressing room, Daniel and Anna come back there, not being happy that everybody went to different sides. But uses this moment to put on black jeans, shoes with sneakers’ lacing, a white t-shirt, and a leather jacket with many rivets, zippers, and little thorns on its shoulders. With the help of his sweetheart, he also puts on leather gloves and fixes his ruffled hair.       “Okay, it’s done,” Anna says with a slight smile.       “Great,” Daniel pronounces confidently, looking at himself in the mirror. “Now I’m ready to go on stage.”       “Looking forward to seeing you.”       “Wait for a while, my beautiful,” Daniel moves his eyes to Anna. “Soon, I’ll show everyone how to sing and play. The people will remember this show for a long time! I promise you.”       Anna says nothing and smiles shyly, fixing the bracelet slightly on her hand and going aside slowly. Daniel watches her for two seconds with a slight smile, comes to her, and takes her in a touching hug when she looks at her jewelry.       “Anna, sweetheart…” Daniel pronounces tenderly and kisses Anna sweetly on the cheek. “My happiness…”       “I’m so happy you proposed to me,” Anna confesses shyly. “I thought you wouldn’t have asked me that.”       “Actually, I wanted to do it a long time ago, before the story of my amnesia. But because of that, I had to delay my plans for a long time. And wait for things to get better.”       “And why did you wait for so long?” Anna steps away from Daniel slowly. “You, silly, thought I would’ve rejected ya?”       “Think about what I would’ve felt after getting the refusal from the one I want to live my life with,” Daniel replies with a shy smile, takes Anna’s hands, and kisses tenderly every one of them. “Hearing it would’ve hurt me a lot.”       “I would’ve agreed to marry you even when you just began to drop hints on a wish to marry. I got hope and waited for you to ask me about it from that day on.”       “Sorry for making you wait so long. But agree that celebrating a wedding now would be the best decision. If we’d gotten engaged much earlier, we would’ve cancelled it. Maybe, temporarily. But we would’ve done. And it would’ve been very painful for both of us.”       “You’re right. I think everything that happened was good for us. I personally loved you with all my heart and wanted to take care of you. But now I have begun to appreciate you much more. Made sure that I couldn’t find a better man than you. And breaking up with you would’ve been my greatest mistake in my life.”       “I’ve never doubted that I wouldn’t find a better girl than you. And now I’m absolutely sure about it. And I will not replace my beloved princess with another one. Because I don’t need another girl.”       “That’s why I didn’t spend much time reflecting on the answer,” Anna smiles shyly. “If I weren’t sure about you and the fact that I could be happy with you. I wouldn’t have said, ‘Yes’ at once.”       “Do you know what I like about you more? What became one of the reasons why I decided to propose to you? You didn’t torture me with a question when we’d get married. You were waiting patiently. You were happy with everything and ready to leave everything as it was. You didn’t even talk to me about a wedding too much. And I initially thought you… You didn’t think of me as a husband.”       “I was really happy with everything, even if I wanted to get married to you. And I didn’t mind living with you and being unmarried. Many people live like this. Someone even makes children out of a marriage. Besides, I completely understand that this decision is very serious, and not everyone would agree to do it. something grandiose is supposed to happen so that a man wants to marry.”       “Don’t be mad at me for not doing this before.”       “Yes, I wanted to get a proposal from you. But I didn’t want to make you do that by force. I wanted you to make this decision and propose to me when you thought it was time.”       “You know… I used to be happy with everything, as well… I had an amazing girl, whom I loved and who loved me. Who took care of me, listened closely, and supported me. It seems like I didn’t need more for happiness. But the fact that we lived together and were unmarried is not quite for me. At least, now. Now I wanna have my own family: wife and children… I want a family like the one my parents had. Now I know a marriage won’t end my life and limit me to some extent. Yes, it gives you some kind of responsibility and much more to care about, but I’ll have freedom that you’ll never deprive me of. You know how much it means to me.”       “It would be stupid to chain you up like a dog, lock you at home, and make you be with me all the time. I’m now the one to demand too much and forbid someone to do what they love. I just need someone to take care of me. To love and respect me. My beloved man can do anything he wants if it doesn’t threaten him and make him unhappy.”       “I used to be afraid of marriage because of the fear of losing my freedom and being deprived of a chance to do what I want, meet my friends, and have fun. I didn’t wanna be too dependent… Just like I was a long time ago, when I had a toxic relationship with a girl who got me so exhausted that everybody stopped recognizing me. But now I’m not afraid. I stopped doubting and being afraid when I fell in love with you. And watched my married friends, whose lives barely changed after the wedding.”       “And now, when my beloved man stopped believing I’d chain him up and make him what I want, we’re finally gonna be a family.”       “Yeah, you changed my mind about a marriage.”       “Oh, damn!” Anna jumps happily with a wide smile, covering half of her face with her hands. “I still can’t believe I’m gonna get married soon!”       “I’m sorry about making the proposal not as romantic as you imagined it,” Daniel apologizes shyly. “I did it now because I gave myself a promise.”       “Promise?” Anna frowns slightly. “What kind of promise?”       “I promised myself to propose to you before going on the stage if the lads and I had won our first award.”       “Didn’t the lads really know it?”       “No, they knew nothing.”       “And the girls?”       “Cassidy was the only one to know everything. I told nobody about my plans. And even if nobody even knew about my promise, I couldn’t deceive myself and should’ve kept my word. You know I’m used to doing what I promise and don’t talk to the wind.”       “But what if you’d lost?”       “If we’d lost, I would’ve proposed to you anyway. But I would’ve done that more romantically and beautifully.”       “Come on! It doesn’t matter where and when to propose!” Anna caresses Daniel’s cheeks tenderly with a shy smile. “Does it matter how you got a proposal if you have a beloved person by your side who is more important to you than anything?”       “Just wanted you to like it,” Daniel smiles shyly. “You not to say I wasn’t romantic enough. That I didn’t make a touching surprise.”       “Don’t worry, Daniel, I really loved it,” Anna says confidently. “I really love romantic, beautiful tales about princes and princesses and everything about that. But simplicity, modesty, and everything you do from your heart are more valued to me.”       “Aren’t you really disappointed that I proposed to you here, in the dressing room?”       “I’m very happy you did it! Don’t forget that trueness is more important to me, not awesomeness. The simpler, the better.”       “And weren’t you confused ‘cause our friends were watching us?”       “I’m sharing this happiness with the people I love with all my heart with pleasure. And I’m very glad they were with us at such a wonderful moment.” Anna moves her eyes to her hands for a second with a slight smile. “After everything that’s happened to us, I began to value them much more. And I believe my relationship with the guys got much stronger.”       “Me too… And I don’t even know how to thank them for everything they’ve done for me. Especially at the hard time when I needed their help… I owe my friends and will never pay all my debts to them.”       “Weren’t you really afraid to propose to me with their pretense? It’s kinda… An intimate moment…”       “I know, but I decided to let them be a part of it.” Daniel glances aside with a slight smile and exhales quietly. “If I’d known they could do nothing good, I wouldn’t have gotten myself ashamed of them and proposed to you with their pretense. But I didn’t doubt that they would support us anyway… Even if you’d said, ‘No’ to me…”       “No way…” Anna replies confidently and kisses Daniel tenderly on the cheek with a wide smile. “How could I reject the one I love so much? You mean too much to me. We’ve overcome so much that I wouldn’t be able to forget everything and pretend that none of that happened.”       “It’s impossible to forget that, princess,” Daniel replies softly with a slight smile, caressing Anna’s cheek and fixing her hair slightly. “Your memory may forget some things at once… But your heart… Your heart will always remember who it belongs to. It will always show you the right path to your happiness. Someone listens to their mind when making a decision and doesn’t listen to their heart. Its call… And what it tries to tell you… Though you should not forget to listen to your feelings at least sometimes.”       “You’re right. Sometimes your heart makes the right decisions, not your mind. The decisions that can make you happy.”       “Right…”       “And you know, Daniel… Despite anything we’ve gotten through, I don’t regret it. I wouldn’t change anything if I had a chance. Because… I would’ve hardly been as happy as I am now.”       “Somehow I made the stupidest mistake, which could’ve been a reason why I almost lost something important. But I will no longer let it happen. And now I surely know that even if I forget everything someday again… I will listen to what my heart says. I didn’t listen to that the last time and decided to use my head. The empty head that had nothing. And… You know what happened…”       “And now I understand that you shouldn’t try to change a person and wean them away from something if they don’t want to. I understand that you shouldn’t leave someone in trouble and in need of your help. Even if they don’t remember you and ask, ‘Who are you?’… Even if you’re one of their closest people… But… Betrays you before your eyes without understanding it.”       “Aw, Anna, my girl…” Daniel grabs Anna’s face softly, kisses her on the forehead and nose tenderly, and caresses her cheeks with warm hands. “Let’s not talk about it. It’s all over now. You don’t need to remember the past. Especially when it doesn’t give you pleasure.”       “Really, why we talked about it…” Anna smiles shyly.       “Let’s better think about our future. About our wedding… About our children… About my band getting worldwide famous.”       “Let’s just spend a good time.” Anna puts her hands in the back pockets of Daniel’s jeans. “Not only with our friends. But also each other.”       With these words, Anna runs her hand through Daniel’s hair, strokes it, and gives him a couple of short but very cute kisses on the lips, after which he smiles like a brewer’s horse, not stopping to look at his sweetheart tenderly.       “M-m-m, I don’t mind a little bit of something sweet before the show,” Daniel purrs in a nice low voice. “It would be very good to me… I’d get the strength to warm the people up with my incredible performance.”       Daniel presses Anna to himself easily, puts his arms around her waist, and leaves a couple of cute short kisses on her lips. The girl laughs shyly, pulling the collar of his leather waistcoat slightly, and rubs her nose against what she gets into, while he kisses the corners of her mouth and cheeks.       “Hey, I forgot to say that the ring you gifted me is magnificent,” Anna confesses in between short kisses. “I’ve never had such beautiful jewelry.”       “My fiancée is gonna have only the best,” Daniel replies confidently with a slight smile, tickling Anna’s nose with the tip of his finger. “Even if it costs too much.”       “I’d be happy to get the cheapest gift if it was done with all the heart.”       “You know well that I spare nothing for you. No money and wealth.”       Daniel kisses the tip of Anna’s nose sweetly with a wide smile and gives her a very tender kiss on the lips, grabbing the girl’s face and caressing it softly. And he also leaves several short kisses in a row on her lips, making the green-eyed beauty laugh shyly.       “Hold yourself down, Daniel,” Anna pronounces in a low voice, caressing Daniel’s face with her hands and running her fingers through his hair. “You’re gonna have a show soon.”       “I know,” Daniel smiles mysteriously, putting his arms around Anna’s waist, pressing her closely to himself, and kissing her on the cheek so tenderly that she holds her breath, has her heart stopped, and feels her legs are weak. “But I can’t stay indifferent when I have my beloved fiancée by my side.”       “M-m-m, fiancée…” Anna purrs with a smug smile. “How nice it is to hear it… Though I've gotta get used…”       “Me too. But I like it!”       “Daniel… My fiancé…”       “Pu-u-ur, how it’s nice…” Daniel leaves a short kiss on Anna’s lips. “I’m so happy I can call you my fiancée. And call you my wife soon.”       “Can’t wait for the day you’ll become my husband.”       Anna falls into a silent state and makes a sensual moan when Daniel leaves a short on the most sensitive area of the curve of her neck and bites it slightly.       “Oh, my gosh…” Anna continues with closed eyes and a blissful smile.       “Anna, my beloved girl…” Daniel purrs tenderly. “My priceless brilliant…”       At some moment, Daniel tickles the sensitive area of Anna’s neck playfully with the tip of his nose, making the girl laugh shyly.       “Stop, Perkins, it’s ticking…” Anna pronounces with a laugh. “Stop… Daniel! Hey! You wanna kill me with your tickle?”       “Can’t I play with you a little?” Daniel wonders with pity in his eyes.       “You will play later. Terrence, Edward, and Peter are probably fretting while trying to find you and…”       Anna’s laugh gets louder because Daniel is not even going to stop doing what he is doing.       “Hey, you hear what I say?” Anna jabs and slaps playfully at Daniel on his arms. “Stop! Perkins! I’m addressing you!”       Since Daniel refuses and keeps tickling her with his nose and fingers in the most sensitive areas, Anna starts torturing him in the same way, much harder. That’s why he starts to laugh loudly and tries to cover his sensitive areas. And later, the girl gives her fiancé many, many kisses, pressing him sharply to herself, putting her arm around his neck, and squeezing his jaw slightly with a free hand. Then she gets the man involved in a longer, more exciting kiss, caressing her sweetheart’s head and pulling his hair slightly. At first, Daniel gets a little confused and can barely catch Seymour’s rhythm, but he answers her back anyway, hugging his sweetheart tightly by the waist and the shoulders.       “Can’t wait to stay alone with you,” Daniel says with a slight smile in between kisses, leaning on Anna’s forehead with his forehead. “I wanna play with my little girl…”       “Couldn’t disagree,” Anna smiles mysteriously, moving a strand of Daniel’s hair off his eyes. “I’d be happy to play a little and drive you crazy.”       “You’re already doing…” Daniel grabs Anna’s face with his hands and gives her a short kiss on the lips. “And I really wanna take this dress off you when we go home. Take it off slowly… And give your body my caress. And my kisses.”       “I still have time to reflect on what I’m gonna do to you this time. But now I can only say that you’re gonna love it.”       “M-m-m…” Daniel runs his hands over Anna’s back and moves them to her buttocks. “Intriguing, beautiful… Intriguing.”       After laughing shyly and sharing a sweet smile, Daniel and Anna rub their noses against one another. Then they give each other a few more short kisses on the lips. And the lovers could spend much time here if they did not hear the announcement about “Against The System” having to stand behind the scenes in a few minutes.       “Oh, it’s kinda time…” Daniel says thoughtfully.       “Alright, sweetie, I think you'd better hurry up,” Anna advises with a slight smile. “And I’ll go to the girls.”       Anna looks around the room, sees her clutch on the table among many cosmetics and hair stuff, and wants to take it.       “Anna, wait…” Daniel pronounces softly.       While Anna turns on him and looks at him questioningly, Daniel comes to her, looking confidently into her eyes. He gives the girl a very tender, continuous kiss on the lips, putting his hands on her hips, but later placing them on the small of her back and starting to caress it tenderly. She answers his actions with great pleasure, putting her arm around his neck, the nape of which she caresses softly, and putting her free hand on her fiancé’s shoulder, but later runs her fingers through her sweetheart’s soft chocolate hair. And when Daniel and Anna step away, they share an ogle gazes and a wide smile that show their teeth.       “Now my performance will be good,” Daniel smiles shyly, holding Anna’s hands and caressing her cheek tenderly. “You’re the amulet that gives me luck.”       “Show everyone how the master of his business sings and plays?” Anna asks with her head proudly raised. “Yeah, pretty boy?”       “You’re gonna get married to the unique and super talented musician who’s gonna conquer many scenes, princess. Be sure, it will get super hot in the room when I just show up there.”       “Show them everything you can do! And close mouths of those who believe you have no talent.”       “Undoubtedly, my beauty.”       Anna smiles widely and moves her eyes shyly to her clutch. She takes it from the table and looks at herself in the mirror to make sure that everything is fine. Then the girl kisses Daniel touchingly on one cheek and caresses tenderly another with her warm hand.       “Good luck, my rockstar,” Anna wishes with a tender smile. “I’m waiting for you with impatience.”       “Thanks a lot, Redbone,” Daniel smiles shyly. “I will show up soon.”       Anna smiles much wider as she turns on the high heels of her black sandals, knocking loudly on the parquet, leaves the dressing room, and closes the door. Daniel watches her with a tender gaze, thinks about something nice for a second, comes to the mirror and looks at himself from head to foot, pulling down his t-shirt and leather waistcoat, adding some volume to his hair, and noticing how attractive he is.       

***

      Meanwhile, Edward is going confidently down the halls to the scene with the thought that his brother and friends are looking for him, as he looks rarely at people running from side to side and thinks about something. And at some moment, the happy Peter shows up out of nowhere and claps Edward on the shoulder with a loud “hey”, making him pay attention to the blond.       “Oh, Peter, you’re here!” Edward exclaims. “I thought you were waiting for me.”       “I’m coming there,” Peter replies. “I went to the dressing room but found none of you.”       “I also was there and found nobody…”       “Yeah, one is finally gonna get married, and another can’t believe he’s married now. So, they’re flirting with the girls while the show starts in several minutes.”       “It’s okay, the organizers will kick their asses, and they’ll run here obediently.”       “Well, you’re running obediently,” Peter laughs shyly. “Flirted enough with your beauty, buddy?”       “Enough to get charged with a positive energy. And you, blond?” Edward chuckles kindly as he pushes Peter in the ribs with an elbow. “Used the moment when Sammy couldn’t bite your ass and play a jealous boy? Huh?”       “No need to worry, Edward, Sammy understood that he wouldn’t get off me, and he goes against me much more rarely,” Peter says proudly. “If the fluffy does dirty tricks, he does it when he wanna eat or play.”       “Well, okay,” Edward shrugs. “I believe ya!”       “I’m controlling everything, man! Don’t worry!”       Edward says nothing and just shrugs with a slight smile, while Peter keeps going confidently down the long halls along with him. After going some distance and talking about something with quiet chuckles, they feel a slight push forward since Daniel suddenly appears out of nowhere and pushes the two slightly on the back, putting his arms around their necks with a wide smile.       “Hey, kids, there you are!” Daniel pronounces cheerfully. “I lost you on the way!”       “Oh, look, MacClife, here the fiancé came!” Peter chuckles kindly.       “Hey, old man, didn’t your red beauty wanna let you go?” Edward smiles mysteriously.       “She just wished me luck quickly,” Daniel replies with a slight smile.       “M-m-m… We got it… You shared beautiful speeches, kissed a lot, and something like that…”       “Oh, yeah, talked about the future wedding and flirted enough,” Peter laughs quietly. “While nobody sees. But then they thought of the show and had to go on different sides.”       “I’d like to say something sarcastic to you, but I won’t do,” Daniel smiles slyly, while Peter and Edward laugh shyly. “I’m kind today. And too happy to be angry and snap.”       “That’s wonderful! You'd better tell Ed and us what pushed you to get married to Anna? Where did ya hit your head? Huh, tough guy?”       “I said I was thinking about it for a long time, but put my plans aside due to the breakup with Anna.”       “Oh, brother, you’re lucky you didn’t run into someone to be much faster and bring your beauty to an altar than you while you were thinking and doubting.”       “No, I won’t give my sweetheart to anyone! Any other man! Anna is only mine and nobody else!”       “You’re really lucky, brother,” Edward says confidently. “Otherwise, you would’ve missed a moment!”       “And I must confess that you surprised us all,” Peter adds. “You decided and proposed! So easily!”       “Did ya think I wouldn’t marry my girlfriend and live with her without a marriage until old age?” Daniel wonders. “Oh, no, my bros! I want a full family: a wife, children, and something like that. Everything my parents had.”       “Oh, then everything’s really serious in your case!” Edward notices cheerfully and claps Daniel on the shoulder. “Anna possessed your mind, and it can’t be cured!”       “I don’t wanna get a cure, I wanna marry!” Daniel exclaims funnily.       “You will do, bro, don’t worry,” Peter says with a wide smile, clapping Daniel on the shoulder. “You did your best for Anna not to think of rejecting such an excellent proposal.”       “You got a very patient girl,” Edward notices confidently. “Not everyone would’ve agreed to wait for so long.”       “My girl just loves me too much,” Daniel smiles mysteriously. “And she was ready to wait.”       “Yeah, Anna’s gonna put on a wedding dress and walk down to the altar alongside her father.”       “Exactly!” Daniel claps Edward on the shoulders. “So, buddy… I’m gonna take after you and your bro and get married too. And I will become a dad someday.”       “You'd better wait for us to get experience in fatherhood. When you get a little baby, Terry and I will be happy to share our advice with you and teach you to feed a baby and change diapers.”       “Huh, I can do this!” Daniel chuckles kindly. “I sometimes worked as a nanny for Cassidy when she was a kid. Watched her when Mother had to leave somewhere. I didn’t wanna do this, of course, but I could handle it for money. So, I learned to watch babies. I was a kid, but I could change diapers, feed a baby from a bottle, and put them to sleep. And I was very lucky that the kid never shouted and cried with my pretense.”       “Wonderful, then! So, you’re gonna teach my brother.”       “Yeah… Finally, MacClife, Sr., won’t be the one to teach.”       “I think Dan is gonna be a harsh but loving daddy when he has a baby,” Peter assumes. “Judging by how he’s behaving with his younger sister.”       “I’m harsh to her ‘cause my sis’s hands must not be untied. Or she may do so much that she’ll have to deal with that shit ‘til the end of her life. Cass is a kid and barely understands everything. So, I have to watch her.”       “Ah, I regret not tying Jer and Will’s hands tighter,” Edward exhales sharply. “I could’ve made them good boys who would be dancing attendance upon me.”       “It’s never too late to do it, buddy,” Peter smiles mysteriously. “Your brother is doing all the same to you, huh.”       “Terrence is training on me. But when he gets his own kid, he will use his skills.”       “Yeah, I kinda doubt it,” Daniel laughs shyly.       “Uh-huh, Terrence will never be sick of kicking your ass and keeping you on a leash,” Peter adds confidently.       “He believes naively he’s keeping me on the leash,” Edward smiles slyly with his head proudly raised. “Actually, I am commanding him. And he is doing my orders.”       “Don’t flatter yourself, Edward,” Daniel says quietly. “Terrence keeps you on a short leash and kicks your ass when you do a little bad thing.”       “I’m just letting him do. To please my bro. I am a kind man. I do understand what holding yourself down is like.”       “Oh, yeah! Terrence was literally whining when you were warming your ass under the warm sun and flirting with your gorgeous blonde. And even if he was letting out a silent but deadly in the warm ocean and having private BDSM parties for his sweetheart, your bro missed mocking you so badly. You were so thrilled when running to greet each other! You were sweet for five minutes and then came back to your old way again.”       “Yeah, nobody can replace you for him,” Peter smiles slyly. “Of course, he loves mocking us, but playing jokes on you gives MacClife an orgasm with much more pleasure.”       “Don’t relax, too, guys,” Edward replies confidently. “You two also have those who are able to kick your ass hard. Including our dearest Terry and me.”       Daniel and Peter say nothing and just shrug with an innocent smile on their faces, while Edward shakes his head with a quiet chuckle. The three pass some distance down the halls, with some people running from one side to another. And at some moment, Terrence appears literally out of nowhere and claps the three men on the shoulder.       “Hey, where are ya hanging around, gang?” Terrence asks funnily. “Should I be answerable on the show instead of you three?”       “Yeah, don’t ya wanna tell us where you were hanging around and why you suddenly disappeared?” Edward asks and clicks his fingers. “Oh, no, you can give no answer – I know! You were ‘talking’ to Raquelle!”       “Laugh, bro, laugh,” Terrence replies confidently, clapping Edward on the shoulder. “You went who the fuck knows where to press your blondie in the corner again.”       “I have a right to!” Edward slaps Terrence slightly on the nose. “And you can’t ban me.”       “Enjoy your life, dude,” Peter says funnily. “You already had a wedding and are gonna have to take a baby in your arms someday.”       “Just like his bro,” Daniel adds confidently. “He’ll get a baby someday. And he will become a proud daddy.”       “All in time, bros,” Edward smiles mysteriously. “All in time.”       “And when we all have one child, they’ll become the same cool friends as you and I are,” Peter notices cheerfully.       “Uh-huh, while you and I are sitting on benches at the playground and watching kids playing and running with loud whoops,” Daniel adds funnily.       “Listen, pretty boys, don’t ya talk about children early?” Terrence chuckles kindly. “The one is just gonna get married. Grew up into that, finally, after two years of mysterious smiles and permanent ‘soon.’ The other hasn’t thought about that yet, and nobody knows when he’ll grow up.”       “Don’t worry, MacClife,” Peter says confidently. “I promise you all will have fun at my wedding someday. And I won’t think for as long as Perkins.”       “First, celebrate a wedding and live together for some time. And then you may think of children.”       “Hey, are you the only one to be able to talk about children?” Edward wonders.       “I have a right to,” Terrence smiles mysteriously. “Because I’m gonna get through this soon.”       “What?” Daniel opens his eyes widely.       “Indeed, bro, it looks like you don’t say something,” Edward frowns slightly.       “Do you want me to tell you some cool news?” Terrence asks.       “Oh, shit, don’t tell us you’re gonna be a dad soon!” Peter guesses.       Terrence says nothing for several seconds, stops slowly, and turns on Edward, Peter, and Daniel.       “Guessed!” Terrence exclaims.       “What?” Daniel, Edward, and Peter surprise.       “Yes, guys, you didn’t mishear!” Terrence smiles much wider. “I’m gonna have a child!”       Peter, Edward, and Daniel look at each other and move their surprised looks to Terrence.       “Come on?” Edward surprises loudly.       “Raquelle just told me she is pregnant. And I’m gonna become a father in several months.”       “What a twist!” Peter pronounces happily.       “Come on, brother!” Daniel surprises. “You’re gonna be a dad? Are you serious?”       “When did ya do it?”       “How’d ya know it?”       “I swear I just found it out,” Terrence confesses. “When you all got out, Raquelle said she recently went to the doctor, who told her that she was expecting a child.”       “Does it happen that I’m gonna be an uncle?” Edward concludes with a wide smile.       “I still can’t believe it, either. But it’s the truth! Raquelle and I are gonna be parents soon. And you’ll be an uncle, yeah!”       Daniel, Peter, and Edward make loud whoops.       “Damn, Terrence, can’t believe it!” Daniel pronounces happily. “I’m so happy!”       “Oh, man!” Peter exclaims. “Daddy!”       Not thinking a lot, Peter takes Terrence in a strong hug and claps him on the back.       “Congrats, brother!” Peter pronounces happily.       “Congrats, buddy!” Daniel congratulates, shares a homie handshake with Terrence, and hugs him tightly. “You made us so happy!”       “A-a-a, Terrence, bro!” Edward whoops with a wide smile. “You’re gonna be a dad!”       Edward takes Terrence in an amicable hug and claps him on the head, squeezing his brother so tightly at some moment that the man starts lacking air.       “Congrats! I’m so happy for ya! So happy!”       “Thanks a lot, guys,” Terrence thanks with a wide smile when Edward steps back.       “Take care of Raquelle so that she doesn’t have a second miscarriage,” Daniel insists. “So that she gives birth to a healthy and beautiful baby.”       “No, no, I’ll take care of her like never before. I’ll fulfill any of Raquelle’s wishes and make sure she’s happy and feels good.”       “Damn, dude, you made us so happy!” Peter pronounces excitedly.       “You rock on!” Edward exclaims. “You just celebrated the wedding, but you and Raquelle are expecting a child already!”       “Yeah, you had a very good honeymoon,” Daniel notices funnily.       “You can’t even imagine how happy I am,” Terrence smiles widely. “And I can’t wait to take my baby in my arms.”       “Soon, soon, soon-to-be dad. We’re already waiting for you to show your kid to us.”       “That’s right!” Edward exclaims. “I’m gonna be learning from the best one! And when it’s my time, I, super uncle Eddy, will be a super daddy.”       “Learn to be an uncle first!” Terrence says confidently. “That’s good Raquelle and I can give you an amazing chance.”       “You doubt me?”       “No, c’mon! How would I dare?”       “Oh, listen, what a day!” Peter smiles widely as he keeps going to the place where he should be, as well as his friends. “We won the award, we watched the historical engagement of Daniel and Anna, and found out that Terrence and Raquelle would become parents…”       “Yeah, we haven’t had such cool days for ages!” Edward notices cheerfully. “When we don’t have to beat faces and play heroes and detectives.”       “I guess Amelia was right when she said no more shocking things would happen in our lives anymore,” Terrence assumes.       “Yeah, there’s really something true about the palmistry,” Daniel agrees.       “I think we suffered for too long!” Edward throws his hands up. “Didn’t we deserve to be happy?”       “Exactly!” Peter exclaims. “Stop, enough! We’ve suffered enough! It’s time to relax a little and remember that we’re having a concert. We are the headliners of the show!”       “If I do something wrong, don’t be mad,” Terrence apologizes in advance. “I’m just too excited. My hands are shaking, and my legs are weak.”       “You won’t, brother, don’t worry,” Edward claps Terrence on the shoulder with a slight smile. “Remember you’re the imitable Terrence MacClife who does everything perfectly.”       “M-m-m, it’s nice to hear you admitting it.”       “Don’t turn your nose up like this, I’m begging ya.”       “I haven’t even started yet! I just say I’m very happy you admit my awesomeness.”       “You’re really good at something, can’t deny. But there are things I personally do much better.”       “Which things?”       “Many things!”       “Oh, bro…” Terrence sighs tiredly. “I’d like to kick your ass. But be happy we’re in the place where I don’t wanna do this. And I’m kind. After I got such amazing news.”       “So, lads, are ya ready to kick everyone’s asses and make people whoop and scream?” Peter asks cheerfully.       “I’ve been ready for long!” Terrence says with his head proudly raised. “Our team will prepare our new instruments with the band logo ready.”       “Oh, yeah!” Daniel whoops happily. “We’re gonna play the instruments with our band logo that were made specifically for us for the first time!”       “Yeah, yeah, let’s go faster!” Edward jumps happily and ruffles slightly the hair of Terrence walking next to him. “I wanna look at our instruments!”       “Go, go, men,” Terrence encourages cheerfully, hugging Peter going next to him around the shoulders. “The guys from our team are waiting for us.”       After quickening a step, the four men laughing shyly go where they are waited with their heads proudly raised. Some time later, they finally come to where people are running everywhere and constantly checking something, while there are lots of big iron cases and boxes with some stuff. If you go a little further, you can see a wide curtain, behind which the scene is hidden. You can hear everything that’s happening on the scene. For example, the loud applause of the people and the performance of the man with a song. The hosts of the ceremony, Bethany and Seth, are standing aside, leaning on the small table, holding some papers, repeating their speech, and talking about something. But after seeing Edward, Terrence, Daniel, and Peter, the two distract and smile at them slightly.       “So, guys, are you ready to perform as headliners of the show?” Seth asks amicably. “As far as we know, you’re performing soon!”       “We’re ready,” Terrence nods with a slight smile. “We’re waiting for them to call us.”       “The last three awards will be given now, and then you will be invited on the scene,” Bethany says with a slight smile.       “Alright, thanks for letting us know,” Edward thanks gently.       “By the way, you are hosting the ceremony very well,” Peter confesses. “We liked everything.”       “Thanks a lot,” Seth thanks. “This is the second time Bethany and I have been invited to host it. We hosted it somewhere three years ago for the first time.”       “And it’s really hard, I must confess,” Bethany adds confidently. “Seth and I learn our words by heart for hours and rehearse for hours.”       “Yeah, we get it,” Daniel nods. “Learning so much text is a hard business.”       “Uh-huh, we even have to learn the lyrics of our own songs,” Terrence adds. “Things get out of your mind when some time goes by.”       “You’re getting used to work, but I’ve been working as a host of the entertainment show for ages, and I have to memorize a lot of text,” Bethany confesses. “Yes, I improvise sometimes, but still…”       “I watch your show sometimes,” Peter says amicably. “And I really like it. You have a wonderful sense of humor, Bethany.”       “Thanks, Peter,” Bethany smiles slightly. “I’ve been told that I joke very well since childhood. When I say something, everyone starts laughing.”       “Not everyone has a talent to do it,” Terrence notices thoughtfully. “But you’re good at this.”       “Right,” Seth agrees. “And as a writer of children's books, coming up with something funny that children may love is important to me, as well.”       “Oh, are you a writer?” Daniel wonders.       “Sure! I write tales for children of different ages. And people really love them. But my main critics are my hooligans. The older twin boys and a daughter. I always give them my works so that they rate them and add many things they suggest with pleasure.”       “Wow, I didn’t know…”       “I would be happy if you read them for your future children. They’re all kind, short, and easy.”       “Thanks, Seth,” Terrence smiles slightly. “I will check out your works.”       “Yeah, I would really love to have your band at my show someday,” Bethany confesses.       “We would come with pleasure,” Edward says confidently.       “Talk to our managers,” Peter adds with a slight smile. “I think we can have time in our schedule to come to you.”       “Alright,” Bethany nods. “The organizers of my show will contact your team.”       Peter, Terrence, Daniel, and Edward say nothing and just smile shyly. And several seconds later, one of the organizers comes to Bethany and Seth and lets them know that they should go on the scene again.       “Oh, they’re calling us!” Seth exclaims. “We’ll talk later, guys. And you get ready for the performance.”       “Good luck to you!” Bethany adds amicably.       Seth and Bethany put their papers aside, take the cards with the ceremony logo and microphones, and come back to the scene along with loud applause from the people. Terrence, Peter, Edward, and Daniel do not stay alone for long because George comes to them with a plastic glass in his hands.       “Your team has checked the instruments already,” George says confidently. “They’re ready. You only need to wait for the announcement of your performance.”       “Alright, thanks a lot,” Peter thanks with a slight smile.       “By the way, someone from your team went by your dressing room and heard loud applause and whoops. Were you so happy with your first award? Or something else happened?”       “Yeah, we're happy with the award…” Daniel says thoughtfully.       “And one wonderful thing happened…” Terrence smiles mysteriously, looking at Daniel as well as his bandmates do.       “Two events, to be correct…” Peter adds, looking at Terrence.       “M-m-m, as I understand, Daniel has a good piece of news since you three are looking at him?” George frowns slightly. “And Terrence, too…”       “Oh, yeah, George!” Edward exclaims with a wide smile. “What we were waiting for so long has finally happened!”       “Really? Daniel? Terrence?” George moves his eyes to Daniel and Terrence. “Tell me what happened now.”       “Nothing special,” Daniel shrugs with a mysterious smile. “I’m just gonna get married.”       “Married? Married to Anna?”       “Yes, George. When the guys and I were in the dressing room, I proposed to Anna, and she said, ‘Yes.’”       “Gosh…” George smiles much wider and raises his hands up “Finally, man! I thought you’d never do this! You’re daring such a good girl, but you spent so much time deciding to propose.”       “Yeah, I did, my bad. But now I’m sure I really want it.”       “Sometimes the omen about a bride’s bouquet makes real miracles,” Terrence notices with a mysterious smile.       “So true!” George exclaims. “Anna caught the bouquet and is gonna get married.”       “The girl finally got it,” Peter notices happily. “She was patiently waiting for so long and was shy of dropping a hint about the wish to have a wedding. And her wait is over.”       “Oh, Daniel…” George takes Daniel in a strong hug and claps him on the back. “Congrats on the engagement! I’m so happy for you.”       “Thank you so much, George,” Daniel smiles shyly, steps away from George, and claps him on the back. “Thanks.”       “Good, man. You chose the right girl. I really like Anna. Such a shy and educated girl.”       “By the way, you’re invited to my wedding! And I accept no refusals.”       “I will surely visit your wedding with pleasure! And take my family to introduce them to you and the guys and introduce you and the guys to my wife and daughter.”       “Would be very happy.”       “Congrats on marrying again.”       “Marrying?” a man from the “Against The System” team wonders loudly. “Is someone gonna get married?”       “What?” a girl from the team wonders loudly. “Married? Who’s getting married?”       “Daniel is getting married!” Peter announces happily. “The man has finally grown, guys!”       “Come on?” one more girl surprises loudly. “Will Dan walk down to the altar alongside his beauty?”       “So true, gang!” Daniel exclaims with his head proudly raised. “I’m now engaged! And gonna be a family man. Just our beloved MacClife brothers are!”       “Oh, man…” another man from the team pronounces with a wide smile.       All the members of the “Against The System” come happily to Daniel and surround him from all sides, congratulating the fiancé on the engagement by hugging him tightly and amicably, saying good words, whooping loudly, and sharing an amicable kiss on the cheek. And after almost everybody congratulates Perkins, Blake comes to all of them after showing up out of nowhere, looks surprisingly at those who are whooping so loudly and happy with something, while Ashton follows him.       “Hey, fellows, what’s going on?” Blake asks loudly. “Why are y’all so happy?”       “Indeed, guys, we’re not aware!” Ashton exclaims.       “You need to hang around less,” Terrence replies funnily.       “Exactly!” Edward exclaims.       “C’mon, guys, tell what’s wrong!” Ashton says confidently. “I wanna know everything!”       “M-m-m, guys, we got just a wonderful piece of news,” one of the men from the “Against The System” team smiles mysteriously.       “But what’s wrong?” Blake wonders. “I left just for several minutes, but something happened to you!”       “You have three guesses!” Peter exclaims.       “Is someone gonna marry? Or become a daddy?”       “Yes, buddy,” Daniel smiles mysteriously. “We’re gonna get one more married man soon.”       “Who’s marrying?” Ashton asks. “Pete, you?”       “Attempt number two! Bo-o-o-o-om!”       “Hey, hey, guys, second…” Blake opens his eyes widely. “Perkins! Are ya gonna get married?”       “Finally, you’ve guessed!” Edward clicks his fingers.       “Daniel is engaged, guys!” George announces happily. “One more member of ‘Against The System’ is gonna get married to his sweetheart!”       “Engaged?” Ashton and Blake surprise loudly.       “What news!” Ashton smiles widely. “Dude, why were you silent? That’s such a grandiose event!”       “I proposed to Anna some time ago,” Daniel says with a slight smile. “The guys can confirm! They were near us as well as the girls!”       “You’re awesome, man!” Blake exclaims cheerfully.       “Oh, Dan, finally!” Ashton pronounce happily. “I thought you’d make Anna wait for a long-awaited ring ‘til the end of her life.”       “No, guys,” Daniel shakes his head with a sly smile. “I wasn’t gonna live a whole life with my beloved red-haired beauty without a marriage.”       “Listen, Daniel, congratulations,” Blake smiles widely, shares a homie handshake with Daniel, hugs him amicably, and claps him on the back. “Really! Congrats with all the heart!”       “Thanks a lot, Blake,” Daniele thanks with a slight smile. “You’re invited to my wedding, too! As well as the guys from the team.”       “Huh, me missing this event!” Blake chuckles kindly. “Not for anything! I will surely visit the wedding of Daniel Perkins himself!”       “Congrats, dude!” Ashton exclaims happily and congratulates Daniel, giving him a five and hugging him tightly. “You made the right choice.”       “Thanks a lot, Ash,” Daniel replies amicably. “You’re also invited to my wedding. And don’t dare to find excuses.”       “Don’t worry, Perkins, I will surely come.”       “We’re gonna have a wonderful party in honor of the soon-to-be groom and bride!” Terrence exclaims cheerfully. “Trust me, guys, this wedding is gonna be legendary!”       “That’s what a bride’s bouquet does!” one from the “Against The System” team exclaims funnily.       “Wait, dude, we’re gonna have one more in the future!” one more from the team adds funnily. “We’re gonna have one more unmarried member of ‘Against The System’ after Dan’s wedding.”       “Oh, we’re gonna be waiting for Pete’s wedding for three more years!” The third member of the team chuckles kindly.       “Not three!” Peter protests. “By the way, I’ve been thinking a lot about proposing to Helene to marry.”       “Yeah! Baby Connor would find a fiancée sooner than you’d marry.”       “Hey, I’m not a baby!” Blake throws gloomily. “If I’m the youngest one of us, it doesn’t mean you can call me a baby! I’m twenty, the fuck, years!”       “Gosh, guys, Peter will get married, settle down already!” one of “Against The System”’s stylists says confidently. “Nobody thought Daniel would get married someday, but he decided to do it.”       “Hey, stop!” Blake exclaims as he frowns slightly. “Folks, don’t ya confuse anything? Is Daniel really getting married? Are you sure about it?”       “Perkins told you personally about it!” Terrence exclaims.       “Uh-huh, or are you having your head in the clouds?” Edward puts his hands on his hips. “Can’t you come to yourself after spending a cool time with another girl?”       “Nope, I just…” Blake scratches the back of his head. “I thought Peter was gonna get married…”       “Oh, we’re gonna be waiting for Peter to do it for three more years!” one of the members of the team sighs tiredly.       “Yeah? But why does Helene wear the ring that looks like an engagement ring? On the ring finger!”       At this moment, Peter opens his eyes and turns his head aside, starting to listen to the talk closely after stepping aside with one of the members of the team.       “What ring?” Daniel frowns slightly. “What are ya talking about, man?”       “Blake and I recently saw the ring on Helene’s hand and thought she was engaged,” Ashton confesses. “The ring is really beautiful, just saying.”       “Uh-huh, with a violet diamond,” Blake specifies. “I don’t know what that is, but the ring is really magnificent!”       “I don’t know, I didn’t look at her hands,” Edward shrugs.       “Guys, are you sure you saw the ring on Helene’s ring finger?” George specifies. “Maybe you're confused about something?”       “We are sure, Mr. Smith, we bet our tooth!” Blake jabs excitedly. “We are not wrong!”       “Yes, yes, sir, there was the ring!” Ashton agrees. “And Helene didn’t even try to hide it.”       “It’s strange…” Edward frowns slightly. “They didn’t kinda announce their engagement…”       “Hey, Peter, don’t you wanna explain anything to us?” Daniel asks loudly. “Which ring are Blake and Ashton talking about?”       “Ern, I dunno…” Peter shrugs hesitantly, while his eyes are running from side to side. “I guess… She put it on the ceremony… Something from her jewelry… She’s got a lot of them…”       “She put on a regular ring on the finger, on which people usually wear an engagement ring and a wedding ring?”       “What’s wrong? Maybe she likes it! Maybe the ring fits… That finger only…”       “M-m-m, hey, hey, my boy…” George smiles mysteriously. “Come here now. And tell us all your secrets.”       “What secrets?” Peter pretends to be surprised. “What are you talking about, George? I… I don’t understand…”       “Dude, if you and Helene are engaged too, just say it,” Ashton says confidently. “Why would ya hide and deny it?”       “We wouldn’t hide it… If we were really… Engaged…”       “M-m-m, my gut tells me something is wrong,” Edward strokes his chin.       “So what, Rose, will you tell everything or make us use heavy artillery?” Terrence frowns.       “Gosh, folks, why are ya annoying me?” Peter wonders. “Yes, Helene’s got the ring on that finger, I saw it. But it means nothing. Nothing from what you thought about it.”       “Dude, don’t make us press you to the wall and get everything by force outta you,” one of the members of the team insists. “Just confirm that the guys don’t lie and really saw what they thought about.”       “Okay, you want me to put on a random ring on this finger? For nothing. Because I want it. And it wouldn’t mean that I am married.”       “Nervous, man, nervous,” Blake crosses his arms over his chest. “It means we hit the bullseye!”       “Indeed, Peter, why are you so restless?” George wonders.       “Just excited before the show,” Peter replies. “Afraid to make a mistake.”       “Pe-ter!” Terrence pronounces slowly.       “Erm… You know, guys… I need to go to the restroom… Really need… But I have time. I’ll be back shortly. Wait for me!”       But when Peter quickens a step and wants to go aside, Daniel, Terrence, and Edward close the path for him, catching him on the run and surrounding him from all sides.       “Hey, hey, not so fast, pretty boy,” Daniel says with a sly smile. “Don’t rush…”       “C’mon, tell us everything you wanna hide,” Terrence insists.       “When the time comes, I’ll tell you,” Peter says in a little shaking from the excitement voice.       “Why don’t ya wanna do it now?” Edward surprises.       “C'mon, Pete, say it aloud!” Ashton encourages cheerfully. “Let us be happy for you!”       “Indeed, man, what kind of surprises?” George wonders. “Don’t you trust us?”       “Oh, how do I tell everything when everything happens at once?” Peter sighs tiredly as he glances aside.       “Uh-huh, the boys are not wrong!” one of the members of the team clicks his finger. “Are we gonna have one more wedding?”       “Yea-a-a-a-ah!” the girl from the team whoops happily. “Is this really happening?”       “Okay, okay, you caught me!” Peter raises his hands in front of himself. “You did. It’s true. Helene and I are engaged, too. And that ring really means an engagement.”       “My gosh, I'm so happy!” the other girl from the team exclaims happily, putting her hands on her cheeks. “Did it really happen?”       “C’mon, blond, are you serious?” Terrence asks with a wide smile. “Are you and Marshall really engaged?”       “Since I got the keys and the documents from my new house, I can obviously think about creating a family with my girl,” Peter replies thoughtfully. “So, yes, we’re engaged.”       “A-a-a-a, man, finally!” Daniel whoops at the top of his lungs. “I’m fucking happy! Finally, buddy! Finally!”       Daniel squeezes Peter in such a strong hug that the blond even starts lacking air.       “Congrats, Peter, with all my heart! I couldn’t wait for the day I’d hear it!”       “Whoa, whoa, easy, man, easy,” Peter laughs, clapping Daniel on the shoulder. “Not so tightly. I understand you’ve got a lot of stupidity. But I can’t breathe. And you’re gonna break all my bones if you keep squeezing me like this.”       “Oh, sorry, bro, sorry…” Daniel claps Peter on the head, weakening the grip as well. “Emotions… Sorry… I’m just too happy for my bro.”       “Much better now.”       “Congrats, buddy! I finally lived until this legendary moment!”       “Thanks, Daniel!”       “Congrats, man!” Terrence exclaims happily, taking Peter in a strong hug and clapping him on the head. “You’re finally gonna have a family!”       “Congrats, blond!” Edward pronounces with a wide smile, hugging Peter tightly and clapping him on the back with both hands. “You’ve finally done it!”       “Congrats, my boy,” George pronounces amicably, doing the same thing. “You deserved to be happy like nobody else.”       After this, Blake, Ashton, and all the members of the team of “Against The System” literally attack Peter with congratulations, not hiding their happiness for this amazing moment. And the girls, who are a part of this too, share an amicable kiss on the cheek with the blond. While he gets a little blushed and shy at getting so much attention, thinking it does not make sense to deny something since Helene and he have been caught in a crime.       “Thank you…” Peter smiles shyly. “Thank you all so much.”       “So, pretty boy, now speak out when you made your girlfriend a fiancée?” Blake demands cheerfully.       “Did ya also decide to start a new life after your band won your first award?” Ashton asks.       “Wrong answer!” Peter shakes his head with a mysterious smile. “I proposed to Helene some time before the wedding of the MacClifes.”       “Seriously?” Terrence opens his eyes widely.       “Did you, asshole, hide the engagement from us this whole time?” Edward surprises.       “You’re freaking crazy!” Daniel resents. “Hiding THAT from us, your so-called brothers?”       “Helene and I didn’t just want to get all the attention on us before the wedding of the MacClifes,” Peter explains. “So, that’s why we decided to be silent.”       “But they’re married already!” George notices. “It means you could already reveal it.”       “We planned to do it. But… Daniel ‘ruined’ our plans by just proposing to Anna.”       “C’mon, buddy!” Daniel exclaims and claps Peter on the forearm. “How did you, creature with feathers, dare to do it? Aren’t you ashamed at all?”       “And when did ya wanna tell us about it?” Terrence asks as he crosses his arms over his chest.       “Well…” Peter bites his lip. “After the award ceremony. After the performance. We wanted to tell you after that. Helene had worn the ring on the other hand so that nobody understood anything. But today she put it on the ring finger.”       “Great!” Blake resents. “But we know nothing here!”       “And how long did you, lovebirds, hide this piece of news from us?” George asks.       “A long time, as you can see,” Peter replies thoughtfully. “I suggested to Helene that she see my new house the next day after I finished the deal and got the documents and the keys. And… At the balcony of my bedroom… I suggested that she move in and live with me. And when she refused, saying her grandmother wouldn’t let her do it, I let her know it wasn’t a big deal. And… I proposed to her. She said, ‘Yes!’.”       “Ha, awesome!” Daniel chuckles. “Someone proposed literally right in front of my nose, but I don’t know the fuck anything!”       “You’re a bad neighbor since you don’t know what’s happening to those who live near you,” Ashton replies funnily.       “Oh, yay, he’s too far from Hillary and Marta,” Edward laughs. “Far from those who know even which underwear their neighbors wear today: crossed or polka dots.”       “The secret is easy: the balcony in my room is on the opposite side, not the side where his house is,” Peter replies. “At the gorgeous mountain views covered with green.”       “Yeah, how do we find time to celebrate so many weddings?” George wonders.       “Uh-huh, we’re gonna have two weddings again,” Blake notices. “It means we’re gonna have two bachelors!”       “Helene and I can surely say that we will not delay the wedding for too long,” Peter says confidently. “We’ll probably do this before the band goes on the worldwide tour.”       “So, can’t ya wait to make that beauty your wife and give her your surname?” one of the men from the team chuckles.       “Did ya, guys, think I bought such a large and light house for nothing? I don’t need such a large one alone! But it’s gonna be a paradisiacal place for Helene and our children.”       “Oh, Helene’s grandma is gonna be freaking thrilled!” Terrence exclaims. “Her granddaughter will finally get married!”       “Uh-huh, Marshall was probably sitting with Seymour, sighing, and dreaming of having a wedding with Peter,” Edward adds.       “We were so excited at first that we almost went to register our marriage secretly from everyone immediately,” Peter confesses as he laughs shyly. “But later, we calmed down a little and decided to get married with the guests.”       “I’m surprised you didn’t do it before,” Daniel replies.       “I could do it. But one thing stopped me – my home. I could not and did not want to bring my girlfriend to that hole. Because she deserves to live in a better place. I would’ve married her literally after we started to date. After we barely befriended and fell in love.”       “That’s what we call being sure about what you’re doing,” Blake laughs.       “Oh, I am absolutely sure. I know what I’m doing. I know who I wanna create a family with. A family that’s gonna obviously be big and very happy. I will do my best to make it happen.”       “You can do this, Peter,” George encourages, putting his hand on Peter’s shoulder. “Helene is a wonderful girl who fits you perfectly. She will take care of you and the children you will have in the future.”       “I personally want many children. As many as I can provide. And I’m gonna work like crazy for that.”       “A-a-a, Peter, I’m so happy for ya!” Daniel adds funnily, hugging Peter around the shoulders. “How long I was waiting for your engagement with Marshall!”       “You should’ve made the girl happy a long time ago!” Edward exclaims, ruffling Peter’s hair. “She’s done so much for you! She deserves to get a proposal like nobody else!”       “Don’t worry, you won’t regret it!” Terrence assures, clapping Peter on the shoulder. “Since the guys and I approve of your choice, it means it’s gonna be okay!”       “I count on your help in the wedding preparation,” Peter replies. “Will you help me, right?”       “We’d be freaking happy to play the role of the groomsmen!” Daniel says with his head proudly raised. “I’m gonna personally make sure everything happens without a hitch. Even a bug won’t fly without my permission. And as your best and closest friend, I can definitely impose on you as your best man. I mean, I will be the one. And I ain’t care what you think about it. I shall be the one, and it’s outta discussion!”       “Who said you’d be the one?”       “What? What do you mean?” Daniel gives Peter a slight hit on the back of his head. “Hello! Are you fucking crazy?”       “Hey, I’m kidding, tough guy, joking!” Peter laughs and ruffles Daniel’s hair. “Of course, you! Who else but you! If you make everything perfect, I promise I’ll return my debt and make sure your wedding is magnificent.”       “Much better. Don’t think of anything like this anymore!”       “A-a-a-a, I can finally speak aloud about my happiness! At the top of my lungs!”       “And we can finally shout about yours!” Edward adds funnily.       “Yea-a-a-ah!” Terrence pronounces.       Daniel, Edward, and Peter whooping happily take Peter in a group hug, while he does not hide his wide smile. They all barely hold themselves down not to shout much louder and start to dance in the entire spacious room, being happy with Rose and Marshall’s engagement literally more than their first award.       “Okay, everything’s clear about Perkins and Rose, as I understand!” Ashton adds after a short pause. “But who’s gonna be a father?”       “Hey, yeah!” Blake exclaims. “Whom should we start to give pacifiers, diapers, and rattles?”       “Terrence,” Daniel, Peter, and Edward pronounce happily.       “Terrence?” everyone surprises.       “C’mon, Terrence?” George smiles widely.       “It’s true,” Terrence confirms with his head proudly raised. “Some time ago, I found out that Raquelle and I would become parents soon. She’s expecting a child.”       “Gosh, it’s amazing!” the girl from the “Against The System” team pronounces happily. “Raquelle and Terrence are gonna become parents!”       “You rock on, dude!” Blake exclaims. “You're barely married and got used to the status of a hubby, but now you’re already made a dad.”       “Why would they waste time?” someone from the “Against The System” team surprises. “People with good genes should make children! God himself let Terrence and Raquelle become parents and give life to babies with amazing genes.”       “It’s amazing, Terrence, my God!” George smiles widely and takes Terrence in a strong hug. “Congrats!”       “Congrats, man!” Ashton congratulates, hugging Terrence tightly and clapping him on the back. “Can’t wait for you to show your baby to us.”       “Congrats, tough guy!” Blake exclaims, taking Terrence in a strong hug too. “Take care of the mommy and her baby. So that they’re happy with everything.”       All the members from the “Against The System” team come to Terrence and surround him from all sides, congratulating the man on expecting a child with strong hugs, warm words, loud whoops, and amicable kisses on the cheek.       “Thank you all so much, guys,” Terrence thanks with a wide smile. “Don’t worry, I’ll tell Raquelle all your wishes. And show my baby to you when they’re born.”       “Listen, people, we must celebrate it somehow,” Ashton suggests cheerfully. “It’s amazing! Two more weddings and the pregnancy… Gosh, that’s awesome!”       “Yeah, but first, we need to get ready for the guys’ performance and do our best for it to be good,” George says confidently.       “Well, everything’s ready!” Blake throws his hands up. “The lads are ready, the instruments are ready, the people are waiting for all the awards to be given… Ashton and I have already ordered the food and drinks.”       “Yeah, it’s okay!” Ashton adds with a slight smile. “Blake and I will get the order from a delivery guy when they call us.”       “Great!” Peter nods in approval. “But since the guys and I changed our plans for this evening a little, you will have to order much more food and drinks for us.”       “We already got it!”       “Yes, men, don’t worry!” Blake exclaims. “We’ll make a call and ask them to bring us two times more food and drinks.”       “Aw, we’ve got such incredible assistants!” Daniel confidently exclaims with a shy smile. “They understand everything at once!”       “Yeah, when we got two helpers, life got much better,” Peter adds funnily.       Everybody laughs shyly, while George glances aside and checks the time on his hand.       “Okay, guys, stop talking!” George orders loudly. “Let’s check everything again and make sure everything is alright. Guys, get ready to perform!”       All the members of the “Against The System” team go slowly on different sides and start doing their business, while George controls everybody personally and checks out everything closely along with several managers of the band, and Blake and Ashton go somewhere and start talking about something. And Edward, Peter, Daniel, and Terrence start laughing shyly after they stay alone.       “Guys…” Daniel smiles mysteriously. “Are you thinking of what I’m thinking now?”       “Maybe…” Edward nods.       “Yeah, it seems like the twins from Brie’s dance group already gave Connor a couple of hickeys on the neck,” Peter laughs shyly. “He even has tracks of red lipstick.”       “And the boy didn’t even look at the mirror and cover them,” Terrence chuckles kindly. “And our whole band saw the hickeys and tracks of lipstick, judging by someone’s chuckles. They do know he did something very bad.”       “That’s good nobody told him that,” Daniel says confidently. “May the boy think why everyone the fuck looks at him and barely holds down not to laugh too hard.”       “It happens when there are girls who are ready to please that so-called sultan,” Edward crosses his arms over his chest.       “C’mon, men, let him do what he wants!” Peter waves his hand. “While we don’t need Blake, we can give him a chance to get rid of the pressure secretly.”       “Anyway, we have Ashton. He’s always near and very responsible for his work.”       “We should’ve hired him a long time ago,” Terrence smiles slightly. “Ashton is a responsible guy who won’t let us down.”       “Uh-huh, take the order from a delivery guy if Blake picks girls up on the corner,” Daniel says confidently.       “That’s right!” Edward exclaims and claps on his stomach. “After the show, I’m gonna be terribly hungry.”       “Already dreaming of us eating delicious hot food,” Terrence says cheerfully, running his hand over his growling stomach.       “Oh, yea-a-a-ah…” Daniel rolls his eyes.       “Hey, shut up now!” Peter closes his ears with his hands. “I must think of the show, but you talk about food!”       “Why me?” Edward rounds his eyes. “I agree! Food is good, but we must play the show not at two hundred percent.”       While the men talk and watch what’s happening around and on the scene behind the wide, high dark curtain, Bradley, Liam, and Zachary come to them confidently.       “Hey, guys!” Zachary greets.       “Oh, guys!” Daniel surprises truly. “Whatcha doing here?”       “Decided to go to support you before your performance,” Bradley replies amicably.       “That’s how,” Terrence pronounces thoughtfully. “I thought you’d give an award.”       “No, no, we give no award.”       “Just asked the organizers for permission to come here and talk to you,” Liam adds.       “Thanks, guys,” Edward smiles shyly. “We’re glad you came.”       “Hey, men, why are ya so tired?” Daniel frowns slightly. “Didn’t get enough sleep? Or overworked?”       “Oh, we’ve had a super hard week,” Liam sighs tiredly, putting his hand on his forehead. “We’ve been attending shows every single day, performing several times per day, and have shot for a couple of magazines. And today we gave an interview to one channel and arrived at this ceremony as nominees who performed the song.”       “Sorry,” Terrence expresses sympathy.       “But it’s okay we can relax next week and have some rest,” Zachary replies confidently. “We’re planning to travel around hot countries, lie under the sun, swim in the sea, and have fun with beautiful girls.”       “Are you gonna have a holiday?” Edward specifies.       “Yup, we wanna take some friends and hang out with them,” Liam confesses. “We haven’t traveled around the world for nothing for ages.”       “Cool!” Peter exclaims. “Edward and Edward recently came back here from hot places.”       “Uh-huh, you see how tanned the MacClifes are,” Daniel notices cheerfully with a slight smile. “They always look as white as snow. But our Terry and Ed lied under the sun a little and stopped being so pale.”       “Yeah, we saw photos on the guys’ accounts,” Bradley smiles slightly. “So happy and smiling.”       “And what gorgeous bikinis their cuties wore,” Zachary adds confidently. M-m-m…”       “That’s right!” Liam agrees. “We looked at that beauty a lot!”       “Our friends have got a good taste,” Peter smiles slyly. “They choose only the best. To make everyone drool.”       “By the way, you all chose cool places,” Liam notices confidently. “Maybe we’ll visit that during our holiday.”       “I’m sure you’re gonna love it,” Edward smiles widely. “Since you decided to have a holiday, go there. Warm sea, hot sun, soft sand, and an incredible hotel with a truly breathtaking panorama.”       At some moment, all the men move their eyes to the scene, hearing loud music, along with which a man is singing.       “Look, guys, it seems like he finished singing,” Bradley says thoughtfully.       “Too bad it’s not forever,” Zachary replies gloomily, crossing his arms over his chest. “Enjoy the fame you got thanks to us, asshole! We will see how long it will last.”       “Did you seriously fight with Nathan after he left the band?” Peter asks with sadness in his eyes.       “He wanted to, Peter,” Liam replies coldly. “Chadwick was always invisible and didn’t care that everyone thought the band didn’t need him, and people didn’t talk a lot about him. But then he showed his peacock feathers and went nuts.”       “Why did he go insane?” Terrence asks.       “Because he’s an envying scumbag!”       “Hey, guys, have you heard Chadwick threatened to sue us to deprive us of the right to perform the songs written by him? Bradley asks.       “What?” Daniel wonders. “Nathan wants to get your songs and own them?”       “Yes! He’s planning to deprive us of the right to sing the songs written by him and those that the whole band wrote together. He is ready to let us sing those songs that the band wrote without him. Though we don’t have too many of them.”       “My gosh…” Edward says thoughtfully.       “Let him fuck himself!” Zachary throws gloomily. “We will sell our rights for the songs written by him with pleasure! Or actually give them for free! Not to have anything in common with that peacock.”       “Yeah, he naively thinks he’ll get famous thanks to them,” Bradley adds confidently. “Okay then, let Nathan choke himself!”       “We three will write a bunch of songs!” Liam says with his head proudly up. “And they’ll be a thousand times better than what Chadwick wrote!”       “Sorry…” Peter pronounces with sadness in his eyes. “If we can help, let us know.”       “It seems like the people also understand this and don’t react to his performance loudly,” Terrence notices thoughtfully. “Unlike the performances of you, Brianna, or ‘Lost In Time.’”       “That’s right!” Liam agrees. “The people were clapping louder when Brie was singing with that rapper, with whom she had strong chemistry. And when Derek and Gordon were rocking on.”       “It’s okay, let this idiot build a solo career,” Bradley crosses his arms over his chest. “And we’ll keep working without him.”       “As I understand, didn’t Nathan’s departure hurt you?” Edward puts his hands on his hips.       “At first, we got confused and didn’t know what to do…” Zachary confesses. “Thought our band would never be the same. We were worried that our fans would be upset… But later, we sat down, talked, and said, ‘Why do we fuck care about this peacock? Nothing terrible happened! We will get through it without him!’”       “And we really did!” Liam smiles slightly. “And realized we got much better after that asshole left the band. Honestly, he wasn’t one of us. He was something like a pain in the neck. And our fans weren’t upset because people barely loved Chadwick. And now they hate him ‘cause Nathan showers Brad, Zach, and me with mud in all interviews. Tells an insolent lie, for which we can easily sue him and those who publish all of that.”       “So, everything is alright,” Bradley adds confidently. “No need to feel sorry.”       “Yeah…” Peter exhales slowly. “He seemed a fine guy when we just met him…”       “Everything was like this first,” Zachary replies quietly. “Nathan was a good guy without demons. But then he kinda got sick with a starstruck and began to pretend to be a sultan. He forgot who suggested him to become a star.”       “Yeah, we’d say, we got that bastard out of poverty for our kindness and friendship,” Liam adds confidently. “But he turned out to be a thankless scumbag.”       “Now even being in the same room with him is disgusting to us,” Bradley confesses. “Let Nathan sing our song and get out of the scene, and then we’ll be back in the room.”       “Yeah, talk to you and eat something.”       “By the way, Nathan didn’t even greet Pete, Terry, Ed, and me when we met,” Daniel notices. “He turned around on purpose and pretended that he didn’t see us.”       “It’s true,” Edward nods confidently. “And I don’t personally understand if we really deserved to be treated like that.”       “Give a fuck, lads!” Liam waves his hand. “Fuck Nathan off and ignore him. Just like we do. When we meet him at public appearances, we don’t talk to him and go as far as possible.”       “But I bet my arm that he will come to us on his knees and beg about being forgiven and accepted to the band when his kinda fame is gone,” Zachary says.       “But even if Nathan wants to make his relationship with us better and excuse his disgusting behavior, we won’t answer back,” Bradley adds. “We don’t want to befriend those who behave so disgustingly towards us.”       “We aren’t vindictive people, but what that man is doing is out of the limits,” Liam notices confidently.       “He made his choice. Okay, we respect it and don’t argue! Not too much to lose!”       “Aren’t you really upset by his departure?” Terrence frowns slightly.       “No, Terrence, we don’t care about it!”       “And honestly, we’ve never been friends with him and didn’t almost meet,” Bradley confesses. “But Liam, Zach, and I often hang out together and have gotten close to each other over the years of work.”       “Actually, I understood that you weren’t close to him a long time ago,” Edward replies thoughtfully. “Nathan always seemed kinda distracted to me. Unnecessary. Spent time with you for work only.”       “That’s why we quickly fucked him off,” Bradley says confidently.       “Right, guys. You can always find anyone to replace him in case you want to have a quartet again.”       “No, Edward, we don’t plan to find anyone to replace him,” Liam says quietly. “The guys and I will keep working as a trio. We’ve always felt like we have three people in the band, not four.”       “As I understand, you have great plans for the future?” Peter smiles mysteriously.       “That’s right! We’ll have a rest for a week or two and start working on new music in the studio.”       “And yeah, we don’t mind proposing someone to perform one song or two together,” Bradley smiles mysteriously. “Huh, guys? What do ya think of a joint collaboration?”       “We’d work with you with pleasure,” Peter says confidently.       “Uh-huh!” Daniel smiles widely. “It would be cool to record a song together!”       “Deal!” Zachary clicks his fingers. “After our holiday, we will contact you to talk about working together.”       “But remember that we have many scheduled events in the nearest time due to the new album release,” Terrence notices with a slight smile. “We’re also working on planning our worldwide tour. And in addition, my baby is gonna be born in several months, and the guys and I are gonna celebrate two more weddings very soon.”       “What, what?” Liam opens his eyes widely. “Wedding?”       “And what do ya mean, baby is gonna be born?” Bradley surprises.       “Yeah, Edward and Terrence got married,” Daniel smiles shyly. “But Peter and I will do it after him.”       “You?” Zachary, Bradley, and Liam ask loudly.       “Perkins, are you serious?” Zachary wonders. “Are you engaged with your red-haired beauty Anna?”       “My gosh, did the girl get the ring?” Bradley cannot believe it.       “I am engaged,” Daniel smiles widely. “I’ve just proposed to her to marry. Peter, Terrence, and Edward were witnesses! As well as Raquelle, Natalia, and Helene.”       “And our helper revealed me as fuck by telling everyone about the ring on Helene’s hand,” Peter confesses. “Anyway, I proposed to her a long time ago.”       “Wow, you’re awesome, men!” Bradley smiles widely. “Really awesome!”       Zachary, Liam, and Bradley congratulate Daniel and Peter, taking them in a tight, amiable hug and clapping them on the back.       “Congrats, guys!” Liam congratulates happily. “We’re really happy you did it too!”       “Thanks, guys,” Daniel smiles shyly.       “Thanks, friends,” Peter thanks.       “Would be happy if you found time to come to the weddings. At least for two hours.”       “Don’t worry, buddies,” Zachary replies cheerfully, clapping Peter and Daniel on the shoulder. “We will change our schedule if we need it. Or maybe we’ll be really lucky and get some shows or performances canceled.”       “Hey, what about a baby?” Liam specifies.       “It’s mine,” Terrence says with a slight smile. “I’m gonna be a father soon.”       “Come on?” Zachary surprises.       “Listen, Terrence, we congratulate you with all our hearts!” Bradley exclaims.       “Yeah, MacClife, we’re very happy for Raquelle and you!” Liam adds.       Liam, Zachary, and Bradley take Terrence in a strong hug and clap him on the back or shoulder.       “Thanks, guys!” Terrence thanks with a wide smile. “Thank you…”       “Hey, will ya show your baby to us when they’re born?” Zachary asks.       “Yeah, I personally adore children!” Liam confesses. “Always have pleasure from spending time with my niblings and love buying gifts for them.”       “Of course, I will!” Terrence promises. “Send you photos and show them to you personally! Don’t worry!”       “Listen, men, you’re kinda getting luckier and luckier!” Bradley notices with a wide smile. “One good thing happens after another good thing!”       “Yeah, we haven’t been so lucky in a while!” Peter replies confidently. “Every single day brings us luck.”       “I wish it kept happening!” Edward crosses his fingers.       “Hey, the song you’re gonna be singing now is my favorite one off your album,” Liam confesses. “All the tracks are a bomb, but ‘Stronger Together’ is a pleasure for my ears!”       “Good choice,” Terrence smiles shyly. “A song about the unity and the friendship.”       “All of them are cool!” Zachary exclaims. “Every one of them has a meaning! Every one of them makes you reflect! You did an amazing job, lads! We’ve had your album on repeat and already learned almost all the lyrics.”       “Uh-huh, if we go to your show, we will be singing loudly along with you,” Bradley adds confidently.       “Thanks a lot, guys,” Daniel thanks amicably. “We’re glad you loved our album.”       “We’re really proud of these, whose talent we discovered,” Liam says confidently with his head proudly raised. “After seeing your vids and hearing how you sang, we understood that you’d go far.”       “Oh, it’s just the beginning, guys,” Edward replies confidently with a wide smile. “As our girls say, we’re gonna get a free room ready for our awards ‘cause there would be no place to keep them.”       “Being so successful, you’ll really have to think about it,” Zachary laughs shyly. “The girls will have to free up a place in a closet and find a place for their clothes.”       All the men laugh quietly, while the guy named Nathan Chadwick bows at the people, who applaud quietly without any whoops and hysteria, after he finishes his performance.       “Oh, it seems like the performance is over…” Bradley says thoughtfully. “That scoundrel will go here.”       “Okay, men, we’d better come back to the room,” Liam adds confidently. “And you need to get ready.”       “Good luck to y’all, guys,” Zachary says cheerfully. “Rock on the way you can and do your best for the folks to applaud you louder than anyone else. We are waiting for you on the stage impatiently!”       “Thanks, guys,” Edward, Daniel, Peter, and Terrence thank with a slight smile.       After clapping Peter, Terrence, Daniel, and Edward on the shoulder, Zachary, Liam, and Bradley rush to leave the place behind the scene and go far from the dark-haired, middle-height guy, who keeps his head proudly raised as he walks confidently by them alongside some people, who make sure nobody comes close to him.       “Yeah, he really suffers from a starstruck…” Terrence says thoughtfully. “Pretending to be a king, who is accompanied by a whole gang.”       “They are probably his bodyguards,” Edward assumes. “They’re following him! Would definitely twist the arms of anyone to get close to that donkey.”       “Honestly, I’ve never liked that Nathan,” Daniel confesses, crossing his arms over his chest. “He seemed kinda suspicious.”       “He could at least say, ‘Hello’ to us when going by us,” Peter says gloomily.       “Liam, Zach, and Brad should’ve kicked him outta the band earlier,” Terrence confesses. “Nathan wasn’t a part of that.”       “Oh, give a fuck about him, guys,” Edward waves his hand. “No need to worry about one peacock who didn’t greet us.”       “Exactly! As Brad said, he made his choice.”       “Hey, let’s better look at our instruments,” Peter suggests cheerfully. “I’ve barely seen them.”       “Go, go!” Daniel jabs. “I wanna look at my guitar!”       The four men go confidently to their team that is working on their instruments. To be clear, the black drum set is being installed part by part. Peter looks at this with admiration in his eyes. As well as the drumsticks with a logo of “Against The System” and his short name – Pete – written with simple, thin letters. Meanwhile, Terrence, Daniel, and Edward take a rhythm guitar, a bass guitar, and a solo guitar, respectively, and black mediators with the symbolism of their band. All these instruments were made specifically for the members of “Against The System” who admire them with a sense of pride and happiness they barely hide as they barely hold down a wish to shout from happiness.       “It’s incredible!” Edward pronounces with admiration in his eyes, running his hand over his black solo guitar with a white band logo on it. “Everyone’s gonna have their mind blown from my solo! When I’m finally allowed to go on stage!”       “I’m literally in love with mine!” Terrence smiles widely, looking at his glossy black rhythm guitar with the same logo. “You just look at what kind of beauty this is!”       “Listen, guys, this guitar is a thousand times better than mine,” Daniel notices confidently, looking at his black bass guitar with the same white logo. “People are gonna be fucking overwhelmed when we start playing!”       “A-a-a, I can’t wait to play on drums and cymbals with these drumsticks,” Peter confesses funnily, playing on non-existent drums with his new drumsticks. “Show a couple of new tricks I saw on the Internet.”       Edward, Peter, Terrence, and Daniel spend several more seconds looking at their instruments with admiration before the people from their team come to them and ask them to give these things to check something quickly. The men spend their time walking in circles through the entire room, watching what’s happening around, talking to each other or people from their team, warming up their voices, and getting busy with funny dances. Daniel and Terrence do not refuse to eat cheeseburgers they are offered, and cannot hold down their laughter when Edward and Peter start running after each other with squeaky whops and fighting with everything they see in their way. Besides, they also find electric scooters and ride them at a high enough speed, making the older members of the band tense a little since the guys may crush something, fall, and harm themselves.       All this time, the team of “Against The System” and the organizers of the ceremony do not stop running somewhere, checking something, commanding, discussing something, and watching what’s happening closely with the thought that every single mistake might lead to serious consequences. And while Edward, Peter, Terrence, and Daniel play the fool and laugh quietly at something, George comes to them after going somewhere for some time. He tells them they will go on stage soon, wishes luck to his favorite rock stars, hugs all of them, and leaves to return to the room. At some moment, Peter comes to the curtain dividing the scene and what’s happening behind it, moves it aside, and watches everything he sees with interest, using the fact that he can see everything well, even if faces are a little blurry due to his bad vision. Curious, Edward, Daniel, and Terrence decide to come to him too and find out what made him so interested.       “Look, our girls are sitting there,” Peter says with a slight smile, pointing at a distance with his eyes squinting.       “It seems like half of the people got fucking sick of sitting there,” Edward assumes thoughtfully. “And one girl is almost sleeping on a man’s shoulder.”       “I must confess that some moments were very boring,” Daniel says confidently. “If not for artists’ performances, half of the people in the room would fall asleep.”       “Hey, notice that this public is much bigger than the one that we performed for before,” Terrence notices quietly. “There are many places in the room, and almost all of them are taken.”       “Get used to it, buddy,” Daniel chuckles kindly. “When we go on a tour, we’ll be getting a bigger audience. This is just a warmup… The best and biggest public is waiting for us yet.”       “Big or small – I won’t stop being excited anyway,” Peter replies confidently. “Moreover, not only are those people watching us, but also lots of people around the world. And the girls are in the room. So, we can’t screw it up for them.”       “Agree,” Terrence agrees. “We must rock on and have an unforgettable show.”       “Uh-huh, may Nathan see how to sing and shake people up,” Peter chuckles kindly. “His performance was, saying softly, absolute shit.”       “I believe he actually sings outta tune at some moments,” Edward says confidently. “He wanna take high notes but can’t do it and has a voice crack. Though everything is fine on the studio tune ‘cause they work on it brilliantly.”       “Uh-huh, and when he understands that he’ll get nothing, he’ll be begging to take him back to the band or at least asking for help,” Daniel assumes confidently.       “Right,” Terrence agrees. “And when Zach, Liam, and Brad refuse, that idiot may come to us.”       “Anything may happen…” Edward pronounces thoughtfully.       While Bethany and Seth come back to the scene, the organizers are standing near the curtains, watching what’s happening closely, and following all the instructions. The members of “Against The System” get help in putting on special earphones, thanks to which they can hear themselves and music, and hide the cables underneath their clothes.       “A-a-a-a, damn, I’m fucking excited!” Daniel exhales sharply. “This is the first performance with a new song! The first performance that our girls are gonna see live!”       “Oh, I’m nervous too!” Peter exclaims, jumping in the same place with the hope of getting rid of tension. “My hands are a little shaking, and my heart is beating like crazy.”       “It’s okay, when we go on stage, tension will be gone shortly,” Edward says confidently. “All sleepy flies will wake up and sing fucking loud!”       “Of course!” Terrence says proudly. “We’ll rock on like real rockstars!”       “Damn, I still can’t believe it’s happening to me,” Peter confesses thoughtfully, putting his hands in the back pockets of his jeans. “I always ask myself… What would we have done if we hadn’t started our band? If we hadn’t released our first album…”       “Anyway, we’re having many more new possibilities now. We can work on our personal projects alongside the band’s work. And… Maybe we will even think about releasing solo songs someday.”       “I’m already getting suggestions of working as a composer for some artists,” Peter confesses. “I even have an opportunity to work on the soundtrack for a movie. And… I wanna try to. Because… I love working on music. It’s my element. My passion. My salvation. I can spend hours working at the studio I made at my home. That’s what I’ll never get sick of.”       “And I’m examining scripts of several movies that I received. I’m really interested in a couple of them. So… I may come back to what I started with – the acting career. The script is really interesting – I’ve never had anything like this before. The discussion is pretty successful. Thanks to the team that is working at my agency.”       “And I keep writing songs for artists, TV shows, games, and movies,” Edward says confidently. “And many of them are pretty popular now. They take high places in charts. And since I’m getting a lot of suggestions, I write songs in any free time. I’ve gotta keep a notebook and phone with me all the time for all my ideas. And I can’t miss a chance to work in the modeling career,” shooting for magazines and walking on runways. That’s cool! Really cool! Especially when you have a sister-in-law who has a lot of experience in it, as your mentor.”       “Oh, Cassidy and I have been thinking of founding a charitable foundation or opening a clinic for those who want to wean away from dependences and need psychological help,” Daniel says. “We’re talking about the concept, looking for a place, getting the documents, and consulting with lawyers, ‘cause she and I don’t have experience in these things.”       “Whatever we do, we will always be together,” Terrence replies with his head proudly raised. “We are ‘Against The System.’ We are the band. And we will always be a part of it. And the doors of my agency are open for all of you. You can sign a contract on any conditions you like.”       “Of course, we will,” Edward replies confidently. “I love working with you. I love being a part of the band and making one idea out of all of ours.”       “And our success is the reason why we three owe you, Terrence,” Daniel notices amicably, putting his hand on Terrence’s shoulder. “People were kinda right when saying we got success thanks to you, the man with good contacts with the show business, a lot of fame, and good popularity.”       “It’s true, Terrence,” Peter agrees. “We’re here thanks to you only. Thanks to your fame. That’s why we climbed up so easily to the height many people try to reach for ages.”       “Maybe you’re right,” Terrence smiles shyly. “But believe me, without a talent, you wouldn’t go too far. Would people love you if you were famous but absolutely talentless? I don’t think so! No matter how much money producers, managers, or even sugar people would spend on you, people wouldn’t pay attention to you if you were worthless. You would irritate everyone. Because you would be everywhere.”       “And not only did Terrence introduce you to the world, but also ‘The Loser Syndrome,’” Edward notices confidently. “Liam, Zach, and Brad found your video and proposed that you perform as an opening act. Even if you had no songs released officially. You had yours that you wrote extremely quick to be able to play a twenty-minute show. Those guys introduced you to the world, and my brother’s fame helped you get famous and get the attention of George, ‘Five Seconds Records’, and ‘Dark Side Management…’”       “Not ‘you,’ Edward, but ‘us,’” Peter corrects, putting his hand on Edward’s shoulder. “Maybe you joined us much later, but you’re the same part of the band as all of us. You’ve always been. Because you’ve been helping us from the beginning. For example, you wrote songs with us. They were so cool that we decided to perform them. And you were at almost all of our rehearsals and came up with ideas that helped us get much better.”       “Yeah… Helped… For nothing… For the friendship… Not thinking I’d become a member of your band one beautiful day.”       “We’ve considered you a part of the band since ‘The Loser Syndrome’ found us,” Daniel notices with a slight smile, gripping Edward’s shoulder. “You really helped us a lot with songs and got an excellent material for performances as an opening act. Your help was priceless, and we didn’t know how to thank you.”       “That’s right!” Terrence agrees and hugs Edward amicably. “So, brother, you’ve been on our team from the beginning. Yes, we were playing as a trio for a long time, but we quickly began thinking we were missing something. But watching you, I was sure that you were a perfect addition for us. The guys agreed with me, and we seriously thought of making you a part of our band. Not only because we needed a guitarist. But also because we’ve always had fun spending time with you.”       “I’m glad you gave me a chance that seemed so unreal to me,” Edward smiles shyly. “And I’ll never forget who helped me gain success. Thanks to those who have made my life much better.”       “We all owe and are grateful to each other,” Daniel replies amicably.       “And do our best to become one of the most famous and honorable people in the show business,” Edward adds confidently with his head proudly raised.       “Show everyone what we are?” Terrence suggests confidently with a mysterious smile and reaches his hand up with his palm down.       “It’s gonna be an unforgettable show!” Peter says confidently and puts his hand on Terrence’s hand.       “We will show how to rock on,” Edward says with a sly smile and puts his hand on Peter’s hand.       “May our haters choke on saliva,” Daniel adds and puts his hand on Edward’s hand last.       “We go against the rules together, we are ‘Against The System’ forever!” Edward, Peter, Daniel, and Terrence pronounce loudly.       The men shake their hands placed on one another up and down, and raise them sharply up with happy whoops and applaud quietly with much wider smiles on their faces. Then they laugh quietly as they start a group hug. Next, Daniel, Terrence, Peter, and Edward hug each other tightly, sharing a clap on the back, a shoulder, or the head, and giving a five.       “Good luck, rebels,” Terrence wishes with a slight smile.       “Good luck, bros,” Peter, Edward, and Daniel pronounce amicably at the different time.       Terrence, Edward, and Daniel take the guitars they receive and place the belts above their shoulders, while Peter gets his drumsticks. Next, the four men go confidently to the curtain with their heads proudly raised, holding their instruments, looking at each other on the way, and knocking their knuckles against one another. After coming to the place to go to the stage, they look at one of the organizers of the ceremony and start waiting patiently for the hosts to announce their performance. And they can clearly hear everything Bethany and Seth say to the people, among whom there are Raquelle, Natalia, Anna, and Helene, who are looking forward to something grandiose.       “So, unfortunately, the annual award ceremony, Music Choice Awards 2018, is ending,” Bethany says confidently. “This year, we got very many incredible winners who are worthy to take their deserved awards home.”       “We would like to thank all of you, ladies and gentlemen, for coming to the ceremony and sharing the happiness of the winners with them,” Seth adds with a slight smile. “And we are truly thankful to all the nominators and the winners.”       “We congratulate the winners with all our hearts again. And we want to say something to the lost nominators: do not be upset because you have a chance to win next year.”       “Many thanks to everyone who watched the live translation of the ceremony and stood by their favorite artists. We truly hope you and all our guests got only positive emotions.”       “To close the ceremony, we would like to invite the headliners of the shows on this scene, who got their first award and became the winner in the nomination ‘Breakup of the Year.’”       “Ladies and gentlemen, dance and have fun along with the young, talented men who are just starting to conquer the music world,” Bethany exclaims with a wide smile. “The media predicts a wonderful future for this incredible four. And we do not doubt that a real success is really waiting for every one of these guys if they keep working as passionately as they do now.”       “Meet the band ‘Against The System’ that will be performing their new single ‘Stronger Together’ from the self-titled album,” Seth and Bethany announce at the same time.       Everybody in the room starts applauding loudly and whopping happily. The organizers make a gesture that lets Terrence, Edward, Peter, and Daniel go on the scene confidently and wave a hand at the crowd, putting on their earphones. Among all of them, the men quickly notice Anna, Natalia, Raquelle, and Helene, who are shouting and applauding probably much louder. Peter gets upstairs to the small platform with the drum and sits on the stool. Terrence holding a rhythm guitar comes to the microphone stand placed in the middle, closer to the edge of the scene. Edward holding a solo guitar comes to the one placed on the right hand of his brother. And Daniel holding a bass guitar comes to the one placed on the left hand of the frontman.       On the count “Three!”, the members of “Against The System” start performing their song, making everyone get up and start shaking along with the rhythm. Even those who feel bored and tired do not remain indifferent. Nobody sits by the end of the intro. And when the men start singing their solo parts and dance along with everyone, many people sing and have fun alone or in groups. While everyone has goosebumps on their skin because of the men’s voices, and their play gives them a lot of pleasure, their sweethearts feel incredibly proud of their partners as they listen to the song with a stopped heart and are happy they fulfilled their dream of rocking on the big stage before the eyes of a big crowd.       Terrence’s speechless vocals, Edward’s powerful energy, Daniel’s natural charm, and Peter’s skillful tricks with drumsticks conquer the hearts of everyone in the room. As well as the encouraging shouts of all the members, their active communication on the scene, brilliant skills of playing on their instruments, and their wish to go wild and do anything they want. Any actions and words from them make everyone applaud loudly and make deafening shouts. And seeing their girls dancing carefreely and singing in the crowd, they play much more confidently. They do not forget to run on the entire scene and play the fool with each other. Laugh is the only reason why they have a voice crack at times.       Many reporters and operators do not stop taking photos and filming the members of “Against The System”. Sometimes the men get as close to the cameras as possible and look right into the objective. They move a lot, jump, and warm up the crowd again and again with motivating phrases. They do not need backup dancers. They do not need any light effects that change literally every second. After Peter’s words for help, the crowd starts singing much louder and dancing much wilder, and someone from the room gets captured by the cameras, smiles widely at it, plays the fool, waves their hands, and sings. Besides, Helene, Natalia, Anna, and Raquelle are not the only ones to look madly proud. Liam, Zachary, and Bradley from “The Loser Syndrome,” Brianna Armstrong, Gordon, and Derek from “Lost In Time.” All of them are dancing with all their hearts and are not shy of singing loudly and funnily.       Peter gets wild and loud applause when he sings his solo lines, showing his skill in playing his drum part alongside it brilliantly. Edward, Terrence, and Daniel play their guitars and each other’s guitars, run wild on the entire stage, dance, excite the crowd, encouraging it to sing along with them and clap their hands loudly, and play the fool for the camera. And of course, they support their drummer singing the chorus along with them, while his friends are standing in front of one microphone. But after choosing the good moment, Daniel changes the lyrics of the song right on the go and does not sing what they should actually be.       “And she said, ‘Yes!’” Daniel says loudly into the microphone.       “She said ‘Ye-e-e-e-es!’ too!” Peter shouts into the microphone.       “And I’m gonna have a child!” Terrence announces.       The people in the room start applauding loudly, whistling, and whooping, while Terrence, Daniel, and Peter listen to all of this with pleasure, not hiding their wide smiles but not forgetting to play their instruments. And when everyone calms down, the men continue to play their song, jump on the scene like crazy, and encourage the listeners with funny shouts. While Edward falls to his knees before one of the cameras of an operator and keeps plucking the strings and striking chords, Daniel and Terrence play their guitar solos as they stand face-to-face and show how highly they can jump along with the solo guitarist, while Peter has everyone speechless with his tricks with drumsticks that he did not show before, and proves that he is pretty good at the screamers.       The members of “Against The System” do not notice how they come to the end of the song, along with which everyone in the room dances. Including the organizers of the ceremony, the hosts, the photographers, and the directors. The light effects get much brighter and more colorful, and the small weapons placed on the edges of the scene release meters-long blinding flames out of them at some moments. A little later, the rain of millions of colorful confetti starts falling over everybody’s heads and the floors of the room and the scene.       The last chords, the last plucks of strings, the last lyrics, the last beats on drums and cymbals before the men finish singing and playing. Everybody in the room starts applauding deafeningly, making loud ovations, whistles, and expressing their praise and compliments for the men hot hiding their slight smile and breathing a little heavily from tiredness. While confetti falls on their heads and on the scene, Terrence, Edward, Peter, and Daniel watch everyone with a gloss in their eyes and smile much wider at the thought that their performance with the new song, with the pretense of their beloved girls, was brilliant and successful. While Raquelle, Natalia, Helene, and Anna are clapping and shouting literally louder than everyone, and showing how proud they are of their men. Who barely hold themselves down not to get emotional and shed a tear before the eyes of the big crowd.       “Thank you so much!” Terrence exclaims happily.       “Thank y’all!” Peter pronounces loudly.       “We love you!” Edward shows a heart with his hands.       “You’re the best!” Daniel raises his hand.       The people start applauding, shouting, and whistling much louder, while confetti keeps falling over their heads. When Raquelle, Anna, Natalia, and Helene send air kisses to their men and show hearts with their hands, with tears in their eyes, they notice it and show the same ones back. And at some moment, still breathing heavily, Terrence, Edward, and Daniel take each other in a strong hug, looking around in search of Peter, who gets down from the platform, runs to them, and hugs them tightly. After they ruffle each other’s hair a little, clap each other on the back or shoulder, the men start a group hug, during which they try to shout out to the crowd and say something to each other. Then all the members of the band stand in a line and, hugging each other, bow to everyone at the same time. When they get straight, they just wave their hands at everyone with a wide smile on their faces.       Looking at all the people applauding wildly, Peter stops smiling shortly at some moment. Because he sees something in the crowd that probably nobody sees. Himself. With a choker on his neck. Wearing a leather jacket and black jeans. He is standing between the lines of chairs, but nobody pays attention to him. Because nobody sees him. He only exists in the head of Rose, who sees Theodore for the first time in a while since the day he disappeared after he recalled the most dramatic events from his childhood. But now Theodore is back again and looks closely at Peter as he keeps his arms crossed over his chest.       Getting sharply pale, Peter feels dizzy and understands that every single muscle tenses, while his lungs lack oxygen. He thinks his imaginary friend came back to help him get through more tests or stand in the dark way of evil and take revenge on the world for his suffering. And he opens his eyes surprisingly when Theodore shares a shy smile with him, as if he says everything is going well. When the imaginary friend takes a big piece of paper somewhere from the line and raises it with both hands.       “I will come when you need it. When you’re lonely and unhappy. But now my mission is over. You are strong. You can handle it without me. Though I am still here. I will always be.” That’s what Peter can see on it, even with his bad vision, reading these words at a distance of several meters. And after this, he feels kind of better deep inside. He feels good because Theodore did not leave him and did not close the door. The blond realizes that he is now absolutely ready to end the old chapter and start a new one. He no longer denies his past and is ready to live with it, remembering that everything that has happened to him will always be a part of his life, which he cannot get rid of. Now everything is in his hands only. He is the only one who can do his best not to do what he barely brought back.       “You really helped me…” Peter addresses Theodore with a sense of thankfulness in his mind. “You helped me survive. You helped me overcome all this shit. Thank you so much, Theodore.”       At some moment, Theodore lowers the paper with the signature, puts it aside, and smiles much wider at Peter standing on the scene. And he blinks at him amicably when Rose puts his hand hesitantly on his heart. Then the imaginary friend waves his hand at him and starts going backward further and further between the lines. He goes and goes… And he does until he melts in the air at some moment, as if he says he is going to leave now, but is ready to come back at any time if he needs his help. Then Peter releases the air with some unusual ease and relaxes sharply with the thought, “Yes, it was hard. Yes, it was hurt. But I did it. I survived. I choose to move on. I chose to be loved and happy in spite of those who tried to erase me from this world.”       Peter spends a lot of time looking closely at the place Theodore stood before melting in the air, as if he is waiting for him to show up again. He stops noticing all the happy faces of the people, their wide smiles, someone’s hugs, happiness, and an overabundance of emotions that are getting captured by the cameras of photographers and directors, and the cameras of phones of the famous guests. He does not notice girls crying from happiness and having to use handkerchiefs. But later, Daniel wakes him up from this trance after he notices the blond stares at something with widely open eyes and literally falls out of reality, putting his hand on his shoulder and asking quietly:       “Hey, buddy, are you alright?”       “Huh?” Peter reacts as he shakes slightly. “What?”       “Are you okay? You’re kinda not yourself.”       “Nope, it’s okay.” Peter cracks a slight smile. “Everything is wonderful.”       “Sure?”       “Absolutely. I’m alright.”       Peter moves his eyes to the crowd and smiles much more truly as he raises his head proudly.       “Now I’m definitely alright.”       Daniel looks at Peter surprisingly but decides to say nothing back, noticing silently that his friend really looks fine, smiles absolutely truly, and does not make him feel any kind of anxiety. He does not make him feel like this guy is possessed by demons again. He is different now. Absolutely different. A different man who has probably not recovered after all the terrible things he has gone through. But who is learning to accept his past and trust those who wish him the best and want to help him truly.       And Peter knows he can do this. He has close people. He has such wonderful friends as Anna, Raquelle, and Natalia. He has Helene, who agreed to become his fiancée. And he has Terrence, Edward, and Daniel. His brothers. Who will remain his brothers, no matter what. Nothing can break the friendship of this wonderful four. Together, these guys will overcome any difficulties on the way to the top of the world. To the Olympus of the music world. Which they can obviously conquer. They are stronger together. Together, they will always stay strong, brave, and happy.

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THE END