CHAPTER FORTY-NINE
LILA MURPHY
So now what do we do?
JULIANA THE DEMON HUNTRESS
Now? Now we partake in the festivities, my surprisingly capable friend.
Vampire Falls. Season one, episode twelve – “Masquerade Brawl”
Usually, although karaoke is arguably the most beloved part of the weekend, the attendees roll down from their rooms or rock up from the bar to find a standard set of flashing lights, karaoke equipment and a low-key tech guy managing the song requests.
Not so when Vivian is thrown into the mix.
When I went to her earlier, hoping we could salvage the karaoke party, she listened intently, nodding along with her fingers clasped in front of her like a mafia boss.
She then leant forward and said she would help, but more than that, we would make it the final convention party we would all remember until we’re old and Botoxed up.
She has not deviated from this self-appointed directive.
The entrance is adorned with swathes of black fabric and creeping red roses.
Each time someone gets to the end of the rose adorned tunnel, a sensor triggers confetti cannons, showering squealing attendees with fake petals.
The round tables are set up with black tablecloths, fake red candles flicker above shiny candelabras, and tiny fairy lights sparkle round the edge of each table.
Giant inflatable bats sit on either side of a flashing dance floor, their wings flapping around as a fan pumps air though them. There’s a pop-up cocktail bar to the side, a glamorous mixologist in a burgundy velvet dress offering concoctions like Vampire’s Kiss and Bloody Scary.
Conference Hall A pulses with joy and happiness.
I hurry across the dance floor towards Vivian who’s at the karaoke helm.
Someone dressed as Lila Murphy in the masquerade scene is on the stage, coming to the end of a classic from the musical episode.
Inside the booth, Vivian moves between the laptop and control panels like a sea serpent, greeting the audience in her Britney mic, lining up songs and encouraging the singers, even the terrible ones, as she glides back and forth on her roller skates.
I mean, obviously she’s wearing her skates.
She looks up from the laptop and spots me, then raises her eyebrows in question.
I shake my head, and she presses a button on her earpiece.
“They’ll be here,” she says, a smile softening her face.
She rolls out of the way so her assistant tech person can plug an important-looking wire in. Toby (yes, my Toby) is so small he slots in perfectly around a roller-skate-wearing goddess.
“Hi, Toby,” I say.
“Vivian said this was your idea?” he says, glancing up from the decks.
“I . . . not really, I mean, she . . .” I start, unable to take the credit for what Vivian interpreted from my hopeful let’s-make-karaoke-happen suggestion.
Toby raises his eyebrows and nods at me, then frowns at the switches and dials in front of him. It’s the most comfortable I’ve seen him all weekend.
“Good for you, Eliza,” he says, the tiniest of smiles nudging his wispy moustache.
I smile back at him, then turn to watch a blood-soaked Flayer demon crucify a Lady Gaga song, but everyone is here for it and the roar of applause at the end is heart-warming. Everyone around me is smiling, everyone is happy the weekend didn’t just fizzle out, our final party just an afterthought.
Everyone apart from the people I really want to see.
“Hey, Eliza.”
I look round at Dylan Maguire, his silhouette strobing like a star breaking through the ozone layer.
“Oh my god, you weirdo! Hey!” I say, returning his embrace. “Congratulations, or something, I guess?”
He pulls away and beams at me, gesturing to move from the speakers so we don’t have to shriek at each other. He pulls a chair out for me at one of the tables, and we sit down.
“I just want to say sorry for not telling you who I am,” he says, his thick eyebrows full of concern. “This was kind of a personal exercise for me, but I should have been more upfront.”
“Are you kidding me?” I say, beaming at him. “This is the most exciting thing to happen to me personally since Damon Van Schwartz sneezed on my elbow.”
“Still, I am sorry, Eliza. And also: gross.”
“Don’t apologise,” I say, shaking my head. “I’m just . . . I don’t even . . .”
He laughs, putting his hand up.
“Believe me, I get it,” he says, and I’m struck by how good his English accent was.
He’s obviously very talented. “Before I committed to anything, I needed to know I could exist in this world and this seemed like a good, if extreme, way to test myself. Damon sort of took me under his wing and told me how everything that comes with the show can be kind of intense. I wasn’t sure if I could be around it all. ”
“Yep, I guess we’re kind of a weird bunch if you’re not used to it,” I say, patting his arm. “So the McKinley costume was so you could move among the mortals?”
He nods, smiling.
“I thought some of you might recognise me from the leaked episodes,” he says. “Thought it might help prepare for the show a little as well.”
My hands fly to my cheeks, and I gasp.
“You mean you went method? Are you part werewolf?!”He raises his eyebrows but neither confirms nor denies, like a seasoned pro. “Spoilers. I love this.”
“I said nothing,” he says, smiling.
“You’ve decided to go ahead with the show though?” I ask.
He nods, looking around at the party.
“I’m just gonna lean into it.” I can’t help but smile as he repeats my own words back to me.
“Seriously though, this weekend, this whole thing, hasn’t been what I expected.
I didn’t realise a TV show could mean so much to people, and I’m excited to be a part of that.
The friendships that are built because of it are unreal. ”
“They are,” I say, tears pricking at my eyes.
“You look after each other,” he says, squeezing my hand.
“We do,” I say, nodding as I squeeze back.
“Thank you, Eliza. Thank you for the chair, for the crown, for all of it. You really helped me decide to take a chance on myself.” He takes my other hand and looks down at me. “I hope you’ll give yourself a chance too, whatever that looks like.”
I swallow, unable to speak, but give him the biggest, most definite nod I can.
“Life is about connection, Eliza, and sometimes you have to let yourself reconnect.”
He looks over my shoulder and smiles.
I look round just as the cannons go off, so I get to see Sadie, dressed in a blue sparkly dress, squealing at the red confetti.
Roxy, stunning in goth vampire mode, spins her around like a tiny ballerina, her hand turned upwards so the confetti falls through her fingers like snowflakes.
Charlie’s stopped next to them, the only one not in costume, combing the petals out of his hair with his hands, but he’s smiling.
They’re all smiling.
I want to race over and spin Sadie around too, but mostly I just want to hide behind Dylan, so that’s what I do.
“You OK back there?” he says, letting me crouch behind his sizeable frame, the gentleman he is. I nod. “Was that a nod?” I nod again. “OK, because they’re coming over here.”
I peek out from his side and Sadie races up to me like she’s just found me in a game of hide and seek, so I just go with that.
She jumps up and throws her arms around my neck, in all likelihood doing some long-term spinal damage, but I’m prepared to live with it because the joy radiating off this kid could cure most ailments.
I squeeze her back and she lets go, clapping her hands together.
“It’s just like I dreamt it in my dreams!” she squeals, beaming round at us. She turns to Charlie. “Can we sing something, Charlie?”
“I don’t think . . .” starts Charlie, shaking his head.
Sadie’s face drops and we all look at Charlie, who has just crushed a tiny koala baby.
“I think that was a rhetorical question, Charlie,” Roxy says. “It’s basically mandatory to sing. It’s all part of the convention experience.”
“Fine,” he says, semi-rolling his eyes as Sadie jumps up and down hanging on his arm. “Where’s the song book or whatever.”
“There’s an iPad at the front; you just put in the song and Vivian does the rest,” I say.
“Thanks,” says Charlie, holding my gaze for a few seconds before Sadie drags him away.
“Well, hello Mr Hollywood Star,” says Roxy, putting her fist out to Dylan.
He bumps Roxy’s fist, a relaxed smile on his face.
“Hey, Roxy.” He looks round at me. “So, the others were saying I need to sing with them, apparently.”
“Yes. It’s actually mandatory,” says Roxy, and I’m glad for her easy chit-chat.
Dylan smiles at her.
“I better make sure they choose something I can actually sing, but I’ll see you guys later?”
“Definitely,” I say.
“Great,” he says, giving us a little salute. “Thanks again.”
Roxy and I watch him walk to the actors’ table, then we turn to look at each other.
“That was unexpected . . .” starts Roxy. “Right, OK, no messing around then?”
Taking inspiration from Sadie, I have clamped myself to Roxy and squeeze her tight with both arms. I press my cheek against her spiky goth vampire top, which is incredibly uncomfortable against my skin but not as uncomfortable as a life without her friendship.
“I’m sorry,” I say. She puts her arms around me and kisses the top of my head. “I’m so sorry, Roxy.”
“It’s OK, babe.”
I pull away and grab both her hands.
“It’s not. I was a twat,” I say, shaking my head. “A massive one.”
“Maybe medium-sized,” she says, shrugging.
“I’ve missed you.”
“I missed you too, but I know the Eliza stages of stubborn ass-ness off by heart.”
I snort and wipe my nose on the back of my hand without releasing Roxy’s. She grimaces but in a familiar way, like she knows she’s stuck back with me now.
“I was so obsessed with Charlie being here and ruining our weekend that I actually ruined it myself,” I say.
“You didn’t ruin it, babe.”
“I nearly ruined us, which is worse. I’m sorry I freaked out about you and Vivian.”
“There’s no me and Vivian,” she says, tweaking my nest of hair. “We were just talking.”
“Talking about doing naked stuff by the looks of you, but I’m still sorry. I don’t know why I . . .” I shake my head, a thousand thoughts rushing through my brain at once. “I was scared of losing you. I don’t want to lose any more of my people. We don’t have much time left and . . .”
“We have donkey’s years, babe.”
I shake my head. “But you’re going to Bristol and I’m not, and you’ll make new friends and . . .”
“I hope so, but that doesn’t stop you from being my best friend.”
I shake my head. “Everything’s changing.”
“Change doesn’t just mean bad; it can mean good too.”
“I guess so,” I say, looking at Dylan sitting with his actor pals.
“You, Eliza Gellar, are far too annoying and gorgeous to ever slip from my life, so whatever uni we’re at,whatever convention, wherever in the world, you will always be my very best, most irritating, friend, OK?” I nod. “Blood is for ever?”
“Blood is for ever,” I repeat. “I really am sorry I overracted about Vivian. She’s actually really .
. . well, I’m still not convinced she’s human, so I don’t know what she is but she’s growing on me.
I seem to have collected all these grudges against people who aren’t in my very exclusive party of two, and I appreciate it’s pretty stifling in here. ”
Roxy smiles at me.
“Well, I feel special to have been admitted. And it’s not just the two of us any more.” Roxy looks up at the stage at the owner of an incredible pair of lungs belting out “Dancing Queen”: Dorothy. “We’ve got Dorothy now. And Fake McKinley, aka Dylan. And maybe . . .”
She turns to look at Charlie, who’s looking at the karaoke iPad with Sadie. I think back to dancing with him last night and how my overreaction at seeing Roxy and Vivian together ruined a moment I’ve been daydreaming about for years.
I turn back to Roxy and shrug.
“I think I’ve blown it with him.”
“We’ll see. Let’s just enjoy this,” she says, bumping the inflatable bat with her elbow.
She squeezes me again and I breathe in her gorgeous Roxy smell, knowing that we’re going to be OK, and that feeling is worth way more than coffee with Damon Van Schwartz or tickets to Comic Con with Megan Nicole Jefferies (though I am hoping our new friend Dylan can hook us up with tickets somehow.
Just waiting for the right moment to ask).
Roxy heads to the cocktail bar and Vivian waves me over.
I go over and she grabs my wrist, pulling me into the booth.
“What’s up?” I ask.
“Just wanted you to see it from this side,” she says, turning me round so I’m facing the party. “See how much fun everyone’s having?”
And she’s right. The dance floor is packed, flashing a rainbow of happiness as everyone claps and sings along to Dorothy belting out the Abba classic.
Old friends sit at the tables together, shouting deep and meaningfuls into each other’s ears, and new friends hold on to each other, wondering when they’ll get to do this again.
And I’m wondering too, but right now I just want to be in it, because this is what it’s all about.
I nod, and smile at Vivian, who puts her arm around me and rests her chin on top of my head, because of course she towers over me in her skates.
“This was you, Eliza. You did this for them,” she says. Sadie drags Charlie past us, making him spin her round as she sings with the crowd. “She wouldn’t have seen any of this if it weren’t for you.”
I shake my head.
“You did all of this. I mean, where the hell did you get an inflatable vampire bat on a Sunday?”
“The Halloween stuff my dad hires out was just sitting around, waiting for October. I made a call.” She shrugs. “This is all you.”
“I brought nothing, it was just an idea.”
Vivian shakes her head and looks down at me.
“You brought your heart.” She pushes away from me and twirls around, stopping in front of the laptop. “Now get out of my booth, bitch.”