Hey guys! Thank you for all of the lovely reviews so far, I truly appreciate it! It totally gives me even more incentive to write! C: I apologize for any mistakes you see right now… I'll fix it up tomorrow because right now it's 1:49 in the morning and I'm tired as shit. XD This is the chapter where Danny and Vlad officially meet… Hope you like it! :D
Tugging on his topmost button on his collared shirt, Vlad loosened the collar of his white button-down and rested a hand on his loose, light wash jeans, finally feeling the effects of the heat. It normally didn't bother him, but it was particularly warm in the room, considering all the people jumping around and slamming against one another. Vlad scanned the crowd through his scotch glass as he drained its contents, hoping to see the young singer who had so struck him on stage.
"Another, sir?"
The bartender's voice interrupted his observing of the crowd. Vlad turned to face the scruffy looking man and replied with, "Yes, if you could, thanks."
As he began to mix the drink, Vlad looked back out and continued to let his eyes graze the crowd.
Tugging on the hem of his spiky denim vest, Danny wiped his sweaty palms once again on the worn fabric. He hated the heat, and his hands were clammy from nervousness, the hot lights, and the general heat of the Slam. It sank through his thin Dumpty Humpty t-shirt and his ripped black jeans and made the hair at the back of his neck cling to his skin. The humidity was nearly suffocating, and if Danny didn't have to go meet with potential record labels, he would be booking it outside into the cool, late-September air.
Sam looked over at him, her face still glowing with excitement. He brushed off his discomfort in favor of continuing to revel in their (hopefully) prize-winning performance. The three began to make their way over to the back, where they knew most of the potential signers would be watching. Danny strode up to the bar, signaling for the bartender to make his way over.
"Hey Dave! How's it going?" Danny asked, familiar with the man after performing here as many times as he has.
"Going great! You kids did great up there! I'd offer you a drink, but I'll only push the limit once you turn 20, alright? One more year!" he exclaimed, amusement dancing in his eyes.
"Not a problem, old man! I was just gonna ask for my usual vanilla cola!" Danny returned with a laugh.
"Ah, alright, alright! So tell me Danny, what's the next step for Frozen Ghosts?"
From the other side of the counter, Vlad's head perked up and peered behind the other patrons to watch the interaction.
"Not sure… Gonna see if we can get signed sometime soon and try to make it big!"
"Ahhhhh, you crazy youth! Good luck, kiddo! And tell your friends I said that too!" he turned back to assist another customer. Danny turned around, and realized his friends had been energetically chirping to each other throughout his entire conversation with Dave. He took a step forward to meet them, but managed to collide with a tall figure in front of him. Danny reeled back a few steps and would have fallen back into the counter if it hadn't been for a hand reaching out to grab his arm.
"Whoa, thanks man! Sorry for bumping into you, you alright?" he questioned, looking up at the older man.
"Yes, I'm quite fine, thank you. Were you at all harmed?" Vlad replied, quickly scanning over the boy's form to check for injuries.
"No, I'm good. Thanks for grabbing me, though! I probably would've banged my head on the bar if you hadn't," Danny said, his cheeks turning lightly pink. He looked into the taller man's eyes, noticing something familiar about him. 'I think I might have seen him before… Maybe when I was performing?' he thought, vaguely remembering his dark blue eyes through the blindingly bright lights.
"It's not a problem," Vlad assured, releasing his hand from the gentle hold he had on the teen's arm, "You are the singer from Frozen Ghosts, correct?"
"Yeah, the name's Danny, and Sam and Tucker are over there! Did you enjoy the performance?" Danny asked hopefully, glancing over to his friends to get them to come over, but they were too absorbed in their own conversation to notice.
"Oh, most definitely. You three were spectacular up there. The technique with the guitar amp in the first song was particularly impressive, if I may so."
Danny's original minor flush had darkened a bit and expanded down to halfway across his neck and up to the shell of his ear. "Uh, thanks… It started out as an accident when we were practicing in my garage one day, but it turned out to have a really cool sound, so we just stuck with it."
"It's certainly a different sound from what I am used to hearing… Or even signing, for that matter," Vlad replied, knowing Danny would be instantly interested.
Danny's head shot up from its previously downward position and his eyes locked on to Vlad's in surprise.
"You're a talent scout? Oh wow, for which label?"
"Better than that, my boy. My name is Vlad Masters, I am-"
"The president for DALV Records?!" Danny blurted out, his eyes nearly bulging from the shock.
Vlad smirked in amusement, but let the expression slide into a more neutral countenance as his friends whipped their heads around to face him. The two scurried over, nearly tripping over each other in the process.
"You're Vlad Masters?! This is awesome!" Tucker nearly shouted, pumping his fist into the air.
"I am. And I truly enjoyed your performance tonight, as I was just telling Danny," Vlad responded coolly.
"Thank you so much! We love being up there and sharing what we've got with everyone." Sam exclaimed. It was almost strange how excited and energetic she was, considering her typically gothic demeanor, but nobody could really blame her; their dreams could be coming true.
"I could see that from out here. Have you three been signed to any labels yet?"
Danny's eyes were practically shining as he shook his head in the negative. "No, not yet… We haven't been given that opportunity."
"I couldn't imagine a company not signing you, my dear boy! This is, however, a perfect chance for me… Would you three be willing to work under my label? You, of course, don't have to decide right away, I know this must be a lot to take in-"
"We'll take it!" Tucker exclaimed, startling the group.
"Tucker!" Sam hissed in outrage, "We need to talk about this first! What about travelling and school and our families?!"
Vlad chuckled as he watched the two bicker. Danny merely rolled his eyes and sent Vlad an apologetic, if not slightly guilty, smile.
"If you would like, I could give you my business card and you can contact me when you are ready to make a decision," Vlad interjected, successfully breaking up the argument. Tucker and Sam turned to face him sheepishly and nodded in agreement.
"That'd be perfect, thanks," Danny said, accepting the card Vlad had tugged out from the back pocket of his jeans.
"Not a problem," Vlad replied, the smooth, rich timbre of his voice centering their attention, "Now, if you'll excuse me, I should be taking my leave now. But before I go, I have to thank you again for your astounding performance tonight."
"We're so happy you enjoyed it. Thank you again for giving us this chance… We can't really express how much we appreciate it," Danny returned, gratefulness shining in his bright blue eyes.
Vlad started at him for perhaps a moment too long, wondering how someone could inject so much emotion into a single glance, before snapping himself out of it and offering a small smile in return. He raised his forearm and extended his palm to the boy.
"Shall we meet again?" Vlad questioned, already knowing the answer.
"Yeah, definitely!" Danny replied, looking over to his friends to see them nod their heads in agreement. He grasped Vlad's hand and shook it, a winning grin spreading across his defined cheekbones. Vlad could feel himself smiling nearly as wide as the teen.
Danny broke it off and glanced back to his friends, who each gave him a quick handshake before glancing back at each other.
"Well, I'll be taking my leave. Do have a good night, you three," Vlad said, stepping back and giving a final wave before making his way to the exit door and out.
The three looked over at each other, still in awe over what just happened.
"We just got Vlad Masters' number. Vlad Masters wants to sign us," Tucker breathed numbly before snapping out of his trance and nearly shouting.
"Vlad Masters wants to sign us!" He all but shrieked, jolting Danny and Sam out of the stupor and igniting their spirits. The three were nearly vibrating with excitement.
As always, Sam was the voice of reason. "Guys, as pumped as I am, we can't just dive headfirst into this… We need to consider the details."
"Aw, come on, Sam! Live a little! Celebrate now, worry later!" Tucker moaned.
"Fine, fine. But we're definitely discussing this later!"
"Yeah yeah yeah," Tucker said, brushing off her doubts with a wave of his hand, "We'll do it tomorrow, when we don't still have a competition to win!"
Danny had nearly forgotten about the very reason they were here… They needed to win this competition!
The announcer strutted back to the stage, twirling the microphone in a circle with every step. While they were packing up and talking to Vlad, they had unknowingly missed the last two bands that performed.
"Alright everybody! You guys ready to send in your votes?!" The crowd cheered in assent, whipping out their phones and giving the whole crowd a white-blue glow from the screens.
"Now that's what I like to see! Now remember, pick your band and hit Submit! We'll be picking out the winners in just a minute!"
"Is it against the rules to vote for yourself?" Tucker asked his phone already out and on the page.
"I don't think so… go for it!" Sam replied, "But let's head backstage so we can get up there easily!" The three headed back through the performer's door and up the stairs to the backstage area.
"The polls are closing in 5…4…3…2…aaaaaaaaand 1! That's it! Now let's see who will take home the Battle of the Bands trophy and win five thousand dollars!"
"Five thousand?! Did he actually mean like, five hundred dollars? Or even a thousand? There's no way it could be that much!" Tucker sputtered in disbelief.
"All the votes are in! Do you wanna hear who won?!"The announcer crooned. The crowd screamed with anticipation.
"Aw, come on now! I know you can do better than that! Now tell me… Do you guys wanna hear who won?!" The announcer took mini pauses between each word for emphasis, and the crowd somehow cheered even louder than before.
"Whoa there, looks like someone's excited! Now, for the results!" The announcer narrowed his eyes and swept his gaze over the crowd.
"In fifth place is… Boxed In! As uh, interesting your song 'Beware!' was, it just couldn't win over the hearts of the crowd. Better luck next year, man!"A light mumble coursed through the crowd. No one had actually voted for him except for one person – himself.
"Okay, now… In fourth place are… the Guys in White! Sorry boys, but boy bands just haven't caught on again yet. Try again next year, because you've definitely got some talent, am I right?!"
The crowd roared once again.
"Now, this next place is when it starts to heat up! Whoever makes third place will be receiving five hundred dollars!" An "ooooh!" erupted from the audience in anticipation. "In third place is… Lucky 13! You guys were really great, just keep on trying and you'll make it big someday!" A scruffy looking teen with long hair and a punky girl with teased green hair stepped onto the stage and accepted the small trophy and check with smiles as they held hands. A collective "awwwww" echoed through the huge venue.
"Oh, how sweet! It just makes my heart melt right out of me!" He crooned, clutching the microphone to his chest. "But we're not done yet! We've still got two more to go!" The cheers began to sound once more.
Backstage, Danny gulped in nervousness. They were so close! But Ember's band was really good… The votes could really go either way.
"Second place is in for a treat tonight, because they'll be receiving one thousand dollars! How does that sound?!" The audience practically rumbled with excitement. "And the winner of second place is…"
"Hope you're ready to get up on stage next, dipstick! Cause we're about to win first-"
"Electric Hunt! Come on out and grab your prize!"
Ember practically deflated on the spot. Skulker and Technus seemed happy enough, but the singer looked like she was about to screech. The two boys had to grab her wrists and tug her onto the stage to snap her out of it.
"Look grateful!" Skulker growled underneath a smile. Ember plastered on a fake grin as she accepted the medium-sized trophy and check, lingering out there just long enough to not look like a sore loser.
Danny, Sam, and Tucker looked at the stage in disbelief. "Does this mean…?" Danny practically whispered, too shocked to even be excited.
"And finally, the moment you've all been waiting for… The winner of the biggest trophy and five thousand dollars goes to…"
Danny gulped, Tucker's teeth rattled, and Sam stood rigid in her spot.
"Frozen Ghosts!"
The crowd exploded into a cacophony of cheers, whistles, and screams, as did the trio backstage. They turned to each other with the widest grins they've ever had and ran on stage together hand in hand. Tucker grabbed the announcer's hand and shook it so hard, the poor man's entire arm waggled with the strain. The three hugged and held on to their trophy like it was the best thing that had ever happened to them – and in a way, the whole situation was. From meeting Vlad to winning the competition, this had to be the best night of all of their lives. After thoroughly soaking in the cheers, they ran backstage, not even noticing Ember's deadly glare or the wrinkled check Skulker was trying desperately to free from her iron grip.
"We did it! We actually did it, holy shit!" Sam exclaimed, smiling from ear to ear.
They had achieved what they once thought was impossible all in one day. They scurried outside and ran to the back of the venue to boast to their favorite bartender.
"Dave! Dave, did you see that?! We did it!" Danny shouted, gaining the attention of the older man.
"I saw you out there, ya did great! I knew you'd win! Congratulations kids, you deserve it!" He replied, joyful gleam in his eye.
"Congratulations to all the bands that played this evening! Have a good night everyone!"
A final cheer sounded from the audience before it dwindled into an excited chatter of people waiting to exit the building.
"Let's head home, I've gotta tell my parents all about tonight and mark this date in my computer's calendar!"
Both Sam and Danny rolled their eyes at his antics, but were smiling the whole time. The trio strode out of the Slam, stepping out into the cool air with prizes in hand. People loitering outside nodded their heads in acknowledgement or gave a quick cheer to them, which they took with broad smiles. The three walked around the building to the crowded parking lot, found their van and settled inside.
"Alright, so same as usual?" Tucker asked, sliding into the driver's seat with Sam in shotgun and Danny in the back, "Sam's first, then Danny?"
"Yep! Sounds good to me!" Sam replied, Danny just giving a nod in return.
"You alright, man? You're kinda quiet, for someone who just won the biggest Battle of the Bands competition in the area and is gonna get signed with DALV Records!"
Danny smiled and looked up at his friend. "Yeah, I'm good! It's just a lot to process, you know? Once it really sinks in, I'll be good!"
"I get that! You'd better be good by tomorrow though, cause that's when we should call Mr. Masters back!"
"Yeah, you're probably right... But we still have a lot to talk about." Danny retorted.
"Even if we did take our time thinking about it, I doubt he'd change his mind. He really liked us!" Sam added, still in a chipper mood.
"True, true!" Tucker replied, Danny giving a hum in agreement.
The whole drive home, Danny kept thinking about Vlad – the record deal, the chance he would actually be there… the whole thing was still so surreal. But the one thing he couldn't get off his mind was his hands. The warm, muscular grip on his arm and the firm handshake… Why was that the only thing he could focus on?
As Sam and Tucker prattled on, the buildings flew by, and the other cars sped along, Danny daydreamed about warmth and music.
WHOA. 2,844 words! :OOO Sorry for the wait for this chapter, but college has been rough these past few weeks! I'm trying to schedule classes for the next semester, but it's both easy and difficult when you're a freshman… You might not get the classes you want, but you have much more time than the upperclassmen. But anyways, hope you guys liked it! Please review if you get the chance! :D See you next time!