A snowy September night found Lilly and Zack strolling along the now vacant elven streets of the North Pole. Lilly's woolly-gloved hand held Zack's bony and bare one. It'd been about a month since they had hit it off, and life had never been sweeter. Although not many people besides the ones who had been present when Zack, ahem, revealed his love for Lilly, knew about this relationship, it seemed almost too obvious to them. Most thought they had simply finally decided to get along. Bernard, naturally, had not even the slightest inkling of what Lilly was up to. He hadn't had the nerve to inquire about her ever since she called it splits.
"Lilly," Zack started. "Hmm," Lilly inquired, turning to gaze upon him, her eyes soft as marshmallows. "Are you ready for tomorrow?" Zack asked. "I was born ready!" Lilly joked as usual. "Why wouldn't I be," she continued more seriously now, "Mr. Walala has worked the points of our ears off just for the first band concert!" Zack gave way a chuckle, but then his face turned to disturbed. "I mean, are you ready to…um….you know…see Bernard again, since his brother still works at the factory?" he continued awkwardly. "Oh, that," Lilly murmured, trying not think of the once head elf, knowing only too well she would burst to tears from his memory. "I'll survive, if you are there that is" Lilly said, leaning slightly towards Zack now, longing to have his warmth fill her broken thoughts again. Zack wrapped a comforting arm around her, pulling her to him lovingly, and planting a kiss on her faintly red nose.
Bernard sat idle in the audience, secretly ecstatic about seeing Lilly again. All he needed was just a glimpse of her and he would be satisfied (for the moment that is). Sadly enough, he had arrived rather late to the band concert due to his stubborn friends, and had missed the concert band performance, so now the jazz band would begin any minute now. He missed the days when he would be coming out of that door to the right of the stage, tenor at the ready. He pondered over how much Lilly could've changed in a month. Then he saw her walk through that heavy wooden door, black dress, long hair, and those mesmerizing violet eyes, carrying a music portfolio, Stephanie on her heels. Much to his surprise though, Zack came tumbling onto the stage after them. He thought he'd heard that Zack had refrained from the jazz band due to the hell Lilly and Stephanie dumped on him. He seemed though, to be almost gravitationally pulled towards Lilly in a way.
Things for Bernard got even weirder when, not Stephanie was sitting with Lilly, but the lanky Zack. Apparently there was a piano duet in this song, since both Lilly and Zack played on the piano at the same moment. Moving closer, hoping his eyes had deceived him from the distance, Bernard could've sworn Zack kept brushing against Lilly in a persuasive way, seemingly swaying to the tune. Now just inches away from the stage in a dark corner, Bernard could see everything happening at the piano in full aspect. Stephanie's gaze was turned down to the legs of the chairs, her feet slowly moving Lilly's and Zack's chair ever so closer so that they basically fit together like a puzzle, both the chair legs and the two elves playing. The song ended, and Bernard was shocked by what he saw next……
Not many in audience noticed, but for Bernard it was crystal clear. Zack stood from his chair for Stephanie to take his place in order to play, and as he did so, his hand brushed down Lilly's arm in an inviting manner. They're eyes met for the briefest of moments, but in that one flash, Zack's gaze had an evil glint to it, his lips turning to that smirk that made Lilly putty in his hands, and of course, blood pooled on her cheeks turning them that amazing shade of red. Oh he's going to get it now Bernard thought overcome by the green monster of jealousy. So they played on, rocking or in this case bluesing the night. They packed up all the equipment and the band went inside the band room to get the 'Job well done speech' by Mr. Walala. Anxiously, Bernard waited outside the band room, until all of the elves had poured out, and slipped into the hall way.
Just as he'd anticipated, Lilly and Zack were still in there, and of course Briana and Feline, but Bernard didn't pay much mind to them as he peered spy-like around the corner, making sure to go unseen. He heard the argument unfolding between Zack and Lilly.
"What does he have that I don't?!" he heard Zacks voice rage.
"Zack we've been over this before…" Lilly contemplated.
"Yes! But you didn't see how he was looking at you the little bastard….you still have feelings for him…" Zack shot back.
"I'm dating you aren't I?" Lilly said through gritted teeth. 'Dating?!' Bernard thought, 'so that's why Zack's all over her!' He couldn't resist any longer, the urge to turn and see the scene was too much. As Bernard took on the full setting, he saw Lilly and Zack in the middle of the band room, facing each other, and (to Bernard's relief) a good meter apart.
"Yet who's the one who haunts your dreams, who makes you fantasize, makes you drop to your knees, the one who has claimed your heart?" Zack challenged. He let his words hang in the air before taking a step towards Lilly. Lilly, however, countered it by taking a step back at the same time he stepped forward.
"At this very moment, neither of you…" Lilly snapped, yet her cheeks reddened slightly at the lie. Zack didn't miss the flame across her porcelain face, and smirked his cocky smirk.
"Oh? Is that so?" he asked knowingly, taking yet again another step, making Lilly take a desperate pace back. All she could do at this point was nod, still keeping her shoulders squared and her back straight in defense. Bernard watched this array of a tango, not daring even take a single breath. Zack kept striding forward as he spoke, Lilly countering each and every one, "Really? Because it almost seemed like you really…..yearned…..for me at times, for my touch even and yet……"
Lilly, having have been in mental panic, hadn't realized how far back she'd gone, until she felt the wooden shelf stop her in her tracks, causing her back to thump against it in the process. She was trapped. All she could do now was grasp the shelf between her fragile fingers as Zack closed the space between them.
"Yet you shun me out more than ever," he ran a cold, sly finger down her cheek, his gaze fixed to it, "Deny me the blood, flesh and lust…." Lilly felt the fiery breaths he exhaled, swooning to his every desire, nothing but a puppet. Zack leaned down as if to kiss her, his lips grazing over hers. Bernard tensed, every muscle in his body ready to lunge at Zack.
Meanwhile….
Stephanie was franticly looking for Lilly. She'd looked everywhere except the band room. She smacked herself on the head and thought, 'Duh! Of course she's in the band room!' She laughed at her silly-ness-ness. If she hadn't been drooling over Vladimir the whole time, she might've figured it out sooner. She ran into the band room (somehow missing the lurking Bernard in the hall way) leaped and landed with her feet apart, knees together, arms stretched out and said, "Where's the fire?!" Then she spotted Lilly and Zack…….
Zack turned to her, murder blazing through his eyes. "Well, there was a fire…" Zack murmured through gritted teeth. Lilly attempted to use this set back to make a run for it, but (for once) Zack was quick to react. He grasped her wrist, sharply pinned her back to the shelf, and forced his lips onto hers. Lilly's eyes widened, and her cheeks flamed, but she didn't object. And that was all Bernard could take…….