Chapter 7

All the food in Chloe's stomach soured the second they arrived at the awards show. Outside the black Escalade they drove up in, people screamed. The emotion and activity crammed into one single area in front of the amphitheater could be felt blocks from where the action actually happened.

                Her first official public appearance as Anonymous.

                She literally felt like she could throw up.

                On top of that, this morning while she'd been getting ready, between the hair stylist, the manicure, and the final dress fitting her phone beeped with a new message.

                You better not have a date. It had read. I don't want to have to kill anybody.

                Even now, hours later, the word kill sank and branded itself into the back of her eyelids. Someone was officially making it their business to stalk her. The only problem was...who is it? And why?

                She'd been so close to telling Jackson about it, but not only did she not want to ruin the excitement of the day, but it probably was someone just messing with her.

                She couldn't bring more problems to her family. Haven't they suffered enough?

                Next to her, Ethan squeezed her hand. "You okay?"

                The car rolled to a stop and her stomach lurched with it. "Yeah." She swallowed. "You sure you want to do this?"

                Ethan smiled gently. "I've been waiting to declare our relationship since I found you again."

                From across the car, Eli groaned. "Please save it guys."

                Jackson clutched the steering wheel loosely. He unbuckled his seatbelt. "Just remember: dating. Not mates."

                The second Jackson stepped from the car, the crowd got louder.

                Ian whistled low under his breath. He sat on the side closest to the red carpet. "Holy crap."

                "You can say that again." Chloe said. From the tinted windows she could see all the hype of the people and the reporters and interviewers readying themselves.

                "Alright. 'Holy crap'." Ian said again, laughing. Jackson, deeming the area safe, opened the door.

                The screams flooded into the car.

                Chloe couldn't help but laugh at the absurdity of it all. Lordy, how did she get into this situation?

                Another Escalade pulled up behind them. It was now or never.

                Ian was the first one of them to step out, followed quickly by Eli. Chloe's ears burned at the sharp rise in girl's screams.

                "Ready?" Ethan looked at her.

                "I'm good."

                Ethan climbed out. "Prince Ethan!" The crowd screamed. He turned, gave a bright smile, and with relaxed ease, held a hand out to her.

                Chloe grabbed it and held her breath.

                Instead of the crowd going silent like she'd expected them to, they roared. Acceptance. A couple of girlish screams stuck out as they reached her ears.

                "Oh my God, Anonymous!"

                "Anonymous!"

                "Prince Ethan, look here!"

                "Ahh!"

                Chloe began to relax when she realized they weren't going to boo her. She gave a smile.

                The red carpet was set up in an easy format. After getting out of the car, there was a line of fans and enthusiasts who'd come down to the theater to see the stars. They were blocked off by a metal separator and guarded by a few tough and impassive men in suits. Past the people was a simple backdrop set up for quick pictures, which couldn't possibly be as quick as they'd like it to be because the amount of photographers across from the backdrop was ridiculous.  Then further down in evenly placed spots stood big media station interviewers waiting to talk to the stars along with even more photographers.

                At this point, most of the nominees and big performers arrived. Ahead of them, Chloe spotted a couple of fellow Musetunes artists she couldn't wait to compliment and talk to.

                Ethan moved them forward at a slow pace. The extra bodyguards Jackson insisted they bring stood near the sides, almost out of sight. A couple placed themselves near the railing that separated the stars from the shrieking crowd.

                Chloe, Ethan, Ian, and Eli stepped in front of the backdrop for a group picture. What Chloe wasn't expecting was the sudden blinding light that came from the line of photographers who all urged them to look their way.

                Chloe threw an arm around Ian's shoulders and her other on Ethan's waist. Although everything completely overwhelmed her, she did her best to paste on a convincing smile.

                They were just about to move on when a couple of photographers shouted. "Prince! Anonymous."

                Chloe looked past Ethan's shoulder at Jackson for approval. He only shrugged.

                While Eli and Ian moved toward the interviewers, Chloe posed with Ethan, who snaked his arm around her waist and hugged her close. She couldn't help but laugh, especially when he whispered, "Just pretend they're naked."

                "Ew." She whispered back, then laughed.

                Eventually Jackson pushed them to move on. They did have an hour to get into the theater, but there were still interviews to do.

                Right as they were about to do their first interview, someone called out her name. Her real name.

                She whirled, immediately recognizing that voice.

                "Oof." The person ran into her side. She pulled back and looked into her best friend's face. "Josh!" Her chest warmed immediately and it was all she could do not to give him the biggest bear hug ever.

                "Chichi, I feel like I haven't seen you in forever."

                "What are you doing here?" She couldn't keep the excitement out of her voice. "I thought you were still on tour?"

                "I got out." He winked. "For good behavior."

                Danika moved up next to her mate and Josh automatically stepped back and pulled her close. The ease with which the two moved put a smile on Chloe's face.

                "Hey Danika." Chloe gave her ex stepsister a one armed hug. "How's the tour?"

                "Good." Danika sported a long silver form hugging gown that looked as if she'd rolled in sparkles and glitter. It made her dark hair look extra silky and perfectly sculpted. "Almost finished, thank God."

                "You look great tonight."

                "Thanks."

                "Speaking of looking great." Josh's eyes danced between Chloe and Ethan who came up behind her. "Glad to see you two out and about together."

                "We figured it was a great moment to tell everyone we're dating." Ethan said.

                "Right." Josh winked. "Gotcha."

                "Josh, you have to come visit sometime."

                "Chichi, you couldn't tear me away from that palace."

                "Time to get a move on." Ethan gestured for Chloe to head further down the carpet.

                "Sit next to us?" Chloe asked over her shoulder.

                "You know it."

                Ethan held out his arm for her and she playfully curtsied before placing her hand there. "Why thank you kind sir."

                "Anything for my lady." He responded as they moved forward.

Jackson had his own little following of fans. Chloe caught his name a couple of times from the photographers and the crowd. She liked that he got some attention too. He worked hard at his job and deserved a little praise for it.

She'd had a talk with him the other day about his job. She knew he was the commander of the royal army and had to monitor both the use, the tactics, and almost everything else that went into maintaining the royal guard and making sure the units were being used in the correct way.

It was interesting to see just how much work went into all of it. Jackson's job was not a walk in the park, and it never would be. He got calls in the middle of the night, didn't have any time for hobbies, and generally overworked himself.

So why he was here now with them was a bit of a mystery. Today was one of his very few days off and instead of staying at home resting, he was here with them. Not that she was complaining. Jackson was almost exactly what she'd pictured a big brother to be like. Protective. Stoic, but warm when needed.

                Jackson talked briefly with an interviewer from studio 6 before giving them an all clear nod. Chloe made a playful face at his grumpy attitude and watched as he tried not to smile.

                Melody Campbell, a popular gossip news anchor, stood near the studio 6 camera man. "Hey guys, mind if I ask you a few questions?"

                "Not at all." Ethan wrapped his arm around Chloe's lower back. The gesture of support meant a lot more than he would ever know.

                "Prince Ethan Alexander, you were last seen dating the very lovely Danika Leighton but recently she has been sporting a new love that has joined her on tour. Any comments?"

                Ethan had already plastered a polite smile on his face—what she liked to call his "interview face". "Danika was lucky enough to find a gentleman who cares deeply for her and her for him. We parted on good terms and it's great to see her happy."

                How articulate. With his nice tailored black suit and relaxed shoulders, Ethan appeared to be in his element. No doubt Chloe in comparison looked like what Josh would loosely call an "uncultured swine".

                Melody stuck out her chunky microphone under Chloe's chin. "Anonymous. Or do you prefer Chloe?"

                "Whichever is fine."

                "Okay, Chloe. First, I have to say it's an honor to be here with you today." She leaned over so Chloe could hear her better.

                "I'm honored to be here with you as well." She blurted out before she could think it over. In this situation it might be best to stick to her instincts. "I've followed your gossip column for who knows how long."

                Melody's eyes brightened at the compliment. "Well, thank you."

She pulled out a few light blue cue cards and a corner of her mouth came up in a grin. "My production crew prepared me for this moment, should it happen." She joked and then cleared her throat before continuing. "Chloe, you've risen up the ranks of Musetunes faster than any other individual by jumping over 100 numbers in two days. What's it like having this much success?"

                Chloe fiddled nervously with the bracelet on her wrist as she formulated her answer. "Honestly? I'm not sure. It hasn't really hit yet." The microphone moved closer to Chloe's mouth as she gestured to all the activity around them. "I keep expecting all these people to be playing some cosmic joke on me or that I'll wake up back in my boring old room and find out that none of this is real." She gave an awkward laugh.

                Melody leaned in to be heard over the screaming crowd gushing about the next celebrity that arrived. "I have to ask, and I might get in trouble over it, but can we see it?"

                Ethan's form shook next to hers. No doubt his mind had already jumped to a dirty joke. "It?" He asked, mirth shinning in his eyes.

                "Your Acemark." Melody rolled her eyes, though she laughed. "Prince Ethan Alexander, the mind you have."

                "Oh." Chloe glanced quickly at Jackson who shrugged. "Yeah, of course."

                Showing an Acemark had been taboo for as long as Chloe could remember. However, this newest generation of performers had slowly begun playing with the idea of making an Acemark a proud symbol and less a secret one. The way she saw it, Josh had inadvertently made Chloe the poster child for revealing Acemarks when he put hers on her debut album cover. Looking back on it, Chloe didn't mind. She hated having to wear long sleeves all the time to cover hers, and if she were truly honest, she was proud of her mark. It placed her into a strong family of fighters and it was beautiful.

                She extended her right hand, palm up. The quarter sized star on her forearm still had a greenish tint to it—one that Chloe didn't think it would ever lose. Loose spirals extended from behind the center of the star in a controlled pattern.

                She didn't know what other people thought of it, but she happened to like her own Acemark.

                "Extraordinary." Melody breathed.

                "I can't complain." Chloe traced one of the swirls with her finger.

                "Chloe, I have to ask, why now? Why bring yourself out to the public after keeping the mystery for so long?"

                Chloe glanced around at all the excitement and commotion. "To be honest I never thought I would be here. And then when I joined the big leagues with our Prince over here," she nudged Ethan with her shoulder who nudged her playfully back. "I guess you could say I was in denial." Again that awkward laugh came out.

                Melody must've accepted that answer because she moved onto the next question with a gesture to Ethan. "Prince Ethan Alexander, it's been public knowledge that the commander's family is close with the royal family, even going so far as to live in the palace. How does it feel to have such competition living with you?"

                Ethan shifted his weight and leaned closer to the microphone. "Chloe and I aren't competing. I'm happy for all the success she's had and she's happy for me. We bounce off each other a lot though, which is nice to have."

                "Really? How so?"  

                "Well, you didn't hear this from me but we've done a few collaborations already." He admitted with a wicked grin. "And Chloe's very helpful in the lyric department, which isn't my strongest area."

                Chloe playfully rolled her eyes. "He's lying. I do nothing more than a few tweaks. His lyrics are all his own and they're all beautiful."

                Melody's whole face kept a brightness to it and she ate up their light and airy conversation. "You both are up for awards tonight." She read off her cards. "How does that make you feel?"

                To be honest, Chloe hadn't even known she was up for an award until Melena had told her this morning. Apparently, she had been nominated for the best new artist and Ethan for favorite male artist and song of the year.

                "I'm proud enough for Prince Ethan," Chloe said, "He's up for two awards." Her proud smile probably looked goofy as hell on her face, but he deserved it. The man worked harder than anyone else she knew, except maybe Jackson. If anyone deserved any or all of the awards, it was him. "I have to admit it's very exciting though."

                Ethan grinned down at her, amused. "You're too humble, Chloe." He cleared his throat quietly, "I think both of us are very excited. There's a lot more work put into this music thing than most people believe, so to see it all paying off is very thrilling."

                Melody placed a finger on her earpiece. "Okay, I'm being told to let you both go now. First I want to say, have fun. You both look great and we will be rooting for you."

                From the side, Jackson jerked his head to tell them to get going. He looked grumpy with his arms crossed. It contrasted nicely with the rambunctious crowd of girls behind him.

                "Thank you." The two of them chorused.

                The rest of the interviews were much like the first—about three to five minutes and filled with the relatively same questions.

                After they'd been grilled about simple details about their lives, they eventually worked their way into the theater. It was a massive room, much like the auditorium at Chloe's old school. Rows and rows of seats filled the floor and up to the balconies. People milled about, finding their way to their seats. The main chunk right in front of the stage had been blocked off by a rope with a couple of men standing near. A sign on the post next to the red rope read VIP, and Jackson led them straight to it.

                The man checking people in barely glanced at them as he waved them through. It was an odd feeling. Only six months ago—or even two—they never would've given her the chance to get through the VIP section. And now, with Ethan next to her they couldn't get them through fast enough.

                Jackson led them straight to the front.

                "So weird." She mumbled to Ethan.

                "Don't you like being the center of attention?" Ethan asked sarcastically.

                "Oh, always." She glanced around at all the faces around them. "I don't know what's scarier—knowing that all these people are more comfortable here than me or that if I somehow miraculously win, I have to get up in front of them and give a speech."

                The two of them sat down in the second row with Jackson right next to them.

                "I wouldn't worry." Ethan told her. "You look gorgeous and a lot more people admire your work than you think."

                "I agree with Princey," Josh's voice came in from the side. "You own it, Chichi, like I know you will."

                Josh and Danika sat close behind them in the third row. She liked knowing her best friend literally had her back.

                The ceremony started with the excessive bright lights and music that Chloe had often seen on the TV. After the initial opening performance, the host and actor Gary Donnell came out with the excitement and flourish he was most known for.

                "It's wonderful to see all your smiling faces," He said into the microphone. His white tux fitted his frame to a T. "There are some faces out there who've been in this audience before, and some new faces we've never seen before." He coughed jokingly the name Anonymous.

                Everyone laughed and looked in her direction. She blushed, but smiled through it while Ethan adjusted to sit closer to her side.

                There were a few jokes made during the award show. Not all of them had been directed towards her, but even if they were it was all in good fun.

                After Ethan had won his award for song of the year and Chloe finished beaming proudly in his direction, the show wrapped up.

                All in all the show was a success. Danika had won for favorite female artist, Ethan won, and she got to mingle with a lot of the artists who came to attend. She couldn't be angry for not winning because the experience itself was something she wouldn't forget in her lifetime.

                "I'm going to run to the bathroom." She told Ethan quietly into his ear.

                Her mate nodded. "I'll wait by the entrance then. Take Jackson with you."

                "Sounds good."

                Jackson dutifully followed her to the bathroom just outside the main theater. The bathroom inside the theater had been overflowing and she would've peed herself if she had to wait in line.

                Luckily the one outside sat in a forgotten corner and had only a few people in it. Chloe did her business with a relief and had reached for paper towels when her phone in her clutch dinged with a text.

                It had gone off a few times during the ceremony. She'd been too preoccupied to give it any attention. Now though, she glanced at it.

                A couple messages from Josh. One from her father, wishing her good luck. Two from Ian.

                She clicked open the last one which was a picture message. Probably Josh making a derp face like always.

                Her face paled and she clutched her stomach as if in pain. The number read unknown, but she knew.

                There were no words in the message. Instead it contained a sole picture: Ethan, standing out front of that exact building. Waiting for her.

                No.