"I can't let myself regret such selfishness.
My pain and all the trouble caused,
No matter how long
I believe that there's hope
Buried beneath it all." - Let The Flames Begin

one month later...

"Weep for yourself, my man, you'll never be what is in your heart. Weep, little lion man, you're not as brave as you were at the start. Rate yourself and rake yourself, take all of the courage you have left. And waste it on fixing all the problems that you made in your own head.

But it was not your fault but mine. And it was your heart on the line. I really fucked it up this time, didn't I, my dear? Didn't I, my-"

All at once, Drake's guitar picking came to a stop as silence filled the crowd, anxiously keeping them on their feet. Gabriel smirked, his lips brushing ever so lightly against the microphone. Turning back to shoot me a glance, he gave an imperceptible bob of the head and I smirked back, crashing down my sticks to the set as the band joined in a wave of sound.

Xander and Drake's guitars clashed but intertwined, the melody crashing into the air. As they died down and made way for Zac's entrance, his bass came in such vigor. I matched it equally with my drumming, loving the feel of wood beneath my fingertips, the sweat rolling off my palms.

Blake's sticks took some time to get used to, I'll admit, but now it was second nature to me. Almost as second nature as Rev had been. They weren't my old pair, but they were now a part of me, a part that I knew undeniably I couldn't get rid of.

Gabriel danced around on stage, his microphone in one hand as he banged his head, running from end of the makeshift stage to the other, high-fiving people in the crowd. Once his entrance neared, he pulled back, throwing his free hand into the air and singing, "Tremble for yourself, my man, you know that you have seen this all before. Tremble, little lion man, you'll never settle any of your scores. Your grace is wasted in your face, your boldness stands alone among the wreck. Now learn from your mother or else spend your days biting your own neck."

Cameras on opposite ends of the stage followed our every move; I tried not to be so engrossed in them, I tried not to get nervous. Doing a little flip of my stick, I grinned as I caught it. The crowd's energy was tapping into ours, feeding us with exhilaration.

"But it was not your fault but mine, and it was your heart on the line. I really fucked it up this time. Didn't I, my dear? But it was not your fault but mine. And it was your heart on the line. I really fucked it up this time. Didn't I, my dear? Didn't I, my dear?"

The instruments dwindled down as our voices took over, harmonizing seamlessly with one another. I pressed my lips against the microphone to my side, releasing my soprano range against the lower octaves of the guys. Rather than covering the original Mumford and Sons song, we followed the Tonight Alive cover to get that edgy hard rock vibe. It seemed to work; the crowd was loving it.

I dropped back on the vocals, returning to my kit as I slammed both sticks onto the pads. Feeling the in-ear monitors I was given before every performance jostle in my ears, I toned back just a hair. Headbanging, Gabriel sauntered over to Xander, his back pressed against the guitarist as he sang, "But it was not your fault but mine. And it was your heart on the line. I really fucked it up this time. Didn't I, my dear?"

Gabriel peeled himself away as Xander continued his barrage of strums alongside Drake, Zac just close behind. The vocalist began jumping up and down, his hands gesturing for the audience to sing along. Their voices slightly off-pitch but loud and excited echoed in the daylight.

"But it was not your fault but mine," they sang, following Gabriel's lead, "And it was your heart on the line. I really fucked it up this time. Didn't I, my dear?"

"Didn't I, my dear?" Gabriel samg the last line in a gritty overtone, letting his head fall back as the crowd erupted in cheers from our performance. He took a bow and darted off to the side as the rest of the band took their bows too. I didn't stand, opting for a sly wave at the crowd.

I caught Blake's gaze towards the front, standing by the other contestants. He gave a wink and thumbs up, and I felt myself smiling back. Following the line of contestants, Kat gave an excited flurry of applause while Zeke and Vanessa smiled. Even Carter had begrudgingly clapped twice before scowling at me and turning her head away.

"Chasing Avenues, everyone!" Todd hopped on stage, sweeping a wide arm in our direction as the crowd cheered again. As the band began to disperse to head into the covers of backstage, I hopped off my stool, sticking my drumsticks in my boots and meeting Xander halfway. He grinned and wrapped an arm around my shoulder, leading me away.

"Alright, folks." Todd clapped his hands together. I took a water bottle and towel from a techie, gulping down the refreshment as I watched Todd go through the usual motions. "Wow," he continued, winking in the camera's direction. I snorted. "Can you believe it already? We're practically through with round four, and you lovely people have been voting and supporting your favorite bands online. Every week, a band is eliminated, and today you have the pleasure of deciding which final band will make it into the semi-finals!"

The crowd let out a round of applause and a few cheers of exclamation. I let out a shaky exhale, rubbing my arms. Xander noticed my wariness and nudged me gently, offering a reassuring smile. I half-smiled back, leaning my head against his shoulder.

Ever since the night I discovered Tom's true intentions, the days had been flying. I told Mike immediately - the man was ecstatic - but rather than exploit Tom that night, he said to hold it off until the time was right. Whatever the fuck that meant, I had no idea. Either way, I had been so carefree since then. The pressure of finding out Tom's plans vanished, I didn't feel as guilty about deceiving Blake as I did before now that I wouldn't be deceiving him anymore, and well, everything was going perfectly.

Staring out behind the curtains and onto the stage, seeing the silhouettes of the crowd underneath the blinding stage lights, it was surreal that we made it this far into the competition. Round four already; and a step away from the semi-finals too. The other three bands were voted on and finalized: Tilted Reality, Las Mayonnaise, and Within These Cages.

It was us against our opponents, Everlasting. It was either us or them who would make it into the semi-finals.

"You know the drill," Todd continued, pointing to the audience decked out in camis and tank tops and shorts. We were in Miami, Florida, and the sweltering heat plus the nervous jitters were getting to me. I bit my lip. "You get ten minutes to log on and cast your vote, and then those votes along with the judge's, will decide who gets to continue. Are you ready, America?" The crowd screamed a positive reply. "Alright, go!"

The ten minutes couldn't go by any faster.

Gabriel had sat down on one of the equipment boxes, holding his head in his hands like he did everytime voting began. Drake took his right hand spot by the vocalist, patting Gabriel on the back reassuringly. Zac held his bottle of lemonade in one hand, trying not to appear nervous, but I knew him well enough to notice the way his hands slightly shook.

On the opposite wing of the stage, I saw the members of Everlasting looking just as nervous, huddled together like penguins and looking like they were saying a prayer.

"Time is up!" Todd said precisely after the minutes were up and time had scooped up the precious moments in its clutches. I blew out a breath as the announcer pulled out a pristine white card in his hands, a card that I had grown so used to seeing each week. "And the band moving on to the semi-finals are," he paused for dramatic effect before extending his arm in our direction. "Chasing Avenues! Congratulations!"

"Hell yes!" Drake yelled, darting onto the stage with a wide grin, leaving us in his dust. Zac laughed before hauling Gabriel to his feet and following suit. Xander began to follow but stopped when he noticed I wasn't following.

"Lace?" he called my name softly. Just the sound of his voice brought me back to the present. I was in complete and utter shock, having lost the ability to move or speak. I just blinked in Xander's direction, and he chuckled. "Come on." Grabbing my hand, he led me to the stage where the others were already situated.

Cautiously, I walked silently onto the stage, only vaguely aware of the cheers exploding in the air. Hoots and hollers followed my footsteps as I met the rest of the band by the center. The members of Everlasting were making their way over to congratulate us - though they kept the expressions of disappointment well off their faces, I knew what they had to be feeling deep down. I knew the emotions all too well.

The vocalist, whose name I couldn't recall, walked over to where I stood beside Xander, and stretched out his hand in my direction. "Good job," he murmured, soft enough for the crowd not to hear but loud enough to hear over them. He offered a small smile when I shook his hand gently, still in a state of denial. He did the same to Xander and gave a curt nod before following the rest of his bandmates off the stage.

It was only when I watched his retreting figure slink back behind the covers of the curtains that I found the reality of the situation sinking in.

We made it into the fucking semi-finals.

We were so close to our goal that it was like a dream. I was afraid if I took one more step towards it, the bubble would pop and I would be left with nothing. Shoving away all the pessimistic thoughts as I turned to face the crowd with my signature smirk, I tried not to dwell on the negativity for too long.

It was hard trying not to jinx myself; but life was goong perfectly for once in my life. The deal with Mike no longer haunted my every thought, no longer did I have to keep lying to Blake - coaxing him into falling for me, the band never discovered my true intentions from the start, and I was as far away from home than I could ever imagine.

The grin slid onto my lips effortlessly.

Blake was towards the front, at the head of the standing ovation as he beamed and applauding, his eyes only on me. A wave of butterflies erupted in my stomach at the sight - his dimples were protruding, making his emerald eyes seem brighter.

I fought back the frown; I had convinced myself back then that I was inexplicably falling for the drummer, but my thoughts said otherwise. I had been deceiving him for so long, I couldn't tell whether or not it was the fake feelings or a sincerity. Everything was cloudy and blurred.

Drake wrapped an arm around me and Xander, coming up right in between as Todd asked the crowd for one last cheer. He grinned as I rolled my eyes, ruffling my hair. Staring out at the audience, the people who came for the music, it was such a feeling that I couldn't put it into words. Music had always been my escape, but now it was so much more than that.

It was a part of me.

------

Yawning, I reached behind me and took hold of the hood protruding from my jacket, pulling it over my brunette waves. Once it was secure, I shoved my hands back in my pockets and continued walking, the dew of the grass below dampening the soles of my combat boots.

My drum sticks clattered beside my ankle, making the walk more bearable as the silence had become more uneasy than comfortable. It was just past dusk; the stars were already beginning to shine through the light purple and blues leftover in the sky, and the crescent moon wavered somewhere towards my left, sending its farewells to its companion, the sun.

The rest of Chasing Avenues were still back at the bus, probably relaxing and celebrating. Drake was probably showering the entirety of the vehicle in an assortment of torn up napkins made to mimic confetti. I could imagine Zac holding the gallon of lemonade he had bought right after the finale of round four, pouring drinks for the others like a bartender.

While they relished in the victory, I had excused myself for a short walk through the city. It wasn't that I wanted to be alone, but more so I just needed space to just think.

Miami was like every other city we had been to - large in space and modernized as skyscrapers littered the sky - but it was also relatively warm and calming, especially at night, something the other cities had a hard time with. Continuing along the sidewalk, I kept my head low so I wouldn't be recognized.

It was hard to believe that I was already falling into the routine of what other celebrities and famous musicians did. People were bound to notice me, something I wasn't used to. Something that unnerved me.

So I kept my hands in my pockets and a hood over my head so that I was as inconspicous as the next guy.

It had really been quite a journey. It felt like only yesterday when I had been falling past the door and into the room that eventually introduced me to the band. I imagined Drake, Gabriel, and Zac's face from that day, utterly bewildered at my sudden appearance alongside Xander.

Chuckling softly, I rounded the corner of the block.

Only to have a hand grab my mouth and drag me backwards into an alleyway.

Immediately, my initial reaction was to fight back of course. I jerked my elbow behind me, successfully hearing the pained groan from behind. I stomped my boot into the shoe at my side, and the hold on me was released as I heard a familiar voice wheeze out, "L-Lacey, it's just Mike."

I whirled around, quirking an eyebrow as soon as I made eye contact with the talent scout, who had fallen to his knees as he cradled his stomach. The sight made me smirk, feeling a sense of deja vu.

"Haven't we done this before?" I asked monotonously, crossing my arms.

"Have you assault me? Yeah, I'm pretty sure." Mike groaned. "Jesus, for a girl, you can hit really damn hard."

"Well, I mean, it probably runs in the family." The reply came without thought and I winced almost immediately after the words were out. Mike stopped writhing around to shoot me a look, one that wasn't condescending but a little bit concerned. I waved away both his worry and the images of Marco threatening to enter my mind, and instead added, "Plus, stop being a sexist jerk and tell me why you were hiding in an alleyway."

"I wasn't hiding," he scowled, picking himself off the ground and dusting off his expensive looking slacks. "I was literally behind you the whole time but you never noticed."

That had me scowling in return. I leaned against one of the brick walls, propping my foot on it as I stared in his direction. "Stalker."

"Shut up," he rolled his eyes, but I could pick it the mild amusement in his tone. "Listen, it's time."

"Time to get a toupee?"

He shot me another look and straightened in the spot. Mike fixed his tie and smirked. "Time to finish your end of the deal."

-----

"I don't know if I can do this." I quirked an eyebrow at the vehicle standing pompously in front of me, the silver of its exterior shimmering in the moonlight.

"I'm doing all the work." Mike rolled his eyes, his voice a mere whisper. We hid childishly behind the trailer, seeing Tom's shadowy figure bustling about inside from the curtain windows.

"Can you go over the plan one more time?"

"I already explained it twice."

"Just in case. I'm feeling jittery."

Mike peeled himself away from the edge of the vehicle, opting to lean against it as he turned to face myself. I had my arms crossed defensively over my chest, a small scowl playing on my lips. "Alright, just one more time." He motioned for me to follow as he squatted, grabbing a thin stick off the dusty ground and drawing a circle in the dirt.

I followed his movement, watching intently. "This is you," he pointed to the lopsided circle with his stick. "You're going to be standing outside the door with your phone, recording absolutelu everything as soon as I give the signal."

"Which is?"

"I'll whistle; it'll seem like I'm provoking him, but you'll know. Anyways," Mike turned back to his drawing, drawing another circle farther away besides a triangle. "The triangle is Tom, and the other circle is myself. I'm going to knock on his door and force him to let me in. Once doing so, I'll leave the door open by a slight crack where you can capture everything on video. I'll do all the talking. Just make sure no one catches you. Got it?"

"Sounds easy enough." I nodded, pulling out my phone as we both straightened up, dusting ourselves off.

"Ready?" he asked.

"As I'll ever be."

Taking a deep breath, Mike shot me a small smile and fixed his jacket before heading towards the direction of the trailer door. I took this as my cue and hid further behind the vehicle, blending into the shadows. For some reason, I was nervous. I never expected the blackmailing to come to this; that it would be over just after tonight.

It felt like another weight was dropping off my shoulder.

I heard knocking from the opposite side. Pressing my ear against the surface of the trailer, I listened closely. Soon, voices began to filter through the night.

"What are you doing here?" A low voice interrogated. Tom. Instead of sounding angry, he was the epitome of cool and collected. It was more unnerving than as if he was agitated.

"We need to talk." Mike's voice came shortly after, sounding curt and to the point.

"About?"

"I have a feeling that you might already have an idea."

"What the hell are you on now, Vaughn?"

"It has to do with your secret."

"What secret?" Tom's voice sounded hesitant, a little unnerved.

"Oh, you already know."

There was a long pause before Tom's voice returned, this time in a fierce whisper. "Make it quick."

The sound of Mike's receding footsteps as he entered the vehicle had me taking my first few steps around the trailer. Like the talent scout had said, the door was open just a smidge and I swallowed a dry lump before making my way towards it. I cast a look behind me, making sure no one was there and when the coast was clear, I peered hesitantly through the crack in the door.

Tom's back was to me, as Mike stood opposite. They were dressed similarly, both in dress shirts and slacks, dripping in professionalism. Mike had his hands in his pockets, casting a quick glance in my direction but luckily Tom hadn't caught it. I gave a small smirk, holding up my phone.

Mike whistled, looking around Tom's spacious trailer, and I immediately pressed play on my phone, letting the video record. "How did you manage to score this one, Thomas? I thought Infinite wasn't paying for managers' expenses." he said nonchalantly, gesturing to the space.

It really was extravagent. Whereas Tilted Reality's tour bus was luxurious and enormous, Tom's held the same vigor. It was littered with paperwork and notes in his scrawled handwriting. There were a few photographs on the walls, yet none held any of his children.

"I get a special privilege." Tom replied in an icy tone.

"Apparently so does your band," Mike continued baiting the other manager. "Or should I say, your kids?"

There was a long pause. I felt a bead of swear drip from my forehead. "How do you know about that?" Tom asked in a hushed tone.

"I have my sources." I almost snorted but stopped myself.

"What else do you know?" Tom interrogated, his voice rising along with his temper.

"Nothing much. Except that you've been tampering with the competition. Honestly, Tom? Making sure your band stays on top of the ranks? Sabatoging other bands? Controlling your children?"

I heard Tom scoff, and there was a rustle of movement. Peering through the door, I saw that he was advancing on Mike, and the latter took a few steps back.

"What are you thinking?" Mike asked, his eyebrows knitting together. "Why would you do this?"

"Do what?" Tom barked a callous laugh. "Try to be successful in life? It's because like every man on this goddamn planet, you start out with nothing. The only way to rise up the social ladder is to earn your way."

"I would call your way of earning a different word. Cheating, maybe."

Tom glared daggers at Mike, his lips curling into a sinister smirk. "You're just a sore loser, Michael. This has always been about you losing to me. This is because you're jealous of my success."

"So what if I am?" Mike shot back. "This isn't just about me. You've manipulated and used other people other than myself. You're purposely making the very label you work for bankrupt. You're just- you're starting a monopoly."

Tom laughed, sending shivers down my sides. "You've figured me all out, haven't you, boy? Yes, I am starting a monopoly. And once I'm done sucking the fucking life out of Infinite, I'll move onto other labels; I'll earn their trust and do the same thing. No one will ever figure out. My goddamn children don't even know I'm using them. It's absolutely foolproof. And you know what, Mike? You can't stop me. You never could, and you never will."

"I'm not too sure about that." Mike smirked.

Tom arched an eyebrow. "What do you mean? You don't have proof. No one will believe you if you say anything. It's like this conversation never existed."

I felt arms wrap around my body, dragging me back before I even had a chance to scream. My eyes widened - it couldn't have been Mike this time - and my attacker held me with such professionalism that I couldn't find a way to retaliate or escape. My phone hit the ground with a thud and I winced at the sound. I squirmed aroumd but the hold on me was too strong.

"What are you doing spying on the boss?" A Jersey accented voice growled in my ears. I caught a glimpse of my attacker - he was buff and huge, his red hair unruly and messed up. I recognized him as one of Tilted Reality's bodyguards. I only saw their guards a handful of times, but I knew one when I saw one.

"Let me go." I growled out, my voice icy. He laughed. Inside the van, I heard Mike calling my name, like we planned. Where I would reveal myself with all the proof needed to throw Tom into jail. But if only I could move.

My phone lay on the ground, the recording paused and the light shining in the night. I tried to elbow the guard but he whirled my arm around behind my back, making me cry out. My breath growing shallow, I was thrown back in time, to a different location, with a different man.

I felt Marco's rancid breath on my ears, his hold on my arm restricting and painful. Tears streaked my face as I begged him to stop, but my step-father just kept pulling my arm back, hearing the bones begin to creak haphazardly.

"Stop, stop!" I begged, spiraling back into the present. The images were still fresh in my mind and I couldn't help the tears that fell freely. "Don't- don't hurt me. Please." Those words that I spent years repeating - though it had been months since I last said them, they flew off my tongue without even thinking.

Abruptly, the pressure of the bodyguard's hold on me disappeared. I fell foward, clutching my arms and falling into a fetal position - the same one I did whenever I was at home. With shuddering breaths, I rocked back and forth as I heard the sounds of struggle coming from my left. I glanced up, only to find the body guard in cuffs on the ground, two cops flanking his sides.

"Are you okay, miss?" One of the officers asked gently. He had a fluffy beard, his brown eyes gentle. I blew out a breath and nodded, forcing to recompose myself. I brushed away the stupid tears with a deep scowl and stood shakily.

Rubbing my sore arm, I cradled it gently before reaching down to pick up my fallen phone. The screen was on the video screen, where Tom's confession lay permanently.

The door to Tom's RV flung open, as he and Mike made their way to the scene.

"What's going on?" Tom demanded, his face flushed red with anger. Mike made his way over to me, reaching out pat my arm sympathetically. I shrugged in reply.

"I could say the same for you." A new voice appeared. From behind the two cops with a struggling bodyguard, a man stood in an expensive suit. With a five o clock shadow and obsidian eyes, he cocked his head in Tom's direction. His spiked hair was gelled to perfection, not a strand of out place.

Tom blanched, stammering out, "Mr. Alteri, sir. This," he pointed to Mike. "This man is accusing me of the most absurd things! Him and his accomplice!" Tom returned his gaze to where Mike and I stood, his eyes locking on me. "You," he growled in my direction. "I knew something was up with you as soon as I first saw you with my son. You were trouble from the very start."

I tensed my jaw and narrowed my eyes in his direction, spitting out venomously, "Blake is not your son. He doesn't deserve someone like you."

Tom bared his teeth in my direction before turning back to the man he called Mr. Alteri, an innocent expression on his face. "Sir, arrest them."

Mr. Alteri heaved a sigh, shaking his head. "I'm afraid I can't do that. See, the only person who will be arrested is you, Tom."

"What?"

"I hired Mike here to investigate you, to try and catch you in the act. You're like a slippery eel, Tom. Your plans have been ruining the lives of people all over Seattle. We only needed evidence of your monopoly in order to guarantee an arrest. So I'm afraid you've been caught in the act."

Tom took a step back, glancing at Mike incredulously. "You don't - you don't have any evidence. That's a lie."

"Lacey." Mike said from my side, holding out his hand.

"Be careful with it." I murmured, wary of what they'll do with the phone Blake had given to me himself. Mike took the cellphone and raised it for us all to see, pressing the playback and watching the interrogation unfold on video. With each second, Tom's face grew paler and paler, knowing there was no way to get out of it.

"Thomas Barker, you're under arrest." Mr. Alteri smiled dangerously, as one of the cops took out a pair of silver handcuffs and clicked them into place on Tom's wrists.

"No!" Tom roared, his voice cutting through the night. I worriedly cast a glance at the tour buses nearby, afraid the commotion would make people curious enough to head outside to investigate and catch me in the scene. "You can't do this!"

"Oh, I'm afraid we can." The cop snorted, pulling Tom in the direction of their car. The other cop had his hands on the bodyguard's shoulder, pulling him along as well.

As Tom passed, he shot Mike and I looks filled with hostility, before the cops pushed him into the back of the police car and drove away into the night.

Mr. Alteri watched the car fade into the distance before turning back to where Mike and I stood side by side. I still had a hand on my bruised arm, staring at the man with a curious expression.

"Who are you?" I asked skeptically.

"Alow me to introduce myself," Mr. Alteri bowed his head. "My name is Brian Alteri. I am the CEO of Infinite Records." My eyes widened; it never occured to me that throughout the entire competition, I had never seen nor heard of the man standing in front of me. As if reading my mind, Brian smiled reassuringly. "I'm sorry I haven't been very active in the competition, but as you can tell, I had other matters on the agenda. Mike and I have been trying to catch Tom in the act for years now, and we wouldn't have done it without your help, Miss Carson."

"Lacey," I corrected, blinking. "You and Mike?"

"Yes." Brian confirmed, gesturing towards my former blackmailer. "Not only is he a talent scout, but he's the head detective in Seattle's police force. He was working undercover at Infinite to gain more information on Tom."

Unbelieving, I shot Mike a look. "You failed to tell me that."

"Would you have agreed if I did?"

"Yes. Er, no." I frowned. "But, but-"

"Spit it out, Lacey."

"So all along," I said slowly. "This wasn't just for revenge. You were doing something for the greater good? You of all people?"

"Harsh," Mike commented dryly, laughing. "Yes, Lacey. I was only pretending to blackmail you for the sole purpose of getting you to help without any complications."

"You see, we had no way to tell or find out about Tom's plans," Brian added. "The only people who knew were Tom himself and his band, also his children. When Mike saw you were getting closer with Blake, it was either now or never. Sorry you were kept in the dark for so long."

"I-" I trailed off, the words lost on my tongue. "Holy shit."

Brian chuckled, offering a small smile. "It's a lot to take in, I know. But I want you to know that when Mike offered you that deal, that wasn't fake."

"What?" I whispered. Mike smiled brightly at me, nodding his head.

Reaching his hand into his jacket pocket, Brian pulled out two slender sheets of paper, with words and times printed neatly on the surface. My breath hitched in my throat as I caught sight of the plane ticket's destination: London, England.

"It's still yours if you want it," Brian said softly, holding out the tickets in my direction. "You deserve it."

I felt conflicted and torn as I gingerly grabbed the edges of the paper and held it in my hands. This... this was what I had been fighting for since the very beginning. And now that it was finally in my clutches... why was I feeling so reluctant?

"I- Thank you." I said shakily, my voice cracking.

"No, Lacey," Brian said, patting me on the shoulder. "Thank you."

I let out a breath I hadn't realized I had been holding, my thumb grazing the edge of the ticket lightly. Glancing up, I saw Brian smiling, Mike grinning, and just the hint of the door closing in Within These Cages' tour bus.

--

A/N Lacey, may I have a drum roll?

Haha, I know you've all been waiting for this. But now it's time to announce the winners of the one-shot competition, for first, second, third place, and honorable mention! I was planning on doing this in the author's note last chapter, but you all know how long that happened to be, so I just decided to do it in this one.

Alright, the prizes are as following: first place receives a free graphic by me, comment/critique on any story of their choosing, a dedication in My Little Decoy, and a little surprise gift that I'll private message you about. For second place, you will a free graphic, comment or critique, and a dedication. Whoever's in third will get a free graphic and a dedication. And an honorable mention will have their choice of a free graphic or comments.

And now: the winners!

In first place: spectacle/LiarLiarLiar

This entry was written so beautiful, I actually teared up and cried a little. Based on Carter and Olivia and Gabriel, I was shocked by how right she made it seem, so realistic. God, it was just beautifully written, like poetic justice. It put my own writing to shame. I'm glad to name this entry the winner; she really deserves it.

In second place: pokemania

I swear I'm not biased, but my friend, Adder, wrote this beautiful piece that also had me in tears because it was in Marco's point of view, and it totally put a different point of view to his character. I felt so much pity for Marco, and I just, ugh. Adder, your writing is perfect, okay?

In third place: themellyb123

This entry was just really touching. In fact, all of the entries were pretty much a little sad and melancholy. My heart was like dead when I read them all. This one was about Blake, and how he felt about Lacey, and it was kind of an alternate ending. I thought it was really sweet, and adorable.

Honorable mention(s): Chemical_Insanity

Chem, you were the only entry that was lighthearted and cute and funny and I just adored it. You portrayed Chasing Avenues in such an adorable manner; that whole thing with them playing card games. I was just grinning the entire time.

and Panem_Deae

Mia, your entry made me ship Casey (Carter and Lacey) even more. They're so cute, like. Wow. Your entry was hot like hot pocket. How do you feel about Las Mayo being in the competition. ;)

Congratulations to all the winners! I'll put spectacle's winning entry in the external link, so you should all check it out and comment. c:

Also, the beautiful fucking banner on the side is made by my good friend, Ro. <3 I love you bae.

-Isabelle