There was absolute silence.
Fifth Octave's music came back with a series of BOOMS while everyone looked in amazement at...
Monster Mash on stage in their underwear?
That was shocking.
And then the entire audience began screaming and whistling.
"Those boys have balls!" Damon said, cheering Monster Mash on, "Woo-hoo! Yeah-hey! Back to the strip club, Baby!"
"Damon!" Anton yelled and the boy turned quickly, "It's your turn!"
"What?" Damon raised an eyebrow, "Wasn't Deadgar supposed to sing?"
"We removed his part to insert the song of these stupid vulgar apes, you imbecile," Anton hissed, "Now sing!"
Damon, a little behind on the melody, nodded and raised the microphone to his lips.
"So please give me a chaaaaaance! To... Umm..." But he remained silent. He had forgotten the lyrics. The music continued, and he got so nervous he began sweating cold.
"Let me sing for you, girl! And dance the night AWAAAAAY!" Alex sang, and then nodded in Damon's direction, lowering the microphone with a wink, "Stripper favour, Bro. We are rivals here but you and I? We come from the same stage."
Damon just nodded thanks, then walked forward to sing with his bandmates.
"I hide behind the scenes! And cry! You don't hear me! But I sing! For you! Oh-oh-woah-oh-oh-oh! Oh-oh-woah-oh-oh-oh!" The Fifth Octave boys all sang in unison.
With a nod from Zeth, Monster Mash split into two.
Frank, Alex, and Draco walked down the stage to the aisle on the right, while Zeth, Finn, and Everett quickly went down to the aisle to the left.
"I hide behind the scenes! And fight! For a love! That might one day! Happen! Oh-oh-woah-oh-oh-oh! Oh-oh-woah-oh-oh-oh!" The Fifth Octave boys were still singing onstage, watching in confusion at Monster Mash down the aisles, dancing to the beat of the song among the audience. "I wanna be the one you call 'Mon Chéri'! We can live our dreams! You and me!"
In the aisle on the left, Finn danced like there was no tomorrow with a black-haired guy from the audience, thrusting his hips and biting his lip whenever he met the perfect stranger's gaze. Zeth was behind Finn, with his hands on the back of his neck, letting a young woman run her long acrylic nails down his abs while he swayed his hips. Everett was right behind Zeth, dancing with a surprisingly tall woman who couldn't keep her hands off his pectoral muscles.
In the left aisle, Frank was dancing with a pretty black-haired girl who looked a lot like Evie and with a blond boy. In front of Frank was Alex, who had two pairs of feminine hands with long nails running across his torso, and Alex was high on life. In front of Alex was Draco, who was giving high fives to the people and blew kisses to many of the fans who were screaming for him.
"I wanna be the one you call 'Mon Chéri'! We can dance and sing! Like a team!" The Fifth Octave boys on stage were singing a bit out of key already, looking at each other, utterly confused, barely following their complex dance routine. "I will fight for us! But now! I feel like I am! Just a! Phantom! Oh-oh-woah-oh-oh-oh! Oh-oh-woah-oh-oh-oh!"
The Monster Mash boys ran up the stairs to the stage.
The bridge of the song had arrived, and the music was now soft and heavenly.
"This is... My moment," Deadgar told himself, barely able to breathe after dancing so much, snapping his fingers and moving to the centre of the stage. Then he sang his part. "Take off my maaask! Look at... Oh... I can't... Breathe!" Deadgar staggered, took a step back, and Frank ran to grab him by the shoulder. This had happened to Frank at some point, losing your breath and feeling like everything is spinning is the worst thing that can happen while on stage.
"Look at me now! I'm not a MOOOOONS-TER!" Frank finished the part, singing as if it was nothing, but despite his good deed, Deadgar grumbled and walked away from him with a sour face.
Zeth turned to look at Anton. The crimson-haired boy was sweaty and could barely breathe, so Zeth offered his help with a look, but Anton glared at him and raised his microphone to his lips.
There was no sound even when his lips moved.
Anton quickly checked his microphone and said something under his breath, looking at the back of the stage. Zeth turned as well.
Evie was there, and she was motioning for him to meet her backstage as soon as the show was over.
Anton just looked at Zeth with disdain and raised the microphone to his lips again.
"I am the voice! That sings you songs!" Anton sang, then took a long breath, very audible. "I'm not a GhoOooOOST!" Anton threw his head back singing his high note, but his voice sounded off key, painfully high, like he was just screaming rather than belting, and the camera panned to some members of the audience covering their ears with pained expressions. Anton loosened his body and slumped forward a bit once he was done.
The look his mother gave him from the judges' table was one of irrefutable disappointment.
"I will fight for us! But now! I feel like I am! Just a! Phantom! Ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-yeah..." Kato sang, his voice soft and melodic. Then he looked at Cadence making faces. Kato blushed immediately, froze in fear, and stood still, swallowing hard, unable to sing.
Stage fright was the worst enemy of any singer, Draco knew well.
"And I will fight for us! But now!" Draco sang Kato's part, looking at the boy with a sweet and understanding scarlet gaze. "I feel like I am! Just a! Phantom! Phantom! Oh! WOAH!"
"I am not a GHOOOOOOST!" Boomer belted a high note, loud and clear with the veins in his neck popping, sounding almost as powerful as Everett.
"I hide behind the scenes! And cry! You don't hear me! But I sing! For you! Oh-oh-woah-oh-oh-oh! Oh-oh-woah-oh-oh-oh!" The Fifth Octave boys sang, and breathlessly continued dancing.
"Oh! Woah!" Boomer belted, barely able to raise his voice, his face red and drenched in sweat.
"I hide behind the scenes! And fight! For a love! That might one day..." The Fifth Octave boys sang, but Boomer gave Everett a look of anguish. Everett nodded and stepped forward, bringing the microphone to his lips. The Yeti took a deep breath and then...
"HAPPEEEEEEEN!" Everett belted Boomer's part amazingly.
"Come on, everyone! Make some noise!" Finn shouted and the people in the audience began to clap and cheer.
"I wanna be the one you call 'Mon Chéri'! We can live our dreams! You and me! I wanna be the one you call 'Mon Chéri'! We can dance and sing! Like a team!" The Monster Mash boys raised their hands and stomped their feet. The entire audience did the same, including Mr. Operman and Cadence, who looked jovial, very cheerful, and informal. This was so weird! The couple were soon holding hands and dancing to the Monster Mash vocals, even shaking their shoulders, "I will fight for us! But now! I feel like I am! Just a! Phantom! Oh-oh-woah-oh-oh-oh! Oh-oh-woah-oh-oh-oh!"
Monster Mash finished with a BANG, punching the air, and silver confetti fell from the ceiling.
The crowd went wild. Some screamed, some cried, and some clapped and cheered for them, but most shouted at the top of their lungs...
"Monster Mash, Monster Mash! Monster Mash, Monster Mash!"
The Fifth Octave boys remained still, all watching their rivals.
"Everyone loves them," Anton whispered, and Alex looked over his shoulder and winked.
It seemed like everything had gone well, but although Zeth was proud of his boys, he knew it wasn't time to celebrate. A premature celebration can bring down a war-long effort to secure a throne, after all, everyone knew what happened to Queen for a day Elizekhmet and Prince Shain 'the Noble' Rahman when they celebrated early.
"And now," the show's host spoke, "We'll hear what Mr. and Mrs. Operman have to say."