The four of us are now on a train, on the way to the competition. Miguel still couldn't believe the fact the he can play like that. "You told me you hated musicians, you never said you were one!"

"How do you think I knew your great-great-grandpa?" Héctor chortles. "We used to play music together. Taught him everything he knows" He strums on the guitar a bit.

I scoff. "No manches! You played with Ernesto de la Cruz?"

"The greatest musician of all-time?" Miguel cuts in.

The man laughs, putting a hand on my shoulder. "Ah, you guys are funny. Greatest eyebrows of all time maybe. But his music? Eh, not so much."

"You don't know what you're talking about." Miguel gives a breathy chuckle.

My attention is drawn to us arriving and seeing the scenery below. "Welcome to the Plaza de la cruz!" Héctor announces.

The train stops and hop off. "Showtime chamaco." Héctor hands Miguel the guitar.

It was amazing. There are people dancing, selling things, and lighting firecrackers. There is even a stage, where a woman enters on. "Bienvenidos a todos!" She yells. "Whose ready for some música?"

The entire audience cheers as we went backstage.

"Its the battle of the bands, amigos," She announces. "The winner gets to play for the maestro himself. Ernesto de la Cruz...at his fiesta tonight!"

"Thats our ticket, muchacho." Héctor says to us.

"Let the competition begin!"

I wonder what kind of competition will be here.

***

Lets just say, the audience didn't really enjoy the past competitors. I mean, some were fine, like the singing dogs. But we have yet to see one that everyone enjoyed.

Needless to say, I don't really know how to feel right now.

After we signed in, Héctor turns to the boy and asks, "So, what's the plan? What are you gonna play?"

"Defiantly Remember Me." Miguel starts to play a few cords, before Héctor snatches the guitar from him. 

"No! Not that one. No."

I tilt my head a bit. "Come on, it's the most popular song."

The man scoffs. "Ah, it's too popular." Our eyes trail to multiple contestants practicing their performances. All of them are Remember Me.

I sigh and shrug. "I mean, he does have a point."

Miguel looks a bit nervous, thinking for a second. His eyes dart to me for a moment, before saying, "What about Poco Loco?"

My eyes go wide. He knows that is my favorite song.

I start to feel some butterflies in my stomach.

Not now, (Y/N)!

Héctor seems to really like the idea. "Epa! Now that's a song!"

A guy with a clip board calls to us. "De la Cruzcito? You're on standby. Los Chachalacos, you're up next." A band wearing all purple gets called up on stage. Once they were on, they start playing.

Let me tell you, they were fantastic.

Now I'm nervous, and so was Miguel.

There is a solemn look on the boys face. "You always this nervous before a performance?" Héctor asks.

He sighs. "I don't know, I've never preformed before."

Héctor widens his eyes. "What? You said you were a musician!"

"I-I am! I mean, I will be. Once I win."

Héctor shoves his face in his hands in frustration. "That's your plan? No, no, no ,no you have to win. Your life literally depends on you winning. And you never done this before!"

He sits down across from us and tries to grab the guitar out of Miguels hands. "I'll go up there."

Miguel didn't give it up so easily. "No! I need to do this."

"Why?"

"If I can't go out and play one song, How can I call myself a musician?" 

Héctor doesn't seem to get Miguels point. "What does that matter?"

The boy sighs. He gives a small glance to me and says, "Because I don't just want to get de la Cruz's blessing, I need to prove that I'm worthy of it."

That was some deep shit Miguel.

Héctor is touched by this. "Oh, that's such a sweet sentiment," He then speaks very frustrated  through gritted teeth. "at such a bad time!"

He groans, trying not to get even more frustrated than he already is.

Finally, the man throws his hands into the air. "Okay! Okay. You want to preform? Then you got to perform! First, you have to loosen up. Shake off those nerves." Héctor proceeds to shake his entire body, even making his head flip.

Miguel gives him a strange look, but shakes off his nerves anyway.

"Now give me your best grito." Héctor instructs.

We were both confused about this. "My best grito?" The boy tilts his head.

"Come on, yell! Belt it out." He spins in the air and lands on one foot, whooping. He falls back, laughing breathlessly. "Ah, it feels good. Okay, now you."

Though, when Miguel tries it, it sounded like a dying goat. Even Dante let out a pained whimper, hiding behind Héctor.

The skeleton facepalms. "Oh come on, kid."

Our attention is drawn to the band that went before us finishing their performance, the audience cheering like maniacs.

The same guy with the clipboard calls out too Miguel. "De la Cruzito, you're on now!"

Héctor stands in front of the nervous boy. "Miguel, look at me. Hey, look at me. You can do this." He pushes him up the stairs leading to the stage. "Grab their attention and don't let it go. Make them listen, chamaco. You've got this."

The woman from before calls him on. Héctor and I clap for him, but Miguel is still a nervous wreck.

Let's see how this goes.

As Miguel walks up to the microphone, he completely shrinks up with fear.

He takes one step back and exhaled nervously. "What's he doing? Why isn't he playing?" Héctor whispers to me.

I didn't answer.

Poor Miguel.

The crowd is getting impatient. There is even one person who wants the singing dogs back.

Miguel glances desperately at us. Héctor signals him to shake off his nerves, and let out a grito. He then looks to me.

I sigh and mouth, "You got this."

Something flashes in his eyes at that moment. He turns to the crowd, takes a deep breath, and lets out a surprisingly good grito.

This makes the audience perk up and cheer.

Finally, Miguel starts strumming his guitar.

(A/N: Little note!

Miguel

Héctor

Both)

"What color is they sky? Ay mi amor, ay mi amor

You tell me that it's red. Ay mi amor, ay mi amor"

The boy smiles, his confidence growing.

"Where should I put my shoes? Ay mi amor, ay mi amor

You say put them on your head

Ay mi amor, ay mi amor

You make me un poco loco

Un poquii-ti-ti-to loco

The way you keep me guessing

I'm nodding and i'm yes-ing

I'll count it as a blessing

That i'm only un poco loco."

I exchange a mischievous glance with Dante. We both grab Héctor by his suspenders and pull him onstage, much to his dismay. Then we fled off the other side.

The audience cheers louder. After a moment of being frozen, the man startes to tap dance to the beat.

"Not bad for a dead guy!"

"Not so bad yourself, gordito! Eso!"

"The loco that you make me

It is just un poco crazy

The sense that you're not making"

"The liberties you're taking"

"Leaves my cabeza shaking

You're just in poco loco"

This entire performance was breath taking, and I was completely beaming at Miguel. And the audience loves them!

"Un poqui-ti-ti-ti-ti-ti-ti-ti-ti-ti-to loco"

Then, they finally finish with Héctor holding Miguel bridal style. The crowd is going absolutely crazy over them.

"Hey! You did good!" Héctor tells Miguel. "I'm proud of you."

They both turn to the audience with their hands up.

I am also proud of him. I am proud of both of them. We're defiantly going to win this for sure.

But, the happy moment soon comes to an end when Miguel shrinks back in fear after seeing something.

I tilt my head in confusion. Then I see Miguels family in the audience.

Oh shit.

As fast as I could, I run on stage and drag the boys away. "We got to get out of here!" I tell Héctor.

"What? Are you crazy? We're about to win this thing." 

Then, an announcement comes on. "Damas y caballeros, I have an emergency announcement. Please be on the lookout for two living kids. One answers to the name of Miguel, and the other in unknown. Earlier tonight they ran away from their families. They just want to send them back to the land of the living."

Héctor turns to us, eyebrows furrowed. "Wait, wait, wait. You said de la Cruz was your only family." He snatches his hand away from me. "The only person who could send you home."

"I do have other family, but-"

"You could have taken my photo back this whole time?" Héctor looks absolutely betrayed.

"But they hate music! I need a musicians blessing."

I start to back away, completely overwhelmed by all of this.

The angry man points too Miguel. "You lied to me!" 

The boy scoffs. "Oh, you're the one to talk."

Héctor now speaks in a desperate voice. "Look at me. I'm being forgotten Miguel. I don't even now if i'm going to last the night. I'm not gonna miss my one chance to cross the bridge because you want to live out some stupid musical fantasy!"

"It's not stupid!"

"I'm taking you back to your family." Héctor tries to grab the both of us, but Miguel pulls both himself and me away.

"You don't want to help me. You only care about yourself." Okay, now I am getting pissed with Miguel. I am about to cut in, before the boy takes Héctors photo out of his pocket and throws it in the air.

"Keep your dumb photo." He grabs my hand and starts to pull me away. "Stay away from us!"

I sigh and pull my hand away from Miguel, but still walking with him. "Is this really worth it, Miguel?"

He furrows his eyebrows. "Of course it is. We don't need him anyway."

I don't respond. I don't have the energy to. All I do is follow the boy, hoping desperately that he is right.

-----------------------------------

Word count: 1655 words

Edited: 5 . 19 . 23