A Love as Hard as This

Chapter 29

Author's Note:
Sorry guys.....

Noah's Perspective:

I looked at her in the car, just remembering her.

How she got got chocolate ice cream on her face when we went to the shop across the street for the first time—she was showing me around. That shop quickly became our favorite spot, and a topic of some teasing.

How when we were slightly younger, she had numerous amounts of stuffed pigs all over her room, she loved them for some odd reason I never understood.

How she'd been wearing only hoodies from assorted bands for months. She'd been going through a faze, in which she was so obsessed with these couple bands that she couldn't go anywhere without something from them. One Direction, Imagine Dragons, and even Taylor Swift, even though she wasn't a band. I'd never taken her to be a Swiftie before, shows how much I knew.

I guessed she caught me staring after a while. My suspicion was confirmed when she asked why.

"I'm just remembering you." I said, smiling.

She smiled back. "Okay."

"Hey, Riche?" I asked, putting my hand onto hers and savoring the warmth it invited into my body.

"Yeah?"

"I love you." I told her. I thought that it was important for me to say that, after all that had happened between us recently.

"I love you too." Our eyes met, which sent shivers down my spine. No matter how much time I spent with her, it always gave me just as much joy as the first time.

"You excited to be back in Studio A?" I asked, genuinely curious. I didn't know what her answer would be. Maybe she missed TNS East?

"Yes. Studio A is home, and will always be."

——————

Michelle and Emily announced that there was going to be a qualifier video for Regionals this year, then left, letting us get to work on the theme and choreo of the dance.

"How about a western theme?" Jacquie and Zara suggested.

"I don't think that's the best thing for this dance." I said objectively.

"How about our story?" Ozzy suggested. "Two rival teams coming together."

"What's up with Ozzy and good ideas lately?" Richelle whispered, leaning into me and giggling.

Everyone else applauded the idea. It looked like this would be the theme of the dance. Richelle and Piper went to the front of the room and began choreographing the dance. Half of it contemporary, half of it hip hop. Just like us.

We went through the dance multiple times. Everyone seemed to be doing extremely well, except for Jacquie. She was in front of me, and I could tell that she just wasn't getting the hip hop section.

"Alright, everyone, that looks great!" Richelle exclaimed. "You know what, rehearsals can end early today!"

Everyone cheered, all but Jacquie. I slowly walked up to her. "Jacquie? Do you want help with the hip hop section?" I asked.

She hesitated, biting her lip, then smiled up at me. "Yes. Thank you."

"Noah, I'm getting a drink with Lola!" Richelle called from the cubbies.

I nodded at her, then turned my attention back to Jacquie. "Start at the beginning?"

We ran through it extremely slowly. I made sure to give her corrections, but also not be too hard on her. She really seemed to be struggling, and I felt bad.

The last part of the section was a 540 for all of the people who could do them, and a jump for everyone who couldn't. Jacquie was in the latter category, but she still couldn't get the jump.

"It's okay, just do it." I said, leading her through it. She prepared correctly, but slipped on her untied shoe. Nearly about to hit her head on the wooden floor, I grabbed her waist, preventing her from doing so.

I felt something more unnerving than anything I'd ever felt. Complicated, terrible, but newly amazing at the same time. I felt myself leaning in, and she copied my movements, connecting our lips.

We stayed like this for longer that I'd ever meant to, I just couldn't pull away. It was so wrong, but at the same time...I liked it.

Finally, one of us got enough sense to pull away. I didn't know who did it, but I did know one thing.

I've ruined everything.

Author's Note:
I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry...
@EmiliaRose28, you have my full permission to break his kneecaps.