Dance with me

Chapter Sixteen - Things go well

Chapter 16

Rehearsing with Noah wasn't exactly as I thought it would be.

To hell with that, it was nothing as I expected. If I didn't know him well I would say he's been dancing since he was born.

Okay, maybe not that much but I must say he's actually pretty good to an amateur.

"I'm not the male lead dancer..." Noah said at the end of our first official rehearsal. He was having some hard time memorizing the choreography but after one or two hours he got it.

"I'm sure when you get on the stage all of your fans won't mind if you suck." I told him only to tease but it was the truth.

"I'm flattered." He said sarcastically. "And I am sure when YOU get on stage nobody will give a damn about me." He smiled and I smiled back.

"You're such a kiss-ass!" I said laughing.

If he told me he was my partner one day earlier I would probably freak out and tell him no. But here I was practicing with him and enjoying it. It surely felt like old times.

We were dancing when he stopped the music.

"Maybe you should change that part." He said seriously and I looked at him.

"Why? You don't like it?" I asked unsure. I, myself, didn't like this part very much but it contained demanded moves that the teachers require.

"I do. But you don't. Your eyes close when you do it." Noah said as if that made any sense.

"My eyes close... It's a natural thing, Isn't it?" I was confused.

"Not with you. You only close your eyes for more than a second when you don't like what you're doing." Noah said sure of himself.

"Do I, now?" I asked. How would he know something like that about me that even myself wasn't aware of?

"You do indeed." He answered with a grin. He was having fun, the basstard.

"So..." I started. "How can I change this part? You know there are moves required on every project and this part is crucial." I explained and he nodded.

"Come here." He called me waving his hand so I would get closer to his side.

"Okay, now what?" I asked him curiously.

"Follow my lead." Noah said and turned on the music once again.

He started doing some amateur moves and I wasn't sure if that would work but I followed him.

"Right." He told me and I obbeyed going to the right spinning on my feet. "Now do that thing you do in routine 7." He knew the routines? That was a surprise but I would talk about that later, now I just did as he told me and above all my expectations, what he've done was pretty good and a lot better than it was before.

"So, it's not as good as anything you do but... What did you think?" Noah asked me unsure for the first time.

"I didn't close my eyes." That was enough to make him smile. "But you do have to explain all this subtle interest in dance, Mister." I told him pretending to be suspicious.

"My mom made me take dance lessons... I sucked so I got out. Then I discovered a street dance club and went there to see how it worked and I almost broke my neck but I continued going... And here I am now." He told me easily and I had to laugh at the thought of him doing some move that could break his neck.

"No bones broken?" I asked making fun of him.

"Unfortunatelly for you, nope." He said and chuckled.

We decided to call the rehearsal off and I went to take a shower. I had an appointment with Brianna tonight and I really had to be prepared for what I was going to do.

I put on my clothes and began wondering if I were doing the right thing. I've never been nosy or anything like that but I felt that if I didn't do anything, my friend would end up sad and I would feel guilty. But then, it was none of my business.

I had to go before I changed my mind.

"Hey, stranger!" I heard a familiar voice coming from behind me and turned back. Gabriel.

"Gabe!" I said surprised and gave him a hug. I haven't seen him since our fatal kiss and, even after all that happened, I missed him.

"How's your project? I'm so sorry..." Before he could cotinue I interrupted him. "Hey, it's okay. I may say I don't see why you lied to me but you must have had reasons so... It's okay, really. And N..." I almost said Noah. "Peter Johnson ... is going to be my partner..."

"You must be very glad I injured my ankle then." He said in a joke tone but I could notice he was serious.

"Actually, don't tell anyone but he's not ever half as good as you are." I told him almost whispering. Okay, maybe I just said that to make him feel better but it was true in one way.

"Oh, really?" He asked surprised.

"You're the male lead, of course you're better." I assured him and he hugged me once more.

"You're trouble, you know that?" He asked.

"That's what you say." I said and pushed him away Softly. I didn't want him to think I've changed my mind. "How's your ankle?" I asked.

"It's getting better." He said and smiled shortly. "I've gotta go now, see you Ann." He said and went to the opposite side.

Thank God, was all I could think. Gabriel didn't hate me! This wasn't awkward and maybe we could even be friends some day.

Now to business.

When I stepped outside of the dorm, Brianna was aready waiting for me and I took a deep breath. I had to do this.

"Where are we going?" She asked me when we got into the cab.

"That's a surprise." I told her. When I asked her to go out with me tonight I didn't mention where we were going hoping she wouldn't ask but now we were already in the cab and there was no way she was running away.

"You're not a serial killer, are you my friend?" Brianna asked me pretending to be scared and I laughed.

"Who knows?" I joked and she shook her head still acting.

We were close to the Japanese restaurant we were going and when the cab stopped she looked surprised.

"Really? Why all the suspense when we were only going to my favorite restaurant?" She asked with a huge smile on her face.

"Not we..." I told her. I haven't thought about how I would spill the beans to her. "You."

"What?" Brianna asked getting more and more confused.

"Follow me." I said and we went to the inside of the restaurant.

"What is Avery doing here by himself?" Brianna asked to nobody when we saw him seated on a table looking nervous.

"Waiting for you." I told my friend and hoped she wouldn't faint.

"You will pay for that." She pointed her finger at me and threatened me but I knew I was safe because I saw a glimpse of enjoyment in her eyes. It was all going to be alright.