dancer's heart | hsmtmts

seven

act three,   chapter seven
youre my favorite song

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"You got this, Andy. Just-just go over there and—"

"What are you doing?" Ricky asks the girl who had been hiding behind a bush. Andrea jumps up, startled.

"What? How'd you know I was here?"

"After getting caught by Channing a while ago, I made sure to check every bush I pass for a hidden camera." Ricky shrugs, "Just in case."

"Oh."

"So...are you going to tell me whats going on or are we just going to sit behind this bush for the rest of the night?"

"I'm..." Andrea takes a deep breath, "I'm trying to psych myself up to break up with EJ."

"What?!"

"Will you lower your voice?!" Andrea whisper-yells, whacking the boy upside his head. "This is already hard enough as it is, I don't need you to attract an audience."

"But, why? I thought you guys were good."

"We were or are, I guess." Andrea sighs, "It's less of a relationship thing and more of a personal identity thing."

"I get it." Ricky says, giving the girl's shoulder a comforting squeeze. "This is a good thing, Andy. You're really brave for doing this."

"Thanks, Ricky." Andrea says, taking a deep breath before standing up in her spot. "Okay, wish me luck."

"Luck."

Andrea jumps over the bush and starts to walk over to the pool, where she had told EJ to wait for her after the Color Wars had finished. She finds him sitting at the edge of the pull, feet dipped into the newly cleaned water.

Her eyes already began to water. "EJ."

"Hey, sunny. What did you want to talk abo—" EJ turns to the girl with a bright smile, which immediately drops as soon as he saw a single tear roll down the girl's face. "Woah, what's wrong? Did I-did I do something?"

"No, no." Andrea tries to smile through the pain, "You've been nothing but good to me. That's what's making this so hard."

"I don't understand."

"EJ, we need to break up." Andrea rushes out, making the boy immediately stand up and walk over to her.

"Wait, I thought we were good—"

"We are. I promise you i'm over all that secret keeping stuff. This isn't about that." Andrea harshly wipes her tears away, "This is about your future."

"I already told you that I want you to be part of that future. Hell, I can't imagine any future without you in it!"

"Yeah, and what else do you see?" Andrea looks the boy dead in the eye, her heart aching at the evident pain on his face. "What do you see for yourself?"

"I see..." EJ, at a loss for words, shakes his head, "I see you! Please..."

"EJ, that can't be all that you see for yourself. I can't be your future." Andrea grabs the boy's hand, "You are one of the smartest, most determined people I know. Your life is full of opportunities that you haven't discovered yet because...because i'm holding you back. And before you try to say otherwise, just know that I've thought this all through many times before coming here. Why do you want to stay in Salt Lake, EJ? Why don't you want to try your hand at the state college you got into instead?"