Love At First Steps

Chapter 2: Jealousy and A Date

POV: JAYCEE

Jaycee woke up the next morning with a sense of anticipation. She had tossed and turned all night, unable to shake thoughts of Scarlett from her mind.

As she got ready for class, she tried to push aside her tumultuous feelings and focus on the day ahead.

________________________________

As Jaycee entered the dance studio, she couldn't help but notice Scarlett laughing and chatting with another girl in the class - Maiah.

Jaycee felt a pang of jealousy seeing how close they seemed to be. She knew Scarlett was friendly with all the dancers, but there was something about her interactions with Maiah that made Jaycee uneasy.

Throughout the class, Jaycee watched from the sidelines as Scarlett and Maiah joked and practiced their dance moves together. She tried to focus on her footwork and technique, but her mind kept drifting towards the two girls.

She couldn't understand why she felt so jealous. She hardly knew Scarlett, and it wasn't like they had a claim on each other. But seeing Scarlett interacting so warmly with Maiah made her heart clench with a strange pang of possessiveness.

As the class progressed, Jaycee found herself getting more and more frustrated. She kept making mistakes during her dance routines, her mind far away from the music and footwork.

Scarlett eventually noticed Jaycee's distracted state and approached her during a break in between routines.

"Okay ka lang jaycee?" Scarlett asked, a look of concern on her face.

Jaycee forced a smile, trying to hide her jealousy. "Oo, Okay lang ako. Pagod lang."

Scarlett studied her face for a moment, as if sensing something was off. "Are you sure? You've been making a lot of mistakes today."

Jaycee felt her defenses rising. "Okay nga lang ako." she snapped, a little too harshly.

Scarlett's eyebrows raised at Jaycee's tone. "Okay, kalma ka lang. There's no need to take your frustration out on me."

Jaycee felt a pang of guilt at her sharpness. "Pasensya na. Bad mood lang talaga ako ngayon," she admitted, looking down at the floor.

Scarlett placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. "Okay lang. Mag focus ka muna sa dance class. Okay?."

As Jaycee nodded, she heard Maiah call out from across the room, "Hey, Scar, tuloy ba dinner natin mamaya?"

Jaycee's heart sank at the sound of the nickname. She looked at Scarlett, whose face lit up at the sight of Maiah.

"Oo, tuloy mamaya," Scarlett called back, a bright smile on her face.

Jaycee felt a pang of unease in her stomach. "Magdi-dinner kayo ni Maiah?" she blurted out.

Scarlett turned back to Jaycee, surprised by her abrupt question. "Yeah, we usually have dinner together after class."

Jaycee tried to hide her jealousy, but she couldn't stop herself from saying, "Bakit ka niya tinatawag na 'Scar'?"

Scarlett chuckled at Jaycee's tone. "Nickname niya sakin yan. Matagal narin kami magkakilala ni Maiah. "

Jaycee clenched her fists, feeling irrationally annoyed by this fact.

"Bakit, nagseselos kaba or something?" Scarlett joked, half-serious.