Grace

Chapter 21

"What's up with you and Ben?" Chi asked during dance warm up.

We'd just come from literature and whilst Ben and I didn't sit next to each other, apparently it had been obvious that I was avoiding him. I fell into a splits at the same time as she did and we leaned over our forward legs to further stretch the muscles out.

"Come on, otherwise everyone watching this is going to think it's a lovers tiff," she said.

I snorted. "It is not a lovers tiff."

"Than what is it?" she asked. "It can't be that bad."

"It's worse."

"Then spill."

We stretched over our other leg. I sighed and wondered if the mic would pick it up if I murmured.

"Jeez, Grace, you had to have known that at some point you'd argue with someone whilst having the cameras follow you."

"It's different with Ben, you know it is. To be honest, I don't really care if the whole world finds out, but I know Ben doesn't want this plastered everywhere."

She sighed. "I guess you're right. But you will tell us won't you?"

I nodded. "Yeah. Later."

"Don't you two think you've been stretching those quads and groin muscles enough?" Master Evans said. She was stood above us and from our perspective looked freakishly tall. "We're doing another pairs dance but with group choreography. Same partners as with Romeo and Juliet. We'll all be practicing together as there's a lot of technique. We're doing the tango."

I got up and walked over to where Josh was warming up at the other side of the room.

"Howdy partner," he said. "Glad you could finally make it. It takes two to tango."

"Ugh, whatever," I said though a smile pulled at the corners of my mouth. "Please be careful with my hands. I still have no skin and a lot of blisters."

"Bet rowing's a lot of fun."

"It's really not."

It did, however, allow me to work out a lot of my frustration with Ben. By the time training was over, whilst my hands really hurt, I could look at him without scowling too much. He shot Jessica a pleading look and she and the crew backed away saying they were going to film the boats and ask Coach to talk more about training or something. Most of the guys were in bed with the winter bug that was going around so he and Harry had been in a two person boat which was still on the river. Ben carefully took my hand in his and pulled me over to it.

"Really, Ben? If you want to train some more fine –"

"I want to talk to you."

"You're doing it right now."

"You're not going to jump out of the boat with your hands as they are. Get in the boat or stand there all night."

I scowled some more and got in the boat. We went into the middle of the river and down stream a little before he carefully turned around to face me.

"I'm sorry," he said. "I shouldn't have said that about your parents. But they should never have done that to you."

"My parents have really important jobs. Dad puts bad guys away and Mum saves people's lives. They have to go."

"Not to talk to new clients when the bosses wanted to send Clive and to talk on a panel you had to talk yourself onto."

"Just stop talking, Ben. You have no idea what my life is like."