Dance or Die: a Fanfiction

Chapter 12 - Confession/The Third Arrival

"Dora!" Shianne yelled across the house from her shared bedroom with her sister. Sighing exasperatedly, as it was the third time she called her, she turned into the room and flopped onto her bed, shoulder-length blonde hair bobbing with her motion. She snatched her flip-phone from the nightstand and opened it, checking for any voicemails, texts, or calls she missed that evening. Footsteps came into the room soon after, an angered Dora standing there in a shimmery shirt, arms crossed.

"I was putting mascara on! It's a process for me, you should know by now!" Dora said, uncrossing her arms and going to sit on the bed by the spread-out Shianne. "You didn't have to yell for me three times in a row."

"I wasn't getting your attention very well."

"I just told you, I was doing my makeup. Colin and I are going to the movies, didn't I tell you about that, too? Anyways, what did you want from me?"

"I, uh, have a bit of a secret that I think you would understand."

Dora widened her eyes at the mention of a secret, and she leaned in. Shianne wanted to laugh at her sister, who loved to hear the dirt on everyone, but the good thing was that she almost never spilled the beans.

"You know Solomon, he's been here for a while now. But, um, I think he's kinda attractive. Call me weird, but I swear his face has been blessed."

Dora snickered at her closing statement, but nodded and did the 'lips zipped' gesture across her mouth.

"You can go and think that," Dora said, "but in my personal opinion, he's not... extremely cute. I mean, I know I have a boyfriend, I think Colin is amazing, but... you get what I mean. I don't think he's all that attractive."

"You're joking," Shianne looked up at her in disbelief.

"No, totally not."

"Come on! You gotta at least admit that Soli's hair looks really cool."

"Thanks!" a voice piped up from the hallway. Dora and Shianne jumped from the bed to see Solomon leaning on the doorframe, arms crossed over a curiously bare chest, and snickering.

"Please go, we were having a conversation," Dora said calmly.

"Did you hear anything?" Shianne blurted, nervous.

"Nothing, not until the comment about my hair," he said, shrugging. Shianne inwardly sighed with relief. "I'm gonna go now."

He left the two alone for a second until he poked his head in the doorway, drawing the girls' attention again.

"Oh, and before you ask, Brian keeps it way too warm in this house, so that's why I'm not... fully dressed," he awkwardly stated as he rushed back around the corner. The sisters looked at each other in silence.

"Admit it," Shianne said, mischievously smirking at her sister, "you gawked a little bit."

Dora twisted her face into a playful grimace and punched Shianne in the arm, making her laugh. Another figure appeared in the door a moment later, catching Dora's attention.

"Ready to go?" Colin asked, brushing his shaggy brown hair out of his eyes.

"Yeah, I am," Dora said, then turned to Shianne. "Shi, make sure Soli and Derek don't burn the house down."

Shianne giggled again, and nodded. Brian was out but she knew the two men were responsible enough. The couple made their way out of the room to the front door and put their jackets on, Colin politely unlocking and opening the door for his girlfriend. She smiled at him as she faced the outdoors, where in that moment she stared out, seemingly petrified. Colin peeked around the door to see a dark silhouette of a man outside, and, ignoring what the man was starting to say, quickly slammed the door and locked it.

"There's just a... guy out there!" Dora said, stuttering and backing up, "Do we call the police?"

"What was that door slam?" Derek said, rising from the couch facing away from the door. "I can try to scare 'em off if you need me to."

"No, don't--" Colin replied, but Derek had already opened the door again, the man still standing there.

"Why were you guys so scared? It's just Jake."

"Who the heck is Jake?"

"Um, I am?" the man said, raising an eyebrow. The light from the house revealed a silver stripe on his red jacket, and his dark hair hung straight aside his face. "Can I be let in, it's cold. I'm Derek's friend and... yeah. I won't hurt anyone!"

Derek welcomed him in as Colin and Dora glared confusedly at them, Shianne coming to see what the commotion was about. Soli, now donning a white t-shirt, came from behind Shianne, and immediately smiled upon seeing Jake. He half-ran towards him, wrapping him in a hug.

"It's only been a few weeks, but man, am I glad to see you," Soli mumbled to the slightly taller Jake. Dora looked on, impatient, but Shianne and Colin were curious.

"They're brothers," Derek said to the three, who now understood. Colin looked at Dora, suggesting they go. They soon left, Soli taking Jake to the bunk room, where he and Derek had been staying. Shianne and Derek were left at the door, standing for no reason. "Jake's got a twin brother too."

"Oh, really?" Shianne said, slightly disinterested.

"Yeah. Him and another guy with us are gonna be coming here too."

"There's... Five of you, then?"

"Yep. Fair warning," Derek said, going to sit back on the couch, "Jake is kind of a nutcase, but he's fun. I dunno, he makes different impressions on different people."

The different impressions thing Derek mentioned was right. Shianne, Brian, and Colin got along alright with Jake, but Dora couldn't stand him. She thought he was obnoxious and annoying and refused to be by him because of his unusual nature. Dora being the fashion forward person of the house, she also didn't like it when he tried to give her advice on anything related to how she dressed. The others always laughed to themselves or out loud whenever they interacted.