The Streets Higher Stakes

28. ChinaTown

Trish's POV

I couldn't explain it but I felt different somehow.

Cole and I had arrived back to our home, the crew waiting. They knew everything, because Cole had told them but they wanted to hear it from me. I told them everything, with encouragement from Cole and with some tears. I surprised myself by keeping it together so well. When I finished, Thayer came and hugged me first.

"You know if you told us, we would've helped you raise the baby." He whispered to me. I choked up, not expecting a comment like that from him.

Now, a few days later, we're waiting to perform in Chinatown.

The people in Chinatown did their competitions a little differently. There was no stage, but they cleared off a street for the dancers. Along the sides of the roads were the people who came to watch and in front of them were gates so they couldn't interrupt. The judges were on top of the buildings, watching, and the music came from the buildings surrounding the road.

"Has Thayer shown up yet?" Theo asked, as his brown eyes swept the crowd. Thayer hadn't been with us when we left but he said he would meet us here and be in time for the competition.

"I haven't seen him anywhere," Cole said and he wrapped his arm around my shoulder. I felt closer to him somehow, the connection of our mothers both being dead and him helping me talk about it. I was still hesitant but he was encouraging and that was helping.

I fished my phone out of my pocket and called Thayer. It went straight to voicemail and I sighed. He had been acting weird before I had lost control and I didn't know what was up with him and neither did the others. I would have to ask him and I would like to think he would tell me the truth.

"He'll show up eventually guys," Dakota said as she pushed through the crowd. She had been watching the dances and telling us who was doing well and who our competition would be. "It's Thayer, he cares about us and about winning this year," she said confidently. I hoped she was right because there was only one more  this year and the stakes were rising. "Come on it's almost our turn to dance."

The crowd made a path for us as the host called out our crew. They cheered and whistled for us, excited to see how well we'd do. We got into formation, minus Thayer, who was supposed to be leading this dance as the music started.

Our Chinese competitors glared us down, Dakota and The Twins started dancing. The Twins were on the side of the road and Dakota in the middle as their moves were coordinated, adding a flip at the end, making the people yell. It was the time for the rest of us to join in and when we were about to switch out, we jumped back as the beat dropped, Cole, Theo splayed on the floor and the rest of us crossed our arms over our chests. We moved to the sides of the road as Cole took over Thayers solo because he still hadn't showed up but as he began Thayer flipped over the fence and started to dance with him. The crowd, thinking it was planned, whistled as they continued. We went back into original formation, Thayer in the front, The Twins at his sides and Theo and Dakota behind them. They switched as the beat began more hyped, Dakota and Theo now in front and the boys behind them. Cole and I lined up behind the others, in a diagonal line before spreading it out and making our feet on time with the beat. To end it, Thayer and The Twins did head spins as the rest of us danced around them.

The host, I heard over the roar of the crowd, pointed up at the rooftop as the judges held up their scores.

Technique : 8

Performance: 8

Choreography And Musicality: 9

Overall Appearance : 9

  We hugged one another seeing that we beaten our competition and we would be attending the final rounds. The crowd clapped us on our backs as we hopped the fences to leave.

"Why were you late?" I asked Thayer before he could get into Dakota's corvette. He pressed his lips together, "You don't have to worry about that. I promise I'll try my best to not let it happen again."

It was my turn to press my lips together. I wanted to know what was going on with him being so unlike himself but Cole put an arm around my shoulders and shook his head slowly.
I sighed, "Okay." Thayer gave Cole a grateful smile and he got in the car.

"Do you know what's up with him?" I asked.

"No, but Thayer and you are a lot alike, so he'll tell us what's up when he's ready to. Just like you did and I'm proud of you for that," he said and kissed my cheek. I smiled at him, he wanted days where we would talk about our mothers and my baby, alone. I reluctantly agreed.

"Thank you," I said and returned his kiss on the cheek. He smiled at me, grabbed my hand and made our way home.