Forever and Always • cel

Chapter 10

"Love does not begin and end the way we seem to think it does. Love is a battle, love is a war; love is a growing up."

                                                                                               — James A. Baldwin

"You're up next" Maddie hisses when she "accidentally" bumps into me just outside dancer's den. I don't know what her problem is. She's got Josh already!

I walk into the studio to find Josh already there. How did he get there so fast? "I expect this duet to be perfect." Abby glares pointedly at me as she says that. She tells us our starting positions. We each take one end, Josh stage left and I stage right. I start by walking in, then doing an aerial, chaines, illusion and raise arms. At 'one step closer',  Josh enters. He does a jete, runs over and pulls me up. Then I do a layout with his support.

"Stop! Stop stop stop! Chloe! All wrong! It's all wrong! Where's the emotion? The face? It doesn't matter if you can't do the emotions well, but you've got to be able to do the technique at least! You aren't doing it right at all! You don't tense up your whole body! You don't flinch everytime Josh touches you! You don't screw your turns and leaps and everything! You've got to relax! Dance your heart out! Have chemistry! Chemistry! That's what's important in a duet! Start from the top again!"

We go back to our starting positions. Walk in, aerial, chaines, illusion, raise arms, Josh jetes in, pulls me up- "STOP!!! JUST STOP!!! It's still just as bad! Chloe, relax! Josh is your boyfriend! Trust him!" Yeah, well he's not my boyfriend anymore. Oh, he also cheated on me with my ex-bestie. Can I still trust him? "We're starting again! Get in your positions! Chloe, you'd better do better this time!" Abby yells.

I go back to stage right. Abby presses the play button and the music plays. Walk in, aerial, chaines, illusion, raise arms. Josh starts entering the stage. Jete, run over, pull me up. I look straight into his eyes as I lean back into a layout. Suddenly, it didn't feel that bad anymore. I was even starting to enjoy it. We managed to get through the whole dance without Abby yelling a single time.

When the music finally ended, so did my trust in Josh. I immediately put distance between us as Abby got up from her chair. "That was perfect! I loved it! The chemistry was good, the technique was good, the emotions were there. Very good. I'm proud of you two! Now go take a break before we start the group." Abby patted me on the shoulder before I ran out of the door.

Arms circled my waist and I instinctively started to struggle. The arms immediately removed themselves. I turn around to face a sheepish looking Josh. "Sorry I just-" "Whatever" I cut him off as I turn on my heels, making sure I slapped his face with my hair.