Dancing in the Rain | ✓

Chapter 13: High Hopes

As Eli walked down the hallway he thought his heart was going to beat right out of his chest. His palms were sweaty and he had trouble breathing. He hadn't been able to eat anything since morning because his stomach seemed to be tied into painful knots. He shouldn't be so scared, as if he was a middle school boy trying to get his crush's number, but he couldn't help it.

All the feelings were bubbling up inside of him and Eli didn't know what to do with them anymore. He just wanted to know where he stood and if Avery happened to be standing right beside him. He changed into his workout clothes in the locker room, barely able to unbutton his pants with his shaking hands.

He tried to cool off but nothing was helping so with his heart stuck in his throat Eli exited the empty locker room and slowly approached the door to the dance studio. Without leaving time for himself to hesitate Eli pressed down the handle and opened the door in one swift move. Apparently normal people don't open door so abruptly since Avery stopped stretching out her muscles to see what was going on.

"You okay?" She asked raising her thick eyebrows.

"Yes, everything's fine." Eli assured his friend smiling way too brightly for a regular human being.

Avery titled her head, obviously not buying it. "Are you sure?"

Eli took a deep breath balancing on his heels. There was no better time to say what he wanted to say. "No...I mean, yes!" Avery narrowed her eyes as if she was looking at a psycho. "I guess what I'm trying to say is that I want to talk."

"Then talk." Avery said simply.

Eli sucked in some air, still not quite sure if what he was about to do was really such a good idea. "I mean more serious talk."

"What does that mean?" Avery asked, clearly confused by Eli's weird behavior.

"It means that I don't want to talk about the competition." Eli said slowly.

"About what then?" Avery asked looking more and more confused with each passing second. "Help me here, Eli. Because right now I'm hella confused."

"About us." Eli said so quietly that he could barely pick up the words. "Let's just sit down." He said and sat down on the floor cross-legged.

"Okay." Avery said slowly. "Let's do this then." She sat down opposite Eli looking at him expectantly. Usually she would crack a joke by now but since she wasn't trying to lighten the mood Eli knew that she was still distancing herself. "What is it?"

Avery was looking straight into Eli's eyes and her gaze was so intense that the boy had to look away. "I wanted to tell you something and I will understand if you will just walk away or something. I just...I just don't want our friendship to end because of it."

"You're scaring me." Avery said. "Are you HIV positive or something? Because if that's the case I really don't mind."

"No." Eli said. "Nothing like that." When Avery didn't say anything to that, he continued. "Maybe I'm not doing it right but I really don't have that much experience when it comes to asking people out or things like that." He said, avoiding Avery's eyes as if he was a vampire and they were two gloves of garlic. "I just...I really like you, you know? Like...more than friends."

When he looked up at Avery, the girl's face looked completely different. It was not devoid of emotions anymore. This time her dark eyes were wide open and her lips were slightly parted showing off her perfect teeth. She was staring at Eli as if she was halfway between wanting to slap him and wanting to kiss him.

"Are you serious?" She asked after a few long moments of silence.

Eli nodded his head slowly. "I am."

"You don't know what you're talking about." Avery said standing back up. Eli followed the suit wanting to see all of her emotions playing out on her face. "You don't even know me."

"I do know you." Eli said, suddenly hit by a wave of calmness. "I know that you love running. I know that you love dancing. I know that you hate pity. I know that you work hard to achieve your dreams and support yourself in New York. I know so much about you and I know there is still a lot that I don't know but I'm so ready to put all the pieces together."

Avery's eyes were still wide open as she stared at Eli with confusion and fear written all over her freckled face. "I...I don't know what to say." She finally managed to let out.

"Just say if you feel the same way about me." Eli said softly.

Avery started pacing the room back and forth looking through the big window at the people on the streets. "You don't get it." She said finally.

"Then explain it to me." Eli said, slowly approaching the girl.

She folded her arms and backed away facing the window. "I'm...I'm not made for relationships."

Eli raised his eyebrows even though she couldn't see him. "What are you talking about? Everyone's made for relationships!"

Avery's shoulders visibly tensed. She touched the window glass and kept staring through it with her back turned to Eli. "I was once in a serious relationship and it didn't turn out well. I'm better off on my own."

"Do you want to talk about it?" Eli asked walking over to his friend. He rested his hand on her shoulder and the girl flinched under his touch but he kept his hand there despite that.

"There is nothing to talk about really." She said quietly. "He just dumped me. End of story. As we can see it didn't end that well for my mind."

"Okay." Eli said. "Just tell me if you feel the same way about me."

He slowly turned the girl around and when they were finally facing each other Eli noticed tears flowing down her pale cheeks. "Can you please just leave me alone?" She asked, quietly. "Please."

"First answer." Eli demanded.

"And then you will leave." Avery said firmly. "And when you show up tomorrow we won't talk about this. Ever."

Eli nodded his head. "Okay."

"You promise?"

"I promise."

Avery's lower lip was trembling and she looked so vulnerable and exposed that Eli wanted to hide her in his arms and never let go. "I do." Eli wasn't really sure if he was hearing this correctly or if it was his imagination making up the words and torturing him with false hope. "I feel the same about you."

Before Avery could walk away Eli wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her close to his body. The girl seemed to be too overwhelmed to do anything which Eli decided to use to his advantage. His eyes wandered down to her lips and he started leaning forward before finally locking their lips together.

At first Avery was motionless and Eli had to do all the work but then she wrapped her hands around Eli's neck and held it in a firm grip. She started moving her lips against Eli's wetting his face with her hot tears. Suddenly Avery's long hair was everywhere tickling Eli's cheeks and nose.

Then suddenly she stopped kissing Eli and pushed him away, but without much force. "You taste like coffee." Eli muttered with a smile before the girl had a chance to say anything. "I see I brought back your addiction."

"I can't make any promises." She said breathlessly locking her eyes with Eli's and ignoring his previous statement.

Eli shrugged. "Neither can I." He said. "For all we know I might fall in love with someone else tomorrow."

Avery smiled but it was a small sad smile. "I'm not sure you know what you're getting yourself into."

Eli smiled as well but his smile was much more brighter. "Oh, I do know."

Avery still looked slightly uncomfortable but much to Eli's surprise she took his hand into hers. "Are you sure?"

"Yes." Eli said without any hesitation before diving in for another incredible kiss. He pressed Avery against the window glass not even caring that people from the outside could be staring at them.

 So they finally kissed! Do you think they could live happily ever after now? Or maybe something will shake things up a bit? 

Thank you for reading, voting and commenting! I love seeing new comments!