Shantay You Stay

Part Nine

A/N:

Hey! I just want to say, I've had to choose the characters I want to be the 'bad guys' and it has to be the queens since they're in dragcademy. I appreciate that not everyone will be happy with who I've picked, if I'm honest neither am I. I actually love some of the ones that I've chosen... so I'm really sorry f I upset you with who they are. I'll comment on this again once we know who they are.

Brock's POV:

For the briefest of moments I thought he was going to kiss me. The way he looked up at me with shattered glass sparkling behind his eyes, he looked so fragile.

But in that very same moment, something changed, something that normally would have gone unnoticed but he was so close to me I could see it and feel it. A flicker of doubt and fear, but as fast as it appeared it was gone. Replaced with rationality. He reminded me of myself. Burying emotions. Building a wall back up. But it didn't make sense. Jose had never had a wall, he always wore his heart on his sleeve. So why was I seeing the opposite now?

He dropped his head and just looked down at the ground.

"I'm sorry."

His hand dropped from mine and he just stood there in silence looking down. I lingered for a heartbeat, thinking that he might have something else to say but he didn't. So I left.

I left for a while.

I skipped a class and took a bundle of my things over to Plastique's dorm which thanks to me was now overcrowded and hard to move in. But ironic as it is, it was exactly the space I needed. I turned up to the rehearsals but we never spoke. He would just look down any time I was spoken to. Not that I was paying attention. The actual performance went amazing as well. I was so proud that I was finally able to focus and perfect my spin, once I learned how to stay upright and move, applying my grace was much easier than I had initially thought. Performing in front of the Torvill and Dean was amazing to say the very least. Each of us were judged according to our individual performance, out of a possible 40 I was awarded 36. A great achievement for me. Plastique and I went out that night to celebrate with a few of the other girls.

The rest of the days had been uneventful, the rest of the classes it seems had moved onto their big challenges and my class went onto the more laid back icebreaker lessons, just as we'd expected. It had been three and a half weeks since we'd got here and people were starting to integrate well. There were some obvious cliques.

I'd decided to try and go for a drive with Plastique, pick up some groceries with our allowance. I headed out to the car whilst he finished getting ready. I rounded the corner of block D, making my way towards my car when I heard something. And I couldn't tell you why my ears decided to tune in, but they did.

'Look it was so long ago now, Why can't you just leave it'

'I never should have gotten involved, but I'm sure that bitch won't even remember any of it'

'You can always get her at the next stupid party'

'Ok, gotta go, bye'

I stopped in my tracks. I'd felt my heart pick up a little half way through, aggravated that I could only hear one side of the phone call. I don't ever really start any confrontation but something boiled in my veins. I stepped around the corner to see someone I recognised well.

"Raja" I chimed smiling and acting surprised as though I'd only just noticed her. She looked a little shocked but twisted her face into a smile nonetheless. "What was that about?" I asked gesturing towards the phone. She turned it in her hand and looked up like she was caught red handed. "Brock, I've heard about you, congratulations, winner to winner" she laughed nervously.
"That was about Vanessa wasn't it." I pursued, that's when she really looked taken aback. "Who was on the other line?" I wasn't going to let this go.
"Its nothing Brock" I took another threatening step forward. Plastique came bounding up behind me and stopped in her tracks when she saw the confrontation.
"What's going on?" She chimed hiding behind me a little.
"She knows something about what happened to Jose" I said frowning. Her face paled and Raja glared fiercely.
"You don't want to make an enemy out of me darling. All I know sweetheart is that cup was meant for you and oh, I see your appeal Brooke Lynn, Vanessa's lips tasted so sweet" Raja smirked and moved away from the hood of the car and waltzed away. I just stood there in shock and horror, Plastique ran after Raja but she'd gotten in her car and pulled away.

Vanjie's POV:

I was sat on the couch legs folded holding my notebook in my hand, I'd kept a note of all the scores that each of us in the class had gotten last few weeks. I wanted to keep tabs of the competition. There was no way I was going home. I got awarded a ten point bonus for turning out most of the costumes. 45. Better than anyone else. I tapped the edge of the pen to my lips. As long as I kept on top of my game like this I would be ok. But who knows what they would throw at us next. And if I'm honest, I wasn't feeling very brave or daring right now. My frame of mind was fragile and sensitive. I couldn't fail anything or it would send me spiralling down, I just knew it.
There was a soft knock at the door. My muscles tensed, out of fear or the alien thought of having company, I couldn't tell. I had never felt so alone this fortnight a half. Perhaps that was it.
I placed my notebook on the couch and approached the door, opening it just a crack, making sure the chain was on. "Who is it?" I asked carefully poking my head around so I could see through the crack. I tensed again when I saw Brock looking back at me, I don't know why, but I went to close the door. I felt embarrassed, afraid to talk to him. He put his hand up and pushed it open, he realised the chain was across when it jolted to a stop, he couldn't open it much more than to get his wrist through. His voice was concerned but calm "Jose what's going on?" I knew it was rhetorical, I felt as though we both knew the answer already.

I was afraid.

"Open the door" he said taking his hand away and putting his foot there instead. I felt hesitant, but I slid the chain off and he pushed it open gently. "Please close it behind you" I said shyly. He stepped in and closed it, slipping the chain back on as I watched cautiously.
"We need to talk about this Jose"
I just looked down and sat myself back on the sofa, avoiding eye contact.
He sat next to me and went to reach for me but pulled back. "What's going on in that mind?" He asked softly. I just kept silent. He seemed hurt by that, which bothered me even more.

"What is it?" He pressed getting more agitated.

"I don't know." I huffed holding my hand to my chest. I felt homesick, I felt like I didn't belong here. The messages I'd shared with Kia and Mom made me miss them both so much. I hadn't told either of them what had happened that night. I'd just pretended that everything was alright. But really I was terrified. I didn't know who I could trust.

Brock let out an exasperated sigh and shifted on the couch to face me properly. "We have to talk about this. I can walk away right now but if we don't talk about it I can promise you months down the line you'll regret not saying anything and it will be too late." He tilted his head to the side, "I said my part when we spoke last now what's yours?"