Take it slow

Part 3

"Hey, wait up! Chloe, wait!" Chloe kept a straight course toward the house, not turning around when Kayden called for her. She heard his steps grow closer as he ran to catch up with her. "Chloe!"

"What!?" Chloe snapped and turned around. Kayden skidded to a stop right in front of her and barely managed to avoid a collision. He held his hand up and Chloe glanced at it.

"Your sneakers, you'll hurt your feet if you don't wear them on the road..." Kayden said in a meek voice. Chloe accepted the shoes and quickly pulled them on.

"Thanks..." she muttered and got ready to move on but Kayden put a hand on her arm. As Chloe froze slightly at the gesture Kayden quickly pulled back.

"Sorry, and sorry about down there, I just got carried away... I-"

"Whatever, let's go back to the others." Chloe felt her anger leave her body as she looked at Kayden, looking gawky and ashamed. Chloe started walking again and when Kayden didn't follow she motioned for him to come. "They turned up the volume, you up for some dancing?" Kayden's eyes lit up, just like they had when he had rushed the two of them down to the lake in time to watch the sunset.

"Dancing?"

When Chloe and Kayden reached the house it sounded as if there was a full blown party going on, even though there were only six people still in the house. The music blasted out through the living room windows and the dance floor was located in front of the house. Chloe shook her head and thanked their lucky star that Kayden and his friends didn't arrive with their parents and that the other houses along the street were empty, or they would be in big trouble... It was darker outside now and they only had the light from the house and a few weak garden lamps, driven from sun power. Liz reached out her hands.

"Chloe, come join us!" She sported some crazy moves along with J and Andy. Chris was sitting on the steps to the terrace and watching them with an amused face. Chloe ran up to Liz and joined her ugly dancing.

"Where are the M&M's?" she asked, raising her voice to drown out the music while looking around for Maddie and Matt. Liz laughed and pointed toward the second floor of the house.

"You have one guess," she slurred. Chloe nodded in understanding and then her eyes fell upon Chris. She jogged up to him.

"You don't dance?" she asked and motioned to the improvised dance floor. He shook his head.

"Nah, I leave the dancing to my little brother."

"Kayden? Yeah, he seemed kinda excited when I suggested a dance." Chloe looked over at Kayden who was hesitating right outside the ring of light coming from the living room. Chris chuckled.

"Kinda excited? Just you wait and see." Chris stood up and dusted off his jeans. "I'll be heading back to our house. See you tomorrow?"

"You're leaving?" Chloe asked surprised. She had been hoping to get a chance to talk to Chris now since they had been sitting on opposite sides of the tables at dinner. He seemed nice and she wanted to get to know him a little. Chris smiled at her before looking over her should.

"Don't want to steal the show from the kids." Chloe frowned at his statement, unsure of what he meant by that. "Night, Chloe." With a small wave Chris turned around and disappeared in the shadows as he walked towards the road and the other house. Chloe sighed and turned to face her dancing friends. She stopped in her tracks and made wide eyes. Kayden had joined his cousin and Chloe's friends and Chloe couldn't tear her eyes away from him. He moved in perfect synch to the beat in soft and swift movements, it almost looked choreographed. Chloe watched like in slow motion how Kayden's t-shirt clung to his wet body and how his soaked curls whipped his face when he spun around. In the middle of one of his moves Kayden locked his eyes on Chloe's. They stared at each other for a moment and Kayden interrupted his dancing. Kayden was the first to look away and took a few steps away from the others. Chloe snapped out of her trance and hurried to catch up with him.