Say You Love Me

Pinky Promise [Bethany]

I look at the clock. Only ten more minutes until this rehearsal is over and I can go see Derek. I look over at Mark. He was my switch up week dance partner, which means that Sadie has Derek. Throughout our whole rehearsal for hip hop, he hasn't mentioned a word about what happened betweeb him and Sadie. He didn't seem to be affected by it when he talked to me, and his choreographing was definitely not affected at all. He was going full out at me on this routine.

"Hey, why are you looking at me like that?" Mark asked, jokingly. I sigh. I promised Sadie that I would try and talk to Mark about this whole thing, and I will never break a promise.

"Mark, what's happening between you and Sadie?" He suddenly looks away, and pretends to look at something on his phone. I walk over to him and snatch his phone away.

"Hey! I was doing something!" He exclaims as he tries to grabs his phone back. I wave it in the air and say,

"You're not getting this back until you tell me about Sadie."

"Bethany, I just remembered I have a family thing after our rehearsal. It wouldn't cause any trouble, but the place we're meeting is 20 minutes away from here, and I have to shower! You don't want me to miss it, do you?" He asked with pleading but deceiving eyes. This guy, I swear...

"Fine, but you have to promise me that you'll tell me next time, ok?" I tell him. He nods his head.

"Alright I promise."

"Pinky promise?" I ask, holding out my pinky. He laughs, and wraps his pinky around mine. "There, now go. This is the only time I'll let you leave early." He says.

I smile. "Thanks! This is perfect, now I can get ready to meet up with Derek!" I say. Once Mark here's that, his laughing face turned still. "Why are you meeting up with him?"

"We're just going to talk about something, why? Have a problem with it?" I ask laughing. I expected Mark to be laughing to, but when I look at him, he still has a cold stone look on his face.

"Well, maybe I .." he started to say, but my ring tone interupted me. It was Derek!

"Mark, I have to go now, we'll talk next rehearsal, remember your pinky promise!" I exclaim while grabbing my stuff  to head out the door. Once I'm out, I answer my phone.

"Hey Derek!"

"Bethany! I'm at the smoothie place, where are you? They have these really amazing smoothies and flavors and I don't know which one to get!" I laugh. He is such a dork.

"Mark came late to rehearsal," I started to explain "but he let me out earlier because of a family thing somewhere. I'm starting to walk, I'm on my way now!"

I hear a ruffling noise on the other end, then hear Derek say, "No way you're walking all the way here. I'll just pick you up!"

I started to argue and tell him it wasn't necessary, but he said he was already in his car and that he'd be here in 3 minutes, then hung up.  I sighed. Typical Derek. I put my bag down by the fence, and pray that no paparazzi is here. I saw pictures of me coming in to these rehearsals, and they haven't looked too, let's say, flattering to me. Well, at least everyone has been saying. I close my eyes and try to forget about it, and think of better things, like how Derek should be here any...

"BOO!" I scream and open my eyes to see who else but Derek.

"Oh my gosh, not funny" I say in between breaths. My heart is still beating really quickly, and I am breathing deeply.

"Hey, hey its ok. I'm sorry B." Derek says, feeling bad about his little joke. He helps me off the ground and pulls me in for a hug. My heart is still beating quickly, but now, for different reasons.

"There, there" Derek says as he strokes my head. We both laugh.

"Ok, I'm good, thanks. You wanna head to the smoothie place?" I ask. He looks around, and leans on the fence.

"I don't know, its kinda peaceful here, don't you think? With no paparazzi around, its nice." He says as he looks around. I lean on the fence, facing him.

"I guess I wouldn't mind hanging with you here" I say, "as long as you buy me a smoothie later." We both laugh, then he tucks my hair over my ear. He looks at me straight in the eye and says,

"I'm sorry. I was a big idiot that should've said something sooner. I just like you a lot, and I was shocked you felt the same way, but in a good way." He stutters over a few words. Derek is a smooth guy, so when he's stuttering to tell me that, I couldn't help but smile.

"It's ok, I understand. As long as everything's back to normal between us two?" I ask. Derek looked disappointed.

"But what about 'us'? About what we talked about?" He asks. I look at him. "Bethany, I can't just forget about this and go back to nothing but partners."

"I don't either. I just don't know how to handle this. There's such an age gap, and people will hate" I say. "But I really like you."

"I like you too. And I can't just pretend like none of this happened. Maybe we can just keep this in between us, and if we still are going strong, then show to the world?" He says shyly.

"Yeah, I'd like that," I say smiling. "But if it doesn't work out, can we always stay friends?"

"Yes, of course. I wouldn't want to lose you ever." He says take my hands.

"Promise?"

He laughs. "I pinky promise." He holds out his pinky and I wrap my pinky around his.

"Now, let's go get a smoothie!"