Faking it.

CHAPTER 7

I'm at home depo with Joey trying to find a carpet for my new room. We've been shopping since 10 a.m. when our local stores opened and it's lunch time now and we still haven't bought everything we need.

The worst part was to get Joey out of bed at nine. I could only convince him when I promised that I would buy us lunch at McDonald's. He's literally like a 7-year-old kid and I am his mom. Can't believe he's 22 already.

I think of me moving out. I would probably move out sooner than him because I can't wait to leave this shitty household. But where would I live? Florida? Maybe. Texas? Eh. Not really my thing. I could live outside the US too. Canada maybe? No. Too cold. Europe would be an option too.

I think of the British boy that I had met at the Coffeeshop and smile. But that smile soon falters when I remember that I don't have his number anymore. Sadly. Susan did ask Chase, but he told her that he had just met him the day before they went to the Café and the only thing he knows is that's he's back in London now because he was just here for a visit.

"What's up with that frown, Hailey? Shouldn't you be smiling like a hyena because I'll be moving out?" Joey's question interrupts my thoughts.

I look at him and smile weakly, "I'll miss you."

"Aww. I'll miss you too dude." He gives me a grin and hugs me. More like squeezes my insides.

I punch his side and he squeaks and takes a step backwards.

"Yeah, I take that back." We say at the same time and crack up.

It's an hour later when we finally arrive at the checkout. The cashier is a girl around the age of Abby. She mostly focuses on my brother and I catch her literally checking him out. He does the same and winks at her and she blushes.

Gross.

I make a gag noise to catch their attention and Joey shoots me a glare while the girl just looks down in embarrassment.

I give Joey a toothy grin.

This just made my day a whole lot better.

I see her writing down her number on our reciepe before handing it to Joey.

Still gross but I am not to Judge. I did like the exact same thing a few days ago but it's still another thing to see your older brother flirting with someone.

When we walk through the doors and to Joeys car. He gives me a salty look, "Did you really have to fake gag in there just to embarrass me?"

"Yes." I give him a short answer.

Eventually he starts laughing with me and gives me a high-five before we load all of our stuff into his truck. Most of the things he bought are getting delivered to his apartment tomorrow already.

***

Joey drops me off in front of the dance studio I train at.

It's half past four in the afternoon meaning that I still have half an hour before my dance class starts.

He offered to pick me up later, but I told him that I already have a ride.

I walk through the entrance of the brick building. On the outside it doesn't even seem like a dance studio, but the interior is breath-taking. The floors are all wood and extremely polished. We did a sock-sliding-competition once in here for our yearly Christmas party. Man, that was fun. Except for the part where I slipped and bruised my hip bone.

I climb up the stairs onto the second floor where the changing rooms and most dance floors are at. There's a third floor too but it's mainly a hangout spot for the teens. There's only one dance floor at the top and that's where most of the dance videos are filmed at because of all the huge windows that provide natural lightning.

When I finish putting my shoes and everything else into my locker, I walk towards the changing rooms. Right before the changing room I stop and look at the trophies in the glass case. They go way back into the 80s when this studio was first opened. For almost every year there's at least one trophy. Next to some of the latest trophies are also pictures. Group pictures mostly. I am on one of them too.

Back then when I was still a freshman, I went to this dance competition at some beach. I don't remember its name, but it was my first dance competition ever. It's not like I was dancing in the first row or something. Quite the opposite. I was in the far back and you never really saw me. But when we won the second place, I was beyond proud of all of us. I felt like I finally found something I am good at.

Looking back, I am kinda thankful that you couldn't see me dancing there. No one in my grade knows about me dancing or my best friends here. And if someone knows, then they never bothered to bring it up at all.

With no one knowing, it makes dancing even more special to me. It's completely my thing.

My thoughts are interrupted when someone places their head on my shoulder. I look to my right and see Milli there. She's smiling and looking at that picture too.

"Wish we could do that again. It has been way too long since the last time." She tells me.

"Couldn't agree more." Simon pops up from behind me.

I fully turn to them and give each a hug.

Then we do our handshake. Yeah, we have a handshake and we add onto it every year with a new move. We do that every time we see each other. It has become a tradition over the years of knowing each other.

My alarm rings, telling me that we have got 15 minutes left until class starts and we head into the changing rooms together.

***

I am completely drenched in sweat when I walk back into the changing room with Simon and Milli. My muscles are sore already and I just want to take an ice bath.

Two hours of learning a completely new choreography does that to your body. Although every movement physically hurts, I couldn't feel any better.

I quickly go to my locker, get my things out and head straight to the bathrooms to take a shower. I can't stand one more minute in these sweaty clothes.

Afterwards, Milli, Simon and I head upstairs to the top floor aka our relaxing spot after dance class. There's a couch, some bean bags, a little coffee table and a small kitchen with the most important thing of course: a coffee machine.

I lay down on the couch and rest my head in Milli's lap.

"What can I get for you gals?" Simon ask in a fake accent.

"The usual." We both answer and laugh.

"So, what's new in school?" Simon asks me.

He always asks me because at their school there's apparently 'not as much cool stuff happening as at my school' as he likes to put it.

"We've got a new kid. A boy actually." I tell them with a shrug.

Milli wiggles her brows at me and I just roll my eyes.

"His name is Elliot Johnson. He is in my art class. He hangs out with this one boy that I don't know, and I am not very fond of him." I say and continue to list them everything I know about him. It's mostly what Anna told me during lunch. I think she might have a crush on him.

"He seems like an alright guy to me." Simon shrugs and walks over to us with our hot coffees.

I take my mug from him and thank him. As does Milli.

"Okay enough about Elliot. He's annoying. Now, what has been going on in your lives this week?" I desperately try to change the subject. And it works. They start telling me about some huge assignment comming up, that all juniors need to participate in.

It's 9 p.m. when we head out and to Simons car.

On the way to my house we jam to our favourite songs and they drop me off there at maybe half past nine.

I tell them goodbye and walk through the front door inside.