Snow It Up [Shake It Up]

chapter twenty four

CeCe was buzzing. It was the day of the performance on SIU, and she couldn't have been more excited. She already had her costume on. She was literally shaking in excitement as her and Gunther walked toward the doors of the studio. 

"Are you cold?" Gunther asked her. "Is that why you are shaking?"

CeCe ran up the stairs and held the door open for him. A blast of hot hair hit her, and she quickly ran inside to keep the warm air inside and the frigid air outside. "No!" she said, shaking her head. "I'm so excited, Gunther! You have no idea how long I have been waiting for this."

Gunther laughed. When they entered the area with the dancefloor, they were pushed to the side as a sign rolled by them. People were bustling about, getting ready for the upcoming performance. All week, SIU was talking up this show with the old members, so there was probably going to be a lot of people tuning into this episode. It was just like old times, and CeCe's smile couldn't have gotten any bigger.

"Let me go hang up your jacket," Gunther said, drawing her back to him. She looked at him, and he was smiling at her. There was something else in his eyes, but she couldn't tell what it was. "You probably won't need it for the performance."

"Right." He helped her take her jacket off. His fingers trailed across her neck and shoulders, spreading little fires everywhere. "Thank you."

"You're welcome." Gunther smiled down at her before pressing a quick kiss to her lips. Even though it was quick and simple, her knees went a little weak. As he was walking away from her, he looked back at her and said, "I'll see you soon."

CeCe closed her eyes for a second. How had she gotten such a good guy? She always thought that she would stay lonely for the rest of her life, but she was wrong. She was so glad she was wrong. 

"CeCe!" Tinka called over the voices of the producers and other dancers. CeCe looked around and saw Tinka and Rocky standing near the edge of the stage. "Come here!"

CeCe hesitated, but she quickly walked over there before she could talk herself out of it. Rocky would barely look at her. "Hey, guys," CeCe said with a warm smile on her face. "Can you believe we're all actually going to dance together again?"

"I am very excited," Tinka said with a nod. "I have missed dancing every week."

"Same," CeCe gushed. The smile seemed like it was permanent on her face. 

"I miss dancing, too," Rocky said. She offered CeCe a small smile. "For the first year after I left here, I would dream almost every night about dancing. I couldn't even watch SIU because I would start crying."

"Really?" CeCe asked. Her permanent smile was chiseled off of her face. A frown took its place. "Why?"

Rocky's shrugged. She looked suddenly uncomfortable. Her arms were crossed over her chest, and she was chewing on her lip. "Where's Gunther?" she asked instead.

CeCe glanced around. She tried to hide her disappointed look, but it wasn't possible. Of course Rocky didn't want to talk to her. She didn't trust her, either, because she didn't want to tell her about her troubles anymore.

"He was hanging my jacket up," CeCe said softly. "He's probably talking with Ty or something."

"He will be fine by himself," Tinka said, shrugging. "He can take care of himself." She glanced over her shoulder, nodding once. "Yeah, he will be fine."

CeCe frowned, saying, "Are you alright, Tinka?" She looked a little nervous, which was odd, especially for Tinka. She was always so sure of herself. "Are you getting nervous for the performance?"