If I fall - S01 E20

Story 6 months ago

If I fall - S01 E20

Read Story: SEASON 1 EPISODE 20

Considering Drew and I hadn't seen each other for three days I was eager to finally talk to her at rehearsal today. I felt like I had so much to tell her yet wasn't sure what of specifically. I wanted to tell her about Ashley of course, but that would only make her worry whenever I would leave to go spend time with my family again. Then I wanted to tell her about the conversation with my mom but that didn't feel right either because my mom had said some pretty scary things, like me possibly already falling in love with Drew.

God I felt like such a mess it wasn't even funny, but I needed to focus to make it through this group rehearsal.

We had made significant progress in the last month, but there were only a few weeks left until the recital itself. I was nervous as usual but I knew we would be fine, we always were, but like I had said before, I wanted to blow everyone away. The only way to do that would be to have a killer routine and to execute it perfectly, but today was slow and my dancers weren't feeling it.

I blamed it on the Thanksgiving feasts they probably all still had in their stomachs, so I gave them leeway. I myself wasn't really feeling up to dancing either which was odd, so being harsh on them felt hypocritical.

I decided to end group a few minutes early, reminding them that it would be the same time next week. We had no time to waste for preparing, so everyone needed to be here for the rest of the rehearsals. They all complied and left quickly, eager to get home and probably rest before heading back to school on Monday.

I flipped through my music and played some Rihanna before Drew showed up, hearing the familiar melody of California King Bed. Before I could control myself my feet began moving to the music and my arms guided along the beat gracefully.

As the chorus hit I spun out, kicking my leg in and pirouetting to Rihanna's voice.

"In this California king bed, we're ten thousand miles apart..."

"I've been California wishing on these stars for your heart for me..."

"My California King..."

My eyes were closed but I could see myself moving in my head, already knowing that I was showing more desperation than I ever had. I hadn't soloed in a while but I was just messing around and keeping myself warm, but this was one of my favorite songs and I loved dancing to it.

There was just something about her voice, something that made you want to stand out in the rain and dance forever. It made you feel so dramatic and emotional, and what better way to release that than in a freestyled dance?

"Just when I felt like giving up on us..."

"You turn around and give me one last touch..."

"That made everything feel better, and even then my eyes got wetter..."

"So confused, wanna ask you if you love me...

"But I don't wanna seem so weak..."

"Maybe I've been California dreaming..."

Running my hands over my body I felt it crying and weeping, even when my eyes weren't. For some reason I needed this, and it felt as if this was some sort of emotional release for me. The stress of Ashley, my family and Drew had really built up, so this definitely helped me get rid of all the tension eating me alive. I had gotten so lost in the beat that I had almost forgotten it was almost over, so I spun into a fetal position, kneeling onto the ground desperately.

The song faded out as I panted slightly, resting on my knees as I tried to regain my composure. I had worked myself a little harder than planned but it had felt so good to do it.

I felt eyes on me then, figuring it was Drew as I lifted my own to see her standing at the doorway, looking mesmerized. I hadn't seen her stand still that long all while staring at me, but it was flattering to see her so... captivated.

She set her bag down and just looked at me, not saying a word as she walked over to where I was kneeling. I was still a little tired but I knew in a minute I would be ready to get to work again. I watched her extend her hand to help me up and I took it willingly.

We were face to face now, my heart pounding for completely different reasons at this moment. I had missed her more than I had realized, and I silently wondered if it was the same for her.

She whispered, "That was... beautiful."

I blushed like an idiot, shrugging, "It was just freestyle..."

She shook her head, "If anyone at that school deserved a solo, it was you Breanna."

I smiled sadly at her comment, knowing she was probably more upset than me now over the whole solo incident. I mean sure, it aggravated me but there was nothing I could do, but I guess my little dance had showed Drew how passionate I really was about dancing.

"Thank you," I mumbled, and then decided I had missed her too much not to give her a hug. I wrapped my arms around her neck, pulling her down into me as she arms wrapped around my waist. She smelt so good, which only seemed to discourage me because I was probably nasty and sweaty. I pulled away suddenly, "I'm sorry... I'm probably all gross..."

She tugged me back into her, "I don't care, Bree."

Our bodies were pressed together but I was looking at her, taking in those features I had permanently etched into my brain. Those silvery green eyes were boring into mine while I tried not to hyperventilate, and I found myself licking my lips in anticipation.

She leaned in without any more hesitation, her warm lips capturing mine between them. My eyes closed instinctively as her hands held my hips, pulling me into her. God this couldn't be healthy, I thought, feeling my heart threatening to rupture out of my ribcage. I was already out of breath after one kiss from Drew than I had been while dancing to a three-and-a-half minute song.

She pulled away, her eyes still closed, "I missed you."

My heart swelled even more than before, a smile spreading across my face, "I missed you too."

I felt my heart fall when she released me, as if it hadn't lasted long enough, "Should we get to work?"

"Yea I guess..."

She titled her head, laughing, "I distracted you."

"Of course you did but it's fine," I leaned in and kissed her one last time, "I'm just gonna work you really hard for the next hour and a half for that."

"Bring it on then."

The closing to my Thanksgiving weekend had been a success after me and Drew's rehearsal, and luckily the good vibes didn't stop there. Everything continued to go great, and now that December was underway I couldn't help but wonder what I was going to do this Friday night. I had been so busy this last week that hanging out and doing leisurely things had to be put on hold while I forced myself to finish all the school work I had been assigned.

And hanging out with Drew had come to a halt, at least outside of the dance studio.

It wasn't until I was on my way home from class when Drew's name was popping up on my phone, and I eagerly answered.

"Hey," I spoke all-too flirty.

"Hey, you sound like you're in a good mood," I heard Drew answer on the other side, hoping it was the same for her. I really was in a good mood, and I wanted it to rub off on her if she wasn't.

I confessed, "I'm just surprised you called."

"I'd rather ask you on a date in person but I can't, so a phone call is the next best thing."

I felt my pulse pick up at her response. Was this our first official one at that considering she was asking me on one? All of a sudden I was a little too excited as I exclaimed, "A date huh?"

"Well, it's more of a double date... Demarcus wants to go bowling and he's invited me and you to come along."

I smiled at how childish the idea sounded but I had to admit, I was excited to do this. It was juvenile and fun and I loved it. I answered, "Bowling. That sounds great, actually."

"Seriously?"

I laughed at her shocked tone, "Yea? Why do you sound so surprised that I want to go bowling?"

I heard the smile in her voice, "I'm not, I'm just... okay yea I'm a little surprised, but I figured since you've been stressed with school this could be good for you. Plus it'll let me see a side of you I haven't seen yet."

"What side is that?"

"The immature side."

I laughed with a shocked tone, "For the record, I don't have an immature side."

"Yea we'll see, considering I'm going to kick your butt at bowling."

"That's what you think."

"Then it's a date," she paused for dramatic effect, "I'll be at your place for seven-thirty."

I dismissed, "Okay, and you better bring you're A-game."

"What's your shoe size?"

I answered, "Seven."

"Baby feet," she teased.

I rolled my eyes at her playfulness as I watched the man behind the counter retrieve the correct size for me. I took them and looked up at her, "Sorry, not all of us have Sasquatch feet."

She grabbed her pair off of the counter and smiled, "Eight-and-a-half is average, mind you. So you're below average."

I shoved her playfully as Maria and Demarcus joined next to us. I hoped they didn't mind me and Drew's playful bantering, but figured it was better than us being silent. We were all pretty comfortable with each other anyway so I knew we would have a good time tonight.

I heard Maria speak, "I haven't bowled in years, so don't expect much."

I realized she was talking to Demarcus, who responded sarcastically, "I'm not."

She pinched him then, laughing slightly as I realized Maria was actually blushing. She wasn't the type to be all flirty and stuff with guys, but seeing her interact with Demarcus proved that she could be. I smiled at the sight, knowing inside my head that she had to like him a lot more than she probably realized.

Drew nudged, "Demarcus is gonna want to bet on who will win, don't. He's going to blow you two out the water and he knows it."

Drew's grin was wide, which let me know Demarcus had most likely hustled her once before. I thought it was amazing that he and Drew had the connection they had, but Demarcus was obviously the sneakier of the two.

We grabbed individual balls, laced up our shoes and typed our names into the pad and began our practice round. Demarcus and Drew insisted me and Maria go first so we willingly complied, mostly because we knew we would need more practice than them.

I took my first turn, holding the ball to my chest before inevitably swinging my arm back and rolling the ball down the lane. Unfortunately the ball only made it half-way before sliding into the gutter, and I slumped in disappointment. Yea, I would definitely need more practice, I thought as I turned around to see Drew and Demarcus suppressing their obvious laughter.

Maria pitied me, "If you two are laughing at Bree I'm about to make it hysterical."

I laughed at her as she passed me for her turn, giving me a second to give Drew the mean eyes. I was competitive, and I figured I had gotten that from the years of growing up with my blatantly competitive sister, so beating Drew now became my number one goal of the night.

Except when she bowled for practice she hit a strike, and I felt my chances of winning slim significantly.

After practice Maria protested, "I want to put up the guards! It's not fair!"

Demarcus grabbed her hand and smirked, "What are you, five? No guards, that's the rules."

She tried giving him the puppy eyes but it didn't work, and we began the real game with me bowling first. I exhaled a deep breath as I focused, trying to think of the easiest way to get the ball down the aisle without it falling into the gutters. I felt the need to impress Drew and also kick her ass, so when I swung my arm back I pushed it harder to send the ball flying down the lane.

To my luck it hit right in between the two middle pins, causing seven of the ten to fall. I jumped in excitement, realizing I would get one more shot at getting a spare to start off our game. I turned to retrieve my ball again, catching Drew's eyes lingering on my backside before pulling them up to my eyes.

I smirked, raising one eyebrow as she shrugged, trying to seem as if she hadn't been caught off guard by her checking me out. I retrieved my ball to try to gain a spare for myself, repeating the same movements as before and sending the ball down towards the three remaining pins.

And luckily they all fell, allowing me to start off the game with a good note, at least for myself.

I turned with a smug look on my face as Drew seemed to be slightly more impressed. I walked up to her, only to hear her say, "Not bad, but you'll have to do better than that if you want to keep up with me."

I winked, "Yea we'll see."

And keeping up is exactly what I did, maybe not with Demarcus but at least with Drew, who seemed to be second guessing her arrogance. I don't know how on earth I was keeping up, and Maria wasn't even close to the rest of us, but we were trying our best.

We had ended up ordering burgers and fries during our last frame, that way we could eat since we were all starving. As of now Demarcus had scored nearly a perfect game, Drew was ahead of me by only a few points, and I wanted to make sure I blew her out of the water.

What I really needed was a strike, and I was going to try my best to do so.

As I picked up my ball I heard Maria yell, "C'mon Bree! I wanna find out if Drew's a sore loser!"

I laughed to myself as I heard Drew claim she wasn't, but if I knew anything about Drew it was that she was just as competitive as me. I wouldn't say she was more, but I was determined to derail the idea that she was going to beat me.

I turned towards the lane, taking a deep breath and knowing I would need a bit more momentum if I wanted to bowl a strike. I didn't have much upper body strength, but I knew if I gave myself a little speed I could most likely bowl one. I knew the exact place I needed to hit too.

I walked a bit faster towards the lane, swinging my arm back and sending the ball flying down the slick wooden floor. I heard the crack of the ball hitting the pins, all of them seeming to tumble down. I watched in anticipation as one pin spun a little too long for my liking, and I crossed my fingers, hoping it fell like all the others.

And when it did I turned to celebrate with Maria as Drew shifted in her seat. I was upping the stakes, and I grabbed my ball again for the second go round. Since I got a strike on my last turn I would be granted another chance to redeem myself and heighten my score.

Maria pumped her fist, "Yea Bree! Kick Drew's ass!"

I laughed as a few people looked at us like crazy people, but Drew still had a sly smirk on her face. I figured she was trying to cover up her growing defeat, but I knew it wasn't over yet.

I swung my arm back, sending the ball down the lane for my last turn and hearing the pins falling. Nine of the ten fell, and even though I knew my turn was over for good Drew would need to bowl a strike and more than six pins, if I had counted correctly.

But Maria had to go first.

She picked up her ball as Demarcus teased, "C'mon Maria, you only need... five strikes in a row to catch up with Bree!"

She turned, giving him a look of disapproval as we laughed to ourselves. Even though I should've been encouraging Maria I couldn't help but allow my eyes to linger on Drew. She was looking at me, those damn eyes melting the competitiveness right off of my shoulders. I knew she was doing it on purpose but I couldn't help but get lost.

I smirked, "Ready to lose?"

She shook her head, "I won't."

I leaned closer, my hand coming into contact with her leg, "If I win... you pay for our dinner and I get to spend the night."

I watched her lick her lips, and I could tell my plan to distract her from the game was working. She tilted her head, allowing her blonde hair to fall over her shoulders, "Losing doesn't sound so bad now."

I squeezed her knee, "Good, because you're going to."

We were interrupted by Maria's consistent protest, "I only lost because we didn't have the guards up."

"You lost because you're not that good, but it's okay," Demarcus pulled her into his lap and kissed her neck. I let Drew get up from her seat and ready herself to bowl on her last turn, hoping that she didn't bowl a strike like I had.

She picked up her ball and hesitated, as if she wanted to look back at me but refused, and then proceeded. She sent the ball down the lane, and to my luck only knocked down eight of the ten pins, but she looked at little too happy for my liking.

I stood as she walked back with a smug smile on her face, but immediately I knew what she had done. I pointed my finger, "Did you just lose on purpose?"

She shook her head, looking back at the board that clearly showed I was right. She sighed, "No, you just beat me. That's all."

By this time Demarcus and Maria were laughing at my reaction but I wanted a fair win, not one Drew gave to me. I wanted to be upset with her but the look on her face melted all of that away. She was entirely too cute for me to be upset, and the fact that she had let me win only told me she wanted me to come over tonight.

So how could I really stay mad at her?

Just like we had agreed we ate and Drew paid, our night out with Demarcus and Maria ending on a very good note. Although I loved hanging out with them I was ready to be alone with Drew considering we didn't get much alone down time other than dancing.

School was starting to kick my ass considering the end was approaching, so hanging out with her outside of the dance studio didn't happen often. She understood completely, which I was grateful for, but it didn't mean I liked not being able to have down time with her.

She drove us back to her place quickly, parking in her garage and letting me into her apartment. I dropped my purse on the counter, "I had so much fun tonight."

She smiled, hanging her key on the hook besides the door, "I did too, but I'm glad to be home."

I walked over to her, feeling the need for more affection as I wrapped my arms around her neck, "I'm still mad that you let me win."

She smirked, "It's not like I was going to beat you, that's like date rule number one."

I teased, "It's still not fair, so I want a real rematch."

There was a look on her face I couldn't read, but it looked as if this embrace was making her nervous. Not the bad type of nervous either, but the nervous I so often felt whenever I was with her. Usually Drew was so good at hiding her emotions, but with my arms wrapped around her I could tell there was something she was suppressing.

We often fell into these flirtatious conversations too, which I enjoyed, and Drew seemed to like them as well. I heard her tease, "You can't get mad at me if I really do beat you."

"I'll only be mad for a little bit."

She smiled, this time bringing her lips down to mine for a quick kiss. My heart quivered as I prolonged it, wishing moments like this happened more often. My hands rested on her cheeks while her own arms hugged me around my torso, pulling me closer. The kiss wasn't rushed, and it wasn't intense like some of our others, but rather sweet and soft. I loved this side of Drew, but I knew she had multiple sides to show, all of them which I loved in my own way.

I broke away after a bit, realizing I needed to catch my breath because I had literally stopped breathing. I sighed, "Let's go upstairs."

"Are you going to try and seduce me?"

I smirked, "I wouldn't have to try hard... but no."

We went upstairs and we began changing, her handing me a pair of shorts and one of her t-shirts. I felt no shame anymore changing in front of her, and made sure that I slipped my shirt over my head in the sexiest way possible. When I was standing in nothing but my bra and jeans I watched her eyes linger on me and my chest a little longer than usual, until she pulled away unwillingly.

I smirked to myself as I slipped on the oversized shirt and off with my pants, leaving my lower half almost completely exposed. Although I was "taking it slow" with Drew, there was a part of me that wanted her in a more intimate way. I decided against the shorts and climbed into her bed, watching her reaction the entire time.

I knew she didn't want to make it a big deal, and I'm sure she didn't really mind either, so she joined me in bed.

She faced me, "Are you sure you're not trying?"

I smirked, leaning closer, "I don't know, is it working?"

"Kind of."

I felt my skin heat up at her response, realizing I hadn't expected her to play along with my flirtation. Of course I wanted to take it farther with Drew but I was still extremely nervous, and everything she did made my skin tingle.

I whispered, "Do you mind it?"

She shook her head, "No, it's a relief knowing I'm still capable of being sexually attracted to someone."

I moved closer to her, feeling her legs brush against mine in the process. I loved being close to her, and I loved feeling her warmth that always seemed to radiate onto me. I felt one of her hands stroke along my bare leg, hooking under my knee and pulling it over her hips. I hadn't expected her to do that at all, and it had really caught me off guard. I gasped slightly, looking into those lustful eyes that seemed to already know she was driving me crazy.

She whispered, "Sometimes I get the confidence to want and take things further..."

I shivered, feeling the mood change immediately as I lied here next to her. I couldn't even look into her eyes because I was so nervous, but I could feel everything in my body begging to be touched by her hands.

"Like now?" My voice trembled as I realized how nervous I actually was with Drew and I like this.

Her lips moved closer to me, this time I could feel her breath when she spoke, "Like now."

I wanted to touch her but I realized I was frozen from anticipation and shock. I hadn't expected Drew to take control like she had so suddenly but obviously I had figured wrong. I could feel her hand roam up my thigh and to my hip, lighting my entire body on fire. Did she have any idea how amazing she made me feel? Did she know how much she actually intimidated me at the same time?

Then she interrupted our silence, "But I have a question."

I was caught off guard but I shook my head, "What is it?"

She looked at me timidly, "What exactly are we, Bree?"

"What do you mean?"

She sighed, "Like, are we a thing? I know we never discussed it but ever since we talked about you talking about Ashley... I don't know. I want to know that we're on the same page at least."

I could tell she was worried about my ex but still wanted to know where we stood with each other. I was all in for Drew and no one else, and I couldn't even leave if I wanted to. No one really compared to Drew and what she made me feel, and maybe she needed to know that.

I smiled, "Drew, I didn't want to pressure you into labeling us, but just know that you're the only one I'm involved with. There's no one else."

I watched her reciprocate my smile, "Good, because it's the same for me."

I brought my hand to her cheek and reassured her further, "We don't have to label it yet though, if you don't want to."

I could tell she probably had mixed feelings about it but wasn't sure how to go about us. It was clear we both had strong feelings for each other, but we were still figuring each other out and developing as people. Maybe labeling us just yet wasn't a good idea, but maybe after Christmas break we would have the discussion.

Maybe then we would be ready.

She nodded, "Okay."

"There's no need to feel rushed Drew, because I want this to work."

Her smile spread wider, infecting me as I smiled and leaned in and kissed her slightly. I was glad she was opening up to me more and I had a feeling it was inevitably going to pay off sometime soon.

"Then we can take it slow," then she released my leg, making me realize she was still the same tease I had been getting used to.

I frowned before I protested, "But not too slow."

She leaned in and kissed me goodnight. "But not too slow," she repeated, pulling me into her chest and allowing me to make myself comfortable.

Maybe giving her a little more time to warm up to me would benefit us, and maybe I wouldn't have to wait much longer to label whatever we were. I just prayed it would be soon.