Andie lay unconscious on her unmade bed, her arms hung over the side and her hair was in her face. Exhausted hadn't begun to cover how tired she had been when she got home. She had collapsed onto her bed and not moved since.
Now she felt a small hand shoving at her shoulder. "Andie! Andie wake up!" came a small whiny but familiar voice. "What Charlie?" She mumbled slightly annoyed at being pestered when her eyelids still didn't want to open.
The kid pushed at her shoulder harder, "There's someone here!"
"Tell Sarah" Andie replied still refusing to open her eyes, if she did sleep would never come back.
"They're for you" Charlie continued persistently. "Good for them" she said turning to her other side.
"Fine I can see when I'm not wanted." Came an all too familiar voice. Andie's eyes flew open, forgetting the rest they had been fighting for earlier. "Chase!" She exclaimed sitting up. "What are you doing here?" She asked, her brain was still muddied from sleep.
The dirty blond dancer was leaning against her doorframe, his arms folded with a wide grin on his face. "Good Morning to you too Sunshine" he greeted. Andie couldn't help but smile at his charming attitude.
Charlie seeing he had done his job raced back out of the room, no doubt to see if breakfast was ready. "We got practice remember?" he finally hinted in to Andie who was still a little slow.
She hit her forehead "Damn, what time is it?" She asked rolling out of her bed.
"10:35" came her reply. They were supposed to be there at 11:00 and Chase had told her he'd give her a ride.
As Andie walked over to her dresser and wiped the remaining traces of sleep off her face Chase asked innocently "Late night?" His tone was mocking.
She shot him a look, they had had the same late night and he knew it.
"Very funny" she said retrieving some black drawstring pants and a green tank top. Yesterday had been the day after the Streets. The crew had gotten together at Monsters house and celebrated. It was midnight by the time she got home, not like that was too late for her but combined with all the dancing that had taken place, it had worn her out.
Leaving Chase laughing at her morning moodiness she went to the bathroom to freshen up and change, it didn't take long. Still tying her hair back in a ponytail she came back out to the hall to see Charlie pulling off a move to show Chase.
Andie walked over, grabbing her drawstring backpack she smiled at the two, "Sorry to interrupt, but don't we have somewhere to be?" She asked rhetorically.
"Yeah, Yeah" he said then pounded fists with Charlie before the group began down the stairs.
"Hey Sarah" Andie greeted grabbing an apple from the counter
"Going to practice?" Her guardian asked from the sink where she was washing dishes. Andie nodded pulling on her shoes.
"Alright call when you know when you'll be home" she said
As Andie and Chase made their way to the door Charlie ran over and pulled on Chase's sleeve, "You gotta come back later so I can show you my freezes!" the little boy said enthusiastically, straining his neck so he could look at Chase's face.
Chase laughed, "Promise" he swore then messed his hand over the kids head saying good-bye.
Andie let Chase out the door before turning back to it to lock it. When she turned around she was surprised to be suddenly in Chase's arms. He had been right behind her and was now towering over her but looking adoringly into her eyes.
"Good Morning" he murmured quieter so Sarah didn't get tipped off. Andie smiled, last night they had made it pretty clear just how much they both cared for one another, though nothing past kissing had happened Andie was pretty at ease with him now.
"Morning" she replied in the same tone, he then leaned closer, bringing his hand to cup her face and covered her mouth with his.
Andie could have lived in that moment but all too soon he broke the contact. She smiled up at him, "We're gonna be late" she said turning for his SUV, but not before he could slip his hand in hers.
The ride over there they talked mostly about last night, and how going back to school would be after the Streets. It was a comfortable ride for both of them, just being with each other.
When they got there most of the crews cars were already there and they were all standing outside the door angry with Chase for making them wait since he had the key. Andie was slightly surprised to see Sophie there but was glad to see she was laughing with Moose. Sophie had also been invited to the party last night. She was actually part of the crew yet but Andie bet it was only a matter of time.
"Man Chase hurry up!" called Monster who must have decided that he should have grabbed a sweatshirt this morning,
"Yeah we freezing!" came Kiddo's accented voice.
"I'm goin' I'm goin'" Chase said taking the steps to the school two at a time and unlocking the door. Despite the fact that Blake had found out about the crew and seen them perform he still didn't know they used the school for practice.
The crew started filing into the empty school, Andie brought up the rear after getting out of Chase's car. Missy dropped back to walk with her. "Hey girl," she said "How'd you like last nights party?" She was totally dropping hints, Chase had dropped Andie off the night before and picked her up this morning, in Missy's eyes this meant only one thing.
"You know the part when you were sucking face with your new boy" she joked, by now they were on the staircase and she had, had to drop her tone so her voice didn't echo in the large space.
"Shut up girl" Andie said bumping into her, "And for your information, nothing but that happened," she said to quench her friends dying thirst. Missy made a face but it was too late to continue questioning, they were in the dance studio.
Chase and Hair were already pulling the curtains over the windows. "Yo what do we need to practice for? We won the Streets" came Fly's voice from where the rest of the crew had sat in the middle of the dance floor.
The rest of the crew seemed to have asked that same question to themselves for they all murmured a small agreement.
"Yeah we won the Streets, but our rep won't keep if we disappear after" Andie said, she had sat down next to Missy and now that all the windows were taken care of Chase had sat down on her other side. Andie noticed the near lack of space between their two bodies though it looked totally innocent on the outside.
"Listen, if we wanna compete next year we gotta show our faces in other places like the Dragon or people will forget about us" that came from Chase, he had been going to the Dragon long enough that he knew that when someone came back after a long time away the fame didn't always come right back to them.
"Then what are we doing?" Inquired Smiles, "I mean we ain't gonna pull off something like our routine at every gig right?" he asked. Andie sighed besides the one time she had gone to the Dragon with them all, most of them had never witnessed a night at a club.
"No we aren't but we are going to get ready for battling and some improv. You don't always know when your going to have to dance against someone and pull out a few moves."
"You mean that stuff that Professor Collins is actually going to help us?" Asked Fly.
Andie and Chase both let out soft chuckles, "Yeah it is" Andie replied.
"Alright so let's get started" Chase said pulling himself up and giving a hand to Andie though she smirked at him.
They danced, mostly on their own with imprecision and some improvising as a crew. It was actually a harder practice than doing a routine cause it kept everyone thinking all the time.
They danced till about 4 in the afternoon. Then since none of them had eaten decided to get some late lunch, earlier dinner. They were all starving and were soon all forced into Chase's car. Though Kiddo had been forced to sit on Smiles lap, there was bickering between the two of them throughout the whole car ride.
Getting out of the SUV that Andie had comfortably sat in the front seat in she couldn't help but laugh at the scene of Kiddo trying to get out from Smiles' lap. Though very confusing it was done and they all headed into the restaurant they had voted on, Pizzia Hut.
Andie was almost ashamed that they hadn't gone anywhere else but laughed it off. After a loud and busy meal the crowd started realizing that they had to be getting home. Trying to split the bill was interesting, despite all being ingenious dancers it took a while to figure out how to divide the cost of their food.
Chase ended up just getting them to let him pay, though there was a lot of "No we can't let you do that" from everyone. But in the end he won, of course.
After dropping everyone off at MSA Chase and Andie were the last ones in the car, a content silence enveloping them. Though Chase was the first to break it. "So you think we'll be ready to battle some of the 410 by the weekened?" he asked grinning, though he meant it light Andie had almost dreaded battling her old crew. Despite what they had done to her they were family.
But she smiled at Chase, "Definitely with Kiddo's new moves" the both laughed. Kiddo had started pulling off some crazy ass moves that didn't even fit into a category of dance.
Chase pulled up to her house and looked over at Andie who was still smiling and looking at him, when they gazes locked she felt as though she was going to blush but tried her hardest not to.
Chase reached over the car and gave her another kiss, it was meant to be short and sweet but Andie caught her hand behind his head when he started to pull away. He was fine with this and deepened the kiss. They let all the pent up emotion from being around each other all day seep into the kiss and when they broke apart they still kept their heads close to one anothers.
"Want to come in for a little bit?" she asked, "Sarah has been dying to officially meet you" she with a small laugh.
Chase nodded, "Sure" he said unbuckling his seatbelt. They both got out of the car and began walking up the stairs of the small porch when they got to the door it opened before Andie could reach the handle.
To her surprise and joy standing in the frame was Tyler. "Ty! What are you doing here?" She asked as the two hugged and greeted another, "Standing Nora up again?" She joked.
"Yeah, hardly, she's inside" he replied though he looked troubled. "Tyler what's up?" She asked, the two knew each other too well to keep anything hidden. Before Tyler could reply another man stepped behind him. Upon seeing him all the emotion and color drained out of Andie's face.
Chase felt her grip on his hand tighten and wasn't sure why. "Andie! It's so good to see you!" the other man said with a large grin on his face, a smile that Andie did not give back.
"What are you doing here?" She asked instead, Tyler was looking as if he were in pain but said nothing.
"Why aren't you going to introduce me to your friend before we get to that stuff?" the stranger, to Chase, asked. He was an older man, early fourties, Chase had no idea what he had to do with Andie.
Andie took an unsure breath, "Chase this is Ryan James, my dad" she said the last part as though it were a death sentence.
