Disclaimer: I'm not affiliated with Disney Channel, It's a Laugh Production, or the actor who portrait the characters. No money was gained on the making and distribution of this fanfiction. Characters, settings and plot are completely fictional and not mean to depict a real life person, place of event. Any similarity with real life is completely coincidental.
Warning: This story had not been beta read. Apologies for all mistakes in grammar and spelling as English is not my first language.
AN: This was originally intended to be part of the collection of Cogan drabbles, but as I went pass the 1,000 words mark, it officially became a one shot. Not much plot going on, but plenty of fluff.
Read, Enjoy and Review.
The Right Words
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She was sitting on the steps in front of her building when Logan finally found CeCe. He wasn't surprise to see that her face was tear streaked, but was glad that her crying jag was over. Or at least, he hoped it was. He was never sure what to do when she was crying, mostly because CeCe seldom cried and when she did it was because she had a good reason.
Like today.
Sitting down besides CeCe on the steps, Logan kept quiet knowing that his girlfriend would break the silence when she was ready. And sure enough, she turned towards him a couple of minutes after he sat down. "I can't believe I mess that up." She said, swallowing the urge to cry again.
"CeCe." Unsure of what to say to her, he wished for a brief moment that Rocky wasn't taking a tour at Harvard University. He was sure that she would know the right words to say in order to comfort the tiny girl. "I'm sorry." He finished lamely.
CeCe looked at him expectantly but then, shifted away from him when he didn't say anything else, wrapping her arms around her chest. "Maybe Rocky is right." She said after a long silence, "Maybe I've been kidding myself. I should be looking into college instead of trying to become a dancer."
He was surprised to hear that Rocky would ever said such thing, but then, he remembered that before Rocky left for her tour, she and CeCe had have a small argument. Shaking his head, Logan decided to go with his gut. "She is wrong." He said firmly. "I know she is worried about you, CeCe, and she wished you had a backup plan, but she is wrong. You are not trying to become a dancer, you already are." When she looked up at him, hope shinning in her brown eyes, he knew was glad that Rocky was gone after all. Smiling warmly at her, he wrapped an arm around her shoulders, bringing her closer to his body. "Sure you messed up, but this was just one audition. They'll be others. You will mess up some, but then, others you will awe everyone."
She wanted to believe him, but the events of the day had shaken her confidence more than she was willing to admit. "Do you really think so?"
He nodded and kissed the top of her head. "I know so."
CeCe sighed and snuggled against Logan's side, her hands locking around his waist. "I feel like a big failure."
"You are not." He said fiercely as he rubbed her back soothingly. "Let me ask you something, is this the first time you ever messed up at an audition?" She shook her head quickly, wincing as she remembered the first time she auditioned for Shake It up, Chicago and how she had frozen once the spotlight had been on her. She told him the story quickly, smiling as she recalled how Rocky had managed to get her on the show. Logan listened to her, chuckling and smiling as she slowly started to relax against him. "Okay, don't get mad at me, but why are you taking this so hard? Not the first time you mess up and you know that even when you do, things can still turn out for the best." He asked once she was done.
For a moment she was quiet, trying to put her thoughts in order before she replied. "It's not the same. I was scared the first time I auditioned for Shake It up, Chicago. It was nerves more than anything. This time..." She trailed off, closing her eyes as shame filled her, but she forced herself to explain what happened to Logan. "I didn't ran off the stage because I was nervous Logan. It's because I am defective."
He blinked several times before cupping CeCe's face in his hand, forcing her to look at him. She was surprised to see his eyes flashing with anger. "You want to explain that to me, CeCe, and be very careful. No one insults the girl I love. Not even you."
CeCe watched fascinated at how intense her boyfriend could be. Trying to ignore the small shiver of pleasure she got when he said he loved her, she sat straight, breaking from their embrace. "Logan," CeCe started wearily. "I couldn't read the script. I tried. I just couldn't make sense of the letters." Clasping her hands together, she turned away from Logan, not wanting to face him. He knew about her dyslexia, of course. But until today, he had never seen her unable to control it.
"Look at me, CeCe." When the girl just ignored his request, he sighed, and tugged her towards him, the two of them struggling for a moment before she finally gave up and settle comfortably on his lap. "CeCe," Cupping the back of her neck, he pinned her with his gaze. "You don't have to be ashamed of that." When she snorted, he squeezed her neck lightly. "Darling girl, you have dealt with this your whole life, and it has never affected your career until now. Don't let what happened today stop you from trying again."
"What if it happens again? What if the next audition I go to, I failed too?" CeCe asked in a small voice. That was her biggest fear. What if she was never able to move pass her disability? She loved dancing, but she wanted more from life than being a background dancer in a show on her hometown. She wanted Broadway. She wanted the world.
"You'll keep trying." He said, as if it was that simple. "Baby, you know how to work with your dyslexia. Today you were nervous, and that made you lost your edge, but now you know what it feels like to be on that stage. Next time, you will be in control."
She studied Logan's face careful, but couldn't find anything to show that he meant anything else but what he was saying. It was humbling to know that he had so much faith in her. "Thank you." She whispered, caressing his cheek with her hand.
"For what?" He frowned at her tender words, feeling undeserving of it.
"For saying just the right thing. For being here with me. For just being you. Thank you." Leaning up, she brushed her lips with his.
"In that case, it was my pleasure." He grinned and took CeCe's lips with his own, giving her a proper kiss this time.
"CECE YOU HAVE A PHONE CALL!" They broke the kiss and groaned at their interruption. Looking up, they saw the head of CeCe's mom from the window of their apartment. "DID I INTERRUPTED YOU GUYS?"
"YES, YOU DID MOTHER!" CeCe shout back, standing up from Logan's lap.
"GOOD!" Saying that, her head disappeared inside the apartment once more.
Letting out a frustrated sighed, CeCe looked down at Logan with longing. "Come on." She extended her hand towards him to help him up, but Logan shook his head, taking her hand in his and kissing the back of it.
"I'll wait for you here, not really feeling like being inside today."
CeCe nodded, leaning down to give Logan another quick kiss before skipping past him and into the building. As soon as she was gone, Logan let out a deep breath. Despite CeCe's apparent mood change and her words, he still wasn't sure he had been that much help to her. He wished he could show her just how talented she was, prove to her that she had what it takes to make it to the top. But as always was the case, the right words were never there when he needed them. For all his intelligence, he couldn't help but feel he continuously let CeCe down when she needed his support the most.
"Logan!" Running out of the building not ten minutes after going upstairs, CeCe took a moment to catch her breath, kneeling down besides her boyfriend. "You are never going to believe this!" Almost shaking with excitement, she threw an arm around his shoulder. "The director of the play just called. He wants me to audition again. Said that he loved my voice and something about my range," She grinned widely, "and my dancing. He wants to give me another shot at the script."
Returning her wide smile, he wrapped his arm around her waist, pulling her closer. "You think you can do this?"
Without hesitation, CeCe nodded. "I can. I will do this." Cradling his cheek on the palm of her hand, she asked, "You'll be there right?"
Making sure to keep his gaze on CeCe's, he nodded. "I'll always be there, CeCe."
When CeCe broke into a brilliant smile, he realized he finally got the right words after all.
Fin
AN(2): If you made it this far, thank you. I hope you enjoy the story. As always, questions, comments, opinions and suggestions are more than welcome. Thanks again for the support.
LadyGuilt