Jennel's POV:
This is a bad idea. I know it is, so why can't I stop myself? I physically cannot stop my feet from moving, though I know that is what my brain is trying to tell them to do.
I continue walking down the long corridor of the mansion counting down the doors as I pass. I stop right in front of the fourth door. My hand unconsciously moves to my hair and I flip it a few times before I even realize it's there. Crap. I'm doing it again. I need to get rid of this habit.
I'm just about to knock when I hear faint footsteps on the other side of the door. Heels, I think to myself.I can feel my stomach doing summersaults now. This is a really bad idea. I would probably jump at the first hiding place I could find right now but there's nowhere to go, the long white corridors are completely empty, minus one or two small black leather benches' scattered around. I look down at my feet and take a deep breath. There's no turning back now. I'm here. I want to be here, though, I think. I know I do, or else I would have been able to stop myself from leaving my room at this ungodly hour.
The door in front of me opens abruptly and snaps me straight back to reality.
The second I look up, I remember why I want to be here. Every doubt I had before vanishes and I suddenly forget why I had ever thought that this would be a bad idea. This was a great idea, I am exactly where I should be.
"Hiii", Demi whispers with the most adorable grin on her face. She quickly sticks her head out the doorway and glances left and right, scanning the corridor. I'm about to tell her that the coast is clear but before I can she grabs my arm and pulls me inside the room.
Her arms have me pinned to the inside of the door as she closes it quietly. I laugh and she places her finger over her mouth making a shh face. Damn it she's cute. I look down to see she's still in her heels and that cute little cream jumpsuit she wore earlier. I try to not let my eyes linger for too long and drag them back up.
"Paranoid much?" I whisper, quietly this time so I won't get shushed again.
She looks down and meets my eyes, bringing her hands down to my shoulders "Well it's not exactly like this is a smart idea now is it?". Her hands make their way down past my shoulders and she squeezes my hips playfully. I jump forward slightly and we both laugh under our breath.
"Well, it wasn't exactly my idea" I mimic her tone, squeezing her hips back and throwing her a sarcastic grin.
"No.. but you agreed to it. We're both as bad as each other. Honestly" she say's rolling her eyes at me and giggling. With that, she turns and walks further into the room.
As I follow her inside I take a quick look around. This was definitely one of the biggest rooms I had seen in the mansion. None of the contestants had rooms like these. Ours were nice, but basic compared to this. You could pretty much fit my entire house into this room. It was all open plan except for the bathroom. It had a balcony, dining area, some sort of living room, which looked more like a home cinema, and of course an actual bedroom area. Christ. This practically was a house.
"Nice place isn't it?" I hear from behind me as I stare out at the balcony.
"Holy crap, it's amazing" I squeal, not even bothering to hide my excitement. I turn to see she's already taken off her heels and is wearing an over-sized ACDC shirt that stops at her thighs, just about covering what she is or isn't wearing underneath. Holy crap! I shake my head and try to get some sort of coherent sentence out of my mouth. "Dem, why are you staying here?..do Simon and the producers know you're staying here?"
"I'm not staying here on a regular basis, but I told them I would be from time to time, because it was too much hassle to go home after working late with my acts" She walks towards me slowly... "Well, that's what I told them anyway" She pauses and I'm almost certain I know what wants to say. I can hear it in the tone of her voice. Is she really going to say it? Please god let her be the first one to say it.
Demi's POV:
I want to tell her. But what if it freaks her out? Deep down I know she feels the same, but I can't help but listen to the sensible side of my brain. It's screaming DON'T FUCK THIS UP! It's right. I don't want to fuck this up. This is my life, my career. And more than that, this is Jennel's life, her career, her happiness! But most importantly, I don't want to lose what we have right now. Because it is the only thing that has ever made me so happy. She is the only person who has ever made me so happy. There is far too much at stake here for me to throw it away. But then there is the other side of my brain, the side that wants to tell her, and take whatever consequences come with that, because at least I wouldn't have to spend the rest of my life wondering what if.
I take a deep breath and walk forward so I'm standing inches away from Jennel. The silence between us is never awkward, but I can see she's waiting for me to say something. I look down to meet her eyes and get lost appreciating how perfectly stunning her face is. God this is killing me. She raises her eyebrows anticipating my response. I don't know what to say. Honestly I'm not even sure how to verbalize what I am feeling.
Jennel's POV:
I feel as if I know what Demi wants to say. I'm hoping she's going to explain what the hell has been going on between us. Why she's been giving me special treatment all this time. Why I'm the only one she actually hangs out with outside of the competition. Why she says the things she does. Are we just close friends? Is that what this is? Because that's how I've been explaining it to myself until now. I cant even fathom the idea that there might be something else going on here. There couldn't be. I look up and see her gazing at me. Maybe she's having a hard time coming up with the words. I want her to tell me in her own time, but I feel her reluctance. Maybe she's afraid of what I'll say back, I think to myself. I step forward, reach out my hand to hers and smile. "Dem?" I prompt.
She grips my hand and looks straight at me. "Jennel, you know I like you"
I know what she means, but I sincerely doubt she means it in the same way I want her to mean it. Even so, I am taken back by the words, because what if she does mean it in the same way I do. Jeez, get a grip Jennel. "Like" can mean so many things. I "like" a lot of people, but not the same way I "like" her. She obviously likes me more than the others, she's given me special treatment throughout the competition. I knew this. After all there is a reason I'm standing in her room at 3am. But it's not the way I like her, there is no way she actually likes me the way I like her.
Demi holds her gaze on me, anxiously waiting for a response. I involuntarily throw my arms round her neck and pull her towards me resting my head on her shoulder. "Awh, I know" I respond.
She runs her hands down my spine slowly then settles them at my waist. "No, I mean I like you a lot. More than Paige, more than CeCe, more than any of my group. Or anyone really."
"I know. We're practically the same person, I've never met someone I have this much in common wi-"
"Jennel…" She cuts me off. I'm trying to tell you how I feel about you and.." She pauses momentarily "You're making this incredibly difficult."
I lean back but keep my hands firmly on her shoulders. Fuck. Does she mean what I think she means? What if she does like me the same way I like her.. Fuck… wait, Jennel, why are you freaking out?, I ask myself. Isn't this exactly what you've wanted since your first audition? Since that first time you met her. Since she's practically been hitting on you every single stage of the competition. You knew this. Why have you been denying it. This is exactly what you wanted. And she's basically handing it to you on a plate right now. Stop freaking out.
I don't know what to say but I know exactly what I want to do. Demi moves her right hand up to my hair and runs her fingers gently through it outlining my curls. I can hardly think straight at this point. Is this really happening? Before I can even think of a response, her lips are on mine and she is pushing me back towards the wall behind us.