This time, This place
Misused, Mistakes

Shelley hated Amber; she hated her with every fiber of her being. It was easy to hate her. It was easy to hate someone who broke your heart into a million pieces. It was easy to despise the person you had opened up to and then spit all over you just a few months later. It was easy to shove them and watch them fall, giving you the small satisfaction of watching them hurt. Shelley swore that she would make Amber hurt as much as she did one day.

"Shelley? What's wrong?" Amber asked softly, brushing her hand against the girl's shoulder.

"Nothing," Shelley sniffled.

"Hey come on, no one cries over nothing," she said kindly, her warm hand working out the knot in the red head's shoulder.

"I can't tell you, I just can't. You'll hate me and you'll think that I'm disgusting," Shelley said.

"No I won't, you can tell me anything, I'm your best friend," she smiled, taking Shelley's hand into her own.

"I like girls," Shelley admitted softly.

"What do you mean?" Amber asked, cocking an eyebrow in confusion.

That I love you
I have loved you all along

"You know how girls are meant to like boys, well I don't. I like girls like I'm supposed to like boys," Shelley explained, prepared for the backlash, prepared for Amber to call her names and sneer in her face before going to blab it to everyone.

"Oh Shelley, that's ok, I don't think you are disgusting," Amber said, pulling her friend into a hug.

"You mean that?" she sniffled.

"Of course I do," Amber smiled.

The two pulled out of the hug and that's when it happened. Shelley couldn't control herself. Amber was so beautiful and smelled so good, curved in just the right places, so soft and so alluring. Shelley pressed her lips firmly against Amber's, expecting her to pull away, but she didn't. Instead, Amber returned the kiss.

"We have to keep this a secret though," she whispered into Shelley's ear and the girl nodded her head.

I keep dreaming you'll be with me
and you'll never go
Stop breathing if
I don't see you anymore

She loved the way Amber would giggle into her ear. She loved the soft kisses Amber would give her. She loved when they would hold hands in the darkness of the movie theater. Most of all, she would love it when Amber would whisper I love you into her ear. It was their little secret and one that Shelley cherished with all her heart. Until the day that Velma found out.

"No daughter of mine…is…is going to be a…lesbian!" Velma yelled, spitting out the last word like it was the vilest thing she had ever tasted.

"Mother! Why does it matter?" Amber asked, crossing her arms.

"It matters because it is not normal and I cannot have you embarrassing me like that!" Velma growled.

"Mother…please…I…like her, she makes me happy."

"I don't care! You end it now Amber or I will make your life a living hell, I will not allow you to dance on the show!" Velma threatened.

That was something that would kill Amber. Dancing on this show was her life and the one time she could be free from her mother, even if she was watching her every move. Shelley would just be another causality. Oh well, she had dealt with those in the past.

"Fine, I'll end it," Amber agreed.

"I don't understand!" Shelley sobbed and Amber found herself rolling her eyes.

"My career is more important than you, that's all you need to understand, Shelley, don't be so silly. Besides, it's gross to be a lesbian and I don't want people thinking I'm gross," Amber said, not believing how cruel her own words sounded and she regretted them the moment they left her lips and made Shelley cry even harder.

"Please, Amber, please," Shelley begged as she grabbed Amber's arm.

"Don't beg, Shelley, it is so unbecoming," Amber said, pushing her way and turning on her heels.

On my knees, I'll ask
Last chance for one last dance
'Cause with you, I'd withstand
All of hell to hold your hand
I'd give it all
I'd give for us
Give anything but I won't give up

Shelley tried for days afterwards to get Amber back, but the blonde simply refused. Soon Link joined the show and Shelley was forgotten for a pretty boy with a good singing voice. It hurt, it hurt so much. She could at least find solace in the fact that Amber hadn't paraded her secret all over the place. Soon her days of sadness were replaced with anger.

"I hate you, Amber Von Tussle," she growled and set out to make Amber's life a living hell after that.

Yet despite all the hate Shelley held for this girl, this girl who had shattered her, she knew that she would fall for her all over again. She would take her back in a heartbeat. Because dancing a tango to hell was better than never having tangoed at all.