Guys, I'm really sorry about the long wait for this chapter. Being a senior is hard. :c Anyway, please enjoy this story. C:

Cece's brown eyes scanned the studio, searching the varieties of people for a certain brunette. Cece knew better than to get her hopes up, though. She sighed, slumping back down onto the bench she had claimed as her own. "This is the third time she's done this", Cece thought angrily, slipping on her pink neon socks. "What is her problem? Getting to be dancers on this show has always been a big dream of ours. Why is she blowing it off now?"

Cece stepped into her sneakers and pulled her cell phone out of her bag. As she flipped open her phone, she thought carefully about what she was going to write. She didn't want to upset Rocky; if something terrible was going on in Rocky's life she didn't want to make it worse by mouthing off to her. She settled for a simple question.

To: Rocky B (:

hey, u comin to dance rehearsals? i miss you :(

She sighed as she tossed her phone back into her bag. Of all the years Rocky had been her best friend, Cece had never seen her act like this. It was as if she was this mopey, depressed shell of a girl she used to be. It wasn't fair to the rest of the world to keep her sweet, bubbly character locked away and replaced with this sick-of-my-life personality.

And Ty? What was his problem? Was it just because his sister was upset, or was it happening to the both of them? Ty was never the one to get worked up and depressed over something, so whatever was wrong must be pretty serious. Ty was so out of character, he was even upsetting Deuce. Every time Ty and Deuce and walked down the hallway at school, Deuce seemed to be just as depressed as Ty.

The kids at school were adding fuel to the fire as well. Every single time the Blues' walked down the hallway, whispers followed behind them. Some people just didn't know how to talk quietly, so Cece know Rocky and Ty were hearing some of the stuff said about them. But even if they heard it, they didn't show it, staring down at the floor, unfazed. It was like all their emotions had been drained from them.

As much as the students at Ridgeway were curious about the sudden change, no one dared to approach and ask. Well, all except for Mandy Fenessey, who didn't bother to keep anything she said under her breath. Mandy used to have a thing for Ty, but he told her to get lost. Now, here he was, fragile and distant, and Mandy took her opportunity. Quite frequently, she would come up to Rocky and Ty and make comments, point and laugh or push them around. No one joined in her bullying, but no one bothered to help.

Everyday the teasing would get worse and more upsetting, sometimes so bad it put tears in Ty's brown eyes. It was the same routine everyday. Mandy would waltz up to them, shooting out remarks left and right. Some would be aimed at Rocky, and those were the ones that would upset Ty the most. "Aw, whats wrong Nerd. Did you miss a question on a test? Are the corners of your paper wrinkled?"

Rocky shook her head, pushing past Mandy.

"Hey! Don't you ignore me little girl..."

Mandy never got to finish her sentence, as Ty unexpectedly whirled around and punched her right in the mouth. The impact of the blow was so severe Mandy was knocked off her feet, stumbling back and slamming into the lockers behind her. She stared, mouth agape, as Ty turned back around and walked away with his sister as if nothing happened. Mandy never approached them again, but Mandy still hung back in the crowds, handing out insults.

"Yo, Jones? You gonna dance or what?"

Cece jerked back in surprise. She didn't remember where she was right away, but when she saw a familiar face in front of her she stood up. One of the dancers stood a few feet front of her, giving her an odd look, his arms outstretch as he waited for an answer. Cece shook her head violently, the last remnants of the flashback clearing her mind. "Um, yeah. Sorry Ryan. I was just thinking about some things."

Ryan raised his eyebrows and gave her little grin. He took a step towards her and playfully punched her on the shoulder. "Thinking a little too much, are we?"

Cece chuckled. "Yea, I..I guess so."

Ryan walked over to the bench and sat down. "So is Rocky gonna actually show up this time?"

Rocky still wasn't here? Cece ran over and began fumbling through her bag, searching for her rhinestone-studded phone. Her fingers closed around it and she pulled it through a jungle of school clothes, lip gloss and deodorant before holding it and pressing the button on the side. The screen lit up, sadly revealing that she had no new text messages. She sighed. "I guess she's not. She must not be feeling well or something."

Ryan shrugged and exhaled unhappily, as if he upset that Rocky would not be here. "That's too bad," he mumbled, digging the toe of his shoe into the floor. He regained composure and looked back at Cece, holding his arm out. "Shall we?" Cece managed a believable smile as she locked arms with him, but as she stepped onto the dance floor she couldn't but wish her best friend was here, too. Nothing was the same without her.

...Well? Was it everything you could have wished for? D: I'm just kidding!
..but seriously, did you guys like it? You know the drill! R&R, and keep an eye out for other stories. I'm currently in the process of writing two Austin and Ally stories, one is unbelievably sad, and the other one is unbelievably cute. C:

Love you guys, and thanks for the support.