Summary: Gunther has a crush on Cece and tries to show her, but he thinks she didn't understand at all. Cece read all the hints, but she isn't sure if she's right in thinking that Gunther has a crush on her. Throw in two new siblings and add a spritz of bad timing on Cece's part and you have yourself "Complicate It Up!"
Thank you to those of you who favorited, alerted, or reviewed my story. It makes me happy!
And I realize that I don't have a disclaimer anywhere in my story.
I do not own "Shake It Up!" Believe me, if I did, there would no episodes without Gunther and Tinka. Also if I owned "Shake It Up!" Gunther and Cece would become a couple by the end of season 2.
Chapter 4: Planning
The first thing that Cece did when she walked through the entrance of the school was watch for Deuce. She didn't see him as she approached her locker. "He is so dead," she muttered under her breath as she twisted at her combination lock angrily causing her to mess it up three times in a row.
"Cece, you need to chill. If you don't, I think you're likely to take Deuce's head off," said Rocky.
"A headless Deuce. Tell me, how is this a bad idea?"
"Cece?" asked the somewhat timid, thickly accented voice of Gunther Hessenheffer.
"Hi Gunther," she said shyly. She avoided his eyes. "Look, I can't talk now. When you see Deuce today, can you tell him I need to talk with him? It's important."
"Yes, I will be sure that I am telling him that you are needing to be talking with him," said Gunther. He promptly walked off like a stiff-jointed robot.
"Well that was weird," said Cece.
"Even weirder than his norm," noted Rocky. "I think he may have wanted to apologize, Cece."
Cece whirled around, looking for Gunther. "I hope I didn't hurt him. And I hope he doesn't get the wrong idea about me and Deuce."
"Hi Rocky. Hi Cece," greeted Kim, walking up to them. "Tinka just told me about the talent show and how you three are planning to be in it. Have you thought of anything yet?"
"Well, I've been thinking that I want to sing According to You to Gunther. He may be too preoccupied with Allison to get who I'm singing the song to but hopefully when I get to the part where Orianthi is singing about the second guy. That'll catch his attention. I just hope we're not too late."
"I think we should do Wannabe by the Spice Girls," Kim interjected. "It can be a fun girl-group thing."
"I'm singing My Immortal," Tinka said from behind the girls. They whirled around. "I need to get my brother back."
"I'll sing it with you, Tinka," said Cece. "I want Gunther back. I don't like G."
"None of us like 'G'," said Tinka, putting the letter in air-quotes again. "And before we even think about practicing for the talent show, we need to start working on your dance for Shake It Up."
"I've been thinking about the talent show," said Allison as soon as Gunther sat down behind her in homeroom.
"So have I. I don't think it's a good idea. I can't sing. I don't even know of a good song to sing for Cece."
"Don't worry. I have that covered. And Gunther, you'll do wonderful."
"Doubt it. You haven't heard me sing," he said rolling his eyes. "But what song is it?"
Allison pulled out her iPod and set it to the song she wanted him to do for the talent show. She turned around and handed it to him. "This will show Cece how you feel about her. Make sure she knows that it's for her. Lead her on to the stage and sit her down and just look her in the eyes and sing the song to her. The thought behind the song will mean more to her than your ability to sing it. And you will do just fine, Gunther." She handed him her iPod.
He stuck an earbud in and hit the play button. Because You Live by Jesse McCartney played. He tilted his head to the side as he listened to it. "It's pretty," he commented when the song hit the chorus. "But don't you think it's a bit too girly?" he asked.
"Well, isn't that how you feel about Cece?"
"Kind of, but my surviving doesn't hinge on us being connected at the hip. And I want to sing a song that says I'm sorry."
"Oh, what are you sorry for? Did you annoy Tinka again?"
Gunther and Allison looked up to see Deuce slide into the seat next to Gunther.
"This is nothing that concerns you, Deuce," said Gunther turning back to Allison. He turned back to Deuce. "Cece wanted me to tell you that she was looking for you. She seemed mildly irritated with you."
"Oh no. What did I do?" he asked himself, mentally counting all the possible ways he could have annoyed Cece. Many reasons came to mind, but none was the right one.
"Is there a song you had in mind, Gunther?" asked Allison.
"Oh, so now it's 'Gunther' again? Why did you not tell me this, 'G'?" asked an irritated Tinka. "You know, don't answer that. If I'm not important enough for you to tell me that you're back to your old self again, then don't talk to me."
"Make that two songs," said Gunther as he got up from his seat. He sat in the seat behind Tinka. "I'm sorry. Of course you are important to me. I'm sorry about yesterday. I did get out of control."
Tinka shook her head and said, "Don't tell me that. Tell Cece that."
"I can't. I don't know how. Instead, I shall be showing her how I feel at the showing of talents next week."
"Good. And I forgive you. But don't ever call me 'bro' again, bro. If you do, I will sick Fluffy on you," Tinka said in all seriousness.
Gunther looked horrified. "Oh no. Not Fluffy. I thought Mama and Papa made you get rid of your science project after it tried to eat the boxer pup that lives down the hall."
"Well, I didn't. I took him down to the basement."
"That explains why I saw you running out of our apartment carrying that fifteen pound turkey last week. I was wondering what you did with that."
"You wanted to see me?" Deuce asked nonchalantly as he sat down next to Cece at lunch.
"WHY?" Her eyes widened and her lips were pulled back to expose her teeth.
Deuce slid over bit to put some space between him and the angry redhead. A nervous grin tugged at his lips. "Wh-why what, Cece?"
"WHY? Why did you tell Gunther and Tinka that I was teasing them behind their backs? You know it wasn't true!"
Deuce shrank back a bit. "I-I'm sorry."
"Don't tell that to me! Tell that to them! What I want to know is why? Why, Deuce?"
"I-I'm sorry." Deuce wasn't looking at Cece any more. He staring intently at his food, face flushed from embarrassment. "I saw the way Gunther was looking at you and it made me jealous. I liked you, okay?" he exploded, jumping up from the table. "I had a crush on you in the third grade. I saw the way he looked at you and I saw the way you looked at him. I knew I had to do something about it, but it never occurred to me that you might not feel the same way about me."
"You broke up my best friendship before I met Rocky over a crush? Jeez, Deuce! What kind of friend are you?" Cece rolled her eyes at him. "I'm not mad, just surprised. Now can you please tell Gunther and Tinka that I did not tease them behind their backs. Tell them that it you were jealous. Please."
Deuce rolled his eyes and hugged Cece. "I'll make this right. You can count on me." He started to run off but Cece called after him.
"Deuce?" she called. He stopped and turned around. He started walking back to her. "You don't still have a crush on me, do you?"
He laughed. "Of course not. Believe me. If we were dating, I wouldn't be alive to have this conversation."
"What's that mean?" Cece asked, confused.
"It means I would have trampled on your nerves so much that you would have killed me."
"So, you don't have a crush on me anymore?"
"No, I like somebody else." He smiled and ran off.
"I wonder who it is," Cece muttered as she sat back down.
"Am I coming over to your place or are you coming over to mine?" Tinka asked just as Cece sat down.
Cece practically jumped out of her skin. "Don't do that!" After her heart stopped beating out of control, Cece asked, "When did you sit down?"
"I slipped in when Deuce was talking about the trampling of your nerves. And to answer your question, it's Rocky that he likes."
"How do you do that? It's mildly disturbing."
"I have my ways."
"What's going on?" asked Rocky as she sat down next to Cece.
"Tinka just appeared out of nowhere and scared me half to death."
"Can I do it again so then you'll just be dead?" Tinka asked.
"Oh I know. When you and Gunther were practicing for 'Good Morning, Chicago' last month, she appeared out of nowhere and terrified me," said Rocky, totally ignoring Tinka's comment.
"So anyway, where are we practicing?" Tinka asked again.
"Do you mind if we go to your place? We could practice in the basement."
"I do not think that is a good idea. We haveā¦giant spiders wandering around in our basement and it's just not a safe place," Tinka said, eyes moving around as she spoke, coming up with an excuse. She really was not the best liar. "I just do not want you to get eaten."
"I agree. I'd rather not get eaten by a spider either," said Cece.
"So where are we practicing?" asked Kimberly, sitting down next to Tinka.
"My place," said Cece.
So, I still don't have a song for Gunther to sing for the Talent Show. Ideas would be much appreciated. I was thinking of having him sing "Because you live" by Jesse McCartney but Gunther makes a wonderful point when he's talking with Allison.
