Chapter 21

Its Saturday afternoon and I am sitting at home laying on the couch watching tv. This week has been great. I had my date with Derek Wednesday and we have hung out every night since then. I have had dinner with Shannon a couple more times and Derek came with us once. She decided to stay at her hotel but I have seen her a lot. We had practice Thursday afternoon and I learned all the dance. I did the dance with no problem. I still didn't show all my emotions but I think I did enough to make Derek happy. Then Friday we had the group dance and had practice later that night. Having two dances in one week is hard. Our group dance looks amazing. I'm really happy with it and the people on the team, we all get along great. Today Derek and I had practice again. We perform the group dance Monday and then our Rumba Tuesday night. We have no elimination this week. It's a huge relief, I feel like I can relax a little bit. Mark texted me Friday and told me that he was having a party Saturday night and asked if I wanted to come. He is inviting all of his close friends from the show. He told me he asked Derek, me, Sabrina, Melissa, Maks, Peta, Apolo, and Val. I thought about it and talked to Derek about it and we decided to go. I was kind of worried about if Derek and I could hide our relationship since we were going to be at the same place most of the night. Mark's house is huge so he is definitely going to go all out. He throws good parties. He told me to bring my bathing suit and a change of clothes. The party is tonight at 7:30. I guess I should start getting ready because its 5:00. I get up and take a shower. I put my make up on and curl my hair. I pick out some short and tight black shorts. I put on a pink tank top to match. I tuck it in and find some black flip flops to wear. I go through my dresser and find a bikini to wear. I put on some jewelry and curl my hair. By 6:45 I am ready to go and leave my apartment headed to Mark's house.

When I get to Mark's house there are a lot of cars there. I spot Derek's and park beside it. He is sitting in the car talking on the phone. I get out of the car and he does too. Who ever he was talking to he hangs up with them. I walk over to him beside his car.

" You look good." he says leaning down and giving me a kiss

" Thank you. You do too." I say blushing

He is wearing blue jeans and nice shirt with some flip flops.

" I see you brought your bathing suit." he says

" Yeah, a red bikini. He said to bring one."

" I cant wait to see you in that. I brought some trunks too."

" I want to see you in swimming trunks with no shirt on." I say blushing

" We should probably go inside." he says frowning and starts walking away

I grab his arm and turn him towards me.

" Wait" I say

I reach up and wrap my arms around him. I kiss him hard on the lips. Our tongues roaming around in each others mouths. I pull away and start walking away.

" You cant just do that and then leave."

I turn around

" We cant go in there holding hands."

" Your right."

He walks up to me. He puts his hand on my cheek and rubs his hand back and forth.

" I wish we didn't have to hide." he says

" Me either. Maybe we should just tell them."

" Let's wait. At least not tonight."

" Okay, but we are going to have to eventually."

" I know."

He leans down and gives me one more kiss. Then he walks into Mark's house. I wait a minute or two. They would definitely think something if we walked into together. When I go in I am greeted by Mark.

" Hey, glad you came." he says while hugging me

" Glad you invited me."

He picks me up a little bit and then swings me around. After a minute he sets me back down.

" Everybody is in the living room." he says

Sabina, Melissa, and Derek are sitting on the couch talking. Maks and Peta are standing up talking. Apolo and Val are sitting on the other couch talking.

" Everybody is here. Its time to get the party started."

" About time." Maks says

" Oh shut up." Mark replies back

" It took you long enough to get here." Maks says looking at me

" I'm a girl and it takes us a while to get ready." I say while walking over to him and hugging him

" Only would I wait for you to get here before I would start drinking." He says laughing

" Aw that is so thoughtful of you." I say smiling

I reach over and give Peta a hug.

" How do you deal with him?" I ask her laughing

" Its hard." she says smiling

" Hey, that was mean." Maks says smirking at me

I walk over to Sabrina and Melissa.

" Hey lady" Melissa says

" Hey" I reach up and give her a hug

" Good to see you, twinsie" Sabrina says

" Its good to see you too."

I give her a hug. I feel like a social butterfly

" Just don't even speak to us." Val says

" Yeah, we don't matter." Apolo says

" Shut up." I say while walking over to them.

I lean down and give Apolo a hug. Val stands up from the couch.

" Hey there shorty." he says

" Hey! That wasn't very nice." I say while playfully slapping his arm

" I'm just kidding."

He leans down and gives me a hug. He picks me up and swings me around. I don't know what it is with people wanting to pick me up every time they hug me. When he sets me back down I look over at Derek and he has this tense look on his face. Surely that didn't make him mad. Its just Val. I go back over to the couch and sit down beside Sabrina. On the couch its me, Sabrina, Melissa, and then Derek on the end. Mark walks back into the room.

" Are ya'll ready to start this party?" he asks

He has a tray and it has shots on it. He sits the tray on the table in the middle of the room. He passes them out to everybody. I take the last one from him and he sits down beside me. He raises the glass.

" Thank you to everybody for coming. We are going to have fun."

Everybody starts cheering and then takes the shot. I hesitate and then just throw it back as fast as I can. I'm not sure what it is but its burning my throat. I start coughing.

" Are you okay?" Mark asks

" Yeah, my throats just burning."

" You just got to get used to it." Sabrina says

" Lets take another one." Val shouts

Mark walks around and refills our glasses. I steal a look at Derek and he was already looking at me. He smiles and I smile back. Mark sits back down beside me.

" One, Two, Three" Maks says

We all drink the glass. Its not as bad as it was the first time. I wonder what it is.

" What is this?" I ask

" It Vodka." Melissa says

" Worst shit ever but when you get drunk enough you wont taste it." Val says

" Oh okay." I say smiling shyly

" Why don't we take this party outside?" Mark says

We all agree with him. He instructs us where the bathroom is and then he goes to his room to change. Derek and I end up walking the same direction. We walk to the same bathroom.

" You can go first." I tell him

" Okay, it wont take me long."

He was right not even a minute later and he is back out.

" I will wait on you."

" Okay"

I go into the bathroom and change. It takes me longer than Derek. I'm glad I decided on this bathing suit. It red with sequins all over. It fits me perfectly up top and it's a little snug on my butt. My butt is hanging out just a little bit on the sides. I cant help it though, I just got a big butt. I walk out of the bathroom and Derek is standing there. His mouth drops open.

" You look incredible. I think this is the only time I have seen you in a bikini."

" Thank you."

I reach up and give him a kiss. He snakes his arms around my waist and deepens the kiss. I walk us back into the bathroom. He kicks it shut with his foot. We never break apart. He lifts me up on the counter and I wrap my legs around his hips. Derek pulls away.

" I'm going to get carried away."

" I know, me too." I say

He steps back and I jump off the counter. I like my thumb and reach up and rub the side of his cheek.

" My lip stick rubbed off on you." I say

" That wouldn't have been good if I walked out there with it on my cheek."

" No I wouldn't have been."

He leans down and kisses me again and we walk out of the bathroom. We go outside with everybody else. They are all in Marks big hot tub.

" The drinks are on that table." Marks says while pointing to a table beside us

Derek walks over and grabs two cups.

" Here you go." he says while handing me one

" Thank you. What is it?" I ask

" I'm not sure. Probably one of Mark's concoctions'."

" Okay."

I take a drink of it.

" Its not that bad."

" Nah, he knows his alcohol."

We walk over to the hot tub. The hot tub is huge thank goodness because everybody is in it. Derek gets in first. He stands there and holds my hand while I step in. There is no where else to go so we sit down beside each other.

" Thank you" I whisper to him

" Your welcome"

" Damn, Shawn Johnson looking hot." Val says

" Thank you."

I blush the color of my bathing suit.

" Yeah, Shawney coming out of her shell." Mark says

" Hell guys its just a bikini." I say laughing

" I wish I had your body." Sabrina replies

" I wish I had your boobs." I say giggling

" You can have them." she says smiling

We sit around a drink and talk in the hot tub. With Maks, Val and Mark all their the conversations get perverted. The jets are on so the water is pretty high. I actually think its over lapping. I put my hand underwater and set it on Dereks thigh. He grabs it and starts running his thumb over my hand. I wish everybody just knew. It would be so much easier. Its midnight before we ever go back inside to the house. Derek and I go to the same bathroom again.

" I'll let you go first. You look cold." he says

" Thank you, I am."

I walk into the bathroom and change back into my previous clothes. My hair luckily didn't get wet and is still curly. I walk out of the bathroom.

" I'm done." I say to Derek

He walk in the bathroom and gets dressed. I wait on him till he comes out. We walk into the living room together. I go and sit down on the couch. Derek sits down beside me. Mark has leather couches and I don't know why, but I am cold. I'm shaking I am so cold. I would grab a blanket but I don't see any. I guess Derek notices I'm shaking. He doest hesitate and pulls me to him. He wraps his arm around my shoulder and I bring my legs up and throw them over his thighs. He lays his other hand on my legs. I put my head on his chest.

" Are you comfortable?" Maks asks

I lift my head off Derek's chest to look at Maks.

" Actually I am. I'm about to get frost bite too. I'm freezing."

" It is cold in here." Sabrina says

" I'll go get some blankets or something." Mark says

Mark brings me a comforter. I throw it over Derek and myself but I don't move.

" Um, Shawn its getting a little noticeable." Derek whispers in my ear.

" Fine." I say

I get up from the couch and walk over to the other couch. Its facing the couch that I was just sitting on. I sit in between Val and Mark. I think I shocked Derek when I got up and moved. Hell I think I shocked everybody because they are staring at me.

" What" I yell

No one responds they just look away.

" Are you okay?" Mark asks

" Yes" I snap

" Okay, don't get feisty with me. I was just asking. You look mad."

" I'm fine. I'm just cold." I say while snuggling up in my cover

I look over at Derek and he looks at me. I look away and shake my head. I'm pretty mad right now. I hate having to hide our relationship. Its so hard and if I'm cold and want to cuddle on the couch with my boyfriend, I cant. It sucks. I lean my head over on Val's shoulder.

" Are you alright?" he asks

" Yeah I'm fine. Just cold."

" I have rooms upstairs if you want to stay the night. I wouldn't want anyone getting hurt from drinking and driving." Mark says

I look down at my phone and I have a message from Derek.

" Shawn, will you meet me outside so we can talk."

I glance over at the couch and Derek is not sitting there. I didn't even notice him get up. I text him back.

" Yeah, I'll be out there in a minute."

I get up from the couch and walk outside. Derek is sitting in one of the rocking chairs on the patio. I sit down beside him.

" Are you okay?" he asks me

" Yeah, just peachy."

" Your not fine. Your pissed off."

" I am just a little bit."

" Why?"

" Because I have a damn boyfriend and when I'm cold and want to cuddle up next to him I cant. I get told that I'm being noticeable. Well who gives a shit."

" Wow, your really mad."

" Yes I am."

" I thought we had talked about this. We have wanted to keep it a secret because they would pick on us and tease us."

" I did agree at first and I'm not saying I want the whole world to know. I just want to be able to show affection towards you when we are hanging out with our friends."

" You don't know how bad I've wanted to kiss you all night."

" Me too, sometimes I just feel like your ashamed of me. That's why you wont tell our friends out us."

" Shawn, you've got to be kidding me. Ashamed of you? There is no way in hell. I wish I could scream it from the rooftops that I am dating the most gorgeous, athletic, sexy, and funniest person in the world."

" I cant help it. That's just the way I feel sometimes."

" Well try and not to feel like that. If you want to tell everybody we will. Not tonight thought. Only because its 1:00 in the morning and half of everybody in there is drunk."

" Okay, thank you for being understanding. I am sorry I blew up on you and I probably made it worse by getting up and moving. I was just so mad. I try to hold back on my temper as much as I can."

" It's okay. Are we okay now?"

" Yes"

I get up from my chair. I move over and sit in Derek's lap. I wrap my arms around his neck and kiss him on the cheek.

" Are you staying the night?" I ask him

" No probably not. I only has two shots and a glass to drink. I am not drunk."

" I don't think I want to stay either. Do you want to come back to my apartment?"

" Sure" he says smiling

" Good, are you ready to leave? I am sleep."

" Yeah"

I kiss him one more time on the lips and the stand up. We walk back inside and everybody is taking shots again. Derek walks around and tells everybody bye. I wait about 5 minutes and start saying goodbye.

" Are you leaving?" Sabina asks

" Yeah, where did Melissa go?" " She left. Apolo left too. Bristol couldn't make it tonight."

" I was wondering where she was."

I hug her and then walk over to Maks, Val and Mark.

" I'm fixing to leave."

" Already?" Marks asks

" Yeah, I am tired."

I give them all a hug and then say goodbye to Peta. Derek is already in his car when I get outside. We both pull out and head to my apartment. We finally get there and its 1:30. I haven't got home this late in a while. I head straight to my bedroom leaving Derek in the living room. I change in to my pajama's then walk back into the living room.

" I have that shirt from the other night. If you want to wear it. I don't have any other clothes for you to change into."

" Its okay. I don't sleep in a shirt anyways."

" Right" I say blushing

" Lets go to bed." he says

We walk hand in hand into my bedroom. I have already moved the covers back. We both climb into bed and lay down.

" I had a good day today beside our little disagreement earlier." I say

" I did too. We resolved that's all that matters."

" Your right."

I lean over and kiss him on this lips. I lay my head on his chest and we wrap around each other.

" I'm glad I can cuddle you again." Derek says

" Me too."

" Goodnight" he says

" Night."

And I drift off to sleep in no time.