CH.8: Dance and forgiveness part 2

Liv first sought out Diggie. Turns out he was talking to a group of guys though the moment they saw her approach they immediately sought elsewhere to be. Wow she must have really made things awkward for them to up and abandon Diggie.

"Hi there Diggie, um, great dance am I right?" She rubbed at her arm though Diggie at first refused to face her. "Look I know I messed up, ok I messed up big, but I can make it right-."

"You dressed up as your sister, pretended to be her, and let us not forget you were letting me down, what was it…easy? To make it worse I eventually hear it from Maddie herself but the damage was done because you had to step in. I was looking forward to taking your sister to this dance, and, now I have no date. I shouldn't have come but I did and it really stinks too just from word of mouth that got out there about us and most are now pitying me. I think you have done enough for the rest of my life."

Liv swallowed some hoping to keep it together. Diggie, what he said, there was truth in there, but even though confrontation was not her strong suit she was not about to let this go.

"Diggie, I get it, I messed up. Still…you can't hold this over my head all the time you know me. Let me make this right, I deserve that much." Liv held herself hoping that she could mend things up without making this dance more unbearable.

Diggie appears to consider her offer as he stands there. Diggie was quite impressive standing tall as he was but while he might appear handsome to many she had her sights set on another. As it was hello it would be super awkward being with someone her own sister had once had the crush on.

"A public apology from you…and…perhaps one dance with your sister to clear the air about why she really doesn't want to be with me." Liv composed herself even though such information was quite guarded with her sister at the moment.

"I-I will see what I can do," Liv left him there as she sought out Maddie. Malcolm was with a group of friends and he gave her a thumbs up and she gave him a motion with her hand indicating things were still iffy.

She had to find Maddie. However she wasn't on the dance floor and she wasn't by the refreshments tables. This did not bode well. She stood before the punch bowl and that is when one of the guys near the bowl gave her a look.

"Say…you're the girl who went to Hollywood and got all famous! Must feel surreal being back here huh with all the small time students huh? What brought you back anyway? Hollywood turn you away or maybe they found someone prettier-."

"Why are you doing this? I don't even know you nor know what is your deal but I would never say such things to you. My time doing what I did came to an end, and, I'm just looking to live a normal life and attend regular school just like everyone else-."

"Regular school huh…so…you must've had quite the famous school to tend to your needs then, must've been nice. Say, would you like some punch?" Liv didn't like where this conversation was going. Still her mother had prepared her for something like this. There would be some students who were not as inclined to her time away than others.

"I think I am good for now thanks," Liv went to turn around but that didn't stop the guy. She let out a shriek as punch was poured on top of her head and she felt it go down her dress and into her eyes.

"Punch is on you," the guy appears to laugh. However that is when she turns around noticing how everyone is staring at her. She sniffs some feeling like her entire night is ruined and then a girl appears to come over and grabs the guy by the collar and punches him straight in the face.

"Right back at ya. Sorry everyone but the guy just had 'punch me' all over his face. I'm going to tend to this so dance on." She dragged Liv with her before anyone could get onto her about the level of violence put on display.

"Um, thank you, but you didn't really have to do that," Liv manages as she is dragged into the girl's restroom and the girl appears to bend over checking out each stall.

"Guy had it coming to him. I know his kind, judge others and bring forth his form of bias one way or another. In this case he isn't a fan of your high class status of being well known what for you worked for. Guy hasn't done much with his life, but, given his at home life there is a lot of pressure riding on him."

"I didn't know, but, then again he did dump punch all over me. Ugh, not even sure any of this is going to come out!" She gripped the sink staring at her image.

"Alright take off your clothes," Liv gawked as she looked over realizing that the stranger she just met was removing her dress.

"Hold up, what are you doing, and in here nonetheless?" Liv worried someone might come in and then her night would just get worse.

"I am helping you out, besides, been to one dance been to them all. No need for you to go out there soaking wet from punch and be the center of so much unwanted attention. I can take it and you will get your dress back by the end of the night."

Liv still wasn't sure but then again, no, much as she appreciated the stranger helping her out she couldn't hide what had been done to her. She had to own it. "Thanks, but, I am sticking to this dress. In fact, I may know what I need to do to make things right with my sister and her friend. You can put your dress back on and go and have fun out there."

"You are not what I expected Liv Rooney," the female went to put on her dress once more and headed to the door.

"Hold up…you know my name?" She stared after the female and she opens the door before looking over her shoulder.

"Of course I do. Question is…do you know my name?" She leaves the room before she can even dare to ask what her name was. Then again how would she know her name…she just got back to school this week. Running a hand through her punch soaked hair she would need a bath or shower after this, ugh, she never hated punch as much as she did right now.

Maddie was outside sitting on a bench as night had more or less fallen. There was a slight chill in the air and she had her legs brought up to her as she leaned her head back. Truth was the whole thing with her sister still was eating away at her. Even if Liv had done what she did in a caring fashion it still was impersonal and it hurt her.

How did siblings even come back from such…betrayal? Maddie exhumes a sigh and that is when she hears the door open. Looking back she half expected to find her sister but instead saw Joey.

"Hey," she waves back at him as he goes to join her. "So, not sure you heard but some guy poured some punch on Liv's head."

"Wait what?" Maddie went to stand up feeling like she had missed something while being out here, though; she had mixed feelings about it.

"Look, I know you and Liv aren't exactly on speaking terms, but that is pretty messed up when you think about it. Family is family, sure friends come and go and at times so does romance, but family is true and some say thicker than blood, don't quote me on that. Point is…if we don't got each other's backs, that just sucks cause this world we live in can be sucky at times."

Maddie felt guilt now over what had transpired. True she and Liv got into it over how her romantic life was handled, but, poor Liv. She didn't deserve that.

"I should go and take care of this guy, it was a guy right?" Maddie wasn't afraid to get physical if it came down to it…not that she had ever been part of an altercation before.

"So another thing you might've missed…some girl punched the guy who literally poured punch over Liv's head. I mean that was some punch too, girl was really something. She wound up taking your sister to the bathroom. Whoever that girl was she managed to step in when nobody else would."

Maddie wondered about that…and…somehow she kept thinking of the girl she met. Could it be the same person? Shaking her head she figured it wasn't her but all the same she still hadn't learned her name.

"Thanks for the talk Joey…oh…are you doing ok?" Maddie didn't want her brother out here on his own.

"I'm fine, now go and make things right between you two. I'll be in shortly." Maddie nods her head hoping that she could make things right…even if Liv did wrong, she didn't want her suffering with stained dress and hair.

The dance more or less continued but Liv managed to sneak up onto the stage during set changes and she took a breath. She had given monologues before but this would be a different sort of speech and her dress was still stained red. True it wasn't as worse as Carrie, a movie to this day that haunted her, but, she would rise above it.

Walking out onto the stage all eyes went up to her as she gripped the mike and cleared her throat. "Hi everyone. We having a fun time or what?"

"Get off the stage!" She heard the person but didn't quite see their face. All the same she wouldn't let this get to her.

"I realize how all of you see me. I left for 4 years to pursue acting, became part of this television series, but, what you all don't seem to realize is a lot of one's life is sacrificed. I didn't' attend school like you guys did…I had tutors on set, my only family was that of my Aunt while I had to leave my main family more or less so I mostly got like letters and such. However I am not aiming for pity, no, because the one thing I missed was the bond I had with my sister Maddie.

"I came back and it was like we were on different levels…we had to learn about each other again. Perhaps we may have learned new things about one another, not going too much into that but I learned something and in turn figured I could help my sister through it by doing something she should have, and, in doing so I wound up hurting her and Diggie. I know it was all hyped about but please let him be, there is no need to continue bringing it up but to allow him to find his own way."

Liv waited a beat as she bowed her head. She was far from done and yet she felt like she was making up for what she did to Diggie.

"I should never have done what I did; I should never have played a part that was never mine to begin with. We are each given one life to live and that is the life we are born into, for me, Liv Rooney, that is the life that I have and the one that I cherish. I am not my sister, nor shall I ever be, but I do hope to make amends here tonight…and…here I stand in a punch stained dress, punch in my hair, and while an apology might be just a beginning and might not be accepted outright…I hope we can be sisters again."

Liv waited a beat and while there was some applause she looked to Diggie who more or less nods his head at her.

"LIV!" She turned around spotting her sister as she stood there on the stage. "I'm sorry for what happened to you, and, I suppose I am sorry in part for letting this drag on. We will never stop being sisters Liv, and, I am ready to accept your apology."

The two sisters hug and as the audience claps even louder Liv finally has to let go. "I think you owe Diggie a dance, and if you want my advice, do what you should have done before."

"I am not sure he can take it, but, I'll think about it." The two sisters part and she goes to walk off the stage before she sees him standing there.

"May I have this dance?" Malcolm stood there and Liv looked around thinking he was talking to someone else. "Yes you, so, what do you say?"

"Sure, why not, might as well end this night on a positive," Liv accepted his hand and as they navigated onto the dance floor she felt his hand at the small of her back and her hands went to rest behind his neck. A slow dance song was playing and they sway together.

Maddie was with Diggie as they shared a dance together. Neither of them say much and it is clear there are still some murmurs floating around.

"Hard to believe we are finally together…but…not in the way I imagined it. What about you?" She offers a sad smile as she goes to place her head against his chest.

"I'm sorry for how things went down Diggie. I never meant to hurt you. However you deserve the truth and I have only told this to one other person who has managed to keep it a secret."

"Maddie I have to know," Diggie says not letting go of her. She was comforted by that but she wasn't sure how he would respond.

"I'm not into you Diggie, as you are with me…because I am not straight," she could sense the beating of his heart change and he pulls away from her some but doesn't cease the dance.

"I-I don't follow, huh, hold up…are you telling me that the reason you do not like me the way that I like you…is because you are a lesbian?"

Maddie balks some at his tone but she nods her head as they continue to dance though it is quite clear from his reaction their friendship had just taken a hit.

Maddie looked over as Liv was looking her way as the two of them dance with the two males. It seemed they had patched things up with their family but even as the night dragged on…things would only continue to become complicated.

Authors note: As the evening pans out and the two sisters patch things up…the future continues to remain uncertain. Next chapter we skip ahead a little bit and take it from there.