Hey guys! I think my period of writer's block is finally over, yay! And this is even better news: I have a pretty long chapter for you guys, so I really hope you guys enjoy! :) This is the chapter where Ash finally reveals the truth to Dawn!
Trust.
A strong emotion.
An emotion that lets you have the confidence and the belief that they wouldn't let you down when you most need them. Trust is faith; faith is reliance; reliance is belief. It means you feel safe and secure with a person physically and emotionally. Trust is fragile. It's something that builds up over a period of time between two people in a relationship, or that can break down easily in a matter of seconds.
My trust had been broken before. And along with my trust, it had somewhat broken me as an individual. But during that hardship, it made me realize something; trust is also a choice. It's something that I can choose to build up with another person; a person who I knew would never betray me.
And that person was Ash.
No matter how arrogant, immature and cocky he was, he had definitely earned my trust. He had been there for me in my time of need, and he'd never hurt me. He was always sensitive to my problems, worries and fears. I know he genuinely cares about me and he would never harm me.
Which is why, whatever Ash was about to tell me, I would be strong. I would let him trust me as much as I do in him.
We were sitting out on the patio, and Ash was sitting next to me, his body still. It was almost five in the evening; a bright red and orange hue of colours were present in the sky. Ash interlocked his fingers with mine, and when he turned to look at me with those mesmerizing chocolate brown eyes, I knew he was ready.
He was ready to answer all my questions, and to clear all the confusions I had about him in the past. He'd tell me everything.
"Before I start, I want you to promise that you won't think any different of me than you do now. You could get mad at me, yell at me or whatever, but just know I'm the same person you know now and I always will be," he said. My lips lifted up in a small smile and to give him my word, I lightly pressed my lips on his right cheek.
Ash exhaled, his warm breath tickling the side of my face a bit. He pressed his lips into a thin line. "You've been wanting to know about Serena and my past ever since you met me, right?" I could only nod to answer his question, and I didn't want to interrupt him. "I've never told anyone about this, not even Drew and Gary. Not even my mom knows. That's how much I trust you."
I urged him to continue, and after a few seconds of hesitation, he did. "It may sound hard to believe, but when I first met Serena, she was this down to earth girl; she was always so nice and cheerful. She was beautiful-outside and inside." It was hard to believe him at first, but I couldn't judge so quickly. "And I really liked her when we started to date in sophomore year."
"When we were dating, everything seemed fine...actually, I thought everything was perfect. I thought I finally found the one. I thought I was actually complete with Serena," he said, biting his lip. "But one day, something...changed. Something happened that made me realize that Serena and I weren't really meant for each other."
I noticed his hand gripping tighter onto my knuckles, and I suspected it was time for the climax. "One day, Serena and I went to a high school party during the end of sophomore year," he stopped himself, and looked away from me for a few seconds. My other hand caressed his cheek, and his head was directed towards me again. My eyes urged him to continue, "It was...kind of a wild party. I was drinking with the guys, and yeah I know it was underage drinking, but I didn't really care. The point is, I was drinking with the guys, and I had a couple drinks too many."
I think I had an idea of where this was going; my heart was clenching with fear, but I listened to his words as he continued. "Things got out of control that night. Serena had been drinking too; I was kind of surprised...I never thought she was the type to drink. But then my hormones took control and I thought it was kind of hot," he admitted with a bit of disgust. He exhaled before saying, "We were so drunk that time, that we went upstairs to find a room and..." he shook his head, sighing. "I can't even finish what I'm going to say."
"...You slept with her."
Ash's eyes looked full or regret. "Yes," he spoke softly. I could feel my heart clench. "But that's not even the bad part yet." My lips parted with a bit of surprise. "One day, Serena came to my place and showed me a pregnancy test." I gasped. "And...it was positive." My eyes widened. I couldn't believe it. "Serena was pregnant with my child. I was going to be a dad at the age of sixteen."
Serena had been pregnant. With Ash's child. Then, I suddenly noticed he was talking in the past tense. "Wait, you were going to be a dad?" Did that mean that...?
"I thought you were going to ask that," he said with a small half-hearted smile. "But, let me tell you that when Serena found out that she was pregnant, thats when her demeanor changed entirely. She wasn't the person I once knew before. She had changed from a nice, cheerful girl to a nasty cold bitch. She blamed me for getting her pregnant, because I hadn't used protection that night. She didn't like the idea of being a mother at a young age. I know it was my fault, even if I was drunk."
"So...what happened to the child?" I asked.
Ash replied, "Serena fell down one day, and she had a miscarriage." I frowned hearing that. No matter how much I was against teenage pregnancy, and the fact that Ash was nearly going to be a dad, Ash's child had surely deserved better. "Then things got worse. Serena turned even colder and ruthless. She was completely obsessed with me, also. She didn't like the idea of me with anybody else except her. If she saw me talking to another girl, she'd lose it."
Everything Ash was explaining about Serena was all coming together now. This was the reason Serena was a bitch. And that was also why Serena never liked me.
"Then, she started to threaten me."
My heart skipped a beat hearing that. "I'm so sorry," I said.
"The legal age of having sex is eighteen here. That goes for underage drinking as well. Serena keeps threatening me that she'd report me to the police if she'd ever find out that I'm with another girl. That's why I couldn't be seen with you in front of Serena."
My jaw dropped. I couldn't believe that Serena was threatening Ash. I couldn't believe that Ash had been through so much. "Oh, Ash, I am soooo sorry. I didn't know that you've been through all of this."
He shook his head. "Don't be. It's my fault," I was about to protest but he continued. "I was scared of going to jail, because all the odds are against me. Serena has proof, even if the baby's gone. She still has the pregnancy test; she can report it anytime. But one day, I saw her mingling with other guys and if the guy wouldn't go out with her, she'd pay them to."
Just like Clemont.
"That's when I had enough. I couldn't take it anymore, and I needed a break from her. That's when you came to Unova High," he said, looking directly in my eyes. "I knew there was something different about you the moment you challenged to beat me in the dancing competition. I didn't care about her threats anymore, I just wanted to be free. And I knew you'd be worth it."
I smiled, letting a tear drip onto my cheek. My lips quivered a bit. "So you don't care that Serena's found out we're dating now?"
Ash shook his head. "I never did. But I was scared what she'd do to you. She already hurt you so much, I just couldn't risk it..."
"Ash," I said, "this is bad. You...you could to jail. I might lose you," I said, more tears falling from my eyes. Ash wiped my tears way with his free hand, and cupped my face. "I didn't know you were going through almost the same thing as me." He only frowned. "What are we going to do?"
He looked at me quizzically. "You're not mad at me?" he asked, letting go of my face.
I shook my head. "I promised you that I would never change the way I look at you. Ash, your past does not define who you are. And what I know is that you're a guy who's sweet, funny, charming, and one that could never hurt anybody. And we're all human; we all make mistakes. You helped me when I made a mistake; now it's my turn to help you."
Ash sighed with relief. "I knew you were worth it. Arceus, I love you," he said, bringing his arms around my waist to hug me tightly. I easily returned the hug, sighing into his shoulder.
Now that Ash had finally revealed everything, it was time to think about what would happen in the future. The fear of losing him was almost breaking me apart, but I knew I had to pull it through if I wanted to help him.
"Goodnight Unovaaaa!" Marion screamed into the mic, resulting in the audience cheering out loud. "We are back with the second round of the competition! In this round, the contestants were paired up together randomly and assigned a specific type of dance to perform. This time, the contestants will be judged on how well you synchronize with your partner, and how well you work together."
The second round of the competition had reached sooner than I had anticipated. Ash and I had barely enough time to perfect our moves, and we were still a bit rusty. Though, we couldn't exactly be blamed. Over the weekend, we were discussing what to do next and who to go to for help. I had suggested to talk to Officer David, however Ash was against the idea, because he assumed he'd be jailed if he revealed everything to a police officer.
I was currently at crossroads; just like before. I didn't know what to do or who to go to.
And today, it appeared that this dancing competition became the least of my worries.
I was currently backstage, consumed by my thoughts. A hand was placed against my shoulder and I turned around to face Ash. "Oh, hey," I said, lightly smiling.
He noticed my dull demeanor and frowned. "What's wrong?"
I sighed. "Ash, we're gonna do awful out there. We haven't been able to practice much, and we haven't perfected our moves because our head wasn't in the dance. We could lose-"
Ash cut me off, "Is this really the same Dawn that I met a couple of months ago? C'mon, you're better than that. Where's the Dawn that is so dedicated to winning this competition? Where's the Dawn that's determined to show everyone what she's got?" He placed his other free hand on my other shoulder and gazed at me. "I know we haven't been practicing much, but sometimes it's better to just let loose and have fun without a dance routine."
I eyed him, raising an eyebrow. "Ash, we can't just go out there and dance when we haven't practiced much for our dance routine. How are we going to be in sync when we haven't practiced? It's impossible!" I exclaimed.
"Dawn, half of my moves are made up on the spot. I don't really have a routine all the time. Sometimes, you just gotta go with the flow, y'know?"
"Yeah, Dawn," I heard May's voice behind me, and Ash turned around to look at May as she approached the two of us. "You better go out there and dance like nobody's watching-which by the way is a song that's an inspiration to all us dancers," she giggled. "You're not gonna forfeit are you? It's only the second round, and besides if you're going to lose, I think it'd be more fair that you lose based on your moves, not because you won't go on stage due to lack of practice."
Ash turned to me again. "Your bestie's right y'know," he said.
My lips quirked into a small smile, and I nodded. "I know; you guys are right," I said and then I took Ash's hand. "We can do this, because we make an amazing team."
He smiled. "Always," he said before kissing me.
The intercom broke us apart as Marion spoke again. "Before we get started tonight, I'd like to let the contestants know that the judges are going to be eliminating two instead of one contestant. So, as partners, make sure you do your best, because even a couple mistakes from your partner can make you lose."
"Well, talk about no pressure," Misty said sarcastically as she approached us. May gawked at her. "Hey, May," she said sheepishly. Zoey approached us as well and greeted us.
"Oh, girl, you scared me! I thought you were gonna be late and I would have to dance without a partner!" May cried.
"Sorry," the carrot-top said, "traffic was really a killer. There are a lot of people going to this event apparently, which is kind of surprising considering this is a school event."
"It's the biggest event every year," Ash said, "even if it is a school event."
"Hey, Zoey, where's your partner?" I asked, noticing she was alone.
Zoey blinked. "Oh, he'll be here soon, he told me he's stuck in traffic."
A couple minutes passed by and soon enough, Drew and Gary joined us and the boys started to kill time talking to each other. The two guys were dressed in matching black tuxes, with a red bow tie clipped onto their shirts. A black top hat was sitting on both of their heads. Drew and Gary were apparently a bit embarrassed to perform tonight, but I think I was speaking for everyone when I mentioned that I was looking forward to their dance tonight.
"Thank you for being such so loving and patient everyone," Marion said, gathering everyone's attention. "I hope you all are ready for these contestants, so enjoy the show! Up first, we have Drew and Gary!"
"Good luck you two," May said to the duo. Ash and I smirked.
Drew cringed. "Let's just get this over with," he said for both him and Gary, who also grimaced a little before following the chartreuse male on stage. Zoey couldn't help but to escape a few laughs.
The group and I watched through the television screen above us. The curtains pulled up, and a spotlight was put on the two of them as they came into view. A loud cheer was being echoed from the audience. Drew smirked. "Dang, we haven't even started dancing and they already love us," he said arrogantly.
"I hope they still love us after this performance," Gary said, chuckling.
The two boys were spread apart from each other, Gary on the left and Drew on the right. A spotlight was put on Drew for a minimum of three seconds before he jumped and started tapping against the stage rhythmically. His arms and feet were moving in sync with the tapping of his foot. He spun around, and simultaneously, a spotlight was placed on Gary as he also tapped against his foot and spun around. Drew froze in place after, leaving Gary to tap for a few seconds.
The two of them joined together, tapping, first with their right foot, and then with with their left. They moved a bit closer to each other, and then switched sides, while they they lifted their hats and threw it to each other, landing on both of their hands exactly on the same time. This got the audience to roar with amazement, and I was pretty sure I was shell-shocked so far.
They both tapped again, and jumped right into each other, as they chest bumped each other, their feet landing together in sync, and that was when the rhythm of the tap changed entirely. Their feet started to tap against the stage in a faster motion; they were constantly switching their feet and crossing their knees. They both spun around and walked away for a bit, their back facing the audience. They moonwalked away from each other, while lifting their hats again, turned around and moonwalked back to each other, putting their hats back on again.
Drew was tapping again, and Gary was behind him, as he lifted himself and jumped over Gary and landed in front of him, as they continued tapping. Drew kneeled down while Gary spun around, one of his leg spinning in the air directly above Drew. Drew then stood up again, and the performance ended when the two boys striked poses with their arms pointing towards the audience.
The audience was silent. Nothing could be heard. Everyone was in absolute shock.
My jaw had dropped. To think they would be embarrassed by this? They had blown the audience away, and after a few more seconds, an ear-splitting scream was heard from the audience as they immediately stood up and clapped for the two guys. I looked at everyone's reactions and everyone was grinning in excitement.
"Told you they'd continue to love us," Drew said smugly and blew a kiss towards the audience. "Thank you everyone!"
"You guys were awesome tonight, thanks for showing us your support," Gary spoke before the two of us began to leave the stage.
"Gary! We love you!"
"Marry me, Drew!"
There were a few screaming fan girls that could be heard from the audience and I giggled. "Oh hell no, they better stay away from my man!" May exclaimed with disgust. Ash and I chuckled at May's reaction.
The two guys came into view. May approached Drew and hugged him tightly. "Drew, you were so awesome! Oh my Arceus, I couldn't believe my eyes, you two are golden!" she said before releasing him. Drew chuckled, while Gary smiled.
"Thanks, May," Gary said.
"I'm very impressed," Zoey admitted.
I nodded. "Yeah, I'm pretty sure my jaw was dropped the whole time. How could you two be embarrassed by this? You were amazing!" I exclaimed.
Drew replied, "Well because we haven't done tap dance before. Also...some people think tap dance is gay," he said. I rolled my eyes, but smiled. Seeing their performance right now made me pumped up.
I took Ash's hand in mine. "You and I are gonna do better. I mean, I don't know how, but we're gonna kill it." Ash smiled in response.
"That was one heck of a performance by Gary and Drew. They absolutely killed it tonight, right guys?" Marion asked before the audience cheered again. "Okay, well fortunately we have more for you guys coming up. Up next is, May and Misty!" She said before the curtains were pulled up. I was pretty excited to see their hip-hop performance.
The performance commenced when May entered from the left side, skipping while clapping, not deviating her eyes from the audience as she reached the midst of the stage. Misty entered from the right side, repeating May's dance moves until they were both at the center of the stage, striking poses. They quickly switched sides, and then they both put their hands on their hips and started to pump their chest repeatedly to the music. Misty bent her knees forward, and May cartwheeled as Misty held her legs while they were in mid-air, to help the brunette do a perfect landing beside Misty.
The duo then held their arms above their heads almost in a 'W' position, and then jumped to the beat of the music, their legs in a standing position now. Both girls spun around and pumped their chest again, and fell onto their knees. Their bodies were then faced towards the audience as they lied down sideways. Both of them crossed a left knee onto their right one. They then sat cross-legged, and pushed their body upward as they stood up straight again.
Now their knees were spreading from left to right as the duo shook their hips, as they flailed their arms into the air. Misty then bent her body backwards until her back was almost touching the stage, but there was enough space for May to roll herself in the front of Misty and stand up straight. Misty then stood up, and was now behind May. The brunette then pointed her arm towards the right while Misty did the same, but to the left, as they spun around to their respective spots.
Their performance ended when Misty placed two of her hands on her right hip and May sat down on the stage, and placed one of her hands on her right knee. They both had matching grins on their faces when they received a generous amount of applause from the audience.
The two girls returned backstage and I returned a grin as I ran up to hug them both. "You two were amazing! You totally killed it out there!" I exclaimed in happiness.
"Yeah your moves are pretty sick." Ash added.
"Thanks, guys!" May giggled, while Misty smiled in response. Drew, who was behind me, walked up to May.
"Man, I have serious competition with my girlfriend," he said, chuckling. May then punched his chest playfully and hugged him tightly.
Gary walked up to the duo and said, "I have to admit, you two were pretty sensational. You guys are the bomb." He looked at Misty, who just rolled her eyes but also smiled in response.
"Come on, come on, pick up already!" I heard Zoey mutter as she paced around, with her cell phone in her ear. "I swear if this little piece of shit doesn't answer soon-"
"What's wrong, Zoey?" I asked worriedly.
The red-head looked at me and responded, "Micheal! He hasn't shown up yet! And we're going to be dancing next! What am I going to-"
"What a wonderful performance from May and Misty! This night just keeps getting better and better. Hopefully we keep you guys entertained with our next performance! Zoey and Micheal!" Marian exclaimed, cutting Zoey off.
Zoey's eyes widened with disbelief. "Oh no, what's gonna happen?" she bit her lip worriedly.
I put my hand on her shoulder. "Forget Micheal. You're here. You can just dance by yourself. I mean yeah this is a duo performance, but if I were you, I'd worry more about nobody being there on stage than to just wait around for my partner when he's not going to show up."
Zoey sighed. "Yeah, I guess," she said, smiling. "Wish me luck guys!" she yelled before exiting backstage.
When Zoey approached the stage, she asked for the mic from Marion, who was happy to give it to her. "Hey everyone," she said to the audience, and then she cleared her throat. "Well, I'm not going to be performing with Micheal, since he couldn't even bother to show up. But that doesn't mean I'm still not going to do my performance, which I worked really hard for. So, I hope you guys enjoy my solo robotics performance," she said, and then returned the mic back to Marion.
A series of cheers were heard when the spotlight was put on Zoey, as she spread her arms in the air. Her body was absolutely stiff. Her arms then moved robotic-ally in a circular motion. Her whole body vibrated from her toes to her head, to the fast beat of the music. Her chest moved left to right, right to left, repeatedly. She then pointed her arm to the right, as her arm then vibrated to her chest and then to her right leg. Her two legs then vibrated upwards towards her chest, and she stretched her arms forward.
She then turned her body to the left and lifted her leg backwards, and lifted it forward, while vibrating her two arms with her leg. Her leg was brought down to the stage, and she bent her knees forward a little and turned her body to the right. Her arms were brought up and down in a motioning manner; it was something so phenomenal.
The performance ended when she brought her two arms in the air, smiling at the audience. I could tell she was proud of her dance, and at that moment, it looked like she didn't even care about her partner anymore.
"Okay, ladies and gentlemen, it's time for our last performance of the night! And I think I'm speaking for everyone when I say this; it's the one we've all been waiting for. Please welcome: The dancin legend, otherwise known as Ash Ketchum and his partner, Dawn Berlitz!"
Ash and I walked towards the stage, and I looked towards the audience for a bit. I saw my mom, who was waving at me, and I returned it, grinning. Then my eyes fell towards a familiar head of honey blonde hair. Serena was currently walking down the aisle and she took one of the vacant seats. She then caught my stare, and I almost flinched. "Hey, Ash?" I whispered.
"Yeah?" he responded, looking at me.
"Serena's in the audience," I said.
He quirked an eyebrow, and looked at the audience when he found her. He then looked at me. "Yeah, we did kinda invite her," he said. I frowned. Now that Serena knew we were a couple..."Hey, relax, let's just let loose and dance for now," he said.
I nodded before we were in position. Ash was currently in front of me, as we were faced towards the left. Sure, we hadn't really practiced much, but I had a general idea of the moves and plus if there was anything that I was taught in dance club, its that if you've forgotten a move, it's best to improvise. Our dance started when I placed my hands around Ash's waist from behind. Ash grabbed my hand and threw it off, as our hands both pointed towards the right.
I spun around to face him, but he had his back turned against me, as I placed my hands on the length of his arms. Ash kneeled down as I got on his back, and he stood straight again and used his right arm to flip me swiftly in mid-air before placing me on the ground. Then, he held my left arm, as I tilted my body to the right, creating a pretty good curve. I spun to the left while Ash walked towards the right, while I dramatically fell to the floor, as Ash jumped while doing a little a spin in the air before he fell to his feet.
I stood up and Ash placed his hand around my waist, and then I spun behind him and lifted my leg onto his lower back, and he sprawled to the floor. I jumped over his body and did a twirl before landing on top of him. We rolled against each other twice before we stood up again. He looked at me quizzically; it was time for the lift. At this point, I didn't care if I was going to mess up. I was currently in the groove with Ash, and I had a feeling he was too.
He lifted me from my waist, and I felt my legs flair into the air, my eyes clenching shut for just a split second, before my feet were on the ground again. I silently squealed, because the landing was executed perfectly. I could see Ash smiling, as well as we spun around again. We were now drawn towards each other, and I lifted my left leg as he raised it a bit and I jumped into his arms. My toes pointed towards the air before he brought me down to my feet again, but his hand was still placed around my waist as he dipped me a bit lower.
He brought me up slowly, his face on my shoulder, until Ash ran towards the left side of the stage, and we flailed our arms together as we spun around in sync. I don't know what I was doing at the moment, but I ran towards him, and he lifted me, my feet pointing towards the left. One of my legs crossed over his head and was now on his shoulder, till he slowly fell to the floor and he separated himself from my legs. He was sprawled to the floor again and I flipped to reach above him. My left leg moved to the left, as his body did the same below me to match the movements. Then I jumped across his body to the right and bent my body, as my arms touched the floor.
I lifted my body again, and spread my arm down so he could hold it, and we were close to each other again. He spun me around to the left, then he held the two of my arms and my leg lifted in the cage of arms, as I bent backwards. He let go of my arm, and I brought my leg to the left, putting it down. I spun around with one leg, while the other was on my knee, as Ash moved and jumped majestically in the air. Then I ran towards him yet again, and this time he lifted me in the air, as we spun around together, with my arms high in the air.
He brought me down, and we both fell to the floor dramatically, facing each other, as we stretched our arms out to each other, our hands not touching. We didn't have an ending when we practiced, but I think this right here was our ending.
Ash and I were looking into each other's eyes with so much passion, we didn't realize that the audience was screaming over our performance. I grinned, and then we both stood up to our feet, as I waved the audience. My mom was actually standing for me and cheering, and I almost cried. Then, I accidentally eyed Serena, who was glaring at me. Ash took my hand, bringing my face to his. "You were awesome," he breathed.
I stifled a small giggle. He had no idea how starstruck I was after his performance. My dance was nothing compared to his. But, together, we were a burning flame. We were a dancing sensation. "So were you," I said lamely.
All the performances were now over, and now all of us were currently waiting in the backstage for the results. A pair would be eliminated today, and based on today's performances, I could tell it was going to be a really tough decision. I was waiting until I saw my mom appear in front of us. "Mom!" I got up from where I was sitting and approached her.
She was smiling. I could tell she was proud of me. "Honey, you were so...beautiful out there. I've seen your dancing out there, but you guys were...sensational," she said. My smile widened, if that was possible. "You are incredibly talented, Dawn, and I'm so lucky to have a daughter like you."
I sighed happily and hugged her. "Thank you, mom. That means a lot," I said. I saw Ash in front of me, and he walked up to us. My mom let go and then turned around to face Ash.
"I'm glad you liked our performance," he said, looking at my mom.
Johanna smiled. "I loved it. I could tell that my daughter is really happy with you. And if she's happy, then I'm happy." My heart warmed at her words. "So, if you ever hurt her, nobody's going to be worse than me, Ash," she added.
I rolled my eyes and Ash chuckled. "I wouldn't even dream of hurting Dawn." My mother smiled in response, and so did I.
"David saw the performance too," my mom said, looking at me.
I gasped. "He...came to see me dance?"
She nodded. "Yes. And he was telling me how much he loved your dance. He's really impressed with your dancing, dear. But, he couldn't stay for the show, because he had to go back to work." The thought of David taking time off of work to watch me perform, was really touching. I was glad that he came out to support me.
I smiled. "That's great."
"And the results are out! We kindly call all contestants to the stage, please, as we will reveal which pair is going to be eliminated tonight," Marion said. My mom wished us luck before she headed out back to her seat in the audience. Ash and I, along with the rest of the dance members walked out on stage.
The tension was pretty thick. Dramatic lighting was placed on all of us, and one of the judges spoke. "Contestants, you were all wonderful today. Tonight's dance taught you about synchronization, coordination, and how well you connect with your partner. And all of you were simply phenomenal. In fact, you guys were so great, that we were having a hard time figuring out which pair to eliminate tonight."
"After various discussions with the rest of the judges however, we have decided who will be eliminated tonight," he said. "And to know who's going to be eliminated, we're going to tell the each of you if you're going to be moving on to the next round."
The lights were dancing around us for a few seconds, and I could hear a drum-roll for dramatic effect. The lights landed on Misty and May first. "Misty and May," the judge said, pausing for a while. The two looked at him apprehensively. But then he smiled. "Of course you two made it to the next round!" The two girls squealed in response and hugged each other, before descending down the stairs. I was really happy for the both of them.
Then, the lights flickered until it landed on Drew and Gary. "Drew and Gary. Please, is that even a question? You two made it," he said and the two guys fist-bumped each other and walked away smoothly. I rolled my eyes at their immaturity.
Now I realized with Zoey standing beside Ash and I, that one of us was going to be eliminated. My heart was beating nervously at the thought. What if we were going to be eliminated? Ash, noticing my behavior, placed a hand on my shoulder.
The lights danced again for a good while. I looked at my mom, in the audience, who had a look of worry on her face, and I glanced at Serena, who just had a neutral expression. Then, my eyes widened when the spotlight landed on Zoey. "Zoey," the judge began, "All the three of us agreed today that you were foolproof out there. You have a lot of talent, and if there is something you taught us today, its that, no matter what, the show must go on. You showed us that you could perform without your partner, because dancing is in your blood."
I frowned in disappointment. I guess Ash and I lost. They were just too good for us. "But, unfortunately," he said. My eyes widened with curiosity as he continued, "as per to the rules of this round, you would have had to perform with Micheal to be able to qualify to the next round." The red-head nodded in understanding. "I'm sorry, you've been eliminated."
"Which means that Ash and Dawn are going to the next round!" A spotlight was placed on us, and I was so elated that I looked at Ash and grabbed the sides of his face before kissing him. I felt Ash stumble backwards a bit, before he kissed me back. "And, I guess that's a nice way to celebrate," I heard the judge chuckle. We pulled back and had matching grins on our faces.
Before we walked down the stage, I looked at Serena, who basically had daggers directed towards me.
Everyone was sending each other congratulations, and I walked up to Zoey, who was currently checking her bag. "Hey, Zoey."
The redhead looked up at me. "Hey," she said with a smile, "Congratulations, Dawn. You and Ash deserve it."
"Yeah, thanks," I said, returning the smile. But then I frowned. "I'm sorry you got eliminated."
She let out a small chuckle. "Dawn, I'm fine. I entered this competition to have fun, not to compete and necessarily win. But hey, that's always a bonus," she said jokingly and I laughed. "It was a lot of fun, just like every other year. And besides, if there is anyone who deserves to win, its you."
"You really think so?"
"I know so," she said, "Well, I gotta go. My mom's waiting for me." I nodded in understanding before I waved to her, and she walked away.
I sighed with satisfaction, and then turned around to face Serena. My eyes widened with a bit of shock. Was she behind me the whole time? My nervousness escalated when she walked a bit closer to me. "You know, when I first told that you two were a couple, I didn't believe it," she started. "And why didn't I believe it? Because the Dawn that I know, or knew back then despised Ash. In fact, she told me that she had nothing to do with Ash, and that she wasn't after my boyfriend."
"Serena, look-"
"I'm not finished yet!" she cut me off. "And since those were your words, I actually thought that you were telling the truth. But, I was still a bit skeptical. After all, you two sharing some classes, being neighbors, being dance partners...coincidence? Hell no! I knew something was up between the two of you. And when you two decided to invite me to your little dance competition to show off, I didn't want to come at first. But I did, and I'm so grateful I did."
"Now everyone knows you're a couple; even me. And I hope you know the consequences for that, Dawn. I told you to stay away from him, but you didn't listen," she said, her intimidating voice making me small. "Your little game is over, Dawn. And I hope you had fun tonight, because starting tomorrow..." she trailed off.
"What?" I questioned.
She stepped back a little. "Tomorrow, you're going to regret not listening to me," she said before walking away from me.
Oh, yes, now this is a chapter. What do you guys think? A lot happened in this chapter, and it's going to get better later on! Though, I can't say when I'll update again, but in case I don't update before Christmas, I'd just like to wish you guys a Merry Christmas and a happy new year!
Leave a review telling me your thoughts below!
See you guys next time. :)