III: Bang Bang

Get your shine on
'Cause you and me will be rockin' all night long
Summer sky dripping rhinestones,
Turn your party lights on,
Baby get your shine on - shine on!

Baby, get your shine on!

The ringtone started to repeat for the third time as Kayleigh's hand shot out from under the large burgundy duvet on her bed and started feeling around her nightstand trying to find the phone that was making the sleep-offending noise when it was obviously much to early in the morning. She already knew who was calling, the ringtone told her as much. And even though her and Bryan were friends, she was going to have to revoke his friendship if he insisted on calling her at…

"It's six in the morning, Bryan," she groaned, into the phone when she answered it, "This better be an emergency or I might just have to kill you…" Kayleigh heard the familiar chuckle of her ex-husband on the phone as she lay back down against her pillows.

"Well, aren't you just a ball of sunshine in the morning," Bryan joked, causing Kayleigh to groan at how cheery he sounded.

"Bryan, I'm going to hang up if you-"

"You might want to check out the headlines," Bryan interrupted before she could finish her threat, "It seems like your little all-day outing with that dancer you like from that reality show made front page news." Kayleigh tried to run her manicured nails through her tangled hair, groaning at what she knew those headlines were trying to imply.

"Bri, I swear, whatever those headlines are saying, it isn't tru-"

"I know," Bryan assured her over the phone, his voice ringing in her ears, "We may not be together anymore, but we were together for five years, Kay, I know how you feel about cheating and I know that you would have never done that." Kayleigh smiled, as she listened to him. There was no denying it; she and Bryan had come to a mutual understanding when it came to those malicious headlines. The media just couldn't accept the fact that it was going to be a friendly Hollywood divorce, so they were trying to come up with almost anything to try to put them against one another and make it look like her and Bryan had deep dark secrets that they had been hiding from one another. It was the opposite though, if there was anyone who knew her better than Alexandra and Jenn, besides her own family, it was Bryan and visa versa.

"So, he's your partner for Dancing with the Stars," Bryan asked, as Kayleigh slowly left the warmth of her bed to walk into her closet, "You've got be ecstatic."

"No doubt about it," she joked, as she searched through the drawers, trying to find something comfortable for what she was sure going to be a full day of learning and dancing, "I also heard that we're going to be doing the Morning show together later this week to prove that this is completely and utterly mutual."

"Or we're just going to be starting rumors that you and I can't live without one another now that we're divorced," Bryan joked, "But, yeah, T-Hubb and I just found out about the Morning Show this morning."

"This morning," Kayleigh asked, as she pulled out a few of our work-out clothes, "What time were the two of you up?"

"Never went to sleep actually…"

"I never understood how you and Ty did that," she commented, "I need my sleep thank you very much."

"Tell me about it," Bryan chuckled, "I'm never making that mistake again." The former married couple laughed together, until they were interrupted by a knock on Kayleigh's bedroom door. Wrapping her silk robe around her, Kayleigh walked over to the door and opened it to see Derek very much awake and waiting for her. Bidding Bryan farewell, she indicated to Derek that she only needed a few more minutes before she would be ready for their long day of rehearsal.

"So, you never told me what our first dance was going to be," Kayleigh mentioned, as she walked out of her room a few minutes later.

"Oh, I thought I did," he answered, once he looked the singer up and down, appreciating how well she filled out her work-out clothes, "We're doing the jive."

"Jive, huh, don't have much experience with that."

"That's okay," Derek chuckled, "That's why I'm here." The pair laughed, as Kayleigh led them towards the kitchen. She always found that she worked and concentrated much longer when she had something to eat in the mornings. It wasn't always possible with her schedule and the way she liked to get as much rest as possible, but any fan that had been with her since the beginning could tell the difference.

"Now, I know you probably don't want to eat a whole lot since we'll be jumping up and down all day, so..." Kayleigh started, before walking into the pantry, and walking back out, "So, I guess it's a good thing I have a few boxes of cereal. The only thing is I don't know if I have any milk. Jenn does all my grocery shopping, but I don't know if she has done anything lately."

"Haven't been spending a whole lot of time at home lately," Derek asked, as Kayleigh laid the boxes of cereal down in front him. She turned to open the fridge with a shake of her head.

"I flew into Pearson three days ago and spent a little time with my family up until yesterday. I was down in Florida last week packing up a few of my things," she explained, "And then before that I was in Paris, London, Ottawa, Edmonton and Vancouver for a couple of talk shows and signings, so no, I haven't been spending a whole lot of time at home." Derek nodded, but noted the hint of sadness in her voice. He could already tell that she wanted to spend a little bit more time with her family, but due to how her schedule was, she was barely able to that except for a few days here and there.

"You're one very busy woman," Derek said, as she handed him a carton of milk that looked to be brand new.

"It's the only way I've ever known," Kayleigh answered with a shrug as she got a couple of bowls and spoons out of the cupboards and drawers. The pair sat in silence as they filled their bowls with their choice of breakfast cereal. It was a comfortable silence though. It wasn't often that two people, who had been complete strangers up until almost twenty-four hours previous, could sit in complete silence and be okay with that.

"So," Kayleigh started, as she stirred her cereal around, "With the exception of Friday morning, we have the entire week to choreograph our Jive and then I guess we can perfect it afterwards."

"What's happening, Friday," Derek asked, looking at the singer curiously.

"I have to make an appearance on the Morning Show with Florida Georgia Line," she explained, "You're welcome to join me if you like, especially considering you're now being dragged into my divorce thanks to the media." Derek chocked on his cereal, as he shot his head up to look at Kayleigh. The brunette had a sheepish, slightly guilty look on her face.

"And why is that," Derek asked, once he finished coughing.

"Our little outing yesterday made a few headlines this morning," she explained, "They're implying that you may or may not be the reason that Bryan and I got divorced." Derek gawked at her, running his hands through his hair.

"Derek, I'm sorry, I really should have thought about what could have happ-"

"It's okay," Derek cut her off, "You didn't know this was going to happen. Does Bryan know that the headlines aren't true?"

"He's the one that told me about them," she explained, "He called this morning to give me a bit of head's up, but don't worry; Bryan and I will take care of it in our own little messed up way. When we're on the Morning Show, they'll ask us and we'll deny it, like we do everything else they come up with and then when they announce the cast for Dancing with the Stars, everyone will forget that the rumors ever even happened." Derek nodded. He could still tell that Kayleigh felt guilty for dragging him into it, but she couldn't have known what they were going to make of it.

"Alright, I guess I'll just have to put up with being the so-called other man until Friday," Derek joked, causing the two to descend into laughter once more. Kayleigh shook her head as she laughed. How did she get so lucky to have a dance partner like him?

"Okay," Derek said, leaning against the mirror as he and Kayleigh took a break, "You've got the basics down, so I can start choreographing our routine." Kayleigh nodded as she sipped at the water bottle in her hands. They had been working on technique for the past couple of hours, trying to make it as good as possible for someone who hadn't been training in ballroom for years.

"Okay, do you have anything in mind," she asked, as she leaned against the mirror beside him. Derek shook his head.

"I don't even know what song they gave us yet," he told her, going over to a bag that he had brought down with them, "I thought we could listen to it for the first time together." Kayleigh nodded and walked over to the sound system that she had, had installed when she had remodelled the studio a couple of months ago. Derek loaded the CD and they both waited for a minute before music filled the air.

She got a body like an hourglass
But, I can give it to you all the time
She got a booty like a Cadillac
But, I can send you into overdrive, oh

You've been waiting for that, stop, hold up, swing your bat
See anybody could be bad to you,
You need a good girl to blow your mind, yeah

Bang, bang into the room (I know you want it)
Bang, bang all over you (I'll let you have it)…

Kayleigh couldn't help it. The moment she heard her own voice fill the room, she started laughing. And as soon as the sound of her laughter filled the air, Derek's joined. Out of all the songs that the producers could have given them, they had to give her and Derek that one.

"My little brother is going to have a heart attack," Kayleigh commented, as her laughter started dying down.

"Aren't you worried about your father," Derek asked, looking at the brunette in pure confusion. Kayleigh shook her head as she tried doing some of the moves that he had just showed her how to do.

"Nope," Kayleigh continued, as she started to throw in a bit of her own style into the moves, "I was married, Derek, my father has no delusions about me anymore if he ever had any. My little brother on the other hand, when he first heard this song, I had been married to Bryan for six months and he voiced very loudly how much he absolutely hated it."

"Luke didn't like Bryan," Derek asked, showing just how much of a fan he was of hers.

"Oh no, he loved him," Kayleigh clarified, "He just hated what the song implies and pretty much outright says." Derek just shook his head. Of course, her little brother would have a problem with some of the lyrics, but had no problem at all singing them in his own songs. Kayleigh was still practicing a few of the moves when Derek decided to ask about Luke and the rest of his band.

"Is he accompanying you on your latest tour," Derek asked, as the song continued to play, "I know he and the rest of the band released an EP earlier this year-"

"Yeah, they'll be joining me for the North American leg," she said, as she grabbed Derek by his hand and pulled him into practicing the moves with her, "Mom wants him to finish high school like I did. Personally, I think that won't happen."

"Why don't you think that it's going to happen?"

"I know my brother," Kayleigh shrugged, as she and Derek started to do some of the tougher moves that he had shown her, "School isn't his…his forte. The music program basically sucks and that's what he wants to do in life, I can't fault him for wanting to follow his dream when I'm doing exactly that." Derek nodded, he could tell how much her familial relationship with Luke meant to her.

"The band sounds really good though," Derek complimented, pausing in his movements, "Did you give them any advice?"

"If you feel that a song should be on the album or the EP, fight for it," Kayleigh answered, as she watched Derek try and work on a sequence, "They spent so many nights and weekends sitting in my parents garage-"

"Is that the same garage that you used when you first started," Derek asked, as he made to take a step, but decided against it. Kayleigh nodded, her ponytail falling into her face as she did.

"The exact same one," Kayleigh chuckled, "Anyways, they spent a lot of nights and weekends sitting in that garage writing those original songs and the last thing that I want them to do is leave something important off of an EP or an album that they worked really hard on."

"Do you miss those days?"

"Kind of," Kayleigh shrugged, as she started doing a bit of her tour choreography as Derek tried to work on their jive, "Like I wouldn't give up everything that it gave me because you know, I wouldn't have this amazing apartment and would still be fighting my brother for the bathroom and TV time, but sitting in my room composing music that was fun, a little frustrating since I was only doing it for a handful of fans at the time, but still fun." If humans had the unfortunate ability to melt, Derek would have been a puddle at her feet. The smile that had spread across her face at the thought of those days just made him smile himself. She looked beautiful even with her hair slicked back because of the sweat.

"Do you ever miss those days, Derek," Kayleigh asked, as she thought back to before her career started, "The days before you weren't a public figure and everyone felt like they owned you and felt like that you owed them something."

"I'm not as famous as you," Derek answered as Ksyleigh came to stand beside him once more, "I'm not followed around as much as you are and I-"

"Nonsense, Derek," Kayleigh said, "You're probably one of the best dancers of our generation; you've got to have people practically gnawing at the bit to be your dance partner."

"Were you 'gnawing at the bit' to be my dance partner," Derek asked, looking down at Kayleigh with a slight smirk on his face. Kayleigh bit her lip and hoped to whatever deity above that she wasn't blushing because as much as she would have been happy to be a part of the show, she had, had her fingers crossed that Derek would be her partner.

"Well, aren't you two just adorable," came a voice causing Derek and Kayleigh to jump a part from one another. Kayleigh looked towards the source and came to see a tall familiar blonde with a lip piercing leaning against the south wall.

"Hi brat," she greeted, "I could have sworn that mom taught you how to knock."

"And I could have sworn that you had a better memory, we were supposed to meet for lunch an hour ago," the blonde shot back, before turning to look at Derek, "Luke and you must be my sister's dance partner on that 'Dancing with Celebrities-"

"Dancing with the Stars," Kayleigh corrected, after smacking her forehead, "This is Derek."

"Hi," Derek greeted, holding his hand out to Luke. Luke looked down at the other blonde's hand before looking back up, not bothering to shake his hand.

"Are you trying to sleep with my sister?"

"Lukas," Kayleigh shrieked, "Derek, I am so sorry. I could have sworn that our mother taught him manners, but it seems to me that nothing-"

"It's okay," Derek assured her before turning to look at Luke, "The protective brother card, I've played that a few times myself." The two blondes sized one another up while Kayleigh just rolled her eyes. The testosterone levels had risen the moment that Luke had unnecessarily confronted Derek about his intentions towards her person. Her little brother was such a dork at times.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Luke said, causing Derek to chuckle.

"It's okay, dude, I'm just your sister's professional partner for the next few weeks," Derek explained, looking at Kayleigh out of the corner of his eyes. Part of him wanted to be something more, make her forget any of her past heartbreak, but right now, the most he could do is be there for her as a dance partner.

"Well, good," Luke huffed, walking over towards the mirror, "Because I've got to warn you now, it's a lost cause because I'm going to her and Bryan back-"

"Luke," Kayleigh snapped. Derek's eyes widened at the venom that he could almost hear dripping as she spoke to her little, well not so little, brother. Derek stood in silence as the two siblings stared at one having one of the many silent conversations that he had read about them having.

"It's over, Luke," she finally said out loud, "And the sooner that everybody accepts that, the happier we all will be. Now, why don't you sit there quietly and watch what Derek has come up with our first dance." Luke smiled at his sister and just nodded in defeat.

"Alright," he said, "Alright, I guess I could wait for lunch a little bit longer and see what Derek has planned for your first reality show dance. Are you sure that you and Bryan are ov-"

"Luke," they both started, "Shut up!"

A/N: Let me know what you think. Also check out my new story 'Not Ready for Love' and don't forget to leave a review.

xo