Chapter Four: Beat of my Heart
Elaine's heart was beating in time to a certain rhythm, a rhythm she'd never felt before. What was this that was going on?
To the beat of my, to the beat of my,
to the beat of my heart.
She once swore to be true to this rhythm, but having never felt this one; she wasn't sure what her heart was saying anymore. Maybe she didn't want to know what her heart was crying out for her to do, and she doesn't want to admit she's broken again. She had fallen in love, for real, and she didn't know it.
I'm thinking about, letting it out,
I wanna give in, I wanna go out,
been looking around, I finally found,
The rhythm of love, the feeling of sound.
Elaine wasn't sure about herself anymore. However, that would have meant she was sure about herself in the first place, and she never was sure about herself. Gabriella noticed a feeling of change as well, around Troy, and she swore to herself she would never fall in love. They both thought with their friends, Destiny isn't easy. But it's harder not to know. Why is this never easy? Elaine was walking to cheer practice again, and close to tears, she needed to be there first, no one is allowed to see her cry. Elaine felt the traitorous tears already falling.
It's making a change, the feeling is strange,
It's coming right back, right back in my range,
Not worried about, anything else,
I'm waking up,
Elaine was crying right before cheer practice, and she didn't notice Amber was already watching her, she never knew Amber was watching her all the time. Amber felt a pang of pity for her, and she hated the fact she couldn't do anything. Or could she? Amber walked up to Elaine, and she said to her, "He's not worth your tears, girl. Forget him and let's win us a championship!" Elaine stopped crying and wasn't ready to admit that she was crying, but not because of the breakup.
To the beat of my, to the beat of my,
to the beat of my heart.
Elaine said to Amber shortly, "I'm not crying. I had something in my eye, dust, glass, I don't know. It hurts." Amber looked at her, and then the rest of the cheer team came inside, and Elaine knew she couldn't tell them just yet. However, they could tell that she had been crying, but didn't press her, since it was bad enough that Amber had tried to comfort her already. They figured this would all work out in the end.
The beat of my heart, the beat of my heart,
the beat of my heart, it tears us apart,
the beat of my heart, the beat of my heart,
the beat of my heart, now I'm back to the start.
Elaine was back at her starting point once again. Fallen in love after a nasty breakup. She looked at everyone, and felt something. She didn't want to be here, she needed to do something. She turned and walked out on everyone. "What did we do?" "We let Amber comfort her," said Ashley. "I screwed up badly," said Amber. "No duh!" "We all screwed up," said Ashley. "Badly," said Hilary.
To the beat of my, to the beat of my,
to the beat of my heart.
Gabriella felt the same thing. A feeling a change, and she knew what she had to do. She just hoped that nothing can be stopped, and she knew that it's all an illusion. If only the rhythm inside told her something different, but what it spoke of was love, the rhythm of love, and she didn't know what to do anymore.
I'm up from my down, I turn it around,
I'm making it back, I'm not gonna drown,
I'm making a stance, I won't miss a chance,
I want you to see, I'm not scared to dance.
Elaine knew she wasn't afraid of her own cheer practice, she was afraid of love. After all she had been through, it's impossible to not be afraid of love. Another flashback, of Mike, the first boy who had ever dumped her. And the first feeling of depression. Tears slide down her eyes as she remembered that awful day, it was the first thing close to true love, and she knew that she wasn't in love now, she simply didn't deny that fact. However, how he dumped her was the worst one she ever had.
Flashback/Elaine's POV
I walked to my locker, for the first time in my life, I was truly happy. I had a loving boyfriend, or at least, so I thought. He was planning on dumping me, and a note fluttered out of the locker, and I noticed Mike's handwriting off the bat. I smiled and read, We need to talk. Meet me at our secret spot. I wondered why, but I was naïve at the time and simply didn't notice the breakup line. The terrifying We need to talk. The least happy words that any past boyfriend has ever said to me.
The way that I feel, could never be real,
I want you to know, I finished the deal,
so I'm saying to you, I'll always be true,
to the rhythm inside.
I always was true to my heart's beat, but always I was deceived. No one ever thought of my heart breaking, and I knew that something had to change. When I went to the secret spot, he said, "Ella, I'm sorry, but this will hurt." I wondered what he was talking about, until he said, "We had our laughs. We had our downs. We had our ups. But, it's not you, it's me. I think we should breakup." I froze, not knowing what to say after a breakup, and instantly, I gained the famous 'Icy Post-Breakup Elaine' stare.
To the beat of my, to the beat of my,
to the beat of my heart.
"WHAT? Am I not good enough for you? Sure, it's not me, it's you," I said sarcastically. Mike looked shocked, I never was frosty to anyone because all anyone had ever known was the sweet Elaine who would never sass anyone. "Well, I don't think you're ready for another girl! So, goodbye," I said, heartbroken, and still leaving with my heart's rhythm intact, and I couldn't understand, but I thought I wouldn't trust anyone after that. Since then, I had eight other boyfriends, but now, this time it's for real, I'm positive.
End flashback, end POV
The beat of my heart, the beat of my heart,
The beat of my heart, it tears us apart,
The beat of my heart, the beat of my heart,
The beat of my heart, now I'm back to the start.
Elaine knew what the beat of her heart was this time, and so did Gabriella. This was all it took. They walked up to different guys, and Elaine said to Ryan, "Will you go out with me?" She was out of breath, like she ran the whole way there. Gabriella said to Troy, "Troy, I like you more than a friend. Will you be my boyfriend?" Gabriella was also out of breath, like she hurried to catch him, and both boys faces smiled, they liked the girl too, and they knew exactly what to say.
Away, away, away, away,
Away, away, away, away,
Away, away, away, away,
(to the beat of my, to the beat of my heart)
Away, away, away, away,
(to the beat of my, to the beat of my heart).
"Yes," said both boys, at the same time. Elaine smiled, she knew Ryan wouldn't breakup with her, and Gabriella was happy that she finally is with a guy she actually likes. Troy said to Gabriella, "If I'm your boyfriend, then you should have this." Troy handed Gabriella his varsity ring, and Gabriella gasped, at her old school, that meant long term relationship, and she wondered something. Ryan said to Elaine, "So, when will we be going out?" He had a smile on his face, he was asked out by one of the most popular girls in school, whereas no one had ever looked at him before.
Beat of my heart,
The beat of my heart, the beat of my heart,
The beat of my heart, it tears up apart,
The beat of my heart, the beat of my heart,
The beat of my heart, now I'm back to the start.
Elaine smiled, and said, "How does this Saturday at 5 PM work for you? At, let's say, McDonald's?" Elaine was the only cheerleader who would go out to a fast food joint for a date, and still think of it as the best thing ever. Gabriella at the same time, asked Troy, "How many girls have had their eyes on this?" Troy smiled, he knew the answer wasn't going to be a good number, but hey, she should know the truth about that ring, right? Ryan smiled, this cheerleader was talking his language!
The beat of my heart, the beat of my heart,
the beat of my heart, it tears us apart,
The beat of my heart, the beat of my heart,
The beat of my heart, now I'm back to the start.
"That sounds perfect. I've known some girls who refused to step inside a fast food joint and demanded to go somewhere fancy," said Ryan. Elaine laughed, she hated fancy, it made her feel way to special, and most of the time, she ended up getting dumped anyway. Troy replied to Gabriella, "Almost every girl in this school. But you were the only girl I had ever though about giving it to." He gave her his signature Troy Bolton smiled, and Gabriella smiled as well.
To the beat of my, to the beat of my,
to the beat of my heart.
Elaine felt the start of something new, and so did Gabriella.
Away, away, away, away,
(to the beat of my, to the beat of my heart.)
Away, away, away, away,
(To the beat of my, to the beat of my heart.)