A/N: Ok people, here's the deal. Here's the third installment of Sweet Ruptured Life! It took me a little while to complete it (damn finals!) but it's done and I'm working on Chapter 4. However, I am missing a definite aspect of the story, i.e. reviews. I'm really sick and so I'm doing this from bed, amidst tissues and Advil. Please be nice and review, even if it's to say it sucked. This is the utter desperate side of me coming out (I blame the medicine) and I'd really appreciate it. I saw that I had 98 hits last night. I'm not asking for 98 reviews (although it would be nice) but 5-9 would be pretty sweet. Anyway, read, review and enjoy!

1 day, 2 hours, 17 minutes til' Wrestlemania! Woo Hoo!

Chapter 3

Forget milk, dance does the body good!

Music blared through Dahlia's ears as she stood in front of the mirrors in the dance studio, tapping her leg in time to the beat. As much as she hated feeling left out she couldn't help but look in awe of the dancers, she wanted to be out there.

"Wish you could join in, huh", said a soft voice from her right; it was Driany Santiago, the familiar girl from Mickie and Jeff's table. They had gone to junior high together until Driany's parent divorced, her and her mother moving to North Carolina. They had promised to keep in touch, the whole BFF speech was said, but it's hard to keep in touch with someone who lived over 14 hours away. They had spent the better part of the lunch period catching up. At this point, it felt like they were back to how it was before, finishing each others sentences and laughing at the same stupid jokes they shared years ago.

"Yeah, I do" breathed Dahlia as she continued to watch the dancers move, trying to memorize the quick paced steps. The steps that they managed to make elegant, even if it was hip hop. She watched the dancers some more, only faintly hearing the teacher leave the room to call the boys in.

Jeff and Shannon had just changed in the locker room for class. Jeff liked dance. He had a strong upper body and he was a fast learner. The girls in the class noticed his muscular arms and the guys were learning that he could actually dance, even though he was white. But now he was just sitting quietly, just staring, at a locker in fact.

"Who is she?" drawled a voice from behind him, Jeff not needing to turn to know who it was. It was Shannon Moore; most likely with a knowing smile.

"What are you talking about?" Jeff lied, scuffing his foot along the floor.

Shannon couldn't help but roll his eyes at his friend. They had known each other for years, yet Jeff could never figure out that they couldn't lie to each other. Well, they could, but that didn't mean that they'd get away with it. Usually when Jeff just stared off into space, he was usually thinking about a girl, a girl that he liked a lot. "What, you developin' feelings for Mickie or something?" he asked with a sly grin.

"No, it's the new girl- Dahlia" Jeff replied, nodding to the teacher who was beckoning them into the studio.

"Never met her… what does she look like?" Shannon shot back, pushing past Jeff and moving towards the kids dancing to join in. Jeff noticed Dahlia studying the dancers, learning the steps. He had to smile at her; she didn't even screw up her face, she was serene, statuesque even. But her eyes. Her eyes were dancing, flickering between the dancers like a candle flame. He nudged Shannon and nodded with his head, "That's her". Shannon looked past his friend and his eyes slightly widened.

"Damn, she's fine."

Jeff smiled widely at Shannon, "Yea…"

"You talk to her yet?"

"We're locker buddies."

"Lucky man."

Shannon watched as Jeff nodded his agreement before moving away and lightly tapping the girl's shoulder. After some minor coaxing, they began to make their way over to him. Dahlia pulled away from Jeff's light grip on her hips and stooped down to Ashley's level, who was busy stretching along with about 7 other students. She kept it simple, talking soft enough that the teacher couldn't hear her, but loud enough for Ashley and the rest of the kids to hear, including Jeff.

"Great splits. You must have a lot of practice spreading your legs."

Jeff watched with light amusement as Ashley's face contorted, but she didn't reply. From past experience, he knew that she hated being one-upped by anyone, especially girls. She had a violent mean streak if time allowed. But from what he could tell form Dahlia, the New York native wouldn't fall for anything the blonde would try to pull.

Dahlia stood up then, winking mockingly at Ashley before lightly grabbing Jeff's hand. "You wanted me to meet someone?"

Jeff felt a definite spark as soon as the tips of their fingers met. Relishing in that moment, he soon caught himself and finally answered her, His reply coming out breathier than he had wanted, "Yeah, he's over there."

Shannon watched the two coming near him; walking towards them and extending his hand, taking notice of the two still holding hands. "Hey, I'm Shannon… Shannon Moore."

"Dahlia… Dahlia Cortez."

"Spanish?"

"Yep… Italian?"

"Yeah."

"Cool"

Jeff's head snapped back and forth between the two like he was watching a tennis game, amused at the two's way of introducing themselves. She wasn't fazed at all by Shannon's greeting; usually it made him seem cold, almost distant. He was lost in his thoughts, not noticing Dahlia trying to hold in her laughter and Shannon snickering.

"He usually doesn't drool like that… I thought I trained him better." Shannon laughed, dodging a punch in the arm by Jeff.

"Shut up man"

Dahlia giggled at the exchange (Jeff noting how cute she sounded) and grabbed her hair tie from her wrist. Walking over to the teacher, she could feel Jeff's eyes on her as she quietly asked if she could join in with the other dancers. The teacher agreed, sending her to a spot almost center. Pushing a button on the stereo, the whole class erupted into cheer at the song.

You think you know me but you have no idea
Act like you bout it
Well let me put this in your ear
If you really bout it
Do like a fuss like you don't care
If you bout it
I don't doubt it
Show me that you sure bout it (bout it)

"5, 6, 7, 8!" called the teacher as the dancers began to move as one, pumped by the music. It took Dahlia a second to adjust to the pace of the music, but when she did, it was almost magical.

I've seen it before in a rhyme and a roll
Come and catch up with me baby don't stop
Get to the floor what you waiting for
Cause we can ride the beat straight to the top


Waited too long and now its the time to show 'em all that is not a game
Cause I don't care what I'm looking like
I just gotta show you that I'm not goin' no where

Dahlia's body moved on its own accord, twisting and turning to the beat. It looked like she had studied the dance for ages, but in truth, she had looked at the dancers once, if that. The boys standing on the side, Jeff and even Shannon included, couldn't help but look at the Latina move. It was all the right steps, with some sex appeal for good measure. Jeff was so caught up in her that he didn't noticed the teacher calling him in or the rest of the dancers leaving the floor, bar Dahlia.

She wanted them to improve a duet.

Looking at each other for a few seconds, they started to move together. He was more of a hip hop type of guy, while she was more modern and jazz girl, but they complimented each other so well. Soon it turned almost into a competition. If she saw him to a flip, she'd do a leap into a split or if he saw her get to into the music and begin to out-do him, he would pick her up and twirl her around, playfully breaking her concentration.

Now I been walking up this road tryin' to find which way to go
Tryin' to pull my faith
Sometimes it seems like I don't know
Now I gotta chance to touch what seems beyond my reach
And the answers right in front of me
Yeah! Yeah! Yeah

It looked like they were together for years, she trusted him that much. Even when he picked her up and turned with her, she didn't flinch or shake at all in his arms. As the song ended, she dropped down in his arms, slowing down her movements. His arms still wrapped around her waist and hers around his neck, their faces were mere inches away from each other. Brown eyes met green as the two stared at each other, both afraid to breathe too hard, if at all.

As the last note rang through the air, the entire class broke out in applause, the teacher included, the reverie broken. The couple averted their eyes, Jeff blushing and Dahlia looking quite flushed.

"Class dismissed!"