I SHOULD BE ASLEEP RIGHT NOW YOU GUYS!
Thanks for the great response to this story and I cannot wait to hear what you all have to say about it. I struggled a little with the 'Dance Off' scene because I know nothing about dancing haha, but I hope I did well enough :)
Xx
"You have to stop pacing Berry, you're making me nervous." Santana looked at her nails and then to her friend. "Really?" she sighed, getting up from her seat at the piano and taking Rachel in her arms. "It's going to be fine. I will totally kick her ass."
"But you don't understand San, she's good. She's better than good, she's amazing and,"
"Don't worry. Let me deal with it." Santana cooed, running her fingers through Rachel's hair in an attempt to calm her down.
"Where is she anyway? She's late." The girl mumbled into her friend's chest.
Just at that moment, the doors to the studio swung open and Cassandra walked in, along with a group of other people. They spread out around the room as Cassie walked straight up to Rachel as she was pulling away from Santana.
"Are you ready for this, Chestes?" the smirk on her face made Rachel's stomach twist in nervous excitement. She loved watching Cassie dance. It was like she was finally allowing herself to feel something other than hatred for her. She looked free. But Rachel knew that there was no way that Santana was going to win this. Cassandra was just too good. "RENT, Out Tonight, do you know it?"
"Sure." She nodded confidently but quickly turned to Rachel. "I have no fucking clue."
"We watched it last week, the part where you said that chick should put on more clothes or she would freeze, then you started speaking in Spanish." The singer softly reminded her friend, looking over her shoulder briefly to her dance teacher who was warming up. Their eyes caught each other before they looked away, both blushing furiously.
Before Santana could reply, the music had started. She turned to see Cassie dancing already with the hoard of students behind her. She started singing along with the track and her voice, along with her slightly provocative dancing; Rachel couldn't help but let her mouth hang open slightly. This was much different from all the other times she had seen Cassandra dance.
Before, she had had a cocky air about her, like she knew that she was better than everyone else and she wasn't even trying to prove it… it just came so naturally. But now, it was as if she really did have something to prove. Not to herself, not to Santana, but to Rachel. Her eyes were glued on the brunette throughout her entire routine and Rachel had to try to swallow past the lump in her throat. Cassie wasn't shy about dancing up against the students either, as if she were trying to provoke some kind of reaction from Schwimmer.
"We don't need any money," Santana cut in, her voice practically blowing Cassandra out of the water. Rachel saw the smug smile on her lips falter slightly, but after all, this wasn't about their singing.
However, Santana managed to pleasantly surprise her best friend by keeping up with the prowess that Cassie had displayed. There were moments when Rachel was sure that Santana was even dancing better than her teacher, but she didn't have such a carefree look on her face, Santana looked as if she was actually trying, almost desperately so to be as good as the blonde.
Cassie's attitude was back tenfold as she cut in with, "When I get away from the doorman, do you know how lucky you'll be,"
She used one of her male students as a pole to slide down as she made sure that she gave Schwimmer pretty much the view of a lifetime. It was so unbelievably clear that she was dancing for Rachel. Not for herself, nor Santana. She was trying to win Schwimmer's approval or respect or something. Rachel couldn't put her finger on it.
"You wanna prowl, be my night owl," Santana sang.The two women were dancing more ferociously now, getting closer and closer all the time. Electricity danced in the air; each move they executed was only to get one up on the other.
"In the evening, I've got to roam," Cassie took Santana into hold and danced her around the room. It reminded Rachel of when they sang 'All That Jazz' where Cassie knew that she had won. She mocked Santana, stroking a finger down her cheek when she sang, "Where the Spanish babies cry".
The Latina smirked as she pushed Cassie away from her, standing toe to toe with her as she belted out, "So lets find a bar, so dark we forget who we are," feeling overjoyed when the blonde glared at her audacity.
They sang together for the rest of the song and danced for their lives. Santana and Cassie each led their halves of back up dancers, who were starting to struggle to keep up with the punishing pace that the duelling women were showing.
The song ended and both women took a second to catch their breath, refusing to take their eyes off of each other.
"I'm surprised, Chestes. That was pretty challenging, but still, you were no match for me." Cassie laughed when Santana fell to the floor to make it easier for her to breathe normally again. The blonde went to her students and told them that they could leave before she went to her bag and took a drink from a water bottle.
"This means nothing you know. The fact that I nearly beat you and I haven't danced in months just goes to show how lousy you actually are." Fire burned in both women's eyes. They were such a huge clash of personalities that Rachel was starting to think that this wasn't such a good idea. They started arguing and insults flew left, right and centre.
It was obvious that Cassie won their dance off by the skin of her teeth but there was no way that she was going to admit that. Santana was the better singer by no doubt and Cassandra was the better dancer, but Rachel wondered if Cassie only won because Santana's stamina wasn't up to scratch.
"Shut up!" Rachel shouted over them after a few minutes. Both women turned to look at her. In Santana's eyes, there was defiance; she wanted to keep arguing with this bitch and really prove to her what a piece of shit she was. In Cassandra's eyes, there was passion and vulnerability. It shocked Rachel. The blonde ran her hand through her hair and turned her back on both Rachel and Santana, moving back to her desk to busy herself with something other than this stupid situation.
"Both of you, get out." She muttered, refusing to look at them.
Santana took Rachel's hand and started to leave but with a glance to her dance teacher, she stopped and took her hand back. "I can't leave like this, San. I'll see you at home, okay?" The slightly taller girl nodded her understanding, kissing Rachel's forehead before she left.
Rachel sat on the other side of the room on the piano bench, waiting for Cassandra to realise that she was still there. After a few minutes, the blonde's posture stiffened and she stopped fiddling with her desk. Rachel watched as her shoulders slumped in defeat before she turned to the girl and leaned against the oak desk.
"I thought I told you to get out." Cassandra quipped. "Go make out with your girlfriend or something."
"You know, Cassie, Santana isn't my girlfriend." Rachel tilted her head to the side, drumming her fingers on the lid of the piano.
"Well she's got to be in to you in a big way to stand up to me like that." The blonde laughed and made her way slowly across the dance studio to her student.
"We went through a lot together in high school." The other girl shrugged.
"So what, you two were just setting me up, trying to make me look like some ruthless asshole and you're going to go home and laugh about it? Wow, Schwimmer, that's such a pathetic way of dealing with your demons." Cassandra leaned with one hand against the piano, the other on her hip. Rachel took stock of her body quickly before narrowing her eyes.
"Excuse me?" she stood up, "You call me pathetic when all you ever do is cut me down instead of encourage me to do better. I bet you were too wrapped up in yourself to even know that a few days ago I was willing to give up Broadway because you were being such a fucking bitter, anal retentive bitch to me." Rachel saw the hurt in her teacher's eyes and all she wanted to do was reach out and comfort her, to apologise for her words. But no. It was time that Cassie heard this.
Cassandra laughed humourlessly. "Its not my fault you cant take a little bit of constructive criticism, Schwimmer."
"I can, that's the thing. I was slushied every day in high school for being talented but I knew that every day, it was because I was going to go somewhere and those idiot jocks and cheerleaders weren't. But then I come here, and I was so excited for you to be my teacher, and then you have nothing but nasty things to say to me. So forgive me for believing one of my biggest idols when she tells me every single day that I am not good enough." Rachel said honestly, seeing a wall build its way up around Cassandra, as if she were trying to protect herself from the truth and from what a monster she had been.
There was a beat of silence before Cassie responded. "I don't need your life story. Do you really think that producers are going to give a shit about what happened to you in high school when they are telling you that you can either suck their dick just so that you can audition? I'm not here to fucking pussy foot around the truth Schwimmer, I am here to sculpt young people into dancers who can make it in this fucked up world."
Rachel scoffed. "Don't even go there with 'pussy footing' around the truth Cassandra, because we both know that you aren't being completely honest with anyone. At least when I have an issue with someone, I come right out and say it, but you!" the brunette took a step forwards and took her teachers hand. It didn't go unnoticed that Cassie tensed at the touch. "Cassandra, I know that you are jealous of Santana, but nothing is going on there."
"Please, Schwimmer, don't flatter yourself." She went to pull her hand away, but Rachel just held tighter.
"So you're telling me that you feel nothing what so ever towards me? That you pick on me relentlessly because you are a cold hearted bitch with no morals or emotions?" Rachel asked, moving slightly closer to her teacher.
"That's what the definition of 'cold hearted bitch' is." Cassie bit out, but made no effort to move away from the smaller girl.
"I know you aren't a cold hearted bitch Cassie." Rachel's voice was soft now, trying to get through to this woman on another level. "I have seen you when you think that no one is watching. You're lonely and afraid and it breaks my heart to see you so broken."
"I don't need you to fix me, Schwimmer." The blonde tried to swallow down the lump that was rising in her throat. She couldn't help it though. Every fibre of her being wanted to reach out and hug Rachel, tell her how sorry she was for making her almost give up on her dreams because of her twisted, selfish desire to be closer to her. There were a few more moments of silence before Cassie spoke again. "Pride is an evil thing, Schwim."
"Well," Rachel released Cassandra's hand and picked up her own bag. "I never thought that you were one to back away from a challenge," She started walking across the dance studio, "If you want me Cassie, come and get me."
As Rachel got closer and closer to the door, she closed her eyes and prayed that Cassie would stop her.
She wasn't disappointed when a hand grasped her shoulder and she was spun around. Before she could get her bearings, her bag was taken from her shoulder and dropped on the floor as she was taken into strong arms with her teachers body pressed against her.
"You really know how to push my buttons, don't you, Schwimmer?" The brunette looked up into the woman's eyes. Her earlier vulnerability was still there, but it wasn't quite so pronounced. In its place was passion and lust, which managed to take Rachel's breath away.
Cassandra leaned forwards, joining their lips for the first time. She couldn't believe how soft Rachel's were and she realised that all this time she had been tearing Rachel down, she could have just been kissing her. With every second that their lips, bodies and skin were connected, she could feel the hole in her heart getting smaller and smaller.
Sure, it would take a while to heal completely, but she was glad it had started.
Xx
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