Disclaimer: I do not own Justin Timberlake and Timbaland's 'Carry Out'.
Author's Note: Hello, again! Thank you to all the lovely reviewers... again, you people have absolutely no idea how amazing you all are. Your reviews mean a great deal to me and keep me motivated to deliver to you the best telling of a story I can muster up with.
So, this chapter features heavily on some major ogling action on Rachel's part. Don't worry; she'll get some fair treatment in the next few chapters. Also, I hope you guys enjoy the new character I've introduced in this chapter. Tell me what you think of him!
Well, there really isn't anything else for you to do but read, enjoy and leave a review! Have fun, guys!
"Ugh... Contrary to popular belief, there are more Arthurs than Marthas here. Not that I'm complaining... view's still the same."
Rachel laughed, listening to her new friend, Freddy's keen observance on the ratio of straight men to gay men in the class.
It was the weekend after her peculiar dream and she somehow made it through the rest of the week without jumping six feet in the air at the sound of Quinn's voice. Rachel found herself anticipating the Ice Queen to invite the student body to watch her strip down in the locker room on more than one occasion.
It just wasn't normal.
Thus, on that sunny Saturday morning, she had grabbed the flyer Leroy (her dad) had given her and asked him to drop her off (seeing as she had yet to get her official driver's license) at the Youth Centre.
Clad in her lavender vest and dark loosely fitting pants, she had all the accessories she needed in her duffel bag. In short, she was ready for that change of scenery she sorely needed.
If one were completely honest, they would mention one very true fact: as of late, Rachel found herself spending most of her allocated time in Ballet Club and a prestigious after-school ballet class conducted by one Madame Lavoisier (who upheld the discipline of her fellow students above anything else) whenever she wasn't in vocal class or drama workshop.
Hey, how else was she going to take Broadway by the horns as the next triple-threat, right?
Hiram (daddy) and Leroy (dad) had noticed how wound up their daughter was due to her demanding schedule and suggested she try out something fun and totally within her pool of interest:
Broadway Dance Class: Jazz 101
So, that was where Rachel found herself. Not long after she arrived, the talkative young lady immediately began chatting up a storm with Freddy.
"Alright, let's get it all out there... Freddy Bradford, 19 years old and openly sporting GAP," he drawled lazily in response to her bubbly introduction and semi-summarized life story.
The brunette quirked a knowing smile. "Gay And Proud?" she stuck out her hand for him to shake.
Freddy's bored exterior morphed into one of impressed realization as he grinned back to her. "I love you already. Not many people would've understood that right off the bat," he accepted her hand with a laugh.
The young ingénue gave a musical giggle. She was happy to start the day off on the right foot. It seemed that the atmosphere of the class wasn't like anything she was used to. Madame Lavoisier made them dress in black leotards one hundred percent of the time and kept the studio rigid and cold (both figuratively and literally speaking).
BDC, on the other hand, felt homey as the diverse class of students milled around the cosy studio, clad in their own style of dance attire, socializing.
Some were sharing a cigarette by a corner of the studio, blowing the remnants out the window.
A few people were clowning around with what seemed to be a game of 'suck and blow'.
Almost everyone was munching on either a Snickers bar or even a burger.
Pre-class almost seemed like a party.
And it was pretty refreshing for Rachel who would've been out of place had she not have Freddy to talk to.
"So, this is your first time here?" the tall, bulky college freshman blew his wispy pale bangs out of his eyes as he faced Rachel.
"Oh, yeah... there have been a lot of firsts for me these past couple of days," she rolled her eyes in response whilst putting her dark hair up in a loose ponytail.
Like her first act of espionage in hot pursuit of someone who probably had no idea she existed.
Freddy made a little noise as his eyebrows shot up in gleeful surprise.
"No! Nothing like that! God..." Rachel laughed, swatting his arm quickly.
"Oh. Well, it has to be something equally as scandalous. If not, it wouldn't get your panties up in such a bunch now, would it?" he responded, folding his arms.
Yes, well... Rachel could think of a number of ways Jesse St. James affected her panties.
At that moment, a tall red-headed lady in her mid-forties strode to the front of the classroom.
"Alright, everybody! Let's kick it into high gear!" she clapped her hands, a thick Australian accent apparent in her booming voice. Earning a round of applause and cheers, she grinned before moving to the stereo behind her.
"That's the instructor, Tania. Talented lady. A sweetheart too," Freddy grabbed Rachel's hand, bringing her to the middle of the floor as everyone else followed suit to take their positions.
The opening notes of a familiar song began to echo throughout the room as everyone clapped in approval. Rachel smiled. She always did like Justin Timberlake. And to say she found herself occasionally dancing like a video ho alone in her room to 'Carry Out' would be putting it lightly.
"Let's start with the usual warm-ups, darlings! Head down! And up!"
Rachel used Tania's voice as a guide, following the instructions while glancing to everyone through the wall-to-wall mirrors here and there to make sure she was on track.
"Head left! And right! Keep going..."
This was such a nice change of pace, Rachel sighed in contentment. She was trying something new, meeting different people...
"Now, right shoulder! Left shoulder..."
The brunette raised her arms perpendicularly to her perfect form. As she rolled her shoulders in sync with the rest of the class, she felt her worries begin to dissipate.
"Hey! You made it!" Tania exclaimed, turning her attention to the figure that just jogged into the studio. Rachel looked over to the said figure as he made his way to the instructor.
If only the ground would just open up and swallow her whole now.
There, giving Tania a warm hug, cocky grin and all... was Jesse-freakin-St. James. In all his 'other-worldly-type-of-sexy' glory.
Rachel began to silently fume. How was this possible? The universe was against her in some twisted way or another. What else could explain her insanely terrible(?) luck...? She would've accused him of stalking her if she hadn't been doing it to him in the first place.
"Oh my God... what if he recognizes me?" Rachel thought in panic. She then immediately began to rationalize. "Hardly possible... the bar was too dark that night. And I probably look different when drenched in beer rather than... oh."
Jesse pulled his sweater over his head; causing the fitted black T-shirt he wore inside to ride up, revealing his bare torso for what were probably only a few milliseconds before it dropped back down.
Yet, the mental image of Jesse St. James' sculpted abs would forever be imprinted in the highly imaginative mind of Rachel Berry from this moment forward.
As the song began its chorus, Tania ordered them to move on to the next position.
"And suck it in!" she exclaimed, clapping her hands together once.
The dancers brought their feet apart along with their arms as they began to roll their hips in time with the music.
"And roll it... roll those hips, come on keep your centre strong!"
Rachel's eyes innocently trailed back to Jesse, seeing as he was at the front of the class. She watched him roll his hips expertly, giving her a spectacular view of his butt. She suppressed a giddy, little smile, trying her best to look somewhere else.
"Get ready to get down and contract, people!" Tania voiced, pacing in front of the classroom with her hands on her hips.
Rachel bit her lip and got a hold of herself, making it a point to stare directly at her own reflection in the mirrors in front.
"And down..."
The entire class slowly got down in a sitting position.
"And contract!"
Rachel kept her core strong as she lay down slowly with her arms outstretched in front of her.
"And down! Lift those hips!"
Smacking the hardwood floor with their hands, the students kept their feet apart and begun lifting their hips in a plank position before coming back down, repeating the action.
"Whoa! Lots of action going on today," Tania joked suggestively as the class worked their pelvic muscles.
Rachel kept her breathing even as the warm-ups really strengthened her inner core (more so than it already was). She chanced a side glance to her desired target.
He was looking directly at her.
A tiny gasp escaped her lips as she blinked and looked away quickly; hoping that her little glance was discreet enough.
Honestly, thrusting one's hips and down kind of sends a boy the wrong signal when you're trying to appear charming and attractive... not like a cat in heat. Rachel mentally scolded herself. She focused all her energy into not hyperventilating right there on her back. Because if she did... with Jesse just a mere few feet away... yeah, it would put her in a somewhat vulnerable position.
Despite her best efforts, her face began to heat up in a blush.
"Damn those drama workshops!" They turned her into a god-forsaken open book.
"Push it up! Come on, hold it hold it hold it!"
Everyone maintained the plank position for a good few seconds before Tania told them to roll onto their sides.
"Now stretch it out! Up! Pick it up!"
Resting her weight on her elbow, Rachel lay on her side as she brought an outstretched leg as close to her ear as possible, repeating the motion in time with the beat. She was glad he too had gotten on his side, so he had his back turned to her (and no further eye contact whatsoever).
"Okay, other side! Up... and up!"
Switching sides, Rachel began stretching her other leg out.
"You've got it, yeah!"
Biting the inside of her cheek, the brunette turned her head slowly to look over her shoulder in what she hoped to be the greatest discretion she could ever muster.
Jesse was looking elsewhere, his eyes focused straight ahead.
She'd be lying if she said she wasn't a little disappointed. Hell... she'd rather feel awkward than be ignored (be careful what you wish for, damn).
"Alright, you're going to get up! And I want you to bounce and stretch!"
The class stood up, but kept their faces close to their knees, stretching their back muscles out. After a few more positions, Rachel felt absolutely limber and ready for what the class had in store for them next.
They all formed a circle with Tania standing in the middle. The young sophomore tentatively searched the arc of the said circle for a tall Vocal Adrenaline lead that she kept ending up in the same area with (and she had nothing to do with it this time).
She found him standing on the other end, hands placed loosely on his hips as he listened to the instructor.
"Okay, on to the next stage of our stretches, I'm going to ask for everyone to pair up, guy and girl," Tania spoke, smiling warmly as she scanned her students. "Some volunteers, please!" she continued, holding her hands out expectantly as she raised her thin eyebrows.
Rachel, along with the rest of the class, looked around to each other.
Tania's eyes stopped on the new face.
"Alright... you, love," Tania grinned, pointing to Rachel.
The brunette's eyes widened in surprise. Before she could open her mouth in response, the instructor had already moved on to choose another student.
"Now, let's find you a hot, young stud to test your flexibility on," the red-head joked, skimming the boys as her suggestive quip earned a round of snickers and chuckles from the group.
Oh, boy.
Things were about to get interesting.
Author's Note: This particular premise of events is pretty important because they do progress in their odd, little "relationship". Let's just say, the "takes notice" attitude is not one-sided anymore from the next chapter onwards. Oh, and the next chapter's going to be special because surprise, surprise... we finally get to see things through Jesse's eyes. That's right; it's from the sexy stud's point of view. So, don't forget to review and keep tabs on the story. Much love from yours truly!