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Twenty Seven-B

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From Hannah to Jackie to even Amanda, a selfish part of April was jealous of everyone getting happy, fairytale endings around her. She had gotten her opportunity a few years ago, she'd lost it, found it again, only to discover that it had been a curse in disguise.

She couldn't lie and say she was okay because she wasn't, and it was confirmed after her third helping to Shawn's mango flavored smoothie—with extra booze. Maybe all she needed was to get drunk—dancing might even come easy. Plus, Javier was as good as gone and she still had to bounce back...as she always did...hurray.

"Another one?" One of Shawn's friends asked. She nodded and smiled in thanks as the cup hit the counter. "Care to dance?" He asked her as her lips met the rim of the cup.

She shook her head. Not till she had to.

"What's the matter?"

"Hey, piss off, alright?" Nathan said defensively, taking the seat next to April. Two weeks ago, she would have taken her brother's words as encouragement, but now she just smiled and turned away from both Nathan and the guy with no fight left in her.

"Hey, did you get any calls?" Amanda asked, staggering over while supporting a limp Paige on her left shoulder.

"Is Paige okay?"

Paige gave a lazy thumbs up and 'mm-hmm'.

"She upset her stomach somehow, it's fine, she just needs a toilet. Did you get any call though?"

"Yeah, from EA, why?"

Amanda perked up. "EA? Like your dance crew EA? The dancer one who can dance?"

"What's up with him?" Nathan asked, spinning around in his seat.

"Nothing." Amanda giggled and turned around, pulling Paige away.

When Nathan turned to April with alarm, she shrugged and sipped her smoothie. "She's your girlfriend, not mine."

He leaned closer. "Should I be worried?"

April shrugged limply with no emotion on her face. "No, I don't think so." She sipped her drink as Nathan sat back. "I mean... but he's EA so probably. He's only met Amanda once though." Nathan sighed with relief. "She's the one who's seen his pictures and videos a lot more than times than necessary."

He sat up again.

"Don't worry, she's going back to nursing school." Another relieved sigh. "But then EA doesn't really mind—"

Nathan banged his palm on the counter. "Yes or no?!"

A smug smile crept onto her face as she relished in his confusion. Before she could say anything, however, her phone beeped with a text.

"Are you sure he's straight?" Nathan asked, apparently trying to comfort himself.

April shrugged and gave a small laugh that faded as soon as she saw who the text was from. As if she needed more problems.

Javier: Hey

"Can I at least see a picture?"

She ignored Nathan and picked the phone up. With her heart beating faster, she typed 'What?' then erased it all and sent 'Leave me alone'.

Javier: Can we talk?

She typed 'no', then looked up from the phone and at Nathan, whose eyes were on the screen. He moved out of her personal space when their eyes met.

"Are you sure you don't?" He asked.

"I don't need this talk, Nathan, not right now," she said, trying not to let her voice break. She was better than this, and with that consolation, she clicked send. He replied almost immediately.

Javier: I just need two minutes, nineteen seconds.

She frowned. How was he so specific? It had to be important. She typed 'sure', but when Nathan blew out air in relief, she backspaced and typed 'I said no'.

Javier: Fine, I tried. Time for plan B.

Just as she was about to ask what the hell he meant by that, the lights from the shack went off and the music ceased abruptly.

"Shawn!" She hollered at him from a distance. "What's going on?"

He excused himself from his friends and jogged over, stuffing his phone in his pocket. "Technical difficulties. Almost time for our dance, by the way."

She squinted in confusion, taking a hand to shield her eyes from the intensity of people's phone flashlight. "Seriously? All of a sudden the lights are out and your mind is still on the dance I may or may not flop?"

Shawn chuckled and shrugged. "Yeah. And you won't flop, I might. It's easy for you."

"But there's—"

The lights came back on with an eruption of cheers from the party goers. The speakers let a brief sound, as if for a soundcheck, before the harmonious instrumental of a song started. It sounded oddly familiar.

"Shall we?" Shawn asked, stepping closer with an arm outstretched. She dropped her right hand in his left and he pulled her out to the spot.

April squinted in confusion as her brain tried to register the song. "What song is this?"

He reached down for her left hand, lacing her fingers with his. "Just dance...and also try to listen," he said as they assumed a starting position.

Listen...to what?

And then she heard the voice of the singer, freezing her toes on the spot. She closed her eyes in disbelief.

This couldn't be happening.

Shawn rocked her back and forth. "Don't stop, just keep moving...and listen."

Her eyes glazed over as it progressed.

Shawn held on to her. "They're watching, April, dance. Everything else comes later."

Our wrongs trumped our rights,
and then there was pain,
And sure, we came far apart
But we were never ever truly free,

She looked behind her and truly, a crowd had gathered. Taking a deep breath, she stepped back, but not too far for him to lose his grip. "It's Javier's voice. How'd you get the song?"

He smiled and stepped forward. "I know it's his voice." By their joint hands, he pulled her closer in one swift motion, disconnecting their hands in time to catch her by the waist. "See? I told you It'd be easy."

She shook her head. "Not as easy. I have to deal with his memory in my head and now this."

"I promise it'll get easier. Just listen and dance."

She pushed Shawn a few inches away from her, then stretched one hand to grab his again, this time, doing a quick spin at the end of it. The song had good beat.

I was blinded by something I didn't understand,
We crumbled like a castle made of dust and quick sand,
Still want you after all you've done to me,
Still love you after how you hated me.

It slowed again and they resumed their former position, moving from side to side gently, his hands around her waist, hers on his shoulders. She ducked her head and squeezed her eyes shut as the next part played out.

We were on high before dancing to hell,
Speaking of dance, you do it so well,
What if we could spin back to where we were, take it from the top, just backtrack our steps.
Take my hand and make it look easy.

Trust me I know I can love you some more,
You just need to knock on my door,
Maybe we're both the problem or maybe It's me,
Maybe 'us' deserves some more.

I know your heart's not a game, I'm so ashamed I tried to play it.
Get your heart to say my name, baby watch me try and make it.

"Where is he?"

"Genius, isn't he?"

She smiled. It sounded just like old times, before he started tweaking his lyrics to shade her. She recognised the melody from his April 27th album but she had never heard the lyrics before now. It was also of lower quality than usual, but she couldn't deny that it was one of the best of his she'd heard. Had he written it specially for this, or had he always had it?

"Shawn?"

Shawn grinned. "Yes, O'Neil?"

"Where'd you get this song?"

"From someone who wanted you to hear it."

Sure, we're a heck of a trainwreck
But what's crumbled isn't lost yet
Thought that we were all done for but now,
Now I have a feeling we can make it,
Still want you after what you done to me,
Still love you after you hated me.

Maybe she had the same feeling. "When did he put you up to this?"

"About an hour ago. And Amanda suggested I got you in public, too so you can't freak out and leave unless you want humiliation."

Her jaw dropped.

"It's not fair to set people up like this."

"That may be true, but look me in the eye and tell me you're not happy we did this. He said it himself, you're a stubborn soul. We had to cross at least one border."

Maybe you're over, babe, over the rush and over the fun
But hear me one last time, even though you're done.
I know I can love you some more
You just need to knock on my door
Let me know we're not doomed,
Maybe 'us' deserves some more.

April smiled and rolled her eyes. Seriously, where was Javier? He couldn't do something as extreme as a song and then leave her hanging, could he?

She felt a tap on her shoulder from behind. When she turned, Javier was standing there with his arm outstretched. "Can I cut in?" He asked Shawn, who smiled and nodded.

"Thank you."

Switching hands from Shawn to Javier, April couldn't help but feel like one of the luckiest girls ever. Javier's hands held her tighter than Shawn's did, and she semi- consciously buried the tips of her fingers in the hair just above his nape. They moved a while before speaking. He didn't have to, the song said everything for him.

"I'm sorry," she whispered.

"You don't have to apologise."

She shook her head. "I didn't apologise when I walked out on you two years ago. It really does sound like I used you but the truth is, I didn't. I should've told you I was scared of being apart. I was just getting used to the idea of having you a few hours away in WSU. When I heard you'd gotten into Harvard...in Boston, I lost it. I thought it'd be over for us, so I called you to break it off before you could."

"April, you and your ginormous ego are forgiven."

She laughed, really laughed and did another spin. "I've never done long distance before so forgive me in advance if I don't get it right the first few weeks. I don't like it right now but I'm actually willing to try something new. We could FaceTime and I'd have an excuse to travel and visit and—"

He smiled and heaved a sigh. "April?"

"Hm?"

"I don't think I'll go back to Boston."

Her eyes widened. There was no way she would let him twist his life because of her. "I would never ask you to do that, I'm giving pros here."

He chuckled. "I know. No offense, princess, but my decision to move back has nothing to do with you," he said with a smile.

Puzzled, she cocked her head to the side. "Why then?"

"I found out I actually do want a business degree, but I also want to make music so something less demanding would be better for me."

She should've been disappointed in her options getting noxed but she wasn't. She was actually proud of him for knowing what he wanted for himself. She wanted dance and didn't have anything else in mind to spend her life doing. It was her dream. It just so happened that they met in the middle.

Javier, not being able to read her mind, started explaining himself. "I mean, it's not primarily because of you, we don't have to be in the same city to be together. Location changes nothing for me, but it's better if I stay in—"

She cut him off with a kiss to his lips. "I'm happy for you, Idiot."

He grinned. "I heard you're ruling streetsover with the complex...I am proud of you."

Her smile faltered as he mentioned it but she was quick to hide the disappointment in her voice. "About that, it might not happen. We need a new DJ, someone with good knowledge of music and beats and all that." When he didn't respond immediately, she licked her lips and continued. "Maybe someone talented who's based in Seattle...and preferably good looking."

He chuckled. "Is this your way of asking me to mix music for you and your crew?"

She smiled sheepishly. "Well, you're coming back, so I was just thinking maybe when you're not busy, you could —"

"I...really love you."

"And isn't that really dorky of you to say at this very moment."

He laughed and pressed his lips to hers. "You know what else is dorky?"

She chuckled. "What?"

"The fact that I'm actually gonna keep this album. I'm skeptical about pitching it but I'll keep working on it. This'll be the first song I release." He smiled. "And I'm not changing the name of the album."

She laughed. "April 27th."

He nodded. "Forever."