🎵 "Dance with Me" - Debelah Morgan

🎵 "One" - Creed

__________

TRACK #8 - WINTER

"Dance with Me" - Debelah Morgan

Getting back into the school routine was a welcome change of pace. I always loved having time off, but I was starting to get restless, and I was ready to get our Winterguard season underway.

The Saturday morning of our first competition came, and I had to drag myself out of bed after accidentally allowing myself to sleep in. I showered, wrapped myself in a towel, and wiped down my bathroom mirror. Staring at my reflection, I let out a sigh. I wasn't sure what to actually expect for this competition, which left me feeling utterly nervous. Deciding to put my big girl pants on, I let out a long, slow breath. Nodding to my reflection, I was about to let my divas give me a pep talk when my phone rang.

"Hello?" I answered, still clutching the towel to my body.

"Just checking to make sure you are uuup!" Emma's voice sang from the receiver.

"Up and showered," I informed her, adjusting the phone as I propped it against my shoulder.

"Even better!" she laughed. "I'm bringing snacks for the road. The bus trip is an hour and a half, so we need something to munch on. I'll handle sweet stuff. You bring salty!"

"You always need something to munch on," I joked, to which she giggled in agreement. "Do I have to have my hair and makeup done before you come pick me up?"

"Nah. Your hair would be a good idea, but we always have downtime at these things to finish getting ready." I could hear her stuffing things into a duffle bag. "You got your uniforms, right?"

"Yup," I confirmed eloquently. I received them at our last practice.

"Your hat for the hip-hop number, your scrunchie for the flag routine–" I could see the checklist she was ticking off in her head. "–your jazz sneakers, black socks, makeup bag, and your hair accessory bag?"

"Yes, yes, check, check, yep, and is the last one an actual thing?" I questioned innocently.

"Ariaaa!" Emma whined even though she knew I wasn't well-versed. "Yes, it is a thing. You put hair spray, bobby pins, extra hair ties, rhinestones, glitter, and–"

"Okay, okay!" I interrupted. "I'll pack that now."

"Yay! See you soon!"

I hung up the phone and finished getting ready, sans my makeup. I threw on the Honeybears sweats that I also received at last practice. The shirt was a black, form-fitting, long-sleeved t-shirt with the word Bridgeview written down the right sleeve in white script. Hints of orange shadowed the lettering. The pants were black sweats that were neither too loose nor too tight. Color Guard and Dance Team were written on the right pant leg in the same lettering as the shirt. Honestly, they were cute. And bonus, I was finally collecting Bridgeview gear.

With my sorry excuse for a hair accessory bag finally packed, I looped my duffle bag over my shoulder and headed downstairs. My mom greeted me with a smile that was way too cheery for the morning. Cheery, and also suspicious.

"Good morning, sweetie!" she beamed.

"Good morning..." I cautiously trailed my words. "Why are you so chipper?"

"You're finally participating in a school function that I can come see you in!"

"Mom, I love you, but no," I dismissed the possibility.

"C'mon, Aria!" she begged me while handing me a plate of eggs and bacon. I was pretty sure it was a bribe.

"Mom, please." I looked at her earnestly. "None of the other kids' parents are coming. It is way too far away, anyway. You can come to one closer to home."

"Deal," she said quickly, a smile tugging at her lips.

"That was your intention all along, wasn't it?" I gave her my signature side-eye.

"The eggs and bacon are there to help ease the pain of being tricked by your uncool mother." She winked at me before turning around to plate some food for herself. I chuckled and ate my food. She knew that I loved her. After finishing up my breakfast and washing the dishes, I grabbed a few bags of potato chips and tossed them in my bag. By the time that was all done and I had said goodbye to both of my parents, Emma was outside honking her horn.

"See you later!" I called out to my parents while I scooped up my duffle bag and headed out the door. I opened the passenger side door and climbed in. My expression fell as soon as I saw Emma's perfectly made up face.

"What the hell, Emma?" I huffed, gesturing to her makeup.

"What? You know damn well that I'm not going to ride on a bus for almost two hours with Elijah and not have at least my normal level of makeup on." She pursed her lips and tilted her head as if to say that was both her opening and closing argument. I understood, so I pulled out my makeup bag and began applying a bit myself. Out of the corner of my eye, I caught Emma looking at me.

"What?" I asked her while rubbing in a bit of concealer.

"And who are you looking pretty for?" She seemed content with her not-so-subtle reference to Noah.

"Myself," I answered matter-of-factly, closing the tube with a snap. "All of the girls are going to have at least something on. I don't want to give them a reason to pick on me." Brittany's notorious glare crossed my mind, but I quickly shook it off.

"If you say so, but you don't even need it," she conceded as we pulled into the parking lot of the school. Emma pulled her car into the spot next to Elijah's car. I grabbed my duffle bag and we both opened our doors to get out. I may have swung mine a bit too hard because the next thing I heard was:

"Whoa!" Noah laughed, catching the top of the door with his right hand and the middle of it with his left. "Trying to take a guy out while he's being a gentleman. Way to go, Gray."

"I'm sorry!" I apologized, stepping out of the car completely.

"No worries. I just won't try to open a door for you ever again," he smirked. I glanced over at Emma, who spoke a thousand words with the same devious look on her face from our previous conversation. She opened the back door and grabbed her own bag before waving to Noah and heading over to where Elijah was waiting.

"So, please tell me you brought snacks because Elijah and I both forgot," Noah asked as I turned to face him again.

"I did," I confirmed. "But not for youuuu," I teased in a melodic manner while he chased me to the bus. We both settled down long enough to climb the tiny staircase inside and survey where we were going to sit.

Emma and Elijah had found a seat about four rows up from the back, while the rest of the dance team sat in the front. I was awarded a glare from Brittany before she turned back to the other girls and chatted in hushed whispers. I visibly deflated. I felt a calming hand on my shoulder, and Noah wordlessly eased me forward. Bless him.

As we shimmied down the narrow aisle, I received a soft smile from Adrian, who purposely sat as far from Emma and Elijah as he could. I gave him a small wave in return. Emma told me to not even think about breaking our friendship up even though they were no longer dating. They were still on speaking terms, but Adrian had said he needed some space to process everything. I still talked to him in math with Noah, so our friendship definitely wasn't broken, but it certainly wasn't the same.

"Look!" Noah said to me while I placed my things in the seat across from Emma and Elijah, who were sharing Sour Patch Kids. He sat down next to me after shoving his bag under the seat. "Emma shared her food."

"I did," she responded, picking out the red ones from Elijah's open hands. Her favorite. "But not with youuuu..." she sang in the same tone and manner as I did to Noah earlier. We all laughed while Noah whined.

"Don't I share enough food with you in Precalc?" I stuck my tongue out at him. He began to pout before I finally handed him a bag of chips. This put an immediate smile on his face.

The ridiculously long ride was made infinitely more bearable because of my friends. We laughed a lot as we tossed jokes back and forth and poked fun at each other while we passed food around. Noah had his headphones around his neck, music blaring, though I couldn't always tell what was playing. When I could, I found myself humming along.

Once we made it to the hosting school, Emma and I bade the boys farewell with a chorus of "good luck" and a promise to meet up after they performed. It took a bit more convincing on mine and Noah's parts to separate Emma and Elijah, but after Noah made a lewd comment about them being able to make out later, they were more willing. It didn't stop Emma from bumping into a wall while walking backwards so that she could keep her eyes on Elijah, who had a hard time removing his from her, as well. She blushed horribly, but his encouraging smile allowed her to giggle at herself. I dragged her to meet up with the rest of the dance team.

"Okay, girls," Coach Aimee addressed us when we all entered the classroom that was serving as a dressing room for our team. "Our performances are scheduled for 4:35 and 5:45. I expect you to be in the warm-up area a half an hour before each time. You are also expected to show your support for our drum corps, which will be on at 3:05. You will be in the gym seated with our team at that time. Awards are at 7:30. Other than that, you are free to walk around. Don't leave this school and don't do anything that would disrespect ours." Her eyes may have locked onto Brittany's. I smirked to myself. So, Coach Aimee did know about Brittany's peachy personality. We were dismissed after that.

"C'mon!" Emma grabbed my hands and pulled me from the room. "Let's go find a good spot to watch the boys." We headed to the gymnasium and found a section that would be big enough to house the whole dance team. The rest of the girls filed in a little bit at a time in between other schools' performances, taking their seats next to us but not really paying attention to the show in front of them.

"Thank you, Washington High School!" the announcer called over the speakers as their drum corps marched off of the floor to taps and the crowd's cheers. "Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome our next group, Bridgeview High Drum Corps!"

Our dance team let out a loud scream for the announcement. Emma squealed as she laced her arm through mine, her legs bouncing against the empty row of bleachers in front of her. "Elijah's on the snare to the right of the middle, and Noah is on the quads right behind him," she pointed them out as she spoke. I was also able to pick out Adrian on one of the bass drums, but I didn't comment about him to Emma.

They looked flawless while they created their opening formation. They wore the school's marching band uniforms: black trousers; black shakos that were embellished with silver hardware, a silver chevron emblem, and an orange plume; black gloves; and straight waist jackets that were half black, half orange, cut diagonally across the chest with white and silver fabric. An orange BHS decorated the breast of the black side of the jackets.

All of their eyes were locked forward, and even their knees rose to the same height as they roll stepped to the taps the captain played against the rim of her snare. Once they were all in their starting position, she gave five quick taps in succession, to which the corps called out "B-H-D-C!" while striking different poses. They all ended with their left hand holding a stick to their right shoulder, their right hand in "ready" position above their drum, and their head turned towards the left.

Emma let out a quick "Whoo!" to break the silence, which made me giggle into my hand.

The captain tapped four times, and the show began. She started with a simple beat alone, snapping her head back to the front. After four counts, the snares directly on either side of her joined in, snapping their heads forward as well. After another four counts, two more jumped in. This rippling pattern continued until all eleven snares were playing. After another few counts, the quad and bass players picked up, which allowed the snare players to lift their drums in a waving motion down their line.

And then controlled chaos ensued. I could hardly keep my eyes on all of them as they moved in their different formations, raising and lowering their volume as suited the piece. At one point, the snares lined up again, playing on not only their own drums, but intermittently striking each other's. They did this while also twirling their sticks and moving their heads in unison. It was truly a sight to behold.

As their performance wound to an end, they saved the best for last. Their formation took the shape of a bullseye: the bass drummers made a small circle in the center, the quads in the ring around them, and finally the snares around that. In perfect synchronization, they all lifted their drums off of themselves and placed them onto the ground. They then played an eight count on their own drum before side-stepping to the left to play on the next drum. The beat was uninterrupted as they continued to side-step while playing on the next drum. The crowd roared, obviously impressed.

The corps let out an exaggerated "Oooh!" before weaving to an alternate drum. I lost both Noah and Elijah as bass players became quad players, quad players became snare players, and snare players became bass players. This made the crowd cheer even harder. Finally, I spotted Elijah returning to his snare and Noah returning to his quads. The snares continued to play alone while the bass and quad players picked up their drums. They had only an eight count to do this before they took over to allow the snares to do the same. They all joined in for the final sixteen count as they lined up once again in their opening formation. The corps snapped their feet together and went silent, sans the captain. She played the same solo she had in the beginning, albeit a bit more loudly this time. When she cracked the last beat, all of the drummers uniformly placed their sticks into their right hands, lifted them into the air, and dropped them to the floor. The crowd erupted.

"Let's hear it for Bridgeview High!" the announcer called through the cheers. Emma and I rose to our feet and screamed for them. I noticed Noah looking up at us, a twinkle in his eye. The captain pulled a spare stick from her holster, then counted off with taps. They turned in unison and exited the same way they entered. A few band aides ran onto the floor to gather the dropped sticks as Emma and I made our way out of the gym.

"That was awesome!" I called after the corps when we hit the hallway. The boys removed their shakos, pushing aside a few beads of sweat from their faces. I smiled up at Noah as I got closer to him. Emma struck a few beats on Elijah's snare which elicited a warm laugh from him.

"You liked it?" Noah's already wide grin broadened while I nodded enthusiastically. Clearly, he was elated about my excitement. "Now we just have to see the two of you kill it for your performances," he smiled.

"Speaking of, we should probably go get ready." Emma pouted, clearly not wanting to leave Elijah.

Elijah smiled down at her before poking her cheek. Startled, she looked up at him. "No pouting," he said as an explanation for his poke before kissing her on the corner of her mouth. "Good luck," he added softly, speaking to her like she was the only one around.

"Thanks..." She blushed happily before she grabbed my hand and turned to leave.

"Good luck!" Noah called after us. I waved with my free hand in response, still being tugged along by Emma.

We passed Brittany and her cronies while we made our way to our spots in the makeshift dressing room. Trying to ignore their loud gossiping, Emma and I touched up our makeup and changed into our costumes. Kody's prior description of "little" was highly accurate. We wore tight, black pants that were purposely torn in patches down the front. Our orange sport bras were covered by a black fishnet half shirt, and a black ball cap topped off our look. It was a more dramatic look than I had ever worn in my life, and finally having it on in public made me suddenly self-conscious. What had I gotten myself into?

"–And he came?!" Brittany loudly asked from the back of the room, causing Emma and me to look in her direction while we laced up our shoes. When one of her friends nodded in response, Brittany actually squealed. My brows furrowed. "Whoever thought that Brock Miller would show up to an away dance competition?!" Brittany smiled contentedly while she strutted past us to the hall, clearly pleased with herself.

My eyes immediately fell to Emma as my breathing became heavy. Oh, God... Please tell me that I misheard her. I had to have, right? I mean, would Brock Miller really come to a Winterguard competition just to see Brittany? Bile rose in my throat, leaving an unpleasant acid taste in my mouth. Somehow, I knew it was true. That meant... Brock was here. An involuntary tremor ran down my spine, and my hands began to shake.

"Are you going to be okay?" Emma's tone was thick with concern, but I couldn't bring myself to respond. I was suddenly so parched I couldn't speak. She decided to try again, "Aria...?" I started to rock back and forth slightly, still unable to find words. She gently touched my shoulder and spoke a little more forcefully this time. "Aria."

My head snapped up to look at her, and I recoiled from her touch. I blinked a few times, then looked around. Realizing it was only Emma next to me, I relaxed.

"Aria, do you want to sit out for today?" she asked gently.

I shook my head and forced a weak smile to appear on my face. "No, I'd still like to dance. I worked too hard to let him take this from me. But do you think maybe we could not talk about it?"

"Okay," she nodded her head and extended a hand to help me up. "Let's just go warm up."

"Wait!" I stammered before running to my duffel and ransacking my bag for my good luck charm. I took a moment to look at it and calm my breathing. "For luck," I smiled, slipping Noah's bracelet inside of my shoe. Emma put a hand on my shoulder and led me out.

A short while later, we were stretched and ready for our dance routine. I felt like I blinked and we were waiting outside of the gym for our turn to perform. My eyes darted back and forth while I bounced up and down, trying to burn some nervous energy. I exhaled and turned around, only to be face to face with Brittany.

"Don't screw up," she warned me through clenched teeth and furrowed eyebrows. Emma stepped up next to me protectively, narrowing her eyes at Brittany. Without further comment, Brittany turned on her heel and marched away from us.

"Ignore her," Emma instructed, laying a reassuring hand on my arm. She turned me to face her and smiled at me. "You are strong, you are a diva, and you got this."

"I can do this," I assured her.

"You can, and you will!" she exclaimed, nodding confidently. We heard the music of the team before us come to a close. They made their way off of the gymnasium floor to a cheering crowd.

"Ladies and gentlemen," the announcer's voice boomed from within. Was it that loud before? I swear it wasn't that loud before... "Please keep your hands going–" And the air... was it always this thin? "–as we welcome our next group!" Jesus, this costume is tight. And revealing. Is it too revealing? I'm not used to showing my stomach off. "Please welcome the Bridgeview High School Hoooneybeaaarsss!"

The gym doors swung open to reveal bright lights and an enthusiastic crowd. This was it. Guess I had to be ready now. While our team made our way out onto the floor, I allowed myself to sneak a glance at the bleachers. I noticed that Noah and Elijah were parked in the front row of the set of bleachers on the side of the gym that I, of course, would mostly be on. A few drum corps members sat with them, while the rest filed into the rows behind. I had a sneaking suspicion that Emma told them where to sit.

The team quickly assembled four backdrops and seven wooden boxes of varying heights. It was when I turned to make the final adjustment on my backdrop that I saw Brock in the audience. He was standing in a crowd of people by one of the exits, eyes fixated intensely upon me. My blood boiled as my jaw set and teeth clenched together of their own volition. What was he doing here? If he was really here to see Brittany, why was he staring at me?

Brock's face slowly split into the grin, and that was all it took for all of the background noise to disappear. My heartbeat was the only sound that filled my ears. It took everything out of me to look away while the panic continued to rise in my blood.

But then...

Noah caught my eye and gave me a small thumbs up. And just as quick as the attack was coming, it suddenly melted away. I took a steadying breath, smiled at Noah, and returned the gesture before I stepped behind one of the backdrops and into position. I could do this, and I would do this. I mustered every ounce of courage I could find to brush Brock off. I allowed myself to use my feelings to fuel my performance. I would use the emotion. I would dance from the heart.

"Bridgeview Honeybears, are you ready?" The announcer asked. Oh, I was ready.

"5-6-7-8!" Brittany yelled, cueing the three girls who were starting out on the floor to strike their opening pose. She stood on top of one of the boxes, while Emma and another dancer, Mia, were below her on the floor. As the music to "Try Again" by Aaliyah began, I closed my eyes and pictured their moves.

Brittany started, turning around on her heels to face the audience before hitting a few poses to the beat with small, sharp movements. She jumped down from the box to position herself at the front of their triangular formation. Emma and Mia joined in to match Brittany's moves, finishing in a crouch with their arms in a boxer's stance. Three more girls seamlessly joined them from behind one of the boxes, jumping in to dance fluidly with the original three. Their moves positioned them in front of another backdrop, where four more girls joined in from both it and other boxes. The rest of us strutted onto the floor into our positions, weaving between the others as we picked up the steps.

The next thing I knew, we were already at the chorus. We turned with our heads down before jumping out into second position, all of us facing in different directions. Unfortunately, this left me angled towards Brock as our knees alternated bending while our hands made a "come here" motion. We rolled our hips before all of our heads snapped up on an off beat, and I once again locked eyes with Brock.

Just breathe.

I let muscle memory take over as I scanned the audience for a safe landing. And I found him. Noah. I felt my body move more freely while I let go and allowed myself to have fun. I kept my eyes locked with Noah's, using his presence to anchor my anxiety. I knew that as long as Noah was in the room, nothing would happen to me. He wouldn't let it. I was safe.

The song wound down much like it began. Our formation moved around the backdrops and boxes allowing for girls to pull away a few at a time. Finally, Emma, Brittany, and Mia struck their last poses: Brittany was back on top of the box, and Emma and Mia were on the floor, both hitting the impressive one-armed handstand with their legs in a "Y" position.

The crowd roared when the music stopped. I peeked around the backdrop to allow myself this moment that I worked so hard for. I spotted Noah and Elijah on their feet as they clapped, and a grin spread across my face.

"Thank you, Bridgeview Honeybears!" the announcer's voice broke through, cueing us to leave the floor.

Outside of the gym, Emma tackled me in a hug and congratulated me on my first official performance as a Honeybear. I wasn't going to lie; it felt good. Especially once I discovered that Noah had been able to ground me by just holding my gaze. With him nearby, I was able to let go of my nerves, figure out my emotions, and let myself have fun. No sooner did I think that when Noah tapped me on my shoulder. I turned to look at him. He stood there, one arm behind his back.

"You– ah!" he squeaked. He cleared his throat with his visible hand and smiled. "You did really well."

"Not 'well,'" Emma corrected him. "She was a-MAZ-ing!"

"You weren't so bad yourself." Elijah playfully pushed on the brim of her hat, covering her eyes. She wrapped her arms around his neck, and he pulled her into his embrace.

"Get a room already," I joked. They separated instantly, both blushing.

Noah shook his head in an attempt to not laugh. "Here." He brought his hand from behind his back to present me with a single orange gerbera daisy. It was my favorite flower. I never recalled telling him that. Not since I moved back, anyway. I blinked at it before taking it from him, not sure what to say. He must have guessed as much because he added, "To celebrate your first dance competition. I heard flowers were appropriate for this occasion...?"

"They are," Emma piped up, facing me as she stepped in between us. Get a room already, she mouthed at me, using my own words against me. I narrowed my eyes at her, and she stuck her tongue out at me before I nudged her aside.

I looked up at Noah. "Thank you."

"You're welcome," he replied with a smile.

"We have to go get ready for our next performance," Emma informed them. "Meet up with you afterwards?"

"Of course," Elijah answered before anyone else could. Emma leaned in to give him a quick peck on the lips. As she turned to leave, he pulled her back to him, offering her a deeper kiss than the one she gave him. She melted instantly.

Bemused, I rolled my eyes before grabbing her hand and pulling her away. "See ya then!" I waved as we turned around to head back to our room. With my back now turned to them, I lowered my head and smelled the daisy.

"I saw that," Emma smirked, her cheeks still flushed.

"I'm allowed to appreciate a sweet gesture!" I defended myself. We bumped shoulders while the both of us let out soft chuckles.

Momentarily, I had forgotten that Brock Miller was even in the vicinity. That all changed as I saw him strolling down the corridor, a heap of purple fabric and a single purple rose in his hand. My throat went dry, and I steadied myself by gripping Emma's forearm. I held my breath, waiting for him to pass us. It was Brittany he was here for, after all, not me. I visibly winced when he came to a stop a few feet away. I froze, but Emma immediately leapt into action.

"No one here has anything to say to you," she warned. "Go away."

"Easy, easy." He put his hands up defensively. "I come in peace. Look, I have an offering and everything." He held up a purple sweater, which I immediately recognized as my own cardigan from Homecoming. "Can I just have two minutes with Aria, please? Two minutes. Then, if she never wants to speak to me again, she doesn't have to."

Emma looked at me, awaiting my response with a glance that said I didn't have to do anything I was uncomfortable with. My heart filled with gratitude, but something told me I should at least hear him out. "Fine," I huffed as Emma took a few steps away to give us some space.

"I'll be right here, Aria." Emma pointed to a small cluster of vending machines and slowly backed away to stand near them. Her eyes never wavered.

"You have two minutes," I stated flatly.

Brock lowered his voice and began to speak in a surprisingly sincere tone. "Look, I know you aren't happy with me, and I know things didn't end well with us, but... the truth is, I can't stop thinking about you. I know we have some things we'd need to work out, and this might be a long shot, but if you'd just give me another–"

"No." My head shook before I could stop it. "That's not ever happening."

A small smile twisted over Brock's lips while he leaned in towards me, lowering his voice even further. "Fine," he shrugged nonchalantly, expecting my answer. "If you don't want me, then you had better stay away from anyone else. Like maybe from a certain mediocre drummer."

Noah. My face contorted at his threat.

"I mean, unless you're okay with him knowing how incredibly flexible you really are?" His words cut like a knife, but I wouldn't let him see me cry. I stood like a stone and crossed my arms over my chest, Noah's flower tucked carefully into the crook of my arm. Brock was not impressed. "I'm sure he wouldn't mind that you're not a virgin anymore. I know how much good little Christian boys like him love sloppy seconds." He neatly tucked the cardigan and rose in my tightly folded arms before glancing at Noah's flower. "Or you could tell him," he added with the menacing grin I couldn't shake, and he leaned over me, "after I beat him to a bloody pulp. I'm sure he wouldn't mind a broken heart to go along with all of the broken bones." He patted Noah's flower. "Let me know if you change your mind." With that, he turned on his heel and waved as he disappeared.

I rushed into the nearest bathroom, dumped the cardigan and rose into a trash can, and fell in a disheveled clump on the ground, Noah's flower next to me. It wasn't a minute later that Emma was by my side. Tears wet my cheeks while I sobbed uncontrollably. Emma wrapped her arms around me, holding me tightly to her chest. I nearly lost myself until I was brought back by the squeak of the stall door opening to face us.

"What's going on here?" Brittany eyed us accusingly. "You had better be okay; we have another performance to do." She crouched down next to us, and my breath caught in my throat.

"Just leave us be, Brittany. I'll take care of this," Emma assured her. Brittany wasn't buying it.

"What's wrong, Aria?" Brittany softened slightly. It wasn't a reaction I had expected from her. I must have looked bad.

"Why don't you ask your boyfriend?" I hissed as I sat up, wiping the tears from under my eyes.

"If I had one, I'd ask him," Brittany said flatly. She stood up and looked down at the both of us. "This is seriously over Brock? Come on. I mean, I know he's hot, but you weren't right for each other to begin with."

I seethed. "You don't get it." I took a deep, cleansing breath, trying to steady myself. A lingering shiver coursed through me.

"I've had my share of breakups, Aria," Brittany stated coolly. "I was always the one to end it, but–"

"Brittany," Emma implored, more sternly this time, "I got this. Please just go."

"Fine," Brittany huffed. "But she better be ready by the next number. You know that we can't compete without her." She was speaking like I wasn't even there. "I knew it was a mistake to bring her on." Slowly, too slowly, she washed her hands, checked her reflection in the mirror, and left. When she was gone, the tension melted.

"You don't have to do anything you don't want to do, including compete in the second number," Emma said comfortingly. I stood up and brushed myself off before inspecting my face in the mirror. It surprisingly was not as bad as I thought it'd be. But I could see Emma's look of distress in the reflection of the mirror.

"I'll be okay. Nothing a little touch-up won't fix," I said calmly, and I mustered the best smile that I could. "I don't know what I'd do without you."

"You'd get through it, Aria. You're strong," she encouraged while handing me Noah's daisy. Though she was clearly still worried about me, I could tell she wasn't just spitting out fluff. She believed in me.

"I don't feel strong," I admitted softly before taking yet another deep breath. I looked down at my flower.

"What did Brock say to you?" she asked hesitantly.

"He told me to stay away from Noah, or he'd tell him what happened. He also said he would hurt Noah. That was after I told Brock that I wouldn't give him another chance."

"Brock said that?!" Shock washed over her face. She stepped forward, taking my shoulders in her hands. "Listen to me. You did nothing wrong. He is the one who should be ashamed. He cannot hold your happiness hostage because he isn't getting what he wants. Aria, I think..." she trailed off, choosing her next words carefully. "I think we should tell someone."

My head shook violently before I could stop it. "Absolutely not," I said with conviction. There was no way that I wanted my family to ever know. There was no way I wanted anyone else to know. "I just want this to go away. I'll ignore him. If he tells Noah, I'll... I'll just deny it."

Emma blinked a few times, again considering her words. "Noah wouldn't judge you for what happened, Aria. I know him."

"No, Emma," I shuddered. "He absolutely cannot know. Ever."

Emma sighed and deflated as if she had finally run out of options. "Why don't we go back to the classroom and fix your makeup? We don't have to solve this today." I nodded in agreement, and the two of us left the dingy bathroom with the only evidence of that horrific night laying crumbled in the trash can.

Changed, re-stretched, and warmed up all over again, I stood holding a few flags in the crook of my arm, trying to figure out where the time went. I couldn't tell if it was nerves creeping up on me again, knowing Brock was going to be somewhere in that gym, or if it was just that our color guard uniforms were itchy, but I started pulling at the high neckline. It was a long-sleeved, black mini dress that was completely covered in sequins. It featured a keyhole across the back that barely allowed for a bra, and smooth black spanks. A matching sequin scrunchie surrounded the bun that my hair still held.

"No need to be nervous, this is round two!" Emma stepped up to me, holding some flags and her rifle. It was amazing how tuned into my feelings she was.

"I'm adding a six-foot pole to the mix," I smiled at her, remembering her words from tryouts. With a smirk, she rolled her eyes at me before giving me a once over to make sure I was feeling up to this. I nodded my head to try to prove to her (and myself) that I was going to be okay. Unfortunately, she wasn't near me in the line-up for this routine, so she gave me one last reassuring hug before jumping back to her spot.

As the announcer and crowd both welcomed us back to the gymnasium, I felt the butterflies rise in my stomach again. I chose not to look at the audience this time, merely focusing on where I needed to lay all of the flags. Our boxes were once again positioned on the floor, this time in the shape of a "V." Once everything was ready, we all lined up in a triangle in front of the boxes, facing away from the audience in second position.

"Bridgeview Honeybears, are you ready?" The announcer asked us for the second time as my breathing quickened and my heartbeat pounded in my throat. Maybe not so much this time...?

"5-6-7-8!" Brittany called once again, allowing us to slide our right foot to meet with our left, before our right arm bent and our fingers snapped. We remained in this position until the music started. I could feel my legs shaking.

As the words to "Come on Over (All I Want Is You)" by Christina Aguilera filled the gym, I allowed everyone in the audience to melt away again. Everyone, that is, except the handsome Brock Miller. We locked eyes, and he smiled broadly at me. My face faltered, but my body thankfully continued to obey the sound of the music while the dance team moved in unison. Why couldn't he have just left?

Focus, Aria! I scolded myself as I bounced my hips to the right. I snapped twice before slowly turning my head to look over my right shoulder. I snuck another peak at him while I did this, and noticed he was holding a dozen red roses in his hand. I had to take another calming breath.

A trill in the music allowed us to swing our upper bodies before body rolling. We threw our chests forward on an off beat, our hands on our hips. Brock was biting his lower lip as he watched me, the smile never leaving his features. He even mimicked the body roll, causing me to shudder.

I immediately searched for Noah, silently praying that his presence would calm me down once more. And there he was, front and center, his answering smile being all that I needed. The crushing weight lifted off my chest, and the smile that I was forcing on my face became genuine.

The team let out a "Whooo!" as we half-skipped into another floor position, most of us bending down to pick up our first flag. As much as our previous dance had a sexy vibe, this one was more energetic and fun. The audience's eyes had to feel almost assaulted by our flags (which were all different solid bright colors) as we spun and launched them into the air. We were able to perform difficult drills while still dancing and changing formations. One of our more dangerous moves included having girls stand on top of the boxes to toss their flags into the air to other girls waiting below. This earned us a solid cheer from the crowd.

While the song continued, our routine became more complex. Flags and rifles were tossed and spun in perfect tempo, somehow staying in our hands and not hitting the floor. There were even points where a few of the girls ran across the floor doing roundoff back handsprings, side aerials, and other gymnastic tricks.

When our song approached the final sixteen count, we readied ourselves into position: seven girls jumped onto the boxes, and the rest doubled up on the floor in front of each box, except the center one. As my diva Christina belted the lyrics, the girls on the outside boxes tossed their flags into the air while girls on the floor did the same with their rifles, beginning a rippling effect inwards to the center box where Emma stood. When Christina displayed her last impressive run of the song, Emma spun her rifle in front of her before tossing it high into the air. Quickly, she turned around as she judged its height, completed a back tuck off of the box, then caught her rifle before turning back around to the audience. They screamed in response, and I knew she nailed it.

We finished the routine by twirling our pieces in front of us, then behind our bodies before slamming them onto the ground and pointing to the audience on "you!" Once again, the crowd did not disappoint us as they rose to their feet and cheered. My breathing was heavy, but my smile was huge. My eyes immediately found Noah again. A wide smile was plastered on his face, and I knew we had done well.

"Thank you for that amazing performance, Bridgeview High!" The announcer cued us off of the floor. Gathering our flags and rifles, we hurried to clean everything up and exit the gym.

"You did it!" Emma exclaimed, catching up to me in the halls. I laughed as she tackle-hugged me.

"That was insane." Elijah walked up to us, handing both myself and Emma a bottle of water. Noah slowly joined us, his hands in his pants pockets, a smile still planted on his face.

"In a good way...?" I questioned him, sipping my water. "Thanks for these, by the way."

"Absolutely," Elijah smiled as he took all of the items that Emma was holding, and she began chugging her water in an unladylike manner. She wiped her face with the back of her hand and finally took a breath to thank him. "Do you need help with loading the equipment van?" Elijah offered, handing Emma back one flag but refusing to allow her to carry anything else.

"That would be awesome, actually," she responded, trying (and failing) to grab more props from Elijah. He gave her a pointed look, to which she just huffed in response.

"It's like watching an old married couple," Noah commented. I snorted and tried gathering my things to hold them better. "Here," Noah said while he took them from me, apparently not to be outdone by his brother. I raised an eyebrow at him, to which he just shook his head with a smirk.

"I know, aren't they stunning?!" Brittany's voice, once again, carried a little too loudly through the hallway. She was carrying a bouquet of a dozen long-stemmed roses. With a roll of my eyes, I turned to follow Noah and the others to the equipment van. Why was I even concerning myself with Brock and his stupid games? That's all this was to him. A game. And I wasn't going to let him win.

Besides, I had other winnings to worry about at the moment. Like how we were going to place in our categories. I let that thought stick with me as we sat in the gym for the awards ceremony. Noah's leg was bouncing beside me, but whether it was due to nerves or his own typical self, I wasn't sure. I was betting more on nerves, seeing how drum corps was the first category up. I rested my hand on his knee, and he immediately stopped, his head snapping over to me.

"Relax," I told him with a smile, removing my hand. He nodded in return.

Third and second places were awarded, but still they did not call the Bridgeview Corps. It seemed like all of them, Emma, and I held our breath as the announcer pulled the remaining card out of the envelope. "And the winner is..." He paused for a dramatic flair that none of us appreciated. "Bridgeview High Drum Corps!"

We all screamed while the captain, another senior, and Elijah walked up to grab their award. They held it in the air proudly as everyone clapped. Emma and I leaned into Noah to give him a congratulatory hug. The three of us hugged Elijah the second he sat back down, and we congratulated the others. I watched as Emma offered Adrian a small smile, which he returned with a nod of thanks.

Next, they went through soloists, duets, and small dance team categories. Finally, it came down to the group we were competing in. Emma and I laced our arms together and sat in anticipation.

"In third place... Washington High!" This was starting to get unbearable. I noticed out of the corner of my eye that Emma was fidgeting, too. We held our breath.

"And in second place... Bridgeview High!" It was hard for our team to hide our disappointment. The crowd cheered as Brittany grabbed the trophy and waved to everyone. Once she turned to head back to her seat, her smile faded, and she seethed.

"Congratulations!" Noah and Elijah both said in turn to us.

Emma smiled. "Thanks, but I'm sure we're going to hear about it from Brittany."

"Screw her," Noah shrugged.

"What I believe Noah meant to say is that second place is an amazing accomplishment." Elijah nodded in agreement.

"I said what I said," Noah mumbled, and we all laughed.

I thought about it for a second. "You know what? You're absolutely right," I smiled.

"Uh, can I get that in writing?" Noah smirked at me.

"Nooo! But good for you for asking anyway," I giggled. "Hell yeah, second place!" I squeezed Emma. She beamed.

Our little group of four talked quietly while we waited for the announcement of the winner of the color guard portion of the competition. Holding our breath for what seemed like the hundredth time that day, we listened as third and second places were called. Our name was not among them, so I allowed myself to hope that maybe, just maybe–

"...Bridgeview High!" the announcer yelled, and our group burst into screams and applause once again. It took me a moment to actually register what was said as I was tackled in a group hug. I felt like a smile would be plastered to my face the rest of the night.

It was pitch black outside while we boarded the bus once again to head back home. It didn't take long for Elijah and Emma to fall asleep in their seat, both obviously spent from the day's events. Her head fell to his shoulder, which caused him to nuzzle his head into hers before letting out a contented sigh. I wondered if they knew that even in their sleep they pined after each other.

Noah peeked over at me. "I figured you fell asleep, too," he smiled.

"Not yet," I smirked. "What are you listening to?" I pointed to his headphones. He turned the earpiece outwards so that I could hear. "One" by Creed was playing. I hummed along appreciatively.

"You know it?" he asked, surprised. "A lot of people don't know this one."

"Mhm..." I nodded, my eyes closing while I listened to the song. Guess I was tired, too. I leaned my head back onto the seat.

I didn't recall actually falling asleep until Emma was gently nudging me awake. I blinked a few times to clear my vision. We were back at the school. I lifted my head, which I then realized had been on Noah's shoulder. I looked over at his peaceful, sleeping face.

Elijah cleared his throat softly before bending down to Noah's ear. "NOAH!" he yelled, causing Noah to jump out of the seat. "We've returned," he added as we all laughed.

We bid each other farewell, and Emma drove me home. We promised to talk the next day about everything we couldn't say in front of the boys. I couldn't even muster much in the way of a conversation with my still very much chipper mom. My father was already asleep. With a quick "second and first" as an answer to how we did, I placed my orange daisy on my desk and gave it a loving pat. I'd dry it tomorrow. I decided not to think more about the day and instead scooped up a mewling Oliver before collapsing onto my bed. It only took a few moments before sleep claimed me for good that night.

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⭐ Does Aria deciding that Brock can no longer control her leave you cheering as wild as the Winterguard crowd? Hit that STAR if you're as excited for her as we are!