'reflections'
act two.

chapter twenty-one: that's a bit too close for 'just friends'!

"something happens and i'm head over heels!"
- head over heels, tears for fears

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THE ONLY TYPE OF DANCING VIENNA HAD EVER DONE WAS IN HER ROOM LISTENING TO A TAYLOR SWIFT SONG.

She wasn't a dancer by any means, but maybe today that would change.

It was the time of year where summer bowed its head and gave way to fall; warm gusts of wind blowing as the last of the summer sun tucked itself in for the year.

The back deck had a nice view of the sunset. Fall was Vienna's favorite season, though she did love summer.

She was soaking up the last few rays, and the last summer sunset of the year.

Lia chose the music, something loud, exciting. Something that just screamed 'celebration'. Because Lia knew just how to celebrate, that was one of the first things she learned about the girl when she moved in. She'd thrown a somewhat welcome party for Vienna when she first moved in, and it had been the most fun Vienna had had in years.

About a month ago, the two girls moved out of their individual rooms to share just as Sloane and Cassie do. Judd had said something about needing more room for storage, but the two girls didn't mind. They'd had a little celebration on their first night together, and they'd been told to shut up by nearly everyone in the house at one point.

As Lia turned on some early 2000's club-like music, a smile crept onto Vienna's face.

"What are you smirking about over there?" Lia asks as she turns up the music.

"Good music choice." Vienna smiles. "But maybe you could turn on some Gracie Abrams?"

Lia chuckles. "Tough Love is our song, alright? Later tonight." She confirms.

Vienna smiles at the black-haired girl as Michael, Sloane, and Cassie walk out onto the patio.

"Are you ready to party or what?" Michael looks at Vienna, who was still sitting comfortably in her chair.

"I don't know, Townsend, are you?"

"Stand up, Vienna." He laughs, grabbing her by the arms and pulling her to her feet.

"Now, why could Michael get you to stand and I couldn't?" Lia narrows her eyes at the two.

Michael shrugs. "It's a mystery." He looks at Vienna, hardly even noticing that anyone else was present.

"Hey, where's Dean?" Lia looks to Cassie.

"He walked away, mumbling something about not wanting to dance."

Lia scoffed. "Not on my watch." She dashed back into the house.

She returned a moment later, dragging a very defeated looking Dean with her.

"Dance!" She demanded.

"Absolutely not." Dean crossed his arms, sitting on the chair that Vienna had been previously sitting.

"Alright then." Lia says, as Cassie threw her arms around Sloane's shoulders, as they began dancing to the music.

Michael looped an arm around Vienna's waist, pulling her into his body, swaying from side to side, keeping time to the music.

Michael was a better dancer than Vienna was, by a landslide. He didn't seem to care, as Vienna practically tripped when he spun her in a circle, and then pulled her back to him in one fluid motion.

"Didn't know you could dance like that." Vienna says. They were so close that she could feel his breath on her ear.

"It's one of my many secret talents." He mumbled.

"Is that so?" Vienna looks up at him.

"Mhm." He smirks.

Michael spun her around again, and that's when she got a glimpse of Dean. He has that look in his eyes whenever Michael does something irritating, which is more often than not.

Dean was something of an over-protective brother figure for Vienna, and he was wearing a similar look to what Vienna's biological brother, Ronan, would be wearing if he saw Vienna so close to a boy as she was to Michael.

"My turn, Michael!" Lia shoves Michael away from Vienna, grabbing the girl, pulling her to dance as the song changed.

When they'd made it across the dance floor (the yard), and out of Michael's earshot, Lia leaned into Vienna to whisper in her ear.

"That was a bit close, don't you think?"

"What was?" Vienna looks at her friend.

"You and Michael. Did you see the way he was looking at you?"

"Like he always does...?"

"Exactly. That boy is head over heels, and has been for years. Everyone knows it, even Locke did."

The name triggered Vienna, as it had ever since she had killed the woman.

"Really?" Her voice wavered at the end of her sentence.

"Yes. At some point you have to realize-"

Lia was interrupted by Sloane dancing toward Vienna, Cassie following.

Sloane twirled Vienna, as Lia grabbed Cassie.

"Come on, Dean!" Vienna looked toward the blond boy who was still sitting where he had been this whole time, as she approached Michael again.

"No!" He shouted back. "I don't dance!"

"Fine!" Vienna shouts in response.

"You're lame, Redding!" Michael yells, pulling Vienna closer to him. She had to admit, this was closer than friends normally were, though she didn't really mind.

"You're just doing this to piss off Dean, aren't you?"

"Hm?" Michael looks at her, pretending to not know what she was talking about.

"This." She says.

"What exactly?" He raised a brow.

"This, us, dancing."

"Aren't we doing the definition of dancing?"

"Well according to the Oxford Dictionary, dancing means taking a series of rhythmic steps and moves to the beat of music."

"There's my old Vi." He grins at her.

She smiled too. She hadn't felt like herself these past couple of months, and since her family didn't know the extent of the program, she couldn't call them when she was having troubles.

And that was really killing her.

She had her fellow naturals to help her, but sometimes she just longed for her family.

But she thought now, the need for Michael lingered in her system more than the need for her family.

It was a strange feeling, wanting Michael. It was something she'd never felt in her life before. Nobody had been able to calm her nerves like he did.

But she had to act like her heart didn't explode when he simply looked her way.

"So you are doing this to piss off Dean?" She stifles those thoughts for now, looking into his beautiful eyes.

"Perhaps." Michael grins at her. "But some of us have to have hobbies other than reading. And seeing Redding squirm is one of mine."

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cam's notes!!

the michienna ship is far out at sea....

i love them sm id go to war for them!

qotd (this is important so please answer!) : do you prefer chapters that are this length and more of them, or longer chapters but fewer?

lmk what you think of this chapter and i'll see you in the next!!