And the winner of the tonight concert is Madam Zozo's dance school. Congratulations! Let's tell our winners to come here. No? There are too shy to come. Anyway, let's give the winners their metal.

The memory of the latest dance concert, where Madam Zozo's school dance won all because of their best dancers Leila Dimont and her ex-partner Martin Chopin, was flashing through Leila's mind.

They were amazing dancers. They were the best of the best but, unfortunately for them, Martin moved away from Paris.

Leila Dimont was lying on her bed. It was the day after her partner announced to everyone that he had to go. She was full of sadness and sorrow; not only was he her partner, but she also might have had feelings for him and finding out about his departure was breaking her down.

That moment her mother entered her room.

Her mother was the famous fashion designer Abby Chappelle. You could say that Leila had everything; she was rich and talented. But that didn't make her feel happy. Her mother was cruel and the only thing she cared about was fame. Nothing more and definitely nothing less.

"Hey, honey! Why are you so sad?" Abby said, sitting down next to her daughter and trying to smile at her.

"Nothing, it's just a headache." Leila lied to her mother. She didn't want to tell her the truth because as she always said, showing love to people like Martin is not worth it.

Well, Martin was actually a really good guy, but the problem was that he was poor. Not very poor, his parents had a normal salary but it was nothing compared to what Mrs Chapelle made.

"Okay, then... Get ready, you don't want to be late." Abby said, smiling a fake smile at her daughter.

Leila sighed, standing up from her bed. She got dressed and went down the stairs to inform her mother that she was leaving.

"I'm leaving!" She shouted when she reached to the door. As per usual, her mother ignored her.

She headed out of her house slamming the door behind her. She loved being outside, cause when she was outside she forgot all her troubles.

Well, most of them at least.

The dance school was two blocks away from her house, so she didn't have to walk much to get there.

Madame Vaugeois was waiting for her at the doorstep.

"Bonjour, Leila." the teacher told her.

"Bonjour madame!" Leila replied. Miss Vaugeois nodded and led her inside.

"As you probably know already, Martin has to leave and that was terrible news for all of us. We only have a month left until this year's dancing contest begins and something this unfortunate just happened... Anyway, there is a new candidate here, whom I want to participate in the competition and he is going to have to dance with you." the teacher informed her as they walk pass through the classroom. She nodded in agreement and then silence took over.

When they got into the classroom Madame Vaugeois started searching around for someone while Leila hang out with the other girls.

"Come here girls and boys!", madame Vaugeois called the dancers and they all gathered around her. And then someone rushed to the classroom, panting.

"Sorry I'm late!" A boy rushed in throwing his bag on the floor but accidentally hitting Leila with it. The girls gasped while the boys face-palmed. They didn't usually throw their stuff on each other even though they knew it was an accident.

Leila knew that guy and she absolutely hated him. Her feelings about him consisted of absolutely pure hate and she assumed that his opinion was the exact same.

She grabbed his bag and placed it where the rest of them were, then went back to the circle, giving a serious look to the new boy.

"This is our new student Xavier Devereux." the teacher said breaking the ice and making the entirety of the class say hi to him except for Leila.

Xavier was one of the popular boys, the cool guy and all the girls had a crush on him.

"Xavier also will participate in this year's contest and he is going to dance with our beloved Leila." The teacher announced and they both turned to look at each other in shock.

"Nope. There's no way in hell I'm dancing with him." Leila said pointing with a finger at Xavier.

"Why? I'm pretty sure that I don't have any spiders on me." He said, a sly smirk forming in his lips.

"See what I'm talking about?" Leila said, completely done with her life and the bad luck that kept following her.

"Enough! You two are going to dance together, and I don't want to hear another word. I don't know what you're going to do about it, but you will find a solution on your own. Now go to an empty class and start rehearsing." she said to both of them.

They were at a loss of words, so they both took their stuff and got out of the classroom.

"I hope that you at least know how to dance and didn't come here just to get yourself a girlfriend..." Leila fired when they left the classroom.

"I think I found her already." Xavier muttered . Fortunately for him, Leila didn't hear him or even see him blushing.

"You didn't answer my question, Devereux." Leila turned around to face him.

"I said I don't know how to dance but of course you couldn't hear me over the sound of your enormous ego." he added, rolling his eyes.

"My ego?" she said sarcastically.

"Yeah, you are just like your mother." Xavier said, opening the door of a classroom and going inside, letting the door slam behind him.

Leila stood frozen for a few seconds, his words buzzing in her head... you are just like your mother. She didn't want that, it was her worst nightmare.

On the other side of the door was Xavier, who has leaning against the door, utterly regretting his last words. Leila wasn't like her mother. She was sweet and kind. He wanted the earth to open up and swallow him.

"Are you coming or you going to stay out there looking at a wall? At least come inside and look at me if you want something to look at." Xavier set his ego aside and opened the door again, attempting to flirt with her.

"Yeah, yeah I'm coming." she said slamming the door in his face. He waited for a few moments but she didn't come in so he opened the door again. This time he found her on the floor crying.

His heart sank at the sight of this. He didn't bother to apologize because his pride wouldn't let him, but he sat down next to her instead, trying to hug her.

"Don't touch me!" Leila said slapping his hand and pushing him away.

"I know you hate me right now, but I don't care about anything you say and I'm going to hug you anyway." he said and wrapped his arms around her. She started hitting him but he was patient held onto her till she was tired of trying to keep him from hugging her.

"I'm sorry..." Xavier said eventually, making her stop momentarily.

"I don't care." she hissed, nearly starting beating him again but being interrupted by him grabbing her hands.

"Okay, look, I know you totally hate me but if you want to win the competition you have to set the hate you feel towards me aside and let me do the same." he said looking into her brown eyes. She couldn't help but nod in agreement. He stood up and helped her do the same.

"Well we don't have enough time to practice now, so I'll see you tomorrow. Oh, and mark my words, Devereux... don't even think about being late." she glared at him, lowering his chin with her hand so he could face her.

"Okay, kitty. Do you want me to walk you home?" Xavier gave her an awkward smile.

"No, and don't call me kitty." she replied, taking her stuff and, walking away from him.

"Do you prefer stardust?", he asked her. "I knew it!" He said excitedly when she didn't reply, failing to see her rolling her eyes.

Leila went right to her house where her mother waited for her.

"I'm home!" Leila announced upon entering the living room.

"Yeah, I know. There is no reason to shout about it." her mother told her.

Leila wasn't in the mood to deal with her, so she immediately went to her room.

"So... who are you going to dance with?" her mother walked inside. Leila regretted not locking her door.

"It hasn't been decided yet." Leila lied, looking at the floor. She was afraid to look her mother in the eyes.

"Really? Because your teacher called me and said that she has decided on a partner for you and that you've agreed to participate in the contest with him. Who is the lucky guy?" her mother stood up. She was pissed at her daughter.

Leila incoherently mumbled Xavier's full name.

"I can't hear you, speak up!" Abby ordered.

"Xavier Devereux." Leila did as her mother said.

"I'll come to meet him tomorrow. Goodnight, Leila." her mother informed her and left before Leila could object.

At first she thought of calling him and informing him about the following day, but she was too tired to do anything, so she just fell asleep.

The next morning she jumped out her bed and got dressed. It was Saturday but she had to rehearse for the competition. It was pretty early but she didn't care; she wanted to go to the dance school before her mother in order to warn Xavier.

She went down the stairs trying not to make any noise and to wake her mom up. She opened the door and left the house.

She wasn't in a hurry because it was too early, so she walked slow. When she finally arrived at the school she found her mother talking to Xavier and run towards them as fast as she could.

"Mom, what are you doing here?" she asked tossing her away from Xavier.

"I'm expressing my dislike for your new dance partner." her mom said like it wasn't a big deal at all.

"Miss Chappelle, do you know what's the worst part about me? I don't even know how to dance." Xavier said in his fury. Anyone would be as mad at someone if the first thing they every told you was that they hated you.

"What? Young boy if we lose the competition because of you I'll destroy everything and everyone you love!" Miss Chappelle shouted threats at him, waited long enough to see him scared and left in satisfaction as he gulped.

When she walked far enough to be out of earshot, Xavier turned to Leila. "So it's a family thing now."

"I'm sorry... I should have called you last night to warn you..." she apologized for her mother's actions.

"Nah, it's okay... Don't worry about it. Besides, you shouldn't be the one to apologize. I just want you to answer me one question." he told her as they went inside.

"Ask away..." Leila sighed.

"Why do you and your mother hate me so much?" he asked scratching the back of his head awkwardly.

"Well, my mom hates everyone and I hate you cause you pranked me back in first grade. With a spider. And you knew I was terrified of spiders." Leila replied.

"Oh come on! It was just a small spider!" he tried to justify himself.

"And this is just a finger!" Leila deadpanned and showed him her middle finger.

"Rude. And here I thought you were a cinnamon roll kit- I mean stardust." he replied flirtily.

"Shut up, we have work to do..." Leila said, rolling her eyes.

"Make me..." he said with a wink.

"Close your eyes..." Leila smirked. Upon hearing that sentence coming out of her mouth, he melted. He closed his eyes and waited for a kiss. He could not believe that he could make her fall in love with him so easily.

He could feel her moving closer to him. He blushed but could smell something bad. And the smell became even worse when that something touched his lips. He opened his eyes immediately and saw Leila holding up a dirty sock to his lips.

"Jesus Christ!" Xavier said, throwing the sock away. Leila was laughing so hard that she fell on the floor.

"You... Tho... Thought that I would kiss you? " she said laughing even harder.

"I can still smell it... Where did you even get it?" he said, picking the sock up and tossing it out in the corridor. "And now, stardust, I have to tell you that you are an even bigger jerk than I am. Congratulations, you managed to fall down on my level." he said clasping his hands together.

"Whatever. We have work to do. Unless you wanna dance with your new girlfriend, the sock." she giggled.

"Shut up..." he grumbled and shook his head.

After a few moments they found their appointed choreography and started dancing. Xavier wasn't really a good dancer but he tried his best.

When they were done with the rehearsal Leila bid him goodnight and left. Xavier was left in the room alone. He couldn't dance. He knew that her ex partner, Martin Chopin, was a great dancer. Leila deserved a better dance partner than Xavier.

All those things were floating in Xavier head. It was true, he wasn't as great as Martin but he was actually pretty good for a beginner. The problem was that he couldn't see that. All he could see was failure.

He knew failure like an old friend. As the youngest member of his family, he had learned to be judged for everything he did. His parents kept telling him that he couldn't do anything right and that he could never be like his older brothers, who were doctors and lawyers. Xavier may not have liked books, but he wanted to live in the moment and that's why he ran away from his parents. That didn't even care enough to report him missing.

He was living with a nice old man at the time, who encouraged him to do anything he loved.

No one knew of his past and he was really good at hiding it.

He kept practicing the choreography every single day, even when he was all alone and after every rehearsal he was better and better. Leila was impressed.

She actually forgot all about her hate for him when she started to falling in love with him.

The days passed quickly and soon there was only one day left before the contest. The two kids had been working very hard but Leila's mother kept pushing them to break their limits. It was a matter of time before she broke then instead.

During every single practice, there she was; watching them and making her daughter hate her even more.

It was the night of the last rehearsal before the big day, the day everyone was waiting for. The thought of dancing in front of thousands of people caused Xavier to feel a wave of nervousness and anxiety. He needed to relax.

"Hey Leila." he started.

"You, over there! Stop talking!" miss Chappelle hissed, making Xavier gulp and shut his mouth.

When they finished Abby grabbed her daughter and dragged her straight to the car. Then she returned to spout more threats to the boy.

"Sleep well and if you ruin the competition tomorrow in going to ruin everything you love.", she hissed.

Xavier was really pissed at that woman, who reminded him of his parents so much. At first he'd been afraid of her, but lately he'd been able to look at her right in the eyes.

Her eyes were filled with evil. Just pure evil. He wasn't afraid of her anymore. Not when he knew exactly what type of person she was. "So that means that you are going to destroy your own daughter. That's the only thing I love about this world." Xavier told her, then grabbed his stuff and left.

Abby stood there for a second, frozen and shocked that she didn't see that coming. No one had ever talked to her like that. She left the room even more furious than she was before. She got into the car and glared at her daughter with disgust.

"When this competition ends, you are not seeing Devereux ever again!" she barked at her.

Leila's heart broke at the sound of these words. She had actually started to like that guy and now her mother was going to keep her from ever seeing him again.

The ride to their house was, fortunately, quick. Leila rushed to her room and this time locked the door behind her. She started crying. That's then her phone rang.

"Hello?" she said and sniffed her nose.

"It's me, stardust... Wait are you crying?" Xavier asked her. His calm and soft voice made her feel better.

"What? No." she lied.

"You are really bad at lying stardust. Anyway, you and me. Secret dinner. You can see where this is going. Get ready, I'm coming." he said and hang up.

She did as he told her and then called him again.

"Xavier can you do me a favor?" she asked him when he picked up.

"Let me guess; you want me to sneak you out of your window because your mom won't let you come with me?" Xavier sighed.

"Yeah... "

"Challenge accepted. I'm under your window." he said and helped her climb out.

She regained her balance and looked up to him to see another one of his famous smirks playing on his lips.

"Well it turns out to be that I am a really bad influence." he said.

"How come?"

"I got you to sneak out without your mother knowing of it."

"I hate her. She said that when the competition ends, I won't see you again!" Leila pouted.

"I'd be lying if I said that I didn't see that coming... I have to tell you a secret too." he told her and then explained that he had left his house because their parents where just like her mother. When she heard that she hugged him tightly, blushing and making him do the same.

They walked in silence until they arrived at the park.

"Well, it's nothing special... I just thought that maybe a picnic with you in the moonlight will make us both relax a little bit." he explained and lead her to a bench, where he pulled out a box full of cookies. "Do you want one?" Xavier asked her, smiling slyly.

"Yes, please. " Leila replied in confusion.

"Really? " Xavier said still smirking evilly.

"Yes, give me one. Is it so difficult for you to open the box and give me one?" she raised an eyebrow.

"Yes, it's really difficult for me to move my hand and open it. I won't be  winning anything if I make it so simple. Where's the fun in being simple?" Xavier shrugged.

"Xavier, do you want me to remind you that we are doing this picnic to relax? Because you are playing a deadly game with my nerves, so maybe you should give me a goddamn cookie and save me the trouble of hiding your dead body." she growled and tried to take the box from him but Xavier pulled it away and kept smirking.

"Only if you give me a kiss. A real one this time." he told her. Leila rolled her eyes and gave him a peck on the cheek.

"Not ther--" he got interrupted by a soft and warm kiss on the lips. At first he was surprised and his face turned into a bright sade of pink. When he realized that this was real and actually happening, he kissed her back.

"I love you." Xavier said when they pulled away from the kiss.

"I know." Leila smirked, taking the box of cookies and running away.

"Hey! I want some cookies too! They are my cookies. I made them myself and I put all my love in them!" Xavier ran after her.

They had a lot of fun and ate a lot of cookies but the following day was the day of the contest, so they had to go.

"Do you want to do a sleepover at my house?" he said, wrapping his arm around her shoulder.

"I would lobe to, but my mother will be very pissed if she realises that I'm not home... I'm sorry, let's reschedule for another time." Leila apologized to him.

"It's okay, stardust. You're right.", he sighed.,"At least let me walk you home." he added.

When they arrived, he helped her climb back into her room without miss Chappelle noticing that Leila was missing in the first place.

He was so in love with her that all he could hear were melodies of some love songs ringing in his ears.

He went to his house and lied down in his bed. The old man whom Xavier stayed with was already asleep. He found it impossible to fall asleep with all these butterflies flying in his stomach.

The next morning was the day everyone had been waiting for. Abby Chapelle woke her daughter up but it was by screaming at her that she had to practice with that useless thing, Xavier.

On the other hand, Xavier was sleeping until noon. No one woke him, because the old man knew how much he loved to sleep, but of course Abby had to come and wake him up too.

She knocked on the door and the old man made the mistake of opening it for her. She was surprisingly friendly with him, but when he left from the house she grabbed a cold glass of water, went to Xavier's room and she poured the water on him.

"Wha- Two things; who in the name of hell let you in? And secondly where is Leila and what did you do to her?" Xavier said trying not to slap Leila's mother.

"Let's begin with that you don't know how to count. You said you had to say two things and you said three. Leila is on the car, waiting. And lastly show some respect, I'm older." Abby said with a sickly sweet smile on her face.

"People like you don't deserve my respect." Xavier crossed his arms.

"Get dressed, you little prick." she threw his clothes at him and left.

A few minutes later Xavier came out of the house, all dressed up and ready to go. He approached Leila's car and opened the door but Abby slammed it shut.

"Rats who don't show respect, don't get in the car."

"Then you shouldn't be getting in the car either." Xavier shot and started making his way to where the competition was taking place.

It was a huge building with a beautiful small garden in the front
A lot of trees full with orange leaves decorated said garden.

Inside, in a big room, were all the dance school involved in the contest, practicing their choreographies for one final time.

Leila and her mother were already there when Xavier arrived and chatting with miss Vaugeois.

Xavier greeted to the two ladies and gave a death glare to Abby. Seriously, if glares could kill, Abby would have been dead for quite some time now.

Madame Vaugeois took the two kids and made them forget their stress for a while by helping them practice their choreography in front of her.

The hours passed and soon it was time for the contest to begin. Leila and Xavier were the first couple to dance because their dance school had been last year's winner.

They went up on the stage and Xavier kept wishing for the earth to open and swallow him. Leila on the other hand was so used to this that the confidence radiating off from her made him feel better about himself and relax a bit.

The music started playing and they started dancing. Xavier was pretending that no one was there and kept imagining that it was just him and Leila dancing in the moonlight, and it actually worked!

The first mistake was made by Leila. So was the second one. Leila was just smiling at Xavier, its warmth making him forget about the mistakes that would probably cost them when it came to rating the dance they'd worked on.

"I know I've done two mistakes and that they may cost us the win but I don't really care anymore. I just want to dance with you." she hugged him tightly.

They both forgot all about their choreography and started dancing in the sync of the song and each other.

When the song ended they went backstage, where Abby was waiting for them.

"What were you two doing up there?"  she hissed.

"Dancing, duh!" Leila rolled her eyes at her mother.

"That wasn't the choreography appointed to you." Abby was extremely mad at both of them.

"Congratulations, you got it! I'm slightly impressed." Xavier deadpanned and they left Abby standing there in shock.

When all the other competitors show to the judges their work, the time for the results came.

Madame Zozo's dance school didn't win the first place for the first time after seven years. They were in the second place which actually wasn't that bad, but was a shame for Abby, who was embarrassed about her daughter.

She started yelling at her daughter in front of everyone, telling her that she was a failure. They both kept shouting at each other until a red haired man came in between them.

It was Leila's beloved father who had been there for her every single year.

"Benjamin can you let me discipline my daughter?" Abby yelled at him.

"Abby relax, it was just a competition. And she's our daughter." Mr Dimont said calmy at her.

"I want you to take our daughter, who is now yours and leave me the hell alone. Oh, and don't forget to take her stupid pet with you!" she shrieked, pointing at Xavier.

Mr Dimont just took the two kids with him and left. When they were outside the building Leila hugged her father as tightly as she possibly could as Xavier awkwardly stood close by

"You are not a failure, sweetie. You were amazing. Both of you. You did something different, you broke the rules and you did great. Don't listen to your crazy mother. We are going to get both of your stuff and you are going to be staying in my house from now on." Mr Dimont told them and lead the kids to his car.

His apartment wasn't anything like what Leila was used to. It was small and beautiful in its own way. It had a kitchen, a living room and a bedroom with two beds and also a bathroom; just like an average house.

Leila loved it and so did Xavier. They helped Mr Dimont to make dinner and make their beds.

Since then, they lived with Mr Dimont and helped him with the housework. He tried to make enough money to send both kids in a dance school, not madame Zozo's, but a cheaper one.

The end.