Spinning Out✔️

44. In the Gallery pt. 1

Luna's POV
8:31pm
August 11th

"It's weird how I don't remember this," I said, looking up at the huge photograph hanging on the wall.

There were photos and other works of art all around us. Casey's exhibit in the art gallery she worked for was open tonight. She asked us a few weeks ago to take pictures and model for her but I'd forgotten about it.

"It's been a busy few months," Carmen said in explanation.

The gallery was much bigger than I thought it was going to be with an upstairs and downstairs. Even on the first floor, the place was already pretty full and I was excited. Art galleries, like other art-related events, were some of my favorite pastimes.

Because Carmen, Gen, Scarlet, and I helped Casey set the whole place up, we got in for free. Soft jazz music played from the speakers above and soft golden light poured over each of the art pieces on display.

Men and women dressed in a fancy black and white attire walked around with trays of finger foods and champagne glasses.

Kingston had texted that he'd be by later but Ozzie was staying home with his grandma. Zhu was somewhere upstairs.

"Do you feel like we'll be ready?" I turned my attention away from the painting and looked at her. Already knowing what I was talking about, Carmen nodded.

"I think that we don't want to rush into anything without making sure each separate piece is good," She smoothed down the skirt of her green polka-dotted sundress. "I mean how were rehearsals with Jax?" She bit her bottom lip and looked away from the photograph and over at me. "I know I kind of put a lot on you guys to figure out by yourself."

I shrugged feeling a bit unconfident. "I-I think we're okay." We had mapped out our full duet routine already. "It's not like there's an issue or that we were disagreeing...it's just that..."I fingered my hands together and twisted my mouth in thought. "I don't know. I guess I thought that after everything, things would just fall into place and make sense and I wouldn't be second-guessing anything..."

Carmen's eyebrows lifted and she crossed her arms, leaning closer to me. "Are we still talking about the dance?" The past few days we had rehearsed our duet and our part of the group dance. Things were moving smoothly.

I sighed. "I don't know. With Jax and I, it's almost like the same thing. How we dance is how we feel and right now...we're just...fine I guess."

"Fine?"

"Yeah?"

I wasn't making any sense but I knew she understood me by the way her face relaxed. "Maybe you're just overcomplicating things. Or you're waiting for the other shoe to drop and for something bad to happen."

"It's a really hard habit to quit," I admitted.

"Well, stop setting up expectations or timelines. Just let things happen naturally."

I chewed on my lower lip, moving from one foot to the other. My short white skirt moved with me. "The other day I was shopping and--"

"Carmen!" Casey whispered-yelled causing us both to turn around.

Casey was dressed in a white-crop top with a black blazer over top and blue jeans that were ripped all over. Tonight she matched her gold rings with the studs in her ear. She always wore this silver chemical structure around her neck every time I saw her. She said it was a gift from Ben a long time ago. She also wore bright pink stilettos with it, almost making her my height.

"We're almost out of the mini tacos you brought," She said looking flustered and anxious. Moving closer to us and lowering her voice, she grabbed Carmen's hand. "Can you please go with Zhu and grab me so more from the place downtown?"