Confessions of a Teenage Broadway Star

08 » ❝I Could've Danced All Night❞

         "I thought the whole point of a dance was to dance," Peyton deadpans, "or did I misread something there?"

         Audrey laughs. "Well, that too, I guess," she admits. "But if I'm not going with a date, we've at least got to get Alex to ask April, right?"

         An automatic blush graces April's cheeks. "N-no, we don't have to do that - really, please don't."

         Scarlett puts an arm around her friend's shoulder. "Oh c'mon, April, you know you want to," she teases, grinning. "And look, what's the worst that could happen?"

         "Uh, he says no, knows I like him, and thinks of me as a total creep?"

         Scarlett laughs. "Alex isn't like that, trust me. I've known the kid all my life - he may be a total child at times, but he's a gentleman. And he's going to say yes, I just know it."

         "How can you possibly know that?"

         "I just do. I have a sixth sense." (Scarlett doesn't have any sixth senses, that she knows of, anyways, but she's making a point. Are sixth senses even a thing? Scarlett thinks so. It must be a thing.) She spots her cousin making his way through the hallways with a group of friends and grins. Perfect timing, she thinks. "And look, there's Alex now. I'm gonna call him over."

         "What? No!"

         "When he comes over, ask him to the dance!" Audrey tells her.

         "Guys, I don't think this is a good idea-"

         "You'll do great, April," Audrey assures her.

         "No I won't! Scarlett, I swear to God if you call him over-"

         "Hey, Alex! Over here!"

         April's suddenly turning very pale, and by the time Alex has made his way over to where the girls are standing, she still hasn't found her voice, and is staring at Scarlett's cousin with a terrified look on her face. "Hey girls, what's up?" he asks, but notices April's expression, and his eyes fill with concern. "April, are you alright?" he asks.

         She snaps out of it almost immediately, trying a smile in Alex's direction. "Uh, yeah - I'm uh, I'm fine, I was just..." she trails off, and Audrey swoops in and comes to the rescue.

         "-just about to ask you something," she fills in for her, and April shoots Audrey a panicked look. Audrey just shrugs. "We'll leave you two alone - we're gonna go get our dance tickets," she says, grabbing Scarlett and Peyton's wrists and dragging them in the opposite direction.

         Peyton looks unconvinced. "Are you sure that was a smart-"

         The girls turn around to find that they've only been walking away for about five seconds, and April and Alex are already laughing and talking, and despite April's frequent blushing, things appear to be going beyond fine.

         Audrey has a smug smile plastered on her face. "I rest my case," she smirks. "And as for you," she says, placing her hands on Scarlett's shoulders and turning her to face the ticket booth, "go get him, tiger."

         "Wait, what?" Scarlett asks with an alarmed look. "What are you-"

         "Just trust us," Audrey says. "My matchmaking skills never fail."

         And then Scarlett is shoved in the direction of the ticket booth so hard that she practically knocks the whole table over, evoking some irritating laughter from Audrey and Peyton, who know very well that they've just thrown Scarlett into inevitable embarrassment. She looks up to find that she hasn't done any serious damage (that's a first) and Chase is looking down on her with that signature grin that makes her want to melt into a puddle on the floor and disappear. "Hey, Scar," he greets her, and she tries an awkward smile up at him.