Earned It

#TheAvoidanceAndTheAwkwardMeeting

The next day

Rumer entered the studio nervously because she still has no idea on how today was going to be. Awkward was definitely on top of her prediction list.

The first thing she noticed when she entered was that Val wasn't around yet. Usually, he would be first in the studio to start choreography already. She placed her things down and coincidentally the door flung open. Her heart started pounding. She was about to face Val for the first time after their incident and even though she has completely rehearsed everything she wants to say in her head, her mind is completely blank right now. Last night, her sisters helped her realize that she was in love with Val and now she has to face those newly discovered feelings no matter what trouble it may bring.

She spun around to face him but as soon as she did her face dropped because it wasn't Val.

"Come on. Did you really have to react like you're so unhappy to see me?" It was Max, Val's brother. She gave him a faint smile to redeem herself and went in for a hug. She already grew close to Max just like how Val got close to her entire family.

"Where's Val?" She went straight to the point and asked about Val's whereabouts. Max gave her a small smile.

"He taught me the routine last night and he asked me to dance with you while he takes a breather." There was a certain way of how Max talked that made Rumer realize that he knows what happened but he still didn't give away where his brother was exactly.

"He told you?" She asked shyly and he just nodded in agreement and gave her a pat in the back. "He'll be fine." He tried to reassure her but she wasn't as convinced. "Let's start?" Rumer just nodded in agreement but while Max was putting down his stuff Rumer spoke.

"Is it okay if I make a quick phone call before we start?" He agreed and she headed out of the room and to the corridor. She called a familiar number and as it rang she was thinking of the right thing to say. There was no one picking up the other line so it went straight to voice mail.

"Hey. It's me. Uhmmm. I just...." Her voice trailed as she let out a sigh. "Val, I can't do this without you. Please come back as soon as you're ready. And uhmm. I'm really sorry." She ended that call and went back in to start to rehearse.

On the other side of town, Val was lying in bed staring at the ceiling not knowing what to do with himself. He plans to hide in his room until he gets his shit together after their kissing incident. His phone rang and he saw it was Rumer as soon as he checked the caller i.d. he decided not to pick up.

"How can I forget you if you call me as I do it?" He started talking to himself. "You screwed up big time Valentin. I get it that you're in love with her but did you need to do it like that. Couldn't you plan something special or at least not do it by impulse. Of course she's going to freak out. You suddenly kissed her and blurted out that you're in love with her with no warning. What normal being wouldn't being caught off guard?" He glanced at his phone again and saw that there was a voice mail. He opened it and listened to the one Rumer left.

Val had mixed emotions about that message. He felt guilty because he did promise to help her win the competition and here he was bailing out on practice. At the same time he was still a bit hurt about the fact that she doesn't feel the same way about him and here he was completely in love with her while she needs him for the competition only. Or at least that's what he thinks.

He decided that 2 days off wouldn't be so bad, after all he left her in good hands. He knew his brother would do a good job with Rumer so he wasn't worried at all with their chances in the competition but instead he was really concerned with how they're going to be as partners and as friends.

Val's phone rang once again. A part of him didn't even want to look at the caller's name cause if it was Rumer he might be tempted to just answer the phone but once he saw the caller he decided to pick up.

"Hello?" he answered weakly. The caller was none other than two of the Willis sisters. Yes, Tallulah and Scout.

"Hey! We heard you weren't at rehearsals today." News does travel fast and it wasn't no surprise that these two knew about it already.