Two Months Together

The L Word, Though Unexpected

I looked at her, "Long story, but yeah. For a couple years.." I glanced back at him casually.

He grinned shoving his hands into his pockets.

"Oh cool! Long time acquaintances..." She giggled. "You guys should be partners!" Her voice rang.

What? No. For six months? Are you fucking kidding me..

"That'd be fun." Jack agreed.

"Good, cause I hear the choreographer is thinking about doing a ton of lifts and such.. So I think you guys would be great with that kind of stuff since you have so much trust already." She smiled, looking between the both of us.

"Yeah.." I replied quietly.

"I'm up for it." Jacks grin was even wider than before as he stared at me with big excited eyes.

I bit my bottom lip, "Okay Little Man, lets go." Smiling, I took his hand and dragged him over to where the others were.

"Little Man? How the hell did I get that nickname?" Jack laughed from behind me.

"Hmm, maybe cause I'm almost as tall as you, mmm?" I smiled jokingly at him.

"We're the same height.. " He said with a straight face.

"Sure.. I'm just a inch taller, you just can't see it yet." I continued to play around with him.

"Nuh uh!" He frowned like a kid, still keeping his hand in mine. Though what was weird, was that I didn't disagree. I let him hold my hand.

This will be bad six months from now..

Don't think about stuff like that Claire!

Why not?

Cause he's just a friend, friends shouldn't be holding hands.

Whatever. It's a free country.

"Yeah huh.." My voice trailed off slowly while I still smiled.

"Whatever Little Woman." I had started stretching my arms when my eyebrows pushed down into a line.

"Hey! No fair!" I shoved his arm.

"Ha, ha." He stuck his tongue out in my face.

"Jack." I said sternly.

"Yessssss..." Yeah, definitely a kid.

"Behave and put that long tongue of yours back in your mouth where it belongs."

"Sorry Miss." He apologized quietly before pecking my cheek quickly and then returning back to his own stretching without a word.

I was left speechless. My hand had floated up to my cheek where his lips had softly made contact. Though I never noticed what I was feeling until a minute later.

I shook my head, trying to shake out those damn butterflies out of my stomach while I resumed what I was doing before.

God, help me please.

As the day wore on, we had already choreographed a routine to Naturally and Round & Round. They were pretty simple so far. Some tricks and leaps towards the middle, hip hop sections in unison and then just a few lifts at the end. Jack was surprisingly supportive as a partner. Made me feel just a tiny bit better with this whole freaky deaky situation. As well as he being a ridiculous dancer. Like all his popping was absolutely sick! I couldn't believe he kept this from me.

Another thing about guys who dance... Guys who dance WELL, or more likely amazingly.. that, well, turns me- ahhh stupid mind! Stop it! For shits sake.

Think Taylor, think Taylor. Yes, beautiful smile, funny laugh, hot delicious abs, loving personality, fiance... Okay, I think I'm good again.

I'm so pathetic.

---

It was about 5pm and we were getting a small water break. I was talking to one of the other girls while we rested. Her name was Andie and she was my age. We turned out to be pretty good friends; sharing our dancing lives, some personal parts, though of course, she'd recognized me since I had stepped in here. But she wasn't freaking out that I was going to marry Taylor Freaking Lautner, no, she was calm and actually cool.

Her blue eyes flickered over to Jack, whom was walking over to me. "Does Jack like you or something?" She leaned forward to whisper.

"Um, I guess you could say that." I looked at her.

"Do you like him?"

I sighed deeply, "I.. I don't know Andie. I can't figure it out actually."

She crinkled her nose up and patted my shoulder. "Well I hope you find out. You're gonna get married soon.."

I then pulled her into a hug unexpectedly. We had just met but I knew that we'd be close friends in this near future. "Thanks for the talk." I spoke in her ear as I pulled away.

"Anytime." She smiled before walking past me, in which Jack took her place in front of me.

"Hey whats up?" I leaned against the wall, looking at his Giants hat. At least he was a fan. Taylor on the other hand had to be a Dodgers guy.. Yuck. But I still loved him.

"I just wanted to say that you're an amazing dancer." He stared longingly.

Oh gosh, longingly.

"Thank you. You are too." I grinned slightly.

"Claire," He swallowed before taking my hand. His face was flooding with nerves.

"Whats wrong Jack? You look.." I shook my head slowly, trying to find the right word.

"Terrified?" He looked at me from underneath the rim of his hat.

"Uh, well, I was going to say nervous... But why?" I was now a little worried with what was about to happen.

"I love you, Claire."

What the fuck, what the fuck, what the fuck...

"Jack..." I removed my hand. His eyes widened as he looked at me fully. "Holy shit, come on man!" I whispered hard at him. "I'm engaged, Jack. You know that already! You've known for forever now." I placed my hands on his built shoulders, ducking my head to try and get his eyes to look at mine. Though, he still didn't speak. "I'm sorry. I love you too, but not in that way okay?"

He took a trembling breath in and said, "Just forget I even said it." and with that, he pushed me aside and exited the studio.

I just stood there, frozen with emotions running high. Everybody had been watching but as soon as Jack left, they returned to their quiet murmurs. I slid down the wall slowly, wrapping my arms around my knees and laying my heavy head onto them.

What had happened here?

I seriously didn't know.

The other guys had coaxed Jack back inside to finish the last couple hours of rehearsal, and all we did was run through and clean the dances we had learned so far. The tension between us was so thick, you could easily cut it with a knife. He didn't talk to me in between steps like he had done earlier, nor did his hands hold me as tight like before. I tried smiling at him, to maybe see if he would respond, but in all my tries, all he did was look away.

I think I'd done it now.

My imaginary Claire pulled Jack outside and got the courage to say this loud and clear to his awaiting face:

Jack I love you, so much. But we can only be friends.. I'm sorry it couldn't be more than this, but I'm in a healthy relationship right now, and about to be a Mrs! I'm hoping we can get through this.. You'll always be my best man. And saying that, I want you to be our best man. For me, please.

Imaginary Jack forgave that Claire and accepted her invitation for being apart of the wedding. Everything was sort of normal again..

Though this Claire just sat in her car, watching him walk away from her. Watching him walk right out of her life.

Six months of this is going to be a grueling journey...