The Picture of My Heart {COMPLETE}

C H A P T E R T H R E E

"Maiya?" I said confused but happy she was standing in my house right in front of me.
"May I talk to you for a few minutes?" she asked looking at me.
"Sure, uh, yeah come on in." I said opening my room door more so she could come in.
"Well I'll leave you kids to talk." My mom said turning away to go back downstairs.
"I uh, wanted to apologize for the way Trent treated you today at lunch." She said walking toward my bed holding her arms.
"Yeah well he's a prick." I said walking towards her. She just laughed at what I said.
"Yeah, he can uh, he can be a prick sometimes." she said.
"Then why do you like him?" I asked.
"Who said I liked him?" She said doing her eyebrows in confusion.
"Well I just figured you guys were a thing because you guys are always together." I said.
"Well I don't like him, I have to tutor him during and after-school sometimes but that's the only reason I'm even around him." She said.
"Yeah, but you can't tell me he doesn't like you." I said sitting on my bed.
"So what?" She said looking around my room. "I told you I don't like him."
"Did you take these?" she said looking at the pictures on my wall I had taken with my camera.
"Yeah." I said getting up to walk over to the wall.
"Damn Dexter, you're really good." She said smiling in disbelief.
"I'm alright." I said smiling trying to be modest. "I could take some pictures of you sometime if you'd like."
"Really?" she said "that'd be awesome."
"Yeah no problem, I'd be honored." I said looking at her.
"If you want you could come to my dance studio tomorrow and take some of me dancing." she said.
"Sounds good." I said.
"Alright, I guess I'll see you tomorrow then." she said smiling again walking toward my door.
"I look forward to it." I replied.
"Thank you for sticking up for me by the way." She said turning around smiling touching my arm.
"Oh that, it was nothing." I said.
"Well, it wasn't nothing to me." She said. "Here's my number and I'll text you the address to the studio for tomorrow ok?"
"Ok." i replied
"Bye Dexter." she said "Have a goodnight."
"You as well." I say smiling. I watched her shut my door and heard her walking down my stairs. I couldn't help but smile the biggest smile I had ever had.
I picked up my phone and called Eddy and Tony.
"Hello?" I heard Eddy and Tony say.
"My luck has changed." I said excited.
"What are talking about?" Tony asked.
"Yeah Dex, what do you mean?" Eddy asked.
"Maiya wants me to take some pictures for her tomorrow at her dance studio and gave me her number." I said excited.
"Attaboy, see I told you to just keep your head up." Eddy said.
"Good job Dex, hope everything works out." Tony said.
"Me too." I replied and hung up.
After school the next day I drove to the address Maiya had given me and parked my car. Once I parked I got all of my camera equipment I would need out and headed inside the massive studio. It was a big brown stone building with very nice architecture.
I walked around looking at all the different rooms that the studio had to offer to practice in. I spotted Maiya in one of the practice rooms warming up. She had on a black dance leotard with tan tights and her hair put up in a bun.
"Hey Dexter." She said smiling as she stretched looking at me as I opened the door to the practice room. "You have any trouble finding the place?"
"No, uh, it was-it was pretty easy." I say walking to a spot in the corner setting my equipment down."
"Good, I'm glad you were able to come watch me dance and take pictures." she said walking towards me.
"Me too." I said smiling trying to get my camera from the bag.
"What would you like me to do?" she asked starting at me with her beautiful eyes.
"Uh any-anything you'd like" I replied shaking my head and clearing my throat trying to come back to reality.
"Ok." She said nervously smiling and went to the boombox to turn on some music. The way she danced was like a beautiful swan on a big lake. I had never seen anyone dance as elegantly and as beautifully as she did.
I took some practice shots first to get the right lighting and way I wanted the pictures to look. After that I just snapped as many pictures as I could while she glided across the dance floor to her music.
"I uh, I-I think we have enough pictures for some good shots." I said going to set my camera down.
"Awesome" she said smiling. "I could use some new pictures for my application for Juilliard."
"Juilliard?" I asked confused.
"You've never heard of Juilliard?" she stated
"No, no I have I just didn't know you wanted to go there." I said chuckling.
"Well yeah" she said grinning "That's why I do this seven days a week." "That and my mom."
"Your mom one of those pushy types of parents that are hard on you?" I asked playing around.
"No, she's the one who got me into dance." She said laughing thinking of a memory. "Once she passed away, I just couldn't stop so I strived to be the best dancer I could possibly be to make her proud."
"I'm sorry about your mom." I said seriously looking down. "I was just playing around when I said what I said-I"
"Dexter it's ok" she said cutting me off. "She passed away when I was eight so I've had time to cope."
"You know she'd be proud of you no matter what you do right? So you don't have to dance if you didn't want to." I say as we sit down.
"I know, but I love dancing, it's part of who I am and something I really love, I don't do it just because she passed away but because I love doing it." She says looking out the window. "I've always had a dream of going to Juilliard for dance once I graduated, ever since I started."
"Well I think that's awesome and you should so go for it." I replied grinning. "You're really amazingly talented"
"You really think so?" She asked looking into my eyes.
"Absolutely." I said.
She stood up and pulled at my hands. "Come on Dexter, dance with me?" I just laughed getting up.
"I'm not very good." I say getting a little nervous.
"That's ok" she said laughing "it'll be just for fun." she went over to the boombox and hit play. I'll Be by Edwin McCain starting playing and I just chuckled.
I walked up to her and bowed "May I have this dance?" I asked taking her hand and she returned the bow back to me and we started waltzing to the music.
"I thought you weren't very good?" she asked me chuckling as we gliding across the floor and I spun her.
"Well my mom did make me take a few cotillion classes when I was younger." I said laughing.
"Is that so?" she said smiling and laughing.
"Yeah, I didn't really care for them that much." I say as we walk around each other and meet again getting back into waltz position.
"That's too bad." she said "You're really good."
The truth is I had a lot of fun dancing with Maiya and it just felt right and natural us dancing together. As the song came to an end I picked her up by her hips and spun with her and let her back down.
"Wow" she said shocked. "That was incredible, you dance really well Dexter." she said putting her hands on my chest.
"So do you" I say.
"Listen Maiya would you-"
"What time is it?" She asked realizing how late it was getting.
"6:15" I say looking at my watch.
"Oh shit, I forgot, I was suppose to meet Trent to tutor him at 5:30" she said running to get her things. "I had fun, thank you again for the dance and taking pictures for me" and she run out the door.
"You're welcome" yell after her. "I just wanted to see if you'd like to go to Tims Fun Park this Friday." I say silently to myself because she was gone motioning with my finger hitting my leg blowing out air.

Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter :) if you're really enjoying the story tell all your friends, more to come next Friday ;)