Snow It Up [Shake It Up]

chapter seven

CeCe was on a mission today. She wanted to hear for herself the news that Ty had heard from the producers of SIU, and that meant heading to the SIU studio downtown to see if she could get some answers. She wasn't sure if the people would let her in since she didn't work there anymore, but she would try her hardest. She needed to get inside so she could talk with the new producers. Her life depended on it.

At least the studio was close to her apartment. Today, the winds were vicious and swept through the town like a rabid animal hunting its prey. CeCe had bundled up in a sweatshirt over a fuzzy long-sleeved shirt, but the layers weren't keeping the wind out right now. She wrapped her pink jacket tighter around her body, thankful that she put on gloves today. She wouldn't have been able to stand it if she didn't have gloves because her fingers would have frozen off her body. Her booted feet slid through the fresh snow that had fallen last night effortlessly, but her toes were starting to go numb. It didn't matter to her, though. She had to do this. 

The studio for SIU was just around the corner, making nervous butterflies flit around CeCe's stomach. She shouldn't be nervous, though. If these new producers were anything like Phil, she could take them. She walked up the sidewalk to the studio, stopping right outside the doors. She steeled herself and pushed it open, heading into the familiar hallway that she used to walk through almost every single day. She could hear footfalls, which meant the dancers were practicing a dance on the new and improved stage. A smile graced CeCe's face when she remembered rehearsals. They were difficult, sure, but she loved them anyway. There was nothing better than mastering a particularly hard dance. 

CeCe made it out to the gathering area and saw Ty chatting with someone, probably a dancer or one of the choreographers. He didn't see her, and she was glad for that. She didn't tell him that she was doing this and being caught by him would not be cool. She spun on her heel, sliding ever so slightly because of the snow that was melting on her shoes. She nearly fell down but caught herself on a clothes rack. However, her momentum knocked over some clothes, and the hangers clattered to the floor so loudly that she thought she was going to have a heart attack. Unfortunately, Ty and the other person stopped talking, and CeCe glanced over her shoulder, sighing when she saw Ty and the other man staring at her. 

"Who are you?" the other guy snapped, rushing over to CeCe. Before she could even answer him, he dropped to the ground, picking up the clothes she knocked over. 

"I'm CeCe Jones," she said brightly. She plastered her best smile on her face, hoping to give everything she had to this man just in case he was one of the producers. "I used to work here and was wondering when you guys would send me mail about the openings for the old dancers to come back."

"What mail?" the man said, looking back up at her with a frown on his face. His angry tone never got any better, especially after she mentioned the mail. "What are you talking about?"

"CeCe," Ty said, grabbing ahold of her arm, trying to drag her away from whoever this person was. She didn't know when he had moved over here, but he was here now, towering over her and scaring her. "What are you doing?" he hissed in her face. "You're going to get me fired!"

"You know this girl?"

"I worked with her on the show a couple of years ago," Ty explained, making CeCe frown. He had definitely known her for much longer than that, but it didn't seem like he was going to admit it to this person. "She was devastated when she lost her job. This isn't the first time she has shown up unexpectedly. I'll lead her out."

"Thank you."

Ty didn't let go of CeCe's arm as he dragged her away from the man and down the hallway she had come from, back toward the front doors. "I can't believe you would do that," Ty said angrily to her. She had never seen this type of anger on him before, and it only added fuel to the fire in her stomach. "I thought that you had grown out of your obnoxious phase, but I guess I was wrong."

"Hey!" CeCe said, ripping her arm out of his grip. She stopped, crossing her arms over her chest, glaring at him. "You know if you lost this job, you would try you hardest to get it back. When I lost my job, I was too devastated to do anything, and I'm paying for it now." She looked away from Ty, swallowing hard. This was not the time to cry, especially when she was trying to act angry in front of Ty. "This was the only thing I was good at, Ty. I'm not smart like Rocky, or talented like you and Tinka. Dancing was what I did best and now I don't have it. I'll never have it again."

"Don't sell yourself short, CeCe," Ty said, his face softening. Could he tell that she was on the verge of tears? Maybe. Maybe her voice shook when she was speaking. Maybe her face was flushing red. Whatever it was, it was betraying herd to him. "You are smart, but in your own way. You're very talented, too. To be honest, you were one of the best dancers on the show. I tried standing up for you when they fired you, but then they threatened my job, I stepped back. Maybe I could try to talk to them for you."

"You don't have to do that. If I get back on the show, I want it to happen when I ask for it, not with someone else's help. Thank you, though. I appreciate it."

There was a faint yell about how the host needed to be present for rehearsals, and Ty glanced back the way he had come before looking at CeCe again. "I have to go. I'll see you later, okay?"

"Okay." 

She gave him a forced smile even though all she wanted to do was cry and scream and sob, walking out of the door to the studio into the winter weather outside. CeCe stopped when the door shut behind her, allowing the cold to seep into her bones. One of the coldest winds that she had ever felt blew through the street, and she pulled her jacket even closer to her body, trying to protect herself from it. The cloudy grey sky matched her bad mood. Everything about the weather seemed to be reflecting her own attitude. She couldn't believe that she made a fool of herself in front of that man and Ty. And why did he not know what mail she was talking about? 

CeCe took a step forward, pushing herself to walk away from the studio before she got into more trouble for loitering. If she really wanted to get back on the show, then leaving would be the best option because she didn't want them to call the police on her for trespassing. She didn't want to go home yet, though. She didn't want to face Flynn and tell him where she had been and what she had been doing. He was already disappointed in her, so why should she disappoint him more? 

How did she let herself get here to this point in her life? Why didn't she fight for her job the first day she got fired? How could she have let the only good thing slip through her fingers just like that? What was wrong with CeCe? She had always been a little lazy and annoying, but this was on a whole other level. She was a disappointment to her friends and family. No wonder everyone moved away from her and had better friends than her. 

CeCe's eyes teared up and her throat was raw, but she didn't allow herself to cry. Not yet. There was going to be a better time to cry, but not out here in the cold. She put herself in this situation, so there was no need to cry over it. She would figure out a way to get herself back on the show, whether be on her own merits or by the mail Ty was talking about. This time, she would fight for her place on Shake It Up, Chicago!, no matter the consequence. She was done sitting on the sidelines. It was time for her to get her life back on track.