As soon as Justin and Jennifer were done with their little lesson, Jennifer started formulating a plan on how she was to teach Justin and Alex ballroom dancing.
"Oh! Maribelle I'm gonna need your help!" Jennifer cried, grabbing Maribelle by the wrist as they passed each other in the hallway.
"What's up?"
"All right so apparently Justin and Alex want me to teach them... like... ballroom dancing or whatever it's called, and I'm gonna need help with teaching them. Wanna help me?" Jennifer asked, rushing through her words.
"Whoa whoa whoa. Hold up. Justin wants you to teach him?"
"Yeah. That's weird huh??"
"As in the same Justin that is practically in a relationship with Selena?? Don't you think she's gonna see this as a threat and hate you even more??" Maribelle replied. Jennifer's jaw dropped as the realization of her words sank in.
"I can't have her hate me any more than she already does, Belle. It makes me sick just thinking about it." Jennifer said.
"I know. You just gotta be careful when you teach him. I'll help you. And maybe we can get the rest of the crew to learn too!" Maribelle said. "I'll call ask around, maybe there's somebody here that can help you teach Alex the lifts. Lord knows I'm useless in that department." Jennifer giggled.
"Yeah, the bruise that is forming on my leg is proof of that." She playfully accused, and both girls laughed and went on their original courses, both with different agendas than their original ones.
While Maribelle went to all the dancer's rooms, asking if they knew anything about ballroom dancing, if they wanted to join Jennifer's little class, and if they knew how to lift, Jennifer went over to Celeste's room, where Austin and Alex were staying.
"Hey!" Jennifer said, breathless from the running she'd just done. "All right so I'll agree to the whole teaching you how to dance thing, but there's probably gonna be a lot of people wanting to join, Justin's already asked, now I just gotta get Scooter's permission ok? Just wanted to let you know, now I gotta go find Scooter." And with that, she ran out the room, leaving them to let her words sink in in confusion.
Finally, after plenty of roaming the hallways, she found Scooter in the café with Carin.
"Scooter! I've been looking everywhere for you! Hi Carin! All right, so Justin and CeCe's friend want me to teach them ballroom dancing or whatever that's called, so I just wanted to get your ok. Is that ok?" Jennifer said, rushing through her words. Scooter looked at her with shocked, wide eyes.
"Uhh... s-sure if that's what you guys wanna do." Scooter replied. Jennifer smiled excitedly and gave Scooter a hug. She also gave Carin a hug and ran off, leaving both adults shocked and happy that the shy, quiet girl everyone knows is becoming more social.
After Jennifer left the café, she headed back up the elevator and ran to Justin's room. When she knocked on the door, she was once again face-to-face with Selena, who was glaring at her.
"What do you want, Barbie?" she asked, acid in her voice. Jennifer looked down at her shoes.
"Is Justin there? I need to tell him something." Jennifer replied quietly. Selena looked back into the room, and closed the door slightly, so whoever was inside wouldn't hear her.
"Listen, Blondie. Don't try anything funny on Justin. He's mine. Got that?" she said quietly, dangerously. Jennifer bit her lip from saying anything out of line and nodded at the floor. "Good. He's in here."
Jennifer, still shaken with Selena's words, walked in and tried her best smile. "Hey, so I got Scooter's okay with the dance thing, so... yeah. Just wanted to let you know." She said, and Justin smiled.
"Perfect. So when do you wanna start?" he asked eagerly.
"Start what?" Selena asked innocently.
"Jennifer's gonna give me ballroom dancing lessons." Justin said.
"Ooh can I join?" Selena asked Jennifer eagerly, with fake enthusiasm. Jennifer looked back at her in shock.
"S-sure." She stuttered, then looked back at Justin. "How 'bout we start the day after tomorrow, since we have a concert tomorrow, and I'm too tired today. I swear I ran around this whole hotel searching for Scooter." She said jokingly, and Justin laughed, only causing Selena's anger toward Jennifer to rise.
"All right, day after tomorrow it is. Is Celeste's friends joining us on tour?" he asked, and Jennifer shrugged. "Well, let's go ask them!" he said, getting up.
"Right now?" Jennifer asked in shock. He slipped his shoes on and grabbed Jennifer's hand as he ran out the door.
"Yes, right now!" he cried, and they both laughed.
They ran back to Celeste's room and when she opened the door, she was shocked to see Justin and Jennifer laughing together.
"What's up?" she asked.
"Hey are Austin and Alex here?" Jennifer asked.
"Of course where else would they be??" Celeste cried, and the two girls laughed. Austin and Alex appeared at the door, and got a little starstruck when they saw Justin.
"So, I heard we're gonna be taking lessons together." Justin said to Alex, who merely nodded.
"Well, what do you say to joining us for tour?" Justin asked, and both boys' jaws dropped.
"Yeah!" they cried at the same time, and Jennifer muffled her laugh with her hand and Alex turned his attention back to her when he heard her. Alex smiled at Jennifer and she blushed and looked at the floor.
"All right, come on Jennifer, let's go talk to Scooter!" Justin said, and grabbed Jennifer by the wrist and pulled her down the hallway, causing her give a surprised squeal and Justin to laugh.
After they got everything settled with Scooter, Jennifer took off to find Maribelle and Scooter ordered Justin to sit down at the table across from him. Justin knew that Scooter had been meaning to talk to him since last month when they found Jennifer crying in the dance studio.
"Justin... I'm going to make this very clear," Scooter said. "If you hurt Jennifer in any way, I will find a punishment so terrible for you you're gonna wish you never met me. I'm so disappointed in you for what you did last month. You better not be letting the fame get to your head. I'll move you into a small town with no contact with the outside world for an attitude adjustment. Got that?"
Justin nodded solemnly. "Scooter... why is she so distant with everybody? I mean... she treats me like I'm a leper or something."
"Justin... that's just the way she is. She's been through a lot, and she's just guarded. And you making fun of her weight," Justin looked down, embarassed. "Doesn't help anything. It just makes it worse. Come on Justin, you should know that women don't like when people make fun of their weight, of all things! What possessed you to say those things? You know what, I don't even wanna know. Just don't do it again or there will be consequences." Scooter said in a voice that said he meant business. Justin nodded and stood up.
"I'm uhh... gonna go back to my room." He said, and Scooter nodded down at his phone.
"Just think about what I told you, Justin." Scooter replied, and Justin nodded again and headed out of the café.
Jennifer found Maribelle in the dance studio with several other dancers, including Celeste, Austin, and Alex, all waiting for her.
"What's this?"
"Your dance class! David here, come here David, know how to do ballroom and the lifts. So you're welcome, I just killed your two birds with one stone." Maribelle replied, and Jennifer had to cover her mouth when she laughed. David gave Jennifer a nod hello and she returned it.
"Well since everyone's here, somebody better go get Justin! Oh and... Selena wants to join too..." Jennifer said, and Maribelle scowled while there was a collective groan between everyone in the room.
"I'll go get them." Someone said from the back of the room, and they ran out the door. Jennifer gave an exasperated sigh to Maribelle, who merely smirked at her.
"All right, everyone pair up." Jennifer said, and everyone did. Maribelle paired up with Alex, Celeste paired up with Austin, David paired up with Jennifer, and all the other dancers that were there paired up with each other.
Jennifer plugged her phone in just as Justin and Selena walked in.
"I thought we were gonna have this the day after tomorrow?" Justin joked, and Jennifer gave a slight giggle.
"Yeah, well... I found everyone here and they all simply demanded my attention so... yeah." She said with a smile that Justin immediately returned, and Selena practically yanked him away in response. Jennifer was startled for a moment, but quickly regained herself. She joined David, Maribelle, and Alex at the front of the room and went back to the stereo.
"Right, well, the first thing we need to get down is... what dance we're gonna learn first." Jennifer said, and immediately every pair of eyes were on her, making her feel uncomfortable. "So what dance should we do?" she asked the group.
"Do you know the salsa?" someone asked.
"Yes, I do. Do you guys wanna start that?" Jennifer asked, and there was a collective nod from the group. She turned to David. "You know that dance, right?"
"Are you kidding me? I grew up with that dance." He said, and Jennifer covered her laugh with her hand.
"Well then by all means, the floor is yours." She said, and gestured for David to be in the middle of the floor.
"All right, well... the first thing we all need to know is: trust. You have to be able to trust your partner, and you'll be able to do anything. Jennifer, come here." He said, and Jennifer shyly walked over to him, and he grasped her hand. "Do you trust me?" he asked, and Jennifer's eyes widened.
"Uhh.. I guess.." she said to the floor. David smiled, already accustomed to Jennifer's strange isolated way of working and grasped both her hands in his.
"Remember the eight count to the salsa?" he asked her quietly, and she bit her lip and nodded. "All right, let's show them."
Maribelle started the music and almost immediately David and Jennifer were dancing around the room, each counting out loud. David was yelling instructions and Jennifer was just cooperating.
"You're a better teacher than I am." Jennifer complimented after a while, and David merely smiled.
"Years of practice. I used to teach little kids before I auditioned to be Justin's backup dancer. You?"
"I wanted to teach kids ballet, but I never got around to it." Jennifer said, concentrating on the next eight-count.
"Oh, why not?" he asked. Jennifer suddenly got uncomfortable.
"Uh... just... something came up, and I never got around to it." She replied, then unclasped her hands. "I'm uhh... gonna go help people."
"Yes, Sel. It's eight count, not four! Hey Jen! Come here real quick!" Jennifer heard, and inwardly groaned. However, she still walked over to where Justin and Selena were struggling to keep up with the group.
"What's up?" she asked.
"The salsa is eight-count right? Not four?" Justin asked, clearly getting frustrated.
"No! It's four, Justin!" Selena cried. "Look! It's one, two, three-and-four."
"Actually Selena... it is an eight-count. Look," Jennifer said shyly, and counted out loud as she took a step back with her right foot, stepped in place with her left and repeated with her other foot. "Here, take Justin's hands and I'll show you." Jennifer knew she was treading in dangerous water by even talking to Selena, but instead thought she wanted to join this thing, she has to listen to me.
Jennifer guided Selena and Justin through the first part of the salsa, occasionally telling them to switch feet and be patient for the count.
"Selena, sway your hips a little. When you're dancing this, it's important to move your hips as you're moving your legs, otherwise it won't look right. You too Justin. Move your hips." She said, and Selena rolled her eyes at the floor, wishing Jennifer would just go away.
"What about the turns?" Justin asked.
"We'll work on the turns later, right now we're just going to teach you guys the first part. We're gonna take it slow." Jennifer replied, then walked away to help another dancer.
"Ugh, I thought she'd never leave." Selena muttered, and Justin furrowed his eyebrows.
"Be nice. She's only trying to help." He said, and Selena scowled at him.
"Whatever." She said, and playfully stepped on his foot, causing him to laugh. This little poisonous insect was getting more and more dangerous by the minute. Selena thought angrily.
As Jennifer was helping the girls, David helping the guys, and Maribelle helping people in general, Alex waked over to Jennifer.
"Hey I have a questi-oh sorry." He said, and Jennifer gasped in shock and almost fell backwards. She waved his apology away and waited for him to continue. "I have a question."
"What's up?" she asked. Alex grabbed both her hands and they started dancing, sort of.
"When I go forward, is my partner going back?" he asked, and Jennifer giggled at the floor.
"Of course! You wouldn't want them stepping on your toes, would you?" she said, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world, which it was. Alex gave a breathy laugh and looked down at their moving feet.
"I guess I just wanted my turn in dancing with you." He said, and Jennifer blushed but said nothing. He spun her around and she gave him a playful accusing look.
"You know how to salsa!" she said, and he laughed and nodded.
"Yeah, you caught me again." He said, and spun her around again.
"You know, if you wanted to dance with me, you could've asked." Jennifer teased, and Alex playfully rolled his eyes.
"You would've said no." he said. Jennifer blushed again at the floor.
"You're probably right." She replied, and they both laughed.
"Jen, Alex! Come on, we're gonna do lifts now!" Maribelle cried, and both Jennifer and Alex looked around to see that the room was mostly empty, except for a few spectators. Jennifer checked the time and saw that it was well past dinner time, not that she was hungry anyway.
Justin and Selena joined the little group that formed and the guys were listening to David and Jennifer had dragged the girls off to another corner.
"All right, so the key is to stay stiff. If you're not stiff, you could hurt both you and your partner." Jennifer told Selena, and Maribelle was with the guys, learning how to lift rather than be lifted.
"Whatever Blondie. How hard is it for someone to lift you?" Selena sneered, and Jennifer quickly looked down.
"I dunno. Here, lay on the floor, spread your arms and keep your legs together, hold your head up, kind of like you're planking, there you go. Try to hold for ten seconds." Jennifer said.
"How long can you hold, Blondie, before your weight gets the better of you?" Selena asked, her voice strained from keeping herself up and balanced. Jennifer blushed and bit her lip.
"Just keep yourself up, Selena. It's gonna be harder when they're holding you up, it'd be harder to balance." Jennifer said quietly. Selena smiled when Jennifer went back to her phone and checked the time, even though she'd checked it only minutes before, to compose herself.
"Hey Jen! Selena! Come on over here!" David called, and both girls joined the three guys and Maribelle.
"Here, Jen, come here so I can show the guys how to tighten their arms." David said, motioning for Jennifer to run into his arms so he could catch her. She heard Selena's snickers and shook her head shyly.
"I don't think... I mean... maybe Belle would be better suited to do the jump." Jennifer said, feeling her face get hot. Maribelle shook her head.
"Jen, you know I don't know how to do that stuff. You're the only one." Maribelle said. "Go on, you'll be perfect."
Jennifer took a deep breath, and backed away about ten steps, while everyone else cleared out of the way. Without even daring to look Selena's way, she ran at David and jumped into his arms in a very impressive lift and she balanced herself on his arms. She heard Selena giggle, and her strength was lost as she plummeted headfirst to the floor.