"So, Jen..." Justin asked a week later, but Jennifer couldn't hear, for she had her headphones in. "Hey, Jen. Jen!" he pulled out one of her headphones, and she flinched in surprise.
"What's up?" she asked. Jennifer was sitting on the bed, reading a book, and Justin was laying next to her, watching her read and bob her head to the music.
"Nothing. I just wanted to talk to you." Justin said simply. Jennifer put her put on the nightstand table and took out her other headphone. She stretched her legs out in front of her, and leaned on her side, facing Justin, resting her head against her palm, which was propped up by her elbow.
"Okay, what'd you wanna talk about?" Jennifer asked softy, smiling. She'd finally begun to let herself be happy again, and she was loving it.
"I don't know, what do you want to talk about?" Justin asked, avoiding the question, for the topic he wanted to discuss had to be brought up at the perfect time, in the perfect setting.
"You're the one that wanted to talk, what'd you wanna talk about?" Jennifer said, giggling slightly. Justin chuckled.
"Wanna go to the dance studio?" Justin asked, and Jennifer looked at the time on her phone, and saw that it was well past dark, her favorite time to dance.
"Sure." Jennifer said, and they both stood up, and headed out the door. Justin took her hand in his as they started walking and admired her puple floral skirt, with a matching purple tank top and white-knit cardigan. He watched as she threw her hair up in a messy bun and relaxed her neck muscles.
"You sure love dance, don't you?" Justin asked, and Jennifer smiled.
"I love it more than anything in the world." She replied, and Justin smiled down at her.
"I can tell. You're really passionate about it." He said, and Jennifer nodded as they boarded the elevator, and headed down to the lobby.
"I love it. Music can make you... feel like you're dancing on the clouds, it can make you feel just like a flamingo, just chilling in a pond, as graceful as a gazelle, running across a field." Jennifer started lifting her legs to her chest as they walked, crossing her legs with every step she took, and Justin chuckled.
They reached the studio doors and opened them, laughing as the automatic motion-detector light came on, lighting the dance studio with its bright fluorescents.
"Well, do the flamingos and gazelles have willing partners to spin them around like this?" Justin asked as he picked Jennifer up bridal style and started spinning her around in circles, causing her to start laughing.
"I'm not sure, you'd have to ask them." Jennifer said, giggling.
"Well you're a flamingo, chilling in a pond, you're a graceful gazelle, running across a field, and you're as beautiful as a freshly bloomed rose." Justin said quietly, as he set Jennifer back down on her feet, blushing profusely.
"Please don't." Jennifer whispered, pulling herself away from Justin's arms, which were rested at her waist, to plug her phone into the stereo system quietly. She sat on the floor and started on her leg stretches, but Justin had something else in mind.
He crossed the room to where Jennifer was, and guided her up by her hands.
"What are you doing?" Jennifer asked quietly, but Justin ignored her as he pulled her closer to him.
"Shh... don't talk..." Justin said, and he grabbed her waist and guided her through the steps of the mambo. "Just dance."
The two went through the steps in silence, staring in each other's eyes. Suddenly, Justin lifted Jennifer up above his head, and held his position there as her legs dangled above him, her floral skirt flowing in his face. He slowly let her down and she gave a little giggle.
"That was perfect." Jennifer said, and Justin spun her around in a circle.
The two were sitting on the floor, cross-legged, after an hour of dancing, talking. Finally, Jennifer laid on her back, her arms raised above her head, and closed her eyes. She had discarded her t-shirt and was only dressed in her spaghetti strap.
"I feel so free whenever I dance." Jennifer said, smiling, and Justin scoot closer to her.
"Jen." He said seriously, when in reality, he was freaking out.
"Hmm?" she replied, and Justin smiled down at her, then laid next to her on his side.
"I have something to tell you." He said, and Jennifer opened her eyes to look at him, after she took her hair out of her bun and massaged her scalp.
"What is it?" Jennifer asked, then saw Justin's reluctant and frightened expression, and turned to face him. "Justin, what's wrong? You know you can tell me anything."
Justin opened his mouth to speak, then closed it. "Nothing. Nevermind." He said.
Jennifer smiled at him and leaned closer to him. "Come on, Justin, just tell me. You can tell me anything, you know that. I'm your friend."
Justin reached up to cup Jennifer's face in his hands, and grazed her cheek with the padding of his thumbs. Jennifer reluctantly pulled away, pulling his hands back down to his sides.
"Why don't you let yourself feel what you wanna feel?" Justin asked, sitting up. Jennifer blushed again, and looked down at the floor. "You don't let yourself feel anything but pain and sorrow. When are you gonna let yourself be happy?"
Jennifer blushed again, as Justin reached up and cupped her cheek again, grazing her cheek with the padding of his thumbs again.
Finally, Jennifer reached up and cupped her hand over his, and leaned her face in his hands, and they both smiled at each other.
"Jen... you've got to let yourself feel some happiness sometime soon." Justin said quietly, and Jennifer looked down at the floor.
"I don't know how." She whispered after a few moments. "I can't remember."
"I can show you. I can show you how to be happy again, if you let me." Justin whispered, and leaned closer to Jennifer.
Jennifer stared into Justin's hazel-brown, caramel-colored eyes, and watched as he inched closer and closer. Before either of them knew what they were doing, they both felt static electricity as their lips touched each other in a featherlight kiss.
Jennifer's stomach dropped, and her heart started racing as adrenaline coursed through her. She gripped Justin by the sides of his head, her fingers running through Justin's honey-colored hair, and she squeezed her eyes shut. Justin wrapped his arms around Jennifer's waist, and pulled her closer to him. Justin snaked his arms up to entangle his fingers in Jennifer's long honey-blonde colored hair, as their lips danced together. A small sound came from Jennifer's lips, and she felt Justin's tongue graze her bottom lip, and she reluctantly granted him access. Justin relaxed her on her back on the polished hardwood floor, him pressed tightly against her.
For what felt like an eternity, everything was put in place for Jennifer. Her lips were locked with a boy that cared so much for her, and she was feeling something she hadn't felt in as long as she could remember.
Finally, Jennifer had to pull away to catch her breath, and she rested her forehead with Justin's.
"Jen, I have a confession to make." Justin whispered breathlessly.
"Yes?" she whispered, and Justin took a deep, shaky breath.
"I-I-I love you, Jen." He whispered, and Jennifer's breath hitched in her throat, and she felt her stomach flutter again. "I love you, and, and I'm willing to wait for you to love me back."
Jennifer felt tears spring into her eyes as she listened to Justin's insistent babbling.
"-and I can take care you of you, and I can make you feel happy again, I can help you love again." He finished, and Jennifer shut him up by gently placing her lips against his again, then pulling away. Justin tightened his grip on her waist.
"I love you." He whispered again, and felt a huge surge of relief course through him, as if a ton of bricks had just been lifted off his shoulders, as he got the word out, that he just had to say it again. "I love you."