Monday came quickly. Tonight us when I was dancing with Artem. I walked into our rehearsal studio to do one last reversal before we performed that bumper.
"Hey" I say walking in. He looks at me and stays silent. "What's wrong?".
"Look, I don't want to talk. Just get in position" He says. I do what he says and we run through the dance quickly. "Great, We're done now". I catch his arm before be walks away.
"I'm not leaving until you tell me what happened?" I say. He jerks his arm away from my grip.
"You could have just told me that you were dating Alan. Instead, I made myself look like an idiot in front of you and him" He says.
"Nobody knew about Alan and I. It was something we wanted to keep private" I say. "This isn't my fault".
"You should have just told me the truth when I asked you out" He says.
"It's our business, not yours" I say.
"Whatever, I-Im not doing this dance with you. Find another partner he says before storing out if the room. Great. This was just what I needed.
I walked out of the studio and went to find Lettie. I knew she would know what to do.
"He just said he wasn't going to do the dance with you?" She asks after I told her what happend.
"Pretty much" I say. "He also said I need to find someone else to do it with".
"Well, I'm sure if you asked Alan, he would do it" She says.
"I would do what?" Alan asks as he walks in.
"Do mine and Artem's dance with me" I say.
"What happened to Artem?" He asks.
"It's...a long story" I answer. "If I teach you, will you dance that bumper with me?".
"You don't have to ask me twice" He says. "You know I'll always be your dance partner".
***
I had taught Alan the dance that Artem and I had originally done. I knew Artem probably wouldn't like the fact that I asked Alan to dance with me, but I felt that Artem was being kind of childish about the whole situation, plus he was the one who told me to find someone else to do the dance with.
There was only a few minutes until we were supposed to dance the bumper. Alan and I were waiting out to the side of the stage watching one of the competing couples dance.
"You ready, babe?" He asks.
"Yeah, I like this routine, and it's even more special because I get to dance it with you" I say.
"You're the best" He says.
"No. You're wrong. You're the best" I say and kiss his cheek. The dance ended and Alan and I took our places on stage. When the music started, We danced. It was so different dancing with him while everyone knew we were together. I felt like I didn't have anything to hide anymore.
When our dance ended, Tom spoke.
"What a wonderful dance by troupe members Alan Bersten and Laiken Davis! Sexy, but also adorable!" He says. Alan kissed my cheek and whispered that I had done a good job in my ear. Just as I was about to say something back to him, I was gently pushed to the side and I saw Alan fall to the ground after hearing a loud smack. "We'll be right back!" Tom yells into the microphone. I finally has realized that Artem came out if nowhere and punched Alan in the face. He was now straddling him and punching him over and over. Val, Keo, and Gleb came running out from the redroom. Gleb got Artem off of Alan and Keo and Val made sure Alan was okay. Jenna rushed down to me to see if I was okay.
"Let's go backstage" Jenna says and leads me away. Before we disappeared behind the curtain, I turn to face Artem.
"What the hell is wrong with you?" I ask with tears streaming down my cheeks.
Jenna and I sat against the wall outside of the infirmary waiting to see if Alan was okay. When the doors opened, Keo and Val walked out.
"Is he okay?" I ask.
"The doctor thinks that Artem broke his nose" Keo answers.
"What!?" I exclaim.
"Laiken, Do you know why Artem might have done that?" Val asks.
"Well, Artem asked me out and I said 'no', then the next day is when those photos of Alan and I leaked. He was mad at me this morning for not telling him that Alan and I were together, and he told me to find someone else to do the dance with because he wasn't going to do it, so I asked Alan then after the dance, he was punching him in the face" I answer.
"What's gotten into Artem?" Jenna asks.
"I don't know, but I'll find out" Val says. Jenna kissed his cheek before he and Keo walked away.
"I'm going to go talk to Alan" I say. Jenna nods and I walk in. "Hey".
"Oh, Hey" He says and sits up. He made room for me on the bed to sit next to him.
"I'm sorry" I say.
"No. You have nothing to be sorry about" He says and puts his hand over mine.
"Why did Artem do that?" I ask.
"I-I don't know" He answers. "My guess is that he wants you too".
"Yeah, but he's not going to get me" I say and intertwine my fingers with Alan's "Because I'm yours and I'm only ever going to be yours".
A/N: oh no! artem went off his hinges! what will happen next?