I just want to say a massive thank you to everyone who's stuck with 'Sometimes' until the end. This is only the first draft so I've yet to make changes before I even think of sending it off anywhere, but every single comment and vote means so much. It spurs me on to be a better writer and to carry on thinking up new story ideas. Thank you so much!
The song on the side is 'I feel like dancin'' by All Time Low, which is the song that Harriet dances to at the contest. It's a favourite song of mine and the image of them all dancing to it is hilarious :)
The hall where the dance contest was being held was a hive of activity. People with clipboards were whizzing back and forth between all the groups of people dotted around the outsides of the huge room. The middle of the floor has been cordoned off and inside someone was dancing to a song with lots of violins, while the judges looked on encouragingly. I just hoped they’d still be interested by the time it was my turn on the floor.
The contest had been entered by so many people, so Maddi had told me when I’d caught up with her when I’d first arrived, that it was taking longer than normal to get through all of the acts. The groups had gone this morning, then the under tens, and the under sixteen’s were on now. The sixteen to eighteen year old category, which I was in, was up next.
All the waiting around was doing nothing for my nerves, but having Aiden’s hand in mine was working wonders. I offered him a smile from the next seat.
“Aww, look at my two lovely girls.” I noticed Mum’s eyes our hands before she looked to where Leanne and Sonny were sitting opposite us. Leanne rolled her eyes at Mum. “Both with strapping boys.”
I felt myself cringe. Oh God. Strapping. Seriously?
I knew Leanne was making a gagging motion behind her hand and Sonny and Aiden were both giving Mum winning smiles. I felt sick, too.
“Why don’t you go and get me a drink, Mum,” I said, although it sounded more like a demand than a request.
Mum nodded. “Of course,” she replied, getting up from her chair and straightening out her skirt. “I’ll be back in a jiffy.”
Dad had gone off to buy a program and got distracted somewhere. I’d last spotted him over by the fire exit, talking to a guy who looked vaguely familiar. A work colleague probably.
“Well done, Harri,” Leanne said. “If you hadn’t gotten rid of her so tactfully, then I’d have been left with no choice but to banish her to the other side of the room.”
Sonny tutted. “She’s only being nice, Le-le.”
Leanne shook her head. “She’s my mum. She can’t comment on how fit you are. It’s just wrong. Isn’t that right, Harri?
I nodded hard, almost shaking my fringe free from where I’d clipped it back with five or so hair slides. “It’s embarrassing.”
“She’s being nice,” Aiden said, joining in. “I think she’s cool.”
I knew Sonny and Aiden were only disagreeing with Leanne and I to wind us up, but it was working.
“Whatever,” I replied, turning to see the mocking smile Aiden was giving me. “You’ll see how cool she is when she starts with the interrogations.”
Aiden cocked an eyebrow warily. “Interrogations?”
“Oh yeah.”
I looked at Leanne to see her nodding sagely. “She can be quite intense.”
Aiden paled a little and I sniggered.
“They’re messing with you,” Sonny said, leaning over to clap Aiden on the back.
“You’re only saying that because you haven’t had yours yet,” Leanne said, raising her eyebrows at Sonny. “I’m just warning you guys.”
“You strapping guys,” I teased.
They didn’t look so confident and smiley now the shoe was on the other foot.
“Hey, Harriet.”
I turned in my seat to see Maddi approaching us.
“Hi,” I replied.
“I’ve got your number,” she added, waving a piece of paper at me.
“Thanks,” I said. Aiden took it from her and pinned it to the back of my t-shirt. The sensation of his fingertips brushing my back made it hard to concentrate on what Maddi was saying but I tried really hard.
“You’re fifth in. There’s ten of you, I think.”
I nodded, looking to Leanne to see that she was showing Sonny something on her phone. “Right.”
“You’ll be fine,” Maddi said, patting my arm.
Aiden had finished pinning my number to me, but he kept a hand around my waist, his thumb brushing my skin. Waves of pleasure shot up my spine and I tried to hide my smile. The nerves were doing a good job of keeping me on edge. I couldn’t concentrate on anything but Aiden, which wouldn’t be so bad if I didn’t have a routine to remember.
“As long as you don’t forget your steps, you’ll be fine.”
“Yeah.” That didn’t make me feel worse.
“And you’ve got the CD?”
Aiden leaned around me to wave it at her. “It’s in safe hands.”
Maddi smiled gratefully at him. She’d been so pleased when I’d told her that Aiden and I were together, as long as I’d promised to carry on dancing, of course.
“You should probably start warming up,” Maddi said. “Do you need my help?”
I shook my head. “I’ll be fine.”
“Good,” she replied. “I’m off to get some chocolate.”
I laughed as I watched her go before getting up. “She’s right,” I said. “I should warm up.”
“Can I help?” Aiden asked.
I was about to reply when Leanne spoke up. “You’ll only distract her, Aiden. She needs to be alone so she can clear her head.”
I nodded when he gave me a questioning look. “She’s right. I’ll be back in a minute.”
“What, no goodbye kiss?” Aiden was giving me puppy dog eyes and I leaned down to kiss him. He stroked my cheek with his thumb and I sighed against his mouth.
***
It was only slightly less crowded in the hall adjacent, which had been set up as a rehearsal room. I made my way over to the far corner of the room, making sure I could be alone to focus. I did a light warm up routine before stretching my legs, using the various ballet barres that had been drafted in from local studios, to make sure I was completely ready. Without Aiden by my side, the nerves had resurfaced, making me feel a little tense, but I knew everything was going to be fine. As soon as I heard the music, I’d be able to let go.
Heading back out of the rehearsal room, my breath wedged in my throat as I spotted Cassie from across the room. She was standing alone, clutching a program and looking lost. I caught her eye just as I was about to turn towards her. We stood expressionless for a second, before she smiled, banishing the void in my gut before it had even had the chance to open.
“There you are.”
Aiden’s voice made me jump and I span around to see him next to me. He frowned at my confused expression.
“Maddi sent me to find you. They’ve just started your category.”
I nodded slowly, looking back to Cassie. She was still standing in the same spot. She wanted to talk.
“She came.” I noticed Aiden peering over at Cassie. He smiled. “You should go see her.”
“You need to go and get Leanne.”
He scratched his head and frowned again. “What? Why?”
“Tell her she needs to get the CD from her car. The one we were listening to on the way here.”
He nodded a little uncertainly. “What have you got in mind?”
I smiled, kissing him on the cheek, “I think I need to have a little fun.”
Aiden rushed off to find Leanne just as someone announced over a microphone that the first dancer in my category was entering the floor. I pushed down a shaky breath before I headed over to Cassie. She was wearing a standard Cassie outfit; heeled boots, leggings and a V-neck jumper. She was wearing way too much mascara and she’d over done it with the perfume, I realised as I pulled her into a hug, but I didn’t care. I’d never really cared.
“You’re here,” I said when she’d let me go.
She nodded a little meekly. “That okay with you?”
I grinned. “Of course it is! Why wouldn’t I want you here?”
A silence threatened to ruin our reunion before I remembered what Leanne had said; I had to be the one to make the first move.
“I’m sorry for everything, Cass. I really am.”
She beamed back at me, tossing her hair back over one shoulder before she stuck out her bottom lip, taking me by the shoulders. “And I’m sorry for being a cow, too, H. I mean. I just got so involved over Mike that I forgot what really matters.”
In Cassie standards, that was a nicer apology than usual. “Thank you,” I said. “That means a lot.”
She let go of my shoulders to fan her face with the program and I realised she was tearing up. “Oh God, H. I didn’t know how hard life would be without you. I mean, fancy having to find out about you and Aiden online? It was horrible. I thought my heart had been ripped out.” She widened her eyes, making her eyelashes look like big, black spider legs. “If I ever act like such a chopstick again, then you have permission to never speak to me.”
I bit down on my lip. “Same here.” If I’d have known how well that was going to go, then I would have apologised sooner. But that was the thing with Cassie. You never knew what mood she was going to be in.
“Ooh! When are you on?” she asked. “Is it soon? I can’t wait. You’re going to smash it!”
And just like that, it was as though we’d never even had the argument.
I finally finished telling Cassie everything that had happened with Aiden and I, when Leanne returned, holding the CD Aiden had asked her to get for me. She handed it over, giving Cassie a more pleasant smile than usual.
“Here,” she said. “Though I don’t know why you want it. Half the stuff on there is unplayable here. Explicits,” she added when Cassie frowned. “I think all the swearing and screaming would make the judges cry.”
I held back a laugh and gave her an appreciative smile.
“So are you going to tell me what the plan is?” Leanne asked. Sonny was behind her, his eyebrows raised in a ‘I want in’ way.
“I’ve already asked,” Aiden said. “And if she won’t tell her boyfriend…”
Cassie gave Aiden a tightlipped smile, like she was really trying to reign in the insult she wanted to say to him. “Let me have a go. I’ll get it out of her.”
I half expected Aiden to retort, but he didn’t. It was strange, like everyone was trying with each other today. Almost as if they’d laid down a ‘no fight’ policy today, just for the sake of not stressing me out. I wanted to hug them all.
“It’s a secret,” I replied, giving them all a confident wink. “You’ll see in a minute.”
“We’ll see what?”
I turned around to see Mum returning with a drink. God knows where she’d been the last hour and a half.
“It’s nothing,” I assured her.
She gave me an eyebrow raise as Dad joined our little group. Mum complained to him that I was planning something and he looked to Leanne before peering down at me.
“Harriet?”
“It’s nothing to worry about,” I said. “I just plan to have fun up there.”
Aiden took my hand and I smiled at him.
“Okay,” Mum said. “Just as long as you’re nearly ready. Maddi said to tell you you’re up next.”
A sudden bout of nerves shook me and I could feel my muscles tensing again, even with Aiden holding me.
“You’ll do great,” Dad said, giving me a smile. “You always do.”
I looked to Leanne to see her nodding. “Go for it, Harri.” I could tell she was excited to see what I’d planned to do.
“Good luck,” Aiden said, kissing me on the cheek. “You’re going to be amazing.”
“What he said, but without the kiss,” Cassie added.
I smiled at them both. “Thank you.”
“Number five. Harriet Collins.”
Hearing my name being called over the tannoy made me start, squeezing Aiden’s hand a little too hard. He didn’t seem to mind though, stroking my palm with his thumb.
“Go!” Mum said, flapping her hands about. “You don’t want to miss your slot.”
I could remember nodding slightly, letting go of Aiden’s hand rather resentfully, and Leanne pushing me towards the dance floor. I walked the rest of the way in a daze. My thoughts whirring round my head, blood rushing in my ears, and eyes not focusing on anything but the ‘x’ on the floor which would be my starting point.
One of the judges, the one holding the microphone, offered me a smile as I passed them by to hand my CD to the man in charge of the stereo.
“Track fifteen,” I murmured before taking centre stage.
Reaching the ‘x’, I took a deep breath before turning around to see the massive crowd lining the dance floor. My parents and Aiden, Cassie and Sonny and Leanne, had all pushed their way to the front to cheer me on. I sent a shaky smile in their direction. The nerves were bubbling under my skin. I spotted Maddi to the left of the dance floor. She gave me the thumbs up, and then the self-belief kicked in. Maddi had recommended the contest because she thought it would be fun. I shook myself mentally, clearing my head. This was going to be fun. Especially seeing as I’d changed the song last minute, leaving me without a routine. I was going to have to wing it. My palms were sweating and I was shifting on the spot, but I was ready, even if the fluttery feeling in my gut tried to assure me otherwise.
I took one last look at the expectant crowd before I heard the music start up. I could hear people sniggering at the song choice, those who didn’t recognise it unarmed at the fact that it wasn’t classical or dance. And those who did recognise it, laughing at the lyrics. I smiled as I let the rhythm move me. And then, like always, I closed my eyes and forgot.
It was only when the crowd started cheering that I opened my eyes to see that Aiden was on the dance floor with me. He was doing dad dancing, shimmying and roboting it all over the place. But then I noticed Leanne, holding the microphone that the shocked looking judge had been holding moments before, and I began laughing. Proper belly laughing. Sonny joined in then, dragging an uncertain Cassie with him. But as soon as she was next to me, she started laughing too.
My dad had his head in his hands but Mum was smiling, swaying in time with the guitars and keyboard, drums and utter brilliance of the song. So then I danced over to Leanne and sang with her, in my tone deaf voice, and Dad looked up. And then Leanne was singing the bridge into the microphone and he was smiling the biggest smile I’d seen him wearing in ages and suddenly I was glad that I’d mucked up my chances of winning the contest. He’d finally got to see just how good Leanne really was, and I couldn’t be happier.
***
“So I got you this.”
I looked over from inspecting the cinema times on the huge screen, to Aiden, who was sitting next to me.
I smiled. “What is it?”
“It’s a surprise. Almost as good as the one you sprang on us yesterday.”
I took the envelope from him. “I mean, that’ll be pretty hard to beat.” I laughed. “Shall I open it now?”
He nodded. “Yeah. I want to see your reaction.”
I titled my eyebrows up a little. “It’s not going to jump out and bite me, is it?”
He chuckled, tightening his hold around my waist. “No.”
“Promise?”
He leaned down to kiss me and I slowly tore the envelope open.
“It’s an early Christmas present,” he said.
“Thank you.”
“You don’t know what it is yet.”
I ruffled his hair. “I’m opening it!”
“Finally,” he said, just as I tore it open enough to see what was inside.
My heart leaped and my cheeks hurt with the smile. “Haunted Vegas tickets!”
He kissed my hair. “I’m glad you like them.”
“I love them!” I exclaimed, setting the envelope in my lap so I could cup his face with both hands. The cinema was pretty busy for a Sunday afternoon but I didn’t care. If I wanted to kiss my boyfriend, I would.
“Thank you,” I said sincerely. “I mean it.”
“So can I go with you? ‘Cause, you know, I bought two tickets and everything.”
I knitted my brows together in mock thought. “We’ll have to see.”
“Oh really?”
We were about to kiss again when I felt the bench seat we were sitting on shift as someone sat down beside me. I turned to see Cassie looking nervous.
“I don’t know why I let you talk me into this,” she huffed, her arms folded over her chest. “This is stupid.”
“A blind date isn’t stupid,” I replied. “Besides, seeing as you’ve agreed to give up on Mike, now he’s back with Lara again, it’ll do you good to set your sights on someone else.”
She rolled her eyes and breathed out dramatically. I’d actually missed her theatrics.
“He’s really nice,” I assured her. “Isn’t he Aiden?”
Aiden leaned around me to look at Cassie. She actually looked interested in his answer; her blue eyes wide.
“Well?” she asked.
“Yeah,” he replied. “You’ll get on great.” He seemed torn for a second, like he wasn’t sure whether to push his luck or not. “I mean, you do like bald men in their forties, don’t you?”
I slapped his arm playfully. “Aiden!”
“You can’t hit me!” he said. “I’m your boyfriend.”
“You’re not mine,” Cassie said, hitting him with her hand bag.
I winced as he rubbed his knee. God knows what she kept in her bag, but I knew from the times I’d carted it around that it was strangely heavy.
“Have you actually got a brick in there?” Aiden asked her. “You know you’re not actually supposed to carry one around with you. It’s only a saying.”
Cassie raised her bag again but I put my hand on Aiden’s knee. “Cass. Don’t let him see you angry.”
“Who?” she asked, dropping her bag to the floor with a thud.
“I’ve already seen it,” Aiden said. “I’d say it’s one of her most endearing qualities.”
I pinched Aiden’s knee right where Cassie’s bag had hit him and he whined. “Harriet!”
“He’s here,” I repeated, nodding towards the doors.
“Where?” Cassie demanded, her eyes desperately scanning the entrance while she patted down her hair and applied more perfume, all at the same time.
“Straight ahead. Chestnut brown hair. Jeans,” I said, helpfully.
“That could be anyone,” Aiden added.
“Cute smile?” Cassie asked, her eyes focusing in on someone and I smiled when I realised she’d spotted the right person.
“Yeah,” I replied. Aiden gave my waist a squeeze and I rolled my eyes. “You have a cute smile too.”
He gave me a satisfied smile just as Frankie stopped in front of us. Cassie was breathing erratically next to me and I turned to see her batting her eyelashes at Frankie.
“Cassie, this is Frankie. Frankie, Cassie,” I said, introducing them both to each other. “Did you want to-”
“Hi,” Cassie interrupted, standing up and hitching her bag on her shoulder in one swift motion. “Shall we get some popcorn?”
To my surprise, it only took Frankie mere seconds to get over Cassie’s forwardness. He returned her smile with one of his own and nodded.
Aiden and I watched them over to the other side of the foyer in a stunned silence.
“Is it too late to save him from her clutches?” Aiden asked. “I feel sorry for him already.”
I poked him in the ribs and he jolted in his seat. “No. Let them be happy.”
He gazed at me for a second and I gazed back, before he got up, pulling me with him. He kissed me softly and took my hand.
“Sometimes I wonder what would have happened if I’d never have met you.”
“Yeah?”
“Yeah.”
“And what would have happened?”
He gave me the cheekiest grin ever. “I can think of a few things.”
“Go on.”
“Well,” he said, sounding all serious. “You would have never stopped being little miss sensible, that’s for one.”
I could do nothing but roll my eyes and wait for the kiss. And that’s exactly what I wanted.
THE END