“Okay, girls!” Miranda claps her hands. “I hope you enjoyed your three-day weekend, because we’re pulling doubles the rest of this week. We already know we won’t be performing for the school until Senior Night, but what I haven’t shared yet, is the principal has asked the dance team to lead the varsity players onto the field at the game.”
“Cheer always leads the team,” one of the girls points out.
Miranda shakes her head with a grin. “Not this year. This year we are the show.”
Holy shit.
The dance team is geared more toward hip-hop in style, which is why when they recruited me freshman year, I agreed, but to take over Senior Night that’s not only full of students, but parents and faculty? Kind of crazy being our dances are on the risqué side, a lot of booty popping is involved.
“There’s like forty of them and only seventeen of us,” another says.
“Only the seniors will be escorted, but we’ll still be a little short which is why I’ve asked the JV dance team to help out, but only during the escorting. They won’t be performing our full routine with us,” she announces. “I’m still working on costumes for the performance, but I’m thinking we’ll incorporate the team to help make it fresh in some way.”
“How so?” I ask.
“Well, we can add eye black for fun, and knee-high socks. We can ask Coach Parks if we can borrow the boys’ away jerseys since this is a home game or another option is lettermen jackets. The entire team was awarded one free last year when they won state, so every player should have one that can be worn.”
“It might be hard to dance in.”
“Yes,” she agrees, then smirks. “But it would be a great show starter, and a piece you can easily toss when the chorus hits.”
“Yes!” someone shouts. “A transition piece into our costume reveal!”
“Do we get to pick who we escort?” Ava asks with excitement, making us laugh.
“Hell no, you think I want to deal with the fallout of that when these boys aren’t what you imagined in your heads?” she teases, making us laugh. She’s only twenty-one, so she’s always super cool when it comes to boyfriends and things. “This is about our team performing well. Hear me?”
“Yes, Coach,” is said in unison.
“Okay.” She rolls her wrist. “Three laps around and then fall in.”
After our quick warm-up, we run through our routine twice and then there’s a hard knock on the gym door.
Miranda smirks, skipping backward toward the door. “Did I mention they’d be here today?”
My eyes widen and I glance around the room.
Most of us are in tiny booty shorts and tanks or a sports bra. Since this is only practice and not an actual class, we can get away with that.
The boys, though, they have zero period weight training, so they’re on the clock right now. Still, when she opens the door and shakes the coach’s hand, half the guys are shirtless, the rest sleeveless.
Thompson and Trent walk in first, Alex and a few others behind them, followed by more of their teammates.
Trent nods in hello, so I wave, my eyes shifting along the line and catching Alex’s. He grins, then looks around at the girls.
Where’s Nico?
This makes three days now he hasn’t shown up to school.
“Okay,” Miranda starts. “Boys, solid straight line across the wall, shortest to tallest. I’m gonna place some girls in front of you and check height so I can get a good idea of what will and won’t work for entrances. I know you normally just walk out with the girls while your stats are read over the speaker, but this year we’re involving you a little more for fun.”
She has us do the same once they’re placed in order.
I’m shuffled around a few times, and in the end, placed in front of Thompson who is at least six-five and has been since freshman year.
He throws his arms over my shoulder. “Wassup, Demi?”
“Not much. Did you guys know we were pairing?” I glance at Trent who is a few bodies away.
He shakes his head no as Thompson says it.
“We’ve got a couple bodies not here, Miranda, just so you know,” Coach Park tells her. “I can send you their height if you wanna preplan in just a bit.”
“That would be helpful, thanks,” she says, moving girls around at the beginning of the line. I’m moved one more time, now placed in front of Carlos, the defensive end.
Miranda steps back, nodding slowly. “I think this—”
She’s cut off when the gym door slams shut and all eyes fly in that direction.
Nico walks in wearing joggers and a hoodie pulled over his head.
He pauses by his coach a moment, saying something no one else can hear. The coach slaps him on the shoulder, pushing him our way.
“Miranda,” Nico mumbles as he walks by, not looking at her.
“I need to pair you, Nico,” she says sternly.
He ignores her, stopping in front of me, and his eyes narrow before shifting to Carlos.
There’s a light shuffle, and then Nico slips in, his chest pushing against my back in the next second.
I inhale, slightly annoyed he thinks he can walk in here and take control, especially after no word for three days.
My eyes move back to Miranda.
She won’t allow him to mess up the flow or visual of the performance, even if he does think he’s privileged.
Nico pushes even closer. “I’m paired.”
I tense, waiting for her to set him straight as she would us, but Miranda only frowns, staring a moment longer before she snaps out of it and places one of the JV girls with Carlos. “Let me grab my phone so I can go over this later to be sure, but it’s looking good.”
When she comes back, she starts taking pictures, moving a few people over with each shot until she’s happy with what she sees.
“Okay boys, when I say one, place your hands on your partner’s upper ribs here.” She indicates to a few inches below our breasts, continuing to show them what she means as she says, “On two, slide them down to the hips, on three, hold, and on four, she will jump as you lift. On five, her feet should be on the ground, your hands at your sides. Girls, by six, I want you laid out.
“This is just a quick, off the top try and not necessarily what we’ll be doing for the routine. I want to see how clean it looks height-wise.” She repeats the counts and moves once more, then pulls her phone back out, clipping it to the tripod. “Go ahead and grab on now.”
Heavy, strong hands plant on my ribs, and I straighten my spine, getting ready. When I do, his hands slide up, now brushing against the edge of my sports bra.
I glare straight ahead. If he still wants to keep this fakeness up, he needs to understand that it doesn’t come before or between dance, and that what my coach says goes. Yes, this is only my school team and not my competition team, but still. I’m on the front line for a reason and his power trip isn’t getting in the way of the gold stamp that this puts on my college applications.
“Demi,” Miranda barks and my head jerks her way. “Sass, not anger.”
I clear my throat, quickly putting my game face on.
I don’t miss Nico’s chuckle.
Considering Miranda left him with me, I guess she agrees with our pairing.
Miranda pushes play on the recording. “We’re already at one, but I’ll repeat it for the sake of the steps.”
She continues to count, and in what seems like slow motion, Nico slides his hands down my ribs, fingers spreading out at my hips. Mine come up to cover his as I jump a foot into the air. The second my feet hit the floor, I nudge him off as he forgets to let go.
In the next second, all of us girls are dropping into a left split, and the guys start freaking out, completely losing their cool with whoops and oh damns making us laugh.
We push to our feet as a laughing Miranda turns to the grinning coach. “Maybe I should have explained what they were about to do.”
He laughs lightly, then heads for the door. “Give them five minutes to change at the end, but they’re all yours for now. Can’t give them to you this week but starting next you can have them for twenty minutes, twice a week and in the morning only. Boys, this means I get twenty extra after school, so plan for it.”
“Yes, Coach,” is shouted by the guys.
He nods and walks out.
Miranda’s tense gaze comes back to me. “Demi,” she calls on me as I’m the front liner. “Keep steps one through three and give us the last seven.”
I nod and take a few steps forward. I lift my arms, assuming Nico will understand to place his hands back on me, but when no movement follows, I glance over my shoulder to find Nico glaring at my bloomers.
I snap my fingers, and a few others chuckle as that glare cuts up to mine.
He looks around, realizing everyone is watching the two of us, then he steps out. “What?”
I roll my eyes. “Do what you just did, but leave your hands loose on my hips, so I can move them while adding steps.”
He doesn’t hesitate, scooting in so close his sweats are rubbing against my ass.
I ignore the thickness of him brushing against me and start counting.
Nico’s hands go from my ribs to my waist, and hold.
“Five.” I spin to face him, gripping his hoodie mid stomach. “Six.” I drop down, my legs butterflied, face at his crotch. “Seven.” I’m back in his face, chest to chest. “Eight.” I push off of him, and just like I knew he would, he creeps back in with a frown. I smile. “Nine.” His brows knit. I grip his hand and spin out, both of us now facing forward, our elbows bent, hands up. “Ten.”
She said we’re escorting them, so I take a few slow, dramatic steps forward and he moves with me before I drop his hand and turn to the others.
A few girls whistle and clap while Miranda stands there processing.
After a moment she nods. “That’s perfect. Messy, needs serious precision, and practice, but a perfect entrance. They come in hot, get knocked down a peg, but fire back with a dominant flare. Complete story to tell before a big game.”
Nico’s eyes slide to mine, and I almost detect a flash of satisfaction coming from his, but he blinks, and it’s gone.
We only have time to run through it once with everyone and it’s a shit show, but Miranda advises us to try and get together to practice this week if we can swing it.
The boys are dismissed while us girls hang back to go over our schedule for the week, and then we’re let go.
I use the time I have left to take a quick shower and dress in my normal clothes, but I’m too exhausted to mess with my hair, so I tie it back in a slick ponytail, throwing some mousse in to give the illusion of natural body.
As usual, I’m one of the last to leave, rushing out the door, only to slam into Nico on my exit.
“What…” I trail off as he uses his body to drive mine back a few steps, trapping me in the small divide that leads into the locker room.
“What are you doing?”
His eyes narrow. “I gotta ask to hide away with my girl?”
I frown and he holds a finger to his mouth, telling me to keep quiet.
Right then, a girl on my team comes out of the locker room door, squealing when she sees us.
“Sorry.” She laughs as she disappears.
Nico waits for the door to close completely then looks back to me. “I had to leave the beach. Today’s the first day I could make it back.”
From where I want to ask but don’t.
I nod instead. “I gathered when I woke up and you were, you know, gone, and when I didn’t see you in class all week. You and Trent thought you were really cute, by the way.”
That makes him mad.
“I never said I was done,” he says sharply. “You shouldn’t have been planning to go with Alex in the first fuckin’ place.”
A laugh bubbles out of me. “What was I supposed to think? You took off, I assumed that meant mission accomplished.”
“Whose mission, because there’s two of us, remember?”
My shoulders fall instantly.
Well shit.
“I didn’t even—”
“Think past your boy? Yeah, I know.” He steps back, his eyes flicking over my form with a void expression. “See you in class, D.”
He leaves me standing there, but not before Miranda steps in to watch him angrily walk away.
Awesome.
She waits for an explanation, but I offer nothing more than a flat smile and walk out.
I’m officially an asshole.
I never should have entertained Alex like I did without having spoken to Nico first. This pretend relationship was a mutual agreement. It wasn’t fair for me to act how I did.
If I knew what he was after, I could work that angle more, turn it on when it needs to be, stay low key when it’s pointless and others aren’t around. I could play a better part all around.
I’m mopey all day, and it doesn’t help I’m constantly asked about Nico and me, more so than I’ve been all week now that he’s actually here.
I disappoint each person, giving a smile or laugh because I don’t really know what to say.
It was one thing at the beach where it was more or less all the same people we hang with every weekend or at lunch sometimes, but here on campus where there’re hundreds more, it’s sort of intimidating.
Nico has always been the guy people stare at when he enters a room, but he’s also pretty standoffish. He doesn’t make a scene or show off, doesn’t like or need to be heard. You really only catch him interacting when it’s his core group of friends or teammates.
I mean, when he’s on the field, you’d think he was constantly being showy, but it’s simply him giving nothing but his best. It’s a raw, natural talent he possesses, and it shows.
Other than that, he sits back and relaxes, and yet, people still gravitate toward him as if he’s the life of the party.
He’s definitely capable of being the life of the party after dark if the rumors from the girls here are true.
“Demi Davenport.”
I’m pulled from my thoughts by a familiar voice.
I lift my eyes, meeting Josie’s in the bathroom mirror.
Great.
“Hey, Josie.” I turn off the water, moving for a paper towel before facing her.
“You have fun over the weekend?” she asks as she steps up to the sink I vacated.
And here we go.
“I did. You?”
“Bunches.”
Right.
I’m not doing this.
I toss my garbage in the bin and turn to leave when she speaks again.
“I care about Nico.”
Slowly, I look over my shoulder, spotting the sincerity in her eyes. It’s the only reason I don’t walk out.
“You guys were together a long time.” I nod. “I’m sure he cares about you, too.”
She scoffs a dejected laugh, and I swear sadness clouds her expression. “You’d be wrong,” she says, pausing as her gaze scours over me before lifting to mine. “He’s brave. I never thought I’d see the day, you two together.”
“Well you have, so get over it.” I push on the door, but she halts me once again.
“You need to be careful with him.”
That irritates me and I turn around fully. “And you need to mind your own business.”
“Like I said,” she snaps. “I care about him, so I’m standing here telling you to be careful with him. He has issues, Demi.”
“He’s my boyfriend to worry about, Josie, not yours.”
“Just watch yourself with him.”
“Not that he would, but I’d never allow anyone to walk all over me. I’m not some naïve little girl.”
She nods, one side of her mouth lifting as she throws her paper towel away without looking, stepping in front of me in the same move. “Funny, you automatically assumed I was talking about him hurting you.” Her tone is terse and as bitter as I’d expect from an ex of his, but it’s the concern laced through her gaze that confuses me. “Maybe you are as naïve as you’re pretending not to be. Have a shitty day, Davenport.”
She pushes out the door, leaving me to trail after her.
Trent and Krista are in the hall as we exit, and Josie flips them off as she passes while I take a deep breath and stop beside them.
“What was that about?” Krista asks. “Did she hit you up about Nico in there?”
I look to Trent. “Why’d they break up?”
His eyes widen, and he hastily shakes his head. “No fucking way.”
“You obviously know, just tell me.”
“You’re his girl, right?” His tone is laced with something I can’t quite put my finger on. “Ask him.”
“Come on, babe,” Krista whines, gripping his arm. “Please.”
“Nope.” He pulls free, kisses her quickly then starts down the hall. “Meet you after math.”
Krista and I fall in line together, walking to our next class. “Are you gonna ask Nic?”
“I think so.” Maybe.
I sort of have to. He and I need to sit down and talk this out, get on the same playing field or we’ll screw it up and people will question us.
“Oh, did you hear?” Krista turns to me. “Alex asked Ava to formal.”
I stop in my tracks and Krista slows, turning toward me.
“Does that bother you?” she asks with worry.
“No,” I say, maybe too quickly.
She gives a slow chuckle, and the two of us start walking again. “Are you sure, because it’s okay if it does. You and Nico are still new, and you’ve had a thing for Alex for years.”
“I’m a little surprised is all. I didn’t know they talked.” It’s the truth, but even more honestly would be admitting it doesn’t necessarily bother me. He dates all the time, so it’s not like I had a chance and lost it.
Right?
“You know how it is when dances roll around.” Krista chuckles. “Tons of people who have never dated start hanging out. Most of the time it doesn’t go past the after-party.”
I grin. “True.”
“Okay, see you at lunch later.” She walks into her next class a few doors down from mine.
I smooth my shirt down and pull my hair from where it’s gotten stuck under the strap of my backpack and walk into chemistry.
Alex looks away the second I enter, and I have to force myself not to frown. He’s ignored me all week.
I turn down a ride and he wants to act like a child about it and avoid me?
Ugh.
Nico is looking at his phone as I walk toward our table.
I don’t know what I expected from him, so I drop into my seat and continue to face forward, but not five seconds pass before he’s hooking his foot in the bottom of my stool and pulling it to him.
He shifts so his knees are spread wide, one in front of mine, the other behind me. His left arm comes around to drape across the back of my seat while he leaves his right laid out on the tabletop in front of me.
Nico leans in, so close I consider pulling back, but I can sense other eyes on us, so I stay planted where I am.
He gauges me. “How hard is it for you not to fidget right now?”
“Not hard.”
He leans in farther and I inhale.
His lips are less than an inch from mine when he asks, “How ‘bout now?”
“You’re going to get me in trouble.”
“Maybe you need to get in some trouble, Pixie,” he taunts, his voice liquid smoke.
I narrow my eyes.
So, he thinks he can play his little sex games and not get it back?
Sorry, Neek.
I lift my chin, my eyes purposely moving to his lips and back.
He glares.
I lick mine, letting warm air flow from my mouth, knowing it’s carrying to his.
“I thought I was a good girl, Neek?”
His jaw flexes slightly, the dark of his eyes amplifying the slightest bit.
Nico, not one to back down, scoots his body closer. “Prove it, D. Lay them thick lips on mine. Right here, right now.”
I fold and a heavy chuckle leaves him, but he doesn’t scoot away. He stays put until the teacher comes in and announces where we’re to ‘get to know’ our partners today.
The theatre.
Nico jumps up, grabs my hand and tugs me out the door.
I can’t help but notice the shock on Mr. Brando’s face as we fly by him.
When we enter, Nico looks at me.
“We’re not going to my spot,” I tell him.
“Why not? I took you to mine.”
“I didn’t ask you to, but we do need privacy. We have shit to talk about.”
“No.”
My mouth drops open. “No?”
He nods. “I’ll come over later, we can talk then.”
“To my house?”
He steps closer. “That a problem?”
I guess not. “What time were you thinking?”
“Practice isn’t over until five.”
“I have a studio class today, so I’m across town until six.”
“Fine. Seven?”
“Okay, but what about right now?”
He looks around, spotting Evan and Alex on the stairs to the stage, and then looks back to me. “Come on.”
Hesitantly, I follow.
I squeal lightly when he suddenly lifts me by the hips and sets me on the edge so my legs are dangling over the side. Nico hops up beside me.
“Why did you and Josie break up?” The question flies from my mouth before I can stop it.
Nico’s glare swings to mine. “Why?”
“Shouldn’t I know that?”
“No.” His answer is instant.
“But you tried to convince me you needed to know about my bedroom preferences and experiences,” I whisper, mockingly.
“That’s different.”
“How?”
“Because I have to know how to please you, Demi. It’s all a part of being your man. You don’t need to know why my ex couldn’t do the same for me.”
I look away, willing the heat creeping up my neck to go away. I glance back at Nico to find him frowning.
“Why you asking?” he questions.
“I don’t know how I’m supposed to act when it comes to her, she knows you more than anyone I’m guessing, so it’s a lot,” I admit. “Being yourself is working just fine for you, I don’t want to be the one to screw this up without even realizing it.”
Nico doesn’t say anything at first, but then hops down.
He nudges my knees open so he can step between them causing my inner thighs to rest against his ribs due to the added height of the stage.
A seriousness slides over his face and he holds my attention.
“You’re supposed to act like you want me. That is your job.”
After a moment I nod, reiterating what he said to me before, “Make people believe this.”
He shakes his head, reaching up to tuck a loose piece of my hair behind my ear.
“No?”
“No,” he confirms. “Not people.” He leans in skimming his nose across my cheek, his lips pausing at my ear. “Me. Make me believe it, D.”
Goosebumps spread across my arms, and his eyes fall as he notices, ever so slowly rising back to mine.
I’d be lying if I said they were caused solely from nerves.
Make him believe it, he said.
Why does it sound so enticing to try?
The challenge in it maybe, or the doubt I assume he has, that everyone will have soon when all they get from us is some middle school hand holding bullshit.
No way does Nico think I could possibly act so well that even he would believe we were an us. That’s where his challenge lies.
Or at least that’s what I tell myself when I drag my ass to the edge of the stage, my center pressing into his ribs, lips aligned with his, and wait.
There’s zero hesitation from Nico.
His hand shoots to the back of my neck, and an instant, low groan leaves him as he applies a heavy pressure to my mouth, one I feel between my legs.
My thigh muscles clench against him and his tongue attempts to pry my mouth open, but I tug away.
Holy shit my heart is beating like crazy, I’m pretty sure it’s visible through my shirt.
Nico frowns as he licks his lips, tasting mine on his skin and his hand lowers, now cupping my outer thighs.
There, we did it.
We kissed for our classmates to see.
For Alex to see.
For show.
Right?
