Dancing with the Varsity Bad Boy

Chapter 20

Violet's POV

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I roll my eyes at Jordan who settles into the seat next to me and sigh, scanning the menue in my hands.

"You should try the burger sweetheart. Your brother's were raving about it after they came to visit you last." Dad says with a chuckle. He already knows that I can put food away and not gain weight. It's probably something I get from him and my brothers.

"Fine, you already know what I want dad," I huff and hand him my menue while poking my tongue out at him.

I really shouldn't be eating so much but I'm sure I'll work it off tomorrow. I normally stick to a strict diet, making sure I stay away from foods that could inflame the arthritis. But I really want the burger with all the trimmings.

My stomach takes this moment to make itself known as it let's out an embarrassingly loud gurgling sound that the whole damn table hears. My dad chuckles while the team laughs and my friends give me concerned glances.

"How was your extra studio time today?" Gypsy asks, and shifts in her chair, her smile is fake, we can see it, and yet Eric, who's sitting beside her can't see how much pain she's in. Dad watches us, and the football team, watching every interaction, who talks to who, what the topic is as everyone gets their orders sorted.

"It was good. Madam let me work on one of the Year's End show dances and dad gave me some great feed back. You should come to the studio tomorrow, I've gotten permission." Eric glances between Gypsy and I, his brow creasing, although he doesn't ask any questions. It's a complete contradiction, his body language and facial expressions give away that he cares, but he acts as though he doesn't care about Gypsy's life.

"If there's nothing extra I need to do tomorrow, of course I'll be there. Are we using the dance you were working on today or are we using a different dance?" Gypsy grabs hold of the conversation, her gaze focused on me as she taps at her wrists.

"There are a few we'll be working on. I've been working on them on the quiet. I'll show you, and we can figure out what to do to improve them for the show, and your project and then we'll get to work." I tell her, leaning across the table and grabbing Gypsy's hands, her grip crushing my fingers and causing my own pain to flare up, but I don't care, I have pain killers, Gypsy doesn't. Imogen picks up her fork and begins tapping out a beat, Lex follows suit, picking up his knife and copying, so Imogen can change hers.

The chatter of our table quietens down, Tamsyn picking up her knife and fork and adding to the table music. It's a very stripped back version of the song I was just rehershing to and I sing Halsey's lyrics, keeping Gypsy's focus on me, not on anyone else. When it comes to Amy Lee's lyrics Gypsy picks up the song and Eric gasps at just how beautifully Gypsy can sing, her voice just as good as Amy Lee's in Imogen's opinion. The resturant becomes silent as the two of us sing through Gypsy's pain flare, my dad's hand rubbing small circles on my back.

We don't stop either, Imogen joins us for a second version of the song, adding her voice to the chorus. On our third repeat of the song, Tamsyn joins us, and on our forth repeat, Lex sings as he stands and walks around the table to stand behind Gypsy and massages her shoulders. We sing the song again, Imogen changing different beats with each run through, or layering different lyrics, weaving her voice through the chorus as though weilding song like a weapon.

We only stop when Gypsy's grip loosens on my fingers, the pain lessening as she relexs against Lex who kisses the top of her head and hugs her from behind. The five of us jump in fright when the whole resturant bursts into applause, people standing, and their phones aimed at us, obvisously having recorded our spontaneous performance. Lex bows causing us girls to giggle as he thanks everyone before returning to his seat beside Chris who's staring at him as though he's grown two extra heads.

"It's always a joy when you're all together and I get to hear you sing as a group, although nothing compares to when you all get together and put a little show on. Last summer's show playlist is still my most listened to on Spotify Imogen." My dad jumps into the conversation, saving us girls from having to explain ourselves to the table of shellshocked football players.

"Have you boys not heard these girls and Lex sing before? They sound like sinful angels when they really get going." I roll my eyes at my dad's joke and giggle before shaking my head.

"They've not been around when the five of us get together to sing dad. That and they wouldn't understand our arts if we hit them over the head with them." I shake my head and take a sip of water. It's the sad truth of the matter that the football team never wanted to know us. They flirted with us all during that first year, but after the initial rejection none of them wanted to be our friends.

Chris is the exception to that rule, especially when he and Lex started hooking up, and fell in love. Chris understood that Lex is more then just our housemate and friend. That he's our brother is every way but blood and we love him and are protective of him and his heart.

"Now that is a shame," my dad says, tucking a thick strand of hair behind my ear.

Our meals arrive, and my dad becomes the smooth master of conversation, weilding interest like a sheild and sword. By the time I'm half way through my burger he's gotten the football team eating out of the palm of his hand, giving advice, or showing interest in their studies.

"Do you teach dance?" Jordan's deep voice brings me out of enjoying my food, a dribble of burger fat and salad dressing slides down my chin as I chew. Lex laughs at me, passing a napkin over as I place my burger back on the plate and wipe my mouth, my cheeks blazing hot with embarressment while Jordan watches with amusement.

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Jordan's POV

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I watch Violet blush bright red, and I have to admit, she's adorble. It's good to see a girl have such a good appetite, normally girls would pick at a salad while out with me or one of my teammates but Violet and her friends eat normal food and actually show their enjoyment of it.

Eric shifts in his seat next to Gypsy as she moans while taking a bite of Lex's meal, and in turn sharing her meal with her friend. It's something all of them have done, even Violet shared her meal with her father and friends.

"I sometimes teach dance," she tells me, refusing to meet my gaze. Her father glances at me, curious maybe? I'm not sure, but something really hit me eariler when she told her dad the team had no idea about their art courses.

It's true, we don't and we should after being neighbours with them for three years, but I want to know more. I want to know about her art. I want to know what it takes to be as good as she is and understand what her friends and her have to go through in order to succeed in the fields of their choice.

I've been watching them interact with Violet's dad over dinner, how they talk with each other. It was truly telling that Violet could tell when Gypsy was in pain when Eric hadn't even noticed. They rallied around her to help their friend through the spike in pain. Completely disregarding the public place, or any embarressment my team might have felt in order to help her.

"Would you be willing to teach me?" I ask, and watch her stare, blinking at me as though I'm talking in another language.

"You want to learn to dance?" She asks as though to confirm if I've gone insane or something.

"Yeah, I've heard that dancing can help with my footwork on the field." I lie, swallowing hard. Mr Beckingham's shoulders shudder with surpressed laughter, shaking his head at me.

"You want to learn to dance.... to improve your footwork..." She frowns at me, tilting her head a little.

"You don't believe him sweetheart?" Mr Beckingham asks, amusement clear in his tone as Violet turns to face her father.

"Dad, dance won't do anything to improve his footwork on the field, you know that. If he wanted to learn dance to impress the ladies I'd have believed him in a second but to claim its for his footwork is stretching things." she says with a sigh and takes another bite out of her burger, chewing it thoughtfully as she watches me.

"I think you should teach him," Tamsyn says, reaching over to steal a chip from Violet's plate.

"Agreed, it'll be good for Jordan to get a taste of the level of dedication you need to continue dancing," Imogen pipes up next, passing her phone to Mr Beckingham before looking me up and down.

"The sports teams have always claimed they need a level of dedication we arts students "aren't built for". This is the perfect opportunity to prove them wrong." Lex finishes, a smirk curling at his lips.

Violet turns to face Gypsy who quietly continues to eat her dinner, her expression thoughtful.

"We do need an extra body, you could teach him and the team could watch the level of work that has to go into each piece." She shrugs and shifts, her shoulders tensing.

"Your friends make an compelling argument. Your brother's never understood the level of work that goes into dance until you taught them. They respected your career choice after you spent half a year teaching them just the waltz. They understood your choices better and had more respect for the arts after that." Mr Beckingham adds his two cents in and Violet continues to eat her dinner, while Gypsy shares a secret smile with Tamsyn, Imogen and Lex.

Conversation at the table continues to buzz, Violet's housemate's hardly talking to my team mates, my team mates not even trying to start a conversation with them, and Eric purposefully avoiding Gypsy, even when she tries to talk to him about football. My heart twists at the hurt that flashes through her eyes when he enthusiastically enters a conversation with Mikey when she tries thanking him and apologising for that night she slept in his bed.

"Ok Jordan, I'll teach you. We need another person for our projects so Eric can learn too." I freeze at the cool steel in Violet's voice and a chill slivers down my spine at the smirk that curls her lips.

Mr Beckingham bursts out laughing at Eric's and my frozen expression, and pats his daughters hand.

"Meet us at the studio Sunday morning and be ready to sweat....a lot." Violet states, finishing her meal and picks up a menue.

"Who fancies dessert?" She asks, her house mates all laughing while I remain frozen, suddenly feeling that I've bitten off more than I can handle.