Even that was said after Harper's retreating shoulder. She had a good reason to want to straighten this rumor out. She didn't want everyone to think she was used, and she didn't want them to think that Eric would do something like that. Why would someone want to spread these rumors? Why did they care what they did? She looked around with annoyance as more people turned their gazes toward her. She certainly wasn't this popular for everyone to stare at her. They should all mind their own business.

~~~~~~~~~~~

She gave Eric a sympathetic smile, and gave a snort, as he told her what kind of vibe that Harper gave him. "I would have avoided her too, if I had thought about it. She had nothing nice to say. When I denied us being together after she said that you were forcing me to be your girlfriend, she acted like it was an uncalled for act. Why would I want a rumor like that spreading around," she waved her hands helplessly. She knew that they couldn't do anything, so she stopped making any kind of scene.

She could already see a chance in Eric. It wasn't helping him any. She felt that she was finally getting him to open up, but all of these jerks weren't helping anything. She hated that one of Eric's team mates would treat him like everyone else was. Shouldn't they have some sort of loyalty to each other? Didn't they know each other at least well enough to know that Eric wouldn't do something like this? Kai wondered how long this roller coaster of emotions would last. One moment she wanted to fight everyone, the next moment she wanted to cry and shout at everyone. When would it end?

She nodded her head, trying to move on. "Tuesdays and Thursdays would be good. I am sure that you can come over and meet up at my house. I am sure that she doesn't mind. I'l double check and text you a confirmation later." She gave a little chuckle, "I forgot to tell you where the dance studio is." She felt that both of her parents especially her mother would be accepting of Eric has just a friend. Her father might not be as open and happy, but her mother was always welcoming to her friends.

Both of them might do a double take, if she wanted a closer relationship with him, but she was sure that Eric could win them over either way. He was a good christian man, which was something both of her parents wanted for her. She was a little nervous about her father meeting him. Her father could be a little intimidating even to her girl friends much less any guy friends that she brought home. Even though she knew that Eric had a crush on her, she hadn't wanted to open that can of worms.

He couldn't know her, because they had never spent time together before recently, so she wanted to definitely have an established relationship before they decided on anything else. Besides at first she couldn't have thought of Eric as more than a friend. She needed some connection before she started having a relationship with somebody. That was one thing that she felt she shouldn't intervene with even though she could read his mind. She wanted him to come to her on his time, when he was ready for all of it.

She respected him that he had waited even though he liked her. It made her like him a lot more, that he had wanted a real friendship with her before he tried for a relationship. It showed that he had some wisdom even though he was young. Right now wasn't good timing. She had a feeling that he would wait too. What would happen if they fed the fires and really became a couple? Of course she doubted that anyone would notice anything different, but still. It would all be very odd.

She wondered if he was planning to make a move at prom. Would they still go? Prom was known for the romantic antics that were pulled off. Would he think that was a good time to try? It wouldn't be as normal and natural, but it might be more romantic. After all they would be all dressed up and look nice. By the time prom came around, it would have given both of them a chance to know each other. Would she want to actually be in a relationship with him? All she knew was that as long as rumors were floating around, she probably wouldn't accept.

She might be willing to be his friend through whatever, but currently, she didn't have strong enough romantic feelings to have a relationship with him through these rumors. She wasn't sure if she was ready for a relationship anyway, but she did want to be friends. This was a valuable friendship, and she hoped they would always be able to talk to one another. While she didn't want to make any foolish vows, because she had never seen anybody other than married couples actually keep vows like that, she did have the goal in mind that they would always be able to confide in each other.

Because of her mind reading ablility, and she had only told him, they would always have a special bond. She hoped that dance lessons would be fun. It might seem a little odd. After all of these rumors, it might be dangerous for them to go to prom together even as just friends. She wasn't sure what to do, but she still wanted to do what she wanted to do. Should she ask her parents for advice? What would they say? She shuddered at the thought. While her parents were often understandable, the conversation would be awkward, and she had no idea where it would go. She wasn't sure how they would react or what would come of the conversation.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Kai ran out of the door with a smile. "Eric! I'm glad to see you," she greeted him. "Do you have everything you need? Ready to go?" she felt like an annoying child playing parent asking him these questions. She wanted to make sure that there was nothing he needed to borrow. She felt a little silly. They had seen each other yesterday for tutoring, and school, but this was the first time they would be taking dance lessons together. "We're almost ready to go, so we'll just load up into the car."

For a short while there was a flurry of activity. Kai grabbed her stuff, and her mother told them to get into the car, so she could take them there. Now that they were all closed together in a car, Kai waited a little nervous. Would her mother try to interrogate Eric? This was always the place her parents chose to have deep moving conversations. Her mother greeted him with a hello and how are you. She hadn't had a chance to talk to Eric, since they were so busy getting ready to leave.

She inquired about how school was, and this time she asked who his parents were. When they got out, her mother told Kai that she would be in the area. Kai hopped out of the car with a wave, "See you in an hour." Kai wished her parents would let her start driving again. She knew they had the money to buy her a car, but she still wasn't allowed to drive. There had been a few times she had driven with her mother in the car, but she wasn't allowed to drive by herself. Her mother said it was until she got the cast removed, and then she could start driving by herself.

Kai looked down at her cast wondering if that would interfere with dancing even though it wasn't on her feet or legs. She looked at him trying to gauge how he was feeling after talking to her mother. "Did my mom's questions bother you any?" she wanted to double check that everything was okay. They had been pretty vague, so they shouldn't bother him too much right? They entered the building, and she was a little happy to see that there were no teenagers their age.

It was mostly older folks coming out on a date or something. Most of their peers would think that a dance class was lame. They would expect you to already know how to dance. Hopefully, this would be fun, but she was glad to see that no rumors would be surrounding them. If there were any rumor spreaders here, they might not be attending dance class for long. It could only feed the rumors and become more unpleasant. They sort of all stood around waiting for the instructor. She wondered if they would get to pair themselves up or if the instructor would randomly put them together.

As he listened to her he couldn't believe what all was flying around already. Him? Forcing her to be his....girlfriend? How? How had that conclusion been come to? Who in their right mind would ever say or think that to be true?! Instead of being angry and showing it, he supressed his fury as he almost always did. But supressing it often turned it to anxiety, and because of the circumstances that's what was happening. So he brushed it aside and decided not to dwell on it. He still had classes to go to and try and focus in.

He smiled as she agreed to Tuesdays and Thursdays being designated for tutoring, and managed a chuckle at her next words. He was glad that he'd more than likely be able to meet her at her house, it would be more comfortable for him he thought.

The rest of the day went by slowly, each class taking seemingly forever to get done with. Especially History. But at least Kai was in the same class as him last period, so he was actually able to make himself calm down and focus, a sharp contrast to how it had been a little over a week ago.

Finally, the bell rang, and they parted ways. He drove home, thoughts about the day and rumors spinning wildly through his head.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Okay Gunner," Eric said, closing his computer and swinging his legs off the bed. "I gotta go." It was Friday, and ever since he'd gotten home from school he'd been online, looking through different colleges and courses he could possibly take next year to get them out of the way before he graduated. He may have gotten distracted a few times with online games, but that was besides the point.

The German Shepherd raised his head from the floor, ears perked at the word "go." His tail thumped gently on the wooden floor, and his big brown eyes looked into Eric's, his body tense and prepared to get up when he did. Eric smiled at him, sliding to the floor.

"You can't come with me boy." he said, rubbing his ears and running his fingers through his neck fur. "You gotta stay." He was nervous to go dancing in all honesty, he felt unprepared and clumsy. But maybe it wouldn't be so bad. His father was passed out in his room, so Eric knew he'd be able to get out and be gone for a couple hours without David noticing. He grabbed an old bag and tossed a few items inside, including some dance shoes that he'd managed to buy pretty cheaply at a shoe store.

As of now, and ever since he'd stepped foot in his room, he was shirtless and in a clean pair of basketball shorts, but he knew he would have to change. What do I even wear to a dance class? he wondered, pursing his lips in thought. He wandered over to his closet, opening the doors and staring inside for a good few moments. Finally, he reached in and grabbed a tight black T shirt, and bent down, searching through his drawers until he found a black pair of pants that would work well enough for dancing in.

He changed into them, realizing a bit too late that the pants were kind of tight, but he would have to deal with it. He checked the time, realizing that he needed to get going. "Come on, Gunner." he said, pointing to the kennel. The dog let out a groan, stretching, then promptly walked inside, giving Eric a look that seemed to say,

You better not be gone long.

"Don't worry, buddy, I'll be back soon." he said, giving Gunner a kiss on the nose before closing and locking the kennel door. He decided that he would just walk to her house instead of drive. She didn't live far, and it was evening, so it was nice and cool outside. Once he was there, he rang the doorbell and stood on her porch, patiently waiting to be either let in or greeted at the very least.

His entire mood lifted and all his worries about dancing faded as Kai answered the door. His eyes seemed to light up and a smile graced his face as he saw hers. She began asking him questions right away, and he couldn't help but giggle like a child. "I'm glad to see you too," he said. "I honestly don't know," he answered, peeking into his bag briefly. "I packed what the internet said I needed to pack, and then...I left." He laughed.

He nodded as she said that they were nearly ready, and just needed to load a few more things. When Kai's mother told them to get in the car, he did as she said. Once inside, she said hello to him and asked how he was. "I'm doing okay." he said. "A bit busy with school work and looking for a job, but other than that I've been fine." He knew the last part was a lie, and he knew that Kai knew that as well. He wasn't doing fine. Not in the slightest. Abuse at home was continuing to carry on, and his stress levels were very very high.

She asked how school was going, and eventually asked who his parents were. "School's...fine." he answered. "I could be doing better, but it's ok. My mother's name was Rose Godfrey, and my father is David Godfrey. My mom died a few years ago, so it's just me and him now."

They arrived at the place, and Eric got out, walking around to the other side to meet up next to Kai. They walked up to the doors, and she asked him if any of her mother's questions had bothered him any. He shrugged. "I mean not really." he said. "It hurt a little to talk about Mom, but it always does. It's no big deal." He gave her a smile and a gentle, playful nudge. Once inside, he felt his nerves spike a little. He was relieved to see that there were no teens their age here, which both made him feel happy and like a loser.

He stood by her side, perhaps a little too closely, but he didn't notice. He was only keeping himself so close because he was nervous. He almost looked like a dog in an unknown and unfamiliar place, and only felt comfortable around his owner. Kailey was his safety right now, and although he was taller than her and a little older, he still found comfort in her touch and presence. He was a follower, not a leader, that much was plainly obvious. He was a sad mutt who hardly ever showed his teeth, a dog with his tail constantly tucked between his legs, but a heart of gold and full of love beneath his cowardly and shy appearance.

He really hoped the instructor didn't choose partners for them. He was hoping since couples had come in together, that people would get to choose their own partners. If they weren't allowed to do that, and if he was paired with some older woman that he didn't know...he definitely would not be coming back. It would be too much for his shyness and anxiety to handle.

"I blame you if anything goes wrong," he whispered teasingly to her, his eyes wide with nerves but yet silliness. "You drug me into this." He shot her an ornery smile and bumped her shoulder gently to let her know he was kidding. He was very nervous, but he was glad to be here with her. He hoped it would be fun.

Eric felt like an idiot, but he was glad she'd asked him. "Yeah..." he said with a shy grin. "I was in such a hurry when I left. I forgot to grab one."

Once they got out of the car, Eric's gaze shifted to all she was carrying, and he wondered if he should offer to help. He did that so often, and he wasn't sure if she'd get annoyed by him asking or not. But he felt bad, because all he was carrying was his bag, and he had two well functioning, definitely not broken arms. "Do you need me to help carry something?" he offered to her on their way up to the studio door. "It may be a bit easier for you."

Once inside, Eric looked slowly around, his gaze passing over the other couple and intelligently studying them. Not in a creepy way at all, but in a curious manner. He could tell by body language that most of them were happy to be here together, and he found himself wondering how it felt to be truly in love with someone. Sure, he had a crush on Kai, but he couldn't say that he was in love with her. He knew her, and he knew her decently well by now. But he still didn't know all that much about her, and while he admired many thing about her, he couldn't say he romantically loved her. Not yet.

She leaned in, whispering if he was okay. He shifted a little, trying to wipe the nervous expression off of his face. "Yeah I'm okay," he answered with a soft smile. "I want to do this." he said. "I just....I'm nervous that's all." He shifted again and smiled. "You know me well enough by now to know that I'm nervous about a lot of things. Especially things that I shouldn't be worried about." At least he was self aware enough to know that. "Of course I'd tell you." he answered. "I mean, I'd try it first to give it the benefit of the doubt, but if I didn't like it I'd tell you."

She apologized after he teased her, and he bumped her lightly. "It's okay." he whispered. "I need this kind of stuff in my life." He gave a self depricating smile. "If I didn't have you to invite me to all this stuff, I'd keep being the boring old puddle that I am so I thank you." He chuckled lightly, beginning to feel himself loosening up. His nerves were fading a bit, now that they were talking. She always just seemed to make things better.

Soon the instructors came in, and Eric took a deep breath. He stayed pretty close to her, not letting her get too far out of his sight during the stretches. It was simple and easy enough, and he was feeling the vibes of basketball stretches, his muscles previously tight with nerves now loosening. Once everyone was warmed up, the instructors began teaching them a fairly simple dance. It was possible to do it with a partner, but it was more complicated that way.

The instructors taught them both ways, and the group did a rough run through of both. It would be a warm up dance every day, something to get their bodies going. The song was Footloose, and the most simple route was the Line Dance version. It was a strange new experience for Eric, and at first he felt incredibely uncomfortable and awkward. He was surprised at how quickly he picked it up though, and once he did it gradually became more fun.

When that was done, they were told to pair up with someone in order to slow dance, and Eric felt his heart take a huge nervous leap as Kai quickly came right to his side. He swallowed nervously and gave her a shy smile as she asked if he was ready. A huge part of him was screaming,

No! No, of course I'm not ready! I wasn't prepared to do this so soon!

But another part of him was saying,

Relax, it's fine. It will be fun. Don't let it bother you.

He knew it would be a bit awkward for Kai since she only had one arm to use, but it would be okay. He watched as the instructors demonstrated, and he copied the male, placing his hands where they needed to go. A small part of him wanted to be closer to her, but this was closer already than he'd ever been, and he could easily see her blush that was beginning to pinken on her cheeks. While normally this would have made him feel awkward and nervous, for some reason it just made him smile. Because for once he wasn't the only one who was embarassed. For once he wasn't the only one who was nervous, or feeling awkward. Seeing her like this was kind of cute to him in a really weird way, simply because he was used to her being the stronger one of the two in a sense. Socially, she was at a higher standpoint, and she was more outgoing than he was. But now, here, she was a little more vunerable, and he felt a likeness between them now.

"I'm not ready," he whispered softly to her as an answer, chuckling a bit nervously. "Not even in the slightest." His heart started to pick up the pace a bit, and memories of the two of them in the closet together came rushing back in. He looked around shortly to see other couples pulling close, and some of them already knew how to do this. He looked back at her, his bright blue eyes shimmering in the studio light.

"Are you?"

As she looked around, she realized that all of these couples were comfortable with each other. Meanwhile Eric and herself looked a bit nervous and twitchy. She was surprised there weren't any nerves at all. Not even fear of the other adults. She supposed it was, because they didn't care. Did you become less self-consious, when you became older? It reminded her of getting married, and living together with hopefully your best friend. Could she imagine doing that?

She certainly would never tell her guy friends, but she often imagined what it would be like if she dated or married one of them. Most of the time it came up with nothing. When she was younger there had been a few she thought something had happened, but that didn't last long. She had had a few converstions with her dad, and he said that boys didn't consider marrying and stuff at a young age. She found that hard to believe, when a few of them professed that they were going to marry her.

She was a little smarter than the boys. They took rejection so hard, and they acted like heart broken teenagers. She hadn't even said no, she just didn't reply. She knew there would be plenty of time, and it was too early to plan anything. As she looked around, she really hoped she would have this happy bliss eventually. It was calming after the torrents of bullies at school. It would be nice to know that you always had someone that you could fall back and rely on, besides God.

It sort of reminded her of the song tightrope from the Greatest Showman. It wasn't very pleasant, because he didn't catch his wife. She reminded herself that even husbands weren't always there for their wife, which meant she would have to be very careful about her as long as they both live partner. She was brought back to the present, when she realized that Eric was thinking about her. He was also thinking about really being in love. She was curious what that would be like also.

She interrupted his train of thought to check on him. She could see him trying to be less nervous, but she could still get his thoughts. It took a lot of self control to hide stuff from her. She hoped that he had nothing to be nervous about. She could feel her own stress levels going up, and she was beginning to sweat slightly. At his words she smiled and relaxed. He was just trying something new out. That's what a lot of people suggested. He hadn't done this before, so he couldn't say if he hated this or not.

She wasn't being a terrible friend, and this could possibly be good for one or both of them. She smiled and chuckled at him censuring himself. "As long as you have Gunner, you can't be a puddle," she tried to defend him. He had other things he could do, but there was nothing like a pet or a child to keep you moving. They kept you going, because they always needed something. If they went to prom, she didn't want to give them another target. It would certainly attract attention after telling everyone that they weren't dating, and then they go to prom. It would draw even more attention, if they became known as the only couple that fell oever, because they didn't now how to dance together. She wasn't sure if that would have happened, but after all of that negative attention, she didn't want to find out.

After the instructors came in, she didn't say anything for a while. The stretches were pretty easy. She was used to doing some, because of running. Most of them were different, but there were a few similar ones. It was nice doing something familiar, because not only did her muscles relax, but she did. As they began learning the dance, she found that it was sort of fun. She hadn't been sure how she would do too. She couldn't see herself when she did Just Dance. Eventually, she was able to do it slowly without messing up terribly.

She wondered how long it would take her to do it well. Every now and then she would specifically check on Eric. She thought she noticed him relax slightly. While he might not want to do this again, it didn't seem like he was scarred from the experience. He wasn't ready to cry and run out, which was always a bonus. After the warm up dance, she realized how nervous Eric was. This time her own nerves were playing with her. When they went into the closet, she hadn't expected anything to happen. It was a game without real deep feelings, but they had chosen to be here.

This could decide whether he was scared away and never came back. She was even more embarrassed, because she was sure that her blush was obvious. At least in the closet, nothing like that had been visible. She noticed that he was beginning to smile. "What are you smiling about?" she looked at him skeptically. Had she done something? Her face froze for a moment, when he pulled close to whisper in her ear. She didn't think she was ready. She wasn't sure what she was doing.

Should she be doing this, since for the moment, they only planned to be friends? She tried to muster a teasing smile, but failed, "Enjoying this." She wondered if she should have flirted like that. The only time she had been this close was when they had kissed. It had sort of surprised her, that he finally decided to do it. Most of the time, they had just stood there, but Eric had gotten his courage at the end. She looked around at the other couples. Were they supposed to do this? Would they do this at prom?

She wondered if they could go to prom as platonic dates. She hadn't expected to feel anything while dancing. It reminded her of the song in Winter Wonderland, and she sort of got it now. As she realized that all the couples were getting closer even kissing, she felt an uncomfortable crawling in her stomach. She sort of wished that there was another young couple here, but she realized they might be just as bad or worse. Besides, they would probably spread rumors.

Her gaze returned to Eric, and she gave him a shy smile, "No....I don't think I am, but.....we came here to dance right?" Her face became worried again. She was still going to dance, even though she hadn't been expecting to dance like this. Did that mean he didn't want to dance? Was she pushing him too quickly? They were already together. It was sort of too late to not dance. It would also be embarrassing if a big scene was made about this. "We got this right?" she asked him.

He smiled as she handed him her water bottle, and giggled quietly at her comment. "No problem," he said. "Tell me if I ever get annoying asking to help you." he said to her, habitually opening the door for her and letting her in first without really even realizing he was doing so. "Because I'm so dense sometimes that I won't know if you're upset." he chuckled.

He smiled back at her as she commented that as long as he had Gunner he wouldn't be a puddle. "Well thanks," he replied simply. He couldn't imagine life without Gunner, and he was dreading the day when he passed. It would be very hard for him to handle, but if Kai was still in his life it would be much easier. Once they were in each others arms, he stole more glances at the other couples, the music playing smoothly. He saw a few of them even kissing, and he bit his lip, unsure of how he should be feeling.

Maybe this wasn't such a good idea after all.

But if they were going to go to prom together, then they better get to learning this. After all, it was tradition for every couple that went together to dance together at least once, whether you were dating or not. He knew they both needed to get used to the feel of each other, especially when dancing like this. He could tell she was uncomfortable, and it was maiking him slightly nervous as well. But he tried to reason with himself, and it seemed to work.

She asked him what he was smiling about, and that only made him grin wider. He felt his cheeks flush a little, but he didn't even care anymore. "Nothing," he said vaguely, hoping she wouldn't think that he was making fun of her. If she really wanted or needed to, it was too easy to pry into his mind and be able to see that he was just admiring her.

It took him aback to how she responded to him, and now he knew for sure that he was blushing like a madman. Was she.....flirting with him? It took him a moment to even get his facial expression to change to a smile. He let out a series of small and nearly silent breaths, too stunned to really say or do anything else. For a moment he just found himself looking into her face, before forcing himself to break his gaze away, clearing his throat.

The other couples were starting to dance now, and so he slowly began moving his feet to the slow rhythm. "Well," he said quietly after a moment, regaining his composure. "I'm glad." He followed her gaze to the other couples, who were getting closer, and met her eyes when she looked back at him. He felt his heart drop for her as she saw her worried expression. "Yeah we did." he said softly, gently, smiling a little. "We got this." He involuntarily pulled her a little closer, and just listened to the music, watching his footwork occassionally to make sure he was doing it right.

He let his worries fade, and that helped him a lot. After a moment, he wasn't even feeling awkward about this anymore at all. It was peaceful in here, no one was judging them, and he felt like this...this kind of dancing he could do all night. He got so lost in this world of peace, this break from everything chaotic in his life, that he didn't really realize what he was doing until after he did it.

He and Kailey were close, their hearts thrumming together, and he found himself leaning down a little, his lips coming to rest on her cheek in a gentle kiss. After he realized what he did, he felt himself start to grow nervous again. They were just friends! Had he screwed this up?! Would she push him away now? Would she ever want to hang out with him again after this?

"Kailey I'm sorry," he whispered, so softly it was barely audible. He felt the need to apologize, because he hadn't even asked her first. He hadn't realized what he was doing until after he did it. Why oh why was he such a fool?!

Eric was glad to know that he couldn't annoy her by helping, and relieved that she would tell him to stop if she wanted him to. He didn't want to do anything to make her angry or annoyed with him.

During the moment of stunned silence, she rested her head on his chest, and just that little bit helped calm him down some. "Yeah, a little," he said quietly, smiling only slightly. He really was starting to enjoy this, despite that moment of brief awkwardness between them. But once he started, and once she started, he found all his nerves fading and enjoyment starting to seep in. Dancing wasn't so bad after all, especially this kind. It was slow, it was easy, and he didn't have to worry about missing any steps or moves and making a fool out of himself. It was simple for a reason. It allowed couples to focus more on each other and what they were feeling rather than the dance itself. Being a bit of a romantic himself, he enjoyed it a lot, but at the same time he was unsure about it, simply because he and Kai were just friends.

It was fun for awhile, getting lost in what he was doing, until his mind kind of slipped away and he forgot that he was really here just to have fun, he forgot to ask, he forgot everything in the moment that he kissed her, and instantly guilt and fear rushed into him.

He instantly knew he'd made a mistake, judging by the look on her face, and as soon as she spoke his name he felt himself starting to stop dancing. But he didn't want to make a scene so he forced himself to keep going. But the guilt and fear of losing her all together was weighing him down and pulling him back, and he felt so bad. "I know," he whispered again, very quietly. "I know, I'm sorry. I don't know what happened, I don't know why I did it. I'm sorry I didn't ask, I just..." He trailed off, breaking himself with a deep breath and trying to calm down. He didn't need to slip into panic mode, this wasn't anything to have an attack about.

"Got...carried away," he admitted guiltily. All of a sudden he felt what seemed like a tidal wave smack him across the face, rushing into his heart. The emotional blow was so strong that he actually did stop dancing, serious debate and questioning spinning wildly through him. Should he tell her? He was almost certain she already knew, but...should he tell her that he liked her? It was the right thing to do, wasn't it? Besides, he'd already made a fool of himself, what more could he possibly do?

Luckily, they weren't anywhere near the center of the room, and most of the couples were so invested in each other that they wouldn't even notice two highschool kids who'd stopped dancing. His heart was pounding, clawing its way up into his throat, and he was starting to feel a little sick to his stomach. Not enough to make him puke, but enough to make the entire situation much more stressful for him as he considered his options.

What else was he going to do? Walk out? He'd already kissed her, he'd already stopped dancing, and he knew the expression on his face was screaming, I have to tell you something. So what was he going to do? He couldn't ditch, he couldn't walk away, he couldn't avoid this. It had come, but not in the way he'd expected it to at all. "I...Kailey, I have to tell you something." he said quietly. He could feel his body trembling slightly, and since his arms were still around her he knew she would be able to feel it. His heart was hammering so loudly and hard that he was nearly positive she could feel that, too.

"I think...no, I know you probably already know. But...I still should tell you, because I feel bad keeping it to myself." He kind of glanced around a bit, making sure no eyes were on them. "I like you. I have liked you. For a really long time." he swallowed back the heartbeat that was in his throat, feeling his arms trembling with nerves. Why was he like this? Why couldn't he just speak about something serious for once without having a panic attack?

"But I never really knew you before, so I always felt bad for having a crush on you simply because you're pretty." He broke his gaze away for a moment, looking at the floor as he tried to regroup himself. Was the floor moving? It looked like it was moving. "But then...then I discovered your secret by accident, and...and you actually talked to me, and..." he let out a breath. "I don't know, I just found all these reasons to like you. I mean, you're the only person in a long time whose actually listened to me and what I have to say, and you seem to actually care. I have fun whenever I'm with you, you make me do things that I would never even consider doing." He looked back at her.

"I really care about you Kailey. But not just because I like you. I'm glad that we became friends, and...and I don't want to do anything to screw that up." He felt like he was going to cry. Good god, why was he like this? Why did he have to be so emotional all the time? Perhaps because he got scolded for crying at home, and told that a man shouldn't cry, especially not in front of others. So he bottled up his emotions. But not now. Not when he was so vunderable.

Not a single tear ever left his eyes, but he had to really struggle to keep them back. "But...I feel like I just did, and I'm so sorry. I didn't want to tell you because I was afraid that you'd think I was using you." He looked down again for a moment before looking back at her. "But no matter my feelings for you, I really do want to be friends. I don't want to have that taken away."

He was still shaking a little, and he waited silently for her response. Had he just blown it? Had he just lost his only true friend because of such a stupid mistake?

If it were in front of her school mates, she might have moved away, because she didn't want to spread more rumors. Here she didn't mind, so she had let it happen. She hoped that they wouldn't make a scene. Should they go somewhere and talk about it? No one was paying special attention to them, but she was afraid that things could get dramatic. He mentioned getting carried away, and she was smacked by two emotional tidal waves. His own and hers.

Was he going to ask her? Was he at least going to tell her? If he said that he liked her should she say anything about her own developing feelings or wait until he asked to start dating her? She felt all of his nerves, and he wasn't hiding his thoughts at all. They were broadcasted into her mind, and she didn't think she could ignore them even if she wanted to. When he considered walking out, she felt her stomach twinge and hurt. She didn't want him to leave. Would she have to beg him to stay or at least wait for her mother to take him home?

They had stopped dancing. She was stunned by their own feelings, and he by his. She doubted anyone would care that they weren't dancing, but they might come and check up on them. He was trembling, and she could feel her own self becoming anxious. She stared at him waiting for him to speak. Would it be what she wanted to hear? Did she want to hear this? Would it mess up everything? After all she had known this whole time. His face told her he was going to say something, and she felt like she could guess.

She blushed a little, because she believed she did already know, and she felt bad for that. She stared up at him watching for his reaction. She could feel his nerves through their bodies touching and his thoughts. Was he going to have a panic attack? Her face remained neutral, because it appeared to her tha the was still trying to talk. Her lips began to curve up into a smile. "Hey, it's okay. You don't have to be so anxious," she told him. If she really disliked him, she would have dropped him, but she would have a harder time doing it.

She had shared the one part of her that everyone else was clueless about. He had been kind enough to accept her as she was, and he didn't treat her differently even though he knew. "Thank you for taking the time to get to know me even though I told you something that was sure to make most people recoil. Thank you for trying to like me for me and not going only skin deep. I really appreciate it." She could feel tears pricking at her own eyes. SHe didn't mind Eric crying, but she understood if he didn't want to do it in front of everyone.

Personally, she didn't like crying in front of people even though she did it quite often. "You know something that no one else does, and you've become a really valuable friend. I don't want to lose that whatever happens either." She could feel her cheeks heating up again, as she considered telling him how she felt. She had never had feelings for a guy that she was close to before, so she had never considered telling the guy. The last time she had done something like that she was younger than eight.

Should she say anything or was this only his time to share? "You haven't ruined anything," she reassured him as best as she could. She considered adding at least not yet. If he continued doing stuff like this, she would cut back on the time she spent with him. "I don't want to have to say this, and I feel weird saying this, but I thought we were just friends, and that is what you wanted. Besides that it's been good for us to get to know each other. I don't go around kissing my guy friends under normal circumstances," she shrugged not sure what to say.

"I feel like this is all coming out very badly. I don't want to lecture you or give you my whole view on stuff, but I feel like....I don't know," she sighed and found herself saying trying to give herself time to explain, "but I want there to be some sort of understanding before I did something like that. I want to know that the kisses mean something and that I am not just some girl. I want to be that one girl for somebody. I get that right now everyone probably hasn't found that one special person for them yet, but I don't want to float around willy nilly. I want at least some commitment or sacredness with that kind of intimacy. I know you don't think that way about me, but I just want to explain my reasoning. I'm sorry. That probably sounded eithe preachy or it was too much information," she apologized.

He probably didn't need to know all of that. He was only apologizing for kissing her. "I guess it comes down to, you haven't ruined anything, but you could," she told him. She felt terrible for this. She felt like she was threatening him or something. "I really like you Eric and I care for you. I don't want to have to change things. I don't think your feelings will bother our friendship, unless they become actions." She felt bad because she felt like she might be saying no to something he wanted.

Did it sound like she didn't want a friendship with him? Did he understand that she would consider a relationship with him? She wanted him to know that she cared for him, but she had to draw some sort of clear line. She needed to know if he couldn't control himself or if he didn't care about her right? She didn't like having to tell her friends no. "I am sorry," she whispered. "We just came here to relax and have fun, and I made it really serious," she could feel tears filling her eyes. She refused to let them fall down her face. What would he think of her? Was it her fault? Should she have tried to hold back, since she knew that he liked her?

He saw her small smile, and she told him it was okay, and that he didn't have to be anxious or worry. And while those words would normally calm him down, they really did nothing this time. His nerves were nearly spilling over the edge.

She thanked him for becoming friends with her and seeing past what she was on the outside, and from what he could see and hear she seemed sincere. He was relieved to know that she didn't want to lose him as a friend either, and he noticed her slight blush. A large part of him wanted to question it, but he refused. He didn't want to make a scene, and he didn't want to point it out. But it did leave him feeling a bit confused. Did she like him too and just wasn't admitting it? If not, and she only liked him as a friend, why had she flirted with him?

Or maybe she didn't. Maybe that was just her way of being nice or expressing kindness. Maybe he just stupidly mistook it as flirting. But he couldn't help but remember the comment she'd made just a few moments before. How could that be considered not flirting? But maybe it really hadn't been. Maybe he was reading her wrong, maybe he was just being stupid.

She tried to make him feel better by saying that he hadn't ruined anything, but frankly...he really thought he had. Was she just saying that to make him feel better? Her following words sure sounded like it, but he took offense to none of it. He knew he deserved whatever he got, but in all honesty she didn't seem to mad about it. He was glad she was setting it straight, because with all the mixed signals he was getting from her it had been hard for him to distinguish what would be acceptable for him to do and what wouldn't be.

So he listened while she spoke, not speaking himself until she was completely done. He didn't want to interrupt, and he wanted to know how she really felt so he wouldn't make a stupid mistake like this one again. "I'm glad you told me." he said quietly, swallowing. It made him a bit nervous to realize that he hadn't messed up anything yet...but that ultimately he could if he wasn't careful. "I understand it, too. But you're right. I don't think of you as just some...girl." he gave her a sly smile. "I think of you as my friend. A good friend. I mean...sometimes maybe more." He admitted. He wanted to be open and honest with her, even though it made his cheeks rosy yet again. "But that's kind of normal to do when you have a crush on someone." he justified, so she wouldn't get the wrong idea.

"I promise I'll really try to remember and respect all of this." he said softly. "I think I can handle my feelings now that this has been established." he gave a small chuckle so she would know that he wasn't hurt or offended by anything she'd said. It was a serious matter, and it was something that should have probably been addressed after the incident at the party.

She apologized again, and his heart went out to her. "It's okay." he whispered. "I mean I don't think we were exactly expecting to slow dance on the first day." he reasoned. "I also kind of started this whole mess so I should be the one to apologize." It wasn't until after he'd gotten done speaking that he noticed the tears in her eyes, threatening to loosen their place and fall down her face. She was being strong and holding them back, but he wasn't sure how much longer she would be able to.

"Hey," he said calmly, almost crooning to her. "We don't have to stay." He glanced around, seeing that a lot of the other couples were still dancing and off in their own little worlds, but the instructors were beginning to notice Kai and Eric, and were talking in hushed voices to each other. He suddenly got the feeling that one of them may come over if Eric or Kai didn't do something. He shot a glance at the door, debating on what to do. He wouldn't go if she didn't want to, but after this incident he really wasn't in the mood to dance anymore, especially if there was another slow dance coming up.

"I'll go wherever you do." he said quietly.