antivanruffles (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
antivanruffles) wrote2013-02-07 10:22 pm
antivanruffles) wrote2013-02-07 10:22 pm
Entry tags:
The Rhythm of Life: Part Twenty-Five
I'm posting this part up because I LIKE IT OKAY!? And I've already spammed you, what's one more!? Also remember that time a while back when I said I made myself sad? It was because I had rough drafted this scene. MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAA!
“You know what the main problem with competing is?” Jaden stopped in the middle of their routine and looked at Ramona. Things had been strained since their fight, but they had eventually settled -- like they had when they were first paired -- on a tentative peace while they trained. It was late and they were alone for the day, putting the finishing touches on their routines before they left for Blackpool in the morning; it had actually been one of the better days they’d had together in a long while, something Jaden was grateful for.
Ramona grabbed her water bottle and took a long drink. Jaden waited while she screwed the cap back on, and sat it down again. “What’s that?” she asked indulgently.
“It ruins music. You listen to the bloody thing over and over again while learning the routine, then you perform it eighty-million times on the circuit. It’s crap.” He walked to the CD player and switched to the radio. “I was in the shop last night, our Cha Cha song came on and my feet just started moving on their own. It was terrible!”
“What did you do?” Ramona lifted an eyebrow. She tried to affect a bored tone, but Jaden could tell she was amused.
“I grabbed the nearest cashier and started dancing, of course. Though I don‘t think the old bugger liked it much; he nearly punched me and told me to naff off.” Jaden shrugged.
A giggle burst from Ramona. Her eyes went wide and she covered her mouth, shocked. Jaden grinned at her, entirely pleased to see her smile. A new song came on the radio, upbeat and quick, one that Jaden knew.
He held out his hand to Ramona and waggled an eyebrow. “Dance with me!”
“Isn’t that what we’ve been doing?” She rolled her eyes, though her lips were twitching.
“Not dance, but dance. You know, like you’re at a club or a party… or drunk at a wedding!”
“Do you do that often?”
“Nah, but you can bet your ass when either of my brothers tie the knot, I will be shaking it on the dance floor, completely pickled!” He leaned forward and plunked up hand, forcing her into the action.
Jaden twirled Ramona as the music played and started singing along.
“Singing hey mama, don't want no drama.” He spun her out and she stopped for a beat, her free arm thrown out, a wide smile plastered to her face as she looked back at him. He pulled her back in. “Just a kiss before I leave. Hey lady, don't say maybe….”
“Don’t do that.” Ramona dropped his hands and stepped away, all amusement gone.
“Sing? I’m not that terrible, am I?” He laughed.
“Just… don’t do that.” Ramona looked pensive, refusing to meet his eyes.
“Fine, I won’t do that.” She nodded, walking to the CD player. She changed the music back to their samba song, and they went back to rehearsing.
They worked through the routine for about twenty minutes without a word. Then in the middle of their samba rolls, Jaden had had enough, letting go of Ramona mid-move.
“This is terrible.” He shook his head, arms akimbo.
“I know, it’s my fault.” She ran a hand over her ponytail, sighing.
“Your samba has never been great. You need to loosen up, Ramona. You have all the fire for the other dances, but for this you just never… let go.”
“I’m trying,“ she snapped.
“I know, it just needs to get better before tomorrow. I mean, have you been to Rio? It’s a party dance. People in the streets just going for it. It’s fantastic. Just,” he paused, not sure what he was saying anymore. “You just need to loosen it up.”
Ramona let out a breath through her nose.“You suggested that to me once before, do you remember? You took me drinking.”
“Yeah, I remember.”
“I remember, too.”
“You got pretty drunk there, surprised if you remember much.”
“I remember enough.” Ramona stared off into space, massaging her shoulder gently. She snapped to after a moment, and fixed him with a sharp gaze. “I know you have strong, unfavorable feelings for me, but I would appreciate it if you didn’t tease me about that time.”
“I’m not teasing you. I was merely stating a fact.”
“But when the song was playing before and you were singing those lyrics to me? That wasn’t teasing?” She narrowed her eyes, nostrils flared.
“That wasn’t meant to be… but since you clearly want to take it that way, go right ahead!” He bowed to her mockingly.
“For the record, Jaden, I was not that drunk. I knew exactly what I was doing, and you rejected me.”
“You’re honestly going to play the victim here?” Jaden looked at her incredulously. “You must have some very warped opinion of me if you honestly think that I would, one,” he held up a finger in front of her face. “Take advantage of a young woman after I’d watched her pounding back tequila shots like they were water -- even if she was making some very tempting offers. Two,” he held up another finger before dropping his hand. “That I would do anything of the sort with a taken woman… sober or otherwise. I flirt, sure, but I am not some rutting pig!” He spat.
“Great! You’re a gentleman!” She threw her hands in the air, then stopped as the rest of his words sank in. “Taken!? What do you mean?”
“Martino!”
“Martino?” she asked, voice softer now.
“Yeah! He was around all the bloody time, the tabloids were extremely fond of relating all your exploits with him around town. Dinner and shows… it all sounded very romantic.”
Ramona deflated, eyes roving over his face. “You said no that night because you thought I was dating Martino?”
“I said no because you’d been drinking and I wasn’t about to have our first time be a drunken mistake!” He blurted before he could even think. “Something easily swept under the rug by your rich fiancé!”
“I wasn’t with Martino!” she exploded. “The tabloids are full of shit, you know that! I was single and in love with you! Madly so after all the time on the circuit! I wasn’t with Martino,” she repeated softly, shoulders sagging.
“Well, you sure as hell are now.” Jaden waved his hand at the ring on her finger, the large diamond glittering mockingly under the studio lights. He sighed, looking at his feet.
“Did you have feelings for me? Back then?” Ramona’s voice was so soft, barely above a whisper, but the words seemed to echo loudly in his ears.
“Of course I did.” Jaden looked up at her from under his lashes. “There was a reason I always talked to you when we were touring together. Didn’t you ever notice my following you around? That night I was tempted, nearly agreed to going back to your hotel room.”
“But you didn’t.”
He shook his head. “I honestly thought you were drunk; I didn’t want to take advantage, I cared about you too much…. kinda still do,” he whispered.
“Jaden.” Ramona took a step forward, eyes soft, hand out. Before she could say any more another voice sounded from the hall.
“Ramona! Please tell me you’re done for the day?” Ramona backtracked several paces, letting her hand fall.
“Go on, better not keep him waiting.” Jaden jerked his head toward the door, arms folded behind his back. “Have a good night, Mona,” he murmured, the old nickname tumbling from his mouth before he could catch it.
Ramona’s eyes widen, swimming with unshed tears but she quickly slammed them shut before they spilled over, and swallowed thickly. When she opened her eyes again her face was a mask of indifference.
“Yes, Martino,“ she called, never taking her gaze off Jaden. “We’re finished.”
“You know what the main problem with competing is?” Jaden stopped in the middle of their routine and looked at Ramona. Things had been strained since their fight, but they had eventually settled -- like they had when they were first paired -- on a tentative peace while they trained. It was late and they were alone for the day, putting the finishing touches on their routines before they left for Blackpool in the morning; it had actually been one of the better days they’d had together in a long while, something Jaden was grateful for.
Ramona grabbed her water bottle and took a long drink. Jaden waited while she screwed the cap back on, and sat it down again. “What’s that?” she asked indulgently.
“It ruins music. You listen to the bloody thing over and over again while learning the routine, then you perform it eighty-million times on the circuit. It’s crap.” He walked to the CD player and switched to the radio. “I was in the shop last night, our Cha Cha song came on and my feet just started moving on their own. It was terrible!”
“What did you do?” Ramona lifted an eyebrow. She tried to affect a bored tone, but Jaden could tell she was amused.
“I grabbed the nearest cashier and started dancing, of course. Though I don‘t think the old bugger liked it much; he nearly punched me and told me to naff off.” Jaden shrugged.
A giggle burst from Ramona. Her eyes went wide and she covered her mouth, shocked. Jaden grinned at her, entirely pleased to see her smile. A new song came on the radio, upbeat and quick, one that Jaden knew.
He held out his hand to Ramona and waggled an eyebrow. “Dance with me!”
“Isn’t that what we’ve been doing?” She rolled her eyes, though her lips were twitching.
“Not dance, but dance. You know, like you’re at a club or a party… or drunk at a wedding!”
“Do you do that often?”
“Nah, but you can bet your ass when either of my brothers tie the knot, I will be shaking it on the dance floor, completely pickled!” He leaned forward and plunked up hand, forcing her into the action.
Jaden twirled Ramona as the music played and started singing along.
“Singing hey mama, don't want no drama.” He spun her out and she stopped for a beat, her free arm thrown out, a wide smile plastered to her face as she looked back at him. He pulled her back in. “Just a kiss before I leave. Hey lady, don't say maybe….”
“Don’t do that.” Ramona dropped his hands and stepped away, all amusement gone.
“Sing? I’m not that terrible, am I?” He laughed.
“Just… don’t do that.” Ramona looked pensive, refusing to meet his eyes.
“Fine, I won’t do that.” She nodded, walking to the CD player. She changed the music back to their samba song, and they went back to rehearsing.
They worked through the routine for about twenty minutes without a word. Then in the middle of their samba rolls, Jaden had had enough, letting go of Ramona mid-move.
“This is terrible.” He shook his head, arms akimbo.
“I know, it’s my fault.” She ran a hand over her ponytail, sighing.
“Your samba has never been great. You need to loosen up, Ramona. You have all the fire for the other dances, but for this you just never… let go.”
“I’m trying,“ she snapped.
“I know, it just needs to get better before tomorrow. I mean, have you been to Rio? It’s a party dance. People in the streets just going for it. It’s fantastic. Just,” he paused, not sure what he was saying anymore. “You just need to loosen it up.”
Ramona let out a breath through her nose.“You suggested that to me once before, do you remember? You took me drinking.”
“Yeah, I remember.”
“I remember, too.”
“You got pretty drunk there, surprised if you remember much.”
“I remember enough.” Ramona stared off into space, massaging her shoulder gently. She snapped to after a moment, and fixed him with a sharp gaze. “I know you have strong, unfavorable feelings for me, but I would appreciate it if you didn’t tease me about that time.”
“I’m not teasing you. I was merely stating a fact.”
“But when the song was playing before and you were singing those lyrics to me? That wasn’t teasing?” She narrowed her eyes, nostrils flared.
“That wasn’t meant to be… but since you clearly want to take it that way, go right ahead!” He bowed to her mockingly.
“For the record, Jaden, I was not that drunk. I knew exactly what I was doing, and you rejected me.”
“You’re honestly going to play the victim here?” Jaden looked at her incredulously. “You must have some very warped opinion of me if you honestly think that I would, one,” he held up a finger in front of her face. “Take advantage of a young woman after I’d watched her pounding back tequila shots like they were water -- even if she was making some very tempting offers. Two,” he held up another finger before dropping his hand. “That I would do anything of the sort with a taken woman… sober or otherwise. I flirt, sure, but I am not some rutting pig!” He spat.
“Great! You’re a gentleman!” She threw her hands in the air, then stopped as the rest of his words sank in. “Taken!? What do you mean?”
“Martino!”
“Martino?” she asked, voice softer now.
“Yeah! He was around all the bloody time, the tabloids were extremely fond of relating all your exploits with him around town. Dinner and shows… it all sounded very romantic.”
Ramona deflated, eyes roving over his face. “You said no that night because you thought I was dating Martino?”
“I said no because you’d been drinking and I wasn’t about to have our first time be a drunken mistake!” He blurted before he could even think. “Something easily swept under the rug by your rich fiancé!”
“I wasn’t with Martino!” she exploded. “The tabloids are full of shit, you know that! I was single and in love with you! Madly so after all the time on the circuit! I wasn’t with Martino,” she repeated softly, shoulders sagging.
“Well, you sure as hell are now.” Jaden waved his hand at the ring on her finger, the large diamond glittering mockingly under the studio lights. He sighed, looking at his feet.
“Did you have feelings for me? Back then?” Ramona’s voice was so soft, barely above a whisper, but the words seemed to echo loudly in his ears.
“Of course I did.” Jaden looked up at her from under his lashes. “There was a reason I always talked to you when we were touring together. Didn’t you ever notice my following you around? That night I was tempted, nearly agreed to going back to your hotel room.”
“But you didn’t.”
He shook his head. “I honestly thought you were drunk; I didn’t want to take advantage, I cared about you too much…. kinda still do,” he whispered.
“Jaden.” Ramona took a step forward, eyes soft, hand out. Before she could say any more another voice sounded from the hall.
“Ramona! Please tell me you’re done for the day?” Ramona backtracked several paces, letting her hand fall.
“Go on, better not keep him waiting.” Jaden jerked his head toward the door, arms folded behind his back. “Have a good night, Mona,” he murmured, the old nickname tumbling from his mouth before he could catch it.
Ramona’s eyes widen, swimming with unshed tears but she quickly slammed them shut before they spilled over, and swallowed thickly. When she opened her eyes again her face was a mask of indifference.
“Yes, Martino,“ she called, never taking her gaze off Jaden. “We’re finished.”