Hidden Valley (D. SWING)

XIII. Again

Tasha pushed Cynthia's to the left. "Rock, girl. Rock!" Her hands stay exactly in the position where they'd been firmly placed. "And up, and up! You really gotta' do it to the beat." Cynthia and Tasha work together to keep her hip movements in sync with the kick-drum. "Push harder," Tasha instructs.

"We can play the video again, if you want, Cyn. It isn't an easy dance," warns Paulette from the other side of the room.

Brushing off the challenge, Cynthia forces herself to catch a better understanding of the dance. The song of choice had always had a wicked kind of bonding to her insides that once evoked them all at the mere thought of the voice featured. The first time she'd heard it, she was cursed with chills. When the following year approached and visuals had been released, the tender twelve year old wound up sleeping two feet away from Don. It was one of those kind of night with all thanks to Derek. It was a night that she will never, ever forget... Mostly because her immediate circle of friends will not allow her to.

Cynthia says in a focused tone, "No. I'll get it." Tasha's hands stay in their position as they attempt to guide Cynthia into a direction where she can get a deeper grasp of the choreography. "So, how was Don's meet the other day? Nobody told me." She would've asked two days ago. However, work was tiring and service came first as a follow up. Here they are now on a factuality training day break, also know as an unnecessary day to ditch school.

Tasha shrugs, "He won... as expected. Marley forgot you're a control freak and uh, Evelyn still thinks Don is a mermaid– well, merman." Cynthia smacks her lips in the midst of the dance. "That must be at the control freak thing, right?"

Confirming her thoughts in the center of an outburst, Cynthia throws Tasha's hands off of her hips to face her friends. "Who said it this time? Because I know it wasn't Marley!" She only knows it was not Marlene due to the fact of Marlene doubling as a beautiful blind woman on her weekends. She happens to forget all of their clique's negative qualities a majority of the time. She prefers to focus on the good in people.

"That would be moi," Paulette cackles at Cynthia's unnecessary anger as she raises her hand.

Again, Cynthia smacks her lips. "You said we wouldn't talk about that anymore." Falling beneath the laughter epidemic caused by her two friends, Cynthia tries to fight her smile. "It isn't funny you guys. I just like for things to go good for everybody. If her and D happen to not be good for each other, I'll just have to reverse what I've done, right?"

Paulette shakes her head.

Tasha's jaw drops.

Immediately looking around the room, Cynthia obliviously inquires, "What? What'd I do."

"You already know what we were talking about without us even saying it, Cyn..."

Tasha's eyes still wide, she ignores Paulette's movements on the couch. An evident lump forming in Cynthia's throat happens to be the reason for the room's silence. That same bad feeling in Paulette's gut arises but, nothing is said following her already playing the devil's advocate once in this situation. It's none of her damn business. Tasha, too, realizes it is none of her own damn business, as she is suddenly catching onto what she believes are the reasons Paulette is always trying to "lessen" the chances of arguments between Marlene and Cynthia during practice. The feelings she'd sensed are arising before Tasha's eyes. She would tell you in a heartbeat, she is genuinely surprised. The worst part is, everybody knows Don still sees Cynthia as his little sister and only that, as he has for years on years now.

Paulette leaps up from the couch ready to guide the room's elephant to the front door. "Back to this choreo! Cyn, I need you to channel your inner zombie, seriously— or your inner Michael. I heard you were going for the lead." Taking note of Cynthia's mental disconnect from the world, Paulette waves her hand across Cynthia's gaze. "Cynnnn," she sings. "Earth to Cynthia."