Sticks and Stones- A Seaycee story

Station//Ch.20

"Guys again." Tessandra drilled, sighing at the dancing robots in front of her. She didn't understand, just a few weeks ago she watched several of their performances and their chemistry was off the charts. They could be doing a routine about a toothbrush and make it passionate and tell a story, but the dancers in front of her were having trouble holding eye contact for more than a half second.

Kaycee nodded, rubbing her eyes and getting back into position, while Sean still stood in the spot where he had finished. His eyes were glazed over and his mind was a million miles away.

Even though physically the worst of Kaycee's injuries were healed, he still worried every time he touched her that he was hurting her. He was almost frustrated that she trusted him so easily, even after everything he put her through. He didn't even trust himself to not hurt her, as he had done it so thoughtlessly before.

"Sean?" He soft voice snapped him out of his pity party and he finally moved, walking back to his spot silently.

He felt Kaycee and Tessandra's worried eyes on his back but he couldn't bring himself to care.

The music started again and once again the duo ran through the choreography. Every time his hands touched her skin he thought about how it had been Gabe's hands on her skin, touching her with out her permission, while he messed around with Tate, using her as a distraction. Halfway through them running the dance, the music was stopped by Tessandra.

"Okay this isn't working, both of you come here and sit down." Kaycee gave Tessandra an apologetic look and followed her stiff partner to sit in a small circle in the quiet room.

"I chose you guys because you both are technically strong dancers and were amazing storytellers on your own but together you guys have something special. Neither one of you overshadows the other, there is this really delicate balance that you two have where both of you help each other in telling a story. Today that isn't happening so we are going to work this out right here, right now." Kaycee smiled at the compliments and nodded her head in agreement. This wasn't what they usually had, even when they were fighting they had more chemistry than they had right now.

"Kaycee how do you feel about the duet right now? Why do you think it isn't working?" Tessandra turned her intense gaze onto the sweaty girl. Kaycee's heart hammered out of her chest as she refused to voice what she was actually thinking. Sean didn't want to be touching her, he probably wished she was Tate. He was only here right now with her out of pity.

"Um I haven't really talked about it that much with anyone yet, but I recently was sexually assaulted and it's just this dance feels really intimate and it's scary for me because in my mind the only real image of intimacy I have is that one. It's an emotional block that I know I have to work through right now. I trust Sean completely but it's just something that's been holding me back, I think."

Tessandra's eyes bore into the nervous teen in front of her, Kaycee was the image of innocence in her eyes and for someone to take that from her, made Tessandra feel sick.

"I'm sorry, I didn't know that happened to you Kaycee. If anything we are doing makes you uncomfortable tell me about, alright? If you ever need anything at all or need to talk I'm here for you, sweetheart." Tessandra spoke gently to her before turning back to Sean. He was going to be the more difficult of the two to open up. While Kaycee was an open book and wore her emotions on her sleeve, he was the opposite, hiding his thoughts and feelings from the world.

"What about you Sean? How do you feel about the duet?"

He stayed silent until Kaycee forcefully tugged on his sleeve from her spot on the floor next to him. He looked up and let his gaze bore into her chocolate orbs. They begged him to open up, to not say that everything was fine, because he knew everything wasn't. And thats all it took for him to break, giving into what she wanted.