Not Alike | Protector 5.2

Chapter 10

Chapter 10

       I had one week left before the solo competition and honestly, I wasn't sure if I was going to be ready in time. Me. Not ready in time for a dance competition. That was unheard of. I was always prepared for dances weeks in advance but now?

       Now I felt like dropping out of the competition, dropping out of D.A.N.C.E, and just quit being a dancer altogether. Surely, I could figure out something else to do. Maybe I could become a flight attendant. Or a plumber. Or anything, really.

       I didn't know how long I had been lying on the floor in the dance studio but soon enough, Rhys walked over to me and gently kicked my side. "We asked Dad to come here to practice. Lying on the floor isn't practicing."

       "I'm not just lying on the floor," I said. "I'm contemplating my life's existence and wondering if I should continue being a dancer."

       "So... You're having an existential crisis?"

       "Yeah, pretty much." I sighed heavily before sitting up. "Have you ever suffered from... I don't know what it's called. Like a writer's block, but for dancing."

       "Dancer's block?"

       "Is that a thing?"

       "Probably, yeah. And to answer your question, no, I haven't."

       I groaned as I laid back down on the ground, covering my eyes with my arms. "Of course you haven't. You're the perfect twin. Never makes a mistake and all that."

       Rhys snorted. "I'm anything but perfect. The only reason why I haven't suffered from dancer's block yet is because I'm new to competitive dancing. I've only ever danced on my own if I felt like it. I never had the pressure of choreographing a dance until recently. I'll probably get dancer's block sooner or later."

       "Do you have it now?"

       "Nope. How bad is yours?"

       "It's so bad that I don't have anything choreographed. I have nothing. Nothing, Rhys."

       "Then take my dance."

       I removed my arms to look at my twin brother. "Seriously? But it's yours."

       "Yeah, it's mine just in case I have to go on stage for you again," Rhys said. "It's not like we're both going to use it."

       "But what if it turns out I can't dance? Then you won't be able to use it."

       Rhys sighed heavily as he rubbed his forehead. "Zayden, if you can't dance, no one will see you perform it. Which means I can use it."

       "But if you use it, then I can't."

       "Why would you use it if I'm the one performing? That means that you can't perform for some reason, so there's no reason you would use it in the first place."

       "Oh, that makes sense."

       "Yeah, I know it does. So do you want to learn it?"

       Hearing that I only had a week left before the competition made me sigh heavily. I already knew I had a week left, but hearing it aloud only made it even more real. I had never been this unprepared before. Normally, I would be going over my dance again and again, trying my best to polish it the best I could.

       And now? I was lying on the floor, contemplating why I even had to exist in the first place.

       I didn't really want to take Rhys's solo, especially since we both connected to music in different ways, but I didn't really see any other option. Honestly, if my ego wasn't so big, I probably would have just let Rhys compete in the solo competition.

       But I had to defend my title from those stupid Nonpareil dancers.

       Even though I didn't technically win last year. But they didn't know that. So I still had to defend my title, and I would do that even if I was on my death bed.

       So I agreed to learning the solo Rhys had already choreographed. I might get over my dancer's block in the next few days but just in case, I needed something. Anything.

       Rhys started going through his dance, but it didn't take long before we got distracted because someone decided to walk into the dance studio, despite most likely not getting permission to do so.

       "Hey, it's my favourite pair of twins," Kingsley said, walking over to one of the benches to sit down on it.

       "What about Cerise and Liberty?" Rhys asked. "You know, your sisters?"

       "Sisters are annoying," Kingsley said. "I would say brothers too, but Arjun hasn't been annoying me yet. So what are you two doing here?"

       "We could ask you the same thing," Rhys said. "We got permission to be here. I'm pretty sure you didn't."

       "You're right, I didn't," Kingsley said. "I was bored and wanted to hang out with my favourite cousins, so I stalked your locations to see where you were. I was insulted you two didn't invite me."

       "It's not a party," Rhys said. "Zayden is just working on his solo for the competition in a week."

       "And by that, he means that he's going to be teaching me his solo because I've got nothing," I said. 

       Kingsley furrowed his eyebrows. "Nothing? Really? That doesn't sound like you. You always have ideas when it comes to dancing."

       I sighed. "Don't remind me. I've been like this for a while, and I don't even know what's causing this."

       "Is everything okay between you and Dagny?" Kingsley asked.

       "Oh, yeah," I said. "We're fine. My dancer's block has nothing to do with our relationship. She even tried throwing around ideas for me but nothing sticks. I guess it just happens at times. I just hope I get over it soon, especially before the State competition."

       "Right, you're probably going to be the soloist there," Rhys said. "Well, I think you'll get over it by then. Maybe you just need... I don't know, some inspiration or something."

       "I have an idea," Kingsley said.

       "No," Rhys said. "Whatever it is, don't say it. I know it's going to be something bad."

       "That's not true," Kingsley said. "There are no such thing as bad ideas. Anyway, my idea is that you get a change of scenery. So to do that, I say you take a trip anywhere in the world. Like Seychelles, Australia, France. And if you can't afford it, I can always be a nice cousin and pay for it as long as you let me tag along."

       Rhys sighed. "You just want an excuse to run away again, don't you?"

       "It's not running away if my dads know where I'm going," Kingsley said. "So Zayden, you up for it?"

       "No, thanks," I said. "As cool as that sounds, there's no way my parents would let me go in the middle of the school year. Not to mention I still remember Rhys's punishment for when he went to England without telling them. I would rather not be grounded. I'll just... figure out another way to get out of this stump."

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I'M SO SORRY THAT IT TOOK ME ALMOST TWO YEARS TO UPDATE. bless those of you who put this on the request list so i had no choice but to do it because i don't like turning down requests when i open them ahahaha

i would say i miss these three, but they're still in arjun's book oops. then again, zayden and rhys haven't showed up often in there...

BUT i already know what i'm going to write for next chapter so it shouldn't take me another year!