Chapter 48

                                    

                                          
Riley's POV
                          
I see Charlie sitting at a table in Culture Shock. His face lightens when he sees me. 
                          
"Hey Charlie." I say as I approach him. 
                          
"Hey Riley." He replies. 
                          
"Can we practice our duet now?" I say quickly. 
                          
"Oh, um sure." He says, standing up. We walk to studio B, but Beth and James are already there. 
                          
"Oh, sorry!" Charlie says quickly. I think he's still scared of James. 
                          
"No big deal." James replies. 
                          
James POV
                          
I didn't know what else to say, so I just turn the music back on start going through the routine again with Beth. 
                          
As I do a lift with Beth, I could have sworn I seen a look of jealousy in Riley's eye. I smile a little at that. I turn around again, just as Riley grabs Charlie's hand and leads him out of studio B. 
                          
Now I'm the one that's jealous. 
                          
Riley's POV
                          
"What's wrong between you and James?" Charlie asks me after a tiring two hour duet practice. I shrug. 
                          
"Long story." I mutter. 
                          
"He never found out about...The kiss...Did he?" He questions. 
                          
"Yeah. I kind of told him, and we got into a huge fight, and now we're having a break from each other." I tell him. His eyes widen. 
                          
"I'm sorry, this is all my fault!" He gasps. 
                          
"No it's not Charlie." I say. "Look, a break might be good for me and James. So, don't worry about it."
                          
"Easy for you to say! James wouldn't punch you!" He says, and than laughs a little. I laugh a little to, even though it was untrue. 
                          
"Well, Emily is probaly waiting for me, so see you around." I awkwardly say and leave. I find Emily waiting down the hall, on her phone. 
                          
"Hey, are you ready?" I ask. She looks up from her phone and smiles. 
                          
"Yeah, let's go."
                          
We walk to her car in silence. But than I ask,
                          
"So, who got the solos and the trios?"
                          
"I was talking to Chloe when I was waiting on you and she told me that Michelle and Eldon got the solos, Giselle, Thalia and Amanda got one trio and Hunter, Daniel and Chloe got the other." She tells me. I nod. 
                          
"Why don't you come back to the studio? There's still one more spot open." I ask. She shrugs. 
                          
"I don't know Ri..."
                          
"Please! I mean, I miss you there, and you can be with Hunter more." I tell her, smirking a little. She sighs and gives off a little smile. 
                          
"I'll think about it." She finally says. I smile at her, but than she says,
                          
"What's going on between you and James?"
                          
I froze, trying to think of the most simple way to put it. 
                          
"Well, we got into a fight, and decided to just take a break from each other for awhile." I explain. She nods. 
                          
"What did you fight over?" Sh asks. 
                          
"Long story." I mumble. 
                          
"Come on Ri, you can tell me." She persisted. 
                          
"Well, me and Charlie accidentally kissed, but I told James because I felt guilty about it, and than James started getting mad at Charlie, and than I started defending Charlie and than James got mad at me, and than..." I trail off when I get to the part when James hit me. 
                          
"And than what?" Emily inquires. 
                          
"And than nothing." I lie. "Than we decided to take a break from each other. End of story."
                          
"Riley, your lying to me." She says firmly. 
                          
"No I'm not."
                          
"Yes you are!"
                          
"No I'm not!"
                          
"Riley, you can either tell me whatever your keeping from me now and it will be our secret, or I can get mom and dad to force it out of you!" She announces. That was the end. If mom and dad found out, they wouldn't let me see James again. I take a deep breath. 
                          
"James...May have...Accidently...Hit me." I tell her quietly. She jammed on the breaks, making the tires screech. 
                          
"He what?!" She shrieks. 
                          
"Em, you can't stop in the middle of the road!" I yell. She pulls into a driveway and than backs out and starts driving back to the direction of the studio. 
                          
"Em, where are we going?" I ask nervously. 
                          
"Back to the studio. I need to have a little talk with James." She says furiously. 
                          
"Em, no! Please! Don't!" I plead. 
                          
"Riley, I'm going." She says. 
                          
"No! If you do, I'll never forgive you!" I cry. She keeps driving as I start to cry.