The Challenge He'd Been Waiting For

Kara walked into the backroom of the bus, watching as Alex stared blankly at the television. She sat next to him and placed her hand on his knee to get his attention. He smiled softly at her, but she could tell that his mind was cluttered with fears of the date his boyfriend was on.

She pulled the scrunchy from her hair and ran a hand through it as she spoke to him, "Why don't I get you out of this bus, help you get your mind off things?"

"Where?"

"There has to be a club in this town," she shrugged, "hopefully one that I can get into. I hate being a few years younger than you guys, you can get in everywhere."

Alex offered her a sympathetic smile.

"So what do you say? I'll go get out of my PJs and throw on some make up. We can dance the night away and forget all of our problems."

"I've got nothing better to do," he paused as he watched her stand up, "our problems?"

She glanced at the bunk area that was just past the door, "We'll talk at the club."

~x~

Kara walked along side Alex, her arm wrapped around his as they scoured the streets for a bar or club. She had changed into a black tank top with a flower sequin design, the boy only switched his basket ball shorts for jeans. Kara grinned when she spotted a colorful neon sign, she pulled him towards the line of people.

"So what are we going to do?" she asked him, ruffling her hair and glancing at the bouncer.

"Forgetting troubles."

Grabbing his chin she smiled, "Our. But you've got it hot stuff."

"Kara, my dear. Are you feeling alright? You're acting odd, and keep saying our."

Looking a little defeated she let out a long sigh, "Rian and I are on the rocks right now, I'm stressing out so bad right now."

"What?"

Alex stared at her in disbelief, waiting for her to crack a smile and tell him it was all a joke. But she didn't. Her expression faltered for a moment as his emotion radiated into her own. He pulled the slender girl against his frame and held her tightly, he took her hand when they stepped apart.

"We'll talk about it later," she mumbled as they started to hear the music as they approached the doors, "tonight I want to just wash it all away and dance until my feet are so sore that someone needs to carry me around."

"I just can't believe this."

"Me neither, but I guess all good things have to come to an end. Like tonight will."

The bouncer looked at them and grabbed Alex's ID, he waved them in, not even bothering to look at Kara's. She smiled at the man and let out a sigh of relief.

"At least something can go right, thank you for being famous."

He laughed slightly and gave her a nudge towards the dance floor, "I'm not the best dancer, go be hot, I'll watch from the bar."

"Oh no. We are forgetting our worries, you're keeping me company."

"But I-"

Kara didn't give him a chance to argue, she pulled him through the crowd of people to the center of the floor. She smiled at him and placed her hands on his hips starting to sway her own. She dropped her hands and started to move around more; it took him several minutes to give in and dance with her.

"You aren't that bad of a dancer, Alex."

"You know I drank away my pain on the bus before you even came back there... This isn't my usual self, which you should know."

"I do."

Alex shut his eyes as one of the colored lights came into his line of vision as the machine caused them to dance around the club. When he opened them he looked at the girl in front of him with confusion. He could feel an old switch in his brain being flicked on, before Jack, he always went for girls that were hurting in some way... he found them easier. On top of that, he hadn't been with a girl since Maria. Alexis was living proof that over three years had passed since that engagement. He was starting to get nauseous by the way he was seeing Kara.

"You okay?"

He stepped back from her and nodded, covering his mouth.

"What" she tilted her head as she stopped dancing, "did I do something wrong?"

"Nope."

She arched her brow, waiting for him to explain.

Alex dropped his hand and looked at her, knowing that he was always honest with her and that there was no reason to start to lie now, "A weird feeling just washed over me is all."

"Like?"

"Attraction."

She started to speak but paused tapping her lips with her index finger, "Yeah, I really don't know how to reply to that. But I am flattered, to say the least."

"Anyway," he said shaking it off, "do you want something to drink?"

"A soda, I'll be right here."

Alex walked over to the bar and ordered to sodas and turned to look at the people dancing. Never had he looked at her like that, not even before Jack. It was unsettling to him. He figured that he never saw Kara in that light because she was with Rian, he also came to figure that he was feeling this way now because he didn't want to see her upset. No matter what it did to you, people always found themselves trying to take away any pain she felt, because Kara was always the person with open arms and a heart filled with kindness.

With the two glasses in hand he started to push his way through the crowd back to her. With minimal spillage, he finally saw her chocolate hair. A frown came onto his face as he noticed the guy talking to her, not because of the feelings he was having, but how the guy was talking to her.

"I told you, I'm not interested," she told him.

"Yeah I know, but I don't think you're giving me a chance here."

"Dude, leave her alone," Alex said firmly as he handed her the soda, "she's taken."

"Oh," the guy eyed him, "you really think he's into you? He's in town for one night, you'll never see his face again."

"I knew him when they were Playground X!"

It took the guy a minute to understand what she was saying and walk away. She turned to the musician and placed a hand on his chest, taking a sip of the drink.

"That was what you guys were called, right?"

"One of the many names."

"Would you be one of those guys if you didn't have Jack?"

"Excuse me?"

"The kind of musician who comes into town and picks one girl to spend their day with. You'll fan them with affection and treat them like they're the only girl in the world and like you love them? Sleep with them and then leave them to hope you'll come back for them?"

He shrugged, "I was kind of like that. Except it was Dulaney and everyone knew what I was doing to them. I hope that I wouldn't be like that though."

"I don't think you would either, I've seen a different side of you since Jack. I think that would have came out sometime, maybe a girl would have triggered it."

Alex brushed back her hair as it fell into her face while she looked down. He pulled her face back up and mustered a smile. "You have too much faith in me."

"Maybe I do," she muttered, "but I have to place it somewhere."

"Why not with Rian... I'm sure he can't be doing anything that wrong for you to feel so stressed."

Kara let out a long sigh, "Not tonight."