Popular Ch. 03

Conclusion

A heavy dance beat pounded and pulsated through the air in Downbeat. Multi-colored lights flashed and flickered over the nearly packed dance floor as Hayden leaned against a railing watching the action. Leo hadn't been kidding earlier that night when he said that Lexie loved to dance. The minute they entered the club they secured a table that overlooked the dance floor and Lexie was off.

Lexie's body moved and flowed with the music, and she didn't miss a single beat when the songs shifted and changed. Hayden took another long swallow of his beer and glanced over at Leo and Noah. The two of them had been having a quiet conversation with each other, and it appeared like it had turned into an argument.

For the first hour or so at the club the three of them had talked about school and just bullshitted. Lexie would stop back at the table occasionally to grab something to drink, but she would always end up going back out on the dance floor. Leo and Noah had been arguing for about a half hour. He had tried to get their attention, but they were so wrapped up in whatever they were talking about they didn't even notice. Hayden felt a bit left out, but he was still having a great time. His eyes went back towards the dance floor and tried to locate Lexie again.

"Whew! That music is really hot tonight!" Hayden turned to find Lexie standing next to their table. Leo and Noah didn't seem to notice her entrance, so she sat down next to Hayden and threw her arm over his shoulders. "They aren't being very fun are they? You should think about joining me down on the dance floor."

"I'm having just as much fun here, thanks anyways, Lexie." Hayden grinned and took another drink of his beer. It was the third beer he had that night, and he was feeling a bit buzzed. Hayden wasn't used to drinking at all. "You can certainly move though! You looked amazing out there, Lexie."

"Thanks, stud." She replied and winked at him. Lexie grabbed Leo's beer and took a long drink from it. "I've always loved music and dancing. I just seem to zone out in my own world, ya know?" Hayden grinned at her because he knew exactly what she was talking about. Lexie glanced over at Noah and Leo. "How long have they been ignoring you?"

"They haven't been ignoring me." Hayden quickly replied, but Lexie fixed a stern look at him. "They've been talking to themselves for a little over a half hour."

"Hey stripper girl, you were moving pretty seductively out there." Leo finally realized Lexie had returned to the table. "If they only had a pole out there for you to swing off of."

"Fuck off, Warner!" Noah exclaimed and punched Leo in the shoulder. "Don't be giving her any ideas."

Hayden chuckled along with the guys as they laughed at their own joke, but his chuckling stopped when he realized Lexie was glaring at the guys. She looked a bit mad at them, and Hayden hoped it wasn't because she saw them ignoring him. He was used to fading into the background, and he wasn't upset that it was happening again. Hayden was just glad to be out and having a good time, and the buzz from the alcohol certainly didn't hurt things. Lexie leaned over and grabbed Leo's shirt.

"You are being VERY rude, Mister Warner." Lexie said into his ear as she leaned over. "I've been watching from the dance floor, and the two of you are being complete assholes to Hayden. Do you realize he's been sitting there by himself while the two of you bitch at each other?"

Leo glanced into Lexie's eyes, and he could see the anger that was burning in them. He looked over at Hayden, and as soon as their eyes met Hayden glanced away and looked a bit uncomfortable. Embarrassment flooded through Leo as he realized what had happened. He had been so wrapped up in Noah's attitude he completely forgot their new friend. Leo quickly opened his mouth to apologize, but a voice interrupted him.

"Well, if isn't the three musketeers?" Leo grimaced as he realized who was standing next to their table.

"Evening, Jerrica." Leo replied with a fake grin. Jerrica was one of the snobbiest girls on campus. She was even snobbier than Noah, and that was definitely saying something.

Hayden glanced up at the new arrival with interest. He hadn't known his new friends all that long, but all of their attitudes seemed to change suddenly. Jerrica had very long blonde hair, and a body that would make a supermodel jealous. He could see just in the way she carried herself though that Jerrica thought she was better than everyone. She seemed to look down at everyone at their table; everyone that is until her eyes reached Hayden.

"Aren't you going to introduce me to your delicious new friend?" Jerrica practically purred. Hayden shifted uncomfortably under the woman's gaze.

"Hayden Taylor, this is Jerrica Barnes. Jerrica is the head cheerleader here at Reynolds." Leo said with a fake smile plastered on his face.

"Head being the operative word." Lexie mumbled only loud enough for Hayden to hear.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Jerrica." Hayden said with a small smile.

"Trust me, Hayden, the pleasure is all mine." She winked at Hayden as she licked her lips. "If you ever want a tour around the campus let me know." Jerrica glanced down at Lexie. "Are you ready for the Latin Dance Off tonight, Lexie?"

"What are you talking about, Jerrica? That isn't until next weekend." Lexie gave Jerrica a questioning look.

"Didn't the judging committee call you?" Jerrica tried to look concerned, but it was obviously fake. "They are so disorganized. You won't even be able to find a partner this late. They are going to be starting in few minutes. Oh well, there's always the next dance off." Jerrica looked up at Hayden again and gave him a hungry look. "I'm sure I'll be seeing you soon, Hayden."

Jerrica, and her superior attitude, went swaying off into the crowd. If looks could kill then Jerrica would have been dead on impact from the look Lexie was giving her back. Lexie grabbed Leo's beer to take another drink, but it was empty and she slammed it back down on the table. Hayden offered her his nearly full bottle, and Lexie grinned thankfully at him.

"Fuck her, Lexie." Leo leaned over and patted her on the shoulder. "I know you really wanted to kick her ass, but it looks like you're going to have wait until next time."

"She's been talking shit for weeks, Leo. Damn her!" Lexie sighed in frustration. "I'd love to stick it to that high class bitch just once."

"You relax, sweetie. Leo and I will go get some more drinks." Noah stood up and came around their side of the table and planted a quick kiss on her lips. Leo smiled at her and followed after Noah.

"I'm sorry about the dance off, Lexie." Hayden carefully put his arm around her shoulders. "I just met her, but I wouldn't mind seeing Jerrica get what's coming to her."

"I guess we'll have to wait until the next dance off for that to happen." Lexie frowned for a moment, but then smiled at Hayden. "I'm sorry that those two weren't being any fun. They can get into debates and arguments that will last days on end. I wish it wouldn't have happened tonight."

"It's not a big deal, Lexie, but thanks anyways." Hayden smiled at her. "I'm used to kinda blending in and not being noticed. I'm having a good time though, honest."

"There's no way I can see a guy like you not standing out." Lexie saw the deep blush that graced Hayden's face and couldn't help but grin. "You already know that I think you're hotter than a sidewalk in the middle of a heat wave, but I'm not referring to your looks…for once. You may be soft-spoken and a bit quiet, but you're intelligent and funny. You have a great personality, Hayden, and I'm definitely looking forward to being friends with you."

Hayden started to respond, but an announcer's voice echoed through the club announcing the start of the dance off. The guy was reading off the names of the contestants, and as Lexie's name was called a deep frown appeared on her face. Hayden could tell she had her hopes on dancing against Jerrica, but he knew it was more than that. She just loved to dance, and she was all for any reason to do it.

"I think it may be time for some quality bonding for you and me." Hayden said with a grin.



Leo practically stalked towards the bar to get more drinks. His temper had been raging ever since Noah had started quietly talking to him about the bet. He had been having a really fun night and thought that Hayden might even start to open up. Hayden was definitely looking more and more relaxed as time went on. Then Noah had to mention something to Leo about how much better Hayden looked.

Leo's blood pressure continued to rise as he thought about the argument with Noah. Noah felt responsible for the change in Hayden, and he was taking full credit for the situation. Leo tried explaining to Noah that Hayden was the one that had done it. It was at that point that Noah revealed the conversation he had with Hayden earlier that day.

Leo had to control himself from lunging at his best friend and knocking the shit out of him. It was one thing to try to help Hayden, and Leo understood that there was a lot of deception involved with the bet, but he was NOT happy with the fact that Noah practically put Hayden down. He couldn't believe that Noah would even bother insinuating that Hayden wasn't good enough to hang out with them.

To top everything off, he let himself get pulled into the fight, and they practically ignored Hayden. Lexie was definitely pissed off about it, and Leo knew that he would certainly be hearing about it later. He had to find some way to make it up to Hayden. Leo felt like a complete and total asshole. He was supposed to be trying help Hayden feel better about himself, and so far all he had done was make Hayden feel more like an outsider.

Leo couldn't tell just how hurt Hayden might be about the situation, and he was afraid that their friendship might be hurt because of it. He was mentally kicking the hell out of himself. Leo made a vow to himself to not let that type of situation happen ever again, even if that meant he would have to kick Noah's ass to shut him up.

"I hope you're not being all pissed off because poor Hayden had to sit and look around for awhile." Noah's cocky voice grated on Leo's already frayed nerves. "He's a big boy, Leo, and I'm sure he can take care of himself. Besides, he's probably used to being left out."

"Fuck off, Noah." Leo growled. "He's so shy, and I'm sure being left out like that certainly didn't help his self-esteem at all. We could be the first real friends he ever had." Noah began to laugh hysterically. Leo shot him an evil glare. "What are you laughing at?" Leo demanded.

"I'm laughing at you being all noble, Warner." Noah said as they stepped up to the bar. "First real friends? You've got to be kidding me. The only reason he's hanging out with us is because of the bet. So, don't start acting all high and mighty on me."

"We're not just his friends because of the bet." Leo replied indignantly.

"Oh really?" Noah arched his eyebrow in question. "When exactly were you planning on striking up a friendship with him then? You most likely wouldn't have had any classes together since he's a freshman. Do you mean to tell me that you would have searched the campus for him?" Leo went to respond, but Noah didn't give him the chance. "You wouldn't even know he existed if you hadn't knocked the guy down. You can just keep telling yourself whatever you need to, but the only reason we are being friendly with Hayden is because of the bet. He's not really our friend. You know that as well as I do."

Noah didn't give Leo a chance to respond at all. He grabbed two of the beers and walked away from Leo. Leo stood there for a moment and let what Noah said sink into his mind. Could any of it be true? Leo decided to just ignore Noah's ramblings like he always did. The reason why he met Hayden didn't matter, and no matter what Noah Radcliff thought, Leo did consider Hayden his friend. He could only hope that after his behavior tonight Hayden would feel the same way.

He picked up the two remaining beers and headed back to the table. Leo decided that he would focus all of his energy on Hayden for the rest of the night, and he would do whatever was necessary to make up for the night's earlier events. He was surprised when he got back to table and only found Noah there.

"Where the hell did Hayden go?" Leo quickly looked around. "Lexie is probably avoiding us because she's pissed off. Damn it, I hope he didn't leave."

Leo heard the announcer ask Lexie to take the floor for the dance off. He cringed even thinking about it, and he knew that she would be even more pissed off because she missed her chance to show Jerrica up. Leo stood up and started scanning the club in hopes of seeing Hayden. Maybe he had just went to the bathroom or something.

"Maybe he had to use the bathroom. I'm going to go check." Leo said to Noah. Noah grabbed his arm and pulled him back down in his chair. "What the fuck, Noah?"

"He's not in the bathroom." Noah calmly said as he pointed at the dance floor.

A hot salsa beat filled the club, and Noah looked out to the dance floor. It had been cleared for the dance off and Lexie stood in the center of it tapping her foot to the music. Out of the corner of his eye he saw someone step onto the dance floor and he realized it was Hayden. What the fuck was going on?

Leo watched in shock as Hayden crossed the floor towards Lexie because it was a Hayden he didn't recognize. This guy walked with confidence and practically exuded sexuality. His body was as graceful as a lion stalking its prey, and Leo sat transfixed as he watched Hayden slowly circle around Lexie. The air practically crackled with the tension that bounced between the two of them.

Hayden and Lexie stood for a second practically staring each other down. Lexie finally shook her head and turned to walk off the floor. Hayden grabbed onto her hand, and she suddenly spun towards him until her body was flush up against his. Suddenly she dipped backwards to the point that her head almost touched the floor, and almost immediately she was standing in an upright position again.

The crowd watched in silence as their bodies began to move to the hot beat of the music. Hayden had one arm wrapped around Lexie, but her arms hung motionless at her side. He pulled her closer to him, if that was even possible at that point, and quickly turned. Hayden reached down and grabbed one of Lexie's hands, and they began to work their way across the floor.

The audience was suddenly screaming and cheering the pair on. Leo sat back in shock as he watched Hayden and Lexie move across the dance floor. Lexie always could heat up the dance floor, but this was completely different. The two of them moved so fluidly and smoothly together it was almost like they were a part of each other and the music. Leo glanced at Noah and saw that he was just as shocked.

As Hayden and Lexie went through some very intricate steps and turns they suddenly parted and began dancing side by side. They were in total sync with each other, and if Leo hadn't known any better he would have thought they had danced together all their lives. They were playing up to the crowd, and the cheering intensified.

Lexie moved behind Hayden and in one quick movement pulled his shirt right off of him. The women, and quite a few of the men, went wild over it. Hayden turned in their direction, and Leo understood what the cheering was about. From all the dancing Hayden's white tank top was drenched with sweat, and it had become nearly transparent. Leo could tell that Hayden was built before, but now it was on view for everyone to see. Hayden's firm hard nipples pushed against the wet fabric, and his six-pack abs were clearly visible.

Hayden shook his finger at Lexie and grinned at her. The grin had sex written all over it, and it nearly made Leo gasp. He had never seen so much raw sexual energy radiate off of one person like that before. They circled each other on the dance floor again, and Lexie grinned coyly at Hayden and shrugged her shoulders acting like she had no idea what had happened.

Hayden grabbed Lexie's hand again, and with the audience cheering them on, they started dancing across the floor again. As Lexie and Hayden danced, their hands groped and pulled at each other's bodies. They were so hot together Leo could see people in the audience practically drooling over both of them. As the music came to an end Hayden dipped Lexie again. Her body was so low she was practically horizontal with the floor.

As the audience cheered loudly Hayden and Lexie took a quick bow. As they left the dance floor Leo notice Hayden had retrieved his shirt and quickly put it back on. It was almost like someone had flipped a switch inside of him because Leo could see that Hayden was back to normal; well he was back to acting like he had earlier in the evening at least. Lexie and Hayden returned to their table, and Lexie sat down in Noah's lap.

"Did we just kick some fucking ass or what?" She cheered. Lexie grabbed one of the beers off of the table and took a long drink. "I think Jerrica may have shit her pants over that one."

"At least we had gone last." Hayden quietly said as he sat down. "I don't think they knew what hit them."

Leo's stomach tightened when he saw that Hayden didn't bother looking towards him or Noah. He seemed to focus on Lexie as he took a drink of his beer. Guilt ran through Leo with an intensity he never experience before. He attempted to apologize to Hayden, but Lexie interrupted him.

"Where the hell did you learn to dance like that?" Lexie giggled. "It was practically sinful."

"I could ask you the same thing." Hayden flashed Lexie a huge grin. "I started taking a few dance lessons back in high school to help intensify my workouts, and you definitely get a workout when you're learning all of those hot Latin dances."

They hung out at the club for about another hour and shared a few more beers together before deciding to call it a night. Leo was still feeling pretty shitty as they made their way across the campus back to their dorms. As they entered the Court Lexie gave Hayden a huge hug and thanked him for the awesome night. Noah walked Lexie back to her dorm, and that left Leo and Hayden alone. Leo was trying to come up with the right words to apologize to Hayden when he saw him light up a cigarette.

"You smoke?" Leo asked quietly. It wasn't the best conversation starter, but it was a start at least.

"I don't smoke that often." Hayden's voice was even quieter than Leo's. "I need something to take my mind off of the somersaults my stomach is doing right now."

"I take it you're not a big beer drinker?" Leo asked.

"I'm not a big drinker period." Hayden replied with a slight blush. "This is the first time I've ever really gotten buzzed before. It was pretty fun until my stomach decided to turn into an acrobat."

Leo happened to glance over at Hayden, and he saw Hayden's face go white. Before he could ask if his friend was okay, Hayden quickly turned from him and emptied his stomach. Leo wasn't sure what to do until he saw Hayden's body sway. He quickly stepped over and wrapped his arm around Hayden to keep him steady. It took a few moments before Hayden had recovered enough to compose himself.

"Fuck! I'm so embarrassed." Hayden quietly swore.

"It happens to everyone, buddy, and since this is your first time really drinking it was bound to happen." Leo said soothingly. He led Hayden over to one of the benches and had him sit down. "Let's just take a few minutes so you can relax."

They sat quietly as Hayden tried to get his stomach to settle down. Leo reached over and ran his hand over Hayden's back as his friend leaned forward and rested his head in his hands. Leo wished he had known it was Hayden's first time partying. He might have been able to prevent this. Leo felt like he had let Hayden down again.