Rival: A Feuds Novella (The Feuds Series) (7 page)

“They’re going down,” Davis said, staring straight ahead. “I’ll sabotage Gaby before she can sabotage me.” She turned to Vera, whose eyes were sparkling.

“I was hoping you’d say that. Time to play hardball. What are you going to do?”

“
We,
” Davis corrected, “are going to catch them in the act, take photos, and report them. It’ll get them disqualified from the showcase. No one saw me and Seth together. No one can prove I was with him. But I can prove he’s hooking up with Gaby. I just have to orchestrate a way to get them together.”

“Davis,” Vera said quietly, “this might not just get them knocked out of the showcase.”

“I know,” Davis said. “It might get them eliminated from the Olympiads altogether.”

“That’s … a lot.” Vera’s voice was measured. “I was thinking blackmail, at best. Stop her from doing your routine.” She bit her lip; Davis’s look was resolute. “We’ve all been dreaming of the Olympiads for our entire lives. Are you sure you want to do this?”

“Vera. I want this. I want you behind me on this.” Never in her life had Davis felt this swell of anger; it was like a tidal wave of bitterness.

“Okay, then,” Vera said with a nod. “You know I’m behind you on anything.”

“Here’s what we do,” Davis told her. Apparently anger was good for a person. She already had a plan.

The next day, Davis knew exactly what time Gaby’s practice session would end. At sign-in, Davis had flipped back a few slides on the projected touch screen to see when Gaby had been signing in and out each day. It was uniform, as Davis had hoped. Sign-in, 7:00
A.M
. Sign-out, 5:00
P.M
.
So, Gaby is a hard worker, too.
Davis tried to push the thought from her mind. She wouldn’t feel guilty. She couldn’t. Being a nice girl wasn’t going to screw her over once again. She was done letting people walk all over her. Or dance with her, she thought, Seth in her mind. She already knew when Seth would be in the steam room, “unwinding.”

She went to practice as usual and struggled to focus on her routine, which made her feel sick. But at 4:00
P.M
.—early enough not to run into Seth on his way in—she began her stakeout of the locker room, DirecTalk in hand and set to “photo.”

Vera’s job was harder, but she had to be the one to do it. Davis couldn’t get near Gaby without seeming suspicious. She had to convince Gaby to come down to the steam room at the same time as Seth. Vera was going to pose as a spa technician and tell Gaby she’d received a complimentary VIP treatment for dancers from other territories.

Then, Davis hoped, everything would come together—and Davis would submit the photos anonymously to a showcase authority.

Seth came at 5:00
P.M
. as scheduled. Davis squirmed impatiently, watching him from her spot behind a row of lockers. As he stripped off his shirt and tossed it into a locker, she realized she no longer felt any pull of attraction. His deception had ruined it. His sculpted muscles weren’t doing it for her, because she knew he was a huge jerk. She’d made herself vulnerable and he’d recognized that and used it against her. She’d never—never
ever—
let it happen again.

Vera was waiting for Gaby at the front of the spa. Gaby got a facial and blowout every single day (that was something Davis already knew, just in passing); she was ridiculously vain. But could Vera get Gaby into the steam room? Davis’s breath quickened as five minutes went by, then ten.

Finally the door to the locker room slid open and Gaby walked in. Vera gave Davis a thumbs-up from the other side of the glass, and Davis put a finger to her lips, scooting backward to further conceal herself. Gaby moved toward the steam room, and Davis held her breath. It was about to happen.

Gaby was just a few feet away from the steam room—and Seth—when Gaby’s DirecTalk rang. Davis fought the urge to groan as Gaby said, “Okay, talk,” into the necklace in which it was embedded.

“Hi,” she said brightly, twirling her ankle absentmindedly. “Yep. Just finished. Seth is the best,” she gushed. “I’m serious. The absolute best. I don’t know where I’d be without him.”

Her words probably sounded normal to the person on the other end of the line, but Davis could detect undercurrent of strong emotion there.
Couples who manipulated people together must really have a close bond,
Davis thought.
The close but screwed-up kind.

“I’m telling you, he taught me all these new moves,” Gaby went on. “I am so excited.” She paused and lowered her voice, looking around like she knew someone was listening. “I was really worried for a sec, you know? The competition’s stiff. There are so many talented girls. And the showcase is … it’s important.” Her voice turned serious. “Seth choreographed an entirely new routine for me yesterday, and it’s brilliant. The competition’s in the bag now. I was so worried before. Well, I don’t need to tell you that.” She laughed, sounding giddy.

Davis froze. It almost seemed like … Gaby hadn’t known. But was it just an act for whomever she was talking to?

Gaby suddenly seemed to notice Seth in the steam room—and Davis saw the unabashed smile that automatically flooded her face. If Gaby was acting, she was a great actress. Davis had to admit it was probably sincere.

A realization crept up Davis’s entire body. It was clear that Gaby really cared about Seth.

“Uh-huh,” Gaby was saying. “Well, I have to go. I got a free steam at the spa today…. Yeah! I know…. Okay. Love you, too. Bye, Mom.” Gaby dropped her DirecTalk and moved toward the steam room in her spa robe. She reached for the handle.

Davis squeezed her eyes shut. Then, half-cursing herself but choosing to follow her gut, she burst out from her hiding place.

“Gaby, wait,” she called out.

Gaby turned, startled. Her expression hardened along with her voice. “What are you doing, creeper? Were you spying on me?”

“No! I … okay. Yes,” Davis admitted. “But it’s because I need to talk to you about something. Just come with me. Let’s go somewhere private.”

“Why should I go anywhere with you?” Gaby was holding her ground.

“Because I’ve never done anything to you,” Davis said evenly. “You’ve been the one hassling me, and I haven’t done a thing. That’s why. You owe me.”

Gaby looked at the ground, reddening. “Well, it can wait. I have a free steam-room session,” she said, casting an anxious look in the steam room’s direction. “It has to be used today before six or it expires. So I don’t have time for your little chat.”

“It’s fake,” Davis informed her. “That was just my friend Vera, lying to get you in here.”

Now Gaby was looking at Davis like she was crazy.

“Just come,” Davis said. “I need to talk to you about something. And I don’t want anyone hearing us.”

Reluctant, Gaby removed her hand from the steam-room door. “I don’t know why I’m doing this,” she said as she followed Davis into the vicinity of the pool, where there was an outdoor terrace with a quiet cabana, blessedly empty. “You’re obviously a psycho. If you wanted to talk to me, why didn’t you just do it? Why did you invent a fake spa treatment? That’s so weird.” She plopped down on the white cushion, and Davis sat next to her, pulling the curtains closed to form a tent.

“Because I didn’t want to talk to you,” Davis told her, her voice hard. She still didn’t know if Gaby was innocent. “I wanted to catch you. With Seth. He goes there every day.”

“With …,” Gaby trailed off, sounding mystified. “How do you know Seth goes there? And why would I care where he goes?” she added, turning bright red.

“Because you’re hooking up with him,” Davis said. “Don’t pretend you aren’t. I’ve seen you. And I’ve seen you practicing the routine you two stole from me.”

Gaby paled. “That’s my routine,” she said. “Seth taught me.”

“After watching
me
perform it. Stravinsky.
The Rite of Spring.
The part where the chosen girl is honored. That’s mine. Seth watched me perform the whole thing.”

Gaby was silent for a moment. “I didn’t know. Maybe … He has to observe dancers, so maybe … he just made a mistake.”

Davis’s anger was quickly dissipating. The scared, doe look on Gaby’s face—so much different from when she was onstage—said everything.

“It’s one thing to steal a routine. But he was trying to sabotage everything….” Davis paused, wondering whether to keep going. But if it were her—or Vera … She knew Gaby needed the truth.

“Gaby, he made out with me. More than once.”

“He made out with you?” Gaby’s voice was choked, and her hazel eyes were wide. “You’re lying.”

“Why would I lie about that? I could be kicked out of the showcase for telling you.”

“No,” Gaby said, shaking her head. “No. This can’t be happening.” Then she let go, tears flowing down her cheeks and onto her collarbone as she let out short, gasping sobs.

She was definitely not acting. Davis suddenly felt very, very sorry for the girl. They’d been used the same way, played against each other.

“We’ve been dating for a year,” Gaby told her. “A full year. Keeping it a secret. Hiding it from everyone we know. How could he do this to me?”

Davis and Gaby had been used the same way, except that for Gaby it hurt worse. Davis felt awful. She didn’t know whether Gaby would want her to touch her, so she held back from hugging her the way she might Vera.

But Davis spoke up, her voice soft. “I’m sorry,” she said. “I really thought … after that text …”

“Seth encouraged me to send the text,” Gaby told her. “Don’t get me wrong; I kind of wanted to.” She laughed, looking up at Davis with embarrassed eyes and tear-streaked cheeks. “I was panicking a little bit. I know I’m good at dancing. But it’s never been my passion. My parents have pushed it. So hard.”

“I know the feeling. The pressure’s too much, no matter where it’s coming from.”

“But I know I’m missing something when I’m out there. The spirit that makes a real dancer soar. It works for you,” she said, her voice bitter. “Because you love it. Seth wanted me to win. I know he did. He pushed me and pushed me and told me to feel it when I couldn’t. But I thought … it was because he cared about me.” A dangerous, angry look clouded her face. “But I guess he really wanted everyone to know how great a coach he was. I just can’t believe he’d steal your routine, when he’s so talented himself. He’s a choreographer, for god’s sake. He must have thought yours was so much better. He must have felt as worried as I’ve felt.”

Now Davis did reach out to her, taking her hand. Gaby had been much more attached to Seth than she had, Davis realized. For her, it had been a little fling that lasted less than a week. Any anger and hurt she felt paled in comparison to what Gaby was feeling. “Dancing is my life,” Davis said simply. “But I’m sorry. What he did … I can’t imagine how he hurt you. If I’d known, I’d never, ever have let anything happen between us.”

Gaby pulled her hand from Davis’s grasp, obviously still hurt. “You have everything,” she told Davis. “My relationship with Seth was the only thing I thought was sacred. I thought it was perfect. Obviously I’ve been lying to myself.”

“You couldn’t have known,” Davis assured her. “Obviously he’s a master manipulator. He took us both in pretty easily. People like that … they’re not easy to spot. I’ve never even met one until now.”

“Yeah,” Gaby said. She wiped her face with the back of her forearm. “God. It feels like everything’s falling apart.”

“It will only feel that way for a little while,” Davis said quietly. “Don’t let him do this to you. Show him you’re better. We both have to.” It occurred to her then that Davis now had more than enough information to get Gaby kicked out of the showcase, maybe even the Olympiads. But she looked at the miserable girl, thinking hard. Gaby looked shattered. She was crumpled into herself, sobbing uncontrollably. She’d lost everything in the space of an hour.

Revenge wasn’t worth it. At least not that kind of revenge. The best feeling, Davis realized, would be to win—for herself, and not out of anger. She rummaged in her bag and offered Gaby a tissue. This time, when she reached out to her, Gaby didn’t pull away.

The following day, Davis entered the changing room at the Apex, every nerve in her body tingling. What she was about to do was so risky, and so outside her comfort zone, that she wasn’t sure she could pull it off. But she knew it was her best chance—maybe her only chance. And more than anything, it’s what she wanted. Gaby had promised not to use her routine before they parted, but Davis couldn’t know anything for sure. Gaby had seemed desperate, despite her promise—and desperate people sometimes did unexpected things.

So Davis was going to get creative. She’d once heard somewhere that “when you go out of your comfort zone and it works, there’s nothing more satisfying.” She was ready for that. The only person who knew about her plan was the girl who was famous for pushing boundaries … her best friend.

Davis looked out at the audience, seated and eagerly anticipating the showcase. She caught Vera’s eye and waved. Vera gave her a thumbs-up and a wink, smiling broadly. Next to Vera, Fia blew Davis a kiss. All you needed, Davis reasoned, was at least one person to believe in you in a sincere way. One person whom you trusted. And Davis had at least two right in the audience.

The backstage area was dimly lit, with ballerinas all around her stretching, sipping power drinks, and taking optimizers. Some were simply sitting on the mahogany floors, eyes closed, meditating. Each dancer had her own routine. Thick black curtains guarded the stage, concealing the audience. The sight of other performers warming up made Davis feel antsy. She focused instead on the image of Vera, with Fia seated next to her.

“Our next performer,” announced the host as Arielle Summers’s music wound down, “is Davis Morrow!” Davis walked onstage to the audience’s polite applause, leftover from Arielle’s routine. She tried to be graceful, but she felt her calves quaking. She approached the sound tech, who was cuing up Stravinsky’s
Rite of Spring.
She whispered her change in his ear. He raised his eyebrows but nodded—and Davis walked back, taking her position in the center of the stage.