Snow It Up [Shake It Up]

chapter six

The workday was slow, allowing Deuce and CeCe to chat more than they normally could. She told him about her disaster of a date (or lack of date) with Logan and, after laughing for a solid five minutes at her expense, he offered her words of encouragement. At least, he tried to offer her words of encouragement. They really didn't seem like words of encouragement to her right now because of how much he laughed at her for everything that went on between her and Logan.

"I'm telling you, CeCe," he said, shrugging. "If I can find a decent girlfriend looking like this --" He pointed at his face, though she wasn't sure why he was acting like that when he truly wasn't a bad looking guy, just that he didn't know how to take care of the bushes that grew above his eyes. "- -you can find a decent boyfriend."

"Thanks, Deuce," CeCe said, laughing. She rested her elbows on the bar, placing her head gently in her hands as she watched Deuce eat the fifth slice of pizza today. "But I don't really care about that. I just want someone who's kind and that doesn't hate me."

"I understand." Deuce nodded, his dark eyes lit up as he grinned over at her with pizza sauce all over his teeth. Okay, maybe he was right earlier when he said that he somehow got a girlfriend looking and acting like that. Most people had the decency to swallow most of their food before they smiled or spoke. Apparently, Deuce didn't think about that. "You know, Gunther is coming back to town."

"Did Dina tell you that?"

"Yeah," he admitted, chuckling softly. This time, he didn't have any food left in his mouth, and for that, CeCe was extremely grateful. "You know, he seemed interested in you a couple of times back in high school."

"That's what I thought!" CeCe said, nodding. She thought about Gunther and their times together in high school and before. Apparently, all the guys that had crushes on her decided they'd be incredibly rude to her; that didn't sit well with her. "But he hated me in high school, so he's crossed off the list just like Logan is. Unless he suddenly changed, then I might be interested in him. I don't know, though, because Tinka hardly changed. Why would Gunther?"

"You're right." Deuce shrugged, leaning back in the chair he was sitting in now that he was finally done with his (hopefully) last slice of pizza. "I don't know what to tell you, CeCe. Maybe the right guy will come around on his own time sooner or later."

"Yeah," CeCe said, brushing her reddish hair out of her face. "Did you know that Rocky went out on a date recently? Well, me and Tinka don't consider it a date because they did schoolwork together, but to each their own, I guess. She really likes the guy, too."

"That's great," Deuce said, his voice quiet. 

"You don't sound happy."

"I am, really," Deuce said with an energetic nod, "but I'm sad that we're all growing up. Dina and I moved in together, Ty and Tinka started dating, Rocky found herself a guy, you're looking for one . . . where did the time go? I remember when we were first starting high school, so how can we be adults now, ready to settle down and create lives for ourselves? Where did the time go, CeCe?"

"I don't know, Deuce," CeCe said, playing with her necklace that Rocky gave her as a graduation gift. She gazed ahead at the kitchen through the bar window, the warm colors of the pizza shop making her feel nostalgic for a time she wanted to experience again. "Honestly, I'm terrified of leaving my mother. I do want to move out of the apartment, yes, but it's going to be hard without her because I'm not sure if I can afford everything nor am I sure that I'm actually ready to leave."

"Yeah. I thought it would be harder, but Dina and I make it work together." The bell jingled, so CeCe and Deuce stood up before it made the customer think that they weren't actually working. She looked towards the stairs and grinned when she saw Ty racing down them. "Dude! I didn't know you were coming to visit us! I would have dressed up a little."