11 | surprise?

SURPRISE?

🪩

Diana stepped into the rehearsal room and spotted Grayson already warming up, bouncing lightly on the balls of his feet, his expression a mix of nerves and excitement.

"Hey!" she said, grinning as she approached him. "I just have to say—last night? You were incredible. Seriously, I'm impressed. Going up four points? That's huge!"

Grayson laughed, running a hand through his hair. "I don't know if I deserve all the credit. You make it look so easy out there. Every lift, every turn—it's like you're floating."

Diana waved him off playfully but her smile was genuine. "I don't float, I guide. You made it effortless, but that's because we trusted each other. And you were incredible. You moved with so much heart—it was obvious Joshua felt it too."

His face softened, touched by her words, and then brightened again with a grin. "Thanks. That means a lot, honestly. I was trying so hard not to mess up."

"You didn't mess up anything," Diana said, stepping closer and adjusting his posture during a stretch. "See? This is what I mean—just trust yourself. You have the energy, the timing, and that smile that wins everyone over. Let that shine, Grayson. That's what really makes the dance connect."

Grayson's gaze softened for a moment before brightening again. "So, what's next? What are we doing this week?"

Diana's excitement bubbled out as she clapped her hands lightly. "Disney Week!"

His eyes lit up, practically sparkling. "Disney week? Yes! Oh man... This is going to be perfect!"

Diana's excitement matched his, and she practically bounced in place. "Yep! And since you were in High School Musical: The Musical: The Series, I figured it's only right that we do a High School Musical song. We're doing a jive to Get'cha Head In The Game."

Grayson's grin stretched ear to ear. "Are you kidding me? That's one of the best! I love it!"

Diana giggled at his enthusiasm. "I thought you'd be excited. Jive is going to be fast-paced, fun, and we can really show off some energy and personality. You ready to get started?"

"Born ready," he said, rolling his shoulders and stretching again.

They spent the next hour in the rehearsal room, working through choreography. Diana demonstrated the steps slowly at first, breaking them down with a smile and plenty of encouragement. Grayson, though confident in his performance background, stumbled slightly through a few tricky turns.

She nodded, stepping beside him and demonstrating a tricky pivot. "See this step? Your weight needs to shift slightly forward here. You're so close—you just need to commit. Watch me."

Grayson followed her carefully, and when he landed it correctly, Diana smiled and clapped lightly. "Yes! That was perfect! That's exactly what I want. See? You've got this—you're ready for the stage."

He beamed at her, gratitude and excitement in his eyes. "Thanks, Di. You make it so much easier to feel confident. I don't know what I'd do without you."

"You'd be fine eventually," she said, rolling her eyes playfully, "but it's my job to make you look amazing, so... you're welcome."

They went through a few more sequences, Diana constantly correcting, praising, and encouraging. Every stumble was met with a gentle "almost! Try again, you've got it," and every success with a bright, "Perfect! That's the energy I want!"

By the end of the rehearsal, Grayson was laughing and panting, but his grin never faded. "Okay, I think I can do this. Disney Week? Bring it on."

The girls stepped out of the studio into the warm afternoon sun, the buzz of the rehearsal morning still humming through Diana's veins. They had decided on a nearby café for a quick lunch, the kind with big windows and a relaxed vibe—perfect for decompressing after a morning of choreography.

Daniella slid into the booth across from Diana with a grin. "So... tell me. How's our resident professional handling Disney Week with the Disney star?" she teased, giving Diana a pointed look.

Diana laughed, shaking her head. "Grayson's excited. I think he's more pumped than I am. Honestly, he's having so much fun learning the steps—it's actually making my job easier because he's throwing himself into it 100%." She paused, smiling. "And he's good! He just needs a few reminders, but he's really got the rhythm. I can't even believe how much heart he's putting into it. Every time we hit a lift or a tricky step, it's like... perfect."

Britt leaned over, smirking. "Oh, so you're basically babying him and complimenting him nonstop?"

Diana rolled her eyes, still smiling. "Not babying... guiding. And yeah, I give him a compliment when it's earned."

Witney raised an eyebrow, grinning. "So... anything more than compliments happening here?"

Diana snorted. "Not you guys too! He's my partner. That's it. Friends, professionals, people who want to crush Disney Week."

Emma leaned in conspiratorially, her eyes sparkling with mischief. "Really? That's it?"

Diana raised her hands defensively. "Yes, really. Honestly, we're just friends. Nothing else. Period."

Daniella's smirk grew wider, and she leaned back in the booth. "Hmm... sure, just friends. So then what about... the other boy?"

Diana blinked, frowning slightly. "Other boy? What other boy?"

"Felicia's son," Dani said, teasing as she sipped her water.

Diana laughed, shaking her head quickly. "Ohhh... Malachi? Yeah, no—he's a friend. Just a really good friend. Nothing romantic. He's hilarious, supportive, and we get along really well, but that's it."

The other girls exchanged glances, their smirks widening. "Uh-huh," Britt said, her voice full of playful skepticism. "Sure, just friends. Got it."

Witney leaned forward, grinning. "Come on, you gotta at least like one of them."

"I do not!" Diana said, laughing, waving her hands. "We're friends. Friends! Good friends!"

Emma giggled. "Uh-huh. Whatever you say, girl. But we're watching."

Diana groaned playfully. "You guys are impossible."

The rest of lunch passed with lighthearted chatter, the girls joking about choreography mishaps, costume mishaps, and moments on stage. Despite their teasing, Diana felt a warmth from the camaraderie—these were people she could trust to keep her grounded, to laugh with, and to encourage her when the stress of the week threatened to pile up.

As they finished their fries and sipped their drinks, Diana thought about the upcoming rehearsal with Grayson and how much fun Disney Week was going to be. No matter what the girls teased her about, she knew exactly where her focus needed to be.

The morning sunlight spilled through the wide windows of Diana's apartment, painting the room in soft gold. She sat cross-legged in front of her vanity, the surface crowded with brushes, palettes, and the faint scent of her favorite perfume lingering in the air. The quiet hum of the city below was a stark contrast to the chaos of the DWTS studio, and she let herself savor the calm before the day officially began.

She picked up a foundation brush, dipping it into the creamy formula, and began blending it carefully across her cheekbones. The familiar motion settled her thoughts. Rehearsal days are always a whirlwind, but mornings like this—just her, a little music in the background, and the routine of getting ready—were her favorite moments.

Her phone buzzed suddenly on the counter, screen lighting up with a FaceTime call. She smiled when she saw the name: Starboy 💫

"Morning," she greeted, setting her brush down for a moment.

"Good morning!" he said, practically bouncing in the frame. Then, his eyes widened, and he leaned in closer to the camera. "Okay... okay... so I have big news. You're not gonna believe it."

Diana raised an eyebrow, a teasing smile tugging at her lips. "Oh really? You're dramatic already, and it's only morning."

"No, no, hear me out!" Malachi said, waving his hands emphatically. "The DZ cast—we're performing for Disney Night." His voice was loud with excitement, even through the phone's speakers.

Diana grinned, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. "I know."

Malachi's jaw dropped. He leaned forward, eyes wide. "Wait—you know? How do you know?!"

"I heard whispers about it weeks ago," Diana said, still smiling. "But yes, we got the official confirmation last night. Production confirmed it."

"No way... I was hoping I was gonna surprise you."

Diana smiled softly, "Sorry."

He laughed, shaking his head. "It's fine. But seriously, how cool is it that we'll both be performing that night?"

Diana's eyes lit up. "It's going to be amazing. And... actually, I'll be performing with you."

Malachi froze mid-sentence. "Wait—what do you mean?"

She tilted the phone slightly, grinning. "I'm going to be in the Worlds Collide number. Ezra, Dani, Brandon, and Britt are gonna be in it too."

Malachi blinked. "No way... are you serious? You're not joking?"

Diana laughed softly. "Nope. I'm serious. We're gonna to be part of the Descendants/Zombies world for the night."

His eyes practically sparkled through the screen. "Oh my gosh, that is so cool! I can't wait! I'm actually—excited doesn't even cover it. This is going to be insane. I can't wait for you to meet the rest of the cast."

"Same," Diana admitted. "It's going to be so fun. I love that we're finally sharing the stage like this—it's going to be chaos, but good chaos."

"Totally," Malachi said, grinning. "I just hope you're ready for the energy—we've had some... interesting moments on tour with MK and the others. Lots of laughs, a few near-disasters..."

Diana laughed, imagining the scenes. "I can already tell this is going to be a wild ride. But I'm ready for it. And I'm excited to dance with you."

He smiled softly. "Same here. This is going to be amazing. I just... can't wait."

The two spent the next several minutes joking, laughing, and talking about what rehearsals would look like.

As the FaceTime ended, Diana set her phone down, a smile still lingering on her face. The excitement for Disney Night bubbled through her chest, and she felt energized, ready to tackle the day of rehearsals ahead.

It wasn't just about the dance—it was about the people she was sharing it with, the laughter, the moments behind the scenes, and the thrill of performing on the same night with someone she genuinely enjoyed spending time with.

dianasinclair just posted !

• o o o o o o o o o o

o • o o o o o o o o o

tagged: graysonholt o o • o o o o o o o o

tagged: daniellakaragach, brittbenae, & theemmaslatero o o • o o o o o o o

o o o o • o o o o o o

o o o o o • o o o o o

tagged: jennajohnson o o o o o o • o o o o

tagged: malachibartono o o o o o o • o o o

tagged: ezra.sosao o o o o o o o • o o

o o o o o o o o o • o

o o o o o o o o o o •

liked by ezra.sosa and 431,722 more

dianasinclair life lately 💞🥹✨

user MALACHI????

user i'm sorry WHAT?!

user mr barton what are you doing here?????

ezra.sosa i love us dianasinclair we're literally the best

user not grayson looking at her like he's in love 👀

daniellakaragach kiki loves her auntie d dianasinclair auntie d loves her more

user slide 8... user why do i kinda ship

brittbenae 😘 dianasinclair 😘

graysonholt why do i look like that? dianasinclair what?? you look cute user uh hello???

graysonholt best month of my life ♥️ dianasinclair ♥️

malachibarton 😙 dianasinclair single-handedly bringing back duck lips

malachibarton uh slide 5... photo creds???     dianasinclair 📸 - the mouse's intern           malachibarton wow... i see how it is                 user IS ANYONE ELSE SEEING THIS!!

user not diana lowkey being the queen of Disney heartthrobs rn

aspenbrooks CALL ME. NOW. dianasinclair calling 🙂

user Grayson AND Malachi??? user girl's living in a fanfic fr

user forget the men!!! can we talk about body goals

Diana rolled her eyes at Aspens comment. She clicked on Aspens contact and within seconds, Aspen's face appeared on the screen, her light brown curls slightly messy, eyes wide with a mix of curiosity and excitement.

"Diana Sinclair," Aspen said, her tone half exasperated, half teasing, "WHEN THE HELL did you start hanging out with THE Malachi Barton?!"

Diana laughed, nearly falling back onto her pillows. "Whoa, hold on. You're acting like he's the king of some secret Disney kingdom or something."

Aspen's eyes narrowed playfully. "He basically is, okay? He's Disney royalty in my book. Everyone knows him. Everyone loves him. He's basically untouchable. And now you're casually in a photo with him and not even telling me?!"

Diana shook her head, still laughing. "Aspen, he's just a friend. That's it. We hung out for dinner. We talk, we laugh... that's literally it. Seriously. I swear, you're acting like I've joined some royal court or something."

"Friend?" Aspen repeated, raising an eyebrow. "A friend who's internet-famous and just wrapped up a tour? A friend everyone's already obsessed with? Diana, I need details. NOW."

Diana rolled her eyes playfully, "I already told you—he's a friend. Nothing else. I swear. I mean, we had dinner, that's all. I'm not hiding anything. I promise."

Aspen leaned back, smirking, hands on her hips. "Okay... but he's cute, right? I mean... come on. You don't just hang out with a Disney heartthrob without noticing."

Diana laughed again, shaking her head. "Aspen, I told you—he's a friend. And he's fun and nice to look at, yes, but... nothing romantic. We're just really good friends, and that's it. I don't know why you're making this sound like a Disney movie plot."

Aspen groaned dramatically. "Fine. Fine... as long as I remain your number one, I guess I'll let it slide."

Diana smiled softly, feeling warm inside at how protective Aspen was, even in her teasing. "Aspen, you will always be my number one. No one—even Disney royalty—can change that."

Aspen's grin softened, and she shook her head, though her eyes still sparkled with amusement. "Alright... but I'm still going to interrogate you every time you post a photo with him. Just saying."

Diana laughed, leaning back on her pillows, scrolling through her photo dump once more. "Fair. I'll accept that. But really... you should meet him. You'd love him. He's fun, easygoing, and seriously... nothing like the rumors or internet hype."

"I'll reserve judgment," Aspen said, smirking. "But if he hurts you in any way, Diana Sinclair, I will haunt him for the rest of his life."

Diana laughed again, shaking her head. "Don't worry. Like I said, he's just a friend. Nothing more."

Aspen sighed and Diana raised a brow, "What?"

"I just, I can't believe it..." Aspen trailed off for a moment. "Grayson Holt and Malachi Barton. You are living the dream."

Diana couldn't help but laugh. They continued chatting, with Aspen asking playful questions about the dinner, the conversation, and Malachi's personality, and Diana answering as honestly as she could without overcomplicating things. Despite Aspen's teasing, Diana felt a wave of comfort and happiness—her best friend always kept her grounded, no matter how exciting life got.

🪩

so malachis officially made it to the insta posts!!!

ALSOmalachi will NOT be competing on DWTS at all in this story!Grayson will be Diana's partner the whole time (and there is a reason for that)

the only time malachi will be dancing on DWTS will be for the DZ Worlds Collide Dance

I wanted to do this bc in the past they've done Descendants and Teen Beach Movie cast dances, and I felt that it would be perfect for this book

so look forward to all the crazy rehearsal stuff!!😊