05 | week two

WEEK TWO

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The morning sunlight streamed through Diana Sinclair's bedroom blinds, painting golden stripes across her white sheets. She groaned softly, rolling over and pulling the covers up over her head, but there was no hiding from the ache that had settled in her body. Her calves burned from hours of cha cha drills, her back ached from dancing, and even her cheeks were sore from smiling so wide on national television.

She flopped onto her back, letting the ceiling come into focus.

Last night actually happened.

Her very first Dancing with the Stars live show was behind her. She'd done it. She hadn't forgotten the steps, hadn't passed out under the heat of the stage lights. She had walked onto that iconic floor in a sparkling orange fringe costume and danced with a celebrity partner in front of millions of people.

And she'd survived, with only one stumble.

Three sixes. A eighteen. Seventh place.

To some, that number might have felt small, but to Diana, it was a foundation. A starting point.

Her phone buzzed on the nightstand. She reached for it, already guessing who it was.

today 9:33 AM

HELLOOO DWTS SUPERSTAR 🌟

HOW DOES IT FEEL TO BE FAMOUS

omg stoppppi'm not famous

UHM??? u were literally on NATIONAL TV last night in rhinestones

my mom cried. i cried. we all cried.u looked SOOO pretty

ok you're gonna make ME cry. thank you smi wish you were here

I KNOWbut I'm cheering loud from here

Also... your partner?? 👀

aspen. we talked about this already

i'm just sayingthe chemistry is therei know you feel itand he's actually kindagood????

yeah... he surprised mehe really tries, you know? like he actually cares

that's bc he's obsessed w u 🙃

stoppphe is not

ok maybe not obsessed butttt... he definitely listens to u better than any boy ever did in high school 😭

🤨

but seriouslyi'm so proud of ukeep killing it i'll be glued to my tv again next weekdon't forget about me when ur too busy being hollywood's newest star

neveryou'll always be my #1 fan.

and don't you forget it 💅

Diana's throat tightened. Aspen had been her best friend since they were little girls trying to mimic dance routines in her living room. Seeing her so proud meant everything. She tossed the phone beside her, heart warm. She couldn't linger in bed forever — week two was already here.

By noon, she was walking into the rehearsal studio, gym bag bouncing against her hip. The walls hummed with the sound of music from other rooms — a quickstep here, a salsa there. Her stomach fluttered with excitement and nerves all over again.

When she pushed open the door to her room, she found Grayson already inside, lying on his back with his headphones in. He looked up the second she stepped in.

"Hey, superstar."

Diana rolled her eyes, dropping her bag. "I'm the superstar? You're the one with the fan edits all over TikTok."

"True," he said with a smirk. "But you're the pro. You actually know what you're doing."

She grinned, tugging her ponytail tighter. "We'll see."

He sat up, crossing his legs. "So, what's the plan this week? Another cha cha?"

"Not quite." She clasped her hands behind her back, drawing out the moment. "The theme is Oscars Night."

Grayson perked up. "Which means...?"

"Which means," she said dramatically, drawing out the pause, "we're dancing the Waltz to A Million Dreams from The Greatest Showman."

His eyebrows shot up. "The Waltz? Like the princess dance?"

Diana laughed lightly, "Exactly. It's totally different from the Cha Cha. Slower, elegant, very classical. No sass this time — it's all about flow, posture, and connection."

He blinked at her. "So... less wild man , more... ballroom prince?"

Diana burst out laughing. "Exactly."

Grayson grinned. "Alright. Ballroom prince. I can work with that."

He puffed out his chest and stuck his arms out stiffly. "Like this?"

She burst out laughing. "Not like you're about to give a speech. More like... like you're carrying her, guiding her. Imagine you're telling a story without words."

"That sounds... hard," he admitted, rubbing the back of his neck.

"It is," she said honestly, "but I think you'll like it. Plus..." She hesitated, remembering the critiques. "The judges said you had rhythm, which is huge. Now we just build on that. We focus on posture, footwork, and letting the music move you."

Grayson studied her, then nodded. "Alright, coach. Let's make magic."

dianasinclair just added to her story !

The first run was, predictably, a mess. Grayson's steps were too wide, his timing off, and once, he accidentally stepped on her foot.

"Careful!" Diana yelped, hopping back. "You're supposed to guide me, not crush me."

He winced, rubbing the back of his neck. "Sorry. My feet are like three times the size of yours."

She laughed, shaking her head. "We'll work with it. Just... smaller steps. Gentle."

Slowly, they tried again. And again. Grayson kept stumbling, but he never gave up, and every time he got even a tiny thing right, Diana lit up with encouragement.

"Better!" she exclaimed at one point, clapping her hands.

Grayson's eyes widened. "Was that... a compliment?"

"Don't push it," she said, smirking.

Thursday afternoon, Diana slipped into Studio A, where the pros were already warming up for their Oscar's Night opening number. The music track blared through the speakers — a mashup of movie scores with upbeat dance beats layered over them.

Last week, she'd hovered at the edge, unsure if she was "allowed" to let loose around these dancers she'd admired for years. This week, though, she felt different. The nerves had melted. These people weren't just icons anymore — they were coworkers. Friends.

Ezra spotted her first, waving her over. "Ana! About time you showed up."

Diana raised a brow, "Ez, i'm five minutes early."

"Which is five minutes late in rookie time."

"Rookie?" Diana teased, dropping her bag. "You wish you had my stamina."

That earned a chorus of oooohs from Alan and Britt, who were stretching by the mirror.

"Oh, she's feisty today," Brandon said, grinning. "I like it."

Val, who was choreographing the number with Jenna, clapped his hands to get them in formation, and soon the room was alive with movement. Diana fell into the line, catching sight of Daniella a few rows ahead, her golden hair swinging as she nailed every beat with that effortless precision Diana had studied since she was a young.

The energy was electric. Brandon cracked jokes mid-routine, making Britt snort-laugh so hard she missed a turn. Ezra exaggerated his arms so much that Val shouted, "Ezra, stop looking like you're hailing a taxi!" which sent the whole room into giggles.

During a quick water break, Britt plopped down beside Diana, fanning herself with her hand. "Girl, you're killing it. Are you sure this is your first season?"

Diana grinned, cheeks flushed. "I'm trying to keep up with you guys."

"Keep up?!" Ezra called from across the room. "You're out-dancing half of us already."

"Speak for yourself," Alan said, throwing a towel over his shoulder. "I still got her beat."

"Oh, really?" Diana challenged, raising an eyebrow.

Alan jumped up. "Dance battle. Right now."

The room erupted in cheers as Emma groaned, "Alan, please don't—"

But it was too late.

Alan launched into an over-the-top body roll, sliding across the floor like he was auditioning for a boy band video. Diana clapped her hands, pretending to be impressed.

Then she stood, flicked her ponytail, and hit him back with a perfect triple pirouette that ended in an illusion and a cheeky pose. The room exploded in whoops and applause.

"Okay, okay!" Ezra called, rushing between them with mock seriousness. "I'm the judge. And the winner is..." He held a dramatic pause, making everyone lean in. "...Diana!"

Alan clutched his chest. "Betrayal!"

Diana laughed until her sides hurt, high-fiving Ezra as the group teased Alan mercilessly.

As rehearsal wrapped, Pasha patted Diana's shoulder. "You fit right in. It's like you've been here for years."

Her chest tightened with warmth. Because that was exactly how she felt.

She was one of them.

The week flew by in a blur of rehearsals. Diana drilled Grayson's posture, nudging his shoulders back when he slouched. He teased her for being a perfectionist, but she could tell he secretly liked her attention.

One afternoon, Ezra barged into their rehearsal, declaring, they film a TikTok because "it's what the fans want."

Grayson, Diana, Ezra and Ezra's partner, Jordan Chiles, spent the next hour giggling and filming videos.

By Saturday night, something clicked. They ran the Waltz with music, and Grayson's steps flowed smoother, his frame stronger. Diana counted them in — "One, two, three, one, two, three" — and they glided across the floor.

They hit the final pose perfectly.

Grayson let out a loud whoop, pumping his fist. "YES! We did it!"

Diana threw her arms around him, laughing. "You nailed it! That was beautiful!"

Unbeknownst to them, one of the rehearsal cameras had captured the whole celebration — the hug, the laughter, the pure joy. Later, it would become a highlight in their week two package.

For now, it was just them — two dancers in a quiet studio, dreaming of what they could create next.

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so i decided to post another chapter!i just can't help myself!!!

i may or may not post a third chapter today 👀

hope you liked it!😊