"What's up with Amber and Krystal?" 

Henry turned his head to the side to find Krystal and Amber whispering about something, their heads close together, Krystal was running her fingers lightly up and down the outside of Amber's forearm while they spoke. 

"What do you mean?" he asked.

The backup dancer pursed his lips and angled his eyes toward him. "What is Krystal even doing here today? I heard she needs to fly out of the country soon, yet she's here watching Amber practice for your song?" 

"They're friends," Henry shrugged, refusing to think about how much the two girls seemed to orbit around each other. Amber had told him she wasn't into girls, and he believed her, despite what everyone else said...and that one time she'd kissed that girl...which had been pretty hot...

He shook his head. "Krystal can go where she wants." 

"Dude..." 

Henry glared at him, but couldn't help his eyes drifting back over to the two girls. Krystal had her chin resting on Amber's shoulder and one arm draped casually around her waist. He could see in the far mirror when Krystal's hand drifted inside the large sleeve of Amber's tank to at her side. He frowned and wondered if he should ask Amber about it. Or if it was none of his business. 

"She's really the type only girls could like if you know what I mean-" 

Henry shoved the dancer's shoulder. "Can you focus on stretching or something?" 

Amber's unique giggle burst across the room, pulling his attention again as she playfully pushed Krystal away. 

The two did seem to have a unique...chemistry...together. 

"Alright!" their choreographer said, coming into the room, clapping his hands together. "You all should be warmed up already and have reviewed the choreography tape I sent out. Amber, you can learn everything with us if you want and we'll practice your placement and staging after a few days, alright?" 

Amber nodded, used to the flow of things. Krystal pinched her elbow and headed off to a corner to finish reading a new book.  Amber danced along with the dancers for the first half hour, then gave herself a break, letting her mind wander. She was having another song she'd written in discussion for their next album and was hoping people would like it. She loved how Goodbye Summer had turned out, but hoped this time she'd get to sing a bit more if the song were chosen. It would be ages until she found out though. At least, it felt that way. 

"What's up?" Krystal asked, leaning against her back, near her ear. 

"Just thinking about our next album." 

"We've barely put this one out, and you're already thinking of the next one?" Krystal asked with a smile. 

"I'm just hoping my song gets picked." 

"It probably won't," Krystal teased, watching Amber's big eyes widen, then crinkle into little upside down smiles. 

"Thanks for having so much faith in me," she said sarcastically.

Krystal rubbed her arm. "No problem. I know how bad your songs are." 

"Dykes." 

Their heads whipped around to see who had muttered to slur, but there were at least five backup dancers in the vicinity stretching or sipping water. It could've been any of them. 

Amber felt Krystal's breath against her ear. "He's just sad he'll never get to have either of us." 

She covered to hide her laughter. "He especially gets pissed when he thinks of what we do alone, at night...two girls-" Amber wished she could control her blush, but her skin betrayed her as Krystal continued to whisper in her ear to both embarrass her and make her laugh. The girl really did watch way too much television in her spare time. 

"Yo, Amber!" 

She jumped and glanced over to Henry standing in the middle of the practice room. 

"We need to work on our part now. Then I seriously need something to eat. Want to go for a bar-b-que after this?" 

"Sure." She got to her feet, then looked down. "Krys?" 

"Nah. I think he wants some alone time with you." 

Amber kicked her lightly in the knee. Krystal had been teasing her about Henry staring at her when she wasn't looking ever since they got back from the gym a few days ago. She had no idea why her friend was working so hard to play matchmaker and kind of wished she would stop. It was making her feel a little awkward around Henry, which she never had before. 

"You want a hit a movie after dinner?" Henry asked once she reached his side. 

Amber mentally cursed Krystal. Now she was looking at his innocent offers in ways she never had before. There was no way he was asking her out on a date or anything. They'd been to tons of movies together before. 

"Sure," she answered, trying to hide the stupid blush pinking her cheeks. It wasn't a date so she shouldn't feel weird for accepting. 

Henry leaned back at the table, using a napkin to get the last of the sauce from around his lips, then thoughtlessly reached across the table and did the same for Amber. She rolled her eyes but didn't push his hand away. 

"Have you thought about which movie you want to watch?" 

She pulled out her phone, probably scrolling through the movies for the first time since he asked her. She'd been caught up in trying to decide exactly what she wanted to eat. She tapped her screen a few times, then grinned. 

"Iron Man 3." 

"I heard it's not as good as the first two." 

Amber shrugged nonchalantly. "Since when has any movie gotten better after the first one?  I've seen the first two, I might as well not miss this one." 

He sighed, getting up from the table and following her to the exit. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "Of course you don't care. It's not your money you're spending." 

"But it's money you're spending to hang out with me," Amber countered, smiling up at him. "Even if it's the worst movie you've ever seen, won't it still be worth it?" 

Henry felt a strange flutter in his chest, and not for the first time since he'd been around Amber the past few days. He lightly squeezed the back of her neck and dropped his arm down, around her waist. "No." 

She scoffed. "I'll buy the snacks then." 

"A large popcorn." 

"We just shared a four-person bar-b-que between two people..."

"A man's gotta eat." 

She crinkled her brows at him. "Since when were you a man? Ahh!"

Amber squealed when Henry suddenly snatched her off her feet, cradling her in his arms. She covered her face, hoping too many people weren't staring at the both of them. 

"Put me down!" 

He sat her back on her feet, satisfied with her flushed face and sparkling eyes.

She smacked him hard on the shoulder. "Don't do that! I almost threw up everything I just ate," she grumbled. 

"Don't be a baby. I'll buy you ice cream later to make up for it." 

Amber immediately grinned and threw an arm around his neck, nearly crushing the veins responsible for getting oxygen to his brain. Or maybe it was something else making him a little dizzy. She smelled so good. A little sweet and warm like she'd been active all day. He knew the scent well cause it was all over his apartment and even on some of his pillows. 

"Not one of those little fifty cent scoops from a street stand either," she clarified, tugging him into the theater.

He nodded, absentmindedly buying the tickets and waiting as she got the popcorn and drinks. They settled into some seats far in the back of the dark room, but still center for the best viewing experience. 

He felt Amber's hand brush his inside the popcorn bucket and a tingle shot up his arm. Henry frowned, wondering if his friends' words were starting to get to him. They all talked about how he liked Amber and were always talking about how Amber probably had a crush on him. He didn't see it. She acted like she always did around him...didn't she?

"Why do you and Krystal always flirt with each other?" he blurted, then coughed, a fluff of popcorn getting caught in his throat. 

"Why?" she asked.

"Nothing, just something I noticed, that's all. Are you two..."

Amber rolled her eyes. 

"I mean, it's okay if you are, you might just want to be a little more discreet about it. You know. Some of the backup dancers...and other people...feel a little weird about-"

"It's none of their business what Krystal and I do. It's not really yours either," she huffed. 

He grabbed her hand, hating when she was mad at him. "No, yeah. I know. It's just, I'm your friend, and I hate seeing people look at you like-"

"I'm some kind of freak?"

Henry wanted to smack himself in his stupid, nervous mouth. 

"You know I don't think that about you. I just know how you've been treated and-"

"Don't worry about me, I'm fine. And I'm not going to stop being affectionate with my friends just because a few people get certain ideas in their heads." 

He shook his head. "I'm stupid. Forget I said anything." 

She pulled her hand out of his and continued to eat popcorn without responding. 

The movie started and Henry felt a pit in his stomach from Amber's silence. He could barely eat or focus on what was happening. Halfway through the movie, Amber finally spoke to him again. 

"Krystal and I...just...It's not what people think, but it's also not not what people think..."

What did that even mean? Henry wondered. He turned his head to the side, wanting to ask Amber to be a bit more specific, but looking at her in the darkness, he wondered if it really even mattered. Whatever it was seemed to make them both happy and whatever made Amber happy should be okay, right?

His stupid hand betrayed him, reaching up in the dark to graze her cheek with his knuckle. She surprised him by sinking down in her seat and leaning into the touch. 

"This movie is boring," she whispered.

"Yeah," he agreed. He hadn't really paid enough attention to the movie to be sure of that, but it sounded right. And certainly, if the movie had been more interesting, he wouldn't have focused so much on Amber, right?" 

"For an action movie, there's not very much action..."

He smirked. She wants action? He thought, then widened his eyes in shock. Thoughts like those had never crossed his mind before, but thinking about Krystal touching Amber earlier, he wondered what sorts of things they got up to in her bedroom. 

Henry couldn't believe himself and the thoughts he was having. He tried to shut it down, but it was like some crazy floodgate had opened. No no no! Our friendship is too important for this nonsense.

"If I fall asleep, don't wake me up until it's over." 

He nodded, not trying to think about asking Amber if she'd rather just ditch the movie and head back to take a nap at his place instead. He was worried he'd say it weird and she'd figure out what kind of thoughts he was having about her. He rubbed his eyes, hoping everything would be back to normal the next day, cause he wasn't sure how long he could wallow in this confusion without doing the wrong thing. Many opposite- friends went through this at some point in their friendship and they either never said anything and were fine, said something and ruined everything, or dated and ended up being the best thing that ever happened to each other...or dated and never spoke to each other and split up all their mutual friends like items in a divorce...

Not saying anything sounded best. Never saying anything sounded even better.