SET IT UP by mindFREQ.

Chapter 1

'Time management. That's what I need. Do they have classes for that? Or some kind of seminar or something...'

Her bedroom was an absolute mess. Several pieces of clothing were strewn all over the floor, some even going as far as the door and creeping out into the hallway.

This would be easier if she had both of her hands completely free.

"What time should I pick you up?" A voice on the other end of the line broke her out of her thoughts.

Cece racked her brain, trying to remember her flight details while trying to reach for her favourite handbag, which was conveniently placed on the highest shelf in her closet. She hated packing; she was so indecisive.

"I'll be landing around 11am," she replied, finally gripping the strap of the handbag and pulling.

"Okay. She's got me running a few errands that morning, but I'll be there. I can't wait 'til you get here."

"Me neither, Rock," she smiled as she tossed another shirt into her haphazard suitcase. "It'll be so great to see everyone again."

A comfortable silence met her on the other line.

"We all miss you here, you know?"

Cece smiled sadly and took a seat at the foot of her bed. "I miss you guys, too. I know I've missed out on so much these last couple years."

Rocky scoffed. "You think? My brother's getting married!"

They both let out an excited squeal. "And to Tinka Hessenheffer! If this were, like, nine years ago, I wouldn't have believed it."

"Well it's nine years later, so believe it, baby," her best friend laughed.

Cece could hardly believe how much has changed in that span of time. If she had known that she would be out of Chicago and moving to New York to be a choreographer, she would have thought herself crazy. Cece had been enrolled in Columbia College for a year before leaving her studies to move to New York. She was trying to major in Dance, but when the opportunity to become a choreographer for Shake It Up, New York came along, she couldn't say no. With a deferral already taken care of, she went to Rocky and apologized for needing to leave; if it weren't for Rocky, Cece wouldn't have been able to even get into college. If it weren't for Rocky, Cece Jones wouldn't be a lot of things. It was a bittersweet goodbye, but the girls had kept in touch regularly and visited each other whenever they could. She couldn't even remember the last time she visited home. Rocky would make the odd trip out to New York because of her job, catching up with Cece through lunch or shopping down SoHo. She would love to go back to school; her deferral to Columbia had long been invalid because of how busy she was with the show, and she felt that she already knew everything she needed to know by being on Shake It Up, New York. 'It would be nice to go back, though,' she thought. Maybe one day. For now, she was going on 25 and enjoying the life she had chosen for herself.

"How long has it been since I came home to Chicago?" Cece asked aloud, looking over the contents in her suitcase so far. She honestly couldn't remember if it was four years ago or five.

"Five years ago," Rocky said without missing a beat. "When Deuce and I started dating. I remember you were there when we celebrated our one month anniversary."

"Ah, right," she nodded, grinning. "He had Crusty's Pizza cleared out for just the two of you."

She could practically hear her friend roll her eyes over the phone. "Never mind that he scored it for free because his Uncle Frank owns it."

She couldn't hold back her laugh. "It's the thought that counts."

"True. He's gotten better with planning the dates, thankfully," Rocky chuckled. "But hey, what about you? Are you still seeing that actor?"

"If you can call him that," Cece scoffed, recalling the three weeks she had dated an aspiring actor who's idea of a good time involved attending high end parties that he had no business being a part of, while insisting on calling her Cecelia because he thought everyone around him should be as sophisticated as he was (which he wasn't). That, and trying to grope her ass in public. "He crossed so many lines with me, they started looking like a field of dots."

She heard laughter on the other end. "Sorry to hear that. You always bounce back though, you'll have a new play thing in no time."

Cece wrinkled her nose. "Yeah, but... with this whole wedding thing happening, and you and Deuce being together for five years? I'm kind of over the whole casual dating scene, you know? I'm turning 25 in a few months. I think it's time for me to get serious."

"Cecelia Jones, is that you?" Rocky asked, incredulous.

"Honestly!" Cece answered. "I can't keep going on random dates and not take things more seriously. It's getting old, I'm not in high school anymore."

"That's funny; Tinka's been telling Gunther the same thing for God knows how long," Rocky chortled.

Cece couldn't picture it. "If you say so," she laughed. It's kind of hard to picture Gunther Hessenheffer dating, period.

"Anyway, knowing you, you probably need a lot of time to pack, so I should let you go."

"It's crazy how well you know me."

She got off the phone with Rocky and stared at her unorganized suitcase. This was going to take all night.

...

The next day, she hopped on a two-hour flight to Chicago and couldn't shake her excitement. She would get to see her mom, Flynn, and all of her friends after years of being absent. She was taking a much-needed break from the show and was confident that her co-choreographer would hold down the fort for the next two weeks. This trip would be unlike any other trip she'd taken home; Ty and Tinka were the first ones from her childhood friends to get married. She remembered when they told everyone that they had become an official couple back when they were teenagers. Ty was in the 12th grade and Tinka in the 10th. Cece recalled the hard time people gave Ty for dating "that foreign freak", but the boy paid them no mind and it only made their relationship stronger. Now it was nine years later, and here they were, taking the biggest step in their relationship. Cece wasn't going to lie, she was a bit jealous. Jealous that she still hasn't found that special person that she would spend the rest of her life with. She hasn't even come close. She thought about Rocky and Deuce's relationship; they've been living together for the last year and a half, and dating for five. Cece's relationships didn't even put a dent in that. The longest she'd ever dated someone was last year, with a fellow dancer on Shake It Up, New York, which had lasted 11 months. She thought it was such a bummer that they didn't even make it to the coveted one year anniversary. He had to go and be a pig and cheat on her with a girl living in her apartment building, one floor below her. After that, she didn't want to enter a long term relationship out of fear that it would end just as badly. Almost a whole year of being with someone, and it only took one day to ruin everything. She just wasn't as lucky as Tinka or Rocky.

After sleeping off her relationship woes on the plane, she was finally home.

...

"A little word of warning," Rocky said, tugging Cece's sleeve before she reached for the doorknob of Tinka's apartment door. Cece turned and looked at her, noting the eager look on her friend's face. Rocky's voice dropped down to a whisper. "I love the girl, but Tinka's a total control-freak right now, and her mom's even worse. You're lucky her mom's not here tonight."

"Strangely, that doesn't surprise me," she laughed, pulling Rocky along and into Tinka's apartment. Her jaw dropped at the scene in front of her. It looked as if a fabric store had exploded inside, and after a few scans over the room, Cece finally spotted her friend in the mess. Catching her eye, the girl got up and practically jumped on her.

"Cece!"

"Tinkabell!" Cece laughed, hugging her back.

"Thank goodness you are here. My other two bridesmaids won't be flying in from the old country until the day before the wedding, so I need you two to help with the preparations."

Cece gave her a small salute. "That's what I'm here for."

Tinka shot her a grateful smile and shoved a long box into Cece's arms. "My veil. It needs these flowers threaded all along the crown," she explained, topping the box off with a basket of false glittering white flowers. "If you will?"

Cece barely had any time to blink. "Uh, yeah, you got it."

She turned to the other person in the room. "Oh, and remember: these next two weeks is strictly just for the girls," Tinka said, shaking her finger at Rocky. "You and Deucey can play catch-up when I am good and married."

Rocky rolled her eyes, a smile gracing her lips. "I got it, I got it... sister-in-law."

A huge smile broke out on Tinka's face, and Cece couldn't hold back her own excitement. She dropped the taffeta in her hands, Rocky and Cece following suit. The three of them screamed and hugged each other. Tinka kept her hold on Cece as the hug dissolved.

"Cece, I am so glad you made it."

"My childhood friend and my childhood frenemy are getting married," she teased. "Wouldn't miss it for the world." She gave Tinka another hug for extra measure. "But hey, I know it's strictly girls only, I just miss the guys so much. You can make one tiny exception for about an hour, right?"

"I guess that would be alright," she sighed. After a beat, she gave Cece a smile. "Hurry back though! One hour exactly. There is still much to be done."

Rocky gave her an 'I-told-you-so' look and Cece laughed. "Yes, boss!"

Now, Cece didn't know if Tinka was being serious about taking one hour exactly, but from what Rocky was telling her, and what she had just witnessed herself, she didn't want to take her chances. Thankfully, Ty's apartment was only a 10 minute walk away. She knew Deuce, Flynn, and Gunther would be there together with Ty, and she couldn't bear to not see them all for a day longer. Arriving at the building, she was let in by an elderly lady who had asked her if she forgot her key. Shrugging, Cece trudged right in.

"Honey, I'm home!" She called after finding the apartment door unlocked.

All of a sudden, three pairs of eyes were on her.

"Cece!" They yelled in unison. The next thing she knew, she was being pulled into the apartment and engulfed in a group hug with her three favorite guys.

"I missed you guys so much," she said, hugging each of them individually. She held on to her younger brother for a little longer. "My little brother's not so little anymore," she said, her voice laced with affection.

Flynn hugged her back, letting out a laugh. "And my big sister still hasn't gotten any bigger." She reached up and ruffled his hair, taking a step back.

"Someone's missing," she observed, looking around. "Where's the bride-to-be's brother?"

"Oh, Gunther stepped out to pick up the flower pin things," Deuce said, popping a french fry into his mouth.

Cece laughed. "You mean the boutonnieres?"

Deuce waved his hand. "Yeah, those."

Ty rolled his eyes. "Aren't you glad I picked this guy as my best man?" He teased.

She spent the next little while catching up with all of them, telling Flynn that she would be home late tonight after taking care of things for Tinka. Their mom was now the chief of police and still worked her ridiculous hours, so Cece was hoping that when she got home, her mom would be there. In the meantime, Cece was immersed in a conversation with the guys about how Ty proposed to Tinka, and their initial plans of having a traditional wedding in the style of the old country that Tinka's family came from. When Ty found out that the groom had to wear goat fur on his tuxedo, he had to draw the line. They came to a compromise and settled on a simple park wedding with Tinka's wedding dress following her traditions, while Ty's tuxedo followed his traditions; which meant the basic three-piece suit. This made Cece curious about the bridesmaids dresses. She continued to listen to stories about their lives; she laughed, she gasped, sometimes she gagged. These guys haven't changed one bit.

"Well if it isn't Miss Cece Jones," said a softly accented voice from the doorway. Her head whipped around to see a tall blonde holding a box of what she assumed to be the boutonnieres. She met him with a smile.

"Gunther Hessenheffer," she said, extending her arms the way she remembered him doing from many years ago. He laughed and set the box down on the counter, crossing his arms and taking a step towards her.

"You know, I should still be angry at you for being chosen to move to choreograph Shake It Up, New York instead of me."

Her arms retreated and she shrunk back slightly. "Are you?" She asked in a small voice.

A grin broke out on his face. "Of course not; get over here," he said, enveloping her into a hug. She let out a laugh of relief and hugged him back.

"That's a relief. You're the only one out of everyone that I haven't heard or had a visit from since I moved," she said with an accusatory tone in her voice, narrowing her eyes at him.

He at least had the decency to look ashamed, stepping back and reaching up to scratch the back of his neck. "Yes, well, I did envy seeing you on television for a good year and some months. Then things just got busy, and..." he trailed off.

Cece shrugged, shaking her head. "Hey, really. No big, I understand." She placed her hand on his arm and smiled. "It's good to see you, Gunther."

He returned her smile and Cece found herself having trouble looking away. "You, too."

She couldn't believe it. She almost had to do a double-take when he had walked in. Gunther wasn't the same guy she had last seen when she was 19. Rocky had mentioned him a few times over the phone when they were playing catch-up. She would tell Cece about her and Deuce going on double dates with Ty and Tinka, and once in a while, Gunther would join them... with a different girl every time. 'The guy's a total chick magnet,' Rocky laughed once. 'Gunther? Please,' was always Cece's response. Rocky bet her numerous times that, if she were still living at home, she would be the one with Gunther on their triple dates, because he's "totally her type". Plus they've all been friends forever, so it would make sense. Cece thought that was completely cliché, but what does she know; she was the single one. The whole time, Cece thought Rocky was exaggerating. But looking at Gunther now, she'd definitely never doubt Rocky again. The girl was always the smarter one out of the two of them anyway.

She shook herself out of her reverie. "How have you been, anyway? Last I heard, you were co-choreographer of Shake It Up, Chicago."

"Head choreographer," he corrected, a glint of the Gunther she knew coming back in the way he smirked.

She gave him an impressed look. "Ah! Looks like you're my competition, then."

"Cece, you may be in the Big City now, but I assure you there is still no competition," he teased.

"Oh, really?" He gave her a curt nod. "That sounds like a challenge, Hessenheffer."

"Maybe it is, Jones," he narrowed his eyes at her, taking another step towards her.

"Well then I guess we'll have to settle this on the dance floor." Cece mimicked his expression and after a beat, they let out a laugh.

"I'll meet you there," he said, giving her a genuine smile this time. She smiled back and didn't realize that the other three in the room had been watching with amused eyes the entire time.

"Well," she started, clapping her hands, not meeting any of their eyes. "My hour's up. I should head back before Tinka sends out a search party." She waved to no one in particular and strode towards the apartment door. "I'll talk to you guys later!" She shot Gunther one last smile before jetting off.

The guys said their goodbyes before the door clicked, but a certain blonde's eyes never left the door until Ty spoke up.

"You okay there, Hessenheffer?"

He blinked and turned his head to the voice. "What? Of course." He cleared his throat, grabbing the box he had brought off the counter and swiftly moving across the room to put it with all the other things for the wedding.

Deuce and Ty exchanged knowing looks and shared a silent chuckle.

...

On her way back to Tinka's apartment, Cece was berating and mentally slapping herself. Was she being too obvious? She touched his arm and was pretty sure she batted her eyelashes at one point. Batted! She didn't mean to get all flirty on him like that, but it was just what she did when she encountered attractive men. And Gunther Hessenheffer? Definitely attractive. Who would have known? The guy had filled out and, from what she saw today, ditched the sparky clothes. And maybe it was just her, but did his accent seem more subtle? A part of her kind of missed the old flashy Gunther, but she guessed that living in a different country for 20 years did that to a person. She began to tell herself over and over that it was nothing; he's just another guy. But on the other hand, he was a guy that she grew up with, even became close friends with in high school. Suddenly, Cece thought that maybe Rocky wasn't lying about Gunther being her type now. Granted, her "type" usually just meant tall, handsome, and... a dude, but Cece liked to think that she had higher standards than that. She wouldn't act on anything around Gunther.

It was nothing.

...

Later that night, Rocky was sitting at the counter at her brother's place, where she was staying, thanks to Tinka's rule about dragging her bridal party into not seeing their significant others for more than a few hours per day until the wedding day.

"Gunther totally wants Cece," Ty told his sister, looking in the fridge.

Rocky's eyes widened. "You're kidding."

"The boy couldn't take his eyes off her when she came around today." He shut the refrigerator door and leaned on it, grinning at his sister. "She left and I swear I thought he was gonna burn a hole through my door from staring after her for so long."

"Oh this is too perfect," Rocky laughed. "Cece was acting all weird when she got back to Tinka's. I asked if she saw Gunther and she got all fidgety."

Ty laughed. "There was definitely some flirting going on earlier. You know, I always thought you were a freak for wanting everyone in our little circle to be paired up, but we're 2 for 3 now, and after what I saw, I'm kinda thinking that you're on to something."

"Told you," she said matter-of-factly.

...

When Rocky warned Cece that Tinka was controlling, she wasn't kidding. It was only her second day there, but Tinka threw around jobs for everyone as if she were a princess and they were her housemaids. Even Ty was at every beck-and-call, although they never saw each other since Cece arrived; something about it being a "tradition in the old country" that the bride and groom stay separated two weeks before the wedding. They only communicated through the phone and text messages. Tinka had conveniently applied the tradition to her bridal party, prohibiting Rocky from seeing Deuce for more than two hours a day, accomplishing that by having the girl basically be her personal assistant. This was one of the only times that Cece was thankful she didn't have a boyfriend. She was allowed to see the guys as much as she wanted and help them out with whatever they needed.

Cece found herself being in charge of seating arrangements, decorations, and assisting Deuce with the music. Tinka knew Deuce, and if her thoughts were correct, he and Ty would ensure that the night's entire playlist consisted of bass-heavy remixes that came attached with ridiculous dance crazes that Ty would force the guests to do on the dance floor. Although she would have loved that, Cece had to agree, unsure if Tinka and Gunther's family from the old country would appreciate that very much. It was her job to make sure there was a fair mix of both. One problem... she had no idea about music from their country. She had told Tinka that, and she only told Cece that it was "no longer her problem", and to talk to Gunther about it. 'Fantastic,' Cece thought, not wanting to at all. Deuce was all too happy about the idea and urged them to get right on it. It was strange.

"Why are you insisting that Gunther and I meet up so badly? It's just some CD's," Cece said, looking through some music on Deuce's laptop. "I mean, I can always just Google 'music from...'" she looked up. "What's their country called?"

Deuce guffawed. "I can't even tell you. Gunther mentioned it once and all I heard was random letters mushed together."

"Oh, great."

"Just talk to Gunther, get some ideas. I'm sure he'll be very happy to help you out," Deuce said slowly with a smile on his face.

Her head shot up and she narrowed her eyes at him. "Why do you say it like that?"

"Like what?" He said innocently.

"In your creepy voice. I know that voice."

"I don't have a creepy voice!" He said, offended. "I'm just saying, you two should catch up, I know he's the one you haven't spoken to the longest."

She gave him a suspicious look but decided to let it go. Considering it, she nodded. "I guess you're right."

She didn't know what she was so nervous about. It was only Gunther.