A Dancing Connection

"Five...six...five, six, seven, eight." Jake's deep booming voice rings through the ballroom as I practice my dance for the umpteenth time in a row. I've been breathing heavily, but each time I end, he tells me to do it again. He won't tell me if something is wrong or if I'm really bad tonight, or what. He just keeps making us do it over and over again. He's not breaking a sweat, but he barely has a part in the dance. It's my solo that makes this dance. Especially since it's for my eighteenth birthday. My dad's set up this party and I'm supposed to dance for everyone. The old, old fashioned man thinks this is a transition of my "coming of age". I just say let me go party with my friends.

Jake swoops in and takes my outstretched hands and waltzes with me. We look into each other's eyes and I don't miss a step and I don't mess up and after he does the slow, tantalizing dip, he lifts me quickly, spins me, I spin off and land in my graceful pose. Again, I'm breathing heavily and waiting for my ten seconds to be up.

"Again." Jake says after they're up. I groan loudly and got to the ground on my knees. I'm getting really frustrated with this continuum of doing my dance over and over again. I have three more days until the party and I've already gotten my dance down. What is making him make me do this over and over again?

"Am I doing something wrong?!" I practically yell at him. He turns around and looks at me. There's nothing in his eyes. No anger, no pride, nothing.

"Again." He states. I groan. Jake and I are the same age and we've been going to the same school since we were enrolled, usually in the same elementary classes and most middle school classes. HIgh school was obviously different. We just graduated last month and now, June sixth, my birthday, we were spending it together with this dance. Something my dad requested because he and Jake's dad are best friends and he's got this fantasy in his brain about us getting together. It's not going to end up happening. I mean, we're great friends and all...

The music starts again and I take a quick, deep breath and start my routine all over again. As soon as I get to the part where Jake comes in, he swoops in quicker than normal and I'm unbalanced for a quick moment. There's a smirk playing on his face and I ignore it, trying to focus on my moves rather than his screw up...if you call it that. He dips me down slowly and I'm ready to continue, but he leaves me there. I look up at him with confusion and he only smiles at me. He leans closer to me and our noses touch, but just barely.

"Nothing was wrong...I just love seeing you dance. I've had the biggest crush on you for the longest time." He whispers. What he does next is shocking, but what's more shocking is my reaction. He closes the space between him and I and I close my eyes in response. Our lips touch, gently, but sweetly. Passionately, but not hard. He lifts me slowly while pulling away from me and I spin, going into my pose that I end up in, my heart being fast and my stomach filled with butterflies.

I sit on the computer with Miriam on Skype and my hair freshly washed and blow dried. It's late at night and I've changed into my baggy sweats and baggy t-shirt. My contacts are out and my glasses are on. Miriam and I are discussing what happened at dance practice tonight. Only she, Jake, my family, and his family know about the dance. Her parents don't know and the rest of our friends don't know, and that's how it's supposed to be.

"So, he just kissed you. Like that." She states as if trying to make herself believe it. I look at her expectantly, trying to understand what she's getting at here.

"Finally he admits it to you." She says outright. I stare at her with wide eyes and she gives me a look as if she's saying "what?". I'm dumbfounded by what she's said. "Finally he admits it to me"? What does that mean? Does that mean he's liked me for such a long time?

Oh my Lanta. I'm an idiot. He even stated it to me. He's had a crush on me for a long time. I smack myself in the forehead and Miriam laughs. She's just realized my stupid mistake when it came to remembering what he's said. Soon, I hear ticking on my balcony doors. I look at MIriam.

"There's a weird ticking sound on my doors..." I tell her. She has a knowing look on her face, but she doesn't say anything.

"I'm going to bed. Goodnight!" She smiles and clicks off before I can say anything. I stare at the screen a moment before the ticking happens again. I sigh, get up, and head to the balcony doors. I open them and look around. There's nothing that could be causing the ticks. What's going on?

"PSST!" Someone says loudly. I look below and Jake's standing there with pebbles in his hand. I roll my eyes, smiling to myself. Just like a fairytale.

"What are you doing?!" I whisper down o him. He only smiles and heads to the trellis and begins to climb it. He makes his way to the top and lands on the balcony with ease. I jump back, thinking he's going to land on my feet. He chuckles and walks towards me. I don't move. I can't move. The butterflies are back and my heart is beating a thousand times per minute right now. He lightly touches my cheek with the back of his hand and my eyes close. His touch is gentle and it leaves tingles on my skin. I open my eyes and he's closer than what he was. He lets his hand fold out and he rests it on my neck, just to where his fingers are starting to make their way into my hair. He raises his other hand and does the same thing. He kisses me and my hands make their way up to his neck too. He kisses me deeply, deeper than when we were at dance practice. He pulls away only slightly and we're both breathing heavily, most likely from the adrenaline. He kisses me again and it makes me realize how much I've had a crush on him too.

Reviews

[613]

The last paragraph is precious - a fantasy I had when I was a teenager.

I suggest using a different word to describe this: "baggy sweats and baggy t-shirt"; maybe oversized could work?

I truthfully enjoyed this!

- Brittney