Did You Get What You Deserve?

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“And now, place your hand on your partner’s waist. Waist, John, a little higher. Not that high! Gill, Patrick, don’t stand so close. This is good, clean dancing. We don’t want any hanky-panky.”

I grinned at James. Ms Hicks, known to the students behind her back as General, had decided she was going to teach us to dance. And, of course, this was riotously funny to us. The idea of General Hicks dancing was, to say the least, ridiculous.

“Behave, Debbie Anyon!”

Ms Hicks was a formidable opponent, and no-one could push her buttons quite like Debbie could. Mrs Henderson, at the start of assembly, would stand up the front of the hall and say “now quiet down, boys and girls.” Then, when no-one paid her any attention, General Hicks would barge her way to the front. Ignoring the microphone, she would yell “QUIET!” And instantly, silence fell over the whole auditorium. Even Debbie.

“One, two, three. Andrew, you have two left feet. Pick up those toes, don’t shuffle!”

James rested his chin on the top of my head. It was pissing me off slightly that he was growing tall like his dad, while I was growing short like mine.

“Alec,” whispered Alana as we passed her, “are you having your sweet sixteen tonight?”

I nodded. Alana and I were sort of friends. She had admitted that in the first few months at a new school she had a tendency to be slightly two-faced. She apologised and promised she really did like me, and then we had a long bitchfest about a girl in our class we hated. This bitchfest was mostly made up of her bitching and me nodding and trying to say as little as possible. Afterwards, I realised that if she could bitch that way about that girl, she could bitch that way about me. So I kept our relationship on polite terms. If anyone asks, we’re friends. If no-one asks, we’re acquaintances. We’re never going to be bosom buddies. Fat chance.

“Alecsandra Iero, stand up straight!”

I jerked myself upright, fighting the urge to kick James for laughing.

“Dreaming?” he whispered.

“No,” I replied.

“What about?”

“Nothing.”

“Sex? With who?”

“What?”

“With me? Alec, I’m so flattered!”

I stomped on his toes. He gasped and hopped on the spot while still trying to dance.

“James Way, stop making up your own dance and do the one I’ve told you to do.”

The bell rang. The class scurried away to the changing rooms. James sat down on the floor and took off his shoe.

“You broke my toes,” he said.

I sat down beside him.

“Did not.”

“Yes you did, see? They’re all red.”

I peered at his foot, then prodded one of his toes.

“Does that hurt?”

“Nope.”

“They’re not broken. Get up, lazy.”

“No.”

He grabbed the front of my shirt and pulled me into a kiss. General Hicks, walking past behind us, whacked the back of James’ head with a shoe.

“Would you two lovebirds get a move on?”

I grinned and jumped to my feet.

“Yes, Ms Hicks.”

James held out his hands, wiggling his fingers pitifully until I pulled him up. Then he planted a kiss on my nose and headed towards the boys’ changing rooms.

“See you out the other side,” he said.