Flirting with Danger Bk 1
My Dancer
My Dancer
I walked wearily down the nearly empty hall, the only people left rushing off to class like the rest. I had heard from a girl that had had gym last period that we’d be learning to dance. It was no longer an elective apparently.
I sighed sadly, knowing what a fool I was about to make of myself, jumping around and attempting to do flips I had no right or experience to do. I stopped at my blue locker only to gather my messenger bag full of school books before continuing my walk towards inevitable embarrassment.
Maybe if I was just late enough, all the positions would be filled. I thought as I walked through the windy breezeway, my dirty blonde hair whipping around my face and in my deep green eyes. The girl I’d talked to said it’d been horrible, very humiliating. And I didn’t much care for that sort of thing. I was much more for something that wouldn’t get me laughed at and humiliated to death. Like checkers! But I sighed anyway, and knowing that what I was headed for wasn’t anywhere near checkers, I proceeded to drag myself against my will towards the gym.
I had lived in Colorado all my life, and had never ventured out of the state. Maxville, my beloved hometown, was so small it wasn’t even a dot on the map. It had a large lake near it, Lake Ivy, and it wasn’t far from a big city. Or should I say “bigger town”, because Brookstock wasn’t much bigger. I mean, sure it had a mall, a big theater, a Wal-Mart and, all kinds of job opportunities and actually was a dot on the map, but it could never take the place of Maxville. I was sixteen and a junior in Maxville High. It was my first day and I’d already been tardy.
I got to my reluctant destination quicker than I wanted and was soon walking through the gym doors, coming in on the side of stadium style bleachers that wrapped around the entire gym. Everything was decked out in blue and white, and as I crossed the shiny wooden basketball court to where my class was, I passed over the face of a white wolf on the floor. Yep, that’s what we were, the Maxville Wolves.
“Kota!” called a light blonde headed girl, beckoning to me from the bleachers and I obliged happily. This was MarySue Baxter, or Sue for short. She was the loyalist friend I’d ever had and we’d known each other for years. We shared a couple features, like our petite builds, button noses, and pale skin, but other than that we were completely different in our personalities. She was almost always sweet, had an innocent way of looking at the world and its contents, and was shy, whereas I was pretty cocky, strong-willed, outgoing, and always making people laugh. We were pretty popular with the guys, but none of them every came between us because we were a team and we knew we’d be together forever, no matter what.
“Dakota, where’ve you been? We’ve all been waiting for you.” said a strong voice and I spun around to face Coach Bailey. He was a handsome man for thirty-five, didn’t look his age at all, with light brown hair that matched his eyes and a tan that showed a lot of red in his skin.
“I stared at him for a minute and then said smoothly, “Who, me? Mr. Butler kept me after class and made me redo my whole paper again. But I hurried over here as fast as I could, Coach.” I slumped my shoulders and acted like I’d just run the length of the entire school, which was where Mr. Butler’s class was. He was my History teach and a mean old codger that had followed me to my next grade, planning to ruin another of my most cherished years.
The coach frowned in sympathy and cocked his head to one side. “Has he been grilling you again?” he asked putting his hands on his hips.
I nodded, frowning like a victim of History’s wrath.
“Well that grumpy old coot.” he said, looking around the room in exasperation, taking his hands from his hips. “I’ll have to have a talk with him later. You can’t be missing this class this year.” He smiled down at me supportively and I heard some giggles and sighs of jealousy from girls behind me.
“Thanks Coach, you’re a lifesaver.” I said, straightening and patting him once on the arm before sitting beside Sue a few seats up.
“Kota, this is hardly a life threatening matter.” he said, looking up at me with half a smile.
“Well it kind of is because I almost murdered my feet running down here. My heels are killing me.” I said, showing him my high heeled tan wedges and he chuckled.
“Well then it was my pleasure. You’ll need those quick feet for what we’ll be doing this year.” he said, smiling and shaking his head as he walked slowly down the room.
“All thanks to you!” I called with a smiled and he glanced back at me with a grin. Sue nudged me and giggled when Coach Bailey looked away.
“You’re amazing.” she whispered and then I got a quiet applause from everyone around me, including a few thumbs up. I liked to believe I was born with my amazing influential ability, only using this power for good… in most cases anyway.
“Okay, okay, now listen up kids!” said Coach Bailey, walking back slowly towards where we were sitting as he looked up at all of us. “We’re going to have some people come in here in a minute to demonstrate a dance that we’ll be practicing. They’re paying us a kindness so you will return it by being quiet and polite.” He shot a warning look at one group in particular in the high upper corner. And when everyone stayed quiet he walked around to a pair of doors on the side of the bleachers, opposite of where I’d come in.
Sue and I looked at each other and just then we heard sweet music being played, the sound coming from where the coach had disappeared. Then four couples dressed in tuxes and gowns came swirling into view. They continued to swirl as they headed to the center of the gym floor where they proceeded to create a dancing circle around the white wolf’s head.
They moved so fluidly across the floor, it was like watching water flow over smooth stones. The music seemed to own them; it’s sweet, slow notes seizing their bodies and bending them as it saw fit. They were a gorgeous sight to behold, and I was so awestruck I had an urge to join them, but just as I felt myself making a move to stand I caught something out of the corner of my eye.
I walked wearily down the nearly empty hall, the only people left rushing off to class like the rest. I had heard from a girl that had had gym last period that we’d be learning to dance. It was no longer an elective apparently.
I sighed sadly, knowing what a fool I was about to make of myself, jumping around and attempting to do flips I had no right or experience to do. I stopped at my blue locker only to gather my messenger bag full of school books before continuing my walk towards inevitable embarrassment.
Maybe if I was just late enough, all the positions would be filled. I thought as I walked through the windy breezeway, my dirty blonde hair whipping around my face and in my deep green eyes. The girl I’d talked to said it’d been horrible, very humiliating. And I didn’t much care for that sort of thing. I was much more for something that wouldn’t get me laughed at and humiliated to death. Like checkers! But I sighed anyway, and knowing that what I was headed for wasn’t anywhere near checkers, I proceeded to drag myself against my will towards the gym.
I had lived in Colorado all my life, and had never ventured out of the state. Maxville, my beloved hometown, was so small it wasn’t even a dot on the map. It had a large lake near it, Lake Ivy, and it wasn’t far from a big city. Or should I say “bigger town”, because Brookstock wasn’t much bigger. I mean, sure it had a mall, a big theater, a Wal-Mart and, all kinds of job opportunities and actually was a dot on the map, but it could never take the place of Maxville. I was sixteen and a junior in Maxville High. It was my first day and I’d already been tardy.
I got to my reluctant destination quicker than I wanted and was soon walking through the gym doors, coming in on the side of stadium style bleachers that wrapped around the entire gym. Everything was decked out in blue and white, and as I crossed the shiny wooden basketball court to where my class was, I passed over the face of a white wolf on the floor. Yep, that’s what we were, the Maxville Wolves.
“Kota!” called a light blonde headed girl, beckoning to me from the bleachers and I obliged happily. This was MarySue Baxter, or Sue for short. She was the loyalist friend I’d ever had and we’d known each other for years. We shared a couple features, like our petite builds, button noses, and pale skin, but other than that we were completely different in our personalities. She was almost always sweet, had an innocent way of looking at the world and its contents, and was shy, whereas I was pretty cocky, strong-willed, outgoing, and always making people laugh. We were pretty popular with the guys, but none of them every came between us because we were a team and we knew we’d be together forever, no matter what.
“Dakota, where’ve you been? We’ve all been waiting for you.” said a strong voice and I spun around to face Coach Bailey. He was a handsome man for thirty-five, didn’t look his age at all, with light brown hair that matched his eyes and a tan that showed a lot of red in his skin.
“I stared at him for a minute and then said smoothly, “Who, me? Mr. Butler kept me after class and made me redo my whole paper again. But I hurried over here as fast as I could, Coach.” I slumped my shoulders and acted like I’d just run the length of the entire school, which was where Mr. Butler’s class was. He was my History teach and a mean old codger that had followed me to my next grade, planning to ruin another of my most cherished years.
The coach frowned in sympathy and cocked his head to one side. “Has he been grilling you again?” he asked putting his hands on his hips.
I nodded, frowning like a victim of History’s wrath.
“Well that grumpy old coot.” he said, looking around the room in exasperation, taking his hands from his hips. “I’ll have to have a talk with him later. You can’t be missing this class this year.” He smiled down at me supportively and I heard some giggles and sighs of jealousy from girls behind me.
“Thanks Coach, you’re a lifesaver.” I said, straightening and patting him once on the arm before sitting beside Sue a few seats up.
“Kota, this is hardly a life threatening matter.” he said, looking up at me with half a smile.
“Well it kind of is because I almost murdered my feet running down here. My heels are killing me.” I said, showing him my high heeled tan wedges and he chuckled.
“Well then it was my pleasure. You’ll need those quick feet for what we’ll be doing this year.” he said, smiling and shaking his head as he walked slowly down the room.
“All thanks to you!” I called with a smiled and he glanced back at me with a grin. Sue nudged me and giggled when Coach Bailey looked away.
“You’re amazing.” she whispered and then I got a quiet applause from everyone around me, including a few thumbs up. I liked to believe I was born with my amazing influential ability, only using this power for good… in most cases anyway.
“Okay, okay, now listen up kids!” said Coach Bailey, walking back slowly towards where we were sitting as he looked up at all of us. “We’re going to have some people come in here in a minute to demonstrate a dance that we’ll be practicing. They’re paying us a kindness so you will return it by being quiet and polite.” He shot a warning look at one group in particular in the high upper corner. And when everyone stayed quiet he walked around to a pair of doors on the side of the bleachers, opposite of where I’d come in.
Sue and I looked at each other and just then we heard sweet music being played, the sound coming from where the coach had disappeared. Then four couples dressed in tuxes and gowns came swirling into view. They continued to swirl as they headed to the center of the gym floor where they proceeded to create a dancing circle around the white wolf’s head.
They moved so fluidly across the floor, it was like watching water flow over smooth stones. The music seemed to own them; it’s sweet, slow notes seizing their bodies and bending them as it saw fit. They were a gorgeous sight to behold, and I was so awestruck I had an urge to join them, but just as I felt myself making a move to stand I caught something out of the corner of my eye.