Flirting with Danger Bk 1

“Your Tango was inspiring, but your Waltz caught my particular interest. There was just something about you two waltzing.” Amelia said a week later, leaning against the floor-to-ceiling mirror in the dance room.
Connelly and I weren’t standing far away, taking a drink and sweating all over. Connelly’s family (Well, except Ivan, who was practicing with Sue at her house.) and I had been dancing for hours, trying new positions, new steps, flips, and in addition to that Connelly and I were doing all this with two types of dances. It was late in the morning now and we were working hard.
I’d been spending a lot of time in the dance room, practicing for hours at a time on these two dances because the Italy dance competition was only four weeks away. We were actually going to compete in an actual dance hall where actual global professional dancers actually competed! Needless to say, I was excited.
“Yes, but which one was our best?” Connelly asked, now for the thousandth time. They had been going over and over this ever since we’d begun.
“We’ve already done the Tango twice and everyone seemed to like it both times.” I said as I stretched.
“Yes, but your Waltz keeps coming back to me. Maybe we need to do something different this time.” she said.
“I say your Tango was by far much better. Even though those moves were standard and basic, they looked very professional.” Mira said, coming over to stand beside me. She smiled sweetly at me and I returned it, happy we were finally friends.
“But her Waltz was wonderful!” Aubrey interjected, coming away from the mirror and going to the other side of me. “It was so romantic how you kept your eyes locked on each other. It was so intense, I was on the edge of my seat, watching you two.” she said, throwing an arm around my shoulders with a smile. I smiled too, putting my hand on her other shoulder and doing the same with Mira.
“Maybe you should do both.” said Vincent, who was beside Connelly, a water bottle in his hand.
“What?” I said, looking at him with shock and confusion on my face.
“It’s not a bad idea.” said Alister, who was leaning on the mirror between Mira and Amelia. He looked up from messing with his water bottle and at me.
“No, I can’t do that. We’re already having enough trouble coming up with new steps for the Tango. No way.” I said, shaking my head.
“It is possible.” said Amelia, her eyes frozen to just above her clipboard, like she was picturing how it was going to work.
“We could do it.” said Connelly, looking at me with seriousness in his eyes. Aubrey and Mira looked over too, and slowly withdrew their arms from me.
“How? How could we learn two dances in two styles in four weeks?” I said, looking at him like I knew he knew we couldn’t pull it off.
“I do it all the time.” he said.
“Well I don’t. And what about all the new steps we’d have to come up with? I doubt we’ll have any ideas that haven’t already been conjured up yet.” I argued.
“Stop making excuses Kota.” Alister said and I looked over at him. He was wearing an amused smile as he looked back at me.
“I’m not making excuses.” I said, but I couldn’t help but smile back. He smiled wider and took a drink of his water, shaking his head to let me know he didn’t believe me.
“Yeah, and besides. We always have something new.” Vincent added, wearing the same amused smile as Alister.
“Kota,” Connelly said and I turned back to him. He took my hand and said, “We can do this.”
“Are you sure?” I asked.
“Positive.” Amelia said, having snapped from her brainstorming, or whatever that was. She was looking at me with a smile.
“Okay.” I said and they all smiled.
“Alright then.” Amelia said and we all looked at her. “Let’s get to work.” she said and then waved her hands for us to move.
We returned to our original spots and continued practice. Amelia circled Connelly and I as we danced, offering advice, telling us ideas for steps and moves. And along with Amelia helping us, so did the rest of Connelly’s family, but really, we all helped each other out.
Another two hours and we were done, it being noon and time for lunch. We started down the stairs to the gaming room, and when we stepped inside, I saw several boxes of various pizzas lying on the table in a neat row. Their smell hit my nose and my eyes almost rolled up into my head, it was so good. Mathias, who was sitting on the couch, turned around to look at us as we all entered.
“I hope you don’t mind. I had a craving.” he said and then smiled. Everyone rushed in and quickly grabbed what pieces they wanted and hurried to the couch. But of course me being human, I was the last to the table even though I was running. All the boxes were empty by the time I got there and I sighed. Dad-gum vampires. I thought and mentally snapped my fingers. I heard some snickering and looked over to see them all looking at me over the back of the couch, smiles on their faces.
“Snooze you lose Kota.” said Vincent with a mouth full of pizza, so really it sounded like, “Shoes woo whooze Tota.”
“Just have to do better next time.” Alister said and shrugged, though he was smiling.
“Come here Kota. I’ll share mine with you.” Connelly said and patted the seat beside him on the sectional.
“Thanks.” I said and went over to him. I sat down and reached out to get some of his pizza, but he moved it away from me.
“Hey, get your own.” he said. I gave him a confused look and looked down to see that there was a plate in my lap of the exact number and kind of pizza I liked on it. I looked back at him and they all laughed.
“Poor Kota.” Aubrey said, looking around Vincent at me with a smile.
“Yeah, she’s so mistreated.” Alister said in mock sympathy and I nodded, sticking my bottom lip out. We all laughed and I of course, being the comedian that I was, choked on my pizza so we could all laugh harder. I am such a giver.

That night Sue and I were in my room looking on the internet for dresses for the competition. We had made a list of all the ones we liked, as well as printed their pictures for later referencing, and they were all strewn across my desk and bed.
“Man, I’m so sore from dancing.” I said, rubbing my thigh as I slumped on the bed.
“Yeah me too. Ivan was drilling me so hard today I think I actually sprained my butt muscle.” said Sue, looking back at me with a pained look, but smiled when I laughed.
“What?” she asked, starting to laugh too.