A Step to Love
Benny!
The ride from the house to the dance academy became pretty quiet. Well, totally quiet; none of us said anything. Jenny and Alex were on the backseat, and, of course, I was next to Brody.
Brody didn’t even glance my way. He would just look at the rear-view mirror every now and then. I was afraid of looking at Alex again. Maybe looking at him would make things even more awkward, so I kept quiet and stared out the window.
I didn’t notice we had reached the academy until Brody said so. As a complete gentleman—or trying to be one, at least—Brody got the door for me and I smiled.
“My lady,” he said. What the hell? I laughed.
Alex helped Jenny out and she smiled her I’m-a-slut-smile at him and then grinned devilishly at me. Did she know something about what happened between me and Alex?
Brody didn’t take my hand like I had expected him to; he took my elbow and led me inside the building. The place was completely filled with Christmases lights. Thankfully all of them were yellow.
And that reminded me of...
I pushed the thought aside. There was no point reminding those happy moments. Correction: there was no point reminding the happiest moments of my life that wouldn’t come back. I had to think of the present and enjoy it fully.
When we got to the front door, I started to reach for the inside of my shoe—I had the habit of placing money in there since I didn’t like carrying purses; Brody caught my hand and gave Ernie (a dark and muscled young dancer that was in charge of the tickets) a twenty-dollar bill.
Ernie returned him a smile and a “enjoy your evening.”
Brody led me to the middle of the dance floor and brought his lips to my ear. “I have a surprise before we start dancing.”
Joy.I just love surprises.
He picked my left hand and brushed his lips against my knuckles. “Come on.” He linked his hand with mine and I knew that not only was I looking like a moron again staring eye-widened at him, but I also knew that I wasn’t going to say anything.
I let him guide me; he placed his other hand on my eyes.
“All right, when I uncover your eyes...gasp—even if you’re not surprised—just gasp,” I heard him say to me. “It’ll make me happy if my surprise has some kind of reaction.”
Again I smiled, hiding how weird I felt to know that he enjoyed making me happy when we didn’t know each other much. It really made me look at him in a different way.
Different didn’t exactly mean good different.
“You ready?” Brody asked and I nodded.
When he uncovered my eyes, I saw a young man in his twenties with brown hair. His frame was thin and his blue gaze was staring amusingly at me.
I remembered that crocked smile everywhere even if it got stuck in the biggest crowd.
“Benny?” I ran toward him and wrapped my arms tightly around his waist. “Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God, oh my God, oh my God!” I couldn’t help but to be so happy. Benny was like a best friend in the academy. He always helped me with everything I needed.
Then I turned to Brody and hugged him, too. Wow, I must be really affected. “Thank you so much!”
Both of the guys laughed and I turned to Benny again wrapping my small arms around his back and buried my face in his chest.
God, how much I had missed him.
“Girl, do not stain my shirt—it’s new.” I laughed at the sound of his voice; most people think that Benny—being gay and super thin and whatnot—will have a girly voice, but when he opens his mouth, every girl just wishes to make him straight. Benny was indeed handsome, but his voice...
Sigh.
“Well, I better leave you two to chat,” Brody said to the both of us and then turned his eyes to me. “I’ll be with Rein if you need me.” Of course he would be with his friends.
Men.
Benny stayed quiet until Brody disappeared in the crowd. He took my elbow and led me to the empty and dark office. He switched on the light and went to the desk to sit on top of it. I sat on one of the chairs that were available for the parents when they need to wait for the students to come out. “Lillian, tell me everything!” Benny exclaimed. “You and Brody? Oh my God, I’ve been away for too long.”
I smiled weakly. “We’re not together, Benny. He’s just my date for the night.”
“And what about Alex?”
My eyes widened and I open my mouth to deny, but he cut me off.
“You are going to tell him you like him, right?” Benny raised an eyebrow at me and before I spoke, I waited to analyze my words cautiously.
“I...don’t...like Alex.”
He snickered and rose. “Yeah, keep telling yourself that.” I opened my mouth and again he cut me off. People just love doing that ,eh? “Anyway, want to hear about my trip or not?”
“Yeah, sure.”
Brody didn’t even glance my way. He would just look at the rear-view mirror every now and then. I was afraid of looking at Alex again. Maybe looking at him would make things even more awkward, so I kept quiet and stared out the window.
I didn’t notice we had reached the academy until Brody said so. As a complete gentleman—or trying to be one, at least—Brody got the door for me and I smiled.
“My lady,” he said. What the hell? I laughed.
Alex helped Jenny out and she smiled her I’m-a-slut-smile at him and then grinned devilishly at me. Did she know something about what happened between me and Alex?
Brody didn’t take my hand like I had expected him to; he took my elbow and led me inside the building. The place was completely filled with Christmases lights. Thankfully all of them were yellow.
And that reminded me of...
I pushed the thought aside. There was no point reminding those happy moments. Correction: there was no point reminding the happiest moments of my life that wouldn’t come back. I had to think of the present and enjoy it fully.
When we got to the front door, I started to reach for the inside of my shoe—I had the habit of placing money in there since I didn’t like carrying purses; Brody caught my hand and gave Ernie (a dark and muscled young dancer that was in charge of the tickets) a twenty-dollar bill.
Ernie returned him a smile and a “enjoy your evening.”
Brody led me to the middle of the dance floor and brought his lips to my ear. “I have a surprise before we start dancing.”
Joy.I just love surprises.
He picked my left hand and brushed his lips against my knuckles. “Come on.” He linked his hand with mine and I knew that not only was I looking like a moron again staring eye-widened at him, but I also knew that I wasn’t going to say anything.
I let him guide me; he placed his other hand on my eyes.
“All right, when I uncover your eyes...gasp—even if you’re not surprised—just gasp,” I heard him say to me. “It’ll make me happy if my surprise has some kind of reaction.”
Again I smiled, hiding how weird I felt to know that he enjoyed making me happy when we didn’t know each other much. It really made me look at him in a different way.
Different didn’t exactly mean good different.
“You ready?” Brody asked and I nodded.
When he uncovered my eyes, I saw a young man in his twenties with brown hair. His frame was thin and his blue gaze was staring amusingly at me.
I remembered that crocked smile everywhere even if it got stuck in the biggest crowd.
“Benny?” I ran toward him and wrapped my arms tightly around his waist. “Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God, oh my God, oh my God!” I couldn’t help but to be so happy. Benny was like a best friend in the academy. He always helped me with everything I needed.
Then I turned to Brody and hugged him, too. Wow, I must be really affected. “Thank you so much!”
Both of the guys laughed and I turned to Benny again wrapping my small arms around his back and buried my face in his chest.
God, how much I had missed him.
“Girl, do not stain my shirt—it’s new.” I laughed at the sound of his voice; most people think that Benny—being gay and super thin and whatnot—will have a girly voice, but when he opens his mouth, every girl just wishes to make him straight. Benny was indeed handsome, but his voice...
Sigh.
“Well, I better leave you two to chat,” Brody said to the both of us and then turned his eyes to me. “I’ll be with Rein if you need me.” Of course he would be with his friends.
Men.
Benny stayed quiet until Brody disappeared in the crowd. He took my elbow and led me to the empty and dark office. He switched on the light and went to the desk to sit on top of it. I sat on one of the chairs that were available for the parents when they need to wait for the students to come out. “Lillian, tell me everything!” Benny exclaimed. “You and Brody? Oh my God, I’ve been away for too long.”
I smiled weakly. “We’re not together, Benny. He’s just my date for the night.”
“And what about Alex?”
My eyes widened and I open my mouth to deny, but he cut me off.
“You are going to tell him you like him, right?” Benny raised an eyebrow at me and before I spoke, I waited to analyze my words cautiously.
“I...don’t...like Alex.”
He snickered and rose. “Yeah, keep telling yourself that.” I opened my mouth and again he cut me off. People just love doing that ,eh? “Anyway, want to hear about my trip or not?”
“Yeah, sure.”