Lightship Chronicles Chapter 3 : The Fruity Dance

by Florin Nicoara

between Dirin's legs. He instantly hunches forward, eyes pulsing and vibrating like they are about to burst out of his head.

  "I am not a little girl!" Nayaa snaps enraged at Dirin. Rather than reacting with concern, Dirin's friends, Madko and Rog, immediately start laughing.

  "Oh... she nailed him right in the bells?" Madko shouts and starts laughing.

  "I can hear them ringing. Listen!" Rog puts his hand to his ear, leans forward, than laughs. Gono simply steps away and up to Andee.

  "Sorry about this. Come on, forget them."

  "My job is done here. Now I'm going to dance. Andee, you better not chicken out. I want to see you on that dance floor." And with that Nayaa heads off.

  "What are you guys doing here?" Andee turns to Gono.

  "What are you doing here?" Gono counters.

  Andee just shrugs his shoulders.

  "Hey man remember what I said to you the day of the race." Gono changes subject.

  "The job."

  "Yup, guess what?"

  "Dude, not this again. I'm not guessing anything."

  "God you're no fun. I have an appointment! Man! At the Bitani friendship center." Gono's face suddenly goes bright with excitement. "That's why we're here, to celebrate." Pointing to the crowd. "Look out there man. Half of those kids are Bitani. See they mix with us. They don't hate us." Gono, bright eyed, is looking at Andee waiting for a response but gets none. "Come on you're not even happy for me?"

  "Ok, ok, I'm happy for you. I mean..." But Andee cuts himself off.

  "But what? Man there's always something."

  "You know what, no, there's nothing. I'm happy for you. I hope it works out. It's great."

  "I know, it will, and you're coming right?"

  "Me? Why?"

  "Because man, if I get a job up there I want you to get one too?"

  Andee once again just looks at Gono with no response.

  "Come on, would you refuse if they gave you a job up there?"

  "I don't know."

  "You don't know? You don't know? Wasn't that our dream?" Gono responds bug-eyed in shock.

  "Yeah, but that was years ago. Things change."

  "Come on man, seriously?" Andee just shrugs his shoulders. "Listen man, you really need to come tomorrow. Because..." But now Gono cuts himself off.

  "Because?"

  "Because I know something. "

  "I'm sure you do."

  "I'm serious, but I don't want to tell you. Just trust me, come with me to the appointment tomorrow and you'll find out."

  "Are you trying to hook me with a mystery because you know I can't stand mysteries?"

  "Ha, ha. I wish, no. But I guess if it works sure. But really no, I'm not doing that. It's a surprise, and I want it to be that way until tomorrow. So you're coming right?"

  "Sure. I've never been to the friendship center. Lets see how friendly they really are."

  "Excellent!" Gono throws his left arm around Andee's shoulders in excitement.

  The club is thumping. The music is a mix of drum and base with electronic melodies all drowned in a sea of grinding rhythmic electric guitar riffs. It's dance music with an edge.

  Nayaa is in the middle of the dance floor dancing with a 3D light partner. She is keeping her moves toned down staying in step with everyone else.

  Andee and Gono are leaning on a railing around the dance floor. They watch the dancers quietly for a while.

  "So-oo you and Nayaa, what's the deal?" Gono interrupts the peace.

  "Deal? What do you mean?"

  "You guys hooking up? Is she you girlfriend..."

  "No!" Andee responds with pure shock and disdain on his face. "Dude, she's like my little sister, ewwww. No way."

  "Really? Cuz I kind'a thought..."

  "No way man, nooooo..."

  "Cool." Gono reacts satisfied with a broad smile. He focuses his eyes on Nayaa. He watches her dance. He looks at her long legs in her skin tight pants. Her flat stomach exposed for under her tight little top. Her muscular arms with their glowing golden skin. There are hundreds of girls in that club, but his eyes are locked only on one.

  Andee on the other hand is looking up. Across from him on the mezzanine there is a group of Bitani kids. Their light and brightly colored clothing, made of the finest fabrics, makes them stand out from the Carpati with their more course earth toned attire. The Bitani also seem taller and slimmer in general with finer features. But Andee is not looking at the group. He is looking at one in particular. A tall blonde in an all white transparent draping dress. Her breasts and hips are covered with a beautifully spiraling body hugging white wrap visible through the dress. The dress itself is more like a haze of ribbons around her body wrap. When she moves the dress flows with her gestures making her seem ephemeral, almost like a light-fairy. Andee's eyes are locked on her when a voice intrudes in his thoughts.

  "Man she's hot." Gono blurts out loud.

  "Yeah she is, she is beautiful." Andee responds dazed.

  "I thought you said she's like your sister."

  "What?"

  "Nayaa."

  Ah--wah, what are you talking about?"

  "Nayaa man, I'm talking about Nayaa. Look at her. Those long sexy legs, man she's way taller than I remember. Is she still in school? I haven't seen her in months."

  "Ah, yeah-yeah she is."

  "Dude look at her. She is gorgeous. She's even hotter than the Bitani girls, and they're all usually knockouts."

  "Yeah, I guess, she looks alright."

  "All right? Man." Gono shaking his head in disbelief.

  "Why don't you go talk to her?" Andee challenges him.

  "I will, but... I still can't believe you hang out with her every day and..."

  "Dude, I told you she's like my little sister. We grew up together since were kids. I don't remember a day where I haven't seen her around. When we were kids we did everything together. Honestly, if it wasn't for her I don't think I would be as good as I am at Ghimpour, stick fighting, and all that. She pushes me, and she learns so fast, and then I have to get better because I can't stand losing to her. So that's how it is with her. She's like my sister and training partner. It's just the way it is."

  "I get it, but that's too bad for you. She's gorgeous. I can't believe how much she has changed from last year. She is woman now. Look at that body."

  "Dude she's still 15."

  "No she's not, she's 16 in a few days, and I'm 17 so what's the problem?"

  "No problem, to me she's still... It doesn't matter. Look, obviously you like her, go talk to her. "

  "Yeah, I should. You know you could help me out. Put in a good word for me."

  "Like what?"

  "Dude, I don't know. Say something positive to her about me. Or better yet come up with something where we have to hang out together."

  "We're hanging out now, why don't you go dance with her?"

  Gono releases a dissatisfied deep breath and shakes his head.

  "Listen man, I'm not your match maker. She's right there. You want her, go to her."

  "She doesn't even know I'm alive."

  "Make her notice you. You're into this music, you can dance. Don't say a word just go dance with her."

  "Alright, but you're coming with me." Andee shakes his head no. "Dude, come on. Help me out here." Andee reluctantly agrees. They walk to the dance floor.

  Gono nervously approaches. He starts dancing, slowly approaching her but too scared to make eye contact. Nayaa, like Gono said, doesn't even notice him and immediately confronts Andee. She starts spinning in place on the tips of her toes like a ballerina, then stops with a hand gesture challenging Andee. Andee's nerves go out the window. The challenge is on. He too spins on the spot but on his left heel, gently leaning back and with his right foot slightly out forward. He then twists his torso to the left sweeping down with his head near his left foot while his right foot swings up to counter balance his windmill like move. He continues spinning this way gaining speed. His strange position
makes him look like a spinning windmill, with his right leg and body each being opposite props. The movement looks un-natural, nearly impossible, yet he is doing it. The crowd around him begins to pull away and watch. Gono, who was still attempting a dance move or two with Nayaa, concedes, since she is in fact ignoring him. Her eyes are focused on Andee and his accelerating full body windmill twirl. Gono takes a step back with the crowd.

  Nayaa and Andee then proceed to break the dance floor with their moves. Every elaborate move you can imagine, from spinning on their heads, knees, arms, back, to somersaults and flips, Nayaa and Andee do them all. They utilize the floor, they jump up on the scaffolding platforms, climbing, jumping, dancing in their own unique complex acrobatic style.

  The whole club comes to a stop and turns into a theater with only two performers on show, Andee and Nayaa. Nayaa starts engaging the 3D animations and they mimic her movements but even they can't keep up, yet the combination of Nayaa and Andee's elaborate art, intertwined with their 3D animated partners, makes for a spectacle like nothing else.

  They dance for nearly fifteen minutes before exhaustion catches up with them. They end their dance with a graceful bow. The club rips up in applause, then everyone goes back to their fun. The floor quickly fills back up with dancers now eager to push their own limits. As Andee turns to walk away he glances up at the staircase to the mezzanine. Walking down the transparent steps, in fact flowing down the steps like a moon fairy, the blonde Bitani girl is gracefully descending, eyes locked on Andee. He looks at her mesmerized for a moment, then makes eye contact. When he realizes she has been staring at him the whole time he freezes on the spot.

  Nayaa, who walked away looks back to see why Andee isn't walking next to her. She sees him frozen on the