by A. E. Murphy
I really want to kick him in the dick. “Touch me and I will break your fingers, in the studio or not.”
“Please,” he grumbles and then laughs lightly. “Like I have to force myself on a girl to get her to drop her panties.”
Hammond interrupts our quiet battle of words by making us copy a new routine. I have to hand it to him, he’s a really good dancer. When I ask why he never went pro, he explains that he got a severe ankle and knee injury that flares up too often for him to make it full-time. So he lives vicariously through us.
The new routine is basic, it’s mostly to get us used to being in each other’s space and also to see how much we can memorize in a short amount of time.
We all pick it up quickly and perform it almost perfectly. Before I know it, our hour is up and Hammond is telling us that he expects us to come up with a new one-minute routine each that involves each other.
I can tell the guys aren’t happy with that but what else can they do? I’m not exactly thrilled at the prospect myself.
I meet Alice at lunch as she sits with her friends, grateful when I see Carter and his band of dicky fucktards aren’t present in the cafeteria. I take a banana from my backpack and listen to Alice’s friends talk about the influence of gases on the environment and how our children are going to be born stupid.
“How did it go?” Alice asks when the conversation dies down and I’ve placed my banana peel on her tray. “Were they nice to you?”
Snorting, I drink some water and look at my schedule.
“That good, huh?”
“I need a shower so bad.”
She leans in and sniffs. “You don’t smell bad.”
“I feel tacky and gross.”
“Why didn’t you shower after dance?”
“I didn’t want to go alone.”
Smiling softly, she nods towards the exit. “Come on, let’s go get you clean, I’ll keep watch.”
We hit the girls’ locker rooms which are empty thankfully and I have the quickest shower in the history of man under a colder-than-should-be spray of water.
I only wash my body but I feel better afterwards, especially when I’m in my clean school clothes.
“You good?” Alice asks as I apply makeup in the mirror beside her.
“Thank you.”
“No problem.”
We exit the locker room and head to our next class arm in arm. For the first time since walking the halls, nobody pays me much attention.
“Teach me how to shuffle later?”
“You know it,” I reply, even though I’m exhausted, I don’t want to waste a single chance to keep my new friend.
“Does that mean you’re coming to my house after school?” She doesn’t look up from her phone as she asks. Not unusual for her.
“If you like.”
“I like. Just don’t do the splits around my brother… he’s so fucking horny and gross.”
I laugh loudly. “How old is he?”
“Twenty, but he’s a total dog. He attends New Orleans College and thinks he is hot shit.”
I wonder if he’s as frizzy and dorky as his sister.
“I promise not to do this.” I tilt forward and stand on my hands, spreading my legs like scissors in the air, my front pointing leg is bent but my back one is perfectly straight and pointed. My back is arched and all the blood is running to my head.
“OH MY GOD!” she gasps, finally looking up from her phone. “Let me take your picture!”
“Hurry,” I wheeze, laughing lightly but not so much that I lose my balance.
When she gets the shot, I place my foot on the ground, toes first and gently glide up to standing.
We both start laughing hysterically when we see our peers gaping at the trick. I just made them notice me again. Oops.
Mr. Hammond raises a brow at me as I pass him outside the teachers’ lounge. “Showing off?”
I shoot him a mischievous smile and we keep travelling to our next classes.
After calling Lane from Alice’s phone, because I still don’t have calling credit, we head to her house and I teach her a few basic moves. She’s got no rhythm, but then, most people don’t when they first start out. Rhythm comes naturally to some, but not so much to others and that’s fine.
We stand in her yard on the short grass, practicing three steps over and over again.
“I don’t know how you can just look at a dance and copy it off the bat.”
“It’s because I already know the moves, or I know how to get my body to make the move. It’s kind of like math but for the body. Once you memorize the answers to the sums…”
“Show me again,” she insists.
“Teaching the baby elephant how to dance?” a male voice asks from behind and I come face-to-face with Alice’s brother, Liam, and my mouth goes dry. “Who’s your friend, alley cat?”
“Liam, this is my new BFF. Her name is Scandal.”
“Scandal?”
Suddenly my name feels stupid.
He grips my hand and smiles down at me with perfect teeth on a perfect face. I think I might be in love. He is so attractive, from his perfectly styled light brown hair, to his hazel eyes, to his broad shoulders and thick thighs…
“Hi,” he says with a suggestive tone.
“Ew, no, go away.” Alice pushes him by his smiling face back towards the house. “She’s way too good for you.”
Laughing, he retreats, giving me another look up and down.
Alice points at me. “Don’t even think about it.”
“I’ve got enough boy drama, I’m good.”
“You know… I bet they’re at Bowler Mania tonight showing off their sick moves.” She wags her wild brows and smiles showing a mouth full of metal. “Wanna go?”
“I don’t know. I’m still the pariah.”
“So? I didn’t think you were a pussy.”
Growling, I give her a playful shove and then, just to tease her and her brother, I lift my leg until it is straight against my body.
“Oh, you massive whore,” she grumbles and I laugh even harder. Then she looks to where her brother is watching me from the doorway. “Can you give us a ride to BM?”
“Only if your friend calls shotgun.” He is shameless. I like it.
“Shotgun!” I cry, racing ahead and Alice grabs my braid and yanks me back.
“Whore. You’re a tiny, bitty, perky-assed whore.”
“I’m going to blow your brother now just because you said that.”
She glowers at me but I can tell she knows I’m joking. “You are vile. Have you no standards?”
“I’m friends with you aren’t I?”
“That is an excellent comeback. You’re a cunt but I am proud,” she deadpans.
She was right about Carter and Presley being here, along with half the school.
The roller rink has been turned into a large dance floor. The room is dark and disco lights flash and circle making me feel a bit dizzy. I can’t remember the last time I saw disco lights.
“This is amazing,” Alice sighs, pulling me toward the crowd.
Lame and Lamer, aka Michael and Glen, are currently in their group of six dancing in the middle, doing their routines. The crowd has formed a circle around them and I spy Carter and Presley laughing on the sidelines, girls hanging around their necks. Their people are with them, Asher and the others.
“I’m not sure I can be bothered with any drama tonight. Can’t we just go back to your house and practice more dancing?”
“Fuck no, don’t be a wimp.”
“I’m not a wimp,” I snap, frowning. “I just don’t like drama.”
“Hey,” she soothes, turning towards me and touching my arm, eyes round with concern. “I was kidding, honest. We can go if you want to.”
I consider it but then I recall her face when we first walked in. What kind of friend would I be if I didn’t put up and shut up for a bit on her behalf?
“I’m fine,” I reply, mentally slapping myself.
I’m being a whiny little bitch; I just don’t know how to do this whole crowd thing. When I got sent to the institution, there were no crowds and most of the other kids there were legitimately insane. The ones that weren’t too headcasey to talk to were actually awesome, but we were never allowed in bigger groups than three.
I assumed I’d be there for quite a while but for some reason I was set free. I don’t know why, I’m not sure I want to know. I wouldn’t dare prod and pry into the reasons just in case my uncle sends me back again. He has that power.
“Let’s have fun,” I say with a smile like a grimace.
“Fun doesn’t make a face like that,” Alice jokes, laughing when I try harder but it only gets worse.
We push through the crowd to get a closer view of the dancers. It sucks to be shorter than everyone else because I can’t see shit. With a bit more shoving, we make it to the front just as Presley and Carter start showing off. They’re really good, they have their own version of the shuffle down, mixed in with some hip-hop. They can break dance too; Presley does a flip I’ve been wanting to learn for ages. They move together, mimicking each other with the rare deviation. It’s good, but Mr. Hammond was right. It’s missing something.
“Hey, bitch,” Asher yells in my ear right before I’m shoved so hard into the ring I collide with Carter and we both fall to the ground.
He cries out when he lands on his arm.
“Carter, I am so sorry,” she says to him as he cradles his arm to his chest and picks himself up as I’m yanked to my feet by Alice.
I spin and find her, furious that she sneaked up on me, furious that she created drama.
“Will you still be my friend if I kick her ass?” I ask Alice as Asher fauns over Carter who is now flexing his hand.
“Fuck yes,” Alice replies excitedly.
I shove somebody out of the way and tap on Asher’s shoulder. She turns, confused and concerned, having forgotten about me the moment Carter fell.
“What?” she spits and I weigh my options here. She’s with her crew, it’s just me and Alice. I could kick her ass in this crowd, get arrested and lose my place with the Oakses and at my new school. Or… I could try to kick her ass and her boyfriend and his fuck boys will jump me. Or I can just stand here staring at her like a weirdo.
“Do something,” Alice hisses in my ear.
“My arm is fine, it just shocked me is all,” Carter grumbles and looks at me. “You good?”
I nod, surprised when he checks me over, turns to Asher and snarls, “Are you fucking kidding me, Asher? What the fuck?”
“I didn’t mean to push her onto you,” Asher replies, looking devastated. “Honestly, Carter, you know I’d never hurt you.”
Melvin wraps his arm around her from behind and rests his chin on the top of her head.
I get a thought, a bad one, but I’m rolling with it.
“Wait,” I say, looking at Terry who is with Presley behind them, telling everyone to fuck off, “You’re her boyfriend?”
Melvin nods. “What’s it to you?”
“Oh.” I shrug my shoulder innocently. “I thought it was Terry.”
Asher’s face pales in the darkness and I know I’m about to cause a lot of shit. My heart is beating in my chest. I love this.
Melvin looks at his friend and then down at the tense girl in his arms. “Your mistake.”
“Huh,” I look between them all.
“Fuck off, skank,” Asher snarls, glaring at me.
“So… do they like… all eat your pussy on Mr. Heath’s desk or is that like a Terry-and-Asher-exclusive thing?”
“You’re a lying bitch.” She steps towards me as Melvin removes his arm from around her shoulders.
“I knew it,” he yells, looking at a wide-eyed Terry and a teary-eyed Asher. “I asked you… you fucking lied.”
“You can’t believe anything she says. She’s just trying to tear us apart!”
“Yeah,” Terry argues. “She wasn’t even in school then anyway.”
Asher gapes at him, horrified and Terry blinks when he realizes what he just said.
“Oh snap,” Joey cries, laughing now like it’s hilarious. Jeff can’t breathe he’s laughing so hard with him.
Alice grabs my arm and drags me away as the mania unfolds. Asher starts sobbing and begging for forgiveness, Melvin walks away, Joey is still laughing, and I blow a kiss with my middle finger to Presley who is glaring after me like I’m Satan.
“Oh my God,” Alice screeches, barely containing her excitement. “I thought you were going to punch her in the nose, not ruin her life. I fucking love you.”
“Where’s Myers?” Hammond asks, frowning at both Carter and me as we do our stretches. As though staring us both down is going to suddenly manifest Presley’s form between us.
“His mom,” Carter replies, glancing at me, “she took a turn in the night, he had to look after his baby sister this morning.”
“Right,” Hammond utters and his face softens. “Well, I suppose you two can work on something together, then.”
“I’ve got a routine,” Carter states. “It will work with two people.”
“Better teach her it, then.” He looks at his watch. “Behave, I’m going to get a coffee. I’ll be back.”
Carter and I stare at his back, before Carter suddenly turns towards me. “Feeling good about yourself after last night?”
“Actually, yes,” I reply with a grin. “Are you going to show me this routine or not?”
He doesn’t comment further on last night’s events, he just shows me what he’s put together. It’s a minute-long dance at most and it’s really good but it’s got no oomph, no passion, nothing different.
Hammond returns and we show him. He comments immediately, “You’re dancing with her like she’s Presley… I want you to dance with her like she’s the sexiest thing to ever cross your path but you hate her fucking guts. Passion, Carter. Passion makes a dance good.” His eyes come to me. “What do you have, did you work on anything?”
I nod because I did. I worked on it with Alice after the events yesterday.
“Is it better than this row-of-mimes act?”
I shrug my shoulders and turn to Carter. “Think you can keep up?”
“Fuck off,” he growls, his natural pout worsening as his eyes narrow.
“You know, you’re actually quite pretty until you make stupid faces like that.” I step closer to him. “Grab me.”
“What?”
“Do you want to learn the dance or not?”
Inhaling and exhaling through his nose, he finally tries to grab me with both hands on my biceps.
“First step,” I utter and duck under his arm to come up behind him and shove him. “I figured we shouldn’t have to pretend we like each other, even in dance. So I had the idea that our dance could be about trying to constantly get one up on each other.”
I see excitement flash into his eyes. “So I get to throw you around without facing an assault charge?”
“Exactly.”
“Brilliant,” Hammond declares, moving back towards us. “Show us what you have, Scandal.”
Carter and I work on the complex routine, which is all arms and legs moving together, hardly touching. It’s insane but I can see it in my head and I know it’s going to look amazing when put to music.
Hammond cheers us on, giving us tips and pointers as we work together.
“No,” I say, laughing lightly when he goes the wrong way with his leg again. “I’m supposed to go left.”
“Right. I know it… it’s just this one part.”
“You’re doing great.” I bring my body up close to his again and we try the move one more time.
“Was that a compliment?”
I peer up into his eyes, turn away from him but he yanks me back. I am so focused on the twinkling brown irises peering back at me that I miss his hand and collide with his chest. We both laugh nervously as I reposition myself and I ignore the tingling in my
nipples from where the hard points brushed against him.
“Pay attention,” Hammond instructs, finishing his coffee in a few noisy gulps.
We separate and start again, this time he gets the direction right and I get it wrong. I trip over his leg and grab his shoulder for support. His hands go to my waist and I’m surprised to hear him laugh through his nose.
“Shut up,” I hiss playfully, my face stretched with an embarrassed smile.
“Let’s try again,” he whispers, his smile fading as his eyes hold mine.
“Music, please, teach,” I say to Hammond, unable to tear my eyes from Carter’s and I think he’s struggling to tear his from mine.
The music begins and we move, pushing and pulling, dodging and touching, breath coming out in gasps, faces focused. It’s going well. I’m getting more and more excited, so is Hammond who is on the edge of his seat watching us with an apt expression.
The door opens and slams shut and we stop mid-pose, Carter’s hands are on my hips, I’m getting ready to shove him away, but to somebody walking in this probably looks rather intimate.
“Pres,” Carter says, frowning with concern, rushing from me to his friend who has the worst shiner I have ever seen. His eye has swollen shut it’s so bad. “What the fuck?”
We all look at him, horrified.
“I think you should go to the nurse,” Hammond suggests, reaching for Presley who slaps his hand away.
“Did you get mule kicked in the face?” I ask, feeling nauseous at the sight of him. I’ve seen shiners like this before, not as bad but near enough. This was an act of anger; it was no accident. Whoever did this to him really wanted to hurt him and succeeded.
“Fuck off, gothic Elsa,” he snarls at me, no small amount of vehemence in his tone. “This is your fucking fault.”
I let out a laugh of disbelief. “How is this my fault?”
“It’s not,” Carter barks, holding his hand up so I don’t get closer. “Leave it, man. Don’t be him.” He turns them both away and I hear him whisper, “Where’s your sister?”
“School.”
“Good. Your mom okay?”