After Goldstone, Lee enrolled in another local dance competition. He was more than happy to have Hazel coming to his practices at the studio and also at home. They’ve grown closer by the day, almost inseparable just like she was with Jan before Kyle.
He’s been teaching her how to dance without much result. Hazel kept laughing when he showed her how to do the moves. Especially the body rolls. He had his hands on her hips as he stood behind her and showed her how to roll her body with the music.
“I can’t …” she laughed out loud. “It’s too hard …” she broke away from him.
He held her hand not letting her go, he wanted her to try harder, “You have to let go, Hazel … you’re holding back, just let go … whatever it is you’re holding back … let it go.”
It sounded more like a life philosophy, but art is like that. Lee showed her the moves and he did it effortlessly as if his body muscles were made of water, there was absolutely nothing holding him back when it comes to dancing he just flows.
“Don’t think about it too much, I think you’re thinking about it, you’re worrying if it won’t work out … it will … if you just let go, let the music move you and don’t let your mind tell you what to do,” he said again.
He pulled her back, twirled her on her way to his embrace. They face the mirror, he stood behind her and his arm now wrapped around her waist.
“Are you ready?” his face was pressed against her cheek.
Something about it send shivers down her spine, she looked at his face through the mirror, he looks best when he was dancing. It made her smile.
“What?” he wondered why she was smiling.
“Nothing … let’s try it again.”
“Okay … ready? One, two, three, roll … five, six, seven, stop,” he led her with his hips with their bodies pressed together.
She did it. She wrapped her arms around his, tilted her head back, and her laughter echoed in that studio where there were just the two of them.
“See? You did it …” he was so happy he finally made her do it.
“That’s the only time I can do that … that was a lucky shot … that’s so hard.”
“No, if you can do it once, you can do it again … you just need to let go.”
“I did, I was letting go to you, I just followed your movement, I don’t think I can do it alone.”
“That’s fine, we’ll do it together until you can do it on your own,” he held her hands and stood facing each other. Her laughter made his heart swells.
He loved teaching her how to dance even though she never seems to get it. He loved looking at her laughing, so shy in her movement, second-guessing herself all the time. Kind of like how he was with her when they’re not dancing. When dancing, he felt like he had the upper hand, and not that guy who was always nervous around her.
Sometimes he got carried away when looking at her, like the way he did that day. Sometimes he forgot that she might find something in his stare, the thing he was so afraid of. He wondered if she was looking at him the same way, pretending he was hers just like he pretended she was his even for that short moment in time when she was oblivious to what he was feeling for her.
“What?” she blushed under his gaze.
“Hazel …” he paused, he’d been wanting to ask her the question for some time. “Would you go with me to the homecoming party?”
Her jaw dropped. His heart almost stopped. But her eyes calmed his nerves, they were saying things he hoped she would say.
“Well, I would’ve asked you to go to the prom but we’re not invited,” he added.
“How do you know there’s no one asking me to go to the homecoming dance?” she asked in a playful tone.
He laughed lightly, “Yet … it’s still months away, I want to get ahead of everyone … I’m sure there’s a lot of guys who are considering to ask you.”
“I highly doubt that … but going with the star dancer? I wouldn’t have it any other way!” she smiled widely.
“It’s a date then?” he raised a brow.
She laughed, “With that dimple? How could I say no?” She pinched his cheek.
They were too close to treating it like it was more than just a friendly date, everything they did together was because they were best friends. Although neither of them wanted to go to the homecoming with anyone else, it never crossed their minds that they can be so much more than that.
“Hey, Lee! Mischa is here!” Samantha’s voice interrupted their cute conversation.
They both looked to the entrance. A girl walked in her dance outfit and backpack. She was lean, her long golden hair was braided in a ponytail, her skin was pale white in contrast with her red lipstick and blue eyes.
“Hi!” she waved at them, “I’m Mischa … are you Lee? They said we’re going to be dance partners for the competition.”
“Hi! That’s great … I’m Lee, this is my friend Hazel.”
Mischa walked closer to them and shook hands with each other. She looked like a ballerina. Her posture, her feet, her hair, even her face fit the part, and she was. Lee was joining a contemporary dance competition and Mischa was partnered up with him from a different dance studio.
“Are you a dancer too?” Mischa asked.
“Oh, no,” she laughed nervously, “I’m just here to enjoy his practice … go ahead, don’t mind me, I’ll be hanging out here on the sidelines.” Then she walked to the side and sat on the floor like she always does.
Mischa put her stuff down on the side, they went over the song that was chosen for the competition, discussed the choreography before Samantha walked in. Sam was the instructor for the competition and they have gone over the routine separately. That night was the first time they were going to do it together.
Watching Lee danced alone was one thing. And then watching him danced in a group was another thing. Her eyes were always glued to him and couldn’t look another way.
From the moment Lee took Mischa’s hand and looked into her eyes when the music started to play their bodies seemed to melt together into one mold. They sway, they carry each other within the tunes, their hands on each other’s body grazed upon their skin and for the length of that one song … they were lovers.
It was the first time Hazel turned away, she couldn’t bear to see some parts of the dance because funny enough it made her feel uncomfortable. Even though it was beautiful, they were wonderful performers, but Hazel bit her lower lip and hugged her knees. She couldn’t wait for that practice to be over.