Let's rock!

Everybody, let's rock!

***

CHAPTER 29:

DOMED BALLROOM 

I woke up to a furry butt right in my face. The butt belonged to Trouble, his slitted eyes and whiskers completing the scene. As he had gotten into the habit of doing over the past few nights, he'd chosen to sleep attached to me again. When I finally managed to free my hair from under him, he grumbled and curled back up into a ball.

I forced myself up. You'd think a dead body wouldn't have to deal with physical fatigue, right? But things didn't work that way in the Dorm. Our week had started with working in the fields, continued with a full day of cooking in the kitchen, and by the third lesson, we were cleaning out, decluttering, and repainting an old room. Not a single muscle in my body wasn't aching. I felt like I was slowly dying all over again.

A voice inside me kept saying that all these lessons were just an excuse to make students do the Dorm's chores. I had no idea what purpose they served or how they were supposed to help me get back home. Maybe this whole setup was a test to see who would give up first. Sorry Dorm, I wasn't going to be that person. I was determined, I had faith, and I still wanted to go home.

Even so...

Clinging to the light at the end of the tunnel was tough this morning. With forced motivation, I headed to the bathroom for a shower, trying to find comfort in nice-smelling lotions. When I got back to my room, my mailbox was full. My class schedule had arrived. My stomach instantly twisted. Praying for a sit-down class, I dragged myself over to the mailbox. As I opened the envelope, my legs started tingling, like they knew what was coming. And then, all my hopes dissolved with two simple words.

Couple Dancing.

That was today's lesson. It couldn't be worse. As if physical torture wasn't enough, now they wanted me to dance. Me! Clearly, none of the Dorm officials knew I'd proven my lack of talent back in preschool. Otherwise, they wouldn't subject the others—and me—to this torment.

"No way!" I yelled to no one in particular. "Schedule a different class! Anything else!"

I waited for the mailbox to revive, to give me another envelope, or for the writing on the paper to change. None of that happened. After a mini tantrum, stomping my feet a few times, and a few small screams, I accepted my fate. My wardrobe, in sync with my bad luck, offered a selection of unbearable outfits today. From flamenco skirts to neon aerobics leotards, my choices were so atrocious that finding something remotely wearable took three times longer than usual.

In the end, I settled on an open-back, dusty pink leotard, paired with plain purple leggings and ballet flats. The only good thing about dancing was that when I tried to put my hair up, I didn't have to fight the Dorm. The bun I made at the nape of my neck came together effortlessly, as if I hadn't been struggling with it for days. In shock, I stared at my reflection and grumbled a bit more at the Dorm for all the grief it had given me.

And so, it was time to face my fate. I practically slithered down to breakfast like a wallflower. Thanks to Mars, most of the souls in the Dorm already knew who I was. The fact that he was attending classes with me had piqued everyone's interest even more than my previous scandals. I was no longer someone to be mocked or feared. Now, they were insanely curious about me and didn't even try to hide it.

This morning, I made it to the cafeteria with greetings from souls who usually wouldn't even look my way. I quickly grabbed some food and made my way to our usual table, trying not to attract more attention. Ursa's overfilled plates were more than enough for all of us.

Diego was the first to notice my stunning outfit. His eyes widened instantly, and he exclaimed, "You have a dance class today!" His excitement was a stark contrast to my mood.

"Unfortunately..." I grumbled, stuffing a cookie into my mouth.

Ignoring me, Diego jumped up, striking a dance pose with his arms in the air. That's when I noticed his ruffled shirt and matching flared pants. The cookie got stuck in my throat. While I was having a coughing fit, Ursa returned to the table, delivering the second blow. She wore a matching pair of pants and a ruffled top tied above her waist.

"Olive's in our dance class today!" Diego announced cheerfully.

Ursa plopped the plates onto the table and clapped her hands. They spent the rest of breakfast trying to convince me that dance was the best class ever. Luckily, Lark and Helene were on my side. Helene saw dance as an invasion of personal space, and Lark just didn't like sweating.

Of course, what Helene, Lark, or I thought didn't matter at all. When breakfast ended and the torture hour approached, I reluctantly walked between Diego and Ursa to the dance studio. It was in the same section as the music hall I had often frequented while trailing Mars.

"We're in the domed ballroom today," Ursa said as we walked down the corridor, leaving mirrored rooms behind us.

I guessed from her cheerful tone that it was a good thing, but I truly understood the reason of her happiness when we entered the massive hall. My gaze immediately went to the ceiling, and a gasp of awe escaped my lips. I was staring at a sprawling oil painting that covered the ceiling from one end to the other. It felt like we were under the sky, with pink clouds painted so realistically. Fish I'd seen in the lake swam among those clouds. Here and there, pink tree leaves added to the effect, making it seem like we were watching the sky from the middle of a forest.

"Isn't it amazing?" Diego said happily beside me.

We walked further into the room together. The floors and scattered columns were made of pink marble. The walls were covered in wallpaper with gilded patterns. Under the sunlight streaming in through tall windows, everything sparkled. In one corner, a pristine white grand piano stood, and against the opposite wall were velvet couches. Everything was so mesmerizing that my eyes darted around, trying to capture every detail.

Most of the other students had probably been in this hall before. Instead of looking around, they chatted in groups. When they noticed me, their conversations stopped, and they pointed me out to each other. Since the beginning of the week, I had become something of a Mars-alarm for them. Their prince was about to join the same class. They were excited, some even panicking and adjusting their clothes.

I rolled my eyes. Then those eyes caught a glint at the entrance and narrowed. There was a gasp, a few sighs, and most people stopped breathing altogether. Time had paused for the souls because their awaited hero had arrived. When his eyes found me, Mars started walking in our direction. He was wearing dark purple fabric pants and a shirt. Unlike Diego, he didn't have any ruffles. His golden necklace gleamed beneath his unbuttoned top. He looked sharp, as if the Dorm had gone out of its way to make sure he stood out among us.

On his way over, he winked and greeted a few admirers who watched him with adoration. Knowing I'd probably be rolling my eyes at him all class long, I did it once more. My reaction made Mars smirk mischievously. He raised an eyebrow and studied my face.

"You're not starting to get jealous, are you, Oliver? That would really lower the efficiency of our mandatory and temporary work relationship."

Mars was a smart guy. And that fact certainly didn't make putting up with him any easier. Like him, I should have thrown some witty words back to showcase my own intelligence. I took a deep diaphragm breath and opened my mouth. But nothing came out because I had nothing to say. Just then, our instructor's voice echoed through the hall, saving me from greater embarrassment, but Mars had caught my hesitation. And I caught the growing smirk on his lips before he turned away...

"Good morning, class! How are we feeling today?"

The souls shouted in unison, "Very good, angel Theo." Some even asked how he was doing. Giggles and whispers followed. I understood the reason for this when our instructor stood in front of us. Angels probably couldn't be ugly even if they tried, but this...

This...

Wow...

Theo was a black man, his features drawn with a golden ratio. Like Ria, he had a faint glow around him. He wore a satin shirt with only one button fastened, revealing every single muscle from his shoulders to his abdomen. Not that I was counting or anything. It wasn't my business, after all. Yet...

"You should see him when he starts dancing," Ursa whispered in my ear. I couldn't help but smile. It lasted until Mars leaned in and whispered into my other ear.

"You are drooling, Oliver. It doesn't suit you."

What? I turned to him in shock. He was grinning. My body tensed up, ready to strike like a wildcat.

"What's the matter?" I asked. "Are you upset that you're not the most handsome guy in the room anymore?"

Feeling the righteous pride of finally giving a comeback, I placed my hands on my hips and waited for Mars to be taken aback. Instead, he leaned in closer and lowered his voice.

"First jealousy, now this compliment... What's going on, Oliver? Are we losing focus or what?"

My eyes widened in horror. "I did not compliment you!"

"So, you didn't call me handsome?"

"I... I... no! That's not what I meant!"

Mars began laughing as I flailed. He was having fun at my expense again. Ugh! I could have kicked him right then. But our teacher had already started the lesson and was now looking at us, wondering why we were talking. Embarrassed, I bowed my head and clenched my fists.

Unfortunately, the rest of the lesson wasn't any better. I figured out we were doing swing dancing, but I understood only half of what the instructor said. It didn't take long for me to be certain of three things.

First, Diego was the best dancer in the class. His movements, expressions, everything was so natural... It was like he was born in a dance studio.

Second, Mars was unfairly talented in every art form, and he could easily pick up a choreography even when joining in halfway, unlike me.

The third and final realization was about myself. Once again, I proved to myself, to our instructor, and worst of all, to Mars, that I couldn't dance. For my partner in crime, who had no expectations from the lesson, this wasn't a problem but another source of amusement. While I struggled to learn the moves, he was busy flirting with every single soul around.

After another wrong move and stepping on his foot, Mars let go of my hand and laughed. "God, Oliver, we can't keep doing this."

"No, you can't," said a voice behind me. I felt angel Theo's energy before hearing his words. He then reached out and took my hand, a warm breeze brushing my face. "Nice to meet you, Olive," he said with a smile that could erase all worries from the world. "And it's great to see you in my class again, Mars."

See him in class again? Was there ever a time Mars bothered to attend classes? No way an angel would lie. So did that mean... Mars looked away, seemingly uncomfortable with the words. The angel didn't seem to notice.

"Come on," Theo said, extending his hand to him. "Let's see how rusty you are." Then he gently placed my hand on Mars' shoulder and turned to me. "Forget about the choreography for today. We're going to work on something much more important. Today's lesson is harmony!"

He moved from me to Mars, placing his hand on my back. Then he asked us to hold our free hands. He lifted our arms and adjusted our elbows. When he finished, we were no longer just two people standing aimlessly but a pair ready to dance. I swallowed hard. Being this close to Mars wasn't comfortable. He was strong, his fingers firmly gripping my back, trapping me in his space. His sweet scent once again scrambled my senses. I forcibly resisted the urge to flee.

"Good," the angel said, contrasting all the emotions I felt. "Now, I want you to let go, Olive. Don't think about the steps. Don't try to control it. Hear the music. Focus on your feelings. And most importantly, trust your partner."

My eyes locked onto the partner I was supposed to trust. He was watching me intently, probably thinking, like me, how impossible this trust thing was. The angel should have known that already... And yet...

"One and two..." he counted.

And with his command, I started dancing with Mars.

***

As an ex-Latin dancer, you can imagine how much I enjoyed writing this chapter :D I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did.

In the next chapter, we're taking a break from classes. But don't expect a calm and relaxing weekend! I've prepared a splendid surprise for Olive, and of course, for you.

See you in the next chapter lovely souls.

Kisses, EC.