Dance To This [gxg]

17. Can I Have This Dance?

Erika's POV

"Do you think this is a good idea? Me going with Kina to the dance I mean" I asked my older brother. We were sitting together in the living room, in front of the tv. Taeyang glanced at me briefly before looking back at the movie he was watching. 

"You and Kina like each other. You should go with her" he replied, traces of nonchalance scattered through his tone. I took my bottom lip between my teeth. 

"What if we don't have as much fun as I expected?" I continued to overthink. Taeyang rolled his eyes and turned to face me. 

"Erika I feel like you're trying to find reasons why you shouldn't go with her. If you're trying to get me to agree with you, it's not gonna work. We all think you and Kina should go to the dance together" he lectured me. I huffed and pulled myself off the couch, returning to the comfort of my bed. 

Taeyang was right but I didn't want to admit that to him. I was desperately trying to justify reasons why I didn't deserve to go to the dance with Kina. I stared at the ceiling in my bedroom, allowing my thoughts to lull me into an uncomfortable state of sleep.

The next morning I woke up to a cold breeze blowing through my bedroom window. I groggily dragged myself out of bed and shuffled into my bathroom to get ready. My mind raced with thoughts of Kina and the dreaded Valentines Ball.  

"Breathe Erika. It's gonna be fine" I whispered to myself in the mirror. I finished getting ready and was out of the house in record time. 

"You're ready early?" my dad commented when he got into the car. I nodded with a small smile, not wanting to make conversation just in case I accidentally spilled the details of my secret little crush. 

-

"Erika are you okay? You look terrible" Tabitha commented as soon as I arrived. I sent a glare in their direction causing them to raise their hands in surrender. Nancy stifled laughter and placed a reassuring hand on my shoulder. 

"So what happened to you?" Nancy tried.

"Rough nights sleep" I lied. Tabitha and Nancy shared a look before looking back to me. We walked to our first lesson in silence as nobody had anything particularly important to share. When we arrived in class I settled into my desk, taking out my books and a pen. 

"Did you hear Erika is going to the Valentines dance with a girl?" a girl sitting behind me said. I rolled my eyes.

"I heard the girl is in tenth" another girl said. Nancy looked at me sympathetically.

"How did you find out all of this information?" someone else asked.

I felt everyone's eyes on my as the whispering continued. I got up out of my seat and just ran out of the classroom straight to the bathroom. I locked myself in a stall and cried.

"Erika?" I heard Airi's voice ring through my sobs.

"In here" I rasped. I heard 5 pairs of footsteps walk towards the stall I was in. There was a soft knock at the door. I unlocked the door and my friends immediately pulled me in for a hug.

"Oh Erika. I heard what happened and I'm so sorry" Airi said softly. I cried harder into my friends' embrace.

"Who the fuck cares that you're going to a school dance with a girl. It's the 21st century people need to grow the fuck up" Maya ranted.

I giggled and my friends released me. Tabitha awkwardly handed me a tissue.

"Thank you" I sniffled. I blew my nose and threw away the tissue.

I wiped my tears with the back of my hand and looked at myself in the mirror.

"Holy shit" I chuckled. My friends laughed and lead me out of the bathroom back to class. Kina and her group walked past and I attempted to hide my face from Kina. Unfortunately my efforts were all for not.