You Make Me Feel

19. you make me feel

AGNES

"We got a big audience waiting for us on Friday and we can't afford to disappoint them. Please, everyone, put in your best. Take your positions now and from the top." Miss Francesca hits the play button.

The opening routine with all five couples turns out excellently well. We dance in tune with the music until my turn with Felix to display as the star couple. Our move is relatively complicated because it comprises a lot of trust – something I'm short of whenever it comes to Felix.

When I fall at some points, he has to catch me. I also have to trust him enough to let him hold my weight.

I do feel like I'm trying to be as real as I can, but I know our connection even as partners is quite absent. Granting we make one or two mistakes along the line, we still dance our routine to the finish until the slow music stops playing.

"That was fair enough. Agnes and Felix, you still need to work on your routine. I almost felt your connection, but at some point, it's like you held yourself back from giving into each other."

I smile with the side of my mouth. At least, she didn't see the entire thing going on in between us because if she did, she won't let us dance as the star couple. But if she couldn't see it then I doubt anyone watching from the audience will.

"Miss Francesca, you haven't spoken about our outfit," Gladys states.

"Yes, I was coming to that. But it has been well taken care of. We had problems trying to get a perfect design for the play, and that was why it took this long, but now, it has been settled."

"Don't we get to choose the designs we want?" Felix asks.

The others turn at one another, buying into the idea, but I personally don't see a need for that. We've presented several times for school plays and we never got to pick designs for ourselves, I don't understand why that should be changed now."

"We don't have the time at our convenience to deliberate on designs, so I say we go with what Miss Francesca has chosen," I argue.

"Well, I don't see any harm in giving us options to choose from," Felix fires back at me.

"Do you have better taste than our teacher?"

"At least, I do have taste. Can you say so about yourself?"

"Oh, shut up! Why don't you crawl back to your football club? You think you can just waltz into the dance club and start making judgments for us all of a sudden?! You're not even as classy as you paint yourself to be."

The room grows silent and I become self-aware as everyone in the hall casts awkward stares at us. Even Miss Francesca is overwhelmed at the scene. I glance back at Felix as he still wears his arrogant look.

"Okay. That was unnecessary," Miss Francesca chips in, "whatever that boloney was all about. Nonetheless, I still remain the instructor of this club and anything I say goes, and as a matter of fact, your measurements from last year's outfit were used so we don't have to waste your time getting new measurements."

"But that's last year!" Andre protests. "What if we've outgrown those sizes?"

Miss Francesca surveys us with her eyes. "From the looks of it, you haven't. But if there be need for some adjustments, leave your outfit on my desk. Someone will be around to take your new measurement. On or before Thursday, I believe everything will be ready."

I start to hear side comments around me. I turn towards my friends and I find them reluctantly hiding their concern.

"Lastly, I'd prefer you come with your partners one at a time. I don't want a mob at the office. So, that's a wrap for today. See you soon," she concludes and leaves the hall, while the rest of us disperse to get our things.