Battle of the Roses [Book 2]

Chapter 8

And the real fun begins!  Enjoy! 

Chapter Quote:
"No human could withstand a Guardian's warning glare."
~Nightshade
_________________________________

Chapter 8

Elsa 

"Thea!  Come on!  We're going to be late!  Even Riley finished before you!" I hollered at my pack mate.  She came bounding down the stairs, hair tied into a bun.

"Sorry, sorry, I overslept.  Let's go!" Thea said.  For being the same age, there was actually no question about who was more responsible.  I loved her dearly but she could be... air-headed.  The three of us went outside.  I slid into the driver's seat.  There was no way either one of them was driving.  It's incredible they weren't dead with the way they drove.  Thea drove too fast and Riley was really bad at knowing when to start braking.  I wondered how he passed his driving test...

I pulled out of our driveway and headed down the mountain into town.  The air was just beginning to smell like fall was coming.  Maybe it was just me but I could smell when the seasons were changing.  Each one had a different scent.  But back to fall, that also meant school was starting, and for me, it was my senior year.  It was Josilyn's and Thea's as well.  We were all graduating this year.  Most of our family was out of school.  Only Laurel, Akira, Barry, and Sebastian were left.  Sebastian, while he was the youngest, skipped a grade because he didn't want to be alone in high school and I couldn't really blame him, so he was graduating with the other three.

The drive to the dance studio was short and we barely made it inside and into the classroom before class started.  I made my way to the front of the room to my normal spot.  My instructor strode into class, head held high.  A guy trailed behind him.  He looked about twenty-one or twenty-two.  The instructor pointed to the empty space next to me and he obeyed.  He stood next to me, flashing me a shy smile.  I returned it before facing forward.

The class began.  This was my first of two classes.  This was hip hop.  After it was ballroom.  We were learning to tango.  It was so much fun.  On the downside, my partner for it could not dance to save his life.

"Pair up!  We're going to be doing some partner exercises!" Our instructor.  As I predicted, Riley picked Thea, letting her know they were partners by lightly kicking her in the butt with his foot.  She responded by punching him in the arm.  He had the biggest crush on her and she had no idea.  It was amusing yet sad to watch all at the same time.

"Excuse me?" I felt someone tap me on the shoulder.  Turning around, I saw the newbie staring at me with inquisitive green eyes. "Do you have a partner?"

"I do now," I said, giving him a smile.  Unlike the rest of my family, I wasn't afraid to interact with humans.  Humans were terrified enough of us in general.  This guy didn't seem to be but he'd learn quickly about the hierarchy in Estes Park.  He'd learn quickly that the Laroche family was off limits unless they spoke to you first.

"You better trust your partner because we're doing some complicated stuff here.  You ready?  Now watch carefully," our instructor, Mike, ordered.  My eyes followed every move and my head hurt from trying to figure out exactly why I was supposed to do.  However, when my instructor and his partner were done, he laughed and added, "We're going to do it slowly now.  I swear it's not as complicated as it looks."

The second time around, he did it much slower and my head didn't hurt near as much.  My instructor had us grab our partner's hand and walked us through each step.  My partner, much to my enjoyment, was phenomenal, and definitely a seasoned expert in hip hop.  At one point I slipped and would've fallen on my head had he not caught me with his lightning fast reflexes.  I could feel my pack mates watching me, more out of protectiveness than anything else but it annoyed me.  My entire family barely let me out of their sight.  It's like they thought I was going to run off or get myself killed or something.  I was not reckless.  I knew how to take care of myself.  I'd been taking care of myself for a while now.

"Very good, very good!" My instructor praised. "Continue practicing. Tracy and I are going to be coming around and making sure you're all doing it correctly.  Chop chop!"

All the kids scrambled to practice.  I calmly turned to face my partner.  We didn't say anything but we didn't need to.  We were here to practice, and considering that both Mike and Tracy walked past us without saying a word, I figured we were doing just fine.

My partner set me down after we'd practiced the move for about the thirtieth time.  He was barely breaking a sweat which made me wonder how much he worked out because even the seasoned male dancers here were starting to show signs of strain doing this move.

"That's it for class today.  Dismissed.  And good job everyone!" Mike praised.  Thea and Riley sidled their way over to me.  They said they were going into town to get lunch before heading back home.  I had two hours to kill before my next lesson, ballroom dancing, so I agreed.  I'd barely taken a step towards the door when my ballroom instructor called out my name.  I told Thea and Riley to wait outside for me.  The two followed my command.

"Yes, Mrs. Ulman?" I asked, shouldering my dance bag.  I swear this thing got heavier every time.

"We have a bit of a crisis.  Your dance partner broke his leg," she said.  As if on cue, my dance partner, Hugh, came hobbling out on crutches.  He looked ashamed and embarrassed, and while I wanted to scream from frustration, I also knew there was no point in doing so.

"What happened?" I queried.

"I tripped over my cat and fell down the stairs.  It was stupid.  I'm sorry, Elsa.  I know you wanted to go to that dance competition," Hugh apologized.

"Yeah, but it's more important that you're okay," I said.

He gave me a smile. "I just came down here to tell you that.  I have to go now.  Or else my mom will get mad about what's holding me up considering I have a doctor's appointment."

"You can go," I said kindly.  After he was gone, I questioned, "So what do I do now?"

"Unless you can find a dance partner in the next couple weeks, you're going to have to forfeit your place in the competition.  I'm sorry Elsa."

I tried not to let my disappointment show on my face but it was impossible.  We both knew that I wouldn't be able to find a partner.  Young, ballroom dancers were a rarity in Estes Park.

"Excuse me?" My instructor and I looked at the source of the question.  My partner from hip-hop stood there. "I couldn't help but overhear your conversation.  I'm a little rusty when it comes to ballroom dancing but I'm a fast learner.  I'd be willing to be your dance partner if you want."

Mrs. Ulman glanced at me.  I was too busy trying to figure out who this guy was and if there was anything he couldn't do.  Instead I blurted out, "So you can dance hip hop and tango?"

"More of the former but I can learn the second one pretty quickly.  What do you say?"

"Why not?  Thank you," I agreed.

"We'll have to get you trained up pretty fast.  Why don't you two go grab a quick bite to eat and then come back right after.  We'll get you two started early, get him up to speed with where we're at," Mrs. Ulman remarked.

"Yes ma'am," he and I replied simultaneously.  The instructor left, and we headed out the doors.

"Hey, since we're going to be partners in hip hop and ballroom dancing, I feel like I should know your name," he said.

"I'm Elsa Laroche.  What about you?"

He gave me a smile that made my heart flutter because he was absolutely gorgeous when he wasn't smiling, but he when he was, good lord... "My name is Spencer.  Spencer Barnes."
_________________________________

Oooh Spencer is Elsa's dance partner?  Does that mean Caleb is back in town?  Does that mean he's going to see his family again?  Let me know what you think in a review :)