Into the Spotlight: A Little Mermaid Remix

Chapter 16

Kayden pulled a hand down his face and tried not to groan out loud.

Lila was chatting away on his cellphone, about how he had to be at the dance on Friday.

"It's Sunday. Why are you telling me this now?"

"Because you need an outfit silly!" Lila replied easily. He could see her rolling her eyes in his head.

"No, I don't. Not if I'm not going."

"Kayden!" Lila whined. "You have to go. It's senior year! The last dance! You have to dance the last dance!"

"I do not and will not. I hate dancing." Kayden glared at his ceiling as he spoke. He had a concert that night. He would not be going to some stupid dance.

"No you don't!" Lila protested, calling him out on his lie. "You don't hate dancing! You're too good at it to hate it! You danced with me last year when we went separate and I felt left out. You even dipped me to help me show off!"

"Because I'm a nice friend. I'm not dancing Lila."

There was a pause followed by a long, drawn-out. "Ohhkaaayyy. I'll call you back in an hour."

"Lila what the-"

She hung up and he tossed his phone at his pillow in frustration.

Three minutes later, there was a quiet knock on his door.

He opened it, only to have it crash against the wall.

"Kayden! What do you mean you aren't going to the dance?!" Erica asked with Yvonne at her side.

Kayden groaned and glared at his phone. Not fair Lila. That's betrayal.

He knew exactly what his friend had gone and done. She'd called his sisters, and now they'd drag him to the dance, conscious or not, and force him to have fun until his concert started.

Which he did not want to do.

He hated dancing. That was mostly true.

Maybe because society expects you to dance with a girl.

Shut up self. I don't need any revelations right now.

But you know who you should dance with? The other half of his brain continued, completely uncaring that he'd told it to shut up. Prince Liam.

No! Knock it off.

But just imagine that feeling of being led around by those strong arms and staring at his eyes-

"No!" Kayden shouted out loud.

Yvonne blinked. "No, you don't like dancing? Because that's literally what we just said."

"No, I'm not going." Kayden glossed over his mistake with ease, crossing his arms over his chest for added effect. "I will not. And not you, or Uriel, or even Mom can change my mind."

Erica and Yvonne looked at each other, seemingly communicating by something like telepathy. Devious grins appeared on both of their faces.

"Okay Kayden." Erica smirked.

"Yeah... okay." Yvonne giggled manically and they walked backward out of sight.

Irrational fear surged through Kayden. They couldn't force him into this, right? Forcing someone to do something against their will was almost always illegal.

Don't be stupid, they can't make you do anything.

*v*

Liam felt like a horrible person.