It's For the Pack

8. Plastic Love

  Hunter was a genius. At least, that’s what he told himself. Having the dance battle at night, under the light of the full moon would of course guarantee his victory. He just had to make sure Eldon didn’t notice anything abnormal. Though, even if he did, it was doubtful anyone would believe him. From what Hunter had observed, Eldon was that kind of guy.
   
“Hey,” said Eldon, coming into the music room where Hunter was waiting for him. He dropped his duffle bag onto the ground by the door.
   
“You ready?” Hunter turned on the music without waiting for a reply.
   
They started off the dance battle pretty evenly matched. Eldon wasn’t worried, though. He knew that he would be able to maintain the same energy level throughout the entire battle. Hunter seemed like he was already tiring.
   
The light from the moon outside suddenly flooded the room as the clouds parted. Eldon continued turning. Hunter made eye contact with him, and Eldon saw his eyes glow red. Disturbed, but imagining it as a trick of the light, Eldon engaged Hunter by copying, and improving, his hip hop moves. Hunter went into a backbend, which Eldon easily imitated. At first. After a couple seconds, Eldon unexpectedly fell over. Hunter smirked at him as he put his hands down behind him, and then kicked up into a handstand. Eldon tried to recover by doing another flip, but he just couldn’t do it. He fell again. Hunter got on his head, and slid towards Eldon, backing him into a corner. Getting up, Hunter triumphantly proclaimed, “You’re clapped, bro!” He grinned victoriously.

Eldon thought he saw fangs, but decided he was imagining things again. He shook his head, discouraged and bewildered. Picking up his bag, he made his way out the door.

-
“What do you mean, you lost!?” demanded James. “You’re the best dancer at this studio!”

Eldon rolled his eyes. “Okay, if I’m the best dancer, then how did I lose?”

James’s eyes widened suddenly. “Maybe he hypnotized you…”

Eldon sighed. James could be very unhelpful when he chose. “What should I do now?”

“What do you mean?” asked West, who was sitting across from him.

“Well I lost the dance battle.”

“So you mentioned.”

“So, now I have to break up with Michelle.”

They both nodded. “Yeah.”

“But I don’t want to…”

West patted Eldon’s shoulder. “You have to follow the rules of dance battles, bro. Otherwise, how would we keep order in this dance studio?”

“Tough luck,” was all James said.

Eldon scowled at his friend’s lack of empathy. “What would you do if you lost a dance battle for Riley?”

James looked up sharply. “First off, I wouldn’t have lost. Second, I wouldn’t have agreed to do the dance battle in the first place.”

Eldon’s mouth opened in shock. “But you said-”

“I know what I said,” James snapped, irritably. “I only meant that you, in your situation, had to do the dance battle for Michelle, to prove that you deserved her.”

“Except I didn’t,” Eldon realized miserably.

James tried to be more serious. “If you’re meant to be with Michelle, then you will be. Someday you’ll get her back. If not, well then, Hunter just did you a favor. That’s all I can say.”

Eldon wasn’t so sure, but he realized that there was nothing he could do now.