Short stories

Her and I

**This is longer than my other stories, lmk if I should make this into a full story**

"Hi mum I'm home!" I shouted as I walked through the door of my house.

"Not gonna say hi back? I told you I didn't eat the last co-"

There was an unfamiliar girl sitting on the sofa. In my spot.

"Who's that?" I asked, confused.

She turned around to face me, giving a warm smile as her glossy brown hair fell around her shoulders. I felt my stomach flip and my cheeks burned.

"This is Iris. Her parents went on a business trip to the states but she had to stay for school so she's going to be here for a month or so."

I tried to stay calm and not look bothered but my voice felt shaky and I quickly turned around to put my bag on the peg before making my way to my room. There was another bed set up and my room had been moved around to make space.

I sat down to do my homework and texted my friends about this new arrival.

"Um, hi. Im sorry im here all of a sudden taking up your space and everything. I tried to condense my stuff as much as possible and-"

"No honestly it's fine," I chuckled, "I was just surprised to come home and see someone new here."

I saw her relax a bit and make her way to sit on her new bed. I dropped my pen and made my way over to sit with her.

"So your name's Iris right?"

She gave a small, nervous nod.

"Pretty. Mines Quinn, short for Queenie but please don't ever call me that."

She giggled and I couldn't help but think how wonderful she was.

"Your name's pretty too."

Over the next few days she began to be everywhere. School. The library. Even my dance company. I couldn't get away from her.

~~

"Dance partners huh? What are they gonna make us dance to?"

Iris was my dance partner for the showcase next month. I tried not to show my excitement but the thought of dancing with someone so wonderful set of fireworks in my heart.

"River." I heard our dance instructor say behind us.

We blushed a shade of bright red and we made our way to sit in the waiting room. I saw Iris try and hide her embarrassed look with her hair.

Half an hour or so passed before we were called into a room to learn the dance.

"Chairs?!" I said as I walked into the room. I didn't think it could get any more embarrassing.

"Holy moly." Iris mumbled next to me as we made our way forward.

~~

Over the next month, we worked almost every day to perfect this dance and it was finally the day of the showcase. Talent scouts were apparently in the audience and there wasn't a chair left empty.

Backstage, a wave of nerves washed over me. Throughout all my years of performing and competing, I rarely got nervous but something about the thought of dancing with my new partner made me uneasy. Maybe it was just the fact that I hadn't performed with her before.

Before I knew it, the music started and we were making our way onto the stage. We give each other soft smiles before taking our places and beginning.

Everything was a blur, all I could remember was seeing her perform out the corner of my eye and thinking how beautiful she looked, how sharp and precise her movements were, how the thought of her dancing made me excited.