The Reclamation

4

I hug my legs to my chest as I sit on the curb outside Mia's dance studio. A bag of our favorite food from Noodles and Co. sits next to me. I figured that she gets out around lunch time, and well, I owe her after last night. My back is to the building so I can face the parking lot. I decided to sit on the opposite side of the street from the rock I sat on yesterday, even though I had to pass it to get here. I couldn't help but glance down and notice the brown tinted trail in the concrete as I walked by.

I got here about five minutes before Mia's class ends, just in case they let out early. It's a beautiful day for late September, it has to be almost 80° outside. I inhale and look up at the cloudless sky, feeling the warm sun on my exposed arms and legs. I pull out my phone and scroll through Instagram as I wait. My thumb mindlessly flicks through the feed, and I almost scroll right past a video posted by Mia. It was timestamped ten minutes ago. She posted a video of part of a new dance she was learning, and it looks amazing. The song "151 Rum" by JID runs in the background while Mia hits every beat. The way she moves her arms and pops her hips so effortlessly is hypnotic. The routine is short, and she laughs at the end because she messes up. He caption reads: "Choreo so far. Full routine will be up soon 😉" I watch the video once. Then twice. My thumb moves away from the screen as I allow the video to play over and over in my hand. She wears a black crop top with red spandex shorts. Her hair flips while she moves around the studio, and her reflection in the mirror behind her offers another view of the stunning performance.

The door clicking open from the building behind me wakes me from my trance. I lift my head to search for Mia. She is the first one out the door. The voices of her classmates seep through the open door while they converse with one another and they carelessly saunter out after her. I see Mia do a quick scan of the parking lot before her eyes land on me and she cracks a subtle smile. I give her a small wave and I stand up to meet her half way. She has her drawstring gym bag that hangs heavily off one shoulder, probably being weighed down by a water bottle in the bottom of the bag. She is wearing the same outfit as she was wearing her video, but she has a pair of baggy gray sweatpants that lazily hang low over the shorts, showing off the red trim of the spandex around her waist. The red waistband hugs her hips tightly, accentuating her toned stomach. I stare for just a little too long as we reach each other.

"Hey," I start, looking up quickly to her eyes.

"Hey." Her classmates are starting to congregate outside of the building, talking about their plans for the rest of the weekend and how hungry they are, which reminds me of the food I bought for us.

"I brought Noodles," I say, bringing the bag up to my face and swinging it lightly.

"Thanks," she says, one corner of her mouth pulling up.

"Ready to go?" I ask.

"Sure," she says. She seems a little timid today, but I don't blame her. Not after how I left her last night. I want to come right out and say everything that I've been thinking about, but I know I should wait until we're home. The walk to Mia's is quiet, but not uncomfortable. I ask her how class was, and she tells me what she did all day, how she keeps practicing one part that she just can't get down. The thought of the conversation we're meant to have is looming over us. I know we both feel the tension, but neither of us dare to address it.

We reach the gate to Mia's house, and both of us are silent. We walk through the front door. I drop the bag of food on the bar and take my shoes off. Mia drops her bag on the sofa and heads out to the backyard without looking back. I follow her. She leans on the table next to the pool and crosses her arms in front of her chest.

Finally, just as I walk up next to her, Mia breaks the silence. "Do you want anything to drink?" she asks, preparing herself to walk back into the house.