On the Dancefloor

2

I am not sure how much longer I can deal with these two.

Every practice I'm met with four pairs of eyes all giving me a different look.

Mateo giving me his usual puppy dog eyes of sorrow and regret... I think his actions from yesterday are coming back at him and biting him in the ass.

Dario giving me a look of hunger and I can see a glint of enthusiasm in those eyes... He's certain that he'll win. He's certain that next week, I'm gonna be his partner.

Luna giving me a look of usual jealousy. Nothing new, but still annoying.

And Akim... He's looking at me as if I'm one step away from snapping...

He's not wrong.

Yesterday after the whole altercation with Dario and Mateo, I've been slightly unhinged. I'm more dedicated to winning... not because I'm on a table for auction and I wanna keep Mateo... No... Fuck Mateo.

I just wanna win.

I feel the same dedication from Mateo but he's taking it a route that I've never seen him take. Mateo is stressed, more stressed than usual. We've been through nationals 20 times over, I'm not sure why the stress is hitting him harder than all the other times. Is it because I'm on the line? Because if it is...Bullshit.

He accepted the bet when he could've easily declined. If anyone needs to be stressed, it should be me and Akim. Me, because I'm being thrown into a lions pit because a man wants another man's dance partner. Akim, because he's the instructor. I'm sure every gray hair he has in his dark brown locks are because of the four of us.

I've been giving Mateo silent treatment now ever since we started our practice rounds today... Nationals is a day away from today. Maybe I shouldn't be playing the childish games but it's way more fun this way. Me and Mateo just finished our samba and now on our Rumba. This is our third round so we get into places like usual... until Dario walks into the studio. I roll my eyes and Mateo sees me roll my eyes, looking in the direction I was looking in. He exhaled a breath and walked to the computer to put music.

I wait for Mateo and watch Dario as he sits facing me, fixing his clothes and taking his shoes out of his dance bag. I turn my back to him and get in my spot, I hear the start of a slow rumba song playing, and watch Mateo as he walks up to his spot, facing me.

Our Rumba starts with me making my own lines as Mateo walks up to me. When he reaches me, he is supposed to grab my waist and lead me in a cucaracha step. But what he does instead is look at Dario behind me and then look at me, moving my body and making my lines... He walks up to me and shadows his hand over my ass. I furrow my eyebrows in confusion till the beat of the rumba song drops and Mateo lays his full hand on my ass and guides me into cucaracha. What the fuck?!

Mateo has never done this! I have no time to react as Mateo swiftly grabs my hand and leads me into a hockey stick, making me face Dario and see the look on his face... He looks angry. I look at Mateo staring down Dario and I finally realize... Mateo is trying to show who I belong with.

I huff out a breath in anger and continue dancing anyways. He better not pull this shit at nationals.

As we are dancing, I catch all glances I can at Dario, just to catch when his expression changes.