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"How is it that you're so good at dancing, but you can't remember a simple melody?" Diego questioned as he watched Evie stumbled over the keys. She had the right idea, but not the right notes and the melody wasn't quite there, but she was working on it. It would take a few more practices to start to recognize the melody.
"Dancing is not like this damn instrument," Evie stated. "You said it was, and it isn't."
"Okay, you're getting too into your head," Diego explained. "This is a simple melody, and— do you trust me?"
"No," Evie answered. It was the truth, she didn't trust anyone. It's just been her for most of her life, she didn't need to trust anyone but herself.
Diego sighed. Evie was standing in front of the piano, and she kept trying to play the melody Diego had been teaching her for the past week. She couldn't grasp it as well as she wished.
Diego stepped behind her, his hands covered hers. He positioned her hands at the right keys, and he played the melody slowly, using his fingers to guide hers.
Evie should have been paying attention, but all she could focus on was Diego's touch— it was just a simple touch, but it didn't feel like it. It felt different, and she didn't know how to handle it. She focused on the keys again, and followed Diego's lead.
"This is me admitting that maybe I am not cut out for any instruments," Evie admitted. "My body is my instrument, okay?"
"No," Diego answered. "You're holding back, you know the notes and keys. You know this melody, you're not leaving this room until you play it."
"You can't keep me in this room all day," Evie countered.
"Then play the damn melody, Evie," Diego demanded. Evie looked at him, the way he spoke her name, she liked it. "Or else we're going to be late for this announcement that Gregorio has for the students. You know, the announcement you joined the studio for."
Evie huffed and stared at the keys on the keyboard. Her hands lightly pressed against the keys as she tried to remember the right notes. And she played it— with a few wrong keys, but it was there and the best she's played it the whole day.
🩰
Evie walked into the room with Diego beside her. Pablo was just standing off to the side talking to the other teachers, Gregorio was rolling his eyes to anything Pablo said.
"What do you think this big announcement is?" A girl questioned. Evie met most of her classmates, but never learned their names— of course she remembered Diego's. Maxi and Broduey, because they were the strongest dancers.
"It's another show, it has to be," another girl commented. Evie smiled, she knew the announcement, although she didn't know the rules of the competition yet, she has already thought of some choreography that could be included. She would just have to wait for her partner to be announced.
"Chicos," Pablo announced, "is everyone here?" Everyone glanced around, then nodded or gave him a verbal yes. "Since this announcement goes along with Gregorio's specialty, he'll be the one announcing it and assigning the groups. Gregorio, please." Pablo stepped aside and let Gregorio take the place he's always wanted: the center of everyone's attention. Gregorio, stepped to the side and in front of Pablo, giving the group a smile before he spoke.
"We're entering a dance competition. The winners will be decided by a voting system on the internet. The winners of this dance; don't think that you have a chance—" he spoked to a student. "The winners of this competition will be going on a small tour around the world and perform at each city."
Everyone started speaking over everyone, showing excitement for this competition. Evie rocked back on her heels, she was hoping Gregorio, knowing she only joined the studio for this competition, gave her a great dance partner, like Maxi or Broduey; they were the strongest dancers.
"The competition calls for pairs, and I've already made the pairs. There's no switches; if your partner gets hurt— you're out of the competition. The pairs are the following: Leon and Violetta, Francesca and Marco, Ludmila and Maxi, Camila and Andres, Naty and Broduey," Evie chewed her bottom lip as the two people she wanted had been paired up. "And Diego and Evie. The competition will be in a week; they wanted a small time frame to see who's the best dancers. Any dance style is accepted, and the choreography will have to be at least a minute long, no longer than two minutes."
"Seems like we're going to be spending a lot of more time together," Diego whispered to Evie. Evie watched the teachers leave the large room, she ignored Diego and followed Gregorio.
"Evelyn, what a pleasure—"
"Can he dance?" Evie questioned, ignoring that he called her the wrong name. "Because what I see in your class; Broduey and Maxi are the best dancers, besides me. If you wanted me to join the studio to win this competition, you would've been smart and given me someone else who can dance."
"Diego's my son, of course he can dance," Gregorio responded. Evie nodded. "I didn't believe that those two would showcase you in the way Diego would. They're good dancers, but your partner will be good for you, I promise you."
"Okay, fine," Evie said. "Oh, and he better not ruin my chances in this competition. It's the only reason I joined this studio— you know that."
"He's not going to disappoint you," Gregorio stated. "You better be a better teacher than you are a student."
"You're going to learn to never underestimate me, Gregorio."
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so, I did not forget about this book, I just haven't had time to sit and write, but I finally updated it. 🫶🏽
