LA to The Bay

Chapter 23: Sedona (3)

'So here's a fact you don't know about me.' Leah addresses the group. 'When it's off season from touring I teach dance, all types of dance, but my absolute favourite is ballroom.'

Ballroom dancing, really? I would have put her as an obvious yoga type, wafting about the country aimlessly and spraying herself with patchouli, but ballroom dancing is serious and must have required her to put at least some sort of effort in to learn it, like almost as much effort as she puts in to talking, which is just about the only thing I had assumed she was good at.

'So I thought, what can I do to give you guys something to remember the trip by beyond the typical tourist sites, something for you to remember me by?'

We all stare at her blankly. Give us your email address and a passport photo maybe? Not that we are ever likely to forget Leah, even if we want to.

'That's right, I'm gonna teach you ballroom dancing. Whoop whoop!' She twirls and then shakes her hips cha cha cha style.

'Yes, I love ballroom dancing!' Ana jumps up and down giddily. She is the only one.

'Ballroom dancing?' Harry speaks up. 'You have got to be kidding me?' So he doesn't like dancing then? Have we actually found something he isn't good at? Interesting.

I give a wry smile to myself, enjoying seeing him squirm at the idea, before remembering that I don't have the first clue about ballroom dancing either.

A lump is forming in my throat as I realise that we are actually going to do this. As much as I have tried to convince myself that I want this opportunity to dazzle in front of Louis, I think a small part of my brain, the deluded part, thought that it wouldn't really happen, like for real, and so it was okay to get carried away with the fantasy of a star performance on my part bowling Louis over.

Yet here we are, in a church hall in Arizona, about to dance to some old fashioned style music, and there isn't a bar in sight. I've only ever danced in a nightclub before and I've certainly never done it sober. I'm starting to kick myself for not bringing a hip flask with me given the number of times I've needed a quick swig of harder liquor recently.

'So Louis, you're up.' Leah points at Louis.

'Why me?' I feel as panicked as he sounds; why has she chosen him first?

'I don't know, you've got that rubbish dancer look about you. Plus you can take the laugh.' She wiggles her eyebrows at him. 'So pick a partner. And I know I'm being sexist here but it has to be a girl, so no Harry.'

Everyone laughs except Louis and me. How can I possibly laugh when he is about to publicly admit which woman he wants to dance with. I stare at the ground awaiting the humiliation, my eyes stinging as I know what is about to happen, that he will never pick me, even though there is still part of me, again the deluded part, that can't give up the hope until I hear him say it. Because until I hear him say it then I might still stand a chance, because deep down he really does still love me.

'Erm, Lottie, I guess.'

I gasp. I knew he would never pick me, that it would be too awkward and everyone who doesn't know our history would wonder why on earth he picked me, Naive Niamh, but still it hurts that he chose her. But she's just a safe option and will gladly act as a cover for his embarrassment I try to convince myself, and so she's a much better choice than slutty Juno, for at least I already know the truth about Lottie's sluttiness, she's already thrown that at me, remember?

'Okay Harry your next.' Leah points at Harry and Harry looks around the room like he's trying to identify who she is talking to. An apparition called Harry perhaps? 'Yeah you, get up here boy wonder.'

He shuffles in to the middle of the floor, huffing and puffing and running his hand through his hair repeatedly. So I got a nervous cough whilst he got nervous repetitive hair stroking apparently.

'If I get an asthma attack then it's you who I'll sue.' He challenges Leah.

'I don't know what sort of dancing you're planning on doing that would bring on an asthma attack?' She winks at him. 'It's not Dirty Dancing lover boy, now pick a girl!'

There's no point even pretending to be bothered listening to this one since it's pretty obvious that he will pick Marty. God I just hope Duncan has the sense to pick Ana rather than thinking that this is a sign for him to get closer to me.

'Niamh.' Harry speaks.

Marty coughs and then there is silence. Deathly silence. A tumbleweed rolls past.

'Earth to Niamh.' Leah waves her hand in front of my face. 'You're up girl.'

'But I can't dance.' I stammer.

'Well lucky for you neither can Harry, so we're all looking forward to seeing your performance.' She grabs at my hand, dragging me from the group and in to the centre to stand next to Harry.

'What the hell are you doing?' I whisper hiss at him as Leah moves on now ordering one of the fat greasy Australian guys to chose a partner.

'Shut up Niamh.' Harry whisper hisses back. This is becoming our standard form of communication, this whisper hiss combo, likely because the only other option would be shouting.

'Don't tell me to shut up. Why didn't you just chose Marty?' It's a reasonable question. I didn't think Harry even liked me, let alone had any feeling of pleasantry towards me that would make him want to dance with me.

'I don't know. I didn't think, your name just popped out.'

'It just "popped out"?'

'Yeah, and God do I wish it hadn't.'

'Is this some sort of joke to you?' I push at him to answer. 'Why are you so determined to humiliate me?'

'I'm not.' He sounds genuinely surprised by my question. 'Why would I want to humiliate you?'

Authors note: My video upload for this chapter is Get in to the Groove by Madonna. Sorry I know this is soooo retro (and I am not so old that I remember when it was released!). However I have spent many an hour dancing to it on my own and feeling so free which is just what the lyrics suggest and exactly what Niamh and Harry need to do right know, do you agree?