"This week, I would like everyone to partner up," Nicole folds her hands, resting them on her lap. After a few moments of everyone staying quiet, and not moving. "Either you move now, or I pick your partners for you."
I don't budge, I don't want to give in to this bullshit. I am perfectly okay, I don't need therapy.
"Hey, want to be my partner?" Louis pulls up the metal folding chair next to me so our knees are touching. "You're the only one I can actually stand in this hell hole."
I can't help but laugh at his childish behavior, he is basically complaining and whining like a five year old. Why does this turn me on?
"Sure," I laugh, hoping I am not blushing.
"Okay, let's get started." Nicole starts, "I want you to find out three things from this person."
I look over at Louis and we laugh in frustration, we agree how stupid this is and get to work on our little project.
**
"I really like the piano." Louis admits. We've been at this 'finding three things about the other person' for forty five minutes now and this is the first thing I have learned about Louis. "Oh, and people call me Lou!" He giggles, playing with his fingers; just like me..
"You're not very interesting," I tease, poking at his arm. His skin is so soft..
"What if we got coffee after this and we can talk more, under a little less pressure?"
"I'd like that," I smile. He hands me his phone already open to a new contact. I give him my information and we continue to participate in this club.
**
"The club is so stupid." Lou grins from ear to ear, taking a sip of his latte.
"I agree," I pick up my hot chocolate, blowing on the hot liquid. "I think we should just skip." I laugh at myself for making a joke, although I am not entirely sure I'm kidding. I've considered skipping every once in a while, but if my parents found out I'd grounded forever.
"My mom would kill me," he laughs nervously, "literally."
"Is your mom really like that?" He nods, and I take the clue to not push any further.
He reaches below the table into the small pockets of his jeans and pulls out his white iphone. "I should probably get going, my mom will need help with my sisters when she leaves for work." He stands up quickly and exits the small coffee shop leaving only a five dollar bill and a half drunk latte.
"Check please," I saw to our waitress, who is obviously looking for a good tip. She wears a tight black tank top that shows much cleavage, and shorts so short they shouldn't be considered clothing. She comes back moments later leaving a reciept. At the very bottom it says $10.75, and a ten digit number that I assume is her number. I grab Louis' bill and pull out a five and a one dollar bill from my ducktape wallet my sister made me. I crumple up the reciept and leave it sitting on the table along with the rest of my trash.
"Hey sweetie," my mother grins, opening the door for me. "How was the meeting?"
"Shitty as usual," I spat, clearly aware of my attitude.
"Watch your language. Gemma is just upstairs," she purses her lips, a returns to the kitchen. "We're having chicken enchiladas tonight, because Gem has dance and you're coming with."
"But Mo--" she cuts me off, stirring the food with the spoon in one hand and her other on her hip.
"No buts, Harry! You promised your therapist you would participate in more outside activities!"
She never yells in our house, she mostly talked extremely stern. When she was a kid her father used to beat her mother whenever she yelled at him, my mother has never raised her voice since she was eleven.
"Go get your sister," she looks down at her watch, "looks like we are eating these on the road."
I drag my sister down the stairs, pulling her away from the gravitational pull of her obsession to her computer. We get down stairs and mom already has Gemma's bag and our food ready to go, she is just waiting on us to get our shoes on.
We sit in the car, eating our food silently. The dance academy is only five minutes away but it feels like five hours.
I can't get the thought of Louis out of my mind. He was so sweet and nice, then I brought up his mom and he split..
"We're here," my mother says to be, unbuckling her seatbelt. She grabs the three waters she brought from home, and tucks them under her arm.
"I'll see you inside, I still have to get dressed," Gemma grabs her pink ballet bag and rushes inside. My mother and I follow just a few steps behind, and I open the door for her feeling the rush of cold air conditioned air against my burning skin.
We wait in the lobby of the academy for Gem to come out. Less than five minutes later she comes out in a light pink leotard with white tights. On her feet are pink shoes, with laces that go up to the middle of her shin. They look pretty painful to me, but she looks beautiful none the less.
"Harry?!" The voice is familiar, but I can't exactly make out who the voice belongs to. "Harry! It's me, Lou!"
Louis? What is he doing here?
"My sister just started taking classes here!" he says with full excitement, "are you also joining the class?"
He looks down at the extra clothes my mother insists we bring for Gemma incase something of her's rips. "Oh, no! These are just extra clothes for my sister."
"Sure," he shyly smiles, winking at me. He turns on his heel to follow his mother and sister to the check in table. Gemma smiles at my mother and I and runs off to check in.
This building was built with a viewing area in the floor above the practice room. I follow my mom up the stairs and round the corner. Silky white curtains cover the walls, although there are no windows. The owner claims it is for the 'looks'. I take my usual seat on the plush black sofa right before the large windows.
I am extremely fascinated every single week by the ability of the dancers. Each child was specifically chosen; they had to apply and do an audition. I am extremely proud to say my baby sister is one of them. What can I say? I am a proud brother.
"Mind if I sit here?" The all-too-familiar sweet voice and smell of musk become present to the right of me.
I shake my head no, too memorized by the twenty or so students stretching. There is a girl who has her foot twister and behind her head..
Louis and I sit in comfortable silence; he is on his phone, and I am watching my sister intently. In the past twenty five minutes Gem has learned how to do back hand springs, and can bend over backwards and kick herself back up. When she finally put it to music, she looked fantastic.
The silence was reassuring; that was until Louis rested his hand on my thigh and asked me, "want to go some place? We can talk?"
_______________
hey guys! I hope you all like the idea for the story! I would love your feed back! Vote/comment whatever you do best!
