The Dance Academy (ON HOLD)

03

Chris's POV

I waited on the park bench for Dancer to arrive. I decided to dress a little better that I had yesterday when we first met. I wore a white button up shirt with a maroon knitted vest over top of it. I kept my jeans and sneaker though. It was really all I had to wear and it was the best I could do. I watched the duck walk across the grass and into the lake as a figure sat beside me. I didn't have to look to know who it was sitting beside me. Her perfume was the same and the wind blew the scent of her hair into my nose.

"Hey," I spoke as she swung her feet on the bench.

"Hi.." was all she said before I stood up. I held out my hand to her and she stared at it then back at me.

"Come on, take it."

She slid her small mocha chocolate hand into mine and stood up. I wrapped my hand around hers and walked down the sidewalk. She slowly began to pull her hand from me and I let it go. She walked beside me quietly and never spoke a word. I opened the door to a restaurant and she walked in. I noticed that her shirt was slightly tighter than the one she had on the day before but her jeans still hugged her waist perfectly. And again, she had on the same shoes I saw her in yesterday.

When we were seated, I sat next to her. She slid to the far side of the booth and looked out of the window. I sighed to myself as I looked at the menu. She didn't say anything, she just sat there and watched everyone who passed the window.

"Are you really hungry? I had breakfast a little late today and I'm not that hungry. We can share an appetizer or something?" I asked looking over at her. She nodded her head gently but never laid her eyes on me.

"Well, okay. I'm going to order the wings and a side of fries. Is that okay?" Again, she only nodded and shifted in the chair. I order us both lemonade and the appetizer we agreed on. I looked over at her and down her body as my eyes fell upon a small tattoo on her hip. It was a bird maybe. Part of it was covered but I know some ink when I spot it. She moved again and her shirt lifted a little more exposing a purplish-pink spot on her side. I stared at it a little and touched my finger against it.

She sat up and pulled her shirt down and looked at me, "don't tou--"

"Don't touch you," I cut her off, "I got it. I'm sorry." She ran her fingers in her hair and it fell slightly past her neck. She obviously put her foundation down her neck but I thought nothing of it. I heard that girls do that sometimes. We sat there quietly a bit longer before she spoke.

"How old are you?"

"I just turned 17. You?" I looked over at her.

"Sixteen," she uttered. Her lips were tinted a slight shade of pink and her eyes seemed to glisten in the sun.

"Oh, that's cool. So, what do your parents do? I saw you lived in that really big house."

"My father is a lawyer. And he..." she paused, "he has a business. It makes him a decent amount of money. What about yours?"

"Oh well, I never met my pops but my mom died when I was four so I've been bouncing around foster homes since then. It's not that bad." I shrugged.

She looked at me and I smiled down at her. She looked back at the lemonade and began to drink it. I watched as her lips wrapped around the straw. She drank it down quickly and I slid her mine and she drank some of it too.

"So, why do you like to be called Dancer and not Michelle?"

"I don't like that name..." she whispered a little. I put my arm around her and she flinched when I touched her back. Something was irritating her because she let out a slight hiss.