on the REBOUND (On Hold)

Chapter 6

"Let's take our time tonight, girl

Above us all the stars are watchin'"

Five pairs of councillors take the stage and begin their demonstration. I'm instantly drawn to Clare Wiggers. She struts sexily towards her dance partner, who looks as if Christmas has come early, and places her hand on his chest. A quick scan around the room confirms Clare's irresistible charm - almost all eyes are on her.

"There's no place I'd rather be in this world

Your eyes are where I'm lost in..."

Clare's partner goes up really close and looks tenderly into her eyes. Aw, they're so cute. Either he's super into this dance, or he seriously likes her.

Shit, the hell I'm gonna do this with Logan. Yuck, yuck, yuck!!! I shudder.

"Underneath the chandelier

We're dancin' all alone

There's no reason to hide

What we're feelin' inside

Right now"

Clare and her partner do a box step before he takes her hand and she twirls perfectly on pointed toes.

"Alright, everybody! That's how the first stanza looks like." Clare takes the mic, "Girls on the left, guys on the right. Stand some distance from each other so you have space to approach your partner! Ready? 5, 6, 7, 8!"

I back off from Longan McDonald, who takes a few steps back. I try to look for Tyler and Tasha, but there're so many kids it's impossible to find them. Bruno Mars begins crooning from the sound system. I melt at his voice - so gentle and yet so sensually passionate. I begin walking towards Longan McDonald who has an inquisitive look in his blue, blue eyes. They remind me of the sky on summer days - so blue it hurts to look at, so blue it captivates all my attention. As I close the distance between us, my heart goes skippity skip skip. As if he'd taken hold of my heart and skipped it across a calm lake, leaving ripples in its wake. I can't help but tilt my head up to maintain the eye contact. He's really tall and well built.

Shit, what's the next step? It's only the first four counts and I've wiped the next steps clean from my mind. Bloody faggot with his blue, blue eyes!

Sensing my hesitation, Longan McDonald wraps his fingers around my right wrist and brings my palm to his broad chest. I feel my lungs constrict, for a moment there, I can't breathe. His fingers are incredibly warm and comforting. It takes me all my willpower to not trace my thumb along the firm muscle under the fabric of his white uniform. This boy smells like trouble. And faintly of citrus.

Gosh, Haywood, calm your freagging tits.

He starts inching really close.

"Ok, great work guys! Now let's move to the next part!" Clare's voice seems to come from a great distance.

Shocked, I withdraw my hand roughly from Longan McDonald's grasp. He seems pretty taken aback as well.

What the hell happened HUH, Haywood??

Oh well, that's the power of Bruno Mars.

Also, it's been a long time since I've had contact with a male.

Yes, perfectly normal to get enamoured by a boy with blue, blue eyes under the influence of Bruno Mars and raging hormones.

This is gonna be a really long dance session.

"Not thinking of Tyler Walker, are you?" I feel someone stoop low and whisper into my ear. I can't help but shiver at the warm breath that tickles my lobe. Goosebumps break out all along my right arm.

I stiffen. Holy guacamole! How did he figure out which Tyler I liked?!

"You couldn't take your eyes off him at the Hershey lockers." Longan McDonald reads my mind, his brilliant blue eyes boring into my black glassy ones.

"I... He... We..."

He waves away my feeble attempts at denial. "Don't bother lying. You're the first girl to push me away. You must be pretty into Tyler."

"You reek of cockiness you know. I'm sure EVERY girl likes you." I say, sarcasm dripping from every syllable.

"Your friend Tasha sure does."

"Damnit, you eavesdropped on us in the bus?"

"Well, she wasn't exactly whispering." He shrugs nonchalantly.

"You're a creep." I shift uneasily.

"I wonder why I never heard about you." Longan McDonald continues, curiosity clouding his blue, blue eyes.

"Dude, I'm not exactly a Clare Wiggers. Why would you have heard about me?"

"Oh." Longan McDonald smirks. "You see, Tyler Walker is my oldest friend. He tells me everything."

***

How safe is Haywood's secret with Logan? Will he spill the beans?