adulation | l.h.

Seventeen

Luke's POV

I can tell her smile was fake when she talked about the girl I was trying to impress. I know it was fake, because I've been seeing it all year,

and a few weeks ago was my first time actually seeing her smile.

So I know when she's hiding something, but other than that I can't tell any other emotion, because she's so quiet, and such a wallflower, that no one ever cares to ask her how she's doing, or what's wrong.

So no one sees how she's feeling, including me.

I might be the only one who knows that she used to harm herself.

And I can't lie when I say that I care for Ashki.

Ashki is insanely smart, she's also oblivious. It's easy to see that I like her, but I don't think she sees it. So when I talk about this girl, and she keeps refusing to help me learn the dips, and twirls and other fancy things,

she doesn't realize that she's the girl I'm trying to impress.

"Yeah, I like her a lot." I said, smiling at her small figure. She fiddled with her thumbs, and glanced up to meet my eyes, before looking away again.

"Then I guess that I better help you, before you humiliate yourself." She said finally, stepping forward.

But she passed me, and went to a mannequin across the room.

I laughed, "What are you doing?" She turned, dragging the plastic body over to me. "Im gonna act like a guy, hard to see, right?" She asked, as I laughed. "So, if he had an arm, this would be a lot easier." She studied the white man without any expression. "Well, the dip, you hold this part of the girls back." She said softly, pointing to the small of the man's back. "Don't get confused about that being the butt, or you won't get laid." She said.

Our laughter filled the room at her remark, and she continued to mess with the mannequin. "Go get that one." She pointed.

I grabbed it, and started to try and do the moves on it. "Good, good." She studied where my hands were. "Now the spin," she said, as I let the short figure go under my arm.

"This is so awkward." I said, and she broke out into laughter. "Now, go find someone to practice the 'swooning' moves on," she said, as she grabbed both mannequins and put them back in the corner of the room. "I need to practice now, Ashki." I tried to persuade her. "Hey, I taught you the moves-" "No, those are...motionless. Not human. I have to practice with a human." I tried again. "I have to practice with someone I know likes me." I said, moving closer.

She froze.

"I don't really think anyone else other than you likes me, and is okay with me dipping and twirling them. This is dance lessons, isn't it?" I asked. I grabbed her waist and spun her around. I leaned down, so that our heights were almost equal.

"Please, Ashki." I whispered. Our eyes pierced into eachother, and she looked doubtful, but finally, she nodded.

"Okay, remember. If you touch the but you don't get laid. In our case, I'll probably want to run away from you each time I see you." She said. I waited for her to grab my hands and lead them to her waist, but that moment never came.

So I did it myself, searching her eyes for any trace of uncomfortable emotions. But they were hidden by her eyelashes, and eyelids, that looked down at my cautious hands.

She spoke up, "It's okay, Luke." She whispered, her eyes finally meeting mine. I blew air out of my cheeks, as her hair fell in front of her face.