The Open Door - Sean and Kaycee

13. Tiger Lilies

Sean

I follow Will into the ImmaSpace faculty lounge. It's furnished with comfortable-looking chairs and sofas. The walls are decorated with large posters of dancers, probably members of the senior company.

"Have a seat, Sean." Will gestures to one of the armchairs in front of his desk.

I sit down. On top of Will's desk, there's a picture of Will and Janelle together. Huh. I guess I should have known they were a couple.

"Have I done something wrong, sir?" I ask tentatively.

"No, no, quite the contrary, actually. I just wanted to reiterate how impressed I was with your audition solo," Will says with a warm smile.

A wave of relief passes through me. "Thank you."

"Just curious -- are you, by any chance, a choreographer?"

"Choreography has always been a passion of mine," I tell him, "a way for me to experiment with movement and expression, you know?"

Will nods. "I expected that. The way you move is very intelligent and unique. Good choreographers have an inbuilt sense of nuance and musicality, and that really shines through when you're dancing."

What's he getting at? "Th-thank you," I stutter.

"This might sound overwhelming at first. But... I want you to teach a class at Build A Beast Experience this year."

"Teach? My own choreography?" I look at Will in disbelief.

"I think that you'll be a natural at it," Will says reassuringly. "Unfortunately, it's coming up pretty soon. Do you have any ideas that you've been working on?"

I can't believe that Will is putting so much faith into me. Luckily, I do have an idea. "Uh... well, I have been thinking about this one concept for a while. It's... a partner dance."

"Intriguing," Will remarks, "tell me more."

"Well... partner dancing is all about trust. I think that trust is a really important part of any relationship. It's vital to cultivate that trust if you want to truly see someone. If you want them to let you into their heart."

"That's very deep, Sean," Will says, chuckling. "What inspired this?"

"I--I don't know."

The truth is that the inspiration was the enigmatic and ever elusive Kaycee Rice. The girl who is so openly herself, and yet so closed off at the same time. The girl who is undeniably genuine, and yet so unwilling to let others see her. The girl with a past who only looks toward the future.

The girl who I wish, beyond anything, would let me into her heart.

My eyes fall upon the picture of Will and Janelle. It's so obvious from the way that they're looking at each other that they both have total trust in one another. There's something about their eyes. A sense of clarity and connection, which shows how they must know each other inside and out.

I realize that Will has been staring at me intently all this time.

"A word of advice, Sean, from a man who's been there," Will says, with a knowing smile on his face, "to get the girl, you have to first acknowledge your feelings towards her. And then, you need to take a leap of faith. You can't stew in uncertainty forever."

"What?" I exclaim, "I don't know what you-- I'm not sure--"

"I'm not blind, Sean," Will interrupts with a teasing grin, "nor am I deaf. I watched you in class today. There's something going on between you and Kaycee, isn't there?"