Dancing for Destiny

Chapter 9

Chapter 9

At George’s house, he and Eva went to see the horses but went for a walk without them. Once again, they sat by the river, this time, hand-in-hand. “George, did you want me to sing?” Eva asked tentatively. “Would you? I heard you once, in a concert. I just wanted to hear one song that’s just for me.” He answered.

‘A little selfish’, Eva thought but the words “Of course” exited her mouth and Eva sang. She sang ‘Omens of Spring’ an English traditional which she thought was fitting for the season and where they were seated. George was stunned into silence, eventually “That was amazing” in a deadpan and monotone voice, the, “You’re better at singing than you are dancing, way better!”

“Oh, that makes me feel so much better! So you say my dancing’s rubbish” said Eva, trying to make light of the situation. She smiled and turned to George. He was staring at  her like he’d never seen her before. Then he leaned over and kissed her.

‘A week before I’m 14 and that’s the first time I’ve ever been kissed!’ was Eva’s first thought ‘and I’m glad it was George, I really like him. I don’t know much about kissing but that was pretty good!’

“Eva I love you and I have, almost since I met you.”

“George, listen, I love you too but..........”

“But what?” He asked resignedly

“Well, yeah, OK, so the silence between us isn’t awkward but, we barely talk and you know, my idea of loving someone is that you communicate.”

“Oh,OK, well, if that’s all.”

“Yes, it is but I’ve got to go, I’m walking home and it’s getting dark.” Eva kissed George again lightly and fluttered off into the approaching darkness. He remained where he was just staring into the water.

At Eva’s house, Jordy had come round without Ted and he and Lewis were talking in the nursery. Eva went up to see her brother and their guest. “Hello boys,” Eva hailed them as she walked into the room. To Eva’s immense surprise, Jordy stood and hugged her. “I’ve been taking lessons from Ted’s many siblings” he said by way of explanation. “Ted has relations!?!” asked Eva, wondering why she was so surprised. “How are you Lewis?”  she continued.

“Yeah, well ta.” Eva had to stop herself correcting his language but Lewis saw her face and blushed. “How’s George?” Jordy asked, now it was Eva’s turn to blush, “He’s very well, thank you.”

“Oh, very well is he?” Lewis and Jordy both snorted, the sibling antics had started.

“Yes, he is but I don’t see what business it is of yours.”

At this point, Hannah entered the room and saw Eva’s rosy cheeks and defensive expression. “Now boys, don’t tease so” and cast them a frown with just the right amount of twinkle in her eye so that Jordy uttered an infectious giggle that made everyone in the room smile; Lewis snorted, Eva was, by now, shaking like a leaf in fits of silent giggles and very soon even Hannah was laughing, doing her scale laugh, 7 descending notes in quick succession. This only made Lewis burst into full scale laughter, which then triggered Eva into hysterics.

Across the room, Jordy was watching Lewis and Eva subconciously avoiding eachother’s eyes. For weeks now, rumours had been going round and round the academy about the ‘commoner on the balcony’ as Lewis had become known and Eva, ‘the girl who’s supposed to be George’s girlfriend’, a completely unoriginal and unimaginative name. Neither of them had heard these rumours and Jordy himself did not believe them but sooner or later, these bad words would reach the ears of the subjects.