A Dance of Pride

t w o

Roman followed Remus awkwardly, as his twin led him inside the dance studio that was absolutely huge, even from the outside. He had spent weeks buying everything the list said and getting help from Remus for the things the list didn't say and had prepared to be going as casual as he could. Leggings, a light-weight hoodie and a white t-shirt.

"Bro, you'll be fine," Remus huffed. "You managed to get in, didn't you?"

"Yeah," Roman breathed with a nervous edge to his voice. "Barely! The e-mail said I was only getting let in because she saw potential in me and I had a knack for performing! How does that get me through first try?!"

Remus hesitated at Roman's' explanation. "Yeah, when you put it like that, I'm not even sure how that witch let you in..." Roman bowed his head, cursing quietly over and over to himself. "Hey, you'll be okay!" Remus tried to promise. "Besides, you're in the elite's' class-"

"What?!"

"And you've got some really hot boys in there! I'm sure you'll get along with them fine!"

"Remus, wait, wha-"

"Patton Merles, I heard he's single."

"What-"

"Ooh, and he's exactly like you. Bright, bouncy, overly needy and dramatic."

"Okay, first of all-"

"Then there's Thomas Sanders, lovely dude, lovely dude. Likes cartoons, bit of a vlogger, really, sweet guy-"

"Remus!" Roman snapped, finally shutting his brother up and letting his twin finally see the panic in his face. "What was that about the elite's' class? I'm not elite, I'm pathetic! Especially at dance! Why the fuck am I in that group?!"

Remus ripped his brother's' hands off of him, grinning in that way only Remus could master. "Chill, you'll probably be moved down. This is the way Drake tries to figure out exactly how far she can push you. She'll put you in the top group and you'll move down until you are a point you have to work for but aren't killing yourself over."

Roman still looked unsure.

Remus sighed. "Look, bro, I don't know what else to tell you.  You'll be fine." He finally let his grin turn into a softer, warmer smile, which was a rare sight, especially on Remus. "I promise, kay? Now, I gotta get to the tap studio, and I'll meet you in the reception afterwards, alright?"

"Alright..." Roman murmured.

Remus grinned and put a hand briefly on Roman's' shoulders. "Smile, princey. You're gonna be chilling with a group of hot boys all day. I'll see you at nine, I promise."

"Bye!" Roman called after his twin as Remus bolted away. And then he realised. It was five in the afternoon and he had no idea where the fuck he was in the biggest building he had ever seen.

Suddenly, the loneliness hitting him, he stuck his hands in his hoodie pocket, hesitating in the now empty corridor. He glanced up and down. "Okay... Cool," He murmured to himself, still shifting from foot to foot. "Totally... not... lost..."

The map he had been given was, honestly, shit. It made no sense and he had made sure he wasn't holding it upside down again. Nope, still no luck.

"Shit, shit, shit," He muttered to himself. Remus was long gone, that man could run like a fucking cheetah, leaving Roman alone to navigate by himself. "I'm so lost."

However, Roman Prince would never back down from a quest, no matter how treacherous this maze may be! He shall persevere through this heartless labyrnith, even if it didn't feature David Bowe, singing 'Dance, Magic, Dance' in tight leather trousers.

He shall prevail in this trial and find his end when he becomes the victor of this quest! Roman instantly spun on his heel, proudly stalking his way back the way he came before realising he'd only end up back in the lobby.

Roman sighed, holding back up the map again. "I may be dashing, handsome, brave and a prince, but I have awful cartography skills..."

"Prince?" A voice echoed behind him.

Roman shrieked in an incredibly dashing, handsome, brave and princely manner, leaping up in the air, curling as many of his limbs as he could spare up in the air to hold this ninja beast at bay.

A girl with brown hair and brown eyes, around his age, maybe a little older, sipped from her water bottle. "Right... Okay. Totally your dashing, brave, something Prince."

"I am-!" His voice cracked in a comedic way as he held his limbs effortlessly in the uncomfortably awkward position. He cleared his throat. "-A liiiiittle on edge at the moment, I'm afraid! So, if  you could stop staring at me in a judgemental manner, I'd be at your most graceful will."

The girl snorted. "Oh, wow, you're really living up to the part. Okay, dude, I'm not judging you publically anymore. You can lower your arms."

Roman did so, face flushed as he awkwardly cleared his throat. "And your name is?"

"Winona Drake."

"No fucking way-"

The girl barked in laughter. "Kidding! My name's Valerie Drake, the old witch's' granddaughter."

"Oh..." Roman blinked slowly, calming down from his traumatic embarrasment. "Well, I am Prince Roman, pleasure to meet you. And I am abso-fucking-lutely lost. So, maybe, you could assist me in-"

"Wait!" Valerie interuptted. "Roman?"

"Yeeeeeeeeeeeeees?" He replied hesitantly.

She clicked her fingers around her head, as if fishing for something. "Like... Remus's' little brother? Roman Prince?"

If someone had a camera at that moment, thay'd definitely had taken a photo of how Roman's' face changed in a matter of mere seconds. It went from a flustered confidence to, well, disbelief on a comical scale.

"I'm only two minutes younger than him," He said with a pout.

Valerie's' eyes lit up.