The Purple Haired Craze

In Which Dance Lessons Take Place

Skulduggery paid for the gown and they both went back outside to leave Darning to start on the dress to have it completed by lunchtime. It wasn't long until Mr Iagan appeared in front of them again and the short time they had spent waiting for them was filled with them chatting about stuff.

Iagan took them back to the school and they went together to their first lesson. En-route, however, Valkyrie stopped suddenly, her stomach plummeting in dread.

"China is in our art class, isn't she?"

Skulduggery frowned at her. "Yes, and?"

"You rejected her, correct?"

"Yes, otherwise I wouldn't be taking you."

"So, she is going to be so annoyed at me! Shoot!"

"Calm down, she's not going to try and kill you!"

Valkyrie gave him the look. "Has she ever been rejected before?"

Skulduggery pondered a while. "No, I don't think she has. Well, I'll correct myself. She won't try and kill you when you are around other people."

"Skulduggery, have you ever tried sympathy before? Or reassurance?"

"I just did."

"No, you didn't."

"Oh."

"Okay, so I now have to survive until the end of the day, which may prove to be tricky because it's China."

"You don't regret it, do you?"

"What?"

"Me asking you out."

Valkyrie laughed. "Aww, are you being insecure?"

"Am not."

"Of course I don't regret it. Just the idea that China may decide to brutally murder me is a little terrifying, admit it."

"I suppose, although the likelihood of her attempting it in a crowded environment is low."

"Again, I think you need to practice the art of reassurance. It does wonders when picking up girls."

Skulduggery frowned. "I'm not going to cheat on you."

"Good, no need to practice it then." Valkyrie smiled a sunny smile and skipped into the classroom ahead of him leaving him standing puzzled in the doorway.

Liv noted China's angry glare at Valkyrie the moment the black-haired elemental danced into the classroom. This was the moment Valkyrie made China her enemy and the purple girl stored the expression into her memory concerning Val.

"Seeing as it is the Winter Ball tonight and all those attending are expected to have at least one dance with their partner, I think today we will all refresh our memories and remember how to dance again."

They were all stood, facing Miss Crow in the Duelling Hall.

"This is where the ball will be held. Now, I know the majority of you are aware of how the ball works but I know that Miss Estrange and Miss Cain are both new to the school and don't know the dance etiquette we have. Therefore, for the benefit of everyone, today is a crash course on dance." Crow was now pacing up and down. "Who here, believe they are a confident dancer?"

All of the Dead Men, a number of other boys and a lot of my new girlfriends put their hands up. September was the only one who was shaking her head sincerely, mouthing "I can't dance" to the floor.

"Now," continued Crow. "The people who have a dance partner for the actual Ball tonight in the other group, please pair up."

I smiled brightly at Skulduggery, walking over. "It seems we meet again Pleasant."

"Doesn't it seem like the world is making us be together, Cain?"

"It does indeed."

They waited as Crow paired the remaining people with those left over, ensuring that all of the not so confident dancers were with a more skilled dancer.

"I think you'll be happy to know that I am the best dancer in the entire school."

"Is this a challenge so I can steal your reputation again, just like the "Best Fighter in the School" award?"

Skulduggery snorted, rather ungracefully, earning a sharp glare from Crow. "Please refrain from making animal noises, Mr Pleasant. It's not dignified."

"Yes, ma'am. Sorry, ma'am."

Crow went onto explain the basic steps for dancing. Skulduggery was not exaggerating when he said he was good at dancing and soon Valkyrie had mastered the basics and Skulduggery was showing her all the different prompts that were cues for different moves. They twirled around the hall together, passing Anton and Liv who were primly waltzing, Anton having the beginnings of a smile creeping onto his face. Dexter and Saracen kept pulling faces at each other as they whirled past, their dance partners looking slightly bemused. Elena and Elysia had not got paired up with them because all four of them were confident dancers. Instead, they were with these other students who kept on stepping on their toes (except Saracen's partner, who had more of grasp of the waltz and foxtrot). Ghastly stood with September, the height difference so extreme it made Valkyrie giggle slightly at the sight of Twinkletoes (September nickname) trying to stand as tall as she could and Ghastly trying to slouch, but not look like he was slouching. Crow kept fluttering past them to correct their stance.

Erskine had been put with another girl that Valkyrie knew was called Trivia Kite, but didn't really know. Both Skulduggery and Valkyrie were both amused to see that he kept hovering around China, who was shooting daggers at Valkyrie. They both ignored China and continued to twirl, Val feeling more and more confident in her steps the more they danced together. The skeleton Skulduggery had once given her a crash course in dancing just before the Requiem Ball, so it wasn't an entirely foreign thing she had to learn, but it was good to know she had remembered some of Skulduggery's lesson.

"I think we'll look fabulous tonight," Skulduggery told her, as he took in everyone else's dancing.

"I doubt it."

"In the dress? Yes we will. I will remind you that I am going to be looking fabulous tonight as well."

"Mmhm, well, we'll see."