No disappointment

Amabile Ferrari

The week went by like a blink of an eye.

Steph asked me to sleep over at her house on Friday and Saturday, so we could go to the dance club together, and I didn't think twice before accepting. In Chicago, only Bethany liked me enough to put up with me day and night at her house, so it would be something new. And also a bonus for me to like this end of the world called ‘South Dakota’ a little more.

It was fun to spend this time with Steph, because I had the opportunity to get to know her better. She’s quite different than she appears to be. Actually, I think that was a wrong first impression I had of her. But, overall, she is very nice – and crazy, which won me over at first.

When I came out of the bathroom, already dressed and missing only my shoes, I looked at myself through the mirror in the bedroom closet, trying to decide whether I liked the new look. As I looked at the clothes I would be wearing to the dance club, Steph just slapped them on and told me to pick something from her closet.

I didn’t want to get too far away from myself, so I opted to wear her red plaid skirt and a black shirt from some ‘rock’ band I don't know. For my feet, Steph allowed me to wear my white All-Star, because we have different sizes, so there would be no possibility of borrowing some shoes. And I actually looked pretty. Different, but pretty.

“Wow!” I heard Steph say, so I turned to her. “Much better than those jeans.”

“Don't badmouth my jeans!” I narrowed my eyes, but ended up laughing.

“These clothes look a thousand times better on you than me!” She nodded, impressed. “Please don't you dare give them back to me. They are yours now.”

“Stop playing with me!” I rolled my eyes and went to her bed, where my bag was.

“I’m not playing. It's the absolute truth!” She said simply.

I grabbed my things and turned to her.

“Are we going or not?” I raised my eyebrow, ignoring her words.

“Yes, ma'am.” Steph saluted, making me laugh. “My mom is out…” She said, as she walked towards the living room. “But I will tell her that you loved it and will be back.” She looked up at me with a mischievous smile.

“Will I?” I returned the smile.

“For better or for worse.” She winked, picking up the car key from the sideboard by the door.

As soon as we left the house, I was very surprised by what I saw.

“Is this John’s truck?” I asked, looking at the blue car parked out front.

“Yes, sweetheart.” She nodded and slammed the door behind her, walking towards the truck. I followed her, still a little confused.

“And when did he leave it here?”

“In the morning.” She shrugged. “So we could get there faster.”

“But what about him?” I asked and settled into the car, while Steph took the driver’s seat.

I confess that I expected to find a very filthy car, but John’s organization and cleanliness are simply impeccable. I bet even I couldn't keep it that way.

“He’s going with one of the boys later.” Steph turned the key in the steering wheel.

“Right…” I nodded and shrugged my shoulders.

Soon a snorting sound could be heard, and in a few minutes we were walking through the streets of Sturgis. I began to observe Steph's dexterity at the steering wheel and ended up smiling. She seems to be very familiar with this car.

“You drive well.” I smiled mischievously.

She looked away from me and back to the street.

“I don't understand.” She snorted. “You thought I was a bad driver?”

“No. I'm just saying.” I laughed nasally and plopped down on the seat. “Not just anyone can drive a big car like this, you know.”

“What are you getting at, Anastasia?” Steph narrowed her eyes at me.

“No, I know. You tell me, Stephanie.” I smiled broadly. “Let's review. You're single, and you like to party and dance. Johnny is also single and likes to dance a lot.” I stared at her and saw a smile on her lips. “And you’re best friends…”

“You can stop there, young lady. I see where you’re going with this.” She laughed. “And the answer is no. We are just good friends.”

“Unanimously?” I narrowed my eyes.

“What?” She stared at me, a little confused.

“You two agree?”

“Oh yes, we don’t really feel anything for each other.” She nodded, turning into the parking lot of the dance club. “And in case this is one of those explanations about If you can like him or not, here’s some advice…” She looked away from me. “Give it up.”

“Hello?” I ended up laughing. “I thought you didn’t like him that way.”

“Not because of me.” She rolled her eyes, pulling up the car into one of the parking spots. “Johnny is amazing, and very thoughtful, but he has the flaw of never getting over his past.”

“Oh, really?” I raised my eyebrows in surprise.

She sighed, turning off the truck.

“He never got over his ex and, apparently, he never will.” That was the last thing she said before jumping out of the car.

I confess that I was surprised by this information, but not because I’m interested in him. He’s nice and very attractive – especially when he throws his hair back, which I realize is a habit – but I just can’t see him romantically. Looking from the outside, John seems to have the same spirit of adventure as Steph, so now to idealize him in that same way, but adding a touch of melancholy, is kind of strange. I don’t know, but it doesn’t seem to fit.

Waking me from my daydream, I heard two knocks on the car window. When I looked in that direction, I saw Steph staring at me with a raised eyebrow.

“Are you going to stay there?” Her voice was muffled.

I gave a small smile and opened the door, jumping out of the truck. We walked to the club, and, actually, John was right when he said it would be less crowded today. Because as soon as we pushed open the wooden door at the reception area, I could see the last table, where everyone was.

We walked over and halfway there, I could hear Kaleb’s outrageous laughter. He must be telling another one of his crazy stories. As soon as Steph and I arrived in front of the table, everyone was silent and stared at us.

“I didn't think they would come anymore.” John was the first to speak up.

“Did you really think I would miss the opportunity to win a drink?” Steph smiled mischievously, sitting down beside him.

I sat down facing them, next to Molly, who promptly poured me a glass of beer.

“Get a drink?” Greg raised his eyebrow. “As far as I know, you buy, not win.”

“Yeah, but it turns out that… This guy here.” She pointed at John. “He made a bet with me and lost. My condition was that he buys me a drink, so…” She raised her arms in surrender, leaving the sentence hanging in the air.

“Okay, Steph. Nobody likes a loudmouth.” John snorted, grabbing a bottle of beer from the ice bucket in the center of the table. “Take this and be quiet.” He placed the drink in front of her, but she pushed it back.

“Did you think I’m going to settle for a lousy beer like that?” Steph laughed mockingly. “What I want is the most expensive drink in this place. Otherwise, our bet…”

“Yeah, yeah!” He rolled his eyes, pulling his wallet from the back pocket of his jeans. “Go buy your drink and forget about this bet once and for all.” John placed four hundred-dollar bills in front of Steph, and not only Steph, but everyone in the room was stunned.

“Did you just give Steph 4 hundred-dollars?” Scott asked, perplexed.

“Yeah. It was a bet.” John shrugged and drank some of his beer.

“Let’s bet, so!” Kaleb snapped, making everyone laugh.

“Man, she’ll spend that much money on one shot of the most expensive drink at most.” He laughed mockingly. “You can't even taste it properly.”

“Do you really think I’m going to spend four hundred dollars on a drink?” Steph scornfully stared at him. “If you gave it to me, fine, but no one told you to give me cash.” She laughed breathlessly and snatched the glass of beer from John’s hand, drinking all of it in a few seconds.

John was dumbfounded, not believing what was happening. I ended up laughing at the situation and disguised it by drinking my beer. The two of them are very funny – and actually a good match. I stared at John and remembered what Steph had told me on the way over here.

I feel bad for him, but unfortunately it’s something that can’t be helped, because it’s entirely up to him.

I sighed and set the glass on the table again. When I looked up, I immediately caught my breath at what I saw. Or rather, who I saw approaching. I thought I was seeing too much, but when he stared back at me, a shiver ran up my spine.

Matt stopped in front of the table where we were sitting, put his hand in his jeans pocket, and looked at everyone sitting there.

“Oh, it’s good that you’re back!” John smiled as he looked at him. “Sit right there.” He pointed with his chin to the small space between Molly and me. “I’ll start talking.”

I took a deep breath and stared at the liquid in my glass. I thought, like last time, that Matthew wouldn’t show up, but I guess I was wrong. What’s he doing here? He lives isolated and with his face tied up all the time! He doesn't even seem to be that friendly with the guys.

“Are you going to move to the side or would you rather I sit on your lap, beautiful?” Matthew’s deep voice made me look up at him, startled.

He was leaning one hand on the table and the other on the back of the leather sofa, looking at me intently. I laughed and reached over, grabbing my glass of beer. I'd rather have to ask his permission to go to the bathroom than away from Molly, my faithful shield against assholes.

I don't need to talk to him, I can just ignore him, so that's fine.

“Here you go.” John held out a bottle of beer to Matt.

“Thanks.” As he put his hand in the drink, the sleeve of his jacket pulled up a little, revealing the drawn skin.

There was a mandala tattooed on his right hand and a letter next to it. Maybe a P or a… I couldn't decipher, because, Matt pulled up his sleeve, covering the area again.

“So, John…” Scott gasped, wrapping his arm around Molly’s body. “Can you tell us now why you called us here?”

“I’ve been thinking about it for a while, and even commented on it to Steph.” He nodded, playing with the empty beer glass in her hands. He looked up and remained silent for a few minutes. “The girls put on a ‘show’ when they get together. So do Greg and Scott. Kaleb’s the king of martial arts dancing, and I don’t even have to mention Steph and Matt’s weight in the choreography.” He shrugged. “Come on, guys! Don't you believe we have the ability?” He frowned. “We love to dance!”

“Look, I swear I’m trying to understand, but I can’t even use all five of my neurons.” Kaleb blinked a few times, perplexed.

“He wants us to compete again.” Matt said nonchalantly, as he swung his beer. “More specifically, for the championship in August.”

“What?” Molly’s jaw dropped. “But, it’s already June!”

“I know it seems kind of last minute, but I agree with Johnny.” Steph sighed. “We’ve been training for months. Sure, we took a little break in the middle, but we’ve almost got it all figured out! We just need to get back to rehearsing.”

“I don't want to cut you guys off, but just in case…” Scott smiled mischievously, showing his dimple on his left cheek. “We're the only ones left. Everyone else has given up.”

“And that's why it’ll work out. We didn't give up.” John emphasized.

“Okay.” Greg sighed. “I was going to let you discuss and decide on your own, but I realize that you are missing an important detail.” He paused, thinking about how to explain himself. “ Do you remember the choreography, don't you?”

“Come on, what a stupid question!” Steph snorted. “Of course we do.”

“In the smallest detail?” He narrowed his eyes and got a bored look from Steph. “Great, so you don't expect me to wear a pink skirt to the dance, do you?”

“But, you would look cute, Greg.” Kaleb put his hand on his shoulder, smiling mischievously.

“Back off, rust.” He growled, dodging his touch.

“I see where Greg’s going with this.” John nodded, smiling broadly. “And I definitely don't want to see any hairy-legged big guys wearing fucking tutus.” He looked disdainful as he imagined the scene. “So now my proposal is addressed only to Anastasia.” He looked at me, leaving me momentarily confused.

“Me?” I raised my eyebrows.

I thought I understood what was happening there, but suddenly I no longer did. What does he mean with a proposal just for me? What do I have to do with this story? I don't even know how to dance hip-hop! I blinked a few times, perplexed.

“Would you like to be part of our group?” He asked, looking at me intently.

“I thought I already did.” I laughed nasally.

“You did, but I mean in the dance group.” John moistened his lips. “Do you agree to participate in the championship with us?”

“What?” I widened my eyes. “I don't even know how to hip-hop.”

“But you can dance ballet.” The smile on his face widened.

“You want me to dance ballet?” I raised my eyebrows in disbelief. “Look, John, I don't know if it's a good fit…”

“Do you trust me or not?” He asked.

His gaze was so intense that I couldn't answer.

“Johnny, forget it. She’s probably not good enough.” Matt sighed beside me. “We’ll find another dancer.”

It was impossible not to laugh at the comment, so I stared at my hands and bit my lower lip to control my hatred. I slowly looked up in his direction and saw him staring back at me, holding his beer bottle to his mouth. He visibly cared little if the comment offended me. Typical.

“I'm sorry, Matt, but I'm going to disagree with you.” Steph spoke up, drawing my attention to herself. She smiled at me and turned to him. “She’s a great dancer.” She emphasized. “Can you believe she learned my new choreography without me even teaching her?”

“Peeking around, even me.” He shrugged.

“Impressive how unnecessary you are.” I laughed, puffed up. I stared at him, and, as usual, he had his face drawn into a grimace.

“Do you think copying choreography is being good at something?” He raised his eyebrow. “Even an eight-year-old can do better than that, so drop the ball.” He laughed mockingly. “And another thing: has anyone here ever seen you dance ballet?”

“You, when you were peeking.” I rebutted.

“Peeking? I prefer to say that I was in my space, that it was invaded by someone.” He forced a smile. “And all I saw was a bunch of twirling around the room. If I'm going to spin around like a top, I'll dance this thing you call ballet myself.”

I was simply stunned. I didn't understand why this boy treated me like that. All right, I invaded “his space”, but he insists on the same thing and won't let go. I'm beginning to lose patience.

“Since you are so amazing, why don't you stop by Rachel's tomorrow?” I raised my eyebrow. “I'll make sure to prepare a choreography just for you.”

“How much love, but I'll pass. I'm not wasting my time on you.” Matt laughed, finishing his beer in a single gulp.

“Don't want to waste your “precious time”, or are you afraid to see how good I really am?” I pined, making quotation marks with my hands.

I could hear Kaleb's muffled laughter, so I smiled triumphantly. Matt moistened his lips and stared at me.

“Wanna bet?” He gave me a mischievous smile. I narrowed my eyes, ready to accept the challenge, but as soon as I opened my mouth, I was interrupted.

“Okay, spare me this fight between you two.” Steph snorted. “Ana, please help me out here.” She begged, with her hands in front of her face. “I promise to make it up to you in the end.”

The puppy eyes that fell from Steph's change didn't help me at all. Although I really wanted to help her, it had been months since I had put on my ballet shoes. Stepping on a stage, then, years. I’m afraid to accept and end up messing everything up. I don't want to give Matt any reason to think he's right, because I know that if I fail, he’ll be the first to tell everyone that he was right all along.

I started to pay attention to Johnny and saw him playing with the beer in his glass, shaking it from side to side. He looked thoughtful, maybe afraid, I don't know. He must be afraid of my answer, which indicates that he really needs my help, otherwise he wouldn't be like this.

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath.

“Okay.” I said and looked at Steph. “I'll try to be helpful.” I emphasized, making it clear that there was a possibility that it could go wrong. At least, if in fact it doesn't go as planned, Matt won't have any way to throw it in my face.

Johnny raised his eyebrows. There was a glint in his eye, so I smiled and nodded.

The conversation at the table changed abruptly to the rehearsal plans and the adaptations that needed to be made to the choreography. Although I had to pay attention to what they decided, I simply switched off, lost in my own daydreams.

I could hardly believe that I would finally leave my problems and insecurities in the background. Going back to dancing was the last thing I imagined happening in my life, but I believe it’ll work out – it has to.

And I hope I don't disappoint anyone in the end.