One Touch

13: Goldie Locks

I had came to the horrid conclusion that dancing was the death of me. I wasn’t sure if three days of practice was enough, but I wouldn’t go a day without trampling a poor foot or bumping into someone.

Zavian wasn’t a bad dance partner, but he was occupied in his own zone of thoughts. Once in a while, which happened to be every two minutes, he’d glance over to the spellbinding pair, the best dancers in the whole class. In three days’ time, Caspian and Amber beat the record of capturing Eddie’s attention in their dancing expertise.

Atlanta, on the other hand, wasn’t the best dancer and could easily fall in the same category as me. Ronald was excellent with partner-dancing, and he helped her out. I could turn their relationship to a cliché teenage flick in seconds. There, the story of a clumsy teenage girl falling in love with her saviour unravels. Close enough.

But their story was twisted, because in every romantic story, there was a wrench thrown in it. Though Ronald gave her a hand in dancing, Atlanta found ways to move apart as soon as possible. She wanted this; she wanted to be with Ronald, and yet, was she distancing herself.

I was going on a stroll that early morning, a thin layer of fog hiding the streets of clear view. It was a Saturday, and I loved hazy mornings filled with mist and eerie silence. I imagined myself in a horror movie, being followed by shadows, and once I turned, I’d see nothing but an endless trail of fog amidst a circle of trees. As the sun rose, I went back to my house. When I reached there, dawn seemed to escape the day and rays of natural light hit my face. Everyone should go through this every morning. It was pure delight.

The pure delight of my morning vanished when I heard shouts across the street. I let out an irritated sigh. Must all days start like this with the Cages right across my house? I watched Odelia climb into her car as her children stood outside, waiting like statues. Odelia spoke inaudibly as the twins listened, and she drove away right after.

As soon as her car disappeared from sight, Caspian scowled and Atlanta hugged herself. Were they given chores? Atlanta lifted her head, and in an instant, she waved her hand after seeing me. “Hi!” she called, walking towards me. She dragged Caspian with her.

He scrutinized me the whole way, and I ignored the tinge that escaped down my body. For three solid days, there was an unspoken tension between us neither of us talked about or mentioned. But we knew it was there, and both of us remembered that day he hugged me.

“Can we come over to your house?” Atlanta asked me. Did she mean herself or ‘we’ as in including her brother? I didn’t want that kind of trouble in my house.

“You, yes,” I answered. “Him, no.”

Atlanta punched his shoulder and he glared at her. “You still have to apologize for what you’ve said,” she scolded him. “You know how hurt she was? We agreed we’d give some importance to humanity.” She talked about humanity as if they weren’t humans at all and it wasn’t a part of their vocabulary.

“I’ve compensated,” Caspian told her with a chill to his tone, and that was when our eyes met. It was an indirect recollection of the hug. “It’s enough.” But he seemed to regret it. If so, that hug meant nothing at all to me.

I invited them inside and took off my sweater. Atlanta chatted away like on any other day, and I followed her into the kitchen. She wanted to make another sandwich and I gave her full control over the refrigerator.

“Is your dad home?” Caspian asked me.

My nose scrunched up as my eyes darted up the stairs. Thinking about dad gave me an cold feeling, yet it made me hunch my shoulders in anxiety. It had been a while since I heard his voice, or visited his bedroom.

“Unattractive,” Caspian murmured at my posture, and my shoulders relaxed. Atlanta gave him another light punch to the shoulder. “I don’t think anyone has ever turned me off more than you.”

“The answer to your question is ‘yes’,” I replied with scorn. “And for your information, I’m someone who’ll never be turned on by you, let alone the other way around. So, ha.”

“Caspian…you’re,” Atlanta started, her face plastered with amazement. He looked away, walking elsewhere. “We need to talk, again. About Ronald, too.”

That piqued my interest, but before I could speak, Caspian said, “We already talked about that.” He gave her a stern look. “It’s possible, but you have to wear gloves at all times.”

“I promise,” she said, nodding vigorously. “I want this to work, Caspian. I really do. I want us to work out. I want to be with him. I really do think he likes me and—”

“Atlanta, you can’t get carried away,” Caspian told her, and her lips dipped in sadness. “I’m not the enemy here, you know the rule. I don’t know why it’s so hard to follow that.”

“Well, you aren’t following it either,” Atlanta said, glancing at me. Caspian took a deep breath and let it out. “I know, I’m less immune than you. I get it. But it still isn’t fair how you can—”

“Can I stop you right there?” I said, afraid to interrupt. “Sorry, but what are you guys talking about?” I was in their conversation, but my name wasn’t spoken.

“Nothing,” Caspian said. “Can we speak to your dad?”

“He won’t speak to anyone,” I told him. “Except Odelia and my brother. What do you want from him anyway?” The twins shared a look and I got a suspicious vibe. “What are you…?”

“It’s nothing serious,” Atlanta assured me. “My mom wanted us to give him a message, but I’m sure she can do it herself on her own time.” I nodded slowly in agreement. That sounded better. “Anyway, I have this sandwich to make.”

“I need to speak with your brother,” Caspian said to me. I was unsure about that, and confident another conflict will arise between them. “No blood and war. Promise,” Caspian added.

A smile lingered on my face at how he read my thoughts. “Fine.” I took Caspian upstairs and knocked on Rick’s door. “Rick, it’s me,” I called. I didn’t want to mention Caspian.

Rick opened the door, and shut it in seconds when he saw Caspian. “Why’d you bring the Goldie locks here?” Goldie locks? I could actually imagine myself teasing Caspian with that.

“I have questions about your dad,” Caspian said, and we heard grunting on the other side. “And I need answers.”

“Hey, don’t sound so demanding,” I whispered to him in a rush. “Rick’s not the best guy to talk to when you want something.”

Caspian pounded on the door. Rick’s hand popped out, exposing his middle finger. “f**k off,” he said, and shut the door once more. Wow, that was unexpected. Neither of us reacted, or knew how to. Then a couple snickers spouted from Caspian’s mouth. He was clearly annoyed, but he must’ve found Rick utterly stupid and disrespectful that it was amusing.

“What an asshole,” Caspian commented, loud enough for Rick to hear on the other side. I shot Caspian a glare, but he ignored it. “Have fun reading some manners in those textbooks.”

This time, I punched Caspian’s shoulder. Hard. “Says the guy who doesn’t know the very meaning of ‘manners’.". Caspian glowered as he rubbed his shoulder. “Don’t say that to my brother.”

“Cry all you want because I don’t regret it,” Caspian spat, and began to leave. I was on his trail with angry footsteps. Why had I even allowed him into my house?

I wanted to retort, and in a way that would cause him some sort of anger. “But I completely regret you hugging me,” I blurted. Caspian froze and I smacked into the back of his denim jacket.

Before I could straighten and figure out my track of footing, Caspian spun around and moved forward. I hadn’t recovered my balance yet as his hand pushed me back. I stumbled to keep his pace, the air compressing as he confined me to the wall behind us.

He leaned in, his eyes crystal clear and glinting over mine. “I know how to shut up a liar,” he said, and I shrunk. “You, of all people, wouldn’t want to know how. Don’t ask for danger.”

“Why does it bother you so much?” I squeaked. His eyes darkened, and I wanted to repeat my question. If he hated my guts so much, he shouldn’t care whether I wanted the hug or not. “It’s just a stupid hug.”

“Stupid?” Caspian spat with venom. Why is it bothering him so much?! “You know how big of a risk that was? You know how much I could’ve harmed you if I had let myself free?”

A layer of confusion coated my face. “Harm…me? Then why would you hug me in the first place?”

He opened his mouth, but closed it indecisively. It wasn’t every day Caspian stuttered, or faltered to speak. Every day, I saw something new and it made us wonder about each other in an inexplicable trance. Why was this happening? Because I didn’t like it one bit.

“Even when you have a girlfriend, you keep—” I started.

“Cut the crap, Eve,” Caspian interjected with aggravation “I don’t need you reminding me I have a girlfriend. I don’t give a s**t about some relationship made out of the blue, and it makes me want to gag you every time you bring it up.”

“What do you mean?” I furrowed my brows. “The entire school thinks you’re Romeo and Juliet, lovebirds flirting in the classroom and probably kissing in a stall during lunchtime.”

He went slack jawed for a solid minute, and I would’ve laughed if it weren’t the position I was in. He was somehow closer, our feet nearly touching and his hands against the hard, ivory wall I was pressed against. I was afraid if I stepped up, my body would flush with his in an instant.

“Do you think that?” Caspian asked after a long time. “Do you believe blind rumours?” They weren’t rumours since I’d seen the touchy action they had. I nodded. “Oh? And it doesn’t make you think otherwise when I stand this close to you?” My stomach rose. Caspian shouldn’t be saying those things, yet he was. I shouldn’t be standing here like a frozen mannequin, yet I wanted to know where this would lead to.

“You’re asking me?” I said, and he waited. “Maybe you should ask yourself. It’s you who said I should stay away. It’s you who said I was an ugly hag. It’s you who damaged my dignity and kept throwing me around like I wasn’t a human with feelings. Ask yourself, Caspian.”

I knew I won this dispute when silence stretched between us. He didn’t hit me back with a rebuttal, and even if he did, I was ready. I didn’t take his irregular actions as the answer, or an excuse anymore. He drove my mind aimlessly around the block, and I wanted to hop off the ride.

We heard a yapping noise, faint as if the person was murmuring. It neared and loudened as footsteps echoed on the wooden floor. Now would be the right time to move, but neither me nor Caspian budged.

“I swear…what the…” It was Atlanta muttering to herself. She was heading towards the hallway we were standing in. “Why is it taking you so long? What the hell is—?”

She stopped in her tracks when she saw us, mouth held open as a bite of her sandwich was stored in one of her cheeks. A flush of red splayed across her face as she stepped back. Poor her.

Caspian put some space between us and he hurried past Atlanta. I straightened, shuddering as the air around me flew with freedom. Atlanta approached me to ask what had happened, but she wasn’t brave enough to.

“Forget you saw anything,” I told her. She nodded slowly and we went back downstairs. Caspian was nowhere to be seen.

* * *

We learned a new dance step today, and it was about time I killed myself when I saw the preview of how it was done. Eddie smirked when he caught me wide-eyed and mouth hanging open. I wanted to hide in a hole and nest there for an eternity.

Zavian was wearing gloves today, gloves that were jet black and fit all the curves of his fingers and wrist. Atlanta was wearing a similar pair, and this time, she wasn’t as distant with Ronald as before. Strange. Zavian’s gloves felt like satin when we practised the dance together. I’d bang into him now and then, and apologize a million times before standing straight. This was a living nightmare I wished to escape from.

“Wonderful,” Eddie complimented. Zavian and I looked over to see Eddie watch Caspian and Amber dance at their station. They weren’t too far away from us, which wasn’t a good thing. “Maravilloso.”

Amber thanked him and Caspian glanced somewhere else. Zavian watched forever until Amber met his eyes. He attempted a smile but she looked away real quick. I pitied him.

“Do you think she’s worth it?” I asked all of a sudden. Zavian gave me a look and I shrugged. “I’m just hitting you with reality. How long will you go after someone who ignores you like that?”

“I don’t know,” he said, sighing. “We had a really good thing going on when we were younger. We were like a pack, more like family friends.” He rubbed his head. “I think she doesn’t like me because I’m ugly.”

“What?” I said in shock. This guy. “That is the stupidest reason ever.” He raised his eyebrows. “You do know you and your group are highly respected and popular in school, right? Any girl would die to be your girlfriend.”

“No, Amber’s diff—”

Eddie stopped by and interrupted. “End of chitchat,” he said. “Continue practising.” I nodded as Zavian took my hands. It was uncomfortable dancing as Eddie watched us like a hawk. At the end of one take, he said, “Patosa.”

For the love of God I couldn’t understand his Spanish language. Was it Spanish? He grinned and moved on to the next pair. I asked Zavian if he knew what Eddie had said.

“No,” he replied. “Caspian knows Spanish so I can ask him if you want.” No, I didn’t want to get Caspian involved right now. Either way, Zavian called him. Caspian glanced at us and so did Amber. “Dude, what did Eddie—”

“Klutz,” Caspian answered before Zavian finished. Caspian’s eyes burned at me and I examined my fingers to divert my attention from him. “He called her a klutz.”

“You listened to what he said?” Amber asked in surprise. Caspian remained silent as he swung her to his left side. “You’re doing it wrong. I have to step back and come back. You don’t swing—”

“I need a break,” he said, and released her.

It was time Eddie called it a day and everyone sighed in relief. We had a lot of practice left to do, but he wasn’t too pressuring or meticulous. It was good news for us since we could go home not feeling too bad about ourselves. Although Caspian was against it, he let Atlanta go home in my car after school.

Atlanta talked nonstop about her dance practice with Ronald, and how they had talked the entire time. When I told her they should take an advanced step forward, she became silent. It wasn’t my business to interfere in, but I’d never stop asking why this rule between Atlanta and Ronald was made.

It wasn’t just her and Ronald, but me as well. I wanted to know why.