Chapter 2
"WHAT YOU DID BACKTHEREwas a horrible mistake Ms. Rivers," Principal Powell reprimanded, sternly eyeing Lana.
"I know," Lana remorsefully stated, "What a waste of cookie batter."
Principal Powell gave Lana a glare so large, it rocked the school.
Lana shut up.
Behind her, the door jingled indicating someone entering the room.
"Mr.
Marshall.
Please have a seat."
Lana froze in her spot.
After a good two seconds, she turned her head.
Slowly, as if in a horror movie.
There, in his utter glory, stood Elias Marshall.
Albeit, he was slightly awkward, looking like he wanted to be anywhere but the principal's office, in the same room as hisarch enemy.
"I brought you both here to discuss your, uh, difference of opinion."
Lana snorted, earning another ground breaking glare from Mrs. Powell.
Lana felt bad for the woman's children.
They must be terrified.
"Ms.
Rivers, you seem to have a little, rivalry with this young man, I'd that correct?"
"You've got that right," Lana mumbled to herself while Elias solemnly (what a kiss-up) nodded, as if it hurt himself to admit that he hated Lana's guts.
"Well, I have a deal with you," Powell said, eyeing both of them.
A deal?
The only deal Lana would ever agree to included a shovel, and an obituary that had Elias's name printed on it.
"You and Mr. Marshall are going to dance."
▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪
"Dance?"Lana and Elias literally screeched at the same time.
Powell's face twisted into an evil grin, almost as if she couldn't believe what she said, but it was perfect nonetheless.
"Yep," She handed a black poster to Lana, Elias glancing over her shoulder anxiously.
JOIN US AT THE RACE TO THEWINCOMPETITION!
ALL PARTICIPANTS MUST BE PAIRS, AND ABOVE THE AGE OF 16.
WINNER PRIZE:
$2000
"Whatis this?" Lana said indignantly, insulted that her beloved principal would even think she would agree to it.
"There is no way I'm agreeing to this-"
"I knew you wouldn't agree to this."
"Thank you!
That's why you should let me-"
"That's why I'm making it mandatory.
If you don't apply, I'm failing you."
Lana and Elias gawked at their principal.
Lana couldn't believe what was happening.
It felt like a nightmare so vivid, if only she could pinch herself awake.
But the reality of the situation was already crushing every nerve in her body.
With a deadly glare, Lana let a few smoky words fall out of her mouth, "If this meeting is over, I have better things to do right now."
Lana pushed the door and hastily walked out of the room, seething from every pore on her face.
She had just started to cool down when a rough hand grabbed her arm.
"Wait!"
Lana swiveled around to come face-to-face with the one person she hated the most.
"What doyouwant?" Lana harshly whispered.
"Well, I was just thinking-"
"Wait, you're agreeing?" Lana couldn't help but screech.
Elias winced as if hearing her say it made it sound even worse.
"She said she would fail us!" Desperation creeped into his voice, "It's senior year, I can't let a stupid dance fling get in the way of my future!"
Lana snorted.
"What a dork.
Well, have fun failing, cause you're getting nothing from me."
Then she abruptly shook her hand out of his grasp and walked away from him, revelling in the despair emanating off of him.
Lana WAS HAVINGsome trouble processing everything that had happened.
Her book was perched on her knees, and she was safely placed in a warm nook that consisted of blankets and pillows.
But she was feeling uncomfortable.
She scoffed.
She was feeling uncomfortable, in her own home.
It had been two days since the dreadful offer (or command) had taken place, and Lana wanted nothing more than to sink into oblivion.
To hell with her future.
Lana was just feeling better when the doorbell let out a loud, tinkling ring.
"Mom!" Lana screamed.
"The door!"
No answer.
"Fuck," Lana muttered, regretfully inching out if her spot and clambering down her staircase.
She opened the door, trying to smother her annoyed face.
"Hi, sorry for the-"
Lana stopped.
She stared.
"What are you doing in front of my house?"
Elias scowled back at her astonished face.
"It's raining out here stupid.
I don't think you want me to get pneumonia."
"Oh, sorry.
I meant, what thefuckare you doing in front of my house."
"I'm waiting to be let in," Elias said nonchalantly, rubbing his shoulders.
Goosebumps had eroded everywhere on his pale skin.
He didn't even wear a jacket.
"I think I'd rather watch you," Lana smirked, and was about to close the door when his hand shot out and stopped her.
Before she could blink, he was squirming through the door and dripping water everywhere on her floor.
"I think I'll just come in. Thanks for the invite Lana."
Lana could only gawk.
Gawk at the audacity of Elias's actions.
Mentally gawk at her inability to move.
"Wha-what do you think you're do-"
"I'm saving my grades of course!" Elias exclaimed, "Let's go to the living room.
It's more spacious there anyway."
Lana gawked.
Before she could say anything, he was taking off his shoes and walking into her house, like it was no big deal.
No big deal!
"You know this counts as breaking and enteri-"
"So the competition only allows partner dances, quite unfortunate I know, so I was thinking maybe waltz, or salsa."
"You basically are committing a crim-"
"No, we shouldn't do the waltz.
Too many emotions, am I right?"
Lana stopped trying to butt in. In fact, to herhorror,she felt a smile creeping onto her perfectly schooled features.
"Salsa it is!
Man, I didn't know you're so picky." He froze after glancing at her.
"And I did not know you were capable ofsmiling".
Lana immediately wiped the slight turning of her lips and schooled her face into stone once more.
"Are you fucking kidding me?
Salsa?
What, do I need to get some high heels to go with that?"
Elias glared at her.
"Fine!
It doesn't even matter, the dance is going to hell no matter what we do."
Lana nodded in agreement.
"You are absolutely right."
Elias gave an annoyed look, but stayed quiet, as if waiting for her to say more.
Rolling her eyes, Lana slumped onto her sofa and started to play with her fingers.
"That's it?'You're absolutely right'" Elias said with a terribly high-pitched imitation of her voice.
"Yep," Lana replied, popping the 'p'.By that point, Lana was hoping that her sofa would swallow her whole so she wouldn't have to deal with him, but she was having no such luck.
She also knew there was no way she was going to get him to leave her house, unless she was strong enough to physically push him.
Last time she checked, her gym membership had been voided for three months and she did not like to benchpress on a daily basis.
Silence.
"I don't know, salsa is pretty fast." She reluctantly stated, wrapping a stray blanket around her body.
Elias smiled.
The act made her strangely breathless.
"We can do fast."
Lana grimaced.
"Calm down there, Usain Bolt.
Let's just do some normal hiphop stuff.
Maybe some good ol'Cupid Shuffle." Elias raised a perfectly scultped eyebrow, hiding another growing smile.
Her breath left her lungs for the second time.Damn, that's going to be a problem.She cleared her throat.
It wasn't her fault that they weren't on smiling basis.
She didn't know that he was evencapableof smiling like that.
"The macarena sounds tight."
Elias shrugged.
"Whatever floats your boat, milady." Another glare.
"But there's something we need to settle."
Now it was her turn to raise an eyebrow.
"And what would that be?"
Elias shrugged.
Looked her in the eye.
"I don't care about what happens after this stupid competition.
I don't care if we get last place, or if afterwards we never look at eachother again.
Honestly, I really don't care if this whole dance fiasco thing fails at the end, but that's all when it's over.
We're doing this right now, and it doesn't matter if you don't like me, and I don't like you, becausethisis happening.
And we are doing this.
So I'm gonna need you to set aside our differences for however fucking long this takes, because I do not want to end up failing just because you can't keep your snarky remarks to yourself."
Silence.
Slowly, Lana started to clap.
"Wow.
Just...
Wow." She put an exaggerated hand to her heart.
"The emotion, the candor." She grinned, and Elias halted in place, a surprised look on his face.
"I think I feel a tear coming on."
Elias rolled his eyes to the sky, unfreezing.
"Shut up and let's get this over with."
* * * * *
Elias frowned into his AP Calculus textbook, replaying his meeting with Lana in his head.
Huh.
She had a nice smile.