Chapter 10 – Lifting & Falling

"I can't get it, Buzz," Jessie complained a couple of days later. It was after lessons had finished, and they were in the rehearsal room going over the dance moves for the festival. With a week to go, time was running out, and there was a move in the dance Jessie just couldn't get right. She'd tried over and over to get her footing correct as she'd choreographed it, but it just didn't seem possible.

"Maybe we could replace it." Buzz saw an opening to talk to her about her problem with lifts in dances, and took it. He'd been pondering since his talk with Woody how to bring the subject up. He didn't know how Jessie would react and it scared him. She got so mad so easily when it came to dance.

"What with?" Jessie asked, stretching her arms above her head. He struggled not to stare.

"Maybe with someone else we haven't incorporated at all."

"Like what?" She let her arms flop back to her sides and rolled her hips in a circle to keep them loose. Again, Buzz found himself having problems with his eyes. They seemed to be attracted to watching every move she made.

It had been the same for the past few weeks, throughout the time from when he'd been following her and watching from a distance, until they got into rehearsals together. And it was getting worse all the time. The number they were dancing to was an emotional piece, and it meant she had to lunge about all the time, twirling and dipping in time to the music. And he found himself unable to take his eyes off her when she did. Funny how he was only just noticing it just now, he thought. He forced himself to return to thinking about the subject at hand.

"Like a lift..." he started, trailing off when she looked around at him.

"A lift? Like a dance lift?"

"Yeah." What other kind of lift was there? He wondered.

"I think I'll get the hang of the step Buzz. Not a case of replacing it." Jessie said coolly, turning away from him to reset the stereo.

"But you've been trying to get the dance move for two weeks Jessie. Face it, it's not happening."

"I didn't know you were a quitter." Jessie said, with her back still to him.

"I'm not. I can't help it if you won't do a risky dance move," Buzz snapped, irritated at her pushing the issue aside.

"Risky?" Jessie turned and put her hands on her hips. "You want risky, pard'ner? I'll show you risky."

Under Buzz's gaze the redhead flipped herself into a cartwheel effortlessly and landed square back on her feet. "Now that's risky. I could have bashed my head in on the floor." Buzz merely blinked, lost for words, and she laughed, turning to walk to the wall. "And another thing," she added, flipping herself onto her hands and going into a perfect handstand. She let her legs go towards the wall and started to walk down it, going into a perfect backbend this time. Buzz forced his mouth not to drop open at how flexible she was. Jessie flipped herself back upright and looked at him, dusting her hands together, "And that's nothing, Buzz. Been doing that since I was a little girl."

"Oh..." was all that came out of Buzz's mouth, before he cleared his throat awkwardly.

"So what's the problem, then?" Jessie asked, raising a brow at him.

"Well. You refuse to do lifts, Jess. You go white when I mention them or else you fudge over the issue completely."

"Lifts? This is what this is about? Lifts?" Jessie scowled, and Buzz felt the need to step back a little.

"Uhm..." he wasn't quite sure what to say next. He hadn't been expecting her to be calm about the issue but he wasn't sure whether to anticipate fireworks or not. He decided to drastically change the subject. "You know we're going about this all wrong." He walked past her to the stereo and flipped to a different track. They needed a change of pace, and as uncomfortable as it made him, they had to practise it. A slow melody came on the stereo, and he walked back over Jessie, who glanced at him in confusion.

"What's this for?"

"For the dance." He replied.

"You told me only one dance." Jessie said huffily, folding her arms.

"There is only one dance – if you don't win. This is the spotlight dance for the winners." Buzz reached out to take Jessie's hand but she pulled her hand away just as fast.

"I don't know about this, Buzz."

"Come on Jess. Trust me." Buzz said simply as he took her hand again. He felt her shiver at his words, and wondered why.

"It's not really me." She said firmly, but she didn't pull her hand away this time.

"So, if we do happen to win, and we have to take the floor, you're gonna make up a dance, just like that?"

"I could try," she retorted, and he sighed.

"C'mon Jess. It's easy."

"But what do I do?"

"You just walk in a sort of square. Otherwise, let me lead." Buzz placed her hand on his waist and draped his own around her hip. "Now, give me your other hand, and we'll do a little ballroom dance."

She couldn't believe he was going through with this. She felt him tug her close to him, a shiver running up her spine as he did so. She hadn't danced ballroom or anything similar since her high school prom, and even then she'd been uneasy in the presence of having a partner. Jessie felt a soft blush creeping up her cheeks at Buzz's lingering touch on her hip.

What was wrong with her? she wondered. She'd felt funny around him ever since the day outside the belated audition for the festival. She often thought she'd caught him staring at her, often wondered why he had been so intent on watching her in the first place, and dismissed it as just being interesting to watch. Now, a few weeks on, she wasn't so sure. She felt herself either get very shy in his presence, or she wanted to show off. And all this ridiculous talk about lifts was making her uneasy in front of him.

Buzz was taking her other hand and holding it out to the side now, and with a gentle nod at her, he pulled her into the dance, twirling her around the floor in his arms. She could have melted at that point. His touch was so gentle, his footsteps so sure as he moved her around. She looked up at his face, watching him counting the steps as he moved, his mouth moving ever so slightly - it mesmerised her.

He glanced down at her, seeing her looking at him. "Enjoy it, Jess. Feel the music. Close your eyes."

She did as he asked, the music washing over her brain as he rocked her in his arms like a baby. She realised, she did trust him. She couldn't fight the feeling in her head any longer, she thought, and rested her head on Buzz's chest. A feeling engulfed her, like a wave on the shore – it felt right to do this with him. She didn't even remember getting this comfortable during her own prom for goodness sake. Not that she'd even been remotely attracted to anyone at high school. She'd never had time for a boyfriend.

She caught her own thoughts immediately. Attracted? Boyfriend? Was that really what she was thinking about Buzz?

She was brought out of the few moments of bliss in her own little world by Buzz whispering in her ear. "Ready, Jess?"

"Hmmm?" She looked up at him lazily, her eyes half lidded in happiness.

"For this." Buzz whispered, twirling her gently out in front of him. He spun her back into his arms, and she giggled in amusement. "Wanna go again?" he asked, and she nodded. With a smile, he spun her out again as the music continued. They stayed at arm's length for a while, until he spun her back into his arms again, but this time she ended up the other way around, her back to him, and his arms gently circled her waist, rocking her.

It was with a little gasp that she found herself twirling under his arm as the music played on...it seemed to be an eternity they were dancing together. This time he swung her back into his arms the right way around, but they weren't ballroom dancing anymore, she realised. His body was pressed close to hers, his arms around her holding her waist once more. She needed no further confirmation of her own thoughts. He was looking at her, and she fought to keep control of herself.

They were still in each other's arms when Buzz leaned down. His lips gently touched hers for the briefest of moments, then he pulled back again. "Jessie." He breathed.

"Hmmm?" She murmured, his lips still inches from hers.

"We shouldn't do this. I'm sorry," he whispered, and the illusion shattered as fast as it had become real. As he pulled away from her, she felt jolted, as if her arm had been snapped clean off.

"Buzz?" She asked, seeing him grab his bag, and head for the door. He didn't reply, and in a few moments time, he was gone. She ran to the door as he disappeared through it, flinging herself round the doorframe.

"Buzz!" She called after him, but he just kept walking.