Blitznak...my computer hates me more every day. Now it just shuts off whenever it feel like it, even if I have stuff open. The updates may be pretty spaced for a while since I have to rewrite each chapter on a different computer and the only time I really have to write and copy in on the weekends... This vicious cycle makes me quite dizzy...
Aqua Aussie - Hee hee, I got that romantic fluff thing from a similar line in Balto 3. It seemed like something Reuben would make up. I've wanted so badly to break out in song in a restaurant, I just haven't found anybody with enough caffeine in them to do it with me. Oh, BTW, tell your friend that she might have to wait a little bit. Sorry, but I gotta build suspense! I have creative obligations to it.
Insane Pirate Dragon - Yes, poor Lenny would have easily fallen victim of an accident like that. We can only imagine how cute he looks with a trash can lid on his head...
PartyCakeGirl - Aww, thanks! I have to say that I get really tired of keeping up with the updating, but you guys are what keep me going!
Lav'O'Dolphin - Uh...yeah, sorry 'bout that... AC/DC wasn't in the original list of rock bands I had chosen for the conversation... I don't remember how it got there, but you're probably right about Jack Black. Me myself, I prefer classic rock more than modern rock, so I was basing it on what i knew. Eh-heh, my bad...
Story Dragon - We'll see how long Lenny can manage to keep it a secret from his dad. But what's gonna happen is...well, never mind. I can't say too much, ya know?
An important note, this chapter and the next will primarily be songfics surrounding Melody and Lenny, demonstrating two different views on them. This chapter is mainly Melody's view, while the next one is Lenny's.
Chapter 10: The First Co-ed Dance
"No, seriously. I-I have no idea how to do this."
"Hey, c'mon, Melody," Lenny said. He switched on the stereo and swam over to her. They were standing on the stage of the empty theater where Melody had been offered her singing opportunity just the other day. "I've learned from the best in business. Oscar's renowned around the city for his dance moves!" He stood beside her. "Ready?"
"No."
"Look, don't worry about it." Lenny turned his red-and-blue baseball cap to the back to pull off the whole dance look. "This is exactly how I started. I'll teach you."
Melody sighed. "...All right, I'll give it a try..."
As "Gonna Make You Sweat" began to play, Lenny spoke. "We'll start with some easy stuff. Just follow my lead, okay?"
He began by teaching her the most basic and simple parts of an easy hip-hop dance. She was a little hesitant to move at first, but pretty soon, Melody was able to keep up with Lenny. At a couple of points, she had to come back to the right stuff when she made a mistake.
"You got it." Lenny encouraged. "Keep up with me."
The dance was going a little faster now, but Melody was doing fairly well keeping up with the speed. She soon had the basics down, even though they weren't particularly graceful.
When the song ended, they stopped. "Not bad." Lenny said. "You've go the stuff, you just need a little oil on the hinges. You're lookin' a little...robotronic."
"I told you I've never, ever done this before. I just can't get it right."
"That's okay, I'll guide you through some more stuff step-by-step. Just...do what I do."
The upbeat intro guitar chords of the next song had already begun playing.
Can't you see?
There's a feeling that's come over me
Close my eyes
Lenny swam up to her. A little unsure, he finally put his fins up, offering them to Melody.
At first slightly hesitant, Melody slowly reached out and put her fins into his. She looked up at him.
Lenny smiled and took one of her fins, placing it on his shoulder. He led her into what was a very simple slow-dance.
You're the only one that leaves me
Completely breathless
No need to wonder why
Sometimes a gift like this you can't deny
Melody looked at her fin on his shoulder. Putting it there seemed like a bold thing to do for some reason. But why didn't she feel like she needed to take it off?
Because you know you like him, a voice inside of her said. Melody lifted her eyes to look at Lenny. He smiled. Then, to her surprise, he twirled her around and let go, letting her off on her own.
Oh, cause I
I wanted to fly, so you gave me your wings
He began doing his own little hip-hoppish jig that he had made up. Melody laughed a little as she watched him dance. He looked as if he was doing auditions for the comeback of NSYNC, but he looked cute doing it.
Lenny looked at her encouragingly and shrugged, handing the floor over to her. Melody shook her head with an shy smile. Lenny nodded and motioned with his fin. With an embarrassed, little smile, she began to dance on her own a little with very subtle movements.
And I
The world is bright so I could see, yeah
And you set me free
Lenny grabbed her by the fin and twirled her around. She gasped in surprise and laughed as he pulled her in melodramatically with a suave little smirk. She knew that he clearly was not the slick, debonair type, which made it all the funnier when he gave her that little smirk.
There's a will
There's a way
Sometimes words just can't explain
Melody smiled at him, but then she blinked, realizing what she was doing. She pulled her fins away from his quickly and glanced down at the ground, avoiding eye contact with him. She couldn't let herself get into this... They both risked getting into big trouble...
This is real
I'm afraid
I guess that time, it just knows how to fly and
You make me restless
She finally glanced up at Lenny, who was staring at her, looking slightly concerned. But then, after a minute, he smiled. With a facial expression that could charm one's socks off, he slipped around behind her. She watched him and blinked.
You're in my heart
The only light that shines there in the dark
He grabbed her fins, and began to move them around to the beat of the song, trying to encourage and assist her in dancing a little. Melody laughed.
Oh, 'cause I
I wanted to fly, so you gave me your wings
And I
The world is bright so I could see, yeah
Lenny grabbed one of her fins and she let him twirl her around again. Melody spun into his fins and he leaned forward, dipping her. Then, he spun her back out, letting her off on her own.
And you set me free
When there wasn't room,
You came around
When I was down,
Melody realized that she was beginning to somewhat like dancing. She recalled that there had been when she danced in her room on her own. Anybody who had happened to pass by and see her could tell that it wasn't dancing at all... Rather, it was just spinning and random movements of the tail and fins. There was no order to it, really. There had been one time, though, when Ben had passed by her room and and caught her 'dancing' and singing at the top of her gills to Sandy Patti's "Love In Any Language".
You pulled me through
And there's nothing that I wouldn't do
For you
Lenny smiled and swam up to her. He took off his cap and put it backwards on her head. He stood by her side and began to show her how to do and disco-like dance that Oscar did all the time. (You know, the first one from Club Oscar!)
'Cause I
I wanted to fly, so you gave me your wings
And I
The world is bright so I could see
Melody began to try and copy what he was doing. This time, she was a bit faster on her fins. She and Lenny were soon fairly synchronized in their dance. But synchronized dance doesn't mean it has it look nice, it just means that they were doing the same thing at the same time. Even though Melody knew she had two left fins, it didn't really bother her anymore. She was having the time of her life and she was finally hanging with somebody who wouldn't criticize her for it.
And I
I wanted to fly, so you gave me your wings
And I
The world is bright so I could see, yeah
And you set me free
("You Set Me Free" by Michelle Branch)
Having gained a lot more self-confidence, Melody went to do a big spinning finish as the song ended. She gasped as she over-did herself and started to trip. Lenny reached out quickly and grabbed her fin to try and catch her, but Melody stumbled back into one of the speakers. Both of them yelled in surprise as she fell backwards over it and pulled him down with her. They fell down clumsily together onto the stage floor. But then, they both laughed at themselves.
"Ooh, are you okay?" Melody asked with a bemused smiled as she lifted her head and looked at Lenny.
"Well, that wasn't exactly a Tony Award-winning finale." he teased with a smile. They both panted and laughed, wiped out. Lenny finally got up and reached down a fin to help Melody. "You all right?" he asked. "Anything hurt?"
She took his fin. "Nah, nothing much." She started to get up, but then gasped as she fell back down.
"Careful!" Lenny warned worriedly. "I think you hurt yourself."
"No, no, I'm okay." Melody said. "If anything, it's just a bruise." She started to get up again, only to get the same result again. "Ow!"
"See?" Lenny leaned down and put her fin around his shoulders. "Here."No, I--Aah!" She let out a short scream of surprise as he suddenly picked her up in his fins.
"Don't move a lot. I'll fall and then we'll both be sitting ducks." he smiled.
Melody couldn't help but smile back a bit, not only at his teasing but at the oddity of the situation.
"C'mon, I should get you home." he told her.
Interesting. All it took to break the ice was a simple little dance that led to a little injury which led to sheer cuteness. Yes, our Lenny was head-over-tail for this gal, although he was too nervous to admit it. Fortunately, the feeling was mutual. This Melody character was feeling a little smitten as well... I could tell whenever I ended up around her. I guess it was all for the greater good. But what I wanted to know was...what was her brother gonna think about this?
Aah, but all worries aside, Lenny and Melody were having the time of their lives together and I guess that's all that mattered. Differences were forgotten and love was in the...uh...water.
Sure, they're cute together and everything. But love can be a funny thing... It has its ways of taking sensible, nice, young people and turning them into reckless and helpless individuals incapable of rational thought. Unfortunately...Lenny fell into this trap and momentarily couldn't see what was in front of his own face.
Although...the kid always did have a way of hitting his nose on things...physically and metaphorically speaking.
TBC...
Awwww! There's cuteness building! But according to Reuben, there's trouble building...what could it be? Stay tuned for the next chapter!