CHAPTER 11

CHAPTER 11

We were alone in the dance room, the Friday night before Alice's plan for me to flirt with her at the new café/bar she worked in now.

I had told her to dress simply and, as I half expected, she had done so. She was wearing baggy trakkies and a shirt that was quite tight fitting at the waist. Not that I think she knew about it.

Standing in front of the mirrors in the small room, I stood behind her, my hands lying lightly on the top of her arms. I had to resist the urge to slide them lower, to her waist.

"Arms a little higher, and try to relax." I murmured, my hands following the movement of her arms going a little higher. As I told her to relax, she took in a deep shuddering breath and let it out again.

"Thatta girl. Now, try and unclench all those muscles I know are knotting up under your skin and think of something that relaxes you." I murmured, looking at her expression in the mirror. She avoided my gaze and did as I told her, the muscles in the top of her arms unclenching slowly.

"OK, focus on a spot in the mirror and keep that spot there. Don't let your mind wander anywhere else. Make that your centre of your attention." I stood back and let her go.

I was teaching her the basic techniques of how to keep your balance while you swivel around. I do admit that my techniques were much of Billy Elliot but the helped me so much, and now I could use it on someone else.

Bella was uptight, not like I imagined it would be. I guess she feared that Jasper would see us. I knew he worked until late on Friday nights, finishing off projects or working on new ones.

But I wasn't scared of that. I was only helping her.

I moved forward again and this time laid my hands on her shaped waist. In the mirrors, I saw her face flush a little, but that might have been a mistake of the light. They were quite low because the bulbs weren't the one's the room needed.

"Have you found a spot?" I asked, my breath moving the back of her dark hair.

"yes." she breathed.

"And have you found a thought that relaxes you?" I asked, my fingers tightening a little on her waist.

"Yes." she repeated.

"Good." I tightened my hands and told her to put her weight on one leg only, so she was kind of leaning away on one side.

As soon as she did that, I spun her round, watching her as she returned to the same exact spot. A victorious smile broke across her face and she swivelled round, her eyes sparkling.

"Did I do it?" she asked excitedly. This was the first time I had seen her smile happily.

"Yeah. Yeah you did." My hands were still on her waist but she didn't seem to mind and our faces were only inches apart.

I knew that if I moved my face a bit, we'd be kissing, and I didn't want that. Not now that everything was still raw with Jasper.

Soon though, I promised myself.

Next, I made her face me and give me her hands. She was a very obedient student and did everything I told her to do, whether she liked it or didn't.

The dance routine she told me about was quite simple, and I knew how to make her become the star of the show and Jess her backup.

Her hands held mine, my fingers wrapped around her wrist I could feel the faint beat of her heart. I had her in a very compromising position indeed.

One hand I lay upon my shoulder, the other I kept in mine and slowly I made her twirl under my hand like a professional dancer. I was ecstatic that everything was going on so well and that we hadn't fought yet, like we seemed to do more often than not.

At the end of the session, I could make her turn on one foot or turn under my hand like many girls couldn't manage in their first week. She was clapping her hands happily and kept crowing things like, "Wait until Jess sees this! She couldn't think I could manage it in time!" and I laughed while I packed my things away. My CD's, the hoody I used for dancing, the bottle of water, and my timer. You had to swivel at an appropriate time and not keep it for too long or it could end up in boredom or you falling over.

"I have to admit, I didn't think it would be that easy to train you. You are a very stubborn student but brilliant nonetheless." We were walking outside, side by side, heading for my car. I had offered her a ride and she – yes! – had accepted.

The cold night air searched us and I wrapped my jacket tighter around me. The jacket with the small rip in the collar.

Bella shivered slightly and buttoned her knee length white coat all the way up to the collar.

"Mmm, but you are a very good teacher." She answered back simply, staring out into the sky.

Holy Crow! Was she flirting with me?

"Thanks." I muttered, slightly embarrassed. I opened the passenger door for her and then closed it behind her. I walked quickly to the other side and got into the driver's, turning the ignition on before I had my seat belt safely latched.

We drove in silence for a minute, except for when Bella told me the address.

I parked outside her house and we watched the windows, still alight, the white curtains drawn. Bella sighed and turned around to face me, her eyes grateful.

"Thank you for the session, Edward. I wouldn't have known what to do if you had turned down my request."

"No problem, my pleasure. Do you wanna repeat it? Next Friday?" I asked. I probably sounded like an eager school boy on his first date, but I didn't care.

"Sure, I'd love that. It never hurts to practice."

"Yeah, and we could work that routine out, right? Maybe I could help you with bits and pieces." I murmured. Her smell called me to her, the strange yet exotic smell that wasn't perfume or cheap spray. It was her, it was real.

I moved a little closer and Bella smiled.

"Y'know, I never thought of you as a teacher. I thought you were too… pretentious to actually teach someone." She giggled. We were nearly nose to nose but it didn't seem to bother her so I didn't move away.

"Pretentious? Me? No way. I love teaching. Especially when they are as obedient and sweet as you." The words were out before I could stop them and I thanked the darkness for covering the blush that was sure to be creeping up my neck.

"Really? You think I'm sweet? Jasper always said-" while she was talking, I leaned forward and kissed her, cutting the words off.

She was still for a minute, and then she sighed and kissed me back, her hands twining in my hair.

"Wow." I muttered when we broke apart for air. I half expected her to slap me or tell me to fuck off, but she didn't.

"Did you mean that to happen?" she asked her voice soft.

"I… I dunno." I muttered back, allowing myself to hook a strand of her hair behind her ear.

She kissed me once more, half on half off the mouth, then opened the door and left me alone in the car.

When I got home, I had no idea how I had showered and changed but I woke up in my bed wearing only my tracksuit trousers.

Groaning, I flopped to the floor and checked my watch. 11:15. I hated Saturdays because it meant it was the closest day to Sunday which meant I would be seeing my parents. The stitches in my hand itched something rotten and I had to resist the urge to rip them out whilst I was changing into jeans and a clean white polo shirt.

I stumbled down the stairs, cursing under my breath.

And then I stumbled to a halt in the kitchen doorway.

Jasper and a girl I never met were kissing, holding each other up by leaning against the fridge.

Oh, brilliant! Jasper had a new lover and now I was supposed to be drinking my beer but they were blocking the way.

I cleared my throat loudly and they both sprung apart, looking guilty as sin.

"Edward! I- I thought you were out!" Jasper gasped, eyes wide, arms lying limply by his side.

"You know I don't go out Saturday mornings." I replied, bored.

"Whose this?" the girl asked, turning the full power for her blue gaze on my face, a lecherous almost predatory look jumping into her eyes.

"It's my flatmate. Edward meet Bezzie." Jasper awkwardly introduced us, his gaze fixed on the floor.

"Nice to meet you." I drawled and moved to the fridge, uncorking a beer on the wooden counter.

"Mmm, like wise." She murmured. She turned round towards Jasper, her breast brushing purposefully against my arm.

Slag, I thought, wanting to make gagging noises.

The phone rang and I was excused quickly to go answer. I didn't want to make small talk with Jasper and The Slag.

"Hello?" I answered, drinking from my green beer bottle.

"Edward, you are so dead! I told you to wait until today! You greedy little twat!" Alice screamed down the line.

"Hold up, love! She told you?" I hissed, glancing over my shoulder to the kitchen doorway and saw – much to my dinner which was threatening to get out – Jasper and The Slag – excuse me, Bezzie, kissing like there was no tomorrow.

"Of course she did! You HAVE to tell me, like, NOW! Come over and I'll treat you to lunch, you horny babe!" Alice squealed.

"OK" I answered and hung up.

I only said yes because I would be able to finally let it all out, and of course, I couldn't resist to a free lunch.