The Unfinished Dance
For the first day of practice, the class is divided into groups.
Miriallia stands in front in of the class to announce the activities for the day. For almost a year now, the job has been hers for the taking. No one in section B (not even the geeks –Shinn and Cagalli) can pull off a well-organised preparation for a stage play, except for Mir.
"We begin by script rehearsal for the characters," she glances at the small group of students sitting a few feet from her (Shinn, Kira, Stellar, Meyrin, Sting and so on).
"We all know the Moulin Rouge is a movie. And the movie includes a play in it," Mir continues.
"So we make a play within a play," she concludes.
"But we don't have to adopt everything from the movie, in case you're worried about it."
Kira isn't listening to the Miriallia's short lecture. What preoccupies his mind is the incident that happened between him and Cagalli. She admitted about dating with Athrun, and that fact really pisses him off.
"… And today, we'll start some of the dance rehearsals. Specifically that of Kira and Meyrin," Miriallia adds.
"What?" Kira rises from His seat. "I didn't know that there's a dance!"
The same reaction is on Meyrin's face. She practically hates dancing.
"No choice Kira, you must do it," Mir says flatly.
"What kind of dance do you mean?" he inquires.
"Tango." Miriallia abruptly replies. "I hope you don't find that too repulsive."
"Too repulsive?! You said I have no choice," he sarcastically remarks.
The other members of the play begin to form their respective groups. Stellar and Shinn, who have to spend majority of the practice sessions together, settle on one side of the classroom.
"I hope Kira's okay with dancing with Meyrin," Stellar says.
"Does he really hate dancing?" Shinn inquires.
"No. I know he has the knack for it, but he stopped dancing before entering high school, at least that's what he told me when we're still together," she answers.
"A guy who plays football and dances, he's definitely talented." Shinn makes the statement with a meaningful tone.
Stellar notices his remark and is quite pleased with it.
"Don't worry, he's not that perfect," she smiles at him.
Yzak, Flay and Sting are also preoccupied with their own parts for the play.
"Do I really have to sing this?" Sting crumples the song sheet provided by Miriallia.
"Man, don't screw up with that, or you'll take the removal exams and the summer classes," Yzak warns.
The truth of the matter is rather grave for Sting. He has the lowest average for the whole six courses. The lowest in Section was given a rather special role in the play. Being Toulouse-Lautrec, he has to sing for the play's front act. And the piece is entitled, Nature Boy.
"Sting, it's sink or sing for you I'd say!" Flay laughs.
Sting grunts. "Very funny Flay."
He sloppily sits on his chair and listened to the CD recording of the song, while Flay begins to recite her short lines.
As for Yzak, well, he somehow gained a little motivation towards his role, although the role itself is quite a challenge - being the old impotent duke seeking for Satine's affection. He had a talk with Miriallia before the practice starts.
He arrived early that day, knowing that Mir's already in school ahead of everyone. As he enters the classroom, he said, "I'm having this feeling that you see me as the ultimate villain for section B. In Miss Saigon, you made me do Thuy and now, I'm the sleazy impotent duke… you certainly love my talents for this."
Mir smiled at him. "And are you objecting to my choice?"
He returned the gesture. "No. Whatever it is that you see in me, I mostly appreciate that you do…"
Looking back at their sweet conversation, he glances at her direction. Miriallia is currently talking with Athrun and Cagalli for the sound effects and the backdrop.
She notices him, and didn't look in his direction. But then, her face begins to tint with red.
After a while, Mir La Flaga enters the scene to make an announcement.
"Children," he almost whispers, knowing their violent reaction upon hearing him call them with such term.
"You may use the theatre now. It's been reserved for you for the rest of the month."
At that remark, the participants packed their things and moved to the theatre to continue.
The theatre proves to be useful. With the stage set for dancing and the space for everyone has for himself, it's the perfect place.
Kira steps onto the platform, slowly, as if remembering something. Meyrin, Lunamaria and Lacus trail behind him.
"So, who's going to dance with me?" he calmly asks.
Lunamaria set the small speakers attached to her laptop upon the nearby table. After a few clicks, the tune for the tango begins to play.
"You will be dancing to this song, aside from singing the lyrics Kira," she instructs.
"Meyrin will only be dancing."
She gave the lyric sheet to him. "But first, I think you have to practice the dancing…if you're ok with that?"
"Ok, no problem," he replies.
He reaches out for Meyrin, but the latter remains still.
"I'm sorry Kira, I can't do this…"
"C'mon Meyrin, don't waste our time with your drama!" Lunamaria cries.
"But I can't dance!" Meyrin furiously admits. "I can't even do a square dance… not much for a line dance… and now, you're telling me to do tango?!"
Rubbing his nape to relieve the building tension, Kira walks towards Meyrin and said, "Just do as I tell you, no need to worry."
He takes her to the center of the stage and asks Luna to play another tango tune, apart from the piece to which they'll perform.
For the first part of the song, Meyrin loses her footing. Then she trips over and over on Kira's foot, thrice at the middle of the song, and before it ends, it was Kira's turn to get angry.
"You don't listen to what I say. If I say face left, then face left!" He releases her, squats on the floor and looks down, hiding his frustration.
"I… I'm sorry," Meyrin sniffs. "I told you I'm not good at this."
"Then at least follow instructions," he bluntly remarks.
"Don't be so hard on her," it was Lacus' turn to speak.
Kira looked up at her. She was looking down on him.
"What do you know me?" he glares at her.
It's as if a fight's going to happen between these two.
"I… knew that you dance very well, and you haven't forgotten…"
"Oh shut up Lacus!" Kira cut her off. "Don't even explain for what you did…"
"Oh my … they're fighting…" Lunamaria worriedly rushes down the stage to call Mir and the others.
It looks like they're talking about something that happened in the past, in which no one had a slightest clue.
"Meyrin, I'll teach you…" Lacus turns to Meyrin.
"No, I will be dancing with her so she should learn from me," Kira objects.
Lacus then turns on him. "She won't learn anything from you. You're arrogant and always blaming others for your own mistakes…"
"You're really sure about that huh?" Kira leans closer to Lacus, with his eyes burning with anger.
Lacus remains cool with all this heated conversation. "Meyrin, could you please play that song again?"
Leaving with no choice but to obey, Meyrin clicks on the selected song on Luna's laptop.
Kira grabs Lacus onto the dance floor. The latter didn't struggle, but gracefully walks with him as the song starts.
She moves precisely, and quick as the tempo shifts. He complemented her moves with his own skill.
It appears to everyone that they're fighting during the tango.
Miriallia and the others went closer to see the dance duel. One by one, they come until everyone's attention is on Lacus and Kira.
She swaggers with each beat of the sensual dance move, with her eyes affixed on his chin. He on the other hand, holds her waist tightly and moves her around in a fierce, seductive, yet a bit scary manner. The sounds echo on the wooden stage -the clatter of Lacus' shoes, and the weight of Kira's footsteps
As the song reaches its crescendo, Kira stretches forward and throws Lacus outwards, while Lacus executes a perfect spin. Her partner moves with equal precision, and as the song ends, she lands on his arms, with her right leg coiled around his thigh and his torso intimately locked against hers.
Everyone is silent, watching the two of them...
Lacus breathes deeply. "I didn't leave you back then because I want to. I didn't"
Kira's words are a bit harsh. "Yes you didn't my sweet. But it doesn't matter now…"
When they were still together, Kira joined a dance competition. He and Lacus were dancing partners, but when it was time for them to dance together in the contest, she didn't appear, leaving him with no explanation.
After that incident, he wasn't able to see her anymore, until high school. She transferred to the same school where he's studying in. She didn't explain herself about everything, but what he understood was, she had to be away for some therapy. Apparently, she developed a psychological condition.
Obsessive- Compulsive- Disorder.
But what she did was really painful. She was his first girlfriend, and his first love.
Though he seems to be playing around with a lot of girls, Kira is completely honest and vulnerable if he falls in love...
He takes a mouthful or air to his lungs and sits on the nearby chair. Some of his classmates approached to Lacus, asking if she's alright.
"Are you ok?" Mir embraces the teary-eyed Lacus.
"Did he hurt you?"
"No." Lacus replies. "No…"
"You have a lot of issues in the past," Stellar says. She's the only one who went to Kira's side of the ring.
He throws a stern look at her, and says, "I must be very stupid, right?"
"No," she says.
"It's just that you're too confused Kira. You either have to let go of the past, or live in it. You can't possibly win Cagalli from Athrun with that attitude of yours."
"What do you know about me?" He repeats.
"Nothing. Lacus can't understand you either. I suppose no one in this world completely understands you."
She stands up and taps him on the shoulder, then leaves.
Meanwhile, Sting's already reciting his piece. With a little help from Flay, he was able to get the lyrics in time with the tune.
He says, "I think I understand what this song means – the Nature Boy, I mean." He recites the lines while looking at the blank-faced Kira.
On the other hand, Kira begins to teach Meyrin- slowly this time.
"You have to know the song's tempo, or else you'll be lost," he instructs. He guides Meyrin by holding her hand, while Meyrin strides awkwardly.
Lacus left the two to help out with Dearka's rehearsal as Mr. Harold Ziddler.
Shinn and Stellar continue practicing the Lovers' song- Come What May.
Athrun prepares the stage layout with Auel and the others, while Cagalli prepares the costumes.
The day ends and so is the practice. Everyone packs up for home, and Miriallia begins wrapping up everything.
"This has been a busy day for everyone, but I'd like to thank you for the hard work. I just hope we could pull this off more successfully than our first performance. Tomorrow we'll have the dances again and the order of scenes rehearsed."
A few people stayed inside the school theatre to finish some tasks.
Kira is one of them, and Lacus is the other.
She's helping Cagalli with the costumes, while he remains on the stage, reading his script.
Athrun calls out to Cagalli.
"I need a hand with the paint," he says.
Because of this, Cagalli left Lacus alone. She has the last piece of clothing to stack inside the box when a so familiar to her begins to play.
Someone to watch over me…
Then she saw Kira standing on the stage, facing her. His eyes were glistening like stars.
His hands reach out to her, in a very soft gesture.
The song begins to play…
There's a saying old says that love is blind,
Still we're often told, "Seek and ye shall find."
So I'm going to seek a certain lad I've had in mind.
She slowly walks towards the stage, with her eyes on him. Tears wells up from her eyes as he said, "Do you still remember… our unfinished dance?"
Looking everywhere, haven't found him yet;
He's the big affair I cannot forget.
Only man I ever think of with regret.
He shakily places his palms over her hands, while she continues to cry.
"I'm sorry about what happened earlier," he whispers.
I'd like to add his initials to my monogram.
Tell me, where is the shepherd for this lost lamb?
She leans over his chest and drifts with the melody of a lost love song.
Their long lost past.
Forgiveness, that's what he asks for.
She always wanted the same.
There's a somebody I'm longing to see,
I hope that he turns out to be
Someone who'll watch over me.
I'm a little lamb who's lost in the wood.
I know I could always be good
To one who'll watch over me.
Although he may not be the man some girls think of as handsome.
To my heart he carries the key.
Won't you tell him please to put on some speed,
Follow my lead, oh, how I need
Someone who'll watch over me.
They silently danced to the tune, just like they do in middle school.
Athrun and Cagalli saw them.
She laughs softly as the song fades.
He shares the same feeling of relief and happiness.
They remained in each others arms for some time, and then, it's time to let go.
AN: I love the song used in this chapter. For those who are interested to listen to this classic, just type the title on yahoo or google and you can listen to a number of versions of this song. All are beautiful. I feel a little sad today so I did this, and hope to start with another fic soon.