Chapter 2:

                Andi took her place at the barre the next day, starting her usual warm-up exercises. So engrossed was she that she missed seeing the three adults walk in, closely followed by four of the fourth-year students. The teacher clapped her hands for the class to begin, and Andi swept automatically into the grande reverence that started and ended each class. When she straightened up, she saw Ryan's twinkling eyes catch her gaze. Her heart jumped, and she suddenly found herself smiling. She hadn't seen him since before her audition; though she'd told herself that he'd probably forgotten about her, there had been a tiny irrational hope that he hadn't.

Candace whispered in her ear, "Hoping he'll pay attention to you? Think again, Andi, he's the best dancer at the school. Every girl wants to be with him. Every girl wants to go out with him. What makes you think he'll like you?" The nasty blond girl rushed up to the front of the line and took a spot right in front of Ryan, batting her eyelashes and smiling coyly. Andi saw Ryan's eyes flick over Candace quickly, linger over Rose in her new leotard and Andi's shoes, and then return to Andi herself. Andi smiled at him, then composed her expression into a semblance of calm and control as the class started.

Madame Michaud ran them through their usual combination of steps at the barre, and then they did a short series of steps in the center. The three fourth-year teachers gathered in a cluster, talking in low voices, then one of them clapped his hands for attention. "Two of our fourth-year students, Ryan Harper and Agnes Townsend, will demonstrate a series of steps that make up the pas de deux that we are rehearsing for the show. A select few of you will be asked to repeat these steps with the fourth-year dancers to test your compatibility and cooperativeness with a partner. Ryan, Agnes, if you will begin…"

Andi watched the pair intently. Ryan was a good dancer. He had a graceful, fluid way of moving that Andi wished she had. He flowed from arabesque's to pirouettes, finishing with a grand jete that made her want to gasp; his powerfully muscled legs could propel his body higher in the air than she'd ever thought possible.

"Now, class, if you will step back," said Madame, "We have decided that we want to see Rose Dawson--"

"Of course," Candace muttered under her breath.

"Andi Munroe, Candace Roth, and Allison Mayer dance with Ryan: Thomas Huber, Devon Thorpe, and Frank Temple will dance with Agnes. After you are done we will make our selections for the show."

Ryan took Allison for his first partner. She made a couple mistakes, but she wasn't bad. There was a scattering of applause throughout the classroom when she was done. Andi heard someone whispering behind her, "Clap the hardest for Candace when she dances with Ryan." She turned in disbelief and saw Jenny talking to another of the boys in their class, Joe. Candace's other friends were whispering the same thing to everyone else in the class. Rose caught Andi's eye across the room, and mimed an 'Are they for real?' gesture. Andi smiled, shrugged, and returned her attention to Agnes and Thom, in the center of the room. Thom was good; the best male dancer in their class. Andi knew they would choose him.

Rose stepped out on the floor nervously as Ryan came forward to take her hands. Andi dropped her shields around her empathy and projected calm and control toward Rose. The girl evidently picked up on it, because she stopped walking so woodenly and started to relax into her natural grace. She didn't make any mistakes, and there was a smattering of applause through the watching students when she finished her dance. Devon Thorpe went next. Andi could see he was too nervous, too stiff; he stepped on Agnes's toe shoe once.

Candace came forward eagerly, claiming her dance with Ryan. She moved with supreme confidence and extraordinary grace; she did make a few mistakes, but she covered them up with extra flourishes that seemed a natural part of the dance. Ryan seemed annoyed with the changes, however; and a couple of times, Candace seemed to be getting a little too close. Andi watched him practically at arms length during one part where the pas de deux called for close physical contact, because Candace was almost rubbing her body up against his, like some of the dancers at Nightlight did. It was completely inappropriate for a dance class.

There was, however, massive applause for Candace after she got done; whether it was from an actual appreciation of her dancing skills or because her pose was almost openly seductive, Andi couldn't tell. The teachers didn't even bat an eyelash at the applause; they were already focusing on Agnes and Frank dancing. Andi thought it was likely they'd choose Frank too; he was pretty good.

Ryan came over and took Andi's hand, leading her out onto the floor. She closed her eyes as the music started, and tried to remember the steps Agnes and Ryan had demonstrated. "Andi! Open your eyes!" came a hiss, and she opened them, to see Ryan's blue ones looking at her with amusement. "You can't dance with your eyes closed!" Andi almost laughed, and kept her eyes open.

The dance was simple, though Andi had to concentrate on the combinations of movements. Her body slid against Ryan's sensually, with an almost fluid grace; there was something in her dance with him, some chemistry that was missing with the other three girls. Andi suddenly wondered if sex with him would be like dancing with him. It was almost a shock when the music ended and she realized she had to stop dancing. She was breathing hard, panting, as Ryan put her down, and for a moment she was seized with an impulse to kiss him. He felt the same way, too; she could feel the attraction between them. Madame clapped her hands, and the sound broke the mood. Andi pulled away from him and went to stand with the rest of her classmates.

Madame went over to the other teachers and conferred with them as a buzz of conversation started among the younger students. Ryan, Agnes, and the other fourth-year students went over to talk to the teachers, and Andi and Rose both held their breaths as the teachers turned toward them. Andi tried to read Ryan's expression, but they were set in a calm impassivity that was impossible to read.

"We've decided," said the teacher. "Andi Munroe, Thom Huber, and Rose Dawson will dance in the fall show. You will receive revised schedules tomorrow reflecting the additional practices and rehearsals necessary." She turned away from the class, but was stopped by Candace's aggrieved wail.

"I danced better than Andi! So how come she was chosen and not me?"

Madame turned to the girl firmly. "Because your grades currently are not at the required level, and your attitude leaves a lot to be desired," she said. "Rehearsals will require missing some classes; and currently, you are not doing well enough in any of your classes to enable you to skip them. And we are training young ballerinas here, Miss Roth, not young streetwalkers. Your behavior while dancing was unseemly. Now go and change before you are late for your next class." She turned away from Candace, and the girl sullenly walked out of the classroom with the rest.

Andi dressed in her regular uniform hastily and raced out into the hall. As she had expected, Ryan was waiting for her. "Hey," he said, smiling at her. Andi gave him a shy smile back.

"You've gotten a lot better," he said approvingly. "The school's been great training for you, hasn't it?"

"Yes it has," Andi said. "Hey, is that really why they didn't pick Candace? I thought for sure that she'd be chosen."

Ryan snorted. "Candace? She's got an attitude about her I didn't like. She was actually trying to seduce me while we were dancing; I didn't appreciate that."

Andi said worriedly, 'I wasn't doing anything improper, was I? I mean…" she trailed off as Ryan shook his head.

"You were fine," he said. Then he captured her chin in his hand. "Though, if it was you trying to seduce me, I wouldn't mind as much. In fact, I'd probably let you." He looked deeply into Andi's eyes, and Andi locked gazes with his. She was drawn into that incredible blue gaze, and lifted her chin unconsciously. He couldn't resist the temptation, and lowered his lips to hers. Andi closed her eyes as their lips met.

His mouth was soft against hers. She'd never been kissed like that before, and she found herself melting into it, overwhelmed in the sensation. A hunger awoke deep in her belly, and she arched her back up to his.

The harsh ringing of the bell broke them up, and Andi started, turning to rush off toward her History class. Ryan caught her arm quickly. "Will you meet me at the loft this afternoon around four? We can start putting together a routine, and then maybe go out for dinner before I drop you off at home."

"I have an apartment with my friend Rose," Andi said. "I moved in with her. I'd love to…but I have detention," she said suddenly, deflated.

"You, detention?" he grinned at her. "For what? Running in the halls?"

"I got into a fight with Candace yesterday," Andi said, slightly ashamed. "She poured ink and glue in my friend's dance bag and ruined her stuff. I got mad and I punched her."

Ryan threw back his head and laughed. Andi couldn't help smiling; his laugh was infectious. "I would have liked to see that," he said. "That prissy little stuck-up piece of baggage…oh…" and he went off laughing again. "Then I'll see you at the loft after you get out of detention. See you later!" he took off down the hall, and Andi started running toward her History class.

Detention was served after school in the cafeteria. Andi walked in, took a seat at the empty table, and looked up as the teacher came over to her. "Andi Munroe?" when Andi nodded, the teacher crossed her name off a list. "Your punishment is to write an essay on the importance of keeping your temper and the consequences of losing it. Two pages, front and back. You will hand it in, completed, and hour from now."

Andi bit her lip, made a face, but got out her loose-leaf binder and extracted two sheets of paper from it and began to write. An hour later she put the required essay on the detention teacher's table and hurried out, heading for her car to get over to Ryan's loft.

She found her way blocked by Candace and three other boys, all of whom had been in the detention hall. Andi hadn't even noticed. Candace had a nasty smile on her face. 'So, you think you're going to be the hot stuff in the show, huh?" Candace asked, adding an obscenity that made Andi flush hot. "Think you're all that, now, kissing Ryan Harper in the hall? Well, I got news for you, Miss Munroe: I want to date Ryan Harper. And what I want, I always get. So why don't you do yourself a favor and get out of my way now?"

Andi shook her head at the girl's blatant arrogance. "Maybe you'd better pick up your reality check, Candy," she said, deliberately using the nickname to piss the other girl off. 'Life isn't about getting everything you want. You wanted the spot in the show; you didn't get it, I did. You won't get it, so just forget it." She started to brush past Candace and the other boys.

Candace snapped her fingers, and the boy grabbed Andi's arm. Before Andi could react, they had shoved her down on her knees in the mud beside her car. Andi struggled, but she was no match for the three boys, and was helpless as Candace yanked her backpack off her back and opened it. Andi's books fell out into the muddy puddles formed by late January rain, and Candace stomped on them, grinding them into the mud with her shoe. Then the boys pushed Andi face-first in the mud, and Candace pressed her foot into the back of Andi's neck and flattened her into the puddle. "Get out of my way. Don't you dare pursuer Ryan Harper, or you'll regret it." She kicked Andi hard in the ribs, causing Andi to gasp in pain and curl up on the muddy ground. When Andi finally regained her breath and looked up, they were gone.

Rose gasped as Andi came in. "Andi! What happened to you!" without waiting for a comment, she grabbed her friend's muddy backpack and put it on the floor, tugging off Andi's jacket and following it with the sweater. "You need to take a bath, get all that mud off you…"

"I can't," Andi said. "Ryan's waiting for me at his loft. I just need a quick change of clothes." She flew into her room and changed her clothes. While she wiped her face with a damp cloth, trying to get the worst of the mud off her face and hair, she opened her backpack and spread her books out to dry, then inspected her papers. The report due in English Lit class the next day was ruined. Andi sighed. "I'll have to print out another copy," she moaned, staring at the ruined papers.

"I'll do it," Rose offered, seating herself at the computer both girls shared. "You go on. I'll get your stuff dried off and reprint that copy of your paper."

"Would you? Oh, thanks, Rose, you're the best!" Andi hugged her roommate quickly and ran for her car.

                Ryan was waiting somewhat impatiently for Andi when she arrived at the loft. "I expected you here a half an hour ago," he said. "I thought you would come here right after detention let out."

                "I went home to change out of the uniform," Andi said, dropping her bag on the small table in the corner and opening it to hide the flush on her face. She was a horrible liar, and she hoped Ryan wouldn't see the blush.

                He walked over to her. "Bathroom's over there for you to change into your dancing clothes,' he said. As Andi straightened up, holding her dancing clothes, he touched the end of her hair, where it was still damp and caked with mud. "Andi, what did you do? Your hair's all muddy!" he exclaimed.

                Andi hastily grabbed an elastic band out of her bag, gathering the muddy hair and making a sloppy sort of bun out of it. "I slipped outside the school," she said quickly.

                Ryan seized her arm and pulled the elastic out of it. More muddy water came out of the dark strands. "On your head? You slipped on your head? Come on, Andi, what happened?"

                Andi grabbed her elastic out of his hand. "I got in a fight outside of school," she said. "It was in the parking lot, so no one in school can do anything about it, okay? It was only a one-time thing; it won't happen again."

                "Mmm-hmm," Ryan said, unconvinced, but willing to let it go because Andi didn't want to talk about it.