I know this has been a long time coming, but aren't you glad it's here? ^_^

Probably one more part after this.

DANCING LESSONS PART 9 A NOT-SO-PERFECT EVENING

If it hadn't been for Wallace's hand, Hikari thought, it would have been the perfect evening. When they had stepped into the hall, it had been like entering a faerie court, a place where magic was possible and everything ended happily. White banners painted with silver blossoms hung down from the walls and fluttered gently in the breeze. Paper butterflies and birds danced and wheeled above them, suspended from the ceiling by invisible strings. There seemed to be flowers everywhere, jasmine and roses filling the air with their wild, sweet scent.

Somehow, they had managed to get the Teen-Age Wolves to play the event, although Yamato had always claimed that school dances were lame. Hikari privately suspected that Takeru had had a lot to do with it. Yamato pretended to be cool and remote, but he had never been able to say no to his little brother. At the moment, they were in the middle their newest hit, Ashita e no Mado. Yamato's beautiful voice soared above the guitar and drums as if an angel had quit the heavenly choir to join a rock band.

All in all, it would have been a perfect evening, if Wallace's hand would have stayed above her waistline. It kept straying south and cupping itself around her bottom in the most uncomfortable way. No matter how many times she removed it, he never seemed to take the hint and it always found its way back again. She was debating kneeing him in the groin the next time that he tried it, but she did not think it would be a good idea to cause a scene. The last thing she needed was for Takeru to lose his temper and attack Wallace. She wouldn't have minded seeing Wallace get a fist in his face, but she didn't want Takeru to get in trouble with the school.

With a little sigh, she looked past Wallace's blond head to where Takeru was dancing with Miyako. All her private fantasies to the contrary, he certainly hadn't been lying about not being able to dance. Even though it was a slow dance and he didn't have to do much more than stand in one spot and sway from side to side, he still managed to look awkward doing it. He had his back to her and was shifting his weight from one leg to the other, his feet pigeon-toed. He looked as if he were warming up to run a race rather than actually dancing.

Miyako didn't seem to notice, however. Her body was pressed tightly against his and her head was tucked beneath his chin. She had a smug, little smile on her face, evidently enjoying being seen with the most popular boy in the school. Hikari felt her heart give a painful hop in her chest. She would have given anything to be dancing with him at the moment, and not only for the sake of her social status.

"Daydreaming about me, gorgeous? You look like you're a million miles away," Wallace's hand slid down to her bottom and gave it a friendly squeeze. Hikari removed it yet again, resisting the urge to break one of his fingers in the process.

"I wish I was," she muttered.

"What was that, honey?"

"Nothing," she gave him a smile, "I think we should sit the next song out, don't you? My feet are starting to hurt a little."

"Whatever you want, angel."

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"It's a perfect night, isn't it?" Miyako said dreamily as she and Takeru sat drinking punch on one of the wrought iron benches that had been brought into the hall to give the dancing couples a place to rest. She uncrossed her legs gracefully and smoothed the silky fabric of her dress over her thighs. It was one of the tricks that Mimi had taught her and it never failed to draw boys' eyes.

"I guess so," Takeru sounded distracted. He was running a finger around the edge of the polystyrene cup and frowning at the fizzy, pink liquid inside it. White flowers floated on top of it, "The hall's really pretty."

Miyako sighed, slouching over her own cup. There was no point wasting her best seductive techniques on Takeru. He probably wouldn't have noticed if she had stripped naked and danced in front of him. So much for Hikari's theory that he was madly in love with her. He'd spent most of the evening watching her and Wallace anyway, a scowl on his handsome face.

She nodded her head towards where Wallace and the other girl were sitting. Wallace had his hand around Hikari's waist and was chatting animatedly to her about something. Hikari didn't seem to be having quite as much fun. Her shoulders were slumped with misery and she was sipping at her punch as if she wished it were something stronger. Miyako didn't blame her. She'd seen the way that Wallace had been groping her on the dancefloor. It had taken considerable manoeuvring to make sure that Takeru did not.

"Why don't you go over and ask her to dance? You know you want to."

Takeru flushed, "W-what, Miyako-san? W-who do you mean?

"Just because you're blond is no reason to play dumb with me," she jabbed him with a finger, "Ya-ga-mi Hi-ka-ri. You know, the girl you've probably been sickeningly in love with since you were eight years old."

"Hikari just sees me as a friend," he muttered, not sounding at all convinced by what he was saying. Even his ears were bright red now, Miyako noticed in interest. She had never known a boy who could blush like Takeru, "I asked her how she felt about me and that's what she said."

"For God's sake," she groaned, "You two are so pathetic. Let me lay it all out for you. You love her. She loves you. You should be together already, instead of moping about how you're just friends and driving the rest of us insane."

"But . . ." Takeru protested.

Miyako raised a hand to cut him off, "Go tell it to someone who cares. Like Hikari."

"But . . ."

"No buts! Tell her how you feel!" Miyako gave him a less than gentle shove.

"Okay, okay," Takeru slowly got to his feet and started towards the other couple, but then paused and glanced back over his shoulder at her. Doubt clouded his blue eyes.

"Are you sure this is a good idea?"

"GO! That's an order from your senpai!"

"Geez, okay."

As he continued walking towards Hikari and Wallace, Miyako sighed and settled back against the bench. Boys could be so dense at times, and that went double for Takaishi Takeru!

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TO BE CONTINUED

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