HA! How's this for updating sooner? I told you I'd try my hardest, and with the lull between midterms I was able to get this chapter out pretty quickly. It helped that I knew pretty much exactly what I wanted to do… Anyway, a HUGE THANK YOU to everyone who has reviewed; you keep me from giving up hope on this story, which I have been pretty close to doing. But if everyone likes it so much, then I have no excuse to stop writing it, right?

Well, standard disclaimer still applies, unfortunately. (pottergal heaves a big sigh) Now on with the show!

To Cross the Rubicon
By: pottergal

Chapter Five: A Dance to Beat All?

Jimmy stared open-mouthed at the classroom he'd just entered, part of him refusing to accept that he was in the right room. The place he'd known had vanished, with the shimmering dark blue and purple material covering the walls and the chalkboard. All of the desks had been shoved to the perimeter of the room, lining the back and two sides of the class. The drapes had been drawn shut for the most part and perhaps a dozen long pieces of material identical to the ones on the walls had been strung across the ceiling like streamers. Golden rope and tassels also graced the walls, accenting the material, and Miss Fowl's chair was covered with pillows.

"Oh, it's Cindy's incense!" Carl said as he entered beside Jimmy, identifying the strange smell that had pervaded the room. He'd been wondering about the unfamiliar light, cinnamon-wood fragrance and what had caused it.

"She asked me if I would try some out for her because her dad has a really sensitive nose," Carl continued and Jimmy turned to stare at his friend. "I thought that it would make me sick, but I wound up liking it so much that I bought a few sticks off her!"

"When was this?" Jimmy asked, hardly daring to believe that Carl had managed to keep this event from him.

"Oh, some time this month, I suppose. She made me promise not to tell anyone," Carl added and Jimmy turned around glumly. "She said it was for a super secret project that she was working on at home, and she said that if I told anyone before the month was over, she'd know and then she'd come kick my butt."

"Oh," Jimmy said before making his way to one of the desks lining the back wall with Carl in tow.

"I'm sorry, Jim, I would've told you and stuff," Carl said as the two of them sat down. "But you know how I am with pain and torture. It scares me as much as Cindy does."

"It's okay, Carl," Jimmy said with a sigh, resting his chin in his hands. "I'm just upset because I spent all month trying to figure out what Cindy was up to, and I came up with nothing. Every time I came close to finding out, something would happen. Sometimes I think she has eyes in the back of her head."

"Or a powerful intuitive sense that could rival Ultralord's natural ability to sense the three D's," Sheen said as he took a seat beside Jimmy, fiddling with the arm on his latest Ultralord action figure.

"Uh, I probably shouldn't ask, but what're the three D's?" Carl asked, his voice holding a slight tremor of fear.

"Death, destruction, and despair," Sheen said before pausing and frowning.

"I shouldn't have asked!" Carl wailed, clasping his hands over his ears.

"Or is it dedication, daring, and do-good ability?" Sheen continued, oblivious to Carl as he thought. "Or maybe it's destruction, despair, and doom… dang it! How could I forget something as important as the three D's?"

Jimmy blinked when the final lunch bell rang, signaling the start of class. He looked up to find that everyone had entered, save Nissa, Natesa, Cindy, and Libby, of course, and Miss Fowl was taking afternoon roll.

"Hey, Jimmy," Carl whispered as he leaned over while looking around. "We're missing people, aren't we?"

"Yeah, I think they're waiting to come in," Jimmy whispered back, and right after he finished talking, Nissa entered, carrying a large shopping bag. She smiled at everyone as she set a small stereo on a chair by the door and plugged it in.

"I hope you will forgive waiting just one more minute," she said as she unrolled several large pieces of poster paper and tacked them to the cloth on the chalkboard. "As you can see, we're a tad behind schedule; decorating took longer than we'd planned." She then bowed slightly to the class and turned to Miss Fowl.

"I'll go see if the others are ready," she said as Miss Fowl tossed off most of the pillows that had been placed on her chair. "I'll be right back," Nissa said before making another bow and vanishing out the door.

Well, they've certainly made me curious, Jimmy thought as he worked over the costume Nissa had been wearing. She'd been dressed in a loose pair of pants that sat low on her hips and synched around her ankles, and her top exposed most of her midriff; he had to wonder if she'd forgotten about the dress code that they had. The sleeves had gone to her elbows and flowed like her pants did, and all the material was a dark purple.

"She looked like an alien princess from the planet Nabrual," Sheen said, his eyes wide. "They were in episode 235, when Ultralord crash-landed on their planet and nearly became one of their many husbands. It was possibly the scariest episode ever!"

"Why?" Jimmy asked and Sheen shuddered for a moment before continuing.

"The women just kept chasing him, trying to get him to marry one of them, but in truth they were trying to keep him away from the planet's deadly super weapon, which he'd been sent to destroy," Sheen said in hushed tones, and Jimmy heard Carl whimper in fear. "He was finally saved by Ultralady, who had gone undercover as one of the princesses, and together they blew up the super weapon."

"What's so scary about being chased by a bunch of women?" Jimmy asked, unable to keep the small frown from his face.

"Have you ever been chased by a blood-thirsty mob of Nabrulian princesses, all of whom are trying to hug you and squeeze you and… kiss you?" Sheen said and Carl gave a small wail before ducking under his desk.

"Well no…" Jimmy began.

"Then I suggest you refrain from passing judgment upon the situation until you've experienced how terrifying it can be," Sheen said, his tone haughty, and he crossed his arms over his chest.

"I was chased by a bunch of my girl cousins once, Jim, and it really was terrifying," Carl said from his position beneath his desk, and Jimmy leaned over to look at him. "They kept trying to dress me up like one of them and put makeup and perfume on me. They did manage to catch me, but when they tried put the perfume on, I swelled up like a balloon because I was allergic. It was awful…"

"The perfume or the swelling?"

"Both…"

"All right, class, a-a-a-awrk," Miss Fowl said, calling for their attention. Jimmy noticed that Nissa had returned without them realizing, and she stood off to the side, waiting patiently.

"Nissa will no-o-o-o-ow present the oral pa-a-a-art of her group's presentation, so pa-a-a-ay attention!"

Nissa stepped forward just as Miss Fowl finished speaking and took another small bow before beginning to speak.

"It's a little known fact that one of the roots of belly dancing is in Egypt, which dates back hundreds of years," she began, and Jimmy blinked. It was? "The French, who were one of the first groups of Europeans to visit Egypt, didn't know what to make of belly dancing when they first saw it, as it was so very foreign. Some say that's how belly dancing got its name, because the French thought the dance was done mostly with the upper torso."

That explains the costume and the decorations, I guess, Jimmy thought, resting his chin in his hand. But then where were the others? Why hadn't they entered yet?

"Cool!" Jimmy heard someone whisper and felt a small pang of dread echo within him. This couldn't be their entire project, he decided; otherwise everyone would be front and center, talking. And why had they moved the desks to the sides? Did they need floor space, or something?

That thought made him blink inwardly and he unconsciously sat up straighter. If they had up their sleeves what he thought they had, and if people were impressed by this pitiful display of marker and poster paper…

"However, this is incorrect, as most belly dancing is done with the hips. It may look like the upper torso, but that is a mental trick as dancers tend to accentuate that area through their movements," Nissa continued, pointing to a few of her diagrams. "There's another theory that the name of the belly dance came from a perversion of the word 'beladi', which is the basic essential rhythm of the dance and is based around four counts."

At that, Nissa pulled out a small drum from the bag, and sitting on another chair, she began to beat out the rhythm.

Doom doom tika tak doom tika tak tik doom doom tika tak doom taka tik!

Nissa repeated the sounds a few more times, and Jimmy could see a few people tapping along on their desks. When she stopped, appreciative applause broke out.

If something doesn't go painfully wrong, I'm going to lose, he thought with a small gulp, failing to hear the rest of Nissa's speech as part of him was trying to desperately to think of a way to save himself and his dignity.

As much as he might want to, he couldn't interfere, as Cindy hadn't sabotaged his project and it had gone off perfectly for once. The sound system had delivered such intense surround sound that some people swore they felt like they were inside the tomb, with footsteps echoing eerily, and someone was positive that they'd heard a rat squeak. That coupled with the complete projection machine he'd whipped up, which presented picture on the walls, ceiling, and floor… someone (probably Carl) had actually thrown up when they'd started racing through the underground passages.

I can't do anything besides hope she messes up somehow, Jimmy thought anxiously as Nissa concluded the oral presentation with yet another small bow.

"And now as a special treat for being so patient with us…" Nissa said, looking to the door, which seemed to swing open of its own accord, and three cloaked figures entered slowly. Jimmy could hear a strange, shimmering sound, and was forced to assume that it was coming from them. He couldn't see which person was which, as they were entirely covered by the cloaks from their hooded heads to their hidden feet.

"Natesa Ojufemi, Libby Folfax, Nissa Snyder, and Cindy Vortex proudly present an example of Egyptian belly dance," all four girls chorused, and Nissa pressed play on the stereo. A kind of eager anticipation filled the air as people straightened in their desks and Jimmy could hear the CD player slowly gearing up. Unconsciously he moved to the edge of his seat, both curious for what he was about to see and terrified that it was going to be excellent.

The music finally started, a slow familiar drum beat filling the air, and the three figures twirled in unison, their cloaks fanning outwards slightly but not revealing the person beneath it. They swayed as a reedy pipe joined the drum, the shimmering sound coming again and telling Jimmy that he'd been right in his assumption about the source. The melody peaked and dipped slowly, and the figures mirrored the sounds, swaying and twisting gently until the music paused. They stopped moving, appearing to be frozen, and the class seemed to hold its breath, waiting on tenterhooks for them to continue.

Just as Jimmy was starting to think (and hope) that something had gone wrong with the stereo, and that perhaps they weren't going to go on, the drum returned, the familiar rhythm much faster this time. The girls threw off their cloaks and the class gasped. Even Jimmy couldn't help it; he certainly hadn't expected them to look as… as exotic as they did.

The girls smiled brightly as the pipe returned, playing a complicated melody, and they turned so that their left sides faced the back wall, their hips rocking from side to side in time with the beat. Jimmy could see little flashes as light reflected from the small, dangling disks attached to the chain around each girl's stomach, and each time their hips moved, the disks would clink together, creating that shimmering sound he'd been hearing.

A string instrument joined in with the others and the girls began to move. With every other dip of a hip, they'd kick outwards, while their hands moved to accent their actions. Then they spun, so that their opposite side faced the back wall, and the move was repeated. They then turned slightly and stepped forward, their back leg kicking to the side behind them, and then stepped back before pivoting to the side. This they continued in a circle, their arms moving gracefully from side to side.

Natesa suddenly let out a trill, which made most of the class jump, and Cindy and Libby answered with twin shouts before all three clapped their hands together. They began gliding forward then, coming towards the back of the room, their hips swaying gracefully. Jimmy could feel himself leaning back as the three of them finally stopped moving towards him, but they began beating their bare heels against the floor, their hips moving in a smooth circle.

This time it was Libby who let out a sound that seemed more like a yelp than a shout, and Cindy and Natesa answered before all three clapped their hands twice in unison. They then began to glide backwards, using the same gentle sway that had brought them forwards, and stopped once they reached the middle of the room. They spun in a slow circle, their hands trailing after them flowingly, and once they faced the back wall, they brought them together in a resounding clap that made Jimmy jump again.

I can't believe this is happening, he thought, feeling his eyes widen in shock as he watched the three girls continue their graceful, hypnotic dance. I was so certain that I'd won, that Cindy couldn't possibly think of something more impressive...

Maybe Cindy had realized his distress, or had developed some way to sense when someone was thinking about her, as she chose that moment to look up at him. Her green eyes locked onto him like some kind of powerful tractor beam and held him faster than any modern adhesive. He almost couldn't believe that the girl dancing was the same Cindy; her long hair was out of its usual ponytail, and instead was secured with two silver clips to keep it from falling in her face. She spun again and he watched it dance about her playfully, bouncing as she moved. It was a nice change, he had to admit…

He watched as her smile deepened somehow, her eyes lighting up, and he decided that she had to be wearing makeup. Her features were much more accentuated than usual: her lips were redder, her cheeks were rosier, and her eyes seemed to sparkle with delight. Where had this Cindy come from, he wondered, and why hadn't she come out before this?

The only reason she's like this is because she knows she's going to win, part of him thought bitterly, but the other part was silently memorizing every move she made, each spin, each sway, each gesture, with his characteristically agonizing precision. He couldn't believe how entranced he was by something as simple as a dance…

But it wasn't just a dance. It was something more, something he couldn't quite explain. It was grace and joy and beauty… he heard a soft sigh escape him. Leaping leptons, was it beautiful.

AH! What am I thinking? He jerked upright, struggling to force the thoughts of Cindy and her dance from his mind, but failing miserably. Maybe it's the incense, maybe that's why I feel so strange and irrational, he reasoned, trying to keep from slapping himself. Sure, it would probably wake him up, but it would also attract unwanted attention.

I'll have to pilfer some after class, if it hasn't all burned away. Maybe I could take a sample of the ash back to the lab for analysis.

He looked back at Cindy suspiciously to find her smiling at him, and the feeling returned in full force. He collapsed against his chair, the mesmerizing elegance of the dance making him forget about the incense and his theory that it had been laced with some hypnotic chemical…

Accelerated heart rate, flushed face, tightness in the chest area... what is wrong with me? he thought as Cindy spun again and the three girls lifted their hands to the ceiling, the music crescendoing dramatically. This can't be a normal response to a dance. It just can't be. Cindy must've done something, but how to prove it? Think!

But he couldn't. The incense had suddenly become heady, making his mind feel as though it had been stuffed with cotton, and all he saw was Cindy, dancing and swaying with the music. He tried his hardest not to stare, but he couldn't help it. She was utterly captivating; her lips curved in a soft smile and her green eyes seemed to be focused solely on him, keeping him rooted to the spot.

Must... think... focus...!

He watched as she extended a hand, seeming to call him forwards, and he felt like he was falling, drowning in green…

A loud clap from the dancers made him jerk and he shook his head repeatedly, the fog finally clearing. He rubbed his eyes before tentatively looking back up at Cindy, whose smile seemed forced now, and he frowned. What had just happened? Had she felt those weird sensations? Did she feel as shaky and weak as he did?

He watched absently as the girls punctuated their sways with the beat, his mind preoccupied with what had just taken place. Never in his life had he ever felt so… so… out of control of his actions. Maybe he was going to lose his better judgment to age and hormones, but he'd always assumed that he'd at least be able to retain command over his bodily functions…

I need to run some tests, that's all. I need to find out what Cindy put in that incense, he thought as the girls spun before clapping their hands three times in unison and then the music ended abruptly. At first Jimmy thought something had gone wrong with the stereo, but then he realized that the dance was over and that everyone in the class was on their feet, applauding and cheering wildly. All three girls giggled and grinned before bowing repeatedly.

"Whoa, did you see that, Jimmy? That was incredible!" Carl exclaimed, and Jimmy folded his arms over his chest in a bitter huff.

"I was trying not to," he muttered halfheartedly.

"Oh man, if that's what those Nabrulian princesses did to welcome guests, I'd become one of their life mates forever!" Sheen exclaimed over the cheering and Jimmy stared at him.

Finally Cindy stepped forward to speak and Jimmy sank into his chair, preparing himself for the worst. Here it came, the gloating and the start of his month of gender confusion and total embarrassment…

"Thank you, everyone," she said, her voice brimming with the joy present on her face. "I'm glad you enjoyed this, and I thought I should let you know that if any of you are interested in taking up belly dancing, talk to Natesa. Her mom was the one who choreographed the dance you just saw, and she teaches regular lessons." Jimmy watched as Natesa blushed brilliantly in obvious embarrassment, and the class broke into applause again.

Miss Fowl stood to give further instructions, but the class largely ignored her as they grouped around Natesa, Libby, and Cindy, asking questions a mile a minute. Jimmy supposed he was the only one still sitting, but he couldn't bring himself to join in on the enthusiasm. Even Carl and Sheen were part of the group: Sheen was pestering Libby, who was giggling happily, and Carl was shyly asking Nissa something.

"Nissa, would you mind playing that rhythm for me?" Natesa called over the din, and the other girl nodded before fetching the drum and tapping out the beat. Jimmy watched as Natesa started leading several girls in a simple hip sway, and blinked when Cindy sidled over to him.

"Come to gloat?" he said, unable to keep the bitter tone from his voice, and she gave him a small smile that made him pause.

"I did try to warn you," she said before moving to sit atop the desk beside him, her jewelry shimmering faintly. "But no, that wasn't my intention."

"Then what do you want?" he snapped and watched her look at him, her smile gone. He felt sort of guilty for being so short with her, but her presence was making him far more nervous than it normally should have.

"I wanted to suggest we call it a draw, but now I'm starting to rethink that," she said, her voice rising a little with annoyance and anger. "If you're going to be rude to me, then why should I bother being nice?" She hopped from the desk, and without thinking, Jimmy snatched up her wrist before she could stomp away.

"Let me go!" she exclaimed and he realized what he'd done, jerking away like he'd been burned.

"Look," he started to say, but the bell rang, startling everyone. He stared up at the clock in disbelief; he couldn't believe how late it was. Where had the time gone?

When he looked back for Cindy, he saw that everyone had either left or were on their way out of the door. Sighing in frustration, he started after Carl and Sheen, who were heading for their lockers and chatting excitedly about the dance they'd just witnessed. Carl even tried to imitate a move Natesa had done, but his poor attempt sent Sheen into fits of hysterical laughter.

"What did you think of it, Jimmy?" Carl asked him once he could be heard over Sheen, and Jimmy grabbed his backpack before slamming his locker shut.

"I thought it was all right," he said as he turned to them, "if you like strange hypnotic dances where all they do is undulate and wiggle."

"Ooh, sounds like someone's jealous," Sheen said in a singsong voice, finally controlling himself enough to speak.

"What does undulate mean?" Carl asked, frowning in confusion.

"I'm not jealous! Why would I be jealous of Cindy's ability to mesmerize the class through a simple set of movements? I certainly wouldn't want that gift!"

"Why not?" Carl asked and Jimmy stared at him. "It was so fluid and graceful and they were wearing lots of pretty, shiny things!"

"It might make people actually pay attention to your science-y stuff," Sheen suggested and began a poor imitation of his own. "Everyone really seemed to like all the moving they did…"

"Exactly, which is why I'm going to run some tests on that incense," Jimmy said as Sheen danced around them. "I have a sneaking suspicion that Cindy did something to it to elicit the kind of reactions we saw."

"What, you mean aside from shake it in a pleasing manner?" Sheen said and Jimmy rolled his eyes in exasperation. "I think you're making stuff up because you're just jealous that her project was about a gazillion times better than ours."

"It was not! And I'm going to go back to class and get some of that incense to prove it!" he yelled before stomping off angrily. Once he was about half way down the hall, Sheen held up three fingers while looking at his watch.

"Three, two… and one."

"AND I AM NOT JEALOUS!"

"What do you say, Carl? Is this some deep denial, or what?"

"Is denial when you're lying to yourself?"

"Yup."

"Then yes, I'd say so."

So there you have it folks, Cindy's amazing project. I know this one is a tad on the long side, but I hope it was fun to read. Coming up: the trouble starts. What do you think is going to happen? And why was Jimmy acting so strangely over Cindy's dance? (Author is chuckling evilly.) Stay tuned for more fun and excitement! The next round of midterms is starting soon though, so hopefully I'll be able to get something up before then… bear with me, please!