Disclaimer: I own the girls. I don't own Erik, but having Gerry snuggled in my bed wipes that sorrow from my mind entirely. Mwahahaha. Afterthought: I don't own Avril Lavigne, Rihanna or their music either.

Kayla

Ch. 15 – Lessons in Dancing: Part I

I leapt onto the bed and almost knocked Kendall off. Josie and Sam fell next to us and we lay there for a moment, still trying to soak in the fact that we were in the lair of one of the greatest characters in history.

"Am I dreaming?" I asked in a daze.

"I think…" (Sam)

"If you are…" (Kendall)

"Then we're all insane," Josie finished, a grin spreading across her face. (This is highly uncharacteristic for her unless she's mondo-hyper. Hint hint.)

We all fell back on the bed and screamed hysterically. (Josie and the Pussycats moment.)

Sam leaned over the bed and pulled my laptop out of the bag Erik had left on the floor. "Let's listen to something. I need music."

A wicked grin (also uncharacteristic) spread across Kendall's face, and Josie asked, "Did you bring Avril, by chance?"

I knew it. "Head-banging coming up!"

I slipped Under My Skin into the disc drive and went to track three. "Let's see how he handles major gee-tar and bass," I said, turning the volume to max.

He Wasn't blared from the computer and we all jumped a little.

He wasn't what I wanted, what I thought, no,

He wouldn't even open up the door,

He never made me feel like I was special,

He isn't really what I'm looking for!

I let loose with a (terrible) air guitar, matching Josie. All you could see of Kendall and Sam was loose hair flying everywhere.

As predicted, Erik burst back through the door just as we hit the second chorus.

"TURN THAT GOD-AWFUL RACKET OFF NOW!" he roared over Avril's screeching electric guitar.

Sam put out a hand to steady herself and gently tapped the space bar to pause the music.

"Everything okay, Erik?" Josie asked innocently.

"YOU KNOW FULL WELL EVERYTHING IS NOT OKAY!"

"You don't have to talk in capitalized bold italics just because you're angry," said Kendall coolly. "We'd get the same message either way."

Erik shot her a death glare in reply.

"So… what's up?" asked Josie, still projecting innocence.

"Come again?"

"Ca va?"

"NON. What was that horrid screeching?"

I slipped into sarcastic mode. "It was music. I expected you of all people to recognize a good heartbreak song when you hear it."

Erik snorted. "That was not music. That was garbage bins crashing and someone yelling at the top of their lungs."

Josie growled (literally). "You—will—pay."

He turned serenely away to inspect the laptop.

"Did you want to hear something?" Her voice struggled to maintain calm.

He gave her a pained look. "As long as it doesn't include that rubbish I was just privy to hearing."

Sam's eyes glinted mischievously and she snatched my CD case.

"Here's something, then."

In a flash, she removed Avril and inserted a bright orange disc.

A beat issued from the computer, reminiscent of Mambo #5. The four of us were immediately sucked into the song, bouncing on the balls of our feet.

Come Mister DJ, song pon de replay,

Mister DJ, won't you turn the music up?

I am not a hip-roller by normal nature, but that song can make me do the weirdest stuff. Aside from other things, it gives me confidence (in part because I know all the words!)

Moving to the music, I sauntered over to where Erik stood frozen facing the door and spun him around.

Well I'm ready for ya, come let me show you

You want to groove, I'm-a show ya how to move

Erik's gaze never left me as I turned to the beat, hands at my waist, my entire body flowing to the music. (Suggestive? Yes… I hope)

I bounced over and banged hips with Kendall, both of us cracking up at the look on Erik's face.

His eyes were wide, and the one eyebrow we could see was raised. Needless to say, a state of utter shock.

I turned and walked him backward into the wall, then spun on my heel and stalked away. Out of the corner of my eye I could see Sam dancing like she was in the song's music video. (She's a good dancer, love her to death! )

Ev'rybody get down if ya feel me,

Put your hands up to the ceiling

Ev'rybody get down if ya feel me,

Come and put your hands up to the ceiling

We swayed dreamily, still bouncing to the song as it faded out.

Erik kept himself pinned against the wall, his amber eyes gazing at us warily.

"What," he inquired in constricted tones, "was that?"

Josie tossed her hair. "That," she replied, "is dancing."

Erik snorted again. "Pardonnez-moi, mademoiselle," he said. "But that looked more like…"

"Yes?" we prompted together.

"Something… I will not voice aloud," he finished, blushing slightly.

"In that case, call it modern dancing," I suggested. Out of nowhere, I started cracking up again. (And of course, everyone looked at me.)

"What random memory is it this time?" Sam gave me a Look.

"David… sophomore year… lunch table…" I choked out, watching Josie and Kendall. This made no sense whatsoever to Sam or Erik, but the other two groaned and started giggling as well.

"I hope you have an idea as to what they're talking about, Mademoiselle Samantha?" Erik asked conversationally, his eyes glinting. Sam gave him a Look.

"Tch, yeah right. High school inside jokes. I don't get 'em either."

Pause.

"And it's SAM!"

"Wow, that's good," said Josie. (Back to Inside-Joke-ness.) "Would you care to enlighten us as to this specific memory?"

"Seeing as how we never dance like that, David probably would've called it…," I hesitated, then, in a whispered breath: "Hot-bunny-rabbit-sex-dance."

At this, Josie, Kendall and I fell on the floor in hysterical laughter.

Erik allowed this to continue for nigh on ten minutes, then cleared his throat and stepped over us.

"Would you prefer to learn to dance the way I know?" he asked.

"Depends on which way you dance," Josie countered. "I can salsa."

I raised a triumphant fist at the memory. "COOLEST MEXICAN LADY EVER!"

Erik cocked his eyebrow at me and pulled Josie to her feet.

"My dear, I was thinking more along the lines of the waltz," he purred.

"Shall we?"

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Oooh, shivers. I don't believe I'm saying this, but I'm jealous of my best friend's character. Oh well. PON DE REPLAY RULES! And yes, David is a real person and yes, he really did say that when I was in sophomore year. R&R!

PS: He still says it.

PPS: Hugs to all reviewers for simply being reviewers! 