(posts and dies) My E-mail stopped working...I probably have like fifty bazillion story updates I need to read...
Okay, enough with my sob story. DDR! DDR! WH00T!
...The line thingy isn't working. Is that supposed to happen...?

The Dance-Off

I grinned at Anzu. "You ready for this?"

Anzu smirked. "Bring it!"

The two of us stood side-by-side on the Dance Dance Revolution game. Everyone in the entire arcade was watching—I mean, Anzu was the queen of DDR, and I had only been on this particular game once. I had gotten pretty good scores, and I'd beaten two or three of hers—but this was the first time we'd actually faced off.

"So how many games do you get to play on this?" I asked curiously. Usually, DDR was done in sets of three.

Anzu grinned. "We can do one set of three per token—so we have six dances. I'll choose the first three dances, and you choose the last three. Deal?"

I nodded. "Deal."

Anzu hit Select. "Oh, before we go on—you can change what difficulty you're on before you choose the song, so be careful where you step."

I nodded. "That's different—but cool. It reminds me of the X-box version of the game."

"Well, that was actually the point. This is the arcade version of DDR Ultramix 3."

"Oh. That's the exact one I have! …Uh, had."

I heard an impatient yell from the crowd. "Stop talking and dance!"

Anzu quickly chose her first song. It was called "Bye Bye Baby Balloon" by Joga. We both set our difficulty to Light.

"(Baby balloon)

I can't seem to find my way of life
Since you've been gone, I feel lonely at night
I close my eyes and it's all right
It takes a second to remember them

'Boom, boom, boom,' said my heart
When I first saw you
When we were just getting closer

'Down, down, down,' says my mind
Now that love is gone
I feel that it's time for me to say

(Bye bye bye)

Bye bye baby balloon
My feelings are blue
One day you were mine
We're now just apart
Bye bye baby balloon
My feelings were true
We thought it just right
To pass it by

Bye bye baby balloon
My feelings are blue
One day you were mine
We're now just apart
Bye bye baby balloon
My feelings were true
We thought it just right
To pass it by

To pass it by

To pass it by

(Bye bye bye)"

We both got AAs—with Anzu's score slightly higher than mine. I just happened to have gotten two or three more Goods than her…

Her second dance was "Destiny Lovers" by Kunitake Miyuki. Anzu kept it on Light—but I upped the level to Standard.

"Mayowanai mou
Meguriaeta kala
Hanasanai kono
Te wo
Nido to...

Deatta shunkan
Hoshi ga nagaleta
Mabataki no hiyasade
Koi ni ochiteita

Anata no manazashi
Sono te no nukumoli
Naze ka wakaranai
Natsukashii kimochi ga

Mune no oku de
Yobimezamasu yo
Hoshi ni
Izanawareta kioku

Mayowanai mou
Meguriaeta kara
Hanasanai kono
Te wo
Nido to...

Michibiite hoshii yo
Sora no kanata kala
Harakatooi kioku
Koko ni
Ima…"

I grinned. AAs again—and if looks could kill, I would be a fine red mist, for my score was higher than Anzu's. And I'd been a level higher than her.

Her third and final song was by a group called Smile.dk, called "Butterfly".

"Aiyaiyai,
Aiyaiyai
A-a-aiyaiyai,
Where's my samurai?

I've been searching for a man
All across Japan
Just to find, to find my samurai
Someone who is strong
But still a little shy
Yes I need, I need my samurai

Aiyaiyai,
I'm your little butterfly
Green, black, and blue,
Make the colors in the sky
Ayiyaiyai,
I'm your little butterfly
Green, black, and blue,
Make the colors in the sky

I've been searching in the woods
And high upon the hills
Just to find, to find my samurai
Someone who won't regret
To keep me in his net
Yes I need, I need my samurai

Aiyaiyai,
I'm your little butterfly
Green, black, and blue,
Make the colors in the sky
Ay, ay, ay, I'm your little butterfly
Green, black, and blue,
Make the colors in the sky

Aiyaiyai
Aiyaiyai
A-a-aiyaiyai,
Where's my samurai?

Aiyaiyai,
Aiyaiyai
A-a-aiyaiyai,
Where's my samurai?"

I grinned. I'd hit every arrow—and I'd only gotten three Great scores! Once again, my final number was higher than Anzu's, but only by about a hundred.

I waved my hand. "Could we get some water up here? Please?"

After downing two bottles of ice-cold water, I was ready to choose my songs. First up was Miracle Moon by Togo Project. I stayed on Standard—and Anzu upped her level, as well.

"(Ai, ai, ai)

Denwa dake
Ja todokanai
Kimochi…

E-mail datte, setsunaku naru dake
'Ima sugu ni ai ni kite' nante
Tadakko mitaku,
Kuchi ni shichai sou...

Demo,
Itsumo aeteta
Toki yori zutto
Chikaku kanjiru kigashiteru

Ai no kiseki o
Misete ageru
Do you believe in LOVE?
Yes, I'm just feeling now!

Ai no channel o
Awase tanara
Otsukisama ga
Chuukeikyoku

Do you believe in LOVE?
Yes, I'm just feeling now!"

I got an A—and would have gotten an AA if it weren't for the fact that I messed up on the last few jumps. Anzu barely got her AA grade.

My second song was a little number called "Bath of Least Resistance" by NOFX. I absolutely loved it—the words fit me almost perfectly. Both of us remained on Standard.

"Too many words on the tip of my tongue and
I can never figure out
When to speak, when to shout, when to shut up
When to knock myself out

I need a brainwash
Gray-matter bath
I need the clutter all
Thrown in the trash
I need a brain wash,
'Cause I'm a loon
So could ya please throw my head in a tub?
I could really use a cerebral scrub
Wash away what I know
It's an overrated frontal lobe

I need a brainwash
Gray-matter bath
I need the clutter all
Thrown in the trash
I need a brain wash,
'Cause I'm a loon—

Cause I'm a psycho-babble brain
A real life Looney Toon
A mixed up maniac,
I'm certifiable so put me in a room
Right next to Nicholson and give me Thorazine
Cause all I wanna do is sing traditional
Songs but I like to sing in minor technologies
Not making sense

So could you please throw my head in a tub?
I could really use a cerebral scrub
Wash away what I know
It's an overrated frontal lobe!"

I got an A. So did Anzu. And my score was higher than hers. Thank you, endless hours on the DDR game!

Anzu scowled at me. "One song to go. Just pick."

So I did—"Firefly" by Be 4 U. I stayed on Standard. But Anzu upped her level to Heavy.

I glanced at her. "Are you sure you want to do that?"

Anzu glared at me. "Very sure."

I shrugged, hitting the start button. "Your funeral."

"Ima kono ryuute
Hilogete solani
Mukaitte hashirisou, saa
Ryuukou hikari no youni

Hitogomini,
Nagasare asu ni nani wo moto meruno
Tsukuraleta reelu ayun
Deikudake

Genshitsuni
Batsukaru koto ni kizutsuku no osore naide
Nigedashi tai
Tokidemo
Akiramenaide

Mada kainu asuni
Kitaishi—"

On screen, Anzu had started missing beats. And suddenly, she slipped. She'd been focusing so much on hitting every beat that she accidentally overstepped the down button and fell off the 'stage'. The crowd fell absolutely silent, just staring at her.

I rolled my eyes. "And no one helps her up? All of you are such idiots!" I abandoned the game to keep playing itself, holding out my hand. "Are you all right? You didn't hurt yourself, did you?"

Anzu stared at me for a moment—and then, reluctantly, accepted the hand up. "I'm all right, I guess. I just overdid it…"

Our friends were elbowing their way through the crowd. They all began babbling at us, and they all tried to make sure Anzu was okay. Damien was, of course, obsessing the most.

I heard a voice from the still-assembled crowd. "So…who won?"

I felt my hands clench into fists. "Who cares?" I yelled. "It was just a stupid game! Anzu might have gotten seriously hurt, and all you care about is finding out who won! Jeez, dude, get your priorities in line!"

As the crowd began to break up, I noticed Anzu giving me a suspicious look. I raised an eyebrow. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

"Why are you sticking up for me?" she countered.

I rolled my eyes. "Oh, come on. Just because you hate my guts doesn't mean I hate yours."

Anzu stared at me. "I don't hate you!" she said hotly.

"Then why are you always glaring at me when you think I'm not looking?"

"…"

"Thank you. Look, could you please just tell me what it is I've done wrong so I can attempt to fix it?"

Any response of hers was cut off by Yami's approach. He was smiling. "Both of you did very well. I'm sure it would have been a very close score, had you finished the dance." Anzu nodded a little, and walked away. We lost sight of her in the just-moving crowd.

Yami looked at me. "And I'm proud of you. You didn't try to rub it in that she fell. You actually stood up for her." His smile turned wry. "Not that you would have done anything different."

I grinned. "Yeah, I know. I'm just awesome like that." I stared off after Anzu. "But I don't think Anzu cares…I think she's just mad at me…"

"Why would she be mad at you?" Yami asked, confused.

I sighed. "I think I've got a pretty good idea…"

(glares) Stupid line thingy. Okay...review, please!