Making Our Mark

Chapter 6: Latin

September was nearing its end, yet I already managed to attend my first Greek party, fend off the persistent President of Jaws Theta Chi, anger Johnny for forging friendships with the members of Oozma Kappa, gain somewhat more of an understanding of who Javier was and refrain from killing him in the process, all while keeping up with my readings for my classes, attending lectures, and kicking some major tail on the first few assignments. To say that I found it all overwhelming was an understatement.

Fortunately, a spontaneous visit to the campus fitness center one morning allowed me to find solace in the art of dance in an empty studio with ceiling-high mirrors tessellated along the walls. Whenever I found myself getting stressed out, taking the floor inside a dance studio always brought me peace and allowed me to channel my innermost thoughts and emotions into beautifully-executed movements with my body. It was a healthy way to practise mindfulness and cultivate good mental health.

The cha-cha beat from the song playing from my phone in the corner of the studio livened up both the atmosphere and my mood as I embraced the wide-open space of the hardwood floor. I didn't hold back as I gave sharp box zig zags and jutted my hip out with every split Cuban break. On one powerful beat in the song, I kicked my right leg forward and upward into a standing front split while maintaining excellent balance despite the heeled shoes that I wore. I was very proud of my versatility as a dancer and I was hell bent on showing it, even if no one was around to see it.

Eventually, I recognized that the song was coming to an end. To the final beat, I struck a pose, popping my hip out to the side and shooting my right hand upward. I gave a confident nod to my reflection in the mirror before me as I gradually lowered my hand behind my neck, letting it travel sensually down my chest and back down to my side. I was feeling fierce, fiery, and sexy, a complete one eighty from when I first entered the studio earlier that morning.

"Bravo, girl!"

Startled slightly by the voice, I quickly shifted my attention to Brynn's reflection in the mirror and I noticed that she was not alone. Spinning around, I saw her standing next to Violet by the closed door of the studio, clapping enthusiastically and looking thoroughly as impressed as Violet did.

"You have a gift!" Brynn gushed, hurrying over to me with the gracefulness of a newborn deer.

"How long have you been standing there?" I asked, disregarding what I felt was undeserved praise. "I didn't hear you come in."

"We came in about a minute ago, but you were so focused on the dance, so I didn't want to interrupt." Brynn explained with a smile. Gesturing to her companion, she said, "You remember Violet right?"

"Of course," I replied, extending a hand to the female cyclops. "I'm Danica."

"I know, Brynn has told me all about you," said Violet, shaking my hand with a broad smile, "except she left out the fact that you're quite the talented dancer."

"In my defense, she never mentioned that she could dance," Brynn told her, holding up her hands as though she was caught with her claws in the cookie jar.

"There was never a need to bring it up," I pointed out kindly in defense of Brynn, "so what brings you both by?"

"Oh, we just finished a celebratory cardio session with our sisters when I noticed you on my way out," Violet explained.

"Our sisters?" I repeated before smiling brightly at Brynn. "That means you got initiated?"

"Yep, I'm officially a Slugma Slugma Kappa!" Brynn stated, swelling with immense pride.

I beamed at her. "Congratulations, Brynn!"

"Thanks," said Brynn with a fond gaze towards Violet. "I'm hoping to compete with them in the Scare Games next semester, but we'll see how it goes."

"If you do, I know which team I'll be rooting for," I told her in support of her goal.

"Good to know," said Violet, eyeing me with great interest. "Anyway, back to the topic about dancing. How long have you been doing it?"

"For twelve years," I admitted as humbly as I could. "It has always been my way of expressing myself whenever words failed me."

"I find it hard to believe that words could fail you given that you're good with languages and are going into teaching," said Violet with a laugh. "Which styles are you familiar with?"

"I do a little of everything," I answered. "Acro, ballet, contemporary, jazz, and lyrical, but ballroom is my speciality."

"Good because speciality and versatility is exactly what I'm looking for!" Violet chirped happily.

"Come again?" I said in confusion.

"Well, in addition to being a Slugma Slugma Kappa sister, I'm also the instructor for the hip hop classes at the MU fitness center," Violet explained, "and us staff have been flipping out because we're down a dance instructor."

"What do you mean?" I asked in confusion. "What happened?"

Violet sighed. "Supposedly, the monster that we had hired at the end of last year was performing at a recent charity event when her heel hit some spilled punch and she went sliding into the – "

"Oh!" I gasped, wincing at the gruesome image forming in my mind.

"Yeah, she says that the injury is pretty serious," Violet continued, "so she won't be teaching dance classes any time soon."

I paused before asking, "Which classes was she supposed to teach?"

"Latin Fusion," Violet answered, watching me carefully. "It involves taking a Latin dance style and fusing it with one or more non-Latin dance styles to create more dynamic choreography."

I felt my eyes widen upon realizing what Violet was implying. "I have a feeling I know where you're going with this."

Violet smiled gently at me. "Danica, there have already been monsters signing up for the Latin Fusion dance classes, so I've been doing my best to find a replacement instructor to avoid cancelling the classes, especially since those who signed up are pumped for them. After what I just saw you do, I think you're just the monster for the job."

"That's very nice of you to consider me, Violet," I told her, "but I don't think I'm qualified."

"Then Violet and I must be blind," said Brynn, "and trust me when I say that we're not."

"I don't know," I said uneasily. "I mean, I've been coached for the twelve years that I've been dancing. I've never actually done any actual coaching."

"So, this can be your chance to do so," Brynn pointed out encouragingly. "Think of it as honing your teaching skills for when you finally go into schools come practicum time."

"Well, when you put it that way, it would be foolish of me to not jump at the opportunity," I began, "but I wouldn't do it if it would take time away from my studies, especially this early on in my undergraduate career."

"I don't think you would have to worry about that," Violet assured me. "The Latin Fusion dance classes, like all dance classes, have been scheduled in the evenings to avoid conflicting with a majority of academic-related classes."

"I know your schedule well enough by now to know that your latest classes of the week finish in the afternoons," Brynn piped up. "You will have plenty of time to grab dinner and prepare for the lessons."

"Plus, the pay is way more than what monsters make flipping burgers over at McGrowl's," Violet chimed in.

"Like she needs the money anyway," said Brynn with a laugh, referring to the wealth that my family had accumulated from generations of hard work, some which funded my and Johnny's educations at Monsters University.

"It seems doable," I murmured before asking Violet, "but how many classes would I be teaching?"

"Three one-hour classes from seven to eight in the evening," Violet answered. "The beginner class is on Mondays, the intermediate one is on Wednesdays, and Fridays are for the advanced class. What you teach is up to you; you'll have creative freedom."

I nodded slowly, thinking about the opportunity that Violet presented to me. The idea of teaching the Latin Fusion dance classes certainly intrigued me; it would give me a chance to develop my pedagogy as a teacher, share my love of dance with other monsters, and get involved with the campus community. However, I knew that I would be making a huge commitment by agreeing to fill the vacancy and I did not want to bite off more than I could chew, especially so early on in my undergraduate career.

Violet must have sensed my uncertainty because she spoke up, "I know that it's a lot to think about in such a short period of time, but I think you would do a really great job with these classes."

"Thank you," I replied gratefully, "but it's definitely a lot to process."

"I agree," said Violet before pausing to reflect on a matter. "Tell you what, it's Latin Night tonight at the Chili Steppers Club in downtown Monstropolis. Why don't you go out, let loose, have some fun, and take some time to think over the offer?"

I shrugged, figuring it was the end of the school week and that immersing myself in a Latin-inspired environment would help me to arrive at a decision that would be best for me. "Eh, why not? I could use a night out."

"Wonderful," Violet remarked with an air of satisfaction. "When you reach a decision, let me know and we'll get the ball rolling immediately."

"Will do," I promised before asking, "Would you and Brynn like to join me tonight?"

Violet smiled at Brynn and responded, "Thanks, but we've got bowling and indoor mini golf plans with our sisters."

"More team bonding," Brynn explained, seeming excited for the night ahead.

"No worries, I understand," I assured them with a smile. "Don't worry, I think I know of a monster who would probably jump at the chance to go dancing tonight."

"Tell me again why we're going dancing tonight?" Terry asked his twin from the passenger seat of my Range Roarver.

"Because Danica invited us, I love to dance, and you need to get out more," Terri listed.

"I'm perfectly happy staying in and curling up in a chair with a good book," Terry insisted.

From behind the wheel, I quickly cast a glance towards the twins and noticed that while Terri appeared his usual cheerful self, Terry was the complete opposite.

"You always do that and I never complain about it," Terri reminded him. "It wouldn't kill you to go along with something that I want to do for a change."

"It just might," said Terry uneasily. "You know I can't dance."

"Oh, Terry, anyone can dance," I assured him confidently. "It'll be fun."

"If you say so," said Terry, his voice oozing doubt.

"Hey, at least we're getting away from campus for a while," Terri pointed out. "I love MU, but most of the students…not so much."

"Gee, thanks for the love," I remarked with a mix of sarcasm and humour.

Terri laughed. "You're not like most of the students, Danica. Otherwise, we wouldn't have accepted your invitation."

"Let alone trust you with our lives behind the wheel," Terry added in an attempt to humour us.

"Nice to know that I'm decent company," I quipped.

We laughed as we pulled up to a well-lit building where a powerful Latin beat was booming from within. To our good fortune, there was an available parking space along the curb that I was able to pull into. Once I shut off the engine, we stepped out to a cool breeze and the chatter from conversations between monsters who were either chilling leisurely outside the building or passing by on the sidewalk.

Terri, who immediately started bobbing his head to the beat, chirped, "I'm really digging this song!"

Terry rolled his eyes. "I don't think there's a song out there that you don't dig."

Tugging my leather jacket tighter around me, I said, "Come on, let's head inside."

Walking up the path and through the doors that were propped open with wooden wedges, we were greeted by a neon directional sign that informed us that the restaurant and bar was on the main floor while the actual club and dance floor was on the second floor. While it was definitely informational, we simply could find our way to the dance floor simply from following the sound of the rich and enticing Latin music that was playing.

Upon reaching the second floor, I beamed at the red, orange, and yellow strobe lights that bathed the vast room in a warm glow, adding a spicy Latin flair to the otherwise casual atmosphere. The deejay certainly knew what he was doing because I felt myself bounce with every step that I took to the beat that was playing. About three dozen monsters occupied the spacious dance floor; some were staring at their feet as they tried their best to perform the basic cha-cha steps while others were clearly advanced in their skills judging by the advanced technique that they displayed.

"Wow," said Terry with his mouth agape, "there are a lot of monsters here."

"Don't worry about them," I assured him gently. "Tonight is about us having fun."

"True, but we can't have fun on a full bladder," Terri pointed out, biting his bottom lip uncomfortably.

Rolling his eyes for the second time that night, Terry said to his brother, "I told you we should have went before leaving."

I laughed and said, "There should be a restroom here somewhere. I'll go grab a drink while you two take care of, you know, business."

"Sounds good," said Terry before he and his twin disappeared into the crowd of dancing monsters.

After brushing the red pieces of ruffled taffeta that made up the hem of my sparkly, gold, and fitted salsa dress, I wandered over to the bar area that was occupied only by the bartender on duty and a familiar insect-like monster in an equally familiar-looking cardigan who was hunched over on the mahogany counter and had just requested another Blort. Shaking my head at the sheer coincidence of us selecting the same Friday night entertainment, I plopped myself onto the stool next to his, crossed my ankles, and sat up gracefully.

The bartender on duty, an olive-green cyclops with spiked fur and a black bowtie, immediately darted over to me with a flirty smile. "What can I get you, gorgeous?"

"I'll have a Blort please," I requested with a kind smile, pretending not to notice Javier's presence even though I could feel his eyes on me.

"Coming right up," the bartender replied with a wink before whipping out a clean glass from a shelf behind him and scooping up ice cubes from a freezer bin nearby.

Javier took the moment to speak up while the bartender was busy at work. "Well, well, are you following me, chica?"

"Don't flatter yourself, Rios," I replied, turning to smirk at him. "I'm here with a couple of monsters and neither of them are you."

"A couple, huh?" said Javier, arching an eyebrow in interest. "You've replaced me already?"

"Not yet," I confessed, "but should I?"

Javier shook his head. "Have I not proven to be great company?"

I shrugged, watching the bartender fill my glass with a soda gun. "You're alright."

Javier chuckled. "You just can't admit that you enjoy being around me, can you?"

"Now where's the fun in that?" I asked teasingly.

Sliding the chilled glass of sugary goodness towards me, the bartender said, "Holler if you need anything else, sweetheart."

"Will do," I answered with a nod of appreciation. "Thank you."

Passing Javier his own refilled glass, the bartender said, "Great moves out there by the way."

"Gracias," Javier replied, shrugging off the compliment.

Once the bartender walked off to serve another patron who had approached the bar, I eyed Javier in a curious manner. "Moves?"

"I was on the floor earlier," Javier explained before taking a big gulp of his Blort.

"You?" I questioned in surprise. "Dance?"

"Oh, don't look so shocked, chica," said Javier as he lowered his glass. "My name alone should have told you that the Latin beat runs through my veins."

"Funny," I remarked, "I thought scaring runs through your veins."

"Coffee too," Javier added before taking another gulp.

"I see," I began, scanning our surroundings, "so are the other RΩRs here too?"

Javier shook his head. "Nope, just me."

"Shocking," I gasped with an air of sarcasm. "I thought you lot only know how to travel in a group."

Javier laughed and said, "No, these Latin Nights hosted by Chili Steppers are my thing, not a RΩR thing."

I took a sip of my Blort, eyeing him suspiciously. "Does Johnny know you're here?"

"Nope," Javier replied simply.

Tilting my head slightly, I asked, "Doesn't he find it odd that you're always gone on Friday nights?"

Javier shook his head. "He thinks I'm at the campus gym."

"Why would you hide your whereabouts?" I asked in confusion.

"Don't want Johnny to think I'm slacking off," Javier explained, glancing down at his glass. "I've already got school and RΩR stuff to focus on. I don't want him to think that this would be distracting me from all of that."

I nodded, sensing that there was more to Javier's explanation that he refused to share, but did not press him for further details, given that I personally disliked when someone pushed me to open up about a matter before I was ready to. .

"I like to come here once a week to get away from it all," Javier confided in me. "The RΩRs are cool and all, but they don't really care for Latin dancing."

I smiled gently. "If it makes you feel better, I won't tell Johnny about it."

Javier shot me an appreciative smile. "Gracias, chica."

"Don't mention it," I said with a dismissive wave of my hand.

"Aside from you, only one other monster at MU knows that I can dance," Javier revealed, "and that's Steslicki."

"Violet?" I asked. "Why does she know?"

"She works at the MU fitness center," Javier explained, "so she knows who signs up for all their dance classes. When I ran into her earlier, she was so excited to tell me that my Latin Fusion class might be kicking off next week after all."

I choked on the sip of my drink that I had just taken. "What?"

Javier nodded, eyeing me knowingly. "Sí, apparently, she found this really beautiful and talented dancer who would be perfect to teach the classes. She says that her dancing is flawless and, get this, is studying to be a teacher."

I nodded slowly. "She must be something special then."

"She is," said Javier, his opinion laced with sincerity.

I smirked. "I take it you know her then?"

"I might," Javier answered with a sly grin that quickly faded, "so I was surprised when Violet said that she needed to think about it first before saying yes."

"Is that so?" I asked, continuing the charade.

"Sí," Javier replied. "Steslicki says that she takes her grades pretty seriously and doesn't want them to suffer by adding more to her plate."

"A valid reason," I simply remarked before taking another sip of my drink as casually as I could.

"I agree," Javier admitted, "but if she's smart and hardworking enough to get into MU, then I'm sure she can handle adding dance classes to her schedule."

I shrugged, running a claw along the rim of my glass. "Maybe she doesn't think she's qualified enough for the position?"

"Well, Steslicki has seen her dance with her own eye and says that she is more than qualified," Javier explained, "and I believe her. If she is who I think she is, I hope that she decides to share her talent with her students."

Looking from my glass to Javier, I shot him another curious gaze. "Why?"

"Because if she does, she'll be changing lives for the better," Javier explained with a tender smile.

"She will?" I asked skeptically.

"Sí," Javier answered without a moment of hesitation before declaring, "She changed mine the moment I met her."

I couldn't help but smile at his genuine response. "Well, I guess we'll have to see what happens then, won't we?"

"I guess so," said Javier, placing his now empty glass onto the bar counter and grinning at me. "In the meantime, why don't I take you for a spin on the dance floor?"

Before I could respond, I spotted Terri and Terry return to the dance floor, scanning it for a sign of my presence. Smiling coyly at an expectant Javier, I said, "Sorry, Rios, but my dance card is full for the rest of the night."

Javier feigned a groan of disappointment. "Damn, you sure know how to crush a monster's hopes, chica."

"Supposedly, I'm good at doing that," I quipped, pulling a few bills out of the pocket of my dress to cover not only my tab, but Javier's. "Drinks are on me tonight."

"Gracias," said Javier, "but what's the occasion?"

"Just my way of thanking you for this unexpected, but enlightening conversation," I responded before placing my unfinished drink onto the counter and getting back to my feet. "I'll see you back on campus, Rios."

"Oh, trust me, you will," Javier replied with a wink.

I shook my head with a laugh and strutted my way back onto the dance floor, making sure to swing my hips a bit with every step that I took. Teasing Javier had become quite the amusing hobby for me, especially knowing how he really felt about me, and I fully planned on seeing how long I could keep this hobby going.

"Hey, there you are!" Terri chirped once I popped into his line of sight.

"I never left," I said with an amused grin.

"Did you manage to have a drink?" Terri asked.

"Yep," I answered before mumbling, "among other things…"

"What did you say?" Terry asked, stretching his neck out more in an attempt to hear a bit better.

"Oh, nothing," I assured him and, in an attempt to change the topic, asked, "now how about we get started on that lesson?"

"Sounds good!" Terri agreed enthusiastically.

Terry nodded apprehensively. "Yeah, but can we take it slow? Unlike Terri, I'm terrible at picking up choreography quickly."

"No problem," I assured him, noting the cha-cha beat of the song that was playing. Holding my hands out to the twins with my palms facing downward, I said, "Okay, Terry, take my right hand into yours and, Terri, you wrap your arm around me and rest your hand just underneath my left shoulder blade."

The twins nodded and did exactly what they were instructed to do.

"Good, this is what we called the closed position," I explained. "It's the foundation for the Basic in Place steps." I glanced down to study the arrangement of their seven tentacles before looking up at Terri. "Okay, Terri, since you control the right half of the body, you'll be responsible for the three tentacles to the right of the body."

"Got it," Terri replied promptly.

"And Terry," I continued, glancing at his twin, "you'll control the three tentacles to the left of the body since you control the left half."

"Okay," Terry answered with a nod, "but what about our tentacle behind us?"

"That will serve as an extra appendage to keep you balanced," I explained. "It's an advantage really."

"Nice!" Terri exclaimed in satisfaction.

"Now, with that in mind, let's start with the Basic in Place steps," I suggested with a smile.

As I began walking Terri and Terry through the first selection of dance steps, my eyes met Javier's momentarily. I noticed how he was leaning leisurely against one of his arms, supported by the bar counter, studying me intensely with a smile. A single thought came to my mind at that moment.

Latin Fusion dance classes were going to be quite interesting.