Anna liked her new neighborhood and the people in it. She walked around all the time and watched as kids danced, double-dutched, and just messed around.
Most of the time, she was in her dance studio a few blocks away, practicing her heart out. She went to Juliard, the performing arts school in Queens. She got home later than everyone else in the neighborhood, and often saw Karin double-dutching with her friends, with Izzy supervising. Sometimes she joined them and sometimes she didn't.
But Anna was constantly dancing. Even watching as her neighbors double-dutched, she would dance around them, practicing. Karin thought it was awesome and cool. Izzy called her "Ballet Girl," and she called him the "Double-Dutch King."
He showed her all of his moves, and taught her how to speed jump.
Anna showed him all the things she had learned in the thirteen years that she had been training, and proved her outstanding endurance as well as stamina. They went for runs together, went to the gym together. He went to her school performances, and she went to his double-dutching competitions. They spent almost every free minute together, and soon it was rumored that they were dating.
Before Anna or Izzy knew it, four months had flown bye, and it was Christmas. Anna and Julia spent most of the day with family members, but they had Christmas dinner with Izzy's family.
Anna and Izzy were both stressing out because of what they got for each other on Christmas Day. Anna gave Izzy his present first, and when he opened it, he gasped in surprise. It was a DVD and book, detailing new tricks to learn in double-dutching.
"Thanks, Anna," he said, enveloping her in a hug. "This is awesome."
"Glad you think so," Anna million-watted back.
Then Izzy got Anna's present from his room.
She opened the present delicately and held back tears.
"Wow, Izzy, this is-- it's amazing. Thank you," she managed to choke out. It was another collage for her wall. Pictures of her, Izzy, Karin, Shauna, Mr. Daniels, her mom, and several other people littered the photographs. Pictures from her school productions, dressed in blonde wigs, brown haired wigs, black wigs, and her flaming hair, released and free, blowing in the wind were on it. And not to mention pictures of her cousins, grandparents, and dad.
She threw herself in his waiting arms, and smiled at him. "This means a lot to me," she told him.
Karin started giggling uncontrollably.
"What?" Izzy and Anna asked at the same time.
"Mistletoe," she giggled out.
Anna turned pink, and Izzy lowered his eyes.
"Come on, Izzy, it's tradition," Kenneth told his son.
Julia smiled at Anna, "Come on, sweetie."
Anna blushed as Izzy kissed her on the cheek.
"There, you happy?" she asked.
"No," Julia said. "On the lips, Izzy. That's what mistletoe represents. Lips."
"No, it doesn't." Anna shot back.
"Yes it does."
"Doesn't."
"Does."
"Doesn't."
"Does."
"Doesn't."
"Does."
"I'll just do it, okay?" Izzy said, trying to break up the brewing fight.
And he pressed his lips gently to Anna's own. Everyone's eyes widened in shock, and then Anna's eyes closed as she kissed back gently.
A few seconds later, they broke the kiss at the same time, and smiled at each other.
"Awwwww," Julia and Karin cooed, as Kenneth smiled at them.
"Shut up!" the two shouted as one.
A few minutes later, Izzy and Anna were excused, and they left the house, watching falling snow.
"So, what does this mean?" Anna asked.
"Like, where our relationship is? I dunno," Izzy replied.
Anna couldn't look up at him after he said 'relationship.'
Izzy was thinking about what he wanted, but he didn't want it to be weird. "Do you wanna go out on Saturday? Like to a movie or something?"
"Like a date?" Anna asked.
"Yeah," Izzy admitted.
"Sure," Anna said. "But I haven't really dated anyone before, so it's a little uncommon for me."
"Yeah, this would only be the second girl I've ever gone out with," Izzy told her.
"Yeah, well, Saturday sounds good. Do you wanna hang out on New Year's, too?" Anna asked.
"Of course. We're going to Shauna's New Year's Eve party, right?"
"I am, is it okay with your dad?" Anna said to him.
"Yeah, it's fine with my dad." Izzy assured her.
"So, I guess we better get back," Anna suggested.
"Yeah, I guess we better." Izzy said.
They were making the five minute walk back when in front of their block, Izzy suddenly grasped Anna gently by the shoulders and kissed her. Anna responded, and the two stayed out, not caring that people were muttering about that jump rope boy and dancer of different races kissing. It didn't matter. It was new love.
End of Chapter 3