Chapter 13

A/N: Hiyo…this chapter might be a little…awkward. So…you have been warned. KYAH!!!! I'm trying to remember the steps from when we did dance in my class…which was a while ago…and our teacher was nice and only made us have partners once…no, wait, it was twice. I was stuck with a pushy dude at least a foot taller than me, I remember…it sucked…anyways…

Disclaimer: Still don't own any rights to Bakugan, sorry.

Runo now truly hated herself.

They stood on opposite sides of the room awkwardly, trying to put off the moment for as long as possible. One can't blame them; two enemies about to dance together is just slightly weird. Even if it was just to help one of them with her gym classes.

Masquerade shifted from foot to foot as Runo stared at the floor, muttering something about how she should have swept it. Hydranoid had refused to help him with this, still indignant and sure that it could only lead to terrible things. Eventually, he had to turn to the Internet to find the steps for whatever dances she might do; problem was, he had immediately forgotten them.

Looks like he'd have to wing it.

"Do you really believe that this was really such a good idea now, milady?" Tigrerra muttered from Runo's shoulder, unable to keep her smugness contained. "You really should have just stayed with math."

"Shut up," Runo growled out of the corner of her mouth, taking the Haos Bakugan off her shoulder and setting her down on the desk. "Really."

"Well?"

Runo jumped as Masquerade walked forward, arms crossed and glaring at her expectantly. "What?" she snapped, casting her eyes to the floor again.

"Don't give me that 'what'. This was all your idea, you were practically begging…actually, you were begging." He smirked.

Stupid smirker.

"Fine," she mumbled.

* * * * * * * * * * *

Alice was thankful that there were so little customers today, even if Runo's parents weren't. She wouldn't have been able to concentrate on her work, not knowing what she did now and with Runo alone in her room.

Perhaps not alone.

"Hey."

Startled, the red head looked up to see Dan seating himself at the bar, glum and subdued.

"Hello Dan," she said softly, furtively reaching into her pocket to touch the crinkled paper ball hidden in there. She hesitated, contemplating whether she should show it to the boy. So far, she hadn't breathed a word of it, afraid.

Who knew how he would react? Sure, he had been fine with Hal-G being her grandfather…but this was an entirely different case.

"Runo's in her room?" he asked as Drago hopped out of his pocket, popping open on the counter.

She nodded in answer, and he growled.

"Man, and Masquerade might be in there too…" He pounded the counter in frustation. "He could be right up there with Runo and we're just sitting here doing nothing!"

"Patience, Daniel," Drago advised. "We have to trust Runo and Tigrerra."

"Yeah, yeah."

All three of them flinched and jumped as a sudden bang sounded overhead, followed by a stifled yelp. Mr Masaki poked his head out of the kitchen.

"What is that girl doing…"

He was interrupted by Dan, who had grabbed Drago and was pushing past him and hurrying to the stairs, closely followed by Alice.

Mr Masaki frowned. "What's got those kids in a hurry?"

* * * * * * * * * * *

"You don't know how to dance, do you?"

Masquerade gritted his teeth, forcing them into a clumsy spin. "And what makes you think that I knew?"

"Because you're supposed to!"

"And what is that supposed to mean? You're the one who should have actually learned the steps in class…OW!"

Tigrerra fell to the floor as Runo shoved Masquerade into the desk and popped open. "Milady, I believe that this space is too small…"

"What was that for?"

"Being a creep!"

"What did I do?"

Tigrerra sighed as they began to bicker and ignore her, their patience being stretched to the breaking point. If only Runo had taken her advice…

"You know, it's the guy that's supposed to lead."

Runo scowled at him, hiding her embarrassment. His hand felt strange on her waist, her hand in his hand…it was all just too weird. "You are so lucky there isn't a bowling ball around."

"Ooh, I'm scared."

She took a deep breath, trying to ignore his taunts. Where the hell was a trophy case when you actually needed one? All of this, just for a grade…her best grade…

Runo forced herself to focus on that, and only that. The mark was that precious to her. "Whatever. Okay…the steps are…um…two long steps and two short steps?"

"…Sure?"

"Okay…which foot?"

"…"

Forgetting that she was trying to stay calm, Runo stomped his foot viciously. "You could be a bit more helpful than that!"

"Ow! Well, I don't know how to dance! Left, maybe?"

"Fine then." Runo took a step backwards, ignoring the warning cry from Tigrerra.

"Runo, no!" Quickly, the Haos Bakugan snapped shut into a protective ball, just as Runo's foot stepped down on her.

"Whoa!" Masquerade gripped her hand and waist tighter as she fell backward, trying to keep her up, but found himself being yanked down with her.

She cried in pain as her head bounced off the floor and was forced back down by, as Masquerade fell on top of her. That cry was quickly cut off.

God must really hate her. Or he was really bored. Perhaps he hated her, and in his boredom decided that it must be fun to torture her. Or maybe she was just really, really unlucky.

But whatever the reason for this happening, it didn't change the outcome. Because somehow, almost magnetically, as Masquerade fell on top her, his head somehow fell on hers. Or more specifically…his lips to hers. (A/N: Yeah, as if any of you didn't see that coming…)

And it couldn't even stop there. No, because whatever force that made these things happen just hated Runo. Because that was the moment that her bedroom door was flung open, to reveal a familiar messy-haired boy and a red head in the doorway, gawking at the uncomfortable scene before them.

Okay…Runo could officially add 'forcing Masquerade to help me dance' to her Stupidest And Worst Ideas Ever list.

A/N: HA!!! YOU BELIEVED ME INCAPABLE OF WRITING THAT, I KNOW YOU ALL DID!!!!!! HA!!!!! But not only did I write it, I also wrote in DAN BARGING IN!!!!! YES!!!! FEAR MY UNORIGINALNESS!!!!! *Laughs evilly…until she realizes that she actually wrote that* Wait…crap, I actually wrote that…I didn't even think I could…granted, it took me several minutes to actually sit myself down in my chair and write it…and then I kept jumping up to pace around and let out the giggles…

Remember back at my ever-so unoriginal condition where I said I was giggling? Yeah…it's like…ten times worse now…at least I actually got through with it! ^.^ That was honestly the most uncomfortable thing I ever wrote…kyah…crap, I'm an idiot.

You, I somehow feel as though I've been manipulated into writing that…you peoples totally put that idea in my head. It's all your fault.