“It was probably for the best.”
We arrive at the dance floor and manage to find a space where we can all be together in one small circle. On either side of me are Zoey and Em. Rachel and Will are next to Zo, and Cameron is between Em and Luna. The DJ’s playing EDM,which I despise. It’s aggressive, too loud, and there are no lyrics. Everyone’s jumping and bumping into each other. Basically, injuries waiting to happen. To hell with this.
I pull my phone out and send a quick text. My roommate looks over my shoulder while I show her who I’m messaging. She smiles and nods. I look over at Nick, who’s the DJ tonight. He’s friends with Levi and has been wanting to hook up with me for a while. I haven’t given him any false hope, but I did manage to get his number from Levi to request music from time to time. Now being one of those times. He should be receiving my text on his computer screen in about five seconds. I take a long sip of my drink and stare at Nick until he finally looks up into the crowd. Waving my hand, he finds me, smiles and shakes his head no. I pout and mouth the wordpleasewhile placing both my palms together in a begging motion. His focus is now back on his screen, and I feel my phone vibrate.
Nick: Fine.
Me: Thank you. You’re the best DJ in the world!
Nick: You bet your ass I am. Tell Levi I said hey.
Me: Will do :)
Em is still glancing over my shoulder. She rolls her eyes and smiles.
“Of course, he said yes. He still wants to get into your pants.”
Nick’s voice comes through the speakers. “Alright, we’re going to head down south for a bit.”
Hell yeah, we are.
Stuffing my phone back into my purse, I look up to see Cameron eyeing me with his head slightly tilted. The song “Soltera (Remix)” by Lunay, Daddy Yankee & Bad Bunny comes on. As I start to dance, I realize Cameron is still staring, waiting for some sort of explanation about the sudden music change and how I got involved.
“I may or may not know the DJ.”
Amusement laces his eyes. “Of course you do.”
Luna grabs my hand and drags me to the middle of the circle,rolling her hips to the beat before I follow suit while yelling the lyrics. I forget about everything and everyone around me, focusing on the music. Then I remember my plan. Grabbing Zoey’s hand, I pull her in between Luna and me.
“Is this okay?” I ask her, wanting to make sure she’s not uncomfortable.
“Yeah, I love this. I needed to let loose.” Zo looks relaxed, and after a couple of seconds, she matches our rhythm.
I can’t help but glance over at Cameron, who is watching Zoey and I next to Em, who has started dancing with a random guy. Well, dancing is a loose term. The guy is stiffer than she is. Ignoring Cameron’s stare, I focus on Zo and take one of my hands off her hip to bring in the next girl.
Rachel is still dancing on her own next to Will, who is indeed looking at Zoey.
“He’s watching you,” I whisper into Zo’s ear.
She blushes. “Who?”
“You know exactly who. Your secret’s safe with me, just don’t look at him yet. Grab Luna’s hips like I was yours, she won’t mind.”
“Okay,” Zoey says nervously, but relaxes once Luna puts Zo’s hands on her hips herself.
I let go of her and grab Rachel’s hand, twirling her into the group and setting her behind Luna before she can object. None of them pay much attention to where they are. They’re more focused on letting loose than anything else, thanks to the drinks I convinced them to down quickly.
For my next move, I have to wait for the following song, hoping it’ll be a slow one. Shutting my eyes for the next minute and a half, I allow myself to feel the vibrations of the music. My body matches the beat of others, grinding my hips into Zoey’s and being in my own little world for a minuscule moment. I truly love dancing in any form. Whether it be at clubs, in class, or while doing chores. It makes me focus on something other than the problems going on around me. Like now.
Before I know it, the song comes to an end. Nick’s in the middle of a transition when I twist Zoey around until she’s facing me. I give Luna a signal for her to do the same with Rachel. She gets the message, probably thinking it’s just a simple change in moves for the next song.
Tipping my head over my shoulder, I see Cameron talking to Will while they both stare at all of us. “Downtown” by Anitta & J Balvin blasts through the speakers. Might be a little older, nonetheless, it’s the perfect song. Nick just did me a solid without realizing it. It’s slow enough for people who don’t know how to dance, just in case Will doesn’t, and sexy enough for this moment. The only problem is that it’s short.
“Are you still okay?” I ask her, searching for any discomfort in her eyes.
“Yes, this is the most fun I’ve had with girls in a while,” she giggles.
“Good, I’m glad.”
