"You're basically delusional," Derek shot back, but he was laughing.
"Prove it then. Dance battle. Right now."
"Oh, this is happening," Max appeared with his phone out, ready to record. "Winner gets... I don't know, bragging rights?"
"Winner gets to pick the next team bonding activity," Maddox decided.
"Deal." Derek spotted me in the crowd, and his expression shifted. "But I'm bringing in a ringer. Thorn, get over here."
"Oh no." I shook my head. "I don't dance at parties."
"Come on, Thorn. Show them what you've got."
The crowd started chanting: "Rosie! Rosie! Rosie!"
I looked at Derek, at his encouraging smile, at the way he believed I could do this. And suddenly, I wanted to. Not because I had to prove anything, but because it looked fun.
"Fine." I stepped into the makeshift dance circle. "But if we're doing this, we're doing it right. Someone change the music to something with actual rhythm."
Max scrolled through his playlist. "How about this?"
An upbeat electronic song came on, and I felt my body respond instinctively. This was different from ballet. It was looser, freer, more spontaneous.
"Watch and learn," I said to Maddox, and let the music move me.
The crowd went wild as I executed a series of moves that combined ballet technique with club dancing. I wasn't performing, wasn't trying to be perfect. I was just moving, just feeling the music, just having fun.
Derek joined me, and we moved together naturally, as we did in the studio, but with more playfulness. He spun me out and back in, dipped me dramatically, and the crowd lost their minds.
"Okay, okay, you win!" Maddox called out, laughing. "I concede. Soccer players are not dancers."
"Speak for yourself," Derek shot back. "I'm clearly an exception."
"You're clearly dating a dancer," Aaron corrected, appearing beside us. "That doesn't count."
But he was smiling. Really smiling. And when he looked at Derek and me together, there was no anger or resentment. Just acceptance.
"Having fun?" Aaron asked me.
"Actually, yeah. I am."
"Good. You deserve it." He squeezed my shoulder. "Both of you do."
The night continued in a blur of celebration. At some point, someone started karaoke, and I found myself singing a duet with Derek to some cheesy love song that had everyone swaying and singing along.
"You're full of surprises," Derek murmured as we finished, his forehead resting against mine.
"So are you." I kissed him softly, not caring that everyone was watching. "Thank you for tonight. For making me feel like I belong."
"You do belong. You always did." He tucked a strand of hair behind my ear. "You just needed to believe it."
Later, when the party had mellowed, and people werescattered in smaller groups talking and laughing, I found myself on the back patio with the girls.
"Can I say something sappy?" Ivy asked, slightly tipsy. "I love our little group. Like, I really love you guys."
"Oh god, drunk Ivy is emotional Ivy," Nova laughed.
"I'm serious! Both Rosie and Daisy have grown so much this year, it just makes me emotional to watch you girl shine again.”
