Chapter Text
“Not right now… Sorry Qiyara,” Cove murmured, awkwardly fidgeting with his sleeve. “I don’t know how to dance.”
“That’s okay!” Qiyara chirped, “It’s not for everyone, I understand. How about I find someone else to dance with, and you can grab some more snacks? I can practically hear the table calling your name!” She giggled, grinning brightly. “Okay. See you in a bit, then.” Her green-haired companion nodded, giving her an apologetic smile as he wandered off to do just that.
Qiyara waved cheerily before giving a soft sigh. While she was disappointed she wouldn’t get to share a dance with her best friend, she understood why. He’d never been comfortable at big social gatherings, especially highly formal ones like tonight’s soiree. The fact that he accepted her invitation in the first place was pretty significant, and she wasn’t about to make him feel guilty for not straying any further from his comfort zone. Maybe she could try again sometime in the future.
Not giving the matter another thought, she quickly made her way to the edge of the dance floor, a perky spring in her step. Her options for a dance partner were limited, as most of the other guests were either already partnered up or significantly older than her. Trying to get a better vantage, she stood on her tip-toes and pranced around like a ballerina, or at least her idea of one. She even attempted a pirouette, giggling as her sparkly bubblegum pink skirt twirled along with her. Having no luck, Qiyara soon stopped to readjust one of her hair clips that had gotten knocked out of place. Suddenly, she felt a tap on her shoulder and quickly spun around to see who it was.
Standing before her was a tall teenage boy, or at least, he seemed tall compared to her height of 4 ‘8. He was dressed in a classy greyscale suit, complimenting his wavy strands of jet-black hair. He greeted her with a polite, carefree smile as he asked, “Are you planning on dancing?” “Oh, actually, I was on my way to a bank robbery, buuuuuut we got the wrong address. I suppose a dance would be just as good!” She quipped. The boy met her childish grin with a blase smirk and responded, “We should dance, then. The next song is about to start.” Not missing a beat, he smoothly extended his arm and held out his hand for her to take.
Qiyara couldn’t help but giggle at how bold he was and placed her hand in his with equal confidence. He simply gave her a wisp of a smile as he led them to the dance floor. “He must do this all the time. This kid’s not even nervous or shy! Or at least, he’s better at hiding it than most of the boys in dance class. And he’s super talented, too!” Qiyara silently mused to herself as the music started. They presently began to glide across the floor. The boy’s lidded, deep brown eyes seemed to light up as he saw how well Qiyara kept up with his moves. Her smile beamed, proud of how well her lessons had paid off.
Neither she nor he spoke as they waltzed about, only soft music and their light footsteps filling the silence. Qiyara took this time to observe her partner’s appearance, noticing how it contrasted with hers in numerous ways. Her complexion was a warm, chestnut brown with golden undertones, well accustomed to the sunshine of SoCal. This boy’s skin was fair and white, softly tinged with a light pink hue, and seemingly untouched by the bright summer sun. The only noticeable mark was a small black mole resting on the left side of his neck. “He’s definitely not from around here…” Qiyara mused.
All too soon, the music ended, as well as their dance along with it. The mysterious boy stepped back and said, “Thank you for dancing with me. You have nice legs.” Before Qiyara could respond, he simply flashed her a final bright (if somewhat smug) grin and promptly breezed away. She could only stand there with her mouth agape and cheeks flushed as she watched him disappear into the crowd.
After a moment, She couldn’t help but clutch her hands to her face as she let out a happy squeal, bouncing in place once again. “That boy said I had nice legs! Nobody has ever said that before, oh my goddddd!!!!!!” Her thoughts raced, thoroughly smitten by this charming stranger whose name she didn’t even know. Immediately deciding she had to tell her BFF right this minute, Qiyara swiftly made her way to the snack table, face still flushed and smiling as brightly as ever.