Humiliated

Chapter 1

"Step closer to each other, that's it."

Mr. Brahms's voice boomed around us but it sounded very subdued to me as I noticed Thomas stepping closer to me. Very, very close. "Do you think this is close enough for Mr. Brahms?" He asked, his breath fanning across my face. That just proved how close he was standing in front of me.

I swallowed, but of course I didn't show how uncomfortable I felt at his invasion of my personal space. "I supposed," I responded, turning my head away.

"All right, now girls, I want you to place your left hand on your partner's shoulder, like this..."

I bit my lip, and was terribly self-conscious of what I was doing. My hand was trembling and I hated myself for it.

"Come now, Evelyn," Thomas drawled. "The instruction was rather simple."

I placed my hand on his shoulder so fast; the action produced a clapping sound.

"Manhandling me again?" He asked, chuckling. I could feel how his chest reverberated as he laughed.

"Now extend your right arm with your hand intertwined with your partner's... Oh, don't be so stiff Miss Duggan! Relax, feel the music..."

I couldn't help it; a smile erupted from my lips and I saw Thomas's mouth widen as well. "I could just imagine Duggan having the grandest time of her life," he said.

That comment elicited a chuckle from me. "I could imagine Harrington's as well." I breathed. "It's not like this is a hard dance," I whispered.

He looked vaguely amused. "Do you know this dance?"

I concentrated on his eyes, and noticed that in their gray depths there were some scattered black lines and blue specks. Odd."Yes," I answered, distracted. "But-"

Thomas grinned. "Good. Let's show these idiots how this is done."

I was about to say that it had been years since I saw this dance performed in front of me, but before I could speak he had stepped away from me, and not letting go of my right hand he twirled me once, twice, thrice. Feeling the music pumping within me, I allowed myself to follow his movements, and in the process remembered how the dance went.

Thomas grabbed me around the waist and pulled me to him, and I arched my back backwards as he lowered me in a dip. The dance we were doing was quite bold, and as far as I knew only adults performed it, so it came as a surprise that he knew how to do it. As I straightened, he pushed me away, and ran his hand from the side of me face down to my hips. The touch jolted me from dancing, as I knew that wasn't a part of the routine, and I stopped in the midst of the song. However, me ceasing didn't hinder him from continuing. He snaked his hand around me, stepped closer, and breathed on my ear. "I thought you know how this dance goes?" he asked.

"I do," I asserted, shivering as I felt his warm breath upon the sensitive skin in my ear. "But-"

"Then dance with me. Or are you afraid?"

The insulting tone, the insinuating words, did it. I turned sharply, until my back was facing his front, with no space at all between our bodies. I spoke, with my mouth very close to his neck, "I am not afraid."

He quirked his brow. "Interesting," he breathed.

I smiled. "I'm just getting started."

True to my word, I was the one who stepped closer to him this time. I placed a hand on the back of his head, and the other on his waist, and drew my face to his neck, breathing on his skin. He answered by moving his hands to my hips, and we swung from left to right. Thomas turned me around, grabbed my hand, and twirled me once, twice, thrice. He then dipped me very low, and pulled me to him. His face inched closer and closer to mine, and I concentrated on his eyes; and then, I noticed that his gaze was drawn lower to my mouth...

"Ahem! AHEM!"

I blinked, remembered where we were, and jumped away from Thomas as though he was death himself.

"Well," Mr. Brahms muttered, as the music died down. The obviously shocked teacher was perspiring and shuffling his feet. "That was...um..."

I swallowed, and the sound was amplified as no one inside the room was speaking... or moving... at all. The rest of our senior year classmates were just gawking at us, their mouths opening wide and dripping with saliva. I dared to sneak a glance at Daniel and Alyssa. Alyssa looked about ready to throw up, as she was very green on the face. Daniel's, though, was very red.

"That was... an interesting demonstration," Mr. Brahms said, finally ending his hanging sentence. "Yes, yes, very... interesting."

"You mean we have to do that?" Tina demanded in a very shrill voice.

"Oh, we should." Harrington said in a low voice.

Murmurs began to spread around the room, the first sign of life from the other students. Some agreed, some didn't, and some simply made noise.

"No, of course not, absolutely not!" Mr. Brahms said in an attempt to calm everyone down. "Our graduation dance is relatively simpler than... that..."

I felt as though I wanted to scream, throw up, and die, or possibly do all three at the same time. I spun my heels and left the Auditorium, pushing a number of students out of my way in the process.

I stopped running as I reached the door of the library. I placed a hand on the wall, panting, catching my breath. I heard footsteps behind me, and I turned, then wished I didn't.

Thomas was there, and he was smiling deviously. "I told you, didn't I?" he said.

His words returned to me, and I blinked, not believing how gullible I was. He knew my weakness, and exploited it. Now, here I was, humiliated, just like he promised I would be. "Very devious and cunning of you," I spoke, not letting him know how much shaken up and frazzled I was because of the whole dancing event. "I have to hand it to you, Orhanen."

He bowed dramatically. "Coming from your mouth, I shall cherish these words forever."

I, Elena Astoria Evelyn, held up a hand. "I wasn't finished yet," I said. "You humiliated me. I admit, you played me very well. However, don't expect this to be the end."

"I know it isn't," he said, cocking his head.

I arched my brow at him. "Good."

I was about to send him away when he spoke again.

"You dance... very well, I must admit."

I looked at him, surprised once again at the compliment. Not finding any hint of sarcasm or malice on his face, I smirked. "Only when I have an equally good partner."

Tom's smile widened. "Should I be looking forward... or looking out... for your retribution?"

I grinned. "Bet your devious and cunning arse on it."