BUBBLE POPPER

OH, FOR THE LOVE OF-

The rest of the day drags on. News of Zaccai's transfer has spread like wildfire. I've been hearing his name almost everywhere I go. Some of the girls have already started a rumor that he and Jeanna are a couple. I mean, it's been one day, I know they are bound to be a couple eventually but isn't it too early to toss the boy into that dark inescapable bottomless hole? Anyway... it isn't my problem, poor guy's just gonna have to survive on his own.

When the bell finally rings for lunch I head to the dance studio, where I plan to eat my lunch and spend the rest of my day like I usually do on Wednesday afternoons; it's my actual free period for today . We don't have a dance club meeting today so I should be alone till the school day ends. Once I'm inside, I sit in the nearest corner and open my bag to take out my lunch and water bottle, but an unfortunate sight greets me when I notice there is no lunch box or water bottle in my bag. I must've left it on the kitchen island when I stormed out of the house this morning. Oh well, I'm not hungry anyway. I pair the Bluetooth headphones in my bag with my phone and play the song we are choreographing a dance for. I've already mastered all the moves but I still feel like something is missing, it's not quite there yet. I walk to the center of the room, where my headphones and start the choreo.

As I dance in front of the wall of mirrors, I feel the song absorb me into its universe. My body moves solely by muscle memory as my mind floats away into the clouds. This is why I've always loved dancing, and why I've always been good at it. It opens the gate to a world where I feel, I'd like to say free but that sounds so cliché {and not entirely accurate} so I'm going to say loose. It's the best term I can use. It's like, all this energy builds up inside me the longer i don't dance then it's all released when i do. Once the song ends, I'm pulled back to reality. I slide my headphones off my ears and hang them on my neck as I observe the version of me standing inside the mirror.

The sound of rhythmic clapping catches my attention and I turn toward the direction its coming from.

"Wow.... that was incredible!"

Dalton compliments as he leans on the door and applauds.

"Yeah, well, I'm a good dancer."

I deadpan and I walk over to my bag.

"Geez, normal people say thank you when you give them a compliment you know."

"And normal people stop talking to me when I show that I'm clearly not interested, yet, here we are..."

"I was looking for a place to escape from Jeanna and her followers. I decided to come to the studio because it's the only place I remember you showing me and ended up seeing your beautiful performance..."

"Oh."

I sit down at the corner where I was and lean my head back on the wall, attempting to gain a superpower that will either, get him to stop talking to me, teleport him somewhere else or teleport me home.

"Why weren't you in the cafeteria or lunch yard?"

His voice unfortunately sounds again.

"So you were looking for me, even though I've been completely blunt about how much I don't want to talk to you? Got a thing for toxic people or something? Masochist much."

"I wouldn't say that but, I have to admit, your personality has piqued my interest, Sarah Gordon."

"Oh... please, do tell me more. I'm so interested."

"Well, you see, I've been homeschooled my entire life..."

He starts. I heave in frustration either because of his inability to pick up on my sarcasm or because he still continues to speak despite it.