𝐑𝐞𝐝 𝐑𝐢𝐝𝐠𝐞

L U C Y

"I'm like...the seventh wheel now when we all go out," I complain and Aaron rolls his eyes.

He whispers back, "Okay but first of all, I'll be on the stage. Second of all, nobody will be talking much anyway."

"But what about after? It's such a date thing."

"It's really not. And none of us are dating."

"You're all dating."

"Maybe Reed and Farris are now, but Charlie's not really...what?" He trails off when I give him a look that says otherwise.

"I'm just saying, your sister isn't going to tell you everything about her love life. Get used to it."

"Oh. Right. Well still. Stop complaining or find a date. You're coming."

"Of course, I'm coming, I wouldn't miss it for the world. I just want to complain a little and have you feel as sorry for me as I feel for myself."

"You don't truly feel sorry for yourself, you're far too busy for that." He says quietly, turning back to face the front, taking colorful notes as the professor speaks. "I would offer up Kieran's services, but he'll be dancing behind me in the show."

"I'm not interested in him anyway," I wave him off, successfully evading his prying.

Getting ready for Aaron's recital together was bad planning on my part, as I got a front-row seat to witness both of my friends and teammates get picked up by their guys. Farris and Xander arrived together, both looking put together in suits. Xander went for a classic black suit, whereas Farris somehow pulls off a dark blue suit with a white shirt and a red tie, matching Reed's red dress that looks killer on her. Charlie went with a classic-looking, white cocktail dress. Her beautiful blonde curls are styled like she belongs on a Hollywood red carpet and Xander looks taken aback by her glamor.

"Yes, yes. I clean up nice. Thank you, let's go," She says jokingly, looping her arm through mine without a second thought and leaving everyone else trailing after her. Maddie is waiting to pick us up in a massive SUV, sleek black with tinted windows, and once Xander opens the door for Charlie, I can see that it seats seven. Xander takes the passenger seat, Reed climbs into the far back, and Farris, Charlie, and I sit in the middle.

The way that each couple is mixed up makes me think that they're doing this on purpose for my sake, but whether they are consciously doing it or not, I can't complain because conversation flows and it's too easy to forget that each of them is paired up.

Maddie confidently pulls up to the front of the building, where she passes her keys to a nervous-looking girl who I notice is a fellow freshman. There isn't a valet at a University venue like this, but it seems like Maddie gets what she wants. I finally notice her black dress, a short, figure-hugging piece of fabric that looks designer, something only Maddie can pull off at a fancy event like this without drawing negative attention.

My eyes widen as I notice her shoes, a pair of heels that put her above me in height, with silver spikes covering the entire outside of the shoe, looking dangerous and sexy all at once. Meanwhile, I feel more out of place the longer I stare, my tailored pants comfortable and plain, flattering, but not girly like the rest of them. I'm not anything to look at when I stand next to these girls.

"God, just look at her hair. You're so pretty and you didn't even do anything different," Charlie says as if she'd read my mind and knew I needed a compliment right about now. My cheeks heat but I'm thankful for my dark skin and the night that it doesn't show.

"Shall we?" Farris asks Reed, letting his hand slip from around her shoulders to the small of her back, leaving it to rest comfortably there. He leads her ahead of the group, leaning in to say something that has her pulling her head back to laugh. I see Charlie reach for my elbow from the corner of my eye and step just out of her grasp, following the first couple, not wanting her attention when it means taking time away from the two of them.

The theatre we step into is magnificent by University standards, old but well-preserved. The acoustics are incredible, as can be heard as the crowds amass. Despite my sour mood, I feel myself looking forward to immersing myself in the show and story, practically counting down the seconds until I can experience this production.

I see Aaron's face peek from behind the curtain briefly, waving to him to get his attention but I see even from this distance, that his eyes are only on Maddie. She feigns ignorance, but I can see the slightest quirk of her lips, telling me that she's amused by him at least, though the two seem to be growing closer as the days go on.

In the past few weeks, I've heard her motorcycle pull up to the dorms, only to look out the window to see the two exchanging greetings as he pulls off his helmet and hops off of her bike, looking quite reluctant to pull his hands from her hips.

Aaron is gone from his spot when I look back, I assume that he must have been called for last-minute makeup or to warm up before the show starts. I look behind me, scanning the audience to see the seats quickly filling up, leading me to believe that there isn't quite enough time to grab a quick snack before the show starts.

Beside me is Reed, and going down the row is Farris, Xander, Charlotte, and finally Maddison. It's a loner sandwich except that Maddison's partner will perform tonight, whereas mine doesn't exist in anyone who wants me back.

Graceful. Beautiful. Exciting.

These are only a few words I can think of to describe the initial half of the performance, feeling chills and not because of the temperature in the room. Aaron is the principal ballerino, and his movements are liquid, strong, and passionate. He belongs up there, and yet there seems to be something about the pain in his face that doesn't quite seem like acting. As if something in him hurts excruciatingly, and the plot has nothing to do with it.

Throughout, I find myself watching the couples, my eyes lingering on their hands, the trails between their eyes as they steal glances, Charlie's golden hair and the way she twirls it around her finger, but mostly on Maddie who watches Aaron as if she feels his pain.

Her beautifully intense face is distorted by empathy, feeling what he feels as he moves around the stage and becomes a part of the story. Every time the pace picks up, I swear I can hear her holding her breath from five seats away. Each time it was time for Aaron to step behind the curtain, he would look in her direction and smile sweetly as if he was embarrassed by his affection for her even when she was the only one who could see him. Other than me of course.

So that's what I do. I watch. I notice every little thing about the performance of each dancer, and I notice the little things that my seatmates do that are out of the ordinary. When I first showed up at Red Ridge, none of these people were paired up, and now, they secretly hold hands, whisper into each other's ears, giggle, and blush.

I also notice, the longer I watch him, that something is genuinely wrong with Aaron, though I can't figure out what exactly. The longer he spends on stage, the more I can see his features contorted in pain, but in a way that can be played off as acting, or intense focus even. My best guess is that he's injured, and yet the person I could ask for information happens to be on the opposite side of the group as me.

During intermission, each couple rises to stand and leaves their seats with me, but Maddie stays in her place, eyes fixated on the stage exit that Aaron had last disappeared to. She's concerned, and not hiding her emotions behind her fixed mask, likely believing she's concealed by the shadows but here I lurk.

"Is he okay?" I ask softly, trying not to spook her if she'd forgotten I was here. Maddie and I haven't grown close the way that I have with the others, and yet, sometimes I find her the easiest to talk to because she doesn't mince words, doesn't sugarcoat things, and what she says is what she thinks.

Except for now.

"Yeah. Why?" She asks, her expression turning into one that outwardly displays calm.

"Nevermind," I say, and the fact that she doesn't have the will to try to stop my train of thought from going down this track leads me to believe that she doesn't have the energy to fight me. We both know something, but Aaron is more stubborn than anyone could imagine, and Maddison would know this better than almost anyone.

It's not my business. I'm simply here to observe.