Lead & Follow

Entrechat

Part 1: Lead

Thirteenth Movement, Entrechat

Entrechat:

en·tre·chat

/ˌäntrəˈSHä/

"Interweaving" or "braiding." Indicates a jump where the feet cross in front and behind each other in quick succession.

(From masterclass[dot]com)

🤍🖤

Your fingers weave absent-mindedly through chestnut locks, and a half-empty bowl of cheesy popcorn balances precariously in your lap.

" C'mon, Matty !" Jennifer Garner's character coaxes from the flat screen television in the Eckert family living room.

As the characters on screen fumble their way around the iconic dance routine from the Thriller MV, a wistful sigh escapes you.

"I love this movie," you murmur as you reach the ends of Miranda's wavy strands. You twist a black ponytail holder around the braid with practiced elegance, and tap her shoulders to convey wordlessly that your task is done.

Miranda's situated between your legs on the floor as you "man spread" across their family's couch with all the confidence of a white man on the Subway, and she reaches a hand behind her head to get a feel of your finished styling.

"You really think it looks good like this?" she asks you hesitantly, and between crunches of popcorn, as she tilts her head to catch your eye.

"Duh," you retort with a playful roll of your eyes. "You should drop a selfie in the group chat."

Her cheeks darken and she breaks eye contact; you know exactly why the prospect makes her nervous, and who she might be thinking of.

"I bet Terri would like it too," you tease, a bit of payback for her Baxter-heckling in the past.

"[ Nickname] !" she groans, and things quickly dissolve into chaos–popcorn flying, devious giggles, and the kitschy 80's soundtrack of the rom-com you'd pulled up on the television set.

"Whoa," Jude gasps as he stumbled across the silly scene. He's got a freshly poured glass of orange juice in his hands, and he's aiming to cross through the room to get to the safety of his childhood bedroom down the hall. "I think I almost prefer the shenanigans you get up to with Terri."

He eyes the wayward corn kernels, obviously bemused, and leans against the doorway that divides the living room from the kitchen.

" Hey , Jude," you sing as if you aren't well aware of how tired he's grown of the whole schtick. "Sorry about the mess."

"Eh," he shrugs with a boyish grin. "As long as you two goofballs clean it up before mom gets home."

" Obviously we will," Miranda adds as she gives her older brother a withering glance. "Is that the last glass of orange juice?"

"Was that the last bag of microwave popcorn?" Jude counters, and the expression he wears is devious.

You laugh at their typical sibling dynamic because it reminds you a lot of Elizabeth and her bratty moods. With the way you've been frequenting the Eckert home since you were thirteen years old, Jude practically feels like he's your sibling too.

"How've you been?" you pipe up after a few moments of playing spectator to their childish banter. "College good? Scott still keeping you in line?"