Lead & Follow

Élancé

Part 1: Lead

Twenty-First Movement, Élancé

Élancé

[ ey-lahn-sey; French ey-lahn-sey ]SHOW IPA

noun, plural é·lan·cés  [ey-lahn-seyz; French ey-lahn-sey]. Ballet.

a quick darting movement.

🖤🤍

You dart across the dance floor looking the absolute picture of elegance in your oversized, novelty sunglasses and shimmery black feather boa. The music is pumping from somebody's laptop, and your best gal pals flank your sides. All three of you are cutting a rug, though none of you are very good. Still, you are happy to be here amongst your people–at least one last time.

"You guys are amazing! " Miranda cheers as she pulls you and Terri into a bone-crushing group hug. "I don't know how you managed to pull all this off without me knowing!"

You and Terri exchange a pointed glance, though the effect is muted by your goofy accessories. " Baxter ."

"Oh, really?" Miranda queried with a baffled expression. She gives the event space a visual sweep. "Is-Is he here? I thought the surprise party was your idea?"

"It totally was!" Terri begins with a proud grin. "But we probably wouldn't have gotten very far in our preparations without the B Man."

"He left," you replied, and your expression flattens a bit. "He didn't want to intrude, so after he set up the chocolate fountain he snuck out."

"Oh!" Miranda looked apologetic at the news. "I know I don't do well with new people, but he's my best friend's boyfriend –basically a guaranteed plus one, right?" 

"You'd think," you shrug, and your hands fiddle idly with the boa around your neck. "I feel like he's selfless to a fault, sometimes."

"[Name]--" Miranda murmurs with a sympathetic gaze.

You shake your head, and fix a cheerful smile upon your face. You pull the both of them into another silly dance. "Nevermind that, though! It's your birthday , and we should celebrate!"

"You're right!" Terri agrees, busting a move. "We can't let everybody's hard work go to waste!"

Miranda's birthday goes off without a hitch, even if the initial preparations had several. You'd basically stayed up all night stress-baking with Baxter, slept poorly, and then scrambled to get everything perfect before Miranda and her family arrived at the venue.

It was down to the wire when you'd realized that the chocolate fountain you'd acquired for the event required both dippable foods and melted chocolate to dip it in, but your boyfriend had come in clutch.

He'd wandered off in pursuit of a thermos and a means to melt the chocolate Terri's brought, and you'd ransacked your parents' kitchen for suitable dippers–granola bars and what little fruit you could scrounge from the crisper drawer.