Unlovable

11. The Performance

I hurry down the sidewalk, a blue and white bouquet of geraniums in my right hand. I would be wearing Ezra's jacket, but since it's technically her dance jacket, I let her wear it to her performance. I glance at the rose-gold watch on my arm, and nearly trip down the subway stairs. I have about twenty minutes to make it to the eight-thirty show. 

I find an empty spot next to a teen boy. I watch as we speed quickly to Remson Ave. in about four minutes. I quickly jump from my seat a begin to head out when the girl sitting next to the boy runs after me.

"Miss! Hey, wait!" I pause and she holds out my phone in its clear case. I gasp and snatch it from her grasp.

"Thank you so much!" She smiles, and I head for the stairway leading to the street. I glance down the street, and turn left. Hurry, hurry. Ohmygod, I knew I should've left earlier. Shit, shit, shit. Eight-seventeen. 

Finally! I sigh as I see the grand building come up. I open the huge doors and scurry to the desk. I dig out the ticket Ezra gave to me and the woman quickly approves it. "Enjoy the show." I grin.

"Mhm." I go into the huge auditorium and glance at my wrist. Eight-twenty three. I find a spot in the second row. Hell yeah. For being so late, it's a good spot. I lay the flowers in my lap and relax. Thank god I'm not late. I would've felt horrible and Ezra would've been crushed. Her mom couldn't make it, and neither could her sisters. If I wasn't here, she'd have no one. 

The lights dim, and I prepare my self. I focus on the stage and wait. A small girl with long black hair comes on to the stage and stands in the center. She looks up and stares straight ahead. She freezes with her arms crossed, and her legs shoulder width apart. I gaze at her face. Heavy eye makeup, and colorful highlighter on her cheekbones, to match the light blue of her shorts. I mean, if you could call them shorts. It was like the bottom of a leotard, but it was two separate pieces. A long sleeve, darker blue shirt stretched across her torso, ending a few inches below her breasts. I inhale and realize several other dancers have joined her, all frozen in poses. They have the same colors and face makeup, but a few different styles.

For example, instead of a leotard-like bottom, a couple girls have more baggy-ish sweatpants. A couple others have jumpsuits. Then I see Ezra.

Her long hair has been put up into a braided bun. The colored highlighter shimmers on her face. She is the only one in her style of outfit. A top with a shape similar to a sports top hugs her tightly, and I feel my face heat up. She has on slightly-sheer leggings, in the dark blue. She is in the front of everyone, squatting with her head cocked. They all stand still for about fifteen seconds, before a bass echoes throughout the hall. The music starts to pick up, and the girls begin moving. Ezra is the last one to move. The beat starts climaxing, and Ezra starts shifting, moving to stand up. When the rhythm hits the top, silence- then Ezra backflips, and everything picks up. 

I gasp when her feet hit the ground, but she seems to hardly notice. Everyone moves, not all doing the same, but still somehow in unison. I see everyone moving and it's breathtaking. Perfectly put together, everything working together. I know the other dancers are doing amazing, but my gaze never leaves Ezra. 

She's obviously the focus of the dance. The others move around her focusing on how she shifts. The stage lights change colors, making a crazy technicolor show on stage. It's beautiful. Their faces shine with glitter, and and they all have a smile. Not a happy smile, or really a forced once either. It's almost like a smirk, like they knew everyone would be shocked, and like they know they have all the people in this room entranced, focused on every change their body makes. 

They perform for another three minutes, when things start to pick up. I lose sight of Ezra, and the girls slowly form a circle. Six girls stand loosely on the outside, their hands outstretched in front of them. A tighter circle of six girls stand in the middle of them. After that, two girls are hefted onto the shoulder and arms of the tight six girls. After that, Ezra's shining figure is placed up on that. She's at least eight feet off the ground. The music crescendos, and Ezra places one hand on her hip, and on the last thud of the beat, she throws her fist into the air, beaming. 

The room is filled with applause, and most of us stand up, screaming. 

"Woo! Go Ezra! Yeah, Ezzy!" I swear she meets my eyes and grins harder. People start flooding past me into the lobby, where all the girls will go after they break apart their pyramid. I join the crowd, and make my way out. I clutch the flowers Ezra said were her favorite.

Girls begin coming out from an adjoining hallway. People rush forward to hug their daughters, sisters, friends. I search for the blonde hair in the mix. I tap my foot, and push past a couple people. 

"Peaches! Hey!" I turn and see Ezra, positively radiant. She's glowing. I begin to move quickly in her direction. She starts running to me, and reaches me first. "Hi!" Ezra jumps into my open arms and wraps her legs around my waist. I hug her tightly and she does the same. 

"Ezzy! That was amazing. You look gorgeous." Her arms tighten around my midsection and she feels so warm. She slowly pulls away and smiles. Her face is so close to mine. I take a few shaky breathes and blush. "You did amazing." I repeat. 

"Thank you." I nibble on my lip, and Ezra lays a hand on my cheek. "I'm glad you enjoyed it. Thank you for being here." I smile up at her; her face is slightly higher than mine, being she is in my arms. Something tickles my arm softly- the flowers!

"Oh!" I reluctantly set her down- I sorta like the feeling of her in my arms. I hold out the bouquet. "These are for you." Ezra gasps and takes them.

"They're beautiful! And they're geraniums." She meets my gaze slyly, making my heart beat faster. "You remembered." I swallow, hard.

"Y-yeah, of course I did." Ezra holds the cluster of flowers in one hand and takes mine with her free one.

"Thank you. Again. For everything. The flowers, being here, thank you, so much. I'm really happy I met you." I giggle with giddiness and bounce on my toes. 

"Yeah, no problem. Stop thanking me." Ezra moves closer to me, and I have this weird, fuzzy feeling. Kinda like a drunken feeling. The room is pulsating, the lights are bright in the corner of my eyes. The chatter and noise of the room turns into a muffled background sound. My arms move from my sides and enclose around Ezra's waist, as if I'm not even controlling them. The warm feeling of her body increases my drunken-like state.

"What if I don't?" Ezra's soft, teasing voice seems to intensify the feeling. "What if I keep thanking you.. for everything little thing? What are you gonna do?" Ezra's nose grazes mine, our faces so, so close. I inhale and smile.

"I'd have to find a way to shut you up, huh?" Her breath is warm on my cheek, her eyes glazed over as she smirks. 

"Try me." She gently lowers the bouquet to her feet, then pulls me against her. "Thank you... for moving in with me. Thank you for.. making me laugh. For making me smile. For letting me hold a bird. For letting me hold you. For letting me touch you. For letting me lov-"

"Shut up." I murmur, and press my lips on hers. She responds immediately, her hands clasping behind my neck. Her mouth moves heatedly on mine, feelings being released through a single, passionate kiss. Her lips taste sweet, and a bit like sweat, but I don't mind. I'm finally kissing her, I'm holding her, and she is okay with that. She's more than happy to kiss me back. I pull back breathless. "Ezra, I-"

"Ezra! Ohmygod, EZRA?!"

~Hedgehog