FALLOUT [Index One - Part Two]

Chapter Six

"One, two, three. One, two, three."

The violinist played a short, swirling melody as Elle, Arinoi, Jack, and Kate danced around the room, trying to keep up with the instructor. 

"Keep your back straight. Arinoi, don't look at your feet."

"Sorry," she hissed quietly. Only Elle could hear her faint apology over the music and Mrs. Lajin's instructions. The pair met each other's gaze, both laughing at how ridiculous they all must look.

After Jack voicing his concerns that he didn't know how to dance, and the other three not being confident enough about their own abilities, Arinoi had set up a dance lesson for them. Elle was certain they might have looked a bit cooler if they weren't all wearing jeans, hoodies, and T-shirts.

"Very good, Katinia." Elle saw her friend beam a bit out of the corner of her eye. "Just like that." A few moments passed. "You all must look each other in the eyes, children."

Arinoi now made a grand show of studying Elle's face, making her smile a bit. 

"You missed a back step, Arinoi," Lajin said.

Arinoi mocked her silently once she looked away, making Elle laugh.

The violinist finished the piece and Arinoi and Elle stopped moving, collapsing against each other in giggles. "What's so funny?" Jack muttered.

"Nothing, nothing," Arinoi answered, a very pleased look on her face as Elle collapsed on the ground, rolling onto her side as she shuddered with laughter.

"I'm fine," she chuckled, finally regaining control and sitting up. She looked towards Lajin. "How are we doing?"

"It's not perfect," she admitted, "but I suppose it will do."

Elle got to her feet as Arinoi voiced a suggestion about getting some food. They'd been dancing for a while. The four went into the hall, making their way to the castle's kitchen.

If Elle was being honest with herself, Arinoi making fun of Lajin wasn't called for - she was actually very nice - nor was it very funny. But something about her being so close, holding her hand and with an arm around her waist as she led her in circles around the ballroom, made her giddy, and therefore it was much easier to make her laugh.

They made it to the kitchen, all of them collapsing into chairs. Elle groaned. "We're gonna need to practice the in dresses, aren't we," she muttered, annoyed.

Arinoi cursed. "I didn't think about that. You're right."

Kate shrugged. "It's not that much harder."

Arinoi glared. "Says you, Wondergirl."

"Im surprised you even agreed to the lesson, Ari," Kate said, standing up.

"What do you mean?"

"You know how to dance." Kate turned, wandering through the cabinets. "You're better than me."

Elle did have to admit that her dancing partner from a few minutes ago did seem to be quicker on her feet and better at maneuvering through turns and the like than she'd originally thought.

"Well, you only came to dance with Jack, and Elle can't really dance with air, now, can she?"

"...You asked me to come," Kate pointed out with a smile of her face and a teasing tone, throwing a wink over her shoulder.

Elle sat there for a second, making her best attempt to decipher what Kate was implying. Before she could reason anything from it, Arinoi spoke, throwing apples at the three of them. Kate only caught hers - which was suspiciously flying faster than the other two, and was headed for her head - due to her sharpened reflexes. "Any of you heard word of a council?" she muttered, smiling a bit at her apparent revenge against Kate.

"...A council?" Jack said.

"Oh, right." Kate took a bite of her apple, studying it as she ate. "Arinoi's underage."

"Okay, and?" Elle raised an eyebrow.

"So she gets a council."

Jack raised his hand. Kate stifled a laugh. "Yes?"

"Can I be on it?"

"Nope." Arinoi shook her head, leaning on the back on a chair as she repeatedly threw her own apple into the air and caught it again, gesturing with her free hand. "Underage rulers get a council of representatives from the other Indexes."

"...I'm getting so many 'this-rule-was-made-by-morally-corrupt-leaders' vibes," Elle muttered.

"You're probably not wrong," Arinoi answered. "But usually they would've decided by now at the very least."

Kate frowned. "Wait. You don't know?"

Arinoi shrugged. "I don't know if you mean I don't know who they are or if I'm even getting one, but either way, no I don't."

Her eyes narrowed. "That's...really weird."

"None of you have heard anything about it?" She looked at the others, and they all shook their heads. "Huh. Weird."

"Yeah," Kate said quietly, staring at her apple.