True Love's Rhythm

Chapter 1

"So as you are aware Miss Flour..."

"It's actually Fleur, like fir but with an l, and it's Saint Fleur," I say to the president of my college. As a top student she knows me more than I'd like. She's always watching me. It's becoming a bit weird.

"Right, okay Miss Flour," it's literally Fleur and not that difficult. "We are a very prestigious school of the arts, we have dominated every competition we've ever entered since our opening days in 1901." Is there a point to this? "As you know Florence Competition of the Arts is approaching soon and I have decided to have you and another of our shining stars take part in this competition. Your partner will be Romy James."

"Excuse me who? It sounds like you said Romy James. Can you repeat the name again?" Just by the mention of his name my heart rate goes up. I can feel myself become physically uncomfortable whenever his name is mentioned. The mention of his name sparks something within me I can't quite put my finger on, like it makes me both uncomfortable and angry. I hate Romy James no not hate loathe, no loathe isn't even the right word. I- he-. No, I need to calm down, I need to stop myself from getting too excited.

"No that's correct," President Howard says.

"Immediately no, but thank you for the offer." I grab my backpack off the oak floor and make my way to the door which is adjacent to my seat.

"Miss Flour," hm hm yep because that's totally the pronunciation and a whole word isn't missing at all. "I know there's a complicated history between you and Mr James due to the incident that happened last year."

"Complicated isn't the word," I retort. "And it wasn't my fault he came up to me and scared me," I say with little reaction, President Howard is definitely going to pick up on that and blow it all out of proportion.

"Are you sure? Because it seems that you two knew each other before."

How are you going to tell me? You haven't lived my life. I just roll my eyes and go on to grab the gold colored door knob.

"If you don't do it, I'll take away your scholarship."
I stop in my tracks to really try and process what exactly she has uttered. Did she just threaten me? I make my way back to her desk which is in the front center of the room, perfectly centered, it bothers me. The color of her furniture also bothers me, it's this mix of gray and dark wood and it just makes me uncomfortable all around.

"Are you being serious? You are going to take the immigrant black kid with no mother scholarship away? This feels racist, don't you think? You don't have to answer that but I do know a few places everyone is going to think it's racist. Would you like me to name them?"

"That just sent chills down my spine. Remind me to never threaten you again! Whoow I need some water or something or even prayer. Back to the topic at hand if you'll do it I'll reward you with anything you want.

Anything I want? You couldn't possibly give me the things that I want. I want things that I don't know, things... "Fine a semester in Italy to learn about Opera."

"Deal all expenses paid. Okay Romy is right outside that door," she points to the brown door just a few seconds I was going to escape out of. "I'm going to bring him in. Do you think you can try and not strangle him like last time?"

I didn't even do that last time, it was just a fluke. I was under a lot of stress and he did scare me. "Of course I can." I close my eyes and take a breath, I hear heels clicking away from me towards the door. The door opens and my heart starts to race again. I concentrate harder and try not to let him get to me. I need to be in control at all times. I open my eyes and there he is standing, his hands in his sweatpant pocket and his brown hair framing his face. The sight makes me want to cry, it's just too much right now.