Grease Lightning | K.M

Those Magic Changes

Leo and I had spent so much time dancing, I didn't notice I was covered in sweat until he pointed it out. "You're wetter then the ocean, girl", he shouted just loud enough so I could hear him over the music. I swiped my hand over my top lip, only realizing afterwards that I had probably taken off some of my face makeup by doing that.

"I'm exhausted. Lets break", I wheezed while trying to blindly blend what I had left into my skin. Leo watched, unhelpfully, as I rolled my eyes and pulled him out of the crowd towards the outskirts of the gym. It instantly felt a few degrees cooler with the absence of bodies pressed tightly together, and I finally felt like I could stop fanning myself.

I had to sandwich the both of us between a lonely redhead, and a perky blonde girl, both of whom I'd never met before. I gave both of them fleeting smiles as a way to say sorry for invading your space.

"These oafs ought to turn the cameras on soon", Leo said, groaning unattractively. He stretched his body out until his arm had landed over my shoulder. I snorted, instantly flinging it off. Leo wasn't have as smooth as he claimed to be.

"Over my dead body", I said.

He had pulled a fresh toothpick from his pocket and shrugged with a sauve nonchalance, but I was to busy wondering how long that had been in his pocket. "It was worth a try", he grumbled.

"Why are you chewing on a toothpick?"

"No smoking allowed", he said simply.

"You know, you have a real problem if you can't-"

I had just begun giving him a lecture on smoking, and how I suspected he was addicted, until I felt him tense up next to me. His shoulders had stopped moving in a rhythmic way, and now they had stilled completely. I followed his gaze, confused, until I saw it.

Kenickie and cha cha were on the dance floor, dancing closer then friends should. I helplessly watched as Kenickies hand went to her back, and she pulled him in for a kiss. An uncomfortable pit settled in my stomach as I stared and I wondered why I cared so much.

I just stared at the both of them until my eyes watered from the lack of blinking. I turned back to Leo to see anger cast upon his face.

I was willing to turn around and ignore it, go back to our carefree evening, but Leo stood sharply. I registered the situation and jumped up just as quickly. Leo was much stronger then me and could easily break away if he wanted, but he let me pull him back. "Whoa there cowboy. Don't do something you'll regret", I said trying to talk him down.

I didn't know what to do, so I though of my mother. When Sandy and I fought, she'd always make us take deep breaths until we weren't angry anymore. So I started doing it, waiting for him to follow along. "I ain't doin' that,'' he snarled. His hand was clenched tightly around my wrist.

"Yes, you are", I matched. My hands wrapped around his tie and I pulled, forcing his body to move towards me. "Breath or I'll make you." I didn't know exactly how I'd make him, but if I really had to, I'd go old school and kick him in the balls. Yes, I lacked creativity, but it would immobilize him.

We stand off, both glaring at each other. I pull his tie tighter, showing him I wasn't backing down. The both of us stood there for a while before Leo finally gave in and sucked in a big breath. He did it so dramatically that I had to force the laugh that was about to explode down.

Together, we did the ridiculous exercise until I saw his fists unclench. "Now let's go beat the best dancer at saint Berdanetts in a dance battle", I mocked her nasally voice as I extended my hand. Reluctantly, he wrapped his hand in mine and we set off towards the dance floor just in time for the cameras to turn on.