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Iris
"Wow, well, they improved a lot," Keisuke says to me as another dance group comes backstage, after their performance.
It is day one of the Nationals and it is just the group/trio round, later is the duet round. Keisuke and I have been watching other performances, even though our team's dance group has, already, performed. To be honest, our group dance was really good and I am so happy that all that hard work blossomed into good.
"Practice and just practice can really change everything," I reply, leaning on a wall, holding my camera.
I don't use it a lot as Mom does, but I have taken many pictures, not caring if it looks good or not. I just click it away when I feel like it. I do take pretty decent pictures but not that good.
"Recent scoreboard says that we are tied with that all-boys group," Keisuke tells me, nodding in the group's direction.
Looking over in the direction, I see all of the boys in the group are wearing tuxedos while two more guys have worn casual attire. I remember their group's performance was really good – perfect steps on beats with coordination on the point.
"They call themselves The Arrowhead." I look at Keisuke, hoping he is really joking. "I am not joking, really. They are from Virginia, last year was their first nationals."
"We didn't see them, last year."
"You didn't. You were busy talking with our then seniors about the performance. A lot of girls and some guys in our team were literally gawking them." He snorts. "Seems like it is just not our group."
This time I notice some participants are looking at them as if they are the last set of donuts in this world.
"Well, damn." I laugh, shaking my head. "Any-hoo, do you think we should—"
Keisuke interrupts me, grinning, "Fuck, is it just my imagination, or is that guy really staring at you?"
"Wha...?"
I turn again and surely, one of the two who have worn casual attire is looking at me. He has golden blonde hair with grey eyes. He has worn a red plaid shirt with top buttons unclasped and blue denim with grunge green boots.
Looking at the boots, I get reminded of Noah's black boots, which he had worn once.
"You are wearing boots?" I say to him, suppressing my smile; everyone else is talking among themselves. "I guess, that completes the bad-boy look."
Noah looks down at his boots, shrugging. "I just picked up the first thing I touched."
I laugh and he gives me a look. "Why are you laughing?" he asks me, smiling.
"What if you would have touched flip-flops?" I tell him. "That wouldn't look so good."
"You think boots look good on me?"
I raise my eyebrow at his question. "I didn't say that."
"But you think?"
"What if I do?" I ask, narrowing my eyes.
"I don't care about what-ifs," Noah says, stepping closer to me.
I stay in the same place, crossing my arms over my chest – well, two can play at this game. "What do you care about, then?"
Noah smiles in a crooked way and says, "Do I need to answer that?"
"Iris!" Keisuke's voice gets me back to reality. "Raymond is walking towards you. Talk to him." He gives me a wink, before leaving me alone.
"But who—?"
Someone clears their throat behind me, making me turn.
"Um, hello," The grey-eyed guy says, smiling at me. He is not that tall but tall enough—am I even making sense, now?
"Oh, um... hi," I say back which comes out as a question.
He smiles more, looking at me. "Ray Chase, captain of The Arrowhead."
"Oh. Okay," I reply, crossing my arms over my chest.
"Usually, people say their name after one introduces to them," Raymond tells me.
"Usually, not always," I point out.
He hums, nodding. "True enough." Then, he tilts his head, asking, "Do I have to work more for your name?"
"No need. I just won't tell you, my name."
"Stubborn, I like it." He smiles. "Very well, Miss... Stubborn."
"Real original," I huff out.
"I am known for my originality."
"I can see that." I look over at his group and then, at him.
He laughs. "Yeah, actually, our school's name is really long. So, we made a name ourselves."
"Arrowhead?"
"The Arrowhead."
I straighten up, myself. "Oh-kay, Raymond—"
"Ray."
"—Why are you talking to me?"
"I am just making friendships." He leans forward a bit and I lean away as he whispers, "Actually, a lot here at staring at our team like we are the last slice of pizza they will ever get. It is making me a bit uncomfortable."
I don't comment on the pizza reference since I made a donut one, just moments ago. I ask, "So, talking to me is not uncomfortable?"
"No," he tells me without hesitation. "I have a knack for knowing people and something about you pulls me towards you as the sunflower gets attracted towards light."
"Pause there, Romeo. I am not looking for any—"
"Calm there, Stubborn." Raymond holds his hands up. "I am a gentleman and I don't rush into things but I must say I like you. I don't know if it is just platonic... or not." He lowers his hands, saying, "I just want to be friends."
"I appreciate that, I really do but I am sorry, I can't say the same."
"It is okay. We both just met each other...in a competition." He pauses, looking at me. "Which team are you from?"
I smile, knowingly. "You will know sooner or later, I think."
"That's it? That's your answer?" He gapes at me, putting a hand upon his heart. "I don't like vague answers."
"Then, get used to it," I say to him, moving away from him.
Just as I am about to exit, Raymond calls me out, "Does that mean we will meet again?"
"Depends on the scoreboard, I think," I reply to him, exiting the backstage.
***
For the tenth time, my phone rings out, loudly, making Mom groan in her sleep.
As she said, Mom came with us to New York—only to get some 'important work after few moments of landing. Mom is really a workaholic but it is okay since she did come and support nationals and did not look at her phone once.
I love her so much.
Mom and I are sharing a room in the same hotel as the team; Julio was really happy for her to come—probably because Mom is the only 'acceptable' adult for us.
"Iris, just pick up the call!" Mom mumbles to me. "But if it is Steve again, telling us how much he misses us, I swear—"
"Ya, ya fine." I sigh, getting up from the bed, and take the phone, moving out of the room.
I pick Colt's call, leaning on the wall in the corridor. He ends the call and, now, video calls me.
Rolling my eyes, I accept it. "What do you—"
"I can't cry!" Adi says. "I thought this movie makes people cry"
"I can punch you on schnozzle," Caleb says, shrugging.
"Did you say nozzle? Why would you punch the nozzle and of what?"
"No, you, idiota—"
"Hey, man! Don't go all Latin on me!"
Now, I notice Caleb and Adi are sitting in front of the tv at Colt's place, watching The Vow. This just makes me just more confused.
"...what's happening? Why are you guys watching The Vow?" I ask Colt as he comes into view. "You hate that movie."
Colt sighs, glancing behind. "Adi chose the movie. He was in a mood."
"Hey, Caleb! Hey, AS!" I say and both of them turn. When they look at me, their eyes widen, before glancing at the tv as the movie credits rolled in. They fumble for the remote, fighting for it after giving each other looks, to change the channel to weather news.
Caleb turns to me and says, "Oh, hey, Iris. We, uh, were watching sports—"
"Weather news." Adi coughs.
"—weather news. Yes, that's right. There will be heavy rain—"
"Light drizzling." Adi coughs, again.
"—Light drizzling on Monday here," Caleb ends it, grinning.
Adi coughs, again. I can't catch the words but Caleb does, making him cringe.
Colt snorts. "Adi, I have some cough drops. Need some?"
"Oh, no. No. I am—" He clears his throat. "—I am okay."
Colt turns to me and asks, "How was day one?"
"It was good. Like good, good. Group, good. Duet, good," I answer. "Solos are tomorrow, along with Final showdown and—did I mention Results too?"
"Main day tomorrow, huh?" Colt nods. "Wanna know our practice?"
"Lay it down on me. Tell me how bad it was."
He narrows his eyes at me. "You know, without you and your barbaric methods—"
"They are not barbaric!"
"—our team practice was really, really good."
"Glad to know I was missed," I grumble. "So, practice for the championship is going on the good?"
"Noah has been very firm on every one of us. He, with Caleb, has been trying out different formations, techniques... actually, everything."
"No wonder he has been getting the attention of so many teams and colleges," Adi inputs in as Caleb and he pull out a chair, sitting on either side of Colt.
"That reminds me, where is he? I thought he was going to come?" Caleb enquires, looking at Adi.
"Um, you are waiting for...?" I say to him, skeptically. "Did my ears just deceive me?"
"Oh, just casual guy nights," Caleb replies, shrugging.
Adi chuckles, typing away on his phone, "Well, he was more forced by Caleb but yeah, he agreed..."
I look at Colt. He nods and mouths, 'I am concerned too.'
"Uh, anyway, anything from DEU?" Colt changes the topic, thankfully. I sigh, leaning back my head on the wall. "That means yes and they will be watching your performance tomorrow."
"I am nervous and excited. No, no. It is like I have chugged down about six bottles of Red Bull. It makes me high but doesn't give me wings."
"I once wrote a letter to the company complaining about the same thing," Adi tells us, looking at us. "I tasted it when I was ten, thinking I will get wings and just be like a human angel, literally."
"I am thinking how did you even get it when you were ten," Caleb says to him. "All I got, then, was orange freaking juice."
"I have connections, everywhere, Ca-man."
"Oh, okay." Colt nods, taking it in. "I am a bit intimated by you, A-man."
Adi waves it off. "Oh, Co-man, it's all okay unless—"
"Ca-man, Co-man... and A-man?"
I look at them just like the time when they had put pretzel sticks in their mouths, pretending to be Daddy Long Teeth – it has happened, long weird story.
"We came up with it, just before watching the Va—"
"Weather News," Caleb corrects Colt, giving me a subtle grin.
Adi taps on the table. "Weather News. We are educating ourselves to...weather-o-logy."
"Meteorology," Caleb corrects Adi, shaking his head.
"Earth science," Colt points out to Caleb.
"No, it is under that."
As they both discuss it back and forth, Adi turns to me and mouths, 'You. Me. Talk.'
"Well—" Colt and Caleb turn to me and Adi narrows his eyes. "Look at the time. Gotta go. Bye."
"But—"
"You can't—"
"Hey—"
I end the call, breathing out slowly and looking around the empty corridor. Keeping secrets is way too hard.
***
Isn't Day Two always the best?
Just because.
From backstage, loud cheers erupt, almost making me deaf, but I don't care as I am laughing.
"Shit! Is this real?" Rabi grins.
"This is very much real!" Justin replies, giving him a high-five.
Keisuke pulls me into a hug, yelling, "We're going to Worlds, baby!"
"I know!" I yell back, laughing. Before we know it, the whole team joins us for a group hug. Looking up, I notice Julio is in the back, grinning, as he talks on the phone, probably with the school.
Pulling away, I feel someone tapping on my shoulder and I turn towards Raymond. His team is the first runner-up but also has been offered to do a special dance in Worlds.
"Iris Cooper," He states and shakes his head, incredulously. "Of course, the person I had to talk to was you. Congratulations to you and your team."
"Thank you, Raymond."
"Ray."
I ignore it, saying, "And congrats to your team, too. Getting a special spot in Worlds is rare, you know?"
He grins, shrugging. "It feels good to be appreciated."
"Tell me about it," I say. "Usually, people don't be so cool after..."
"I am not one of those. The Arrowheads are optimistic people and... if you look at it this way, I am the only senior in the team... so, the team has next year. Third time's the charm, they say."
I nod, smiling. "That's the spirit, Raymond."
"How many times?" He groans. "Call me Ray. Not Raymond. It sounds old."
"Oh, I am sorry. What did you say?"
"Ha, ha. I would love to see your humor when I ask you for coffee?"
My excitement shrinks back a bit. I say, straight, "I'll pass."
"Come on, just one coffee. That's all I ask," Raymond says, pleading. "A total friendly date. You can continue to diss me off there."
I want to scoff and say, 'A friend date? Yeah, last time I was on that—I caught feelings for a guy. So, no.'
But I don't.
"Iris Cooper and Raymond Chase. Just the people I am looking for."
Both of us turn towards the voice as a lady with really curly red hair and red spectacles before the green eyes stand beside us. She is wearing a rose beige color pant-suit with ridiculously high heels.
Raymond straightens up his posture, looking at the lady in confusion. "I am sorry, Miss, I don't recognize you."
"Me neither," I say, looking at her.
"Oh, my bad." She extends her hand and says, "I am Hazel Grant from Donatella Estoile University, London." Surprised, we shake her hand one by one, and just then, her phone starts to ring. "Um, excuse me for a moment."
"You applied there too?" I ask Raymond, still surprised.
"Too?" He looks at me and I can see he is intimidated by the lady. "Obviously, I applied there."
I turn towards the lady, asking Raymond, "Got the letter?"
"Yes."
"Intimidated?"
"Sort of," He answers.
"Me too." I agree. "All the best?"
"All the fucking best."
Hazel comes back, smiling in her cheery way. "So, let's get started, shall we?"
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