• My dancer left me standing in the middle of the floor as we switched for different partners. I was left on the glossy marble floor, staring at my murky reflection. Not being in this situation had left me in such a dumbfounded state. The beautiful music started playing again, letting me know that in my state of confusion people would be dancing again, and if I didn't move, I would be in the way and most likely knocked over.

    I looked up in disarray, for a dance partner. I saw no one familiar. Ethan caught my eye, he was putting his hands up to the girl who had just walked in his way. He appeared to be waving no to her, and just shook his head when she showed no apparent movement.

    He then stepped aside, clearly making his own path of refusal toward the girl. He looked up from the corner of his eyes at me, and my shoulders instantly slumped. At the brink of realization I picked them back up, and tossed a glance around me, No one saw that, right? I would have "sweat dropped" if this was an anime. I tried my best not to giggle as Ethan got closer.

    He stopped, and lifted his hand with a "come hither" motion as he spoke, "Would you like to dance?"

    I just stared at Ethan, appalled. There was no way I'd dance with him. There was no way I should be dancing with him. He was annoying, stubborn, conceited, idiotic... The list could go on and on. I promised myself not to get near any of them. They all had the devilish charm, it would make you watch from a distance just waiting for them to give you the slightest acknowledgment, the slightest glance or passing nod, and you'd be putty in their hands.

    Ethan took a small step forward, freezing me, as I found the step to be quite an elegant and graceful movement. I watched wearily of where he would be moving. Hopefully he would not be coming any farther, toward me.

    "Come on Koum, stop looking so stiff." Jared popped up out of no-where, scaring me as he glided us across the floor. Instantly, I regretted turning my radar mode off and having full focus on Ethan. Proving my point, this was that I was helpless, and that I couldn’t get my feet to stop taking me away from him.

    My eyes narrowed at the person before me in a tux. "I've told you before," I had to work my voice some, so it wouldn't come off as annoyed to the fullest."Do not call me Koum." He spun me under his arm in a slow circle, trying to keep pace with the music.

    "Aw, please?" His voice turned whiny, and I couldn't help think of him as retched. I recoiled from his voice inside my head, my muscles giving off a twitch while we swayed.

    "No." I tried to hold up firm against this, this being. He was no longer a person to me. He was an alien being. One who I was suppose to hate for what I had felt for him. I was too young to be falling so hard for someone like him. I told myself to think. To think of all those crying nights, the forbidden things we'd done, how his touch now scared me, how I let my guard down completely and let him manage to walk all over me.

    I glanced out the corner of my eyes. Ethan was no longer in the same spot. Maybe me being swept away from him, embarrassed him? I thought of it as impossible though. He knew my distaste for the guy holding me in his arms right now. If only this guy could guess my distaste for him, himself.

    I sighed, finally paying attention to my surroundings. We were moving at an awkward pace, neither of us could dance. I was pretty sure I was the one who was more likely to end up on the ground do to a nudge or slip-up. In short, I was looking at the ground pretty often. My clumsiness made a great excuse for not looking at Jared.

    "Are you okay?" Jared had squeezed my shoulder, an act that made me shiver in disdain. He pulled me in to his body, resting my head along his chest. I'm sure he meant good, but it didn't stop the shivers.

    "I don't know." I gave him my common answer for almost any question. If I wanted to be rude or mean I would have said 'No, no I am not okay. You are the reason I am not. Let me go! Take me back to-' -To, wait? Who? Just who did I want to go back to? Not Ethan. I was the single one. I had forgotten. Alone.

    I'm all alone...

    My mind started to wonder off, to those all too familiar terrifying, bleak corners, ones with cobwebs, empty rooms, dark corridors, no light at all. Blurring the music into a low roar, I heard the slow complex sounds of My Chemical Romance and Secondhand Serenade. My dark space was space where all the pillows and carpets were wet with tears. The blankets were warm and inviting, they offered shelter from any type of ache. When you entered the threshold, you knew the ache of emptiness. “A big hole over your heart,” It hurt when you knew you were alone... I called this corner of my mind home...

    I had been left alone with my mind for too long. I was cringing physically, my heels raking against the floor. The pitch was at a frequency I highly found intolerable for my ears. A small ache was starting to form near my temples. This was not the time or place for any of this at all.

    "Koum," I mentally screamed. He didn't listen to me at all... "You don't look well," Well apparently you idiot... We were slowing down. I wanted him to stop fully.

    "Maybe we should,"

    "Stop." I mouthed. Little volume left my lips as I left Jared's arms. I was tired. Being around him exhausted me mentally. I was also well aware I was moving at a slow, sluggish pace away from him. Dramatic.

    I rubbed my hand against my head, letting the pressure bring some ease to the pain. I glanced around again, becoming weary. Letting my brain go into radar mode, I looked for Naomi. She had to be somewhere in this place.

    Stalking the lonely bleachers, I found her in a corner. Resting my rump, and my stomach, I laid down, teetered off the edge, my hair dangling over her boyfriend's head.

    I drew in a breath. "Yo, lovebirds!"

    "Oh God, Koumeiseidai!" I smiled. No one else in the world did I ever know, could make me happy with just a few words. I was okay again. Letting her surprised breaths mend my mind close of those dark rooms. Silk threads sewing and stitching a colorful patch over a horrible place.

    Breathing in and out, I adjusted my body to a sitting position. Could I really be all better? I heaved my body over the edge of the bleachers, landing on the balls of my heels with a clang; I fell over on my side like a roly-poly.

    I laughed at myself. Melancholy is what I felt. I couldn't lie well to myself for too long. But I also didn't mind. Naomi had snickered whilst helping me back up. I watched as she shifted back to Kal's side, shoving her hand in his. The patch sagged.

    "You okay kid?" His subtle voice rang clear throughout the music. Oh, I can hear the music again... Jazz played throughout the background.

    "Yeah, I'm fine." I replied, dusting off my dress. I was starting to wonder why I came. Just to hear her voice? No... I needed comfort. I started questioning if I could really count on Naomi for comfort right now.

    I sighed again. My eyes crinkled down and I began swaying with myself.

    "Saw you moving with Jackass number one."

    "Yeah, you did see me." No one could really mistake a multicolored bejeweled bodice for anyone else but me.

    "You were?" Not much concern rang through Naomi's voice. Only curiosity.

    The corners of my lips folded down, grim. "Uh-huh."

    "So we're all gathered here in this corner now?" Aero came out from behind me and went to stand in the opposite corner.

    "So it seems," Ethan seemingly materialized by Aero's side, drink in hand.

    He sipped idle while Naomi asked "Want me to give him a sex change? Disembowelment? Go Marine on him?" She asked wide eyed.

    "Please, let her have him." He scoffed before laughing. "Obviously she'd rather dance with him than anyone else." Ethan sneered. His eyes flickered to me momentarily before going back to Naomi. He took a long sip from whatever he was drinking.

    I eyed him warily. "No, just him being embarrassed would be fine. Besides there's no feeling of," I paused. I couldn't say human. "Of a being there,"

    "Oh really? Elaborate your 'Professor Layton speech."

    I glowered. "If I must," I spat the words acidly. "There's no feeling, at all. There is a hot or cold thing going on. It just feels as if I'm holding some girl's hand. No warmth. No spark-y feeling. Now if I was holding someone's hand..." I eyed our group.

    Naomi's hands were full. One held Kal's hand; the other held a colorful drink. My stomach flipped. I wondered what in the hell everyone was drinking.

    I breathed heavily through my nose. No way was I going to grab Kal's hand, first off, he was Naomi's boyfriend, and there's no way I was going to continue my sort-of lovey-dovey speech with his hand in mind. He was also too intimidating for me.

    My eyes left his free hand. It was shoved deep down in his pocket. On to Aero, I thought. He was too far away but he would work. I moved forward to take his hand and he swung his swoopy hair out the way in response.

    "I'll take a hand to finish my speech thank you." I spoke with bitter-happiness to Ethan. I grabbed Aero's other hand.

    Ethan pushed the back of his hand to mine.

    My head shifted toward him. My eyes screaming- "What?!" I let my hand grab his in a tight hold, gripping his knuckles hard, attempting to twist them around.

    "Do try and continue your speech kiddo." He spoke after sipping his glass dry.

    "Fine," I repositioned his hand in mine and held it up along with Aero's.

    "Well you see, there is more than just a hot or coldness to your hands. There is heat, coolness, more descriptive words." I closed my eyes trying to concentrate on this feeling.

    I squeezed both of their hands gently. "Bits of warmth,” The only way I could describe the sparks. “Those bits of warmth, they really surge through you, filling you with that weird feeling of comfort and happiness."

    Then, dropping both hands I walked back to my side of the corner. Pressing my waist against the back of the bleachers, "That is my explanation." Aero looked pleased with his hand. Happy I had held it. Ethan didn't look any different.

    He looked at his empty glass, twirling its neck around and around in-between his fingers. "Ah, I see." Was all he said.

    One thought only raced through my mind as I stared at this dude- YOU JERK!!!