Dance Like No one's Watching

“Hey Julius, I’ll be back in a couple of hours,” Crystal said as she randomly shoved clothes into a knapsack and pulled the draw string to close the top.

“Where are you going?” He asked as he dried a plate and tossed it like a frisbee back into the kitchen. He flinched when he heard Patrick cry out, “Ouch! Hey, that hurt!”

“I found this really cool place yesterday and I want to check it out. It has gymnastics and dancing and I want to see if I can get a job there while we’re here,” Crystal responded as she tried not to smile at the angry look on Patrick’s face.

“All right. But don’t stay out too late.”

“I won’t.”

Crystal smiled as she left the apartment. Once she was down in the lobby she strapped on her rollerblades and shot out of the condominium.  She waved to the doorman before taking off down the streets, dodging people that came her way. She jumped over mailboxes and trashcans and performed some simple tricks as she continued her way to the building. She screeched to a stop and dropped to the ground to take off her padsm helmet, and rollerblades. A smile came to her face as she heard the little voices of children coming from inside the building.

Pushing herself up and pulling her hair back into a ponytail she walked inside. The familiar smell of a gym met with the dance studio smell once she walked inside. She walked over to the front desk to ask about the dance classes they had, and was disappointed to hear that they didn’t have hip hop classes, but was happy to hear that they had acrobatic dancing classes.

“Crys? What’re you doing here?”

Turning, Crystal smiled when she saw the Schroeder brothers walking into the building. She gave Jaime a wave which he happily returned.

“Taking a dancing class. I have to do something in my free time,” she responded with a shrug. “What’re you guys doing here?”

“Sometimes we teach, but we’re here for training,” Gabriel responded as he looked
around the room. “We have to make sure we’re in top fighting shape in case something comes up.”

“Ah, I understand,’ Crystal said with a nod. “Well, I’ll catch you guys later. See ya, Jaime. Make sure these two don’t get into trouble.” Laughing, Crystal walked off. Felipe watched which direction she was going in until he crashed right into a punching bag.

“And that’s why we don’t stare like perverts when we like a girl,” Jaime said with a sigh as he shook his head and patted Felipe’s arm as he held his nose.

“I’m not a pervert!” Felipe spat.

“Might as well be. You don’t stop staring at her. Sooner or later she’s going to press charges and you’ll be sent to a correctional facility.”

“A what?” Gabriel and Felipe asked in unison.

“Jail!” Jaime responded as if he were talking to a kindergartner. He rolled his eyes before climbing into a boxing ring that was positioned in the building. Gabriel and Felipe also got on and faced Jaime. “Now, come and attack me.”

“Are you nuts?” Felipe questioned.

“Yeah, we don’t want to hurt you.” Felipe added with a smirk.

“Trust me.” Jaime has an evil smile on his face. “You won’t. Now, one of you come and attack me.”

“Fine.” Gabriel sighed as he raised his fists. “But if you go home to mom crying, I’m telling her you wanted me to hit you!”

“Just get on with it!”

Gabriel smirked before he ran towards Jaime who was standing there. Gabriel brought back his fist and shot it forward, getting ready to hit Jaime. Jaime simply reached out and grabbed his fist as he twisted it.

“Ow! Ow! Ow! Let go!” Gabriel cried as he tried to pull out of his brother’s grasp. Jaime smiled and let go as Gabriel looked at his hand. “What the hell? What energy drink have you been guzzling down?”

“There’s a secret to my success.” Jaime brought his hands to the back of his head. “And I’m not telling what it is.” He turned his head to talk to Felipe but saw that his attention had strayed again. Jaime looked and sighed when he saw that Crystal was on the floor stretching as she sat in a split. “Hey ‘Lipe?”¬

“Wha?” Felipe asked without turning his head.¬¬ He suddenly groaned as she doubled over in pain and fell to the bottom of the ring as Jaime calmly lowered his foot.

“Pay attention next time and I won’t have to do that again,” Jaime said with a smile on his face, Felipe just groaned again.

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“Can we please…take a break?” Gabriel panted from his position on the mat of the boxing ring.

“Yeah. I’ll get you guys something to drink,” Jaime responded as he rolled out from the boxing ring and made his way to the concession stand.

“I swear, he’s going to kill us one day,” Gabriel commented as he shook his head. “Don’t you think so, ‘Lipe? ‘Lipe?” He groaned once he saw that Felipe’s attention had strayed once more.

“How does she do that?” Felipe asked himself more than Gabriel.

“Do what?” Gabriel questioned as he watched Crystal’s dance movements.

“Dance in that complex way…but is still able to make the movements graceful. It’s amazing,” Felipe responded as he rested his chin on his arms, which were resting on his knees which were brought up to his chest. “I mean, she’s moving as fluidly like water is controlling her every move. “

“You really like her, don’t you?”

Felipe just shrugged as a small smile came to his face.

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Crystal sighed happily as she pressed play on the boom box she brought with her and let the music carry her away. She loved to dance. It was like music triggered a part of her that had to get up and move to the music that was provided to her. Everything seemed to fade away as she focused on the music and the dancing. Letting everything go was the only way she could fully be at peace. Dance like no one’s watching was her motto, she believed that it was the only way people could fully get into the music and the movements.

She was sitting down and stretching her limbs when Jaime walked over and sat down next to her. She looked at him and saw an innocent yet intrigued look in his eyes.

“What?” She questioned before she put a leg out in front of her and bent forward.

“Your dancing was really cool,” he responded. “Acrobatic dancing, right?”

“Yup. I’ve been doing it for ten years now.”

“Impressive.” A grin crossed Jaime’s face. “And I’m sure I’m not the only one who thinks that.” He nodded in his brother’s direction discretely. “Felipe, he’s been watching you dance.”

“I know,” Crystal responded as she bent backwards.

“Wha? How’d you know?”

“Jaime,” she said with a laugh. “Dancers have to know when they’re being watched. Like, in a competition judges are watching, waiting for you to mess or something.”

“So…you knew this whole time?”

“Yup.”

Jaime started laughing as Crystal ruffled his hair. “You are one smart and deceiving girl.”

“What can I say, it runs in the family.”