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Danny
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Forbidden Dance Mark
I can't shake the feeling that something isn't right. Faith's departure in the middle of the semester doesn't make any sense, and I can't help but think that she needs someone to find her. She's like a fragile porcelain doll—beautiful on the outside but so easily cracked. And despite her tough exterior, I know that she's desperate for someone to be her knight.The crunching sound of leaves beneath my feet echoes in the empty campus, and it's all I can do not to sprint toward her dorm. There's an urgency bubbling beneath the surface, but I force myself to maintain a steady pace. I have to be strong for Faith—that's what she needs right now. But my thoughts betray me. What if I'm too late? What if she's already gone? I can't help but remember my mom, and how I failed to protect her. The fear of losing someone else I care about grips my chest like a vise, making it difficult to breathe."Keep moving," I mutter under my breath. "You're almost there."As I approach Faith's dormitory, the r
Forbidden Dance Faith
The walls are closing in on me.I pace the length of my childhood bedroom, running my fingers along the faded pink wallpaper. My heartbeat throbs in my ears, nearly drowning out the muffled shouts from downstairs. I press my forehead against the cool glass of the window, peering out at the quiet street below. A gentle breeze ruffles the leaves of the big oak tree in our front yard, its branches stretching toward the open sky. How I wish I could escape out that window, climb down the tree, and run until my legs give out. But the window is locked shut. Just like me.I sink down onto the edge of the bed, the old springs creaking beneath me. I clutch my old, worn teddy bear on my lap, taking comfort in its familiar softness. Its black button eyes stare back at me, void of judgment or condemnation. If only my parents could be so kind. I try to remind myself that this is ridiculous; I'm more than an adult, and Sadie can't just keep me locked in my bedroom for the rest of my life. Yet, here
Forbidden Dance Chapter 1: Faith
The weather outside is frigid, matching my mood, as my stepmother Sadie runs a single manicured finger over the windowsill of my dorm room, lifting it to her face a moment later to inspect the dust that has settled on the tip of her perfect finger. She makes a face, shooting a glance over her shoulder at my father who has been standing awkwardly to the side as she tears apart every little thing about my room.“It’s dirty,” she announces to no one in particular. My new roommate isn’t here yet, thank God, and I’m hoping she won’t show up until after my dad and step-monster finally leave me in peace.“I don’t mind,” I say, trying to usher her along faster. “It just needs a little wipe down. I can do that.”Sadie turns in my direction, her nostrils flaring like they do when she thinks I’ve said or done something stupid, which is almost always. “Your father and I aren’t paying for you to be here and clean,” she huffs. “That’s the school staff’s job.”I bite my lip to keep myself from remin
Forbidden Dance Chapter 2: Theo
As we finish up the short routine we’ve just done on the lawn, I watch in mild amusement as the girl in the Dancer shirt shakes her head at Danny and folds the flyer in half before cramming it into her back pocket, looking less than enthusiastic about the prospect of trying out for the team. The girl standing next to her with the pixie cut and face jewelry looks embarrassed like she can’t believe her friend is acting so standoffish. Both girls are cute, but the one I have my eye on is the blonde. She’s pretty in a subtle sort of way, the kind of girl that you might not pick out in a lineup, but who probably cleans up well. Humble. Sweet. Quiet. She seems like the type who might want a steady relationship instead of a one-night stand, and that’s exactly the type of woman I am not looking for. I don’t do relationships. Not anymore.Beads of sweat drip from my brow as I grab a towel and a bottle of water and pop the cap, momentarily forgetting about the girls Danny is talking to as I chu
Forbidden Dance Chapter 3: Faith
“You’d be crazy not to go to this thing, you know.” Tara is lying on her bed in our dorm, flipping through a grunge fashion magazine as soft music plays from my laptop in the background. I’m cross-legged on my bed, munching on a bag of chips we’d snagged from the dining hall, pondering her words. Since we’d run into Danny and his team earlier, she’s been relentless in reminding me that I’m a big girl now (her words) and that if I want to dance, I can fucking dance. Also her words. And while I know she’s right, it doesn’t make the prospect any less intimidating. I haven’t even started classes yet. If Sadie caught wind of my tryouts before my first homework assignment, shit would hit the fan. “Yeah, you keep saying that,” I remind her, licking Cheeto dust from my fingers. Chips aren’t the only thing we’d snagged from the dining hall. Cookies, pastries, crackers, and an assortment of other junk food currently litter my bed. Sadie never allowed it in the house, so it’s safe to say I’ve be
Forbidden Dance Chapter 4: Danny
“Well, that was a shit show.” Theo looks over at me a few hours later and rolls his eyes. We’re still sitting in the auditorium, going through potential dancers that had tried out tonight. And while his words are harsh, I have to silently agree. Aside from a very, very small handful of dancers, Theo is right. Tonight was a shit show.I can't stop thinking about Faith. I don't know her well, but I feel like she could be an asset to our dance troupe. Mark and Theo had been right about her inability to loosen up. She seemed insecure on the stage, wary, like if she messed up it would be the end for her. It was clear to me that Faith had demons, ones that were so severe she took to hiding instead of facing them. But as my friends already knew, we all had demons among us.“I think we should call Faith,” I say as the three of us pack up our bags and make our way out. It’s dark out now, and very few people are still walking around. Home for us is a ramshackle house off-campus. It’s not fancy,
Forbidden Dance Chapter 5: Faith
Thanks to Tara, I now own more than a handful of ankle-length skirts and knitted sweatshirts, so I’m already feeling more confident walking into class dressed in a sleek pair of black leggings that accentuate my butt and a hip sweater than hangs off one shoulder. I’ve done my hair today, letting it fall in golden waves down my back, and the small pallet of makeup I invested in lights up my features today.If Sadie saw me, she’d have had a stroke. I won’t dare tell her that my food allowance went to clothes and makeup. Eventually, I’ll have to come up with a better solution, because Sadie will cut me off the first chance she gets.I feel extra giddy today due to Danny’s text message last night. I had been certain they wouldn’t even consider me, so I’d been pleasantly surprised to see the message come through.But I was still hesitant. If Sadie found out that I was dancing, she’d cut me off. As of right now, she and my father were funding my college experience, and that had been one of
Forbidden Dance Chapter 6: Mark
“Danny says you’ve been assigned to me,” Faith says, stepping into the auditorium where I’m waiting the next day to practice with her. She’s not wrong. Danny has officially made me Faith’s gatekeeper because Theo is too much of a dick to do it without scaring her off. I hadn’t realized I’d been so welcoming to get the privilege of wasting my time with her, but here we are.“Yeah,” I mutter. “What fun.” Today, she’s dressed in black and gold leggings that show off the dancer muscles in her thighs and calves, as well as another off-shoulder sweatshirt that openly gives a peek of her black lacy bra. Her blond hair is pulled up in a messy bun today, and while she’s not wearing any makeup that I can see, it doesn’t really matter. Faith’s beauty is natural, and I’d be lying to myself and everyone else if I said I didn’t find her attractive, despite my feelings about the team.“Look,” Faith says, dropping her dance bag at her feet. She puts her hands on her hips and glares at me. Gone is the
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