Too Close by Next began to play through the auditorium. A gang of kids screamed and ran to the dance floor as if they were supposed to be dancing to this nasty song.

"Are they really playing this at a middle school dance?" Maylee peaked at Trechial to confirm.

Just then, Kyle appeared in a powder blue shirt with prince ruffles and brown corduroys. He was medium height, lanky, dark-skinned with dark brown eyes and a speckled mushroom nose. The only bad-looking thing about Kyle was his outfit. Maylee had a major crush on him in seventh grade but didn't pursue it for unknown reasons.

"Um," he straightened his jacket with fidgety fingers, "do you want to dance?" he asked, eyes shimmering as he gawked at Maylee.

Maylee coughed out a sarcastic laugh, "Hell no! What do you have on, boy?" One side of her face hiked up in repugnance and puzzlement. Embarrassment flooded Kyle, his head slumped between his shoulders.

Trechial slapped the color off of Maylee's arm. "What's wrong with you? Apologize, now!"

"Ouch!" She rubbed her arm.

Kyle turned to leave. "I guess I'll go."

"Wait," Maylee cut her eyes to Trechial then rolled them to Kyle. "Look, come back in thirty minutes and I'll hit the dance floor with you."

Glee washed over his handsome features. Nodding, he left.

Trechial folded her arms across her chest and bore into Maylee demanding answers.

She let out a long-winded breath. "Have you ever smelled Kyle's breath up close and personal?"

Trechial's nose tooted up in the air, and she shook her head.

"It smells like diarrhea had a bad day."

Trechial erupted in laughter. "Dance with your back to him," she offered, coughing out spurts of laughter at her tormented expression.

"So he can hump on me like Bugs bunny overdosed on Viagra? I don't think so. I'm going to dance with him like this." Maylee pinched her nose and extended her arm out as far as it can go, waving her hand.

Tears of laughter stained the corners of Trechial's eye. "You are so wrong!"

Twenty minutes later, Devin, Trey, and their dates were still on the dance floor. Devin had yet to display any progression in the dance department besides dosey-doying.

Trechial and Maylee sat around, dateless, in their own worlds. It was her fault Maylee was dateless; she forwent Dylan to make sure she wouldn't be alone.

She shifted in her chair, propping her elbow on the table and resting her chin in her hand, her attention shifting to the only Asian couple on the dance floor.

Candice jerked her back like a chicken against Devin, who held onto her waist with a hand, his eyes going to her feet every once in a while in confusion. As if sensing Trechial's scrutiny, he glanced over in her direction. She lowered her lids and mouthed, "What are you doing?"

Devin held up his hands and shrugged, but Trechial was grateful for that small, private moment they got to share among the chaos of the party. Somehow in all the dancing and movement and people, they would always manage to find each other and create their own familiar silence.

He jerked his head to the side motioning for her to come dance, but she mouthed, "No," laughing. He repeated the action, followed by a puppy dog expression. Her shoulders slumped and her head fell to the side as she scooted back in the chair and stood up, releasing a long sigh. She peered down at Maylee, who smiled at her instantly. She knew Maylee wanted to get down on the dance floor but opted out because she didn't want to leave her alone.

"Wanna dance?"

Maylee jumped up, and they reached the dance floor just in time for the Devin to throw it back to an MJ song.

The way you make me feel.

"How are we supposed to dance to this?" Maylee scowled.

Trechial caught wind of an inquisitive expression over to her left. She bit down on her lip and winked at him before turning to Maylee. "Be back in a second. I want to see something."

Maylee nodded with a smile.

Feeling overly confident, Trechial strutted across the dance floor, her hips sashaying as if she were the girl being pursued by MJ. She spun around, and Devin was paused in the back of her, his eyebrow twirled mischievously.

"Why haven't I seen any of my hard work being shown on the dance floor, Tae?"

She stepped to one side, and he extended an arm out slightly blocking her, his brows raised with a slight head tilt. "You mean my hard work of sitting through hours of tortuous boy band horror videos?"

"Either way, you suck right now." She shoved her face in his before sidestepping him, keeping on beat with the music, enjoying his stolen attention on her. It was invigorating. She got to the other end of the dance floor and spun around. Devin stood in the middle, curling a finger to her. She planted her hands on her hips and sauntered up to him with as much sass as she could muster within her spirit.

He appraised her with an adventurous expression. "If I impress you, you owe me double."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever, fraidy-cat," she teased, sizing him up, "If you do it, I'll grant you one wish." She held up a finger with a coy smile, sure he would punk out, so why not bait him?

His lips curved, and he nodded, moving backward with a snap of his fingers, imitating MJ. His form was slightly offbeat, but his eyes glued to her face, and she could tell he was thinking about his footwork.

Maylee walked up from behind. "That boy done lost his everlasting mind, girl."

"Hey, Tae, don't think about it. Just do it," she instructed him.

Michael Jackson pushed his famous lyrics out into the crowd.

I swear I'm keepin' you satisfied, 'Cause you're the one for me...

Devin did a spin-and-stop in place, threw a hand into the air, bit down on his lips, and sent his body into a wave-like motion, starting in his chest that rolled down into his hips as he repeated the wave two more times. It was the ultimate body roll. AJ wished he had a move like that. She wasn't sure if Devin should have moves like that.

Maylee's and Trechial's necks ticked to one another, their mouths open and ready for a swarm of flies to invade.

"Wha––what just happened?" Trechial gulped hard, returning her attention back to the body-rolling wonder in front of her, with his chest poked out in pride, arrogance his new scent.

"I have no clue. I mean, ol' boy reminded me of a Chip and Dale, and I ain't talking about the rescue rangers." Maylee leaned into Trechial ear as Devin approached them. "I'm talking about the ones on the calendar hidden up under my momma mattress,"

Trechial nudged her with a mischievous smile as Devin came to stand in front of them.

"Seriously, weird-eyes, that was dope!" Maylee hyped him up, holding out a fist. He pounded it.

"Can't wait to cash in on that wish." He tugged a strand of Trechial hair and grinned.

"I––I didn't teach you that." Trechial shook her head, trailing a finger in the air up and down his chest area.

"I know, it's raw talent." He winked at her before going back over to his date. Trechial stomped around like a spoiled brat, hearing the word 'no' for the first time. Her best friend cackled and pointed at her.

***

They danced, they ate, they laughed, they ribbed each other, they created awkward moments, and within the next forty minutes, they would be saying their goodbyes till Monday. And Friday would be their last day of middle school.

Devin placed a hand on the back of Trechial's chair and whispered into her ear. "Can I talk to you?"

Fifty cents and a body roll replayed in her mind. Her eyes engaged Maylee's, sparkling wide gaze a look of pure eagerness like she'd won the lottery. Candice sure did pick the perfect moment to go to the bathroom with her friends.

She angled her head to the side, giving him an incredulous look. "For?"

"My wish." He stood up and seized her by the hand. "We'll be back," he told everybody.

"Look at my dawg taking charge!" Trey cheered on Devin like the instigator he was, his bright Chris Tucker smile beaming up at them.

"Help me," Trechial mouthed to Maylee, getting dragged off by Devin. She shook her smiling head no.

Maylee laughed diabolically and watched Devin and Trechial disappear into the crowd.