Chapter 3- Blurred Reality

I looked up at him, intending to make a funny comment.

But the distance between our bodies was almost non existent. We stood in what looked like the inside of the dance hall that I know.

His expression was gentle and tender as he studied me; making his pale blue eyes to glow with some inner emotion that I couldn't identify, or even understand.

His entire focus was on me.

It was like drowning in seas of blue. In that moment, there was nothing in the world that I wanted more than to just dive into the depths of those eyes.

I couldn't remember what I'd been about to say. Or even why. All my mind seemed to comprehend were the beautiful features of his body. Like his lips, his arms, and even the scent that enveloped him. Which suddenly overpowered me. My body felt warm and feverish all over. I wanted him to close the small distance between us. Hell, I wanted him to kiss me even.

Even thought I knew that he could tell what I wanted, from just looking into my eyes. He didn't give in. Or at least no t right away. Instead he let his fingertips wander across the side of my neck, hardly applying any pleasure, yet causing goosebumps to surface all every surface of my skin.

With more consuming caresses; I felt his hand moving from the neck all the way to under my chin.

Then his lips pressed a kiss just in between my eyes, followed by another one on the bridge of my nose. He was closer than before by the time he returned to studying my face; I could feel his warm breath mingling with mine. I could feel the excitement and the anticipation slowly building inside of me.

I tilted my face towards his, and to my indescribable relief- he bent down a bit, as if to meet me halfway.

Everything around me blurred as I held onto his arms, as I tried to balance on my legs- which were threatening to collapse from under me any second. He cupped my face with his strong hands, and the only thing my eyes could focus on at this very moment were only his lips. His face moved closer, and after waiting for what seemed like endless hours, his mouth finally found mine. One of his arms held me around my back, pressing me tighter against his broad chest.

Wrapping ourselves together, we kissed. Slowly and tenderly at first,then thoroughly. Such that my blood boiled within me, and I felt more alive in that moment than I ever had in my entire life.

I jolted awake when I realized what was wrong with the experience. I was having a dream. I woke up draped in sweat soaked bedsheets. I couldn't tell if they were a result of the warm Massachusetts weather or the steamy dream I had just had starring my instructor. An older one at that-Luca.

I couldn't go to sleep after, afraid that I'd be giving the strange dream a chance to resume. And God, had it been vivid. And very disturbing too.

So I just lied in bed aimlessly. Until I noticed a red notification light coming from the computer across the room. I suspected an email.

When I walked over; sat in front of the computer and clicked on the jumping notification alert- there it was- as I suspected- an email from my mother.

_'I'm sorry I couldn't be home to see you off. I hope you're settling in well. Do tell me how you're doing when you find time'_

Annalisa Whitlock, always mechanical. My mother is a flight attendant. Yep, always she is one of those people who always has to be on a flight somewhere. Our shaky relationship began when I got old enough to realize that her job was more important to her, than being at home with me. I was barely a teenager then, but things between us went downhill very fast from there.

During my injury holiday at home; she'd show up for a few hours a week,before rushing off to catch the next flight out to the next city. I practically got to experience what it must be like to live with a stranger. She'd been around to take care of the hospital bills, and organized me the best physiotherapist she could manage, but was totally absent from the things that actually mattered. Motherly-Daughter bonding time, and affection were things we didn't share in our relationship.

When she realized that I was developing into a passionate dancer, she shipped me away to boarding school. So, really, for as far as I could remember- this place, my friends and instructors were the closest thing I knew close to a mother's' love. I'm sure in reality, the learning institution and all it held didn't come close to a parent's' warmth. But hey, we take what we can get.

"I don't have time for this," I muttered as I dragged myself back to bed. Dragged because every time I moved, my legs screamed obscenities at me for all the lunges I did yesterday. Luca's prediction was spot on, I did feel ten times worse this morning. Almost as if a train had run over me, over and over again.

Lying there in bed, I considered the perks of being at home. Then I remembered feeling like a total failure on tryouts day, and figured the only way to prevent that from happening again was to endure some more of it this morning.

When my alarm went off about an hour or so later, I forced my body to cooperate as I headed down the hallway for a shower. It took a scalding one with three different nozzles to soothe my achy muscles and fully awaken me.

I headed to the dining hall in search of food. Taking my time in the shower resulted in me arriving just as they were shutting down breakfast. But I managed to score myself something sweet in hopes for mood upliftment- a chocolate glazed donut to go.

Munching on it as I walked, a voice called out from behind me.

"Brianna! Wait up."

I turned around to find Marcus Strongkins- a boy who occasionally hung out with my group of friends. He jogged up and fell in step with me.

"Looked for you everywhere yesterday,but you were nowhere to be found." He said catching his breath.

"I had a training thing with Luca." I told him, wondering where this was going.

"The guy is already working you on the first week of school. Damn!" He commented with mock frustration on his face.

"Just trying to catch up Marcus. Just trying to catch up." Feeling the need to speed this conversation up I asked, "So where's the fire?"

Marcus chuckled. "I was actually wondering if you'd go to the upcoming dance with me?" he said as we continued on toward the hall.

I had been caught totally off guard. Maybe because the dance was the last thing on my mind or I hadn't expected him to ask. "I don't know, I'll get back to you." I finally said after careful deliberation.

He opened his mouth, no doubt to convince me further, and caught sight of something--or rather, someone- behind me. I glanced over and saw Luca's tall form approaching from the other side of the hall.

"I'll hear from you then," he winked and ran off in the direction we had just come from. I turned around and joined Luca.

"Are you late because you get easily distracted by boys?" he asked in a harsh tone as soon as I closed the doors behind me.

"No," I said. Glancing at the clock on the wall, I was just five minutes late. Only five.

"Punctuality is imperative, especially in my sessions. Anything other than that will simply not fly." He continued firmly, as if I hadn't spoked at all.

I was tempted to point out that I wasn't that late, but like me, he obviously had woken up on the wrong side of the bed. Or he was just always stern. I guessed that time would tell which one it was.

"Are we clear?" he asked when he realized that I hadn't affirmed or disapproved his earlier statement.

"Crystal," I said. And then disappeared into the dressing room to get changed.

"So what's on the cards for today?" I asked,ready to begin.

"I want you to repeat the sets you did yesterday," he informed.

I don't know if it was my soreness or my inability to understand why that made me blurt out, "Why am I doing a workout routine instead of dancing?"

"What are the five elements that all forms of dance and creative movement have in common?" he answered my question with one of his own.

Utterly confused I started listing: "body, action, space, time and energy."

"Good. We're working on the body element first." He said, looking at me like I should've known this already. And I should've. It was after all part of my early days junior year theory.

I didn't know what it was that had put me in such a horrible mood. I couldn't tell if it was my insufficient sleep, the email from my mother or the dream about Luca. But I decided to file away all these emotions that had blurred my reality, for later.

Deciding to get my head back in the game, I got to work.