“Dating Advice, Drama, and Dance” (79.14) (Anastasia)

Dancing with Sai and Lillia more was fun, and having the other devils with us too was great. But I was getting a bit antsy. I had finally talked to the girl I'd been obsessing about in the back of my mind, and so far she was even better than I imagined her to be? No offense to my friends, but I was craving more time with Zoey.

I don't even know her last name yet.

I wondered if there was a program for the battle of the bands that listed the participants. I could search Zoey model as she apparently did modeling work, but I didn't want to stand around poking at my phone.

"Must be nice," Charmaine said.

"What do you mean?" Sai asked.

"Yeah, are you talking about us?" I asked.

Lillia waited to see before answering. It was kind of interesting that she'd been hanging around us a bit, but I didn't give it much thought yet other than affirming that she's the most tolerable member of my sister's clique.

"We're just in the loser gallery over here," Charmaine said.

"We're not losers, we're all dancing together!" Esther said. She'd been dancing with Ko Matora, but Ko stepped out to get some drinks.

"Feels like we're all just dancing alone, just near each other," Charmaine said.

"If you want a dance partner so bad, go ask someone instead of grumbling at us," Sai said.

"Plenty of folks around us," I said.

"I dunno, I've made it a point to turn down people for the dance for the past month, how am I gonna be like, 'Hey, do you want to dance with me now?'" Myles said.

"Why don't you dance with Esther, and Charmaine with Ash?" I suggested.

"We already did that for a few songs, but you were too wrapped up with Sai and Lillia to notice," Myles said. She grinned and bumped her shoulder against me. "That's me just teasing, by the way, I'm not making fun of you for having a good time."

I just growled in response. But I wasn't too mad. Teasing from the other devils felt...like we were all on equal ground. I almost thought about how different it was talking to my bandmates than to the devils, but I pushed the thought away, a stinging feeling in my gut telling me to move past it for now.

"Lemme just get a song in with you," Myles said, stepping in front of me.

"Then my turn!" Esther said.

"And me, sure," Ash said.

"Is everyone going to dance with me?" I asked.

"Well, I was gonna ask Sai and/or Lillia if they wanted to go," Charmaine said.

Sai shrugged at Charmaine's response.

"Wow, OK," Charmaine said, crossing her arms, her tail flicking angrily.

"I'm joking, come on," Sai said.

Lillia excused herself to check in on her friends, which fortunately Charmaine didn't take as Lillia turning her down. As the next song started, Myles stood in front of me, looking up.

"You're tall, I can see the appeal of dancing with you," Myles said.

"The hell does that mean? I'm barely taller than you," I said.

"I gotta look up to see you, you're tall," Myles said.

"Thanks?" I said.

"Must've gotten all the height genes in the family," Ash noted, dancing close by us with Esther.

"I don't wanna think about my sisters right now," I said.

"We know, but like, just for a second can I make an observation?" Myles said.

"I mean, you did already, so," I said. "I'm in a good mood, go for it."

"It is kinda funny how much taller than you are compared to them, right?" Myles said. "When I see Stella at the library she's like three bookshelves tall."

"She's not that short," I said.

"Defending her, huh?" Myles said.

"I'm not!" I laughed. "Just she's not that short!"

"Fine, fine, and I'll leave it there, sorry for bringing a sore subject up," Myles said.

"It's not a sore subject, it's just an annoying one," I said.

"It seems pretty sore," Myles said. "Are we gonna spend this whole song talking about Zeta and Stella?"

"We're not, you're the one who brought it up!" I said. Why was I laughing at all this? It was so much easier talking to the devils than anyone else. I tried to push the thought away earlier, but I couldn't, it made me think of how much it stung to say anything to my band now. How could we make it so talking to them felt like this? That was on my mind as I danced with Myles, then Esther, then Ash. Sai waited for me after I finished.

"Careful, I'm gonna get jealous," Sai said.

"You know you're my favorite," I said.

"I'm just joking," Sai said. "But you better not be, I'm definitely your favorite."

"Definitely," I said. "I think I'm gonna take a break and a quick look around."

"Looking for that girl, huh?" Sai said. They smiled as they said it, but I heard just the slimmest hint of...something in their voice.

"Don't get jealous about that, either," I said.

"Nah, just have fun," Sai said, patting my arm.

Without thinking, I pulled them in for a hug, an embrace a bit more...I don't know, desperate? I didn't intend it to be, I don't know what I intended it to be. The others were already busy with more dancing, not paying any attention to us, but if they were within reach I'd hug them too. I was just feeling grateful to have them in my life. So I poured all of that feeling into my hug to Sai. They looked...perplexed when I let go.

"Sorry, just," I said. "I wanted to thank? You?"

"Thank me?" Sai said.

"Just, thanks for being my friend and all," I said, scratching the back of my head.

"Heh, thank you too," Sai said. "Maybe warn me next time you give me a hug like that though, you crushed my ribs..."

"Sorry..." I said.

"I'm joking, now go find that girl already," Sai said. "Maybe she'll want to dance with us, too?"

"Yeah, maybe..." I said.

I pushed my way back out of the crowd, walking around the tables on the outer area past the dance floor. I had a specific goal in mind. It took a while to actually find one, a flyer for the dance left on one of the tables. I figured it probably wouldn't be in there, but I had to look.

I took a sharp breath when I got to the band listing for Radiance at the top of the third page. I didn't recognize any of the other band members, but the singer's name was there.

Zoey Delta. Her name was like a song to my heart, and I sang it in my head over and over. I wasn't sure what delayed her band from performing, but I was suddenly glad it did just so I could learn that name. And soon, I'd see her play again, and we'd talk, and maybe we'd be friends, and maybe something more, and maybe, just maybe, everything would finally turn around.