Dancing with Lilly Noble and Murosky Skaggs
Picking her way through the throng of kids loitering at the edges of the gymnasium floor, Lilly headed for the stage.
She sensed someone following too closely behind her a moment too late.
A male hand grabbed her roughly around the waist and led her spinning into the center of the gym. When she stopped, the dizzy Lilly stood face to face with Murosky Skaggs, who pressed her tightly against him.
Her whirling gaze stopped on Farney, who was now on his feet and standing at the edge of the stage watching them. With a pair of headphones clamped to his head, he was tethered to a big, black box by a tightly stretched, coiled cord.
He stared down at her with a worried look in his eyes. She watched his Adam’s apple bounce twice in his throat.
“You do know how to dance,” Murosky chuckled, “right?”
“Where are your manners? Shouldn’t you ask me for a dance first?” Lilly didn’t know for certain if she knew how to dance, but her body followed his like she remembered how.
“Should, shouldn’t. The world’s got too many rules.” Murosky shrugged. “Do you follow all the rules people want you to follow, Lilly Noble?”
“If they make sense, I do.”
“I can’t keep them all straight. Do this, don’t do that.” He snatched the orb floating above her head from the air and held it up for her to see before shoving it into his pocket. “For the record, I did ask you for a dance. And since I want to dance with you right now, I decided to come after you and sweep you off your feet. Let’s dance.” He dipped her low and brought her up from the floor slowly. “It’s that easy.”
She saw laughter deep in his eyes as he spun her around.
“What if I don’t want to dance with you? What if I have a boyfriend? What if I want to dance with him instead?” She watched him carefully.
“You don’t have a boyfriend.”
Yup, he was definitely laughing, and having his fun with her. She realized her frustration with him was because he behaved as if everything was one big joke.
Lilly struggled to keep space between their bodies.
He threaded them between two other couples twirling across the gymnasium.
“How do you know I know how to dance?” Even she didn’t know this for certain.
Startled, he paused and stared at her. “Well, you walk like a dancer.”
Having no idea what he meant by that, she pressed on to prove her point. “What makes you so sure I don’t have a boyfriend?” Considering no boy had showed up at the hospital to sit with her after she awoke from her coma, she was pretty sure she didn’t have a boyfriend, but Murosky didn’t know that. At least not for sure, he didn’t.
“You don’t,” he protested.
She raised an eyebrow. “You sound certain about that.”
“I am.” Again, he dipped her to the floor.
“For someone who is a complete stranger, how come you know so much about me?” How did he know things about her, she didn’t remember herself?
All evidence of his teasing vanished. “I don’t know anything about you. Not the facts anyway. I’m just guessing.”
The air around them filled suddenly with the nauseating stench of stinky feet.
Murosky had lied to her.
Lilly planted her feet firmly in place. She struggled to keep from gagging against the pungent odor and maintain her composure. “I don’t believe you,” she challenged.
His jaw tightened. He didn’t respond.
The song ended.
“You can let go of me now,” she insisted politely enough, and tried to wriggle free.
He released his tight embrace.
Lilly walked to the edge of the floor, where Zymura waited anxiously for her.
Posted by Deborah McTiernan
Author of Lilly Noble & Actual Magic
Dares readers to believe in themselves and discover the magic within!
Read more: <ASIN: 0989180700> or <ASIN: B00D0DD97U> (Kindle).
