Rising Shards

After that sudden dance session with Anastasia and Sai, I wasn’t quite sure what to think. Just a dance between friends, right? But why’d they both want to dance with me? Why did I want to dance with them?

”I don’t see her,” Zeta said, scanning around the dance floor.

After that surprisingly nice and refreshing dance, Zeta, Oka, and I took a break. We’d explored the ballroom a bit, but saw no sign of Kalei anywhere.

”If she didn’t show up to this...” I said, clenching my jaw. I shouldn’t have been so angry at the thought, if she decided at the last minute she didn’t want to go, that wasn’t my issue. I suppose I was just connecting dots that weren’t necessarily the case, figuring if she skipped the dance, she’d skip out on telling us what her issue was after we gave her more time to tell us.

”Well, I don’t see Marmalade either, so hopefully Kalei didn’t ghost her or anything.” Oka said.

”I bet she’s here somewhere, it’s a big ballroom,” Zeta said. ”Wanna go back to dancing?”

”In a bit, I do need a break,” Oka said. ”My widdle feetsies are gonna get sore if we dance too long...”

”True, true, my widdle feetsies could also use a break,” Zeta said.

The three of us got food and drinks and sat down in one of the side areas past the dance floor. We ate in silence as I tried to imagine where Kalei was at.

”So...” Oka said, grinning. ”Putting a pin in finding Kalei for a second...how was that dance, Lillia?”

”Yeah, I wasn’t expecting that,” Zeta said, a matching grin spreading across her face.

”Er...that’s...” I wasn’t entirely sure why I didn’t expect them to say anything. When we were dancing, it looked like the two were so focused on each other that I didn’t think they’d notice who I danced with. ”I’m sorry.”

”Huh? For what?” Zeta asked.

”I should have asked if you were fine with me dancing with Anastasia,” I said. I didn’t need to point out to Zeta about how contentious Anastasia had been with her.

Zeta merely shrugged. ”Well, I appreciate you saying that, but. I dunno, you seemed to be hitting it off with her and Sai. I don’t want to get in the way of that.”

”Maybe you could make Ana more normal,” Oka said.

”She was actually kind of sort of tolerating me for a second there, so I should be thanking you, really,” Zeta said.

I wasn’t sure what to say. I was still in the middle of processing my breakup with Ko, even if that was a while ago by now. I thought about how I felt when I was in the dating game show scenario in the void, wanting to move forward. Both Anastasia and Sai were there, but I didn’t really get a sense of anything romantic. I also wasn’t entirely sure what even happened just then on the dance floor. I barely knew Ana and Sai, should I be more worried about dancing with them? I supposed we’d spent time together a bit, when I visited the devil’s dorm and a few other times.

”You have the overthinking scowl on,” Oka said.

”Do I?” I asked, not realizing what kind of expression I had made.

”Yeah...maybe don’t overthink this here particular situation?” Oka said. ”We’re at a dance, we should be having fun, not getting in our heads about this.”

”I suppose I could try that...” I said.

We continued eating for a bit as I tried to get myself to not over analyze the dance. Oka was right, this was supposed to be fun.

”You know, for all the wingman stuff lately, we haven’t really gotten to do much actual wingman-ing,” Zeta said. ”So if you wanted us to, we could help, maybe? Though I don’t know how much help I’d be with Anastasia. Even if she is my sister, it’s not like I really know her.”

”I’d appreciate that, perhaps,” I said. I’d welcome both Zeta and Oka’s help with anything, but did I want them guiding me towards something with Anastasia? With Sai? With the two of them?

”When I was daydreaming about the dance, I was picturing someone coming up to us all like,” Oka put on a bizarre voice, high pitched and raspy. ”’Aw gosh, I wanna ask my crush out, but I’m chickening out. I’ve been waitin’ all fall semester and all of spring so far but I just ain’t got what it takes. You two are such a lovely couple, how do you do it?’ And then we coach them and hype them up to ask their girl out finally. Or partner of any gender, really, but in my head I kinda default to girl, I should maybe not do that all the time but, ugh, girls, you know?”

Oka sighed whimsically. I wasn’t sure what reaction she was expecting from us, but Zeta started giggling, and I joined in as well.

”Why are you laughing?” Oka asked.

”No, it’s a cute idea, just the voice you gave them is so...” Zeta said.

”Precisely, what was that voice?” I said.

”It was like a cartoon grandma that eats sandpaper,” Zeta said.

Oka’s pout quivered, and she started laughing too. ”I dunno where that came from. But like! The point is, if you want our help, you’d help my daydream come to life.”

”So is that voice supposed to be me, then?” I asked.

”No, it’s just a voice I did!” Oka said.

”I’m teasing,” I said. I thought about just leaving it there. Give myself more time to think about the dancing with Anastasia and Sai later. But I was a bit curious. ”What would your advice be to me in this situation?”

Oka and Zeta looked at each other. I wasn’t entirely sure the two could read each other’s minds, but sometimes it felt like it as they silently observed the other.

”I’d maybe...go back and ask if they’d like another dance?” Oka said.

”Yeah, that’d be good, I think,” Zeta said. ”We can hang back here if you do, just in case Ana gets tired enough of me to go all...Ana about it.”

”And don’t feel bad about us sitting a bit longer, the shoes we got with our dresses are killing my feets,” Oka said.

”Me too, I need to sit for a while,” Zeta said.

I’d finished my meal already, and felt a sudden rush of excitement.

”I might...take that advice, yes,” I said, rising to my feet, my shoes apparently weren’t as cruel comfort wise as Oka and Zeta’s, so I was ready for more. ”If I see Kalei, though, I’ll come get you.”

”We’ll do the same,” Oka said. ”And don’t overthink it, got it?”

”Got it,” I said.