PROJECT ROSE PART V

      I wiped my tears away. John told me I didn't have to do anymore lessons, but I told him it was fine. "Besides, I wanna know what lesson we were supposed to do in this ballroom." I told him, looking around.

He pushed his glasses. "Dance lessons, of course." He told me, pressing play on the stereo. Softly classical music began to play. He held out his hand, waiting for me. I stared at him. It's not like I didn't know how to dance, but I had never danced with a guy before. Becoming impatient he motioned his hand for me to come forward. Cautiously I stepped forward, placing my hand in his. His hand was warm. I blushed, my heart beginning to race as he placed his other hand on my waist. I couldn't look up at him. Why was I so embarrassed? I had just had such an emotional confrontation a second ago, he even hugged me. So why was dancing so embarrassing?!  

"Follow my lead." He said quietly in my ear. I tried to ignore the tickling sensation of his breathe on my cheek by focusing on the movements of his feet. But it was no use; I was so flustered I ended up tripping on his feet.

"Sorry!" I cried hiding my face.

"It's fine, let's try that again." John told me gently, taking my hand. We began to dance again. I took a deep breathe calming myself. It was easier to concentrate and follow his steps.

"Hey John can you read minds? Or can you just erase memories?" I asked him, hoping the answer was no. When he said nothing, I glanced up to see why.  I caught a glimpse of a smile, which he quickly hid by frowning again.

"There are many things I can do. As are there things I cannot do." He replied, with a stoic stare. I glared at him sighing. I didn't want him invading my mind without my permission. I tried to put up a mental shield. I don't know if it even did anything. After all, I didn't even know anything about all this supernatural stuff. "You're not even looking at my feet, yet your movements are perfectly synchronized with mine." He said, almost seeming impressed. I blinked. I hadn't been paying attention. Now that I realized I was doing well and having received a compliment from John, I almost lost my focus. I took a deep breath and finished the waltz, twirling perfectly into his arms. "Good work." He whispered into my ear, squeezing my shoulders affectionately.

"Gross." A familiar voice muttered. John released my shoulders immediately. I looked toward the entrance of the ballroom. There was Ren and Jake. It was Jake who had spoken. He glared at John as he walked up to me. "You're such a creep! What are you doing anyway?" He hissed at his brother. "Pedophile." He muttered under his breathe. Then he turned to me. "You should stay away from him, he's so weird! Creepy…gross—weird!" Jake told me, wrapping his arm around my shoulder. I laughed, shrugging his arm off. This was coming from the guy who tried to force himself on me? He looked down at the floor. "Uhm…Sorry about before. I was just playing around." He mumbled quietly to me. He looked really sad, and sorry.

I laughed. "It's ok silly! Just don't do it again." I told him quietly. He looked up at me with a relieved expression. I smiled. "You're like a brother to me." I told him, trying to make it clear I didn't like him in any other way.

He stared at me in surprise, and then smiled. "Yeah, of course I am the overprotective older brother!" He laughed loudly.

"Younger…Sister Complex." Ren muttered in the background.

"What?" Jake asked glaring at Ren.

"Rose is older than you." Ren told Jake. "She's seventeen. And you're not an overprotective brother anyway. You'd be the younger brother obsessed with his older sister. Sister Complex." Ren told Jake with an indifferent stare.

Jake's mouth gaped open. He turned to me. "Seventeen?" He whispered. I nodded. He glared. "Whatever I'm still you're older brother. And you're the younger sister who adores me so much! Right?" Jake smirked, trying to recover from Ren's attack on his ego.

"Right. I adore you, cute little brother." I laughed, teasing him. He made a displeased face at me.

"No! No! No!" He cried, stomping his feet like a child. He wrapped his arm around my shoulder, leading me out of the ballroom. Ren followed. "I'm taller, so I'm still the older brother!" He told me. I shook my head, laughing at him. He was such a silly guy.