//-------------------------------------------------------// The Art of Dancing -by JD1- //-------------------------------------------------------// //-------------------------------------------------------// Shall we dance? //-------------------------------------------------------// Shall we dance? Dancing. Dancing. Dancing? Who would’ve thought one simple word could drive a boy into a corner? To think someone such as Hitch, a beloved student among his peers and classmates, the class representative, was now the most terrified person in the world. A handful of things frightened the teen: Needles, dark and haunted places, ghosts… but to think that one thing he feared the most, at this current moment, was dancing. He didn’t know why; in the past, he had no problem with dancing. He’d even enjoyed the silly dances as those were situations where everyone didn’t have to worry about being judged by others and could let loose. However, as of right now, he felt like cold air blowing down his spine. It all began a few days ago when their school announced they were having a Homecoming event. It wasn’t the event itself that put a panic in the boy. In the past, he often liked the weird dances he engaged in. But this time, it was a different kind of dance, so there would be no hiding his face if he did something embarrassing. And if that wasn’t bad enough, the comment made by his best friend was enough to put him in a panic. “Maybe you and I will share a dance.” Since the day they first met, Hitch and Sunny had been tied at the hip. Growing up, they were practically best friends. They did almost everything together: play dates, homework, and even listening to the stories Sunny’s dad told them. As they grew up, many people often made jokes about how cute of a couple the pair was. Sunny would simply laugh it off while Hitch made some faces as the thought romance was too mushy for him. But… as time passed and both grew up, the idea of them being an item started to change, at least for the young boy, from seeing Sunny as a sister to a best friend to potentially… something else. It was a lot for the teen to take in since he’d spent so much time with his best friend that his feelings about her were sure to change. He remembered his conversation with his Granny when he first brought up the idea. “Granny, can I ask you something?” “What is it, Hitchy?” “Well, it’s about Sunny. Lately, whenever it’s just the two of us hanging out, I feel… different.” “Different, how?” “Like… I don’t know… it’s like my body wants to do several backflips and jump into a river.” The old lady smiled as it didn’t take a genius to know what her beloved grandson was experiencing. “Am I sick?” “No, Hitchy. You’re perfectly fine. In fact, what you’re experiencing is what anybody feels. It’s the same feeling I had when I met your grandfather.” “What’s that?” asked the boy as his grandmother gave him tea. “You’ve developed feelings.” The teen immediately spat out his tea as it sprayed about. He looked at his grandmother as she stood there with a smile. “Huh?” “You’ve developed feelings for your best friend.” “For… Sunny?” asked the boy as he set his teacup down. “Oh, it’s perfectly normal, Hitch. In fact, I’m surprised it took you so long to finally see her in a different light. I was wondering if maybe you had your eyes on a different girl,” said the old woman as she walked to the kitchen. “But… Sunny. She’s my best friend. We used to hang out and have play dates. I can’t think of her that way.” the teen stated. “Why not? What’s so wrong with liking a girl that’s grown up with you?” asked the old lady. “It’s just… I don’t know… weird. You don’t just walk up to a girl, hand her a bouquet, and say: ‘Hey, remember me. We were kids together. Will you marry me?’. It just sounds far-fetched.” “Well, I’m not saying you should marry Sunny, Hitchy. All I’m saying is that perhaps maybe… you view Sunny as something more than just a best friend. You meet someone; over time, the more you bond, the more time you spend with them, and you develop feelings. How can you not have a connection with someone you’ve known your whole life as well as they’re a similar age as you?” “But… she’s my best friend. It can’t happen… right?” “Come now, Hitchy. Everypony should have at least some love in their life. Someone who will stand by you in tough times. Someone you can count on. Someone who you care about. Someone who holds a special place in your heart, whether conditional or unconditional. Someone who you put your trust in. To me, that’s who your grandfather was.” “I don’t know,” sighed the boy as he was now even more confused. “Look, Hitchy. Give it time. I’m sure you’ll find the answers you seek for. I’m here for you, my grandson. I’ll always be here if you need some advice.” smiled the old woman as she approached her beloved grandson. “Thanks, Granny,” smiled Hitch as he hugged his grandmother tightly. “First position, second, third, fourth, and rest in fifth!” commanded Pipp. The pop star was in her room as she was giving Hitch some dancing lessons on how to properly formal dance, which would be one of the things that would take place at the event. As such, the boy sucked at this type of dance and sought out some help from the girl herself in hopes that he wouldn’t make a fool out of himself if Sunny asked him to dance when that section of the party happened. “Can… I… take… five minutes?” asked Hitch as he was sweating up a storm. “We’ve barely started,” giggled the stylish. “That was just the warm routine. If you warm up properly, you’re not going to get hurt. And if you warm down properly, you’re also not going to get hurt.” “That was just the warm-up?” said the boy in shock, fearing the actual dance sequence. “Well, it’s moreso the warm-up that I use before I perform, but it’s good enough for someone such as yourself who has incredible conditioning and stamina,” stated the stylish as she headed toward her phone stand and put some jazz music on. “Alright, let’s see what you got,” stated the girl. Hitch began moving his body to the beat of the music. Feeling the soundwaves, he tapped his foot against the floor. The boy started to get a hold of the gentle music and felt confident. Pipp then switched tracks, and the music was even more fast-paced, so he had to pick up the tempo to stay in time with the beat. That proved difficult for the boy as his legs moved so fast that he lost his balance and toppled into some of Pipp’s products. The girl flinched as she shut off her phone before approaching her friend. “How’d I do?” asked the teen as he lifted some of Pipp’s clothes off his head. “Um, let’s go with a solid 4.7 out of ten,” smiled the stylish. “Let’s switch over and do some basic trust exercises.” “Trust exercises?” repeated Hitch. “We’ll start simple. Trust falls. It’s a necessary thing to do for people who dance together. The more you trust someone, the stronger and more productive you’ll be. Now… catch me!” said Pipp as she abruptly let herself fall. “Hey, wait, I wasn’t--!” exclaimed Hitch as Pipp didn’t allow him a chance to ready himself. The boy quickly put his arms out to catch his friend. He got under her just at the last second, and she fell on top of him. Hitch groaned as he lay with the girl, who sat up and looked at the boy below her. “You’re supposed to catch me with your arms, not your body,” commented Pipp as Hitch faceplanted himself. After a couple more tries, Hitch managed to get the trust fall exercises under wraps, as it took a bit more effort on Pipp’s end, given the boy was a bit heavier than her. The pair were outside the girl’s mansion near a tree as Pipp had just finished tying a bell onto one of the lower branches. “Alright, now, jump and touch that bell.” “Why am I doing this?” asked Hitch. “It’s to help you with dancing.” “How does this help me?” “Just do it!” exclaimed the pop star. The boy sighed as he jumped as high as possible but failed to touch the bell. “Again!” shouted Pipp as Hitch tried to touch the bell again but didn’t come close. “Look, Hitch. You have the energy, but you lack precision and fitness. You need balance, grace, and charm if we want to give you some sense of rhythm.” The girl left and returned with a watering can left by one of the gardeners. She dumped the contents onto the ground before her friend, creating a puddle. “Now, do it again, but try not to splash the water this time.” “That’s impossible!” said Hitch, as there was no way he could do what Pipp was asking without getting his feet wet. “Do you want to learn to dance or not?!!” retorted the stylish. The boy sighed as he looked at the puddle, showcasing his reflection before looking up. He saw the bell glistening in the sun's rays as he took a deep breath before he got to work and did what he was told. After the exercises were completed, the teen pop star reviewed the different styles of dances that would be performed at the gala. “All right, stand up straight! Now, you’re going to put one of your hands here,” said the girl as she held out her left hand. “And your other hand over here on my shoulder.” “Y-Your shoulder?” stuttered Hitch as he hesitated about touching the girl. He had never had this form of contact with any girl, as he felt like he was violating Pipp by putting his hands on her. “Yup. And then I’m gonna lock my thumb under your armpit.” “Y-You sure this how it goes?” asked Hitch. He was awfully close to the stylish, and he could smell the scent of her shampoo, which she used to wash her hair. “It’s called the tango, and this is how it’s done. You need to lock your parts in with your partner. Don’t worry, I won’t bite… much,” smirked Pipp. “Oh, that’s reassuring,” remarked Hitch sarcastically. “Now, lock your elbows,” instructed the girl as Hitch did as he was told. “Now… as the man, you put your hand here.” Pipp guided Hitch’s hand as she rested it on her shoulder. The boy now gripped the girl’s shoulder, feeling her skin send shivers down his spine as his head filled with thoughts. He was taken out of those thoughts when he heard a sound escape the girl’s lips. “S-Sorry, sorry. My bad!” apologized Hitch as he felt he had put too much pressure on the girl’s shoulder and immediately broke apart. “No, it’s okay. I was just letting out a giggle. It tickled a bit.” “What? You’re ticklish?” said Hitch, as that was not the response he was looking for. “I’m ticklish in lots of places that I’m not telling you about. Anyways, come on, lock up!” said Pipp as Hitch approached her and locked his hand into position. “Now apply some pressure, and I’ll go against it. Think of it like magnets pushing each other away.” “I never expected you to make a science comparison given how often you ask me for help on your physics homework,” remarked Hitch as Pipp glared at her friend. “Sorry.” ”Now… follow my lead,” said Pipp as she instructed Hitch on what to do. “Left, right, left… turn and step. Look at me, not at your feet. And repeat…” The boy did his best to listen to the girl’s words as she soon transferred command. Now, he led them in the dance, making sure not to step on her feet while remembering the steps the girl told him. They were moving forward and back as Pipp mirrored his moves perfectly. “How do you feel?” asked the stylish as they moved back and forth. “It feels good. Like… really good. The dancing part, I mean,” clarified Hitch as he looked into the girl’s eyes when he said that. “The tango is all about passion. The man leads while the lady follows until…” Hitch then dipped the girl as he looked at her, “... they become one.” The boy blinked as he freed himself from Pipp’s gaze and pulled her to her feet. “Not bad, Hitch. There’s still some work that needs to be done, but you’re on track!” said Pipp, impressed that Hitch had managed to get the basics down. “Still feels weird that I need to learn how to do this, but… if I want to avoid making a fool of myself, I guess I better take one for the team,” said Hitch. “Look, Hitch. Here’s the last piece of advice I’ll give. Have faith in yourself, and everything will turn out fine—maybe even better than you expect.” said the girl as the boy took in her words. It was the day of the Homecoming dance. The students all arrived dressed in formal attire as they entered the banquet hall, which was transformed to look splendid thanks to Pipp and her planning committee. “Well, well… lookin’ good, eh, sheriff!” said Zipp as she approached her friend and put her arm around his neck. “Hey, Zipp,” responded the boy as he’d gotten used to the nickname that she’d given him due to his strictness for rules. “So a little songbird told me you’ve been taking lessons from my sister. So, did you manage to sweep her off her feet?” “Ha, ha. Very funny,” said Hitch as he removed the girl’s arm from around his neck. “For your information, I asked her for some help, okay. I’m not that good when it comes to formal dancing so I asked if she could teach me so I don’t embarrass myself. Uh, by the way, you haven’t seen Sunny yet have you?” “Not since earlier today at school. Oh, I get it, sheriff. You fixing to ask Sunny for a dance?” smirked the heiress. “No, it’s nothing like that!” remarked Hitch as he knew Zipp would tease him about his best friend. “I simply promised that I would dance with her and as her best friend, I’d never break one of our promises.” “Sure, sure, whatever you say, sheriff,” smirked the girl as Hitch rolled his eyes. “By the way, Zipp. Where’d you get this chocolate fountain from?” asked the boy. “My mom had that sent. Once she found out from Pipp that she was planning Homecoming, she had our personal chocolate fountain delivered and had the best chocolate imported from around the world. She spared no expense.” “Well, I like it. Not just because it’s good…” said Izzy as munched on a strawberry before continuing her ramble. “But because it makes things taste even better. For example: Strawberries…” The girl dunked some more of the fruit into the fountain before popping them into her mouth. She then began to dump things into the fountain as she listed them off. “Bananas, nuts, marshmallows, cherries, my keys-“ “Hey, wait a sec, those are my keys, Izzy!” exclaimed Hitch as he saw the star shaped keychain before it was dunked into the chocolate fountain. “Oh… oops,” smiled the girl with a carefree smile as Hitch had to fetch his keys from the messy liquid all while Zipp tried to hold back a chuckle. For the first half of the event, things went off swimmingly. As for Hitch, the dance lessons he got from Pipp proved to be his saving grace when the formal dances began; however, he soon tensed up when he turned and spotted what he’d been dreading all night. She walked in. She went through the crowd, trying to keep her outfit neat. It was a simple dress with matching shoes. Many other people would say it was plain, but that was its beauty. It was so simple that it made the boy appreciate his best friend’s beauty even more. It helped to highlight her eyes and hair, and he was almost lost in her gaze. The boy felt a wave of heat slap him in the face, and he blushed up a storm. To him, Sunny was simply breathtaking as she approached her best friend. She gave a small wave to which he returned while trying to hide the growing red on his face at how stunning she looked. “Hey.” “Hey.” The two best friends stood eye to eye as they took in the other’s appearance. “You look handsome,” said Sunny. “Uh, thanks. You look… you know…” stuttered the boy as he struggled to find the words to say to his best friend. “My dad helped me with this. He said it belonged to my mother. It was the dress she wore when they first met, " Sunny said, as the fact that she wore something that belonged to her late mother filled her with happiness and sadness. “Well… I’m sure she would say you look lovely in it,” smiled Hitch, slowly gaining his confidence after hearing how special the dress Sunny was in. He put his hand on her shoulder, feeling the boy's touch send shivers down the girl’s body, filling her with warmth. She kept her eyes on her best friend as he didn’t remove his hand, nor did she want him to. The music suddenly changed as the band listened to what the conductor told them; had it not been for the sudden mood switch, neither of the teens wouldn’t snap out of their mini gaze. The tempo changed to a quicker beat as, all around them, students were beginning to partner up. Hitch then had a cold sweat running down his face as he realized he and Sunny were in the middle, surrounded by the many dancing couples. “Well… you ready?” asked Sunny as she got her best friend’s attention. “We made a promise, right?” “R-Right,” said the boy before letting out a gulp. “It’s just… well… I’m… I’m---” “Hey, it’s okay, Hitch. I’m nervous, too. I’ve known you long enough to know when you’re afraid of something. If you don’t want to, then that’s fine--” “But I promised!” said the boy as he spoke without thinking about what he said. His brain was now shut off as his body reacted on instinct. “Sunny, I promised. And as your best friend, you know I never break my promises to you. So… let’s get to it.” The girl sighed and giggled a bit. She could tell Hitch was trying to act confident, but she knew he was still nervous. Regardless, she accepted his proposal, took his hand, and guided him away. The pair found a spot as they got into position; Hitch noticed Pipp out of the corner of his eye as he saw the girl dancing with someone before she spotted her friends and quickly flashed a thumbs up when they turned to signal her support to the boy. He took a deep breath before turning back to look at the girl before him. “You know what to do?” asked Sunny. “Y-Yeah… First, I put my hand on your hip,” said Hitch as he followed Pipp's instructions. His hand was positioned on the girl’s hip as it stuck to her like glue. The feeling of his best friend was vastly different compared to the pop star. For one, he liked it. “Hitch…” said Sunny, getting the attention of her best friend from his trance. “S-Sorry. Um, now I take your hand with my other hand.” The boy took the girl’s smaller hand into his as she placed her free hand on his shoulder. Upon feeling Sunny’s hand, Hitch felt how soft they were. He had never noticed it before, even though they often did their handshake and exchanged high fives occasionally, but it felt like silk. “Ready?” asked the girl. “Yeah,” the boy nodded as he began moving with hers. Just don’t step on her toes! The words rang in Hitch’s head as if there was one thing he wanted to at least get right about the dance: not to step on Sunny’s toes. He knew she would hate him forever if he did that. “Wow, Hitch! I didn’t know you could dance like this! You’re amazing!” “Huh?” The boy was so focused on his mental torture of not harming his best friend that he failed to realize what his body was doing. That single thought so clouded his mind that he didn’t pay much attention to how his body moved while guiding Sunny’s. His feet were smoothly following Sunny’s; he looked at the other couples around them and saw they were moving in sync with them and the music. The boy had a smile on his face as he was dancing. He was actually dancing. All the nerves and terrors that plagued the teen’s body were long gone as he looked at the girl he was holding; her smile was that of a proud parent, and it caused his smile to grow even more. “I’m really doing it, huh,” said the boy with a goofy smile as he couldn’t believe himself. “So, tell me, who taught you?” asked Sunny, knowing her best friend had some help. “Just… a friend,” chuckled the boy sheepishly as he shifted his eyes to spot Pipp, who had switched partners and mouthed a ‘Thank You’ in her general direction. Seeing her best friend’s smile, Sunny couldn’t help but feel a sense of warmth. The sight of Hitch with a smile on her face made her heart beat a bit fast. She imagined closing her eyes and falling into an endless sleep in the boy’s arms, which would protect her from harm. The dance's sway and motion put both teens into a trance. In this euphoric state, neither noticed they had stopped talking or looking at the other couples dancing. All that mattered in that moment was each other as they stared deep into each other’s eyes. Moderate turquoise met tangelo as their bodies went on autopilot; the two glided over the dance floor like clouds in the sky. To them, there was nobody else present but them. It was just them. While the two were so focused on each other, the other couples took notice of the pair dancing and had smiles of their own. Pipp, already on her fifth dance partner by now, took a moment to peer over to where her two friends were as she couldn’t help but let out a cute ‘aw’ at how the two were perfect for each other before continuing to dance the night away. After about five minutes, the music came to an end. Everybody broke apart and applauded the band, showing appreciation for their performance. The two best friends were the last ones to take notice of the situation as they reluctantly did the same. “Wow… that was… something,” spoke Sunny. “Y-Yeah… something,” responded Hitch as he kept looking at his best friend. The boy barely had a chance to speak with the girl before the music picked up again, and he was suddenly yanked by his arm by another dance partner. The same thing happened with Sunny; now, she was dancing with someone else. The students mingled with one another for the rest of the night and enjoyed themselves. It seemed Pipp’s lessons had worked wonders as Hitch did not make a fool of himself in front of Sunny, but he made quite a splash with the other girls watching his performance. So many were lining up to dance with the boy that he had to quietly sneak away as even he was starting to get a bit winded. The teen managed to sneak away from the banquet hall as he leaned against the entrance door and sighed. He then got up and began to take a walk to the nearby garden. He came to a small water fountain, and the drip was soothing. Seeing his reflection on the surface, he reached into his pockets and pulled out a coin. He looked at the small metal thing before closing his eyes as he said his wish; the teen then flicked the coin into the water, as it made a splash. At that moment, a rustling sound was heard behind him. The boy tensed up as he feared he might be trespassing, but to his shock, the person who appeared was someone he had thought of just moments before. “Oh, hey. I didn’t expect to see you here,” said Sunny as she stumbled upon her best friend by the fountain. “I just needed some fresh air,” replied the boy as he sat on the fountain’s edge. “I can tell. Seems you’re quite popular with the ladies after that amazing performance,” joked Sunny as she slid up against her best friend and gave a playful punch to his shoulder, to which he giggled. “That good, huh?” asked the boy jokingly. “I’d give that performance a ten out of ten,” responded Sunny amusingly as the duo got an even bigger laugh. “So… why are you out here?” asked Hitch. “Eh, I was getting a bit tired,” confessed the girl. “Figured I’d get some quiet. Though, I probably should’ve claimed this spot first.” The two friends then looked around the garden. Tons of flowers of different vibrant colors surrounded them. The trees had beautiful buds, and a couple of birds were nearby singing to one another. A pair was bathing each other in a nearby bird bath before nuzzling against one another. The sights and sounds of mother nature just added to the overall scenario for the teens, giving off a wonderful feeling. “It’s relaxing, you know,” “Yeah, I know what you mean,” Sunny then closed her eyes and began to hum. The girl was humming to the sounds produced all around them as Hitch listened to her. Her voice blended melodiously with the nature noises, making it harmonious. The boy listened to the girl sing her song, captivated by it. He then thought back to what Pipp had said before the dance. “Have faith in yourself, and everything will turn out fine—maybe even better than you expect.” The teen then glanced at his best friend as she finished her little song and opened her eyes. Sunny looked at her friend before looking away as she played with the hem of her dress. Hitch’s hand was on the stone in between them as it slowly moved on its own. He was about to reach over and grab Sunny’s hand when she spoke up. “It’s kinda weird-- us being here like this, isn’t it?” “Hmm? Is it? I mean… I-I guess it is. Kinda.” responded the boy as he looked at his best friend. “Ever since we kids… ever since we met our friends even-- I can’t remember a time like this. A time when we were this close,” said Sunny as she turned to look directly at Hitch. The boy looked at the girl, taking in her words, before both looked ahead with their heads down. “Or… am I getting ahead of myself again?” “Again?” “Yeah… Again.” Sunny put her hands on top of each other as she sighed. At that moment, Hitch was shown offering his hand. The girl noticed it out of her eye and gasped as she stared at her best friend. “Not one bit,” responded the boy, keeping his eyes on the girl before him. Sunny smiled as she extended a hand and placed it gently into Hitch’s, and the boy quickly yanked the girl forward. She was caught off guard and even moreso as Hitch pulled her in for a deep hug, wrapping his arms tightly around her. Her face was buried into his shoulder as she relished the shared embrace. Their body heat mixed as it was just as intoxicating as it was back in the banquet hall when they danced. Hitch’s hands then moved to grab her shoulders as he pulled her back to look at her. Then, he took a bold risk in the blink of an eye. The boy raised a hand to cusp one Sunny’s right cheek as he leaned in, and soon… their lips made contact. For the first five seconds, Sunny was frozen in shock that she was kissing her best friend, but she soon closed her eyes and leaned into it. There was no tongue or overt passion. It was just a simple kiss that expressed every emotion that both felt. The two soon broke apart as they continued to look into each other’s eyes. Hitch’s thumb caressed Sunny’s make, making her lean into his touch. Neither knew how long they stayed like that, as at some point, they’d gotten up and locked up as they began to dance once more to the sounds around them. Hitch placed both hands on Sunny’s hips, and she wrapped them around the back of his neck, drawing them closer together. Almost on instinct, the duo began to sway softly from side to side, mirroring the movements of the trees fluttering in the wind. The girl rested her head on his chest while he placed his chin on her head. Hitch inhaled deeply, taking in the sweet scent of her lavender hair. It was almost a crime at how good she smelled. He questioned if someone could smell this good; Sunny’s head was swimming several laps as their bodies were pressed against one another. Like in the banquet hall, it was just them and nobody else. Hitch’s hands rubbed Sunny’s back while her thumb rubbed the back of his neck. “This is nice.” “Mmmmhmmm.” Without warning, Sunny looked up and kissed Hitch’s cheek as he smiled. He then lifted one of his hands to turn her chin to look at him again before capturing her lips for a second time. The pair continued to sway as they were in no rush to return, knowing their friends might come looking for them, wondering where they were. “So… what was your wish before I arrived?” asked Sunny. “Heh. It already came true,” the boy responded as he held his best friend tighter. The pair stayed like that as their senses began to blur their surroundings. Their scents formed a new smell, and their body heat merged into a small inferno that burned with intense passion and affection. Their moment of bliss, while it may have been temporary, would go on to live in the hearts and memories of the teens forever. This single, beautiful moment was theirs and theirs alone. Nobody could take it away from them. Hitch looked at his best friend as one final thought formed. Maybe dancing’s not so bad after all. Author's Note With G5’s unfortunate ending, I wanted to do something to commemorate it for all that it has given us. While it wasn’t everyone’s favorite generation, it did give us some stellar characters and memories. So from the bottom of my heart, thank you G5. Now since it’s come to an end, what does that mean for me? Will I ever write another G5 story… the answer is: Hell Yeah! Just like with Equestria Girls, it’s up to us, the fandom, to keep it going and alive. So to all those haters of G5, those toxic, fickle, snowflakes of fans, especially that one user, you know who you are, who can’t stand anything G5 related. Whether you see this or not, just know that while you may preach and shout from the rooftops about how much you get off of G5’s demise, know this… as long as there are people who continue to write stories, as long as there is a fan base who is passionate about it, as long as there is hope itself, G5 will never truly die. So you can take your toxicity and shove it up tu culo! You know… a wiseman once said: “There’s a thin line between love and hate. And I’ve turned your hate into something of value, so thank you. And for whatever reason if you do dislike me, whether it’s your jealousy or your hatred, I don’t know why you keep doubting me. But keep doubting me because when people believe in me, I’m good, but… when people doubt me, I am great!” Once again, thank you G5 for all you’ve given us. And know that your future is in good hands with us. Now then… let’s go make some more memories.