Page 57 of I Don't Need Your Romance

“I think you guys should save it for the dance floor,” Raven says with a laugh.

“Ooh, let’s teach it to Sophie,” Addie says as we head into the mansion. “The guys will see you dancing and they’ll fall in love with you right on the spot.”

I give her a look. “You know I hate to dance.”

“What did I say about using ‘hate’ and ‘dance’ in the same sentence?” Carly demands with her hands on her hips.

I motion to my ears and yell over the loud music, “What? I can’t hear you.”

She playfully knocks her hip into mine.

The place is pretty packed. I don’t recognize a lot of people, so I assume they’re from other schools. But most of them appear to be on the wealthy side.

“Who wants food?” Carly asks as she makes a beeline for the refreshment tables. It seems Julio went all out because there are so many different kinds of food here, including baked goods, normal snacks like potato chips, pretzels, and candy, but then there are the rich kind of foods. The kind that chefs slave over to get the perfect bite.

Raven makes a face after tasting one of those dishes. “Just because it was prepared by a gourmet chef, it doesn’t mean it’s any better than your average food.” She grabs a brownie and takes a bite, her body perking up with joy. “Now that’s what I’m talking about.”

As I munch on potato chips, my eyes survey the area. There are so many people here and it’s hard to notice a familiar face. I could technically try my luck with a stranger, but I have no idea who any of them are. It’s not the smartest idea to get together with a guy I don’t know at a party. He could be in college for all I know.

“Time to dance!” Carly grabs Ryder with one hand and uses her other hand to wrap her fingers around my wrist, hauling me along.

“Why are you dragging me there?” I whine, trying to plant my feet into the floor. But it’s no use. As a dancer, Carly has way more muscles than me. I’m like a deflated balloon floating in the strong wind.

Once we find an empty space on the dance floor, Carly wastes no time shaking her body. With a huge smile, Ryder joins her. I fold my arms over my chest and study the kids around me. Most of them dance in a tame manner, but there are always the wild ones who take things to an extreme.

“Dance, Sophie,” Carly instructs.

“You know I can’t dance.”

“Everyone can dance! All it takes is shaking your body to the beat.” And she demonstrates by doing a sick move.

I give her an incredulous look. “As if I can do something like that.”

“Something like what?” Addie asks as she, Caleb, and Raven join us.

“Dance the way Carly is dancing,” I tell her.

“You don’t have to dance like me,” Carly says as Ryder dips her. She looks at me upside-down. “You just need to find your own rhythm.” She squeals as Ryder hauls her back up with so much power that she’s airborne for a few seconds. “My man is so strong,” she says as she grabs him by the front of his shirt and yanks him closer to her. She gives him a sweet kiss on the lips before doing another dance move.

Carly wants to be a choreographer or dance instructor when she’s older. She basically choreographs the dance team’s routine. I’ve always been a little jealous of how talented she is. I can’t say I have any talents. My mom claims being good at school is just as much of a gift as anything else is, but come on. It won’t matterhow good I am at school when I’m older. Unless I stay in school perpetually or get a job in education. I am open to the idea of being a teacher if I decide not to go into the medical field, or at least a tutor, but I think I prefer to help save lives.

“You’re thinking too much, Soph,” Carly says as she creates this whole amazing routine right there on the spot. “You just have to let go and feel the music.”

“I wasn’t thinking about dance,” I tell her. “I was thinking about what job I want in the future.”

Carly raises a brow. “You’re thinking about your career when you’re supposed to be having fun at a party? Ugh.” She rubs her forehead. “I’ve failed.”

I laugh. “Sorry. My mind just wandered.”

“Then let it wander right back to dance.” She takes my hands and demonstrates an easy move. “Just follow along with me. It’s really not that hard.”

I start to move my body a bit. I admit it’s not hard to follow along with Carly, but can I say it’s a lot of fun? Nope. But maybe I would feel differently about slow dancing. I’m sure I would love experiencing that with a guy I love.

If I ever find him. If he even exists.

“See! You’re doing great,” Carly encourages.

As much as I don’t like dancing, it’s fun doing it with my friends. We always have a blast together, no matter what we do. Carly creates a few easier dance moves that have Raven and me following pretty easily, and to my surprise, a few kids join as well.