"Hey Zel come on! I'll teach you how to salsa." Anne said taking his hands and pulling him onto the dance floor.
"Salsa?"
"Spanish/Latino dancing... never mind I'll show you. Now don't get nervous, this type of dance is close...you can't be stiff and dance this, relax...follow my movements. Move your hips, and your feet...no, at the same time like this...good. Now your getting it." As Anne taught Zel how to salsa Brandon was trying to teach Lina the same thing. Once they were pretty sure they both knew how they paired them off. Lina and Zel really didn't know how they got in the middle of the dance floor by themselves. Both of them looked around for they ones who taught them. Only to find them off dancing. Anne was right. This was a close dance.
After a few seconds of just standing there they finally decided to see if they really knew how to do it. Mana watched them from where she and Tia were sitting.
"I think there getting the hang of it." Tia said as she looked at them. Tia grimaced as Lina stepped on Zel's toe.
"Well they are beginners, but I think they'll get better." Mana said matter-o-factly. The music stopped and a new song started. "My turn." She said as the swing song got going. Mana walked up to Zel and asked him to swing dance with her.
"But I don't know how." He said
"Relax and I'll show you. Just as the last dance, you can't be stiff, loosen up." So began Zel's next dance lesson. And Lina's, Greg was teaching her and as before as soon as they thought them ready they paired them off. Let's just say Lina and Zel were just a bit baffled at being left alone; again. But things went according to plan and they danced this one as well.
"Do you think they know what's going on?" Tia asked Anne.
"I really don't know." Was the reply. "Well the songs ending better hurry up before someone else asks him."
As soon as the swing song was done Tia walked out and asked Zel for the slow song.
"But I..." He started
"I know, you don't know how. But I'm here to show you." Zel wasn't going to say that. He was going to tell her that he didn't want to dance and wanted to sit down. But...No such luck. "You know Zel that blue shirt brings out the blue in your eyes." Tia said. She giggled inwardly at the slight blush that her casual comment brought. The day before Anne and Tia had taken Zel and Lina out to shop for clothes. They got them both a pair of khaki pants, Zel a navy blue shirt and Lina a dark green one. While Mana stayed home to mark the rout they would take to get to Brandon's.
Just like the other two songs before this one, as soon as both of them were ready Lina and Zel were paired off again to dance. This time they just sighed and danced. They knew that this would happen.
"I love match making." Mana sighed to Anne as they watched the two strangers to earth.
"They make such a cute couple." Anne replied. Greg and Brandon looked at each other and rolled their eyes.
"So how did you like the dance?" Tia asked Lina when they stopped for ice-cream on their way back home.
"I guess it was all right. I just don't understand why you guys always had me and Zel dance with each other." Lina answered. The three girls listened to what she said about the dance, but when she mentioned Zel they pretended not to hear. Tia licked her Chocolate Mint ice-cream, Mana looked over at the couple that just walked through the door eating her Rocky road ice-cream and Anne pretended to be busy reading the sign on the far door while her peanut butter chocolate ice-cream dripped on the table. Suddenly Tia's hand smacked the table.
"Hey did you guys get a look at that cute guy who was always dancing in the center of the floor?" She asked smiling. Anne and Mana nodded. "Wasn't he cute! I mean he had a nice body! Wow!"
"I bet he has some nice lookn' abs too!" Anne put in.
"I liked his eyes." Mana said thoughtfully. "Did any of you get a chance to dance with him?"
"I did," Tia said. "I think he said his name was...um... I forgot!"
"Wasn't it something like...Travis...Tom... I know! It was Trent!" Anne said.
"That was it! And he had that cute smile and tan skin... He was handsome!" Mana said. Then she turned to Lina. "Who did you think was cute?"
"Uh... well...um..." Lina stammered. "I think ... Well there was this guy he had blue eyes and reddish brown hair and he was at least two inches taller then me, and his name was.... Brian." The girls gave her a weird look, for they new ther wasn't any guy there fitting that discription. Plus they watched who Lina danced with and the majority of them were with Zel.
"Riiiight." Mana said then stood up. "Well let's be off!"
"Hey guys look what I got!" Tia cried running through the door, Luke walked in behind her. Tia was waving a small yellow envelope in the air,
"Aren't those the pictures we took last week?" Anne asked.
"Sure are I got them developed. Wanna look?" She sat down on the floor in front of the couch and everyone gathered around her to see. "Here's one when we went miniature-golfing. Heheh, and here's Zel yelling at his golf ball."
"It wasn't going through the stupid windmill." Zel said somewhat sulkily.
"Yelling at it apparently didn't help." Lina said with a half smile.
"Hey this is the one that Lina got a picture with Batman and Robin after the show at Magic Mountain." Mana said, "just look at Zel!"
"You don't look to happy." Brandon commented.
"I really didn't like the show. Why would I want a picture with them?"
"Look at this! This is the group picture we took at the beach. Hahaha, look at Lina and Zel! And here's the picture of the guy who tried to steal the camera. And this one is of Greg, Luke, and Brandon tackling the guy who tried to steal our camera." Tia flipped through the pictures one by one.
Luke looked at his watch then stood up. "Well I think we better be off, it's getting late and I think we have a storm coming up."
Everybody turned to look out side, the wind was blowing hard but that was normal sometimes.
"Can't you guys stay for dinner?" Mana asked.
"It's almost seven, we need to get back 'cause I'm expecting an important call from work." Luke explained. "Sorry, we'll come for tomorrow's." Everyone said their good-byes and the guys left.
The rain came down in sheets. A dark figure stood their before them, black robes blowing in the wind. Lina Inverse briefly looked over to her left, where Zelgadiss Greywords was there to back her up when she needed it. Before Lina could do anything the dark figure out stretched his hand with all, except his first two fingers, down. She heard a startled cry from Zel, but when she looked over to where he was, she found nothing there.
"Now Lina Inverse, it is your turn." All Lina could do was stare horrified at the guy before she was engulfed in a bright blue light...
Thunder shook the house and Lina sat up with a start. Sweat poured down her face. She glanced at the digital clock next to her bed. It was out. Lina looked around the dark room, tried to turn on the lamp. It wouldn't work. Lightning lit up the room and thunder crashed right after it. Lina got up out of her bed, put on her bathrobe and tried to make her way to the door. After failing miserably she decided that know was the time to try to see if her magic worked in this world or not.
" - Mother of Earth
Which gives forth light,
Into my hand my your force ignite. - "
A small orb of light gathered into the palm of Lina's hand. She smiled to herself. It does work here.
The wind howled and the branches of the tree outside scraped against the window. We need to get back soon. She thought to herself as she stared outside.
Lina sat on her bed and thought for what seemed like hours. The only time she moved was to move into a different position to keep from getting cramps or having a foot, leg or arm fall asleep. She thought of the different spells used to transport and thought of which ones could be used to send her and Zelgadiss back, or maybe just her. Lina looked around the room, she would miss this place. Tia had been good enough to care for Zel and dear Anne and Mana took her with them on their way here. Tehy were good friends and Lina would hate to leave them after all they had done for her and the guys Greg, Brandon, and Luke had done for Zel. But she just couldn't stay here.