With banger after banger from the Dj and young adults consuming more and more alcohol, the dance floor spot slowly filled up. Most of them had no idea how to vibe to dembow, moving their bodies and limbs in incoherent rhythms but probably having a great time nonetheless.

I watched from the pool, slowly moving in place to the addictive rhythm while my former classmates were chatting.

At that point, most had gathered up in the pool in a rarely seen meeting of almost all twenty-two former classmates. The few who had partners had added them, introducing the ones we hadn't met before.

To my sides and with my arms around their shoulders, Gurratan and Purev moved as well.

I moved my hips to the sides, forcing theirs to move as well, while my arms moved in opposing directions but the same rhythm.

Both looked at me and followed my lead, splashing a bit of water.

Ludwig and Giorno joined the line, moving their hips side to side.

“Eh! Eh! Eh!” we started chanting.

Next, Tristan and Gregor joined.

The girls, who were having a conversation with us, looked on with slightly varying degrees of 'Really?' expressions as the boys' attention was so easily stolen.

Julian, Jonathan, Petro, Nikolai, Ernesto and Fabrizio joined the line, splashing water as a total of thirteen swung their hips side to side, all with their arms around the shoulders of the one standing next to them.

Lucciano, Ion, and Angelo showed up from who knows where and joined the line as well.

“Eh! Eh! Eh! Eh! Eh! Eh!” we chanted like cavemen around fire.

“Now!” I called out.

Fabrizio and Ion, the boys at each end of the line, started circling the girls and two dudes, shaping the line into a circle around them.

The fifteen boys and I moved our hips side to side to the rhythm of the music, splashing water everywhere and forming waves in the pool.

A few boys gestured at the dudes in the center to join them.

They were Josuke and Caleb, Haruka and Paola's boyfriends respectively.

A little confused and a little amused, they joined despite their girlfriends futile attempts to prevent it.

Thus, we circled Zhou, Haruka, Khadia, Paola, Fernanda, Diana, Ursula, Charlotte, Ava, Evelyn, and Yannah.

Why were we doing that?

No clue. We did it years ago for the first time and it became a tradition of sorts whenever we all got together.

Naturally, some boys' coordination was absolute dogshit, but it didn't matter.

“Low!” I called and started going down while dancing.

Most boys succeeded, but a few failed and fell down, unable to keep up.

We all laughed and broke the formation.

The Dj made an abrupt stop with a scratch, then expertly switched from dembow to cumbia, melding the songs seamlessly.

“Aghhhh!” I grunted in satisfaction, then grabbed Gurratan by the shoulder. “Time to learn how to dance, little boy.”

He made a face, squinting his eyes and frowning. “I'm too drunk, Vale,” he protested.

“And I don't give a shit, boy,” I replied with a laugh and pulled him by the arm. “Ten minutes.”

“You can't keep running away forever,” Julian teased Gurratan, giving him a smile that was the complete opposite or reassurance.

Fabrizio patted the tall boy's shoulder with pity in his eyes. “We've all gone through this, Guru,” he lamented. “You've been caught, now. Accept reality.”

“It's a cruel world we live in,” Petro added.

The boys around us chuckled and shook their heads, then turned around away from us in an act of pure fraternal betrayal.

“Afloja, hombre,” I told him with a wink. “I'll be gentle.”

Gurratan let a long sigh out and hung his head in defeat. “Fine,” he conceded.

I nodded and dragged him out of the pool towards the dance floor.

True to his words about his alcohol consumption, he tripped a little on the grass. It wasn't much, though, and not enough to hinder dancing.

Once we made it to where a lot of people were dancing, I took his hands in mine and started dancing. “It's all about the feet and hips, Guru,” I told him, showing him the basics of footwork. “One, two, three, four,” I counted.

“Alright,” he replied and tried copying me with promising success. “One, two, three, four...”

I nodded. “Good! Now, feel the rhythm and follow it,” I instructed. “Left back, left front, right back, right front,” I told him, saying the words to the rhythm of the music and showing him. “Do you feel it?”

He nodded, a small smile forming on his face. “Okay, I see it,” he chuckled and did as shown.

I nodded, watching his feet. “Now come the hips. Swing them a bit with each step,” I told him, moving my own. “Like this. Uno, dos, tres, cuatro.”

He blinked a few times, then gave it a shot, continuing with the steps and adding the hip sways. “This is complicated,” he chuckled and gave me a smile.

I watched in surprise as he flawlessly followed my instructions. “You got this, Guru,” I cheered him on, not letting his hands go. “You're doing great!”

He laughed and shook his head. “I bet it's the alcohol, haha! I usually suck at this,” he muttered, surprised with himself.

I nodded, remembering all his previous attempts at dancing. “Trust in yourself,” I assured him with a smile. “Let's add more to it.”

I let go of one of his hands and spun him around gently, guiding him back to me.

He stumbled slightly, his laugh bubbling up louder, but he caught himself before crashing into me.

“Good save, Guru!” I teased, twirling around him in a circle to add flair. “Now loosen up. You’re too stiff.”

“I am stiff! This is unnatural for me!” he protested, his voice conveying mock despair.

“Dancing is about freedom, not perfection,” I countered, lifting his arm to get him to mimic my movements. “Feel the music like it’s running through you. Let it take over.”

He glanced around, cheeks coloring slightly at the sheer number of people around us. “What if I look like an idiot?”

“You already do,” I teased with a grin. “But so do they!”

He scoffed, but smiled.

With that, I pulled him into a quick two-step, exaggerating my hip movements and sticking my tongue out to ease him.

“Alright, alright,” he relented, shaking his shoulders and letting his arms relax. “Let’s do this, Vale.”

We moved in sync for a few beats, his confidence visibly growing.

He tried spinning me awkwardly but endearingly.

I exaggerated a dramatic twirl to match.

A few people around us were staring, pointing, and trying their best to copy us.

I took his hands and guided him into a simple cumbia turn, stepping in and out with a rhythm that felt as natural as breathing to me.

He mirrored me perfectly this time, his grin wide and genuine. “Oh, now we’re putting on a show?” He half complained, half cheered, laughing and stepping into the rhythm like he was born for it.

“See? You’re a natural!” I told him with a big smile.

“You’re a good teacher,” he admitted, his tone light but sincere. “Even if you did drag me into this.”

“Ha! I only drag the best out of people,” I shot back with a smirk.

Gurratan gave me a look, raising his eyebrows and squinting. “Narcissistic Vale makes an appearance,” he joked while dancing.

I rolled my eyes and shook my head.

He wasn't wrong, though.

But neither was I, obviously.

The DJ picked up the tempo, transitioning to a faster, more intricate rhythm.

It was time to kick it up.

“Alright, Guru,” I said, locking eyes with him. “We’re stepping it up. You ready?”

He hesitated, but the growing crowd around us seemed to motivate him. “Bring it on,” he replied, rolling his shoulders to loosen up.

“Good answer!” I cheered him on, letting go of his hands and stepping back. I clapped out the rhythm and demonstrated the next move, a more fluid cumbia sequence with added flair. “Forward-left, back-right, and now spin. Watch the hips! Big movements! Make it dramatic!”

Gurratan followed my lead, his movements a little hesitant at first, but he was clearly trying. He spun around as I showed him, stumbling slightly but recovering with a laugh.

“Good! Now add your arms,” I said, raising mine to shoulder height and swaying them to match the motion of my hips. “It’s all about making it look effortless.”

He mirrored me, his long arms swaying in a way that was surprisingly graceful. “Like this?”

“Exactly!” I clapped for him. “Now let’s go double-time,” I challenged at seeing how fast he learned. Without waiting for a response, I stepped closer and led him into a paired spin.

He twirled with me, catching on quickly. “Vale, this is insane!” Gurratan exclaimed in joy, laughing as I added another twist to the sequence.

“That’s the point!” I shouted back, guiding him into a move where we alternated stepping in and out, our hands barely touching before retreating. “Now try a cross-body lead!”

“What the fuck is that?” he asked, his voice tinged with panic.

“Like this!” I demonstrated, pulling him gently toward me while pivoting to his side, then releasing him to spin away. “Your turn!”

He took a deep breath and went for it, managing the pull and spin with surprising precision.

“See? You’re killing it!” I laughed, grabbing his hands again. “Okay, final challenge: a full turn sequence.” I showed him the steps quickly: turning right, stepping back, then spinning left in a smooth, continuous motion. “It’s fast, but you can do it!”

He gave me a skeptical look but nodded. “Alright. Let’s go.”

We started slow, repeating the sequence until he got the hang of it.

Gurratan followed my lead, turning and spinning in perfect sync.

“Diaaablooo!” I laughed in excitement. “You kept this hidden or something?” I jokingly demanded as we danced.

He shook his head. “I'm as surprised as you are!” He laughed with me.

We danced for a while, the steps, spins, twirls, and turns executed with a symmetry well beyond that of an amateur.

Gurratan's smile grew wider and wider, the initial hesitation gone as if it was never there. Until, after a series of tight turns, he stopped and covered his mouth. His fingers shook slightly and his face paled.

My eyebrows went up in realization. He's going to throw up... I thought and took half a step back.

He swallowed and took a deep breath. “I-” he stopped and shook his head, his eyebrows scrunched up and eyes shut tight.

Tristan and Ernesto approached and supported his back and arms.

“I think he's had enough,” Tristan lamented, but an amused smile played on his lips.

“Too many spins,” Ernesto sighed, then gave me a quick glance. “And too many negronis. We'll take him to the bathroom.”

I nodded, giving my dance partner an apologetic smile. “Alright. I'm sorry, Guru.”

The man himself gave me a thumbs up with his free hand, then gave the boys a nod.

Our more sober former classmates took him away into Lucciano's house, disappearing behind the large window.

I sighed and shook my head, then started walking back to the pool.

A black hand tapped my arm.

I looked to the side, finding Khadia giving me a smile.

“You free now?” she asked, nodding to the house.

I ran both hands through my hair, airing my head for a few seconds. “Yeah,” I replied with a nod. “I always have time for you, girl,” I told her and gave her a wink.

“Ha!” she scoffed, but her smile grew until her dimples showed in full. She tried fighting it but failed, shaking her head instead. Her eyes met mine and she sighed. “I wanted to have a quick chat with you,” she explained with an amused expression.

My smile widened. “I like chatting with you,” I replied, matching her tone. “Lead the way, Khadia.”

She held my gaze for a moment, then turned and walked towards the house.

I got an eyefull of ass, nodded to myself, and followed her.