Annabelle was quiet, thinking. Alex was gripping her hand tightly, but she didn’t really notice. She watched her feet fall on the pavement. Alex was concerned, but knew that she needed time, time he was happy to give her. He was fuming, he needed to let out his anger, but how he did not know. This was more than a rowdy show could fix. He glanced at her, knowing what could help, but knowing he couldn't ask her for it. Not in the state she was in, it was too soon. He swallowed, time seemed to slow down, but he knew that it would all pass. In a few months, a year, two years, it would seem like nothing. He wondered where he’d be then. It seemed odd to imagine a world without Annabelle. In two years she would have finished high school. Where would she go after that? Where would he be?

Annabelle was deciding whether her reaction was too dramatic. Her stomach still hurt, and her eyes were itchy, but she couldn’t really remember what had happened to her. The vague memories in her head seemed like watching television, she was detached from them; it was not her lying on the damp grass at the bottom of a stranger’s garden. Rape, to her, had always seemed so much more serious. That big four letter word, ominous and horrific in her mind. She had a friend who had been raped and she had never really gotten over it. Annabelle, however, felt fine. Gavin had been drunk, she had been drunk; boys get overexcited and don’t know when to stop. It wasn’t something that should be allowed, but she had to accept that it had happened. Yet, in her mind a black cloud lingered; what if it had been her fault?

They were in the outskirts of the city they were in, Greensboro, Alex had not really noticed where they were going.
“Should we head back?” Alex asked, the area they were in was suburban and uninteresting.
“Mm.” Annabelle complied. As they crossed the streets to begin walking back, something caught her eye. “Look!”
Alex stared at what she was pointing at, it was a community hall, the sign outside read: ‘Dance Classes, all types, all welcome, come on in and join the fun!’
He glanced back and his girlfriend who was grinning at him.
“You wanna go join the dance class?”
Annabelle nodded enthusiastically, “Will you come too?”
Alex glanced at his watch, time could not be his excuse to not join in, finally he said, “I’m hopeless at dancing.”
“It’ll be fun!” Annabelle laughed, “Let’s go see what they’re doing!”
Annabelle dragged Alex up the front steps and tentatively opened the door. There was a anteroom leading to the main hall that was filled with women and men clad in dance clothes. The instructor was calling things out and class followed her, doing exercises. Annabelle spotted a noticeboard on near the door to the hall and read the timetable.
“This is an intermediate ballet class.” She glanced at Alex who was watching the dancers. “In twenty minutes there’s a jazz class for anyone.”
“Annabelle…”
“Please?” She walked over to him with puppy eyes, then her face became more serious, “It would help me feel better.”
Alex sighed and put a hand on her head.
“I can’t believe you’re making me do this.”

***
“I can’t believe you’re making me do this.”
Annabelle chuckled, “Toughen up.”
Alex coughed, poking her. “I am tough!”
“Right.” Annabelle raised her eyebrows. While they were waiting for their class, the anteroom had slowly filled with dancers. When the intermediate ballet class had finished, the men and women trotted out of the room red faced, sweaty, and laughing. Soon afterwards the teacher walked out. She was a thin woman, with wild red hair, tied back in a ponytail.
“Alright!” She said, “Jazz, come on in!”
Annabelle and Alex stood up and walked up to her. She smiled.
“I don’t think I’ve seen you two before.”
“Yeah, we decided that we wanted to join in today, is that alright?” Annabelle said.
“Of course, of course!” The teacher said, “I’m Marline. What type of experience do you two have?”
“I’m Annabelle, I’ve recently stopped doing ballet after…uhm…twelve years.”
“And I’m Alex. I’ve never danced before.” He laughed sheepishly, scratching his head.
“Lovely to meet you both! I think you’ll find this class is excellent fitness for all skill types! And excellent fun!” She paused, looking Alex up and down. “Do you have any dance clothes to change into?”
“Uhm…No.” Annabelle chuckled.
“It was sort of a spontaneous decision that we came in.” Alex finished.
Marline laughed, “Always the best kind of decision! Come on in.” Alex and Annabelle followed her into the hall where other dancers were stretching, “It will be ten dollars each for a casual class, and you can pay me after.”
“Sure.”

***
“I can’t believe you made me do that.” Alex said once they were out on the street again.
“You looked like you were having fun!” Annabelle giggled, and Alex pushed her playfully.
“You looked amazing. I think you were even better than the teacher.” Alex smiled down at her as Annabelle rolled her eyes.
“Yeah, I know!” She flipped her hair over her should and Alex shook his head, laughing. “Thanks for coming with me.” She grinned, “I feel so much better!”
Alex nodded, “Me too.” His anger had diffused slowly with the concentration and exertion in the class. He looked at his watch. “Hey, you wanna grab a quick bite to eat before we go back?”
Annabelle paused, and then nodded carefully. “Yeah, I’m a little peckish.”
“Peckish? Really?” Alex was more questioning her word choice rather than the fact the girl actually admitted to feeling some form of hunger.
“Sure!” Annabelle giggled, “Know any ramen places around here?” She joked.
Alex laughed, “So many! I’ve been here for, like, ten seconds.”
“I thought you were going to use ramen senses?”
“They ARE tingling…”

Sure enough, the couple rounded a corner and a ramen place came into view.
“You’ve got to be kidding me.” Annabelle said under her breath, astonished, “They must see you coming and erect them.”
“Haha…Erect.”
“Shut up, you twat.” Annabelle shook her head. The boy was unbelievable. At their dance lesson she had watched him try and do things that she thought he would never even attempt. Later, as they were sipping bowls of noodles, Annabelle wondered how much influence she had over him, how far he would go for her. Alex watched her sip the broth; she liked the steaming, salty liquid. But she didn’t touch the noodles. Alex ended up finishing both their dinners. She had actually been stunning in the class. He had watched her back muscles, which he had seen hiding under her skin, ripple and tighten as she danced rings around everybody else. Her and the teacher had an unspoken competition, until the teacher eventually tipped her figurative hat to Annabelle and let her show demonstrations as the class looked on in awe. Alex was feeling glad that the dancing had cheered Annabelle up so much. As they ate, they joked and flirted, and Alex was happy that he could make Annabelle laugh so easily. Eventually, it was time to head back so Alex could do the show, and angry Matt didn’t have to show up on his phone.

Annabelle jumped on his back, hanging over his shoulder as he trudged back to the venue. Annabelle felt panic rising as they neared the fence. It was not so much that she remembered everything that had happened, that she was frightened of Gavin. It was more that she was ashamed of having let something like that happen to her. She had always thought that people who had been assaulted were somehow weak, like they had some sort of fault that they couldn’t overcome. The thought of Gavin coming near her with his grubby body disgusted her. She had thought he hadn’t been as bad as she originally judged, but now, she realized, he was ten times worse. She couldn’t help but continue to think that it was somehow her fault. She slid off Alex’s back. He took her hand and gave it a comforting squeeze, not possibly knowing what she was going through. She looked up at him and gave him a reassuring smile. Alex thought that it was wrong that she should be reassuring him.
“I will never let you fall.” He said softly.
“What?” Annabelle asked, flabbergasted.
“I’ll stand up with you-”
“Alex, what are you doing?”
“-Forever.” Alex grinned, singing, “I’ll be there for you through it all…”
“You noob.” Annabelle laughed.
“Even if saving you sends me to heaven!”
Annabelle reached up and lay the back of her hand against his forehead. “Yup,” She concluded, “just as I thought.”
“What?!”
“You’ve got a bad case of the emo.”
Alex shoved her playfully and she grinned cheekily.
“Is it bad, doctor?” Alex pulled her back and wrapped her in his arms.
“It’s a mild case, but will have to be treated immediately.” Annabelle turned herself around to face him.
“What will you do?” He asked, in faux shock. Annabelle smiled broadly, and leaned up to kiss him.