Chapter 7 - dancing through the night: part 2

18.
Watching as Faye danced, her skirt whirling around her, Niall found himself drawn almost into a trance. The girl seemed to fly through the air, her feet hardly touching the ground. So wild and graceful, she moved like nothing he had ever seen.

Glancing around the crowded salon Niall found he was not the only one spellbound by the slender redhead. Every single guest had stopped to gawk as Faye whirled across the dance floor. As in a flurry of elegant sweeps and twirls she moved her lean, graceful limbs to the rhythm of the fast-paced music radiating out of Lettie Kincaid's loudspeakers.

Looking some way away to his right Niall saw Harry Miller leaning against the wall, his mouth hanging open in unguarded astonishment as he studied every move that Faye made. Close by Annie stood enraptured, absently chewing her way through a handful of marshmallows as she watched the whirling girl with wide eyes. Moments later however, as her gaze drifted towards Harry, a hint of annoyance seemed to cloud the tubby girl's astonishment

By the time the music died and Faye came to a standstill the whole room had fallen silent. Looking around for a moment, her eyes wide and her cheeks a bright red, the girl seemed confused to find herself suddenly at the centre of attention. Then, drawing a deep breath as the room actually erupted into whistles and applause, she smiled. Her eyes sparkling as a wide grin spread across her flushed face.

"Care to join me?" She asked, extending a hand towards Niall.

His eyes wide at the wondrous event he'd just witnessed Niall took a step back.

"I... I don't think I could keep up."

"Come on," said Faye, gently taking his hand in hers; "I'll show you how."

Drawing a deep breath Niall straightened his back, towering over the slight girl.

"As you wish then," he said, a nervous smile on his face as he exhaled.

Saying nothing Faye grinned as she led him onto the dance floor.

And so Niall soon found himself twirling along with Faye, moving through a dance unlike any he'd ever seen.

Amazing though she'd been to watch Faye was even more so to dance with. Somehow once the two had gotten started Niall found her moves surprisingly easy to follow. As his anxiety faded he found that he could, by some unnatural means, keep up with the girl. He did not understand it, but neither did he, in the heat of the moment, bother to think about it. A wide eyed grin spreading across his face he simply looked at Faye, gazing into her glittering eyes as the two of them danced.

It was all going surprisingly well, and it'd probably have continued to do so if only Niall had not, for one short moment, forgotten to watch where he put his feet, and if only somebody had not, carelessly, left an empty, brown bottle lying around on the floor. Losing his balance as he trod upon it Niall tripped. Letting out a yelp he found himself suddenly falling straight towards the china cabinet. His shoulder smashing into it he watched helpless as a wealth of fragile porcelain tumbled towards him.

19.
Faye did not understand quite what it was she'd done. She hadn't planned it, hadn't thought about it. Finding herself in a panic she'd simply acted, simply spoken a word.

She hadn't really recognised the word, hadn't really understood what she'd said. Or rather, she had. But she hadn't understood how it was that she recognised it. How it was that she could understand the strange sounds coming unbidden out of her mouth.

She didn't now, only moments later, know what it was she'd said. She couldn't remember the word. Once spoken it'd left her mind as quickly as it'd come into it. Still, somehow Niall was completely unharmed. Somehow neither a single plate nor a single cup had broken upon him or hurt him in any way. Faye didn't know what had happened, but somehow she was sure that she had made it happen.

The room was still quiet, everybody within was still looking at the two of them, at the aftermath of the strange event that'd just taken place. With all their gazes upon her Faye, her eyes wide and her face red, found she was suddenly very nervous. Running towards Niall she helped him to his feet.

"I'm sorry," she blurted. "You're not hurt, are you?"

"I don't think so," said Niall, shaking his head. "Anyway this wasn't your fault. I should've watched where I put my feet."

"Actually," said Faye, looking at the empty bottle beside her on the floor; "I think somebody should've watched where they put their garbage."

20.
Niall could make neither heads nor tails of it. Once he'd tripped everything had happened with such speed. He could swear that Faye had shouted something, a strange word he did not understand. He could swear that, as she'd shouted it, the cups and plates careening towards him had slowed their fall, had started to drift like feathers rather than to crash and break like, well, fragile china.

As the two of them, having left the party early after Faye had found herself feeling suddenly very drowsy and tired, walked through the cool, moonlit night Niall couldn't help but study the strange, slender girl. Had he imagined it, or had she really saved him? Had she really somehow slowed all those cups and plates and stopped them from shattering? It seemed impossible, but...

There was so much he didn't know about her, so much he didn't understand.

"What?" said Faye, blushing as she noticed Niall's gaze.

"Nothing." said Niall; "Sorry, it's nothing."

Looking at the flustered girl he couldn't help but smile. Strange though she might be there was at least one thing about Faye he knew for sure.

"Now, how about you and I go for a little late night snack?" He smiled. "I have a feeling I ought to get you something special."

At that Faye grinned. Her eyes sparkling as she licked her lips.

"Now that sounds like my idea of a good time."