Free Dancing for the Lord: The Academy by Emily Goodman Page B

great news.  It sounded as though someone had run over his puppy—and Danni actually knew what that sounded like, since she had been there when Michael’s dog was run over a couple of years ago. 
    “Michael—what’s wrong?”  He hadn’t called her Dragonfly.  That was the first thing that registered.  Michael almost always called her Dragonfly, especially when he first heard from her.  He didn’t let a lot of people hear it; but over the phone, when they were alone?  Something was up.  Probably something serious. 
    He laughed huskily.  “Can’t fool you, can I?” he demanded.  “Even over the phone, you can hear it in my voice.” 
    “It’s that partner thing,” she pointed out tartly. 
    “Partners.  Right.”  The laugh turned a little bit bitter, now.  “You going to be able to read your new partner that well?”
    “What—Michael, no!”  Danni hastened to reassure him.  “You’re still—you know I wouldn’t—I’m still waiting for you!”
    “I can’t fault you for it,” he pointed out gently.  “Not when I’m dancing with a new girl every class.  Just…miss me a little, okay?”
    “Every second!” she swore fervently.  “I danced with another guy today, and—Michael, he’s nothing like you.” 
    He seemed at least momentarily placated by that.  “It’s good to hear it,” he admitted.  “Shouldn’t be—I ought to want you to be happy out there—but…man, Danni, I miss you.”
    “I miss you, too.”  She swallowed hard against the lump in her throat.  “But things are starting to get a little bit better.  You’re happy for me about that, right?”
    “Of course I am!”  He sounded disgusted that she would think otherwise—not with her, but with himself, for portraying it that way in the first place.  “Hearing you miserable eats at me. You know that.” 
    “We’ll be back together soon,” she offered quietly. 
    “Yeah, of course we will!”  He sighed.  “I’ve had kind of a rough day, Dragonfly,” he admitted tiredly. 
    “Want to talk about it?”
    There was a long silence.  Danni knew Michael well enough to know that he was wrestling with whether or not he intended to tell her anything, especially on top of the fact that he had just rained on her parade already.  Finally, though, he sighed again and admitted, “Do you remember Drew Effler?”
    “Yeah….”  The young man in question was a year older than they were—a senior—and had, for as long as Danni could remember, had it in for her partner.  He wasn’t usually obvious about it; but every once in awhile, he would set out to get a dig in on Michael in the most painful way possible.  Danni had thought they had cured him of it—constant prayer and supplication being the most powerful weapons she had ever commanded—but from the sound of Michael’s voice, Drew was back in fine form. 
    “He, um….”  Danni could practically see Michael closing his eyes, wondering whether or not he was actually going to go through with this.  “He tripped me during a basketball game in gym class.” 
    Danni winced.  Michael was an amazing, athletic dancer; but as far as throwing a ball through a hoop, he wasn’t the most coordinated in the world.  He looked great—until he actually tried to shoot a basket.  He wouldn’t have been happy about playing anyway; and then having Drew humiliate him on top of it….
    “I twisted my knee on the way down.”  Michael’s voice was low, even a little bit angry.  “Stupid—I know how to fall.  You taught me that.  I just…he caught me by surprise, and I didn’t react until it was too late.”
    “Oh, Michael….”  Suddenly, Danni felt further away from home than she had since she’d left.  Michael, hurt…she wanted to be there.  She wanted to sit beside him on the sofa and tease him about being so clumsy, playing catch with the ice pack in between times when it was actually on his knee and making jokes about how one of