this is the rhythm of the night

There's a chandelier out here, of all things, but it doesn't shine as brightly as she does. Her socked feet are dancing across the floor, limbs swirling through the air with the music. It's mystical and silly all in one.

I've never really danced before, she'd told me earlier. But now she's laughing, ponytail swinging, her hand reaching out and clasping someone else's.

I push off the wall, eyes bouncing through the common room. It's a small gathering, twenty people maybe? I still don't know whose idea it was to have a party, but I can't be particularly mad about it. Our dorm is the one with a chandelier and a big, ornate common room, anyway. I'd come back from class to find Raul setting up his iPod and speaker in the corner, and now it's crackling out music from at least five years ago. Outdated technology, but no one's gonna argue with Raul.

Mina's still dancing, tripping over her friend Annie's feet as they try something akin to ballroom dancing. Try and fail, that is, but that doesn't make it any less mesmerizing to watch.

Moments later, I'm beside her, bopping up and down with the beat of the music. Annie pulls away, both her and Mina in a fit of giggles, and suddenly Mina's looking up at me, face pink. A grin is spread across her face, her eyes crinkling happily.

"And you said you couldn't dance!" I declare, taking her hand and spinning her around. She chirps out a laugh, black hair flying. She stumbles to regain her balance, and I steady her with my other hand on her shoulder. "You're fantastic," I tell her.

She's gone red, pulling away fluidly, my hands left hanging in the air. "Oh, stop," she laughs, nose crinkling.

My roommate Joel appears then, his shirt unbuttoned and an opaque water bottle clutched in one hand. His mouth slants when he meets my eye. "Drink?" he asks.

I glance back towards the hallway, even though we're both well aware that our RA would not care in the least if we were drinking or not. Without much thought I take the bottle from Joel, glancing at Mina to see if she wants any first. But she's gone, her back to me as she says something to Raul and laughs as he does the macarena.

I take a swig and continue to nod to the beat.

It doesn't take too long until someone orders pizza, and then someone runs to the vending machine on the first floor, and comes back with handfuls of sour gummy worms. And then there's only seven of us left, and Raul's playing the worst country music I've ever heard.

I've tied my hair back into a low bun, which usually makes me feel self-conscious, but I'm a little tipsy and very sugar-high. I'm cross-legged on the ground, playing patty-cake, because it's hilarious, and everything feels sparkly and good. Mina's here still, fighting with Annie over which colored gummies are the best in between teaching her the Cotton-Eyed Joe dance.

Joel, sitting across from me, slaps his hands on the ground. "I win, I think."

"You can't win patty-cake," I protest, throwing myself backwards onto the floor.

He stands and kicks my side lightly. "Say something already!" He laughs, and I snap to my feet and half-tackle him, and it turns into him giving me a piggy-back ride, and everyone else starts clapping along as he marches in a circular pattern. I play an air guitar to the country music, and end the song by pulling an invisible flower from behind my ear and handing it to Mina. Joel dumps me on the ground, but not before I see her raise her shoulders and graciously accept my imaginary prize.

I wouldn't have done it on any other day, but I ask her if she wants to watch a movie. No one's tired enough to sleep yet, but we're done dancing. She tilts her head and shows me a dimple. "Yeah."

She's never seen my room before, and I wasn't prepared to show it. I swipe stray shirts from the floor, shoving them into my closet. Joel comes in and grabs his computer, then leaves. Mina looks at the door as it clicks closed, and then slowly looks at me.

I feel cold all over, sobering as I realize she's a little afraid. Of me. I point at my Joel's TV and ask dryly, "What do you want to watch?"

Mina puts her hands on her elbows, still standing in the middle of the room. "Oh, um. I don't know."

I think the sugar's wearing off. I hoist myself up onto my bed, sitting in the corner furthest away from her, wanting her to not look so trapped. "If you don't want to anymore, that's ok."

Her heads snaps towards me, and I wonder if I've made it worse sitting on my bed, and maybe I should've just put a movie on or something. Or opened the door to get some air. I stand again, leaning over my desk to reach the window, and open it, definitely needing some air.

"Oh. Um." Mina hasn't moved. Is this good or bad?

I wave my hand in her direction. "Sorry, uh, you're free to sit on the beanbag if you want. I thought we could watch Spiderman?"

Her limbs loosen, her smile returning softly. "Only if it's Tom Holland," she tells me, settling into the beanbag.

I laugh and open my laptop, plugging it into the TV. "Of course. He's the hottest Spiderman."

She laughs too, stretching out her legs and crossing them at the ankle. "He is definitely the most personable."

"Personable?" I tease, looking at her over the top of my laptop. "No, I meant hot like hot."

She gives me a funny look that I can't quite read. "Right," she agrees as the movie begins to play.

I set down the laptop and apologize as I step over her to get to the light switch. "You ok with the lights off?"

I hear her shift in the beanbag before saying. "Um, yeah."

I hesitate, then flip the switch. "I'll turn on a lamp," I tell her, then carefully step over her again to reach my desk.

There's not another good seat in front of the TV, unless I sit on the edge of my bed, which seems awkwardly far away. Mina's eyes are on the TV, but her body language makes it clear that she's aware of my presence, that she's watching with everything but her eyes.

I lower myself slowly to the floor. "Is this ok?" It comes out a whisper.

She glances at me and smiles, making my heart thud. I'm suddenly self-conscious of myself. The space between us, the messiness of my bun, the way my legs are bent at an odd angle to avoid touching hers.

It takes me quite a few minutes to find the courage to interrupt the movie. "Do you want to cuddle?" I sound more confident than I feel.

Her face twitches, her dimple appearing and disappearing. She turns and meets my eyes, and her shoulders roll back. "You can sit in the beanbag with me," she offers.

"I don't want to make you uncomfortable," I say quietly. It seems obvious, but I want her to know.

The light from the TV paints the side of her face blue. "I know."

We readjust, and I knock her knee with mine on accident, and she giggles. I do too. She slides over, almost falling onto the floor, and I catch her by the hand, because that's the simplest thing. Her eyes smile as they meet mine.

She lets go, but raises her hand to touch the side of my neck, and it feels hot and cold all at once. Usually my hair covers my neck, and I know that she knows that. It feels more like a curious gesture than anything else.

I can't help but look at her lips, and I know she knows that too, but she just smiles and turns back to the movie, her face serene. She's unlike anything. I tuck our shoulders together, touching but not holding her. I can feel every time she laughs, or sighs, and we stay like that for the whole movie, until the screen goes dark, until it's time for her to go home.