Image via Wikipedia

Image via Wikipedia

“I can’t do this anymore,” Dancegirl said.

“You’ll do it,” Grouchy said. “Or you’re fired.”

“This is weird.”
“Not as weird as it will be for Trancegirl.”
“Don’t you dare mention my sister.”
”We know what she’s into.”
“Just shut up–shut up and get out of here.”

“There’s a guy over there. Make him happy.”
The music was blasting in the Stars & Stripes, but it just wasn’t doing anything for her. She went to the back of the club. Baron the Avatar was there, running the songs.

“Haven’t you got anything good?” Dancegirl said. She fingered through the pile. Baron just smiled at her. After all, he adored her. Seems like everyone did, except jerks like Grouchy.

“Here,” she said. “Do some WildFranky.”
“Have you heard Worlds Without Fear?”
“No.”
“I’ll play it. I’ll play ‘Got Me.’”

A big synthetic organ pounded, crashed to the ground, then huge drums smashed. A young girl’s voice whispered, “You got me–you got me now.”

Dancegirl liked it. She danced across the floor. Of course, the guy at the bar–the guy that Grouchy pointed out–a soldier–watched her.

She backed into him and leaned over. “Dance with me,” she said.

“What?” He said.

Image via Wikipedia

“Dance with me.”

He was alone. He put his glass of beer down and stood up.

“Okay.”
She took his hand and pulled him onto the yellow, thin-planked floor. She danced for a minute. He tried. The song ended.

“Thanks,” she said, and walked away.

“Hey,” he said. “Let me buy you a beer.”
She wasn’t listening.

Now Baron put on a WildFranky tune. He knew it was her favorite.

Batch was there. She grabbed his hand.

“Come on, Batchy.”
He danced a bit. He couldn’t help himself. He was about 300 pounds, with a whitish crew cut. He loved Dancegirl.

She looked over his shoulder. Buddy the bartender was waving an envelope in the air, like it was for her.

“Hold on,” she said to Batch.

Grabbing the letter, she tore it open. Just like she thought. It was her grades. She’d flunked out. Again.

When the hell would she get out of here?
She ran through the crowd and into the ladies room to cry in a stall, as she had too many times before.