"Not really," Bella admitted. "I mean, I’ve danced at parties with Leo. Slow couple dances. Nothing choreographed."

Samantha nodded thoughtfully. "Do you have a song in mind?"

Bella shook her head. "I don’t even know where to start."

Samantha said, "That’s what I’m here for." She tilted her head, studying Bella’s posture, her stance, the way she held her shoulders. "You have good lines. Natural grace. We can work with that."

Bella blushed.

Samantha continued, "Now, what kind of dance do you want to perform? Something emotional? Energetic? Romantic?"

Bella thought about how much Krystal wanted to embarrass her in front of everyone.

"Something powerful. Something that captures people’s attention and pulls them right to me." Bella said, her eyes sparkling with determination.

Samantha’s eyes sparkled. "I have just the thing." She pulled out her phone, scrolled through her music, and pressed play. A slow, haunting melody filled the room. "This is contemporary. It’s fluid, expressive, tells a story." She began to move, slowly, gracefully, her arms flowing like water. "Watch."

Bella watched. Samantha danced. She wasn’t just moving; she was speaking. Her body told a story of struggle and triumph, falling and rising, breaking and healing. When she finished, Bella’s eyes were wet.

Bella whispered, "I want to learn that."

Samantha smiled. "Then let’s begin."

•••

After that, a maid came saying that the sir had prepared a dance room, and she took both of them there. It was on the first floor.

Samantha started with the basics. She didn’t rush, didn’t push, didn’t expect Bella to know anything she hadn’t been taught. Instead, she made it fun.

Samantha placed her hands on Bella’s shoulders and gently pulled them back. "First, your posture. Imagine a string pulling you up from the top of your head. You’re not just standing. You’re reaching."

Bella straightened.

Samantha said, "Good. Now your arms." She guided Bella’s arms into position, rounded, soft, fingers gently curved. "Not stiff. You’re not a soldier. You’re water."

Bella relaxed her elbows.

"Better. Now walk."

Bella blinked. "Walk?"

Samantha nodded. "Walk across the room. But don’t just walk. Glide. Feel the floor beneath your feet. Let your hips sway naturally."

Bella walked. It felt strange at first, self-conscious, nothing like her normal stride. But Samantha nodded encouragingly.

"Good. Again."

Bella walked again, and again, and again. By the fifth time, she wasn’t thinking about her feet. She was just moving.

Samantha said, "Now add your arms."

Bella added her arms. They felt awkward, disconnected from the rest of her body.

Samantha said, "Don’t think about them. Let them float."

Bella let them float. The arms moved, the hips swayed, the feet glided.

Samantha said, "Stop." Bella stopped. "Look at yourself."

Bella turned toward the mirror on the wall. She expected to see someone awkward, stiff, out of place. Instead, she saw someone natural and graceful, almost like a dancer. Her eyes widened.

Samantha smiled. "You’re a fast learner."

Bella beamed.

The next two hours flew by. Samantha taught her a simple combination, a turn, a reach, a fall to the ground, a slow rise. She broke it down into pieces, had Bella repeat each movement until it felt natural, then strung them together. Bella made mistakes, stumbled, laughed at herself. Samantha laughed with her.

When Bella dropped to the floor dramatically, Samantha said, "You’re supposed to fall. It’s part of the choreography."

Bella scrambled up, her cheeks pink. "Oh. Right."

"Again."

Bella did it again, better this time.

"Again."

Again. Better.

"Again."

By the end of the second hour, Bella could do the entire combination without thinking. Her body knew the movements. Her muscles remembered.

Samantha checked her watch. "I have to go. But you did wonderfully."

Bella hugged her. "Thank you so much."

Samantha said, "Practice every day. Even if it’s just five minutes. Even if it’s just walking across the room. Keep your body moving."

Bella nodded. "I will."

Samantha gathered her things and left.

Bella went to her room, pulled out her phone, and searched Samantha’s name. Videos appeared. Dozens of them. Bella watched one, then another, then another. Samantha on a stage with spotlights on her, her body moving like water.

Samantha in a studio teaching a class of young dancers, her voice patient and encouraging. Samantha performing a contemporary piece that made Bella cry, a story of loss and hope, darkness and light.

Bella’s eyes sparkled. She watched a ballet routine, Samantha in a tutu, her feet barely touching the floor, her arms arched above her head like wings. She watched a jazz number, energetic, sharp, full of attitude.

She watched a duet, Samantha and a partner moving together in perfect sync, their bodies telling a love story without words.

Bella’s heart raced. Samantha wasn’t just a dance teacher. She was an artist. A performer. A legend.

Bella became a little fan. She watched every video she could find, saved her favorites to a playlist, and texted Leo: Your mom’s best friend is AMAZING.

Leo’s response came quickly: She’s also expensive. Practice hard.

Bella smiled and kept watching.

⊹₊˚‧︵‿₊୨୧₊‿︵‧˚₊⊹

Late night

Jay, Leo, and Jace walked through the front door. Tired. Hungry. Ready to collapse. The house was quiet.

Usually, Bella was curled up on the couch in the living room waiting for them, a book or her phone in hand, her face lighting up when they walked in. But tonight, the living room was empty.

Jay called out, his voice echoing through the hallway. "Bella Belllll!"

No response.

He wandered toward the kitchen. Empty. The dining room. Empty. He was about to call out again when he turned the corner.

And froze.

Bella was walking toward them, but she wasn’t walking normally. Her back was straight, her shoulders pulled back, her chin lifted. Her arms floated at her sides like she was gliding on air. Her hips swayed slowly, deliberately and exaggeratedly.

She looked like she was walking down a runway, or floating on a cloud, or maybe practicing for a role in a music video.

Jay’s eyes bulged. "What... why are you..."

Jace stepped up beside him, his mouth slightly open. "Is she... air walking?"