Can a boy get over his own issues with returning to something he formerly enjoyed in order to fill in for a girl he secretly has a crush on?

Square Dance Stand In

Copyright 2011 by Heather Rose Brown
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"No!" I shouted as I dumped a shovelful of musty hay and droppings into the wheelbarrow with a loud clang.

"Pleeeease?" my older sister begged as she opened the gate to the stall I was cleaning.

It was always hard saying no to Crystal. I turned my back on her and started scooping up some more bedding. "Would you leave me alone? Having to muck out the stalls is bad enough without you getting on my case."

She gently rested a hand on my shoulder from behind. "If you help us out, I'll take care of the stalls and the rest of the barn."

I shrugged her hand off my shoulder. A moment later, I felt my ponytail slap me in the middle of my sweaty back when she pulled my baseball cap off my head. I knew she was trying to get my attention, which is why I ignored her as I dumped another load into the wheelbarrow. "Great timing," I said as I glanced up at her. "I'm almost done here."

"Well, then I'll do it for the rest of the week," she said as she shoved her head into my cap and pulled a few tufts of her short, wavy hair out the back.

I let the shovel blade drop to the ground and leaned on the handle. "Which of your chores am I gonna have to do while you do this one? And DON'T say trail guide, 'cause I'm never doing that again."

Crystal gave me a confused look. "But you were so good at it."

"I was good at being hit on."

"Jamie, you're in high school now, and you're probably one of the cutest freshmen there. You've got to expect to be hit on sometimes."

"By a guy?"

My sister cracked a smile, which she quickly pulled into a semi-straight face. "As a trail guide, I've been hit on often enough to know not to take it so seriously."

"It may be okay for you, but I've already got people thinking I'm ... well ...."

"Gay?"

"Yeah," I said, then quickly added when I saw her frown, "and before you say anything, I ain't got anything against them. I just ain't one of 'em and don't wanna go through what I had to put up with through most of junior high."

"I remember." Crystal sighed. "It's why you quit square dancing."

"Uhuh," I said as I nodded. "I'm finally starting to find friends again, and I really don't wanna screw anything up, which is why I can't help ya's. Can't you find someone else to stand in for Macey?"

"I've already tried asking everyone I could think of. You're the only one who's not already in the competition, yet good enough to pick up the new steps fast enough to be helpful as a dance partner."

"But ... dancing with a guy?"

"You won't have to dance with him in the contest. The doctor said Macey's ankle should be better by then, so long as she stays off it for a few days. She's good enough to still be in top form when it's time for the contest, but the rest of us still need practice."

I sighed and shook my head. "Even if I was as good as you're making me out to be, you'd still laugh at me when you saw me doing a girl's dance steps."

Crystal raised her right hand. "Honest, I won't even crack a smile."

"Okay, but what about the guys? Jake and Gary are in the same school. What if they let out that I'm standing in for a girl? If something like that got around, I'd never live it down."

I heard a rusty groan and looked up to see a wedge of morning sunlight coming in through the opening barn door. Two fairly tall shadows walked in. I recognized the voice of the first one even before my eyes had a chance to adjust.

"I swear," Jake said as he strode towards me and my sister, "I won't tell a soul. Besides, I'd be in the same boat as you if anyone found out I'd had a guy for a dance partner."

"Same here," Gary added as he followed closely behind. "Your sister would chew me up, spit me out, then dump me if I said anything."

Crystal pulled my cap off her head and smacked Gary in the chest with it. "Don't forget, I'll pulverize whatever's left of you after that, then break up with you again."

Even though what they'd said didn't sound all that romantic, they were making eyes at each other. While they were still distracted, I grabbed my cap and slid it back onto my head, tucking my ponytail back under it.

I studied all three of them. With promises from my sister and both of the guys, I was starting to feel like I was in a losing battle. "Okay, I guess I can take your words to keep this quiet, but how does Macey feel about this? I mean, I'll be dancing with her brother and all."

Just then, the prettiest girl in the world hobbled into the barn. "I wouldn't mind at all," she said, giving me a smile that made my knees go weak. "In fact, it'd really mean a lot to me if you would."

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So, there I was, Jake behind me with his one hand on my hip and his other hand holding mine. I looked across the living room and watched my sister and her boyfriend getting into the same starting position.

When they were settled, I turned to Macey and watched as she plugged her iPod into an amplifier. After queuing up the songs we were going to be using, she looked up and gave me the same amazing smile that had finally convinced me to go along with this crazy idea.

Macey sat the amplifier beside her on the couch, then stood up and hopped over to me. "You've almost got the starting position perfect."

"Mace," Jake said, "you really shouldn't be getting up like that without your crutch."

"Oh, shush." she said as she turned her brother's head to face forward. When she took my hand and began moving it, my whole arm started tingling.

I barely noticed my hand was resting on the hand Jake had on my hip until Macey had hopped back to the couch. Something about having my hand there was almost too much. If the music hadn't started any sooner, I might have called it quits right then.

But when the music started, something deep inside seemed to take over. I'd almost forgotten the way my heart would start thumping when the dance started. Even the awkwardness of being led instead of leading didn't take away from the joy of moving in rhythm with the music.

I was completely lost, which is probably why I didn't realize someone had come into the living room until I heard clapping when the music stopped. I was panting a little, trying to keep the final pose from wobbling when I turned to the sound. It was probably a good thing Jake had his arm around my waist just then, or I might have fallen to the floor in a faint when I saw my dad.

"Dad," I said between gasps, "I can explain."

"What's there to explain?" He asked as he walked towards me with a broad smile. "There's nothing wrong with filling in for Macey while her ankle heals."

I felt a cold lump in my stomach as I turned to Crystal. "You told him? I thought you said you weren't going to tell anybody."

My sister gave me a blank look, but before she could say anything, Dad chuckled and said, "She didn't tell me anything. I've seen your friends coming over for the past few weeks to practice for the contest. When I saw Macey on the couch with her ankle bandaged up and you standing in her place, it didn't take much to put it all together."

"Oh," I said quietly. "So, you're okay with me filling in?"

Dad smiled at me for a moment, then did something he hadn't done in years.

He kissed me on the top of my head. "I'm very proud of you," he said. "You put aside your own feelings to help out your friends."

Part of me was a little annoyed that I was still short enough for him to still do that, but another part of me felt ... nice.