❦
Dancing in front of her, while Lani drank her coffee and looked not at all put together. Michelle didn’t think anything of it at first, accustomed to the need for approval. She could tell it had changed, though, into something more. It was almost like what she had with the dancers at home, with Keelie and May and Zan, but not quite the same. This felt cleaner, somehow, purer than the friendship she had with the dancers back home. Maybe because they were all competing with each other when they danced, to be the best in the company. She didn’t have to compete with Lani, she could just...dance, and it was fine. She couldn’t help the grin on her face, glad to have a real friend again.










