5 Learning How to Dance

Now we were walking back to the room where our parents were discussing the engagement party. I felt nervous having to act like Elaine once more and if yesterday was any indication, I was acting suspiciously not like Elaine.

Maybe once I knew what happened to Elaine before I woke up in her body I can have an excuse to my chance in behaviour. I didn't want to just act exactly like her since sooner or later I would get caught anyway and I just can't fake liking Alex so much like a crazy person.

I would puke if I ever held onto to him like Elaine did in the novel.

I wonder where the real Elaine is. Did she die? It was hard to think about me just taking her place like that. I followed Alex to talk to our parents.

We were sitting down in the study. Elaine's mother kept making glances at me, hopefully she doesn't suspect that I'm not Elaine. If they knew maybe they would think I possessed her or something. Then I don't know what they would do to me.

After a life of harshness living by myself, I was looking forward to Elaine's supposedly easy life, full of money. Though even that is questionable by the looks of this mansion.

I can't catch a break.

I sighed and took a sip of the tea in front of me. Alex never even looked in my direction, but I could feel that he was probably wondering why I wasn't head over heels for him. Though I do have to say he was skilled in not letting others read his thoughts.

We then finished the plans of the party and the attention was back to me.

'Miss Elaine I heard you are a wonderful dancer,' Duke Magnus smiled in my direction. Was I? I've never read anything about Elaine except when she was harassing the heroine.

'Thank you for the compliment. I don't think I'm that good of a dancer,' I gave him a small smile in return. Inside, I was starting to panic. Oh that's right, I was supposed to dance at the party later.

How am I supposed to explain that I suddenly lost the ability to dance?

'You look nervous Miss Elaine. Is everything alright?' Alex grinned at me. That bastard. Why does he like to torture me? Is he a sadist or something?

'No I'm quite alright haha. Just feeling a bit under the weather,' I waved off the attention towards me and hoped they wouldn't notice me being weird again.

I need to learn how to dance before the party. What am I supposed to do?

'If you'll excuse me I would like to get some fresh air,' I excused myself from the room with glares from my mother and an ignorant nod from my father for my behavior. I left the room and went to the garden once more. How was I supposed to learn how to dance in such a short time? I have two weeks before I get found out.

More importantly, I also need to find out what happened to Elaine. Ugh, I have to deal with more important matters than dancing, yet I also can't ignore it. I notice that it was getting dark and the sun was setting down.

Somebody tapped my shoulders from behind my back and I turned my head to see Alex once more.

'I followed you here,' he said. I don't know why he did, it was hard to read the expression on his face. He crossed his arms while talking to me.

'Why?' It was weird that he's following me around. If the real Elaine was here she would be ecstatic.

'I noticed you left the room when my father began talking about dancing, what's the matter? Are you suddenly unable to dance or something?' he raised an eyebrow at me. I don't know what face I made next, but he raised both his eyebrows now which tells me that he knew he hit the right mark.

'Wait, did you really forget how to dance?' he uncrossed his arms and looked at me with confusion. I didn't want to respond to him knowing that the answer would only arouse suspicion. Besides he already seemed to know the answer to that question.

'What do you want?' Instead of answering him I dodged him with another question. I looked at him with a tired expression hoping he would get the message and just leave me alone to think about what I must do next.

'Hmm.... How about I teach you?'

Well that took me by surprise. Why on earth - or whatever this planet is called - would he want to spend time with me who he supposedly hates? Maybe it really was Elaine's behavior after the engagement that annoyed him. Well I suppose it's good that I'm not Elaine so that I won't act clingy towards him. Though I wonder how he will react if I really try to get in between him and the heroine.

'Why would you want to?' It was a valid question. I try to keep my face straight so that he would not know what I was thinking. It bothered me that he was able to do that yet so far I was completely open with my thoughts and emotions.

'I want to test something, it has been bothering me for quite a while now,' he said as he started to walk around me in a circle. I felt like he was a lion who was taking his time with a deer. But he got one thing wrong, I'm not just any deer. I'm Ellen, an orphan who always had to fight for every thing I've ever had in life. I won't be eaten by a mere lion that hasn't even matured yet.

'As much as that interests me, which it doesn't, please refrain your experiments to yourself. Of course I know how to dance, why wouldn't I? Now if you'll excuse me I will take my leave,' with that I walked away from him with my dress going over the leaves in the garden.

One last thought occurred to me as I walked away from him, "I'm so screwed."