#rutgers

and Belinda chuckles, then follows the lead

Soon all four girls are moving in sync more or less

"Yeah, and you can mix it up with a double roll. Left-left-right."

"Left Left Right" Belinda repeats

"Now you're getting it," Masey supports

Sylvi follows the shift, and wisely doesn't express surprise that Sam is leading the dance.

"And you can do a touch-step, right?" Teaching - focusing on Belinda - means she's not thinking about her own dancing.

A glance to Masey, smiling, and following along again.

Masey whispers to Sylvi "It's like they have their own introvert language. If only we could unfold these secrets for ourselves"

"It's like learning a play, right? Just break it down into pieces."

"Act one, someone forgets to make the coffee, whos turn was it? bob? Dammit bob, ..." Belinda forgets she's supposed to be super shy

"If we're very careful, we may remain welcome in their midst," Sylvi whispers back.

"THey were beautiful, these introverts in the midst" Masey smirks

Then she adds "And that guy you were dancing with is trying to get the courage to try again"

"Yeah?" She's not looking, but asks, "Where?"

"Oh, right. Theatre major. That kind of play works too.'

"Your seven oclock , as the elders reckon time" Masey smiles

Sylvi nods, and...shimmies just a little bit towards her seven.

MJ almost gets PUSHED by his friend, and he rejoins her "Hey... it's me again?"

And Masey says "Come on, Sam, let's show Belinda something a bit mroe complicicated. You up for it?"

'Um...'

Sylvi turns, feigning surprise. "Hey! You're right! It is!" A smile.

Then to Masey, "She can do it. She can keep up with some pretty complex footwork!"

Masey assures Sam "Trust me. Belinda will vouch, I can be embarrassing, but I also got your back"

"You and your friend having an okay time?" Sylvi asks MJ.

"Yeah, apparently he thinks I'm an idiot, but yeah. Uhm... you want to dance again, or can I get you a drink?" MJ answers

"Sure?"

And Masey helps Sam learn a change up, where they get a bit close, but not unpleasantly so

"How 'bout, first one, then the other?" But she glances over to Sam, making sure she's okay with Masey and Belinda?

"Sounds good to me" MJ says and dances with her again, but he notices her distraction and shrugging 'we can dance closer to your friends if it makes you feel safer?"

Sam is learning the new moves with a dogged seriousness that might verge on comical.

A more comfortable smile. "No, I just wanted to make sure my friend didn't feel abandoned. But she's deep in I'm-gonna-learn-this mode." Sylvi shifts to focusing more intently on MJ...and intensifying her moves a little bit.

Yet Masey doesn't laugh if it does "You got it, you got it, it's just a a change up but it looks so good ... like that, uh huh. She's doing great, isn't she, Belinda?"

"Yeah, she is" Belinda admits, trying to mimic it a bit herself. It's easier when you're not the one who is expected to learn sometimes

MJ watches her move , even as he shifts strut to match her sway's intensity.

They're pretty well matched for dancing, though he's more practiced in certain moves.

"Not bad, you know this one?" He does a snap kind of spin

A laugh. "I've seen it. Haven't tried it. Show me again?"

He does it again, slowing it down just a touch so she can look it over

She keeps moving to the rhythm as she watches. "One more time...." she requests.

"Like I said, sports training." Masey might suspect more, given the blue and the horns.

But she's dancing, mixing the new move in with her stable.

She can't help it...she's playing with him, seeing if he'll get dizzy.

He does it again, but oesn't get dizzy

"Yeah, good training" Masey nods "You got it, you got it. And hey, Belinda, you're getitng it too"

Okay, Sylvi's impressed, and tries it.

She whirls and he moves to steady her, wait, did he just do that on purpose? It maybe the smoothest thing he did all night

A bit of surprise, but certainly not protest. "Oh, I see..." she says with a bit of a laugh, but she doesn't move away from his arm.

"Oh my god, it worked" He mutters, perhaps forgetting that should be kept in his head

"Yeah, I think it did," she says, smiling. "Let me guess...your buddy's advice?"