#rutgers

A squint. "I just showed her a few steps. It's kinda cheating."

"It's not, like... like... dance-dance..."

"You've got a funny definition of cheating. It's plenty dance. It gets people moving on the dance floor."

"Just, you know, watching what people do and copying it."

"Like basketball, or dueling. You get the parts and fit them together..."

"Well, you figured out how to make her see how to do it, and that's not nothing."

A glance over. "Made an impression on Masey, too."

She swallows, and shrugs, and doesn't entirely succeed at not blushing.

"Satyrs, what can you do?"

An amused expression. "Satyrs. Quite a lot, probably."

SNORT!

"Oh god, Sylvi." She's grinning now.

Glad to see that reaction, she says, "Want to know what I'm seeing?"

"Sure?"

"Okay, I don't want to jinx it by freaking you out, but...Masey thinks you're way hot."

She slows her stride.

Sylvi keeps pace, slowing along with her.

"That... well, like you said, satyrs."

"Well...yeah. But it's not like satyrs don't have taste."

"You think she and Belinda are a thing?"

"Or just roomies?"

"They might have had a fling, I haven't really seen them together enough to know about that. But I don't think they're, like, a couple."

"Right, I didn't get that, personally, but... you know?" She shrugs.

"You never know, maybe."

Sylvi looks at her. "I do know that she's interested in getting closer to you. Now...like you said, satyr. Doesn't necessarily mean she's looking for anything more than, like, friends with benefits, y'know? And there's nothing wrong with that," says the devil standing at her left shoulder.

"Now that sounds like October talking."

A shrug. "I like October, during October."

"I'm okay, you know? I'm doing okay."

A blink. "Um...okay? I didn't think you weren't."

"But if you mean you're doing okay by ignoring when somebody cool is offering you some connection...well, I think you're missing out."

She flexes her fingers and then curls them up into loose fists. A shrug. "I'm not... ignoring it?"

"Okay, maybe 'ignoring' is the wrong word."

"But if she suggests something...like, going out for coffee or something?...I hope you take her up on it, see where it goes."

"It's really not a great time."

Furrowed brow. "Why not?"

"I mean, I have classes and I have stuff to do back home..."

"Yeah...but you can make the time for a little fun. Trust me...I think it'd be worth it." A smile.

"I went to the club! I had fun."

"Yes! You did! That was awesome!"

"It was better than I expected, to be honest."

"Right? And...it could lead to some more fun! I mean, if I'm reading her right."

"And I think I am."

"AND..." she holds up a hand "...I wouldn't say all this if I didn't think you were kind of interested in her, too."

Her cheeks warm and she shrugs,

"That's a dead end."

Genuine puzzlement. "Dead end?"

"I don't want some casual whatever..."

"Well...okay...but why not?"

"I..."

"It's just better, right? To avoid the trouble at the start."