Kris Ellsworth and his younger sister attend the local fest where he meets a beauty from a nearby big city. Her name is Alice Harvey and she's travelled to Andwood to perform. After his sister's encouragement, Kris decides to approach Alice after her performence.
The summer sun was just beginning to set as Kris Ellsworth and his
younger sister, Sophia, made their way through the cobblestone
streets of their small village. They have been living there for their
whole lives, but Sophia was supposed to leave for university. A hint
of excitement filled the air, as the local festival was gearing up,
the sounds of music and laughter wafting through the evening breeze.
As they approached the main square, the sight of the grand stage
came into view. A makeshift platform constructed by the townsfolk was
adorned with colorful banners, and a small orchestra was tuning their
instruments, preparing for the night's entertainment. Kris' eyes
scanned the area and settled on a group of performers gathering near
the stage, their bright, colorful costumes catching the attention of
those passing by. And then he saw her. A girl with golden hair that
fell in waves around her shoulders, and eyes the color of lush,
emerald leaves. It was as if time slowed down, as if the world had
suddenly become still, as he gazed upon her. She was breathtaking,
and he couldn't tear his gaze away.
Across the square, Alice Harvey adjusted the straps on her costume, her heart fluttering
nervously as she prepared for her performance. An accomplished dancer
from the nearby city, she had been invited to perform at this
festival, and the thought of dancing in front of a small-town crowd
was both thrilling and intimidating. As Alice took her place on the
stage, ready to start her routine, her gaze swept across the
audience, taking in the faces of the people gathered to watch. And
then, her eyes landed on a boy standing towards the back, his sister
beside him. He was staring at her, his eyes full of undeniable
fascination and something else, something almost like enchantment.
The music started playing, and Alice's body moved gracefully to the
rhythm. Each step, each twirl, was perfectly executed, and her
presence on stage was captivating. She was mesmerizing, like a
firefly dancing amongst the stars, and Kris found himself bewitched,
unable to look away. The music started playing, and Alice's body
moved gracefully to the rhythm. Each step, each twirl, was perfectly
executed, and her presence on stage was captivating. She was
mesmerizing, like a firefly dancing amongst the stars, and Kris found
himself bewitched, unable to look away. Her dance was a mixture of
elegance and grace, each movement executed with the precision of a
master. As she spun, her hair flared out behind her like a golden
halo, and her green eyes sparkled with an intensity that matched the
passion of her dance. The audience was enraptured, clapping and
cheering with each pass of her lithe form, but Kris could barely hear
them, his focus completely drawn to the woman on stage, the woman who
seemed to hold his heart in her slender, dancing fingers. Beside
Kris, his younger sister, Sophia, noticed the change in his demeanor.
His eyes were fixed on the stage, his face a mixture of wonder and
what could only be described as fascination. She followed his gaze
and noticed the golden-haired dancer moving effortlessly across the
platform. It dawned on her, and a small, knowing smile played on her
lips. She elbowed her brother gently, a lighthearted tease in her
voice.
"You're smitten," she whispered. "I've never seen you look so enraptured."
Kris jerked his head to the side, his attention broken. He looked at his sister, a mixture of surprise
and denial on his face. But the flush on his cheeks betrayed him, and
she could see the truth in his eyes.
"I'm not smitten," he replied, trying to sound
nonchalant, but his voice was too gruff, too lacking in conviction. Sophia laughed softly, her eyes flickering back to the dancer on
the stage. "Oh, come on. I know that face. You're completely
captivated by her. Admit it."
Kris opened his mouth to protest,
but the words died on his lips as he returned his attention to Alice,
a slight shiver running down his spine as she executed a particularly
difficult move. He swallowed, his throat suddenly dry. "Okay, maybe I'm a
bit...intrigued."
Sophia chuckled, her gaze locking with her
brother's. "Intrigued, huh? That's a polite way of putting it.
You're practically drooling."
Kris rolled his eyes, trying to
hide his embarrassment. "I am not drooling," he retorted,
but there was no heat in his voice, only a hint of defensiveness.
"But I have to admit," he continued, his eyes glued to
Alice's every move, "she's an incredible dancer. I've never seen
anything like it."
Sophia smiled, her expression suddenly
turning sly. "You should introduce yourself. Go talk to her
after the performance."
Kris snapped his gaze to his sister, his eyes widening. "What?
Are you kidding? I can't do that."
"Why not?" Sophia leaned in, a mischievous grin playing
on her lips. "It's not like she's going to bite your head off."
Kris swallowed nervously, the thought of actually approaching
Alice making his palms sweaty. "But...what if she's not
interested? What if she thinks I'm a country bumpkin?"
Sophia rolled her eyes. "You're seriously overthinking this, you know
that? You're a good-looking guy, Kris. Give yourself some credit." She gave him a gentle shove. "And besides, what's the worst
that could happen? She says no? Life goes on. But at least you'll
know you tried."
Kris sighed, running a hand through his hair.
He knew she was right, but the thought of rejection was a real fear.
Still, he couldn't deny the pull he felt towards Alice, the way his
heart thumped in his chest every time she moved on stage.
He looked back at the stage, catching a glimpse of her emerald
green eyes as she spun. "Okay, I'll do it," he said
quietly, more to himself than to Sophia.
His sister beamed, giving him a quick pat on the back. "That's
the spirit! Now, let's get closer. I don't want to miss this."
They moved closer to the stage, Kris' heart thudding in time with the
music. He couldn't take his eyes off Alice, his breath catching in
his throat each time she made a particularly graceful move. His sister leaned in again. "Don't forget to breathe,"
she teased.
Kris shot her a glare, his heart still racing. The dance was
nearing its end, and the realization that he was actually going to
speak to Alice made him feel both excited and terrified. He wiped his
sweaty palms on his trousers, his mind already running through a
hundred different scenarios.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, the dance ended with a flourish, and the applause of the
crowd rang out. Alice took a bow, her cheeks flushed from exertion,
her eyes scanning the audience. It was then that her gaze landed on
Kris, their eyes meeting for a brief moment before he quickly looked
away, feeling the heat rise in his cheeks once more.
"She saw you," Sophia whispered, her voice full of excitement. "She
totally saw you. Now's your chance!"
Kris' heart was in his throat, but he knew that his sister was right. He took a deep breath,
steeling himself. "Okay, I'm gonna go," he mumbled. He took a step forward and made his way towards the side of the
stage where Alice was exiting. As he approached, Alice was surrounded by a group of her fellow
performers, each of them congratulating her on her performance. Kris
hovered on the edge of the group, his heart pounding, until one of
the performers noticed him.
"Can we help you?" a performer asked, a hint of
suspicion in her voice.
"Um," Kris stuttered, "I was wondering if I could
speak to the dancer who was just on stage for a moment?" The
performer looked him up and down, taking in his country-boy charm,
before turning to Alice.
"Hey, there's someone here to see you," she said,
gesturing to Kris.
Alice, who had been talking to another performer, turned towards
him, her eyes locking with Kris'. The corners of her lips quirked up
in a small, curious smile.
"Yeah?" she asked, her voice carrying an air of
confidence, but there was a hint of intrigue in her gaze. She stepped
out of the little group, her eyes never leaving his. "What can I
do for you?"
Kris swallowed, suddenly finding it hard to form words. She
was even more beautiful up close. "I...uh..." he started,
his eyes flickering around nervously before settling back on her
face, "I just wanted to say that your dance was incredible. I
mean, breathtaking."
Alice's smile widened, a small blush
tinting her cheeks. "Thank you," she replied, the simple
words filled with a shy gratitude. "I'm glad you enjoyed it."
Kris found himself lost in her mesmerizing eyes, the green of them
like a cool, inviting lake on a hot summer's day. He swallowed again,
trying to find something else to say, something that didn't involve
drooling like an idiot. Luckily, Sophia chose that moment to step in.
She'd been watching the scene unfolding from a distance and decided
it was time to give her brother a bit of a push. She moved to Kris'
side and looked at Alice with a friendly smile. "Sorry to
interrupt," Sophia said cheerfully, "but my brother here is
a big fan of yours. He's been staring at you all evening."
Alice's eyes flicked to Kris, her smile turning more amused. "Is
that so?" she asked, her voice laced with teasing.
"Sophia! You're making me sound like a creep..." Kris said with blush
forming on his face.
Sophia laughed, completely unrepentant. "I'm just stating the facts, bro. You were practically drooling!"
Kris shot his sister a glare, his cheeks burning. He was never going
to live this down. He took a deep breath and turned back to Alice,
silently pleading with her to ignore his sister's teasing. But rather
than look annoyed, Alice seemed more amused as she laughed quietly,
the sound like soft, melodious chimes.
"I don't mind a bit of drooling," she said, her gaze sparkling with mischief. Even
Sophia looked surprised, not expecting that response. She glanced
quickly at Kris, whose cheeks were now a deep shade of scarlet,
before turning back to Alice with a wide, amused smile.
"You hear that, Kris? She doesn't mind it."
she said, nudging him again.
Kris groaned, feeling like he was being toyed with. But despite
his embarrassment, he couldn't deny the thrill that shot through him
at Alice's words. He risked a glance at her and was met with a smirk
that said she was enjoying this as much as his sister was.
"I...uh..." Kris stuttered, his brain suddenly
short-circuiting at the sight of her smirk. He was saved from further
embarrassment by one of her fellow performers calling out to her.
"Alice, we're about to head to the pub for a drink. You joining
us?" the performer called out, breaking the tension. Alice turned to look at her friend, before glancing back at Kris
and Sophia.
"You're from here, right? Maybe you two could show us
the local pub...so we won't get lost." Alice smiled
mischievously, knowing damn well that one of the performers' dad is a
local and she could easly lead them there.
Kris blinked, taken aback by her directness, but then he couldn't help but smile. She was
clever as well as beautiful. He looked at Sophia who gave him an
encouraging nod, her eyes practically gleaming with excitement.
"Sure," Kris replied, feeling a newfound confidence at
having been presented with a clear purpose. "We can lead the
way."
Sophia hid a grin behind her hand, silently enjoying her brother's
newfound courage.
"Great!" Alice said, her eyes sparkling. "Give us a
minute to change out of our costumes, and we'll be right with you."
With that, the group of performers moved off back towards the
makeshift backstage area, leaving Kris and Sophia alone.
Kris stood there, his heart pounding in his chest, staring after
Alice. He couldn't believe that she was really coming to the pub with
them. Sophia, meanwhile, was grinning at him like a Cheshire cat.
"Smooth, Kris. Real smooth," she teased, giving his arm a
light punch. "You're actually going to show her around town. I'm
impressed."
"Shut up," Kris retorted, though there was
no real heat behind his words. He was too busy trying not to get his
hopes up.
"Oh, come on," Sophia said, slinging an arm
around his shoulders. "You're doing great. Just be yourself,
don't do or say anything stupid, and you'll be fine. She's clearly
into you."
Kris looked at her skeptically. "You think so?
She's a professional dancer, Soph. From the city. She probably meets
guys like me all the time."
"You're selling yourself short, bro," she replied,
rolling her eyes at his self-deprecation. "So, she's a city
girl. So what? She's still here, asking you to come hang out with
her, isn't she? She could've just said bye when her friends told her
about the pub...but instead..." Before she could continue, Kris
cut her off with a scoff.
"She was just being polite, Soph. She
probably felt sorry for me for being such a gawking idiot."
Sophia shook her head, exasperated. "You're hopeless. Just...
don't overthink things too much, alright? You've gotten further with
her than you ever have with any other girl. Just...relax, and see how
the night goes, yeah? And hey, she invited me too, so I'll be nearby
if you need me to save your ass in case she turns out to be a psycho."
Kris couldn't help but chuckle at that. Despite her teasing, he knew
Sophia had his back. "All right, all right," he conceded.
"I'll try. But I swear, if you embarrass me in front of her..."
Sophia chuckled and pushed him playfully. "You'll manage that
without me, Krissy." she teased. Kris rolled his eyes, but a
small smile played on his lips. He shoved her playfully back, and
they both laughed. The tension of the situation eased a bit as they
waited for Alice and her group to reappear.
Chapter 1 The Performance
19/07/2024