User blog:Metool Bard/Fanfiction: Step by Step (Part 2)

Click Here for Part 1
After some chaotic pleasantries with her family, Luna went straight to the twins’ room. Sam waited out in the hall, though she was too preoccupied with wondering about Luna’s mysterious plan to properly spectate that typical craziness that was the Loud House. In a few minutes, Luna emerged with a cardboard box and a pink portable stereo.

“C’mon, let’s head down to the basement,” said Luna. “We’ll have more space there.”

Sam gave Luna a concerned look. “Um, is your sister okay with you borrowing all that?”

Luna shrugged. “Eh, normally she wouldn’t be. But when it comes to love, we Louds like to help each other out. She’ll understand.”  She then scanned the hall. “Though just to be safe, we should probably hustle. Lola’s the type to hit first and ask questions later, know what I mean?”

Sam simply gave a shrug of her own. “Well, alright. If you say so.”

The two of them hurried down into the basement. Once Luna confirmed that they were alone, she set the stereo on the washing machine and opened up the cardboard box. Inside was a rolled-up mat and some felt footprints, each with a different number.

“What’s that?” asked Sam.

“A dance mat with markers,” Luna replied. She spread the mat out on the floor and placed a few markers onto it. “Lola usually uses this stuff to practice her pageant routines. It’s a great way to learn the basics of dancing.”

Sam looked over the mat curiously. “So, how does it work? You just step on the markers in the order they’re numbered?”

“That’s the basic gist of it, yeah,” said Luna. “But there’s a bit more to it. Here, I’ll show ya.”

Luna walked over to the stereo and turned it on. As a simple melody began to play, she took the first position on the dance mat and began to move in time with the beat. Sam’s eyes sparkled as she looked on. Even though Luna wasn’t showing off with any particularly fancy footwork, the way she stepped from marker to marker so gracefully was enough to leave Sam mesmerized. She had seen Luna dance before, of course, but it was always with a group of friends at a club. Something about seeing her dance on her own caused something powerful to stir within her heart.

But before she could put her feelings into words, the song ended, and the spell was broken. Sam’s awe slowly turned to apprehension as Luna gestured to her.

“See? Simple as that,” she said. “Go on. Give it a try.”

Sam swallowed hard. “O-okay…”

She took the first position on the dance mat, trying her best to control her jitters.

“Whenever you’re ready,” said Luna, poised over the stereo’s play button.

Sam took in a deep breath and gave Luna a nod. Luna nodded in return and turned on the stereo. Sam took a slow, tentative step onto the second marker. Once she felt she was in position, she carefully lifted her other leg and moved to the third marker. All the while, she desperately tried to keep herself from shivering or slipping. Due to her more methodical movements, she was completely out of sync with the song. Realizing this, she gave Luna a pained look.

“I-I’m not doing it right, am I?” she said.

Luna knitted her brow. “It’s, uh…  It’s a start. But it’s more than just hitting the markers. You need to move in time with the beat.”

Sam gulped. “Right. The beat. N-no problem.”

She tried to pick up the pace to match the song, but in her haste, her movements became sloppy. She soon found herself stepping on her own foot and falling over. Luna swooped in and caught her before she face planted into the floor.

“Whoa there. I gotcha,” said Luna. She looked down at the mat and stroked her chin. “Hmm. Maybe this routine’s a bit too complicated for you. Step off the mat for a sec.”

Sam moved off to the side while Luna rearranged the markers. Soon, there were only four markers set up in a square pattern.

“There. That should do it,” said Luna. “Just four steps. Nothing too fancy.”

Sam looked over the four markers carefully. Once she felt she memorized the pattern, she nodded. “Yeah, this looks simple enough.”

“Good,” said Luna. “Just say the word.”

Sam swallowed and took the first position. After taking a deep breath, she gave Luna a nod, and the music started again. Sam moved shakily from marker to marker, trying to keep time with the music and maintain her balance. All the while, she kept her eyes glued to her feet. While the simpler routine Luna laid out did make things easier, she still felt a bit out of sync. When she tried to quicken her pace, she saw one of her feet was not fully aligned with the marker. Stunned by her mistake, she stumbled and fell once again. And once again, Luna rushed in to catch her.

“You’re getting better,” said Luna, helping Sam to her feet. “But I think the problem is you’re too worried about where you’re stepping. Here, let’s try this.”

Sam stepped off of the mat, and Luna removed the markers and put them back in the box. Sam raised an eyebrow.

“How am I supposed to work with that?” she asked.

“Simple,” said Luna. “Don’t think about it. Just move your body and listen to the music. Do what comes naturally.”

Sam’s befuddled look did not vanish. “Um, Luna? My whole problem is that this stuff doesn’t come naturally to me. I still don’t see how this helps.”

“Dancing might not come naturally to you, but music certainly does,” said Luna. “And if you just relax and let the music take control, you might end up surprising yourself.”

Sam looked away and twiddled her fingers. “I-I’m still not sure about this…”

Luna sighed. “Look, we’re the only two down here, and I ain’t gonna judge you. But if you really still feel nervous, just try counting the beat in your head. I find a mantra like that is a good way to drive off the jitters.”

Sam took a moment to think before swallowing a lump in her throat. “O-okay. I-I’ll try.”

Luna nodded and turned on the music once again. Sam took her place on the mat and closed her eyes. After a few beats, she started to move in the same box-shaped pattern Luna laid out before.

“One, two, three, four. One, two, three, four…” Sam chanted. Just as Luna said, the mantra did help keep her nerves in check, at least for a while. But as she continued to chant, she became more and more aware that her footsteps weren’t completely matching up to the music. Luna, however, didn’t seem to notice.

“That’s it, Sam! You’re doing it!” she cheered.

Luna’s encouragement caused Sam’s heart to flutter, but it also broke the mantra. Now she was fully aware that her body was being uncooperative. Nervously, she looked down at her feet and saw that they were completely out of rhythm. As she tried to get them back in sync, she started to wobble from side to side.

“O-one, t-two, th-th-three, f-f-four. O-o-one, t-t-two, th-three…”

Sam tried to start the mantra up again, but since she was paying too much attention to her flawed footwork, it did no good. For a third time, Luna moved in to catch her before she fell. But this time, she moved too early. Sam managed to step just out of Luna’s reach before getting her legs tangled. With a yelp, she fell over and landed on her behind. Luna rushed over to her side.

“Sam! You okay, brah?” she asked, reaching out to her. “Here, let me help you—”

She froze mid-sentence when she noticed the tears trickling down Sam’s face. Before she could do anything else, Sam let out a frustrated scream and buried her face in her hands.

“It’s no use! I give up!” she bawled. “No matter what I do, nothing works! I can see the dancing in my head, but my stupid body just doesn’t listen! I’ll never be able to move like you do, Luna! I’ll never be able to dance with you!”

Luna flinched. Seeing Sam acting vulnerable was one thing, but actually seeing her break down and cry just made her heart heavy.

“Sam, c’mon. Y-you’re not that bad,” she said. “You just…”

“Save it,” Sam spat curtly. “This isn’t gonna work. When it comes to dancing, I’m just a lost cause. End of story.”

Luna sighed and sat down next to Sam. “I don’t believe that for a second.”

Sam turned away from Luna. “Yeah right. You’re just saying that to make me feel better.”

“No, I’m not,” Luna insisted. She sighed again. “Look, it would be one thing if you just didn’t like dancing. Sure, I’d find it weird, but I’d learn to accept it. But what I won’t accept is you giving up on something you wanna like just because it’s hard. That’s not the Sam Sharp I know.”

“B-but you saw me up there,” Sam whimpered. “I can’t even get through one lousy song without tripping over myself. Maybe something really is wrong with me.”

Luna frowned and placed a hand on Sam’s shoulder. “Dude, the only thing I see that’s wrong here is this defeatist attitude of yours. I believe you can do this, but that doesn’t mean anything if you don’t believe in yourself.”

Sam slowly looked at Luna. “Y-you believe in me? H-how?”

“I noticed something when you were dancing,” Luna explained. “Every time you messed up, it’s ‘cause you got nervous.”

Sam sniffled. “I-I can’t help it. I-I can’t stay upright and keep pace with the music at the same time. And once I realize that, I-I just…”

“I know. I saw,” said Luna. She then stood up and reached out to Sam. “Here. I wanna try one more thing.”

Sam looked at Luna’s hand for a moment. Once she accepted it, Luna pulled her up and placed her other hand around Sam’s waist. Sam’s cheeks started to burn.

“Wh-what are you doing?” she asked.

“What does it look like?” said Luna with a smirk. “We’re gonna dance together.”

Sam’s eyes went wide. “A-are you nuts?! I’m just gonna…”

“Hear me out, Sam,” Luna interrupted. “Remember what I told you before? You’re getting so worked up about where you step that it’s messing up your groove. So if the mantra isn’t enough to distract you, maybe I can give it a shot.”

“Wh-what do you mean?”

Luna looked Sam right in the eye. “Listen carefully, Sam. I want you to follow my lead and just move along with me,” she instructed. “And while we’re dancing, focus on my eyes and don’t look away. Think you can do that?”

Sam bit her lip. “I-I don’t know, Luna. Wh-what if I end up stepping on your toes or something?”

“That might happen,” Luna said with a shrug. “But if you keep fretting over it, that just makes it more likely. You need to loosen up a bit and let the music flow through you. That’s the key to dancing.”

Sam mulled it over for a moment before heaving a sigh. “Okay. But this is my last shot.”

Luna smiled. “We’ll see. Remember, follow my lead, and don’t look away.”

With that, Luna reached over and turned the stereo on once more. She then started straight into the dance, holding Sam’s arm aloft while keeping her other arm firmly around her waist. Sam mimicked her and tried her best to keep pace. As she stared into Luna’s eyes, she could feel her heart pounding in her chest. Worried that the palpitations would throw her off-rhythm, she snagged a quick glance at her feet.

“Up bup bup! Eyes up here, Sam,” Luna chided.

Sam snapped back to attention, but it wasn’t enough to alleviate her fears. She soon found herself chanting the mantra again.

“One, two, three, four. One, two, three, four…”

Luna’s smiled widened. “There you go. Just like that. One, two, three, four…”

The two of them danced around the basement, with Sam repeating the mantra aloud and staring into Luna’s eyes all the while. Every so often, she would step down at an odd angle and stumble a bit. But every time she did so, Luna just pulled her back up and held her close.

“Just relax. I’m right here,” Luna cooed softly. “I won’t let you go. Not until you’re ready to do this on your own.”

Slowly but surely, Sam’s anxieties began to melt away. Luna’s embrace felt like a protective cocoon, keeping her safe from her own clumsiness. She began to daydream about dancing with Luna at the club, with all of their friends cheering them on. She breathed out a small laugh, her eyes becoming misty once again. Luna laughed along with her.

“There we go. There’s that cute smile of yours,” she said.

At that moment, the song concluded. As Sam snapped back to reality, she accidentally stubbed her toe against the side of Luna’s boot. The two of them fell over onto the mat, still in each others arms. Sam gasped and scrambled to her feet.

“O-omigosh, Luna!” she squeaked. “I-I am so, so sorry. A-are you okay?”

Luna snickered and looked up at Sam. “What was that you were saying about being a lost cause?”

Sam blinked. “Wh-what do you mean?”

“I think you know,” said Luna, picking herself up. “That was your best run yet, Sam. You’re better at this than you give yourself credit for.”

Sam blushed and rubbed her arm. “O-only because you were there to support me,” she mumbled bashfully. “I-I couldn’t imagine doing this on my own.”

“I can,” said Luna. “Maybe not today or even tomorrow, but you’ll get the hang of it someday. You just need to keep practicing, that’s all.”

“Y-you really think so?” Sam asked.

Luna smirked and clasped Sam’s shoulder. “Dude, I know potential when I see it, and you’ve got it in spades. Now, I can’t tell you what you want, so I wanna hear it from you. Do you want to keep learning how to dance? Just tell me honestly.”

Sam closed her eyes and took a few deep breaths, mustering up the courage to respond. Finally, she nodded.

“Yeah. I think I do,” she said. “I always did like watching other people dance, especially you. But because I could never do it myself, I just wrote it off as something that wasn’t my thing.”

“I had a feeling that was the case,” said Luna with a smirk. “Just wanted to make sure. You feeling better now?”

“Much.”  Sam then threw her arms around Luna. “Thank you, Luna.”

Luna smiled and returned the embrace. “Don’t sweat it, Sam. As long as you’re happy, I’m happy. And just remember, whenever you start falling, I’ll keep calling you back again.”

“I really appreciate that,” said Sam. “I’ll try to do the same for you, too.”

“Hey, Luna.”

Sam and Luna shrieked as Lucy popped up out of seemingly nowhere. When she saw Luna with Sam, she immediately blushed.

“Oh. I-I’m sorry,” she said. “Is this a bad time?”

“K-kinda,” said Luna, shaking herself. “What’s up?”

“Dad says dinner’s almost ready. He made extra because he assumed that Sam was going to join us.”

Sam blinked. “Whoa. How long have we been down here?”

“Pretty long, from the sound of it,” said Luna sheepishly. “Um, are you cool with joining us, brah?”

Sam shrugged. “Sure. My mom already knows I’m gonna be home late, and I’m sure our friends won’t mind if we skip out on clubbing tonight.”  She then blushed. “I’m… not quite ready for that, anyway.”

“Totally hear ya,” said Luna with a nod. She then turned to Lucy. “We’ll be up in a bit.”

Lucy nodded in return. “Oh, and B-T-Dubs. Lola says if you don’t return her dance mat by dinnertime, she’s going to drag you to Liam’s farm to help her and Lana get their Junior Veterinarian patches for the Bluebells.”

Luna did a double take. “Wh-what?! How’d she even find out?!”

“‘Cause you just told me.”

Luna’s head whipped around to see Lola at the top of the stairs, a smug grin plastered on her face. Luna groaned and facepalmed.

“Dang it,” she grumbled.

“Well, think of it this way,” Sam said coyly. “Just because farm stuff’s not your thing doesn’t automatically mean you don’t like it.”

Luna shot Sam a dirty look, but it soon dissolved into a laugh. “Got me there, Sam. So, uh…”

“Don’t worry. I can help you out,” said Sam. She took Luna’s hand in hers and smiled. “After all, you did the same for me."