105. A Thin Line

The newspapers had been folded again and the remaining 8 pairs danced around them doing the moonwalk.

Well, at least, they were trying to.

All the couples turned around to slide their feet backwards. One guy caught people’s attention by performing a perfect moonwalk.

Emily hit her foot with the other, stumbling backwards.

“A ‘trust fall’ in the middle of a game?” Jae said after he caught her armpits in his arms. He pushed her gently.

“lt wasn’t on purpose, okay?” She huffed.

Behind them, Logan called out to Alex. Since they were doing the moonwalk, she could only peek over her shoulder.

“That…” she started to say, “That is not a moonwalk, Logan.”

“It is to!”

“It is not.”

“Look at it” Logan said, “How is that not a moonwalk?”

“Your feet aren’t that slick. Besides, I can still tell it’s not a moonwalk” Alex argued.

“I—”

Before Logan could reply back, the music stopped.

“You have 5 seconds to get into position” Giorno boomed into the mic.

One couple got a newspaper and attempted to stay afloat. They toppled over almost instantly. Then, a new couple took their spot, trying their luck.

The newspapers could only fit one foot.

Jae crouched down, “Hop on.”

Emily knew right away what he meant. She jumped onto his back and let him do the rest. He placed one foot on the newspaper and slowly lifted the other foot off the ground until he found a good balance.

“Girl, do you even eat?” He said, shifting his head to peek at her.

Emily smacked his shoulder. She initially wanted to use more force. Halfway into it, she realized she probably shouldn’t because she might make them fall.

“Yes, I eat” she huffed and straightened her back.

“Mhmm sure” Jae merely replied. He shook his head at the girl’s weight. She was light as a feather. Not to mention how soft her skin was. He felt like he was holding cotton.

Over at another newspaper, Logan and Alex had a different strategy where both of Alex’s feet stood on Logan’s foot. Her shoulder leaned on his chest while he wrapped his arms around her, keeping her steady.

“We’re totally avoiding carrying you, huh?” Logan breathed out. He didn’t really mind. He didn’t feel that confident.

Alex glanced at his direction. In this setup, somehow Logan’s face seemed closer. Not only because of their current proximity but also she didn’t need to tilt her head up as much.

She stared at the floor, “You’re also not confident about it?”

“We’ll wing it.”

A couple on the other side, fell off the newspaper. A staff member quickly escorted them away. Then, another toppled over.

“Down to 5 couples!” The MC yelled, “Wow! To all who had been eliminated, you had a good run. Please enjoy our complimentary prize. Let’s move on! Since we have 5 couples left, you’ll need to hold your partner’s hand while you dance and do the twist.”

All the pairs had been instructed to face the newspapers for this round. Emily raised her hand as if it was to be kissed by a loyal subject. Jae tucked his fingers under hers and started to twist his hips. Soon, Emily followed. The two of them looked like they stepped out of a sophisticated black and white film scene. Their bodies moved in sync as they circled the newspapers.

For the other pair, Logan merely grabbed Alex’s hand and just started twisting. Alex did her best to keep up. Logan fell off the rhythm and swiveled in a much faster tempo. Alex didn’t know whether to follow his lead or do it the right way. She spent most of the round switching tempo.

Then, when the music stopped, Logan yanked her towards him and swept her off her feet.

Blood rushed over Alex’s cheeks, over to her ears and down to her neck. He did it so fast, she barely had time to react. All the nerves in her body went still. She had become a statue—hopefully, not as heavy as one.

Logan could only fit one set of toes on the newspaper. His leg shook as he did his best to maintain upright. He needed to distribute the weight evenly or they’d fall over.
Jae had the same foot position, only toes on the paper. Emily rode on his back and shifted as Jae instructed her too.

“Oh, this is truly a delight! Two couples left standing! Please stay the way you are” Giorno cheered into the mic, “The question left is who gets which prize.”

The audience cheered at the prowess of the two pairs. Alex buried her face behind her hair. Her nose could pick up Logan’s cologne on his neck. Emily smiled and waved. They were so close to the prize. No one could snatch it away from them.

“To settle this, the couple that remains standing will win the first prize. Good luck!”

At the sound of his words, Alex snapped her head towards Logan. He stared back, his face contorted with deep concentration. She widened her eyes at him and nodded her head to the side. He scrunched his eyebrows.

Alex rolled her eyes. They only wanted the second prize so why should they keep competing? She tried nudging his shoulders to get her message across. The wrinkles on Logan’s forehead only deeped.

Gods, he was hopeless, she thought.

Then, she hissed at him with a slap on the shoulder, “Get off!”

Startled, Logan lost his balance and fell. It was too late. He could only lean backwards so Alex wouldn’t take the hit.

…

…

…

Alex froze, hands on either side of Logan.

Logan froze, hands on Alex’s waist.

The situation dangled dangerously on a thin line.

And that line suspended over Logan’s nose and under Alex’s.

Both stopped breathing.

Blood rushed into Logan’s cheeks.

Dread filled Alex’s head.

Time stopped.

The world stood still.

Only this moment existed.

Nothing else mattered.

…

…

…

…

….

“And we have our winner!” Giorno cheered, “Come get your prize!”

Staff members came to help the fallen pair while Emily jumped off Jae’s back. Alex was grateful for them. She brushed her blouse once she stood on her feet. Another staff member held out a hand towards Logan who took it appreciatively.

Neither of them looked at each other.

Alex was sure her face had become a tomato, just as red as her father’s became whenever he was angry. How embarrassing was it to fall like that?

Logan scratched the back of his head and thanked the staff member who helped him. He had a sudden feeling of deja vu. Only this time, he saw gray eyes, not a white shirt. The memory of that day tinted his ears pink. How embarrassing would it have been if that was what happened earlier?