The Spectrum Force by Heather Ray (summer books .TXT) 📖

can dance with Madonna, Rapunzel... or whoever else is here."

"Good point," Keith conceded, "but don't forget to put me on your dance card!"

Keith waved farewell to Rachel, straightened his bandana, and moved into the ocean of people moving to the intense dance beat. Although he was a veteran at college parties, there was something exotic about this particular engagement. Faces were cloaked in masks, heavy paint, and shadowed hoods. He had an inkling as to the identities of several party-goers, but with the pulsing red-tinged lighting coupled with the costumes, it was almost like dancing in a dream world.

He felt slightly intimidated by the waves of cloaked students before him. At this stage in the game, he couldn't resort to popularity, or even common ground in an attempt to get a woman's attention. Instead, sheer charm would have to be essential to his success.

He had plenty to fall back on.

Keith startled a bit as a force pushed into the small of his back, causing him to lurch forward. He caught himself before tumbling into the sea of dancers, and turned around quickly to see what had hit him.

"I'm sorry about that," said a softly accented voice from below his field of vision, "These parties get a little crowded, don't they?"

He looked down, and saw a spun pile of vibrant ebony hair woven around a crystalline tiara. The woman then rose to her full height after she had located her fallen scepter, and smiled brightly.

Keith discovered that whatever words he was about to say had taken flight.

She was slender and of medium height, but her posture and warm smile spoke of a confidence that most college women lacked. A film of silver glitter covered all her exposed skin, giving way to a lightweight layered gown of pastels, complete with a daring neckline and sweeping hem. Still, the gown wasn't completely opaque, hinting at her shapely legs beneath. In addition to the sparkling tiara, a glittered facemask covered the area around her eyes, but it couldn't take his attention from the wide, rich brown eyes behind them.

Keith blinked in amazement. She seemed almost like a celestial apparition.

"I know," she sighed, biting her glittered lip, "I guess the outfit's too much. It's my costume from our school play last year. It's a bit elaborate for this kind of party. I know if I wore the wings, they would have been ruined!"

"Who are you?" Keith found himself asking. It wasn't exactly his most impressive first words, but they were exceedingly direct.

Her smile widened. "What do I look like?"

"I... I don't know," Keith confessed, his gaze fixed upon her, "Like no one I've ever seen before."

She blushed slightly at the compliment. "Well, I'm sure you aren't asking for my name, since according to the rules I can't divulge that. I'm Titania, Queen of the Fairies."

Keith didn't find that hard to believe.

"Say, Blackbeard," she said, sliding her hand into his, "Would you care to dance?"

Keith grinned, gripping her hand with equal pressure. "It would be my pleasure."

Hand in hand, they weaved their way onto the crowded dance floor, and let the powerful dance mix take them in. Keith found himself amazed at how gracefully Titania moved on the dance floor. Even with that elaborate costume, she flowed with the fastest beat that echoed through the room, her eyes dancing with energy. Keith relished just watching her dance, as he could tell with ease that he would have difficulty keeping up with her.

So, she's a dancer, and she was in a school play, he deduced, If she was a fairy, then she certainly didn't go to U.C.L.A. last year. There weren't any plays involving fairy characters. So she's either a transfer student or a freshman. And from her accent, she's from the South... the Carolinas, Georgia, or something like that.

He found himself quite fascinated by the Southern Belle that had grasped his attention.

After a few powerful beats that blended into each other, the music faded, and the dense population of the dance floor applauded merrily for the extended dance mix.

"Okay, guys and gouls!" the DJ called, tipping his cowboy hat, "It's time for all you lovers out there to take the stage. We've got a few softies up next."

An immense wave of shuffling began, with party-goers trading places on the dance floor. Titania tilted her head slightly, smiling broadly.

"Well, thanks for the dance," she said, waving. But before she could get very far, Keith was quick to get a hold of her hand.

"What's the rush?" he inquired innocently.

Titania once again bit her lip. "Well, I do have to get going... but I guess one more dance couldn't hurt."

She turned back to the pirate, and hung her hands around his neck. "So, do you slow-dance much?"

Keith grinned. "Not at all," he admitted, "but I'm a quick study."

The dance floor had become more sparsely crowded, making it easier for couples to move about. The vibrant red light flashing above the floor dimmed and steadied, pacifying the tone of entire party. And then, a soft melody began, with Celine Dion's powerful vocals taking center stage.

When I fall in love
It will be forever
Or I'll never fall in love
In a restless world
Like this is
Love is ended before it's begun
And too many moonlight kisses
Seem to cool in the warmth of the sun

When I give my heart
I give it completely
Or I'll never give my heart
And the moment I can feel that you feel that way too
Is when I fall in love...

Chapter Three

Wednesday, November 1st

"Hmm, hmmm..." Keith hummed quietly, his pursed lips vibrating the note as he turned the page in his statistics text. He leaned deeply into his soft couch, his feet propped on the coffee table below.

Rachel gazed at her long-time friend for a moment from her seat beside him. She shook her head in amazement as she watched his foot sway back and forth in time with the song he constantly hummed. With a deep sigh, Rachel shoved her pen into her copy of Thomas Paine's Common Sense

, tossed it onto the coffee table, and leaned her arm on the back of the sofa.

"Okay," she said defeatedly, "spill it. What happened?" Keith continued to hum the verse to the song, his cerulean eyes passing over the text methodically. Rachel rolled her eyes impatiently, and snatched the book from Keith's grasp, warranting his full attention.

"What're you doing?" he objected, trying to reach for his book, "You know I have a midterm on Monday! I'm four chapters behind!"

"And you're not getting anywhere," Rachel pointed out, glancing at the page he was on, "What's this chapter about?"

"Uh..." Keith muttered, frowning slightly.

"Can you even tell me what chapter you're on

?" Rachel inquired, a knowing grin appearing on her lips.

Keith sighed dramatically, leaning back into his chair and propping his chin on his knuckles. "Point taken."

"So, what's on your mind, my friend?" Rachel persisted, smiling innocently, "I know Stat isn't your favorite class, and since you don't even remember what you've been reading the past hour, I can say that multiple regression isn't what's got you singing the theme to Sleepless in Seattle."

Keith smiled. "So that's

where I heard that song before."

Rachel nodded. "It was also playing at the party last night. I'm sure that's the association you're making with it."

Rachel bit her lip to hold back a gasp as a faint blush peaked through Keith's tan complexion.

"Don't even think about clamming up on me," Rachel persisted, punching him lightly in the shoulder, "I even saved you a dance! You just disappeared!"

"Yeah, I meant to apologize for that. Well, what happened was... I... I kinda bumped into this girl at the party..."

"Anyone I know?" Rachel interrupted.

"I

don't even know," Keith sighed, "I didn't recognize her, and she didn't tell me her name. But I'm sure I'd know her if I saw her again... even without the costume."

"What was she wearing?" Rachel asked, her eyes narrowed with intense interest.

"She was a fairy named Titania," Keith revealed, "Ring any bells?"

"Titania is a rather generic name for a Fairy Queen," Rachel reflected, "Hmm. I'd say... Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream

is your best bet. So, you've fallen for a Shakespeare fan?"

"Who said anything about 'falling' for her?" Keith objected almost immediately, raising his eyebrow, "We just danced a bit. That's all."

Rachel huffed. "Keith, I've known you for two whole years now! I've witnessed your initial reactions to your last three girlfriends, and none

of them had you humming the song you danced to... not to mention the song is coincidentally entitled When I Fall in Love

! I'd say you were pretty hung up on this Titania. Maybe it's the mystique about not knowing who she is?"

Keith remained silent for a moment, considering the consequences of what his friend was suggesting. "I don't know," Keith admitted, "but she made one big impression. We danced to some of the fast mixes, and then she tried to leave when the slow stuff came on. She agreed to dance a little more, so we danced to that Sleepless in Seattle song. We got some drinks and talked after that, but she insisted she had another appointment. I don't know... maybe she was just trying to shrug me off."

"I doubt it," Rachel stated, "If she didn't like you, she wouldn't have stuck around with you so much. If she was the only person you danced with, and you were with her through that song, you were dancing with her for at least half an hour!"

Keith blinked. "Wow... it didn't seem that long. Well, anyway, at about midnight she insisted she had to leave."

"Maybe her coach was about to turn into a pumpkin," Rachel suggested, a giggle escaping her. Keith threw her an impatient glare. "Sorry," she whispered, suppressing her amused grin.

"But... I don't understand why she didn't just tell me her name!" he complained, "She could've written it down on a piece of paper... or at least her number. There are seven thousand students here! It'll be like finding a needle in a haystack!"

"Relax, Keith," Rachel said soothingly, lying her hand on his shoulder, "Just because she didn't give you any personal information doesn't mean she wasn't interested. The rules of the dance were that no one should reveal his or her identity. That's the whole tradition of the Phi Sigma Epsilon Masquerade."

"I know," Keith muttered, "I heard Dracula's little speech. But still, what would they have done to us? Kicked us out?"

"What if she's a member of the