Winter glares at the clock in the cafeteria, pointedly avoiding the sight of Karina leaning onto some poor boy who's blushing a bright red. 

There is no mistaking the goosebumps on her neck, however, when she dares to glance at Karina... and she finds her smirking, eyes on hers. Dark, roving... devouring eyes. 

Winter is enchanted, and feels repulsed by her enchantment, so she sits there, friends chattering in front of her, while she fixes her gaze on Karina, beauty mark being lightly touched by that boy. She does not move, just to show her own restraint. 

And she tries not to feel yet she is absolutely incensed, unwarranted anger rushing through her veins. It is white hot, this feeling of... jealousy and desire.

She still remembers that night, that only night. 

An accidental kiss.

Perhaps it is more accurate to call it a sudden impulse, a miscalculation.

She brushes that night away, wishing for it to disappear, hoping that just the thought of it will not reduce her to shambles. Karina has that sort of effect, this surge of power from her is enough to weaken any muscled body. 

She remembers the shift however, when Karina lets her take control. This power play, executed so well, Winter thinks, is probably an art on its own. And Karina excels in it. 

Karina, eyes filled with mirth, stares right back at her. It feels as though she is reading her mind, or perhaps her neck has redden again.

Winter does not falter, or tries not to. Semantics.

The boy moves in closer to her, blush receding, focus clearly on her lips. Karina shifts her face slightly, yet that does not seem indication to the boy to retreat already. Instead, he tries to "steady" her, Winter laughs internally at the word, by grabbing her waist. 

This is the moment all rationality flies out the window.

This is when Winter suddenly stands, shocking her friends. Is she always this... impulsive? 

Maybe. 

She is not wavered however. The moment she stands, she is stalking towards her, glaring all the way. At least her dark coloured hair, shoulder-length, manages to obscure part of her face. She is usually a little more dignified, more... appropriate.

She imagines how she looks right now, and thinks that it is absolutely ridiculous for her to be approaching Karina with nothing but the strength of her feelings. No back-up plan whatsoever.

Karina's gaze shift from Winter's to the boy's, squirming a little. Yet her smile remains on her lips.

Approaching, Winter can see words being uttered.

Then the boy becomes forceful, hands tightening, veins visible from where Winter's standing. And Karina frowns. 

Almost as though this whole situation is merely an inconvenience. A plan gone awry.

Winter looks upon them, a few feet away, feeling something unpleasant coil in her belly. 

Forgetting about reputation, and thorough thinking, she says, "Karina, the teacher is looking for you. I need you to come with me." 

The boy is diminished into that blushing mess, as before when Karina was still playing her little games.

"Gladly." Karina moves away from him, strutting to Winter's side.

It must be a surprise to everyone because, throughout this whole exchange, only murmurs can be heard in the cafeteria. 

They're all along the lines of: "Aren't they rivals? From different schools? Why does a teacher want to see Karina? That's strange."

Winter did not think, clearly. 

"Lead the way." Karina says beside her, slyly guiding her palms to the small of her back. 

"Right." 

Then they're both walking out, two well-known dance rivals from different schools to boot, with the rest of the student population and a few staff (not that they would care) watching. 

"They must think we're about to engage in some hand-to-hand combat, or something." Winter thinks aloud, amused mostly by Ning Ning's flabbergasted expression when they left.

"What are you? An action movie geek?" Karina jests, circling her arms around Winter's waist. 

"You have literally watched those movies with me," Winter shoots back, "so, what does that make you?"

"Yours?" Karina flirts audaciously, then she laughs, eyes the shape of crescents.

"You're ridiculous," Winter mutters in embarrassment, "I wonder what goes on in your head sometimes."

"Don't pretend you hate it." Karina bumps her shoulders against hers, pulling her closer. Winter is hyperaware of it all, of the warmth emanating from her own body, of flowery scents, of the way she curves so beautifully agai