Instructions for Dancing

Evie witnesses the movie reel of Shelley and Sheldon’s relationship. She sees Sheldon pass Shelley a note during history class that reads “Would you like to go out with me?” with check boxes that all read “Yes” underneath (31); Shelley checks all the boxes. Next, the couple are on a Ferris wheel by the ocean, staring at each other shyly. When Shelley gets a chill, Sheldon puts his jacket and arms around her, and they make out. Shelley then receives her acceptance letter for college. Since she’s a year older than Sheldon, they look happy and sad. A few months later, Sheldon reads an email from Shelley with the subject line of “I’m sorry” (32). In the final part of the reel, Sheldon is seen sitting on the same Ferris wheel, alone and teary-eyed.

Evie gasps and tells Martin that the school’s most popular couple, who have been together for years, are going to break up. Martin states that Shelley and Sheldon will last forever, but Evie insists they won’t. After Evie explains her vision, Martin asks Shelley and Sheldon about their love life. He returns and tells Evie that she was right; the couple’s love started with a note.

Martin thinks Evie should check the book she got from the Free Book Library. He thinks the mysterious woman and the book are part of a larger puzzle. Evie pulls out Instructions for Dancing, and Martin finds a message stamped on the back cover—“If lost, please return to La Brea Dance Studio” (36). Martin encourages her to go to the dance studio, since it’s a sign, and to keep her mind open.

Evie bikes to La Brea Dance Studio that Saturday, which specializes in “group and private ballroom dance lessons” (37). Since the studio doesn’t have a bike rack, Evie carries her bike inside. The halls are covered in dance memorabilia and photos, many of studio owners Archibald and Maggie as well as hit dance movies and musicals.

At reception, a thin lady with a heavy accent insists Evie join the waltz lesson that’s starting. Evie explains that she came to return a book, but the woman asks if she wants to learn to dance. Flustered, Evie remembers to keep an open mind, leaves her bike in an empty studio, and follows the woman.

At the class, Archibald and Maggie, the older Black couple who own the studio, welcome everyone. Evie notices the couple’s adoring eyes as they instruct the small group on the proper ways to dance. They demonstrate the waltz, flowing and mesmerizing as they move as one. The class applauds, but Evie notes that the couple barely registers anyone else in the room, as they’re so in love.

The receptionist leads Evie out before the actual lesson begins. She wishes to sign Evie up for lessons, but the latter declines, feeling unprepared. The woman tries to persuade her, so Evie decides to think about it. She walks to the empty studio for her bike, but hears a boy’s voice soothing someone on his phone; he’s comforting a girl named Jess, telling her not to cry, that they broke up 10 months ago, and that he’s sorry she bought a prom dress. Evie finds a handsome, tall Black boy with an “X” tattoo riding her bike while on his phone. She asks for her bike back and says he broke Jess’s heart. He looks embarrassed and introduces himself as X, short for Xavier. They banter, and Evie realizes he has many “Classic Romance Guy Characteristics” from books, such as his gap-toothed smile and one-eyebrow arch (47). Though she’s attracted to X, she denies her budding feelings and leaves.

Evie lists the qualities of a classic male lead in romance novels, starting with the single eyebrow arch that X did. They also have a “propensity to smirk,” or show off cute, lopsided smiles (48). The men typically choose clothes that are too tight, which show off their muscled chests and arms. Lastly, the characters often have unusual eyes, such as “green flecked with gold” (48).

Over the next few weeks, Evie witnesses people kissing “all the time” (49). Though she tries to avoid watching, she sees more visions than she’d like. For example, when in the grocery store, she watches one couple kiss, who met via a dating app. Their first “I love you” was over texting, and the woman called the man right away to say the words aloud. After he proposed, they went ring shopping. However, the man will get a job in South America and leave his fiancée behind.

Through testing, Evie learns her power’s rules: The couple she’s witnessing must be in love, since first-date kisses don’t trigger a vision, and their story can only be witnessed once, as Shelley and Sheldon didn’t trigger a second vision. Though she searches the internet, she can’t find anything about her romance-related visions. She feels overwhelmed and guilty, like she’s invading others’ privacy. From her visions, Evie concludes that the only thing they have in common is “they all end,” due to reasons like “neglect or boredom or betrayal or distance or death” (51).

Evie and her three friends, Martin, Cassidy, and Sophie, meet for their traditional Sunday brunch at their favorite waffle restaurant. Though they talk about their planned summer road trip once they graduate from high school in a few months, Evie is distracted by thoughts of visions and the dance studio. Martin talks about Evie’s sister Danica, his crush, who is now dating someone named Archer. Evie thinks Martin should give up on her sister because “love isn’t worth all the pain” (55).

When Sophie and Cassidy question her, Evie brushes them off and refocuses on planning their road trip. After Sophie and Cassidy leave, she vents to Martin about the visions. He tells her that in movies, an afflicted protagonist usually needs to learn a lesson, and suggests she dance at La Brea Dance Studio. Evie replies that this doesn’t make sense, but she’ll give it a try. Martin sings “Dancing Queen” by ABBA until she can’t stop laughing.

When Evie goes back to the dance studio, the receptionist, Fifi, is surprised to see her, but tells her that everyone can dance. Evie admits she’s nervous, but Fifi encourages her to take her beginning bachata class now. She joins the few people in the class, and though she’s uneasy, she pays attention to Fifi and the steps. Soon, she loosens up. Fifi teaches the basic “one, two, three, pop” of the bachata, and then “infinity hips,” in which she twirls her hips around with the movement (60). Evie tries her best as Fifi starts the music. By the end of class, everyone is sweating and laughing.

After class, Fifi tells Evie that she has potential and should compete at LA Danceball, a competition for amateur and professional dancers in Southern California. Though Evie is shocked, Fifi states the competition could net more clients and advertising for the studio, and that she would have fun. When Evie protests that she doesn’t have a dance partner, Fifi says she has “the perfect someone” (62).