A Simple Stroll

Beautiful sunlight broke through the captivating leaves of the trees flittering soft enchanting spts o light on the rocky path below. The path was one of the many trails found in the park on school grounds. It was a smooth sidewalk that was very comfortable to walk on. It was both shaded rom the sun by the trees but the sun also warmed it so travelers could be warm without being too hot. On the right there was a small wall made of different sized rocks with a wooden fence on it where wild bushes and trees would protrude between the bars of wood. The wall went on until it came to a turn and the smooth sidewalk was transformed into a stairway made of the same rocks as the wall. On both sides the fence carried on. It was truly a beautiful day for a walk, one that Ikaritama found herself on. Walking out of the teacher dormitory Ikaritama found herself a silk white dress that ran to her ankles with lace up flat shoes often mistaken for ballet slippers but arent. In her hands she had a basket full of beautiful pink roses in one and she held a parasol in the other with a shawl wrapped around her arm. As she walked down the pathway Ikaritama couldnt help but smile at the beaut around her. She soon came to a bench and decided to sit down and take a small amount of time to stop and smell the roses. She was amazed at the amount of beauty she saw around her and nodded as she made up her mind to return to this location some time soon and paint what she saw. Hearing footsteps approach her Ikaritama turned her head to see who would be joining her on this lovely sunny day.

The day was nice, much to Jace's pleasure, she noted as she walked down one of the many pathways that threaded throughout the park. Summer was slowly coming to an end and soon all the green, luscious leaves that hung above her would turn to rich browns and reds that littered the pathways in a beautiful fashion of the fall. A slight wind brushed down the path, pushing Jace's long red hair behind her bare shoulders. It was still warm enough to wear sleeveless shirts out so the girl decided to put on a light green tube top and a simple black, short skirt with a light pair of sandals on her feet. A simple outfit, yet still very cute, just the way Jace liked to be. After a few minutes of walking, lost in her own thoughts, she looked up and saw a stone stairway not too far ahead of her. But before that sat a bench and upon the bench was a woman Jace didn't recognize. From the way she sat, the woman was poised and graceful and most noticeably very tall. Normally, tall people got looks for their height, but Jace guessed this woman got stares for her attractive looks. As if reading her thoughts, the woman picked her head up and stared in Jace's direction.

Caught off guard, the girl raised her hand in greeting, "Hello," she smiled and stopped in front of her, "nice day isn't it?"

"A beautiful day it is, one I wish could last a lifetime. I am Ikaritama, the new dance and art teacher at the school not far from here pleased to meet you Miss...."

Ikaritama replied bowing her head slightly as she gazed back at the slender student. Judging by how she held herself and the noticable muscle in her legs Ikaritama concluded that the student was a fellow dancer. Meeting the students gaze with a soft smile of her own Ikaritama looked away and opened her basket pulling out a small portable stereo and set it down beside her. Clicking play the soothing sounds of a violin, a flute, clarinet, soft drums, chimes, and a piano swirled in the wind teasing the ears of the dancers. Ikaritama knew that the music playing wasnt everyones style to dance to but it was atleast relaxing and it gave them something to hear while out in the beautiful park. The wind moved through her hair as it did through the leaves in the trees pushing Ikaritamas hair behind her shoulder on her left and her right fell sofly on her shoulder. Putting her parasol down and away Ikaritama folded her hands on her lap as the music calmed her and made her only begging to stand and dance along. Luckily for her Ikaritama had practiced self control and decided to dance at a better time thinking it would be rude to start dancing just as she had met someone. Blinking Ikaritama returned her gaze to the girl and smiled welcomingly as well as made room for the student to sit beside her if she so chose to.

"My name is Jace.. Jace Cullen to be exact because I go to that same school," the girl smiled and took a seat next to Ikaritama. Jace thought she was really pretty, she'd never seen many people with such elegant features, it didn't really surprise her that the woman was the art and dance teacher. She watched quietly as Ikaritama pulled out a small portable music player and it began to play the soft melodies of classical music. Getting an idea, Jace stood up and pulled her sandals off, "Ballet?" she asked as she set her feet in a starting position.

Smiling as Jace took of her sandals and easily positioned her body into that of a starting pose for ballet. Laughing a bit Ikaritama got up and stood a little bit a way from Jace and took a starting position of her own. Her right leg out and her foot pointed while her upper torso bent forward her arms daigonal with her right leg. Waiting, counting out four beats softly to herself, Ikaritama rose from her starting position her arms bent above her head her left higher than her right as her left leg was bent in a triangle to her right spinning gracefully. Breaking from the spin she lept into the air as a gazelle and tucked her arms and head together her torso bent forward. Her arms then flew out elegantly as a eagles wings as she got up on her toes her right leg straight behind her as her body moved with such poise and extravagence it was like watching a swan swim on a lake. Has she moved her hair complimented her actions twirling around her as if magnifying the extent of her bending and turning. Soon Ikaritama was lost in the music and her body moved on his own will expressing how she heard the song as well as how she felt that day. Little could stop Ikaritama now, only thing that could at this point would be the end of the song.

Without a word, Ikaritama began her smooth routine, gliding and moving with the soft melodies of her music selection. It was a pretty song, one that Jace could easily feel so starting off a step wouldn't be too hard. But it had been a while since she'd done anything ballet related because as she recalled, the red head hadn't done ballet since she was about twelve years old. So automatically, Jace knew she would be out danced in this one. Following four counts after Ikaritama, she mimicked her starting movements before pulling herself slightly behind the teacher, changing into a routine of her own. It wasn't as intricate or beautiful as the other woman's but it was suitable for a ballet and the extent of her memory and creative ability.

As the song slowly faded followed by a few seconds of silence before a new song was able to pick up in volume, Ikaritama closed in a simple twirl and bowed back in her starting position. She then walked over to the stereo and turned it off and put it back in her basket before she picked up her parasol and smiled at Jace as the sun started to warm the day even more.

"I knew you were a dancer, I could see it in your legs and how you held yourself. Ballet isnt your cup of tea though is it? I picture you has being a more hip hop techno girl. I would love to have you in class one day, perhaps we could teach eachother. As I always say dancing cant ever be controled because everyone has their own style."

Jace smiled sheepishly as Ikaritama noticed that she wasn't as fine tuned of a ballet dancer as she was. That was okay with her though, the teacher pegged exactly what her favorite type of music to dance to was. It was easier for Jace to move her body fast and with conviction. Contemporary and Capiorea also weren't bad styles for her either for they allowed her to be more expressive and utilize a broader range of songs.

"Heh, not quite," Jace took a deep breath and ran a hand through her hair, "you're right, hip hop is more my thing. Anything fast.. like Capiorea, a new style I've been trying to learn. It was first created by slaves in Africa, it's like a fighting dance style, but it's not meant to land hits on your partner. It's actually really fun and a great work out," she laughed a bit, "so.. how are you liking school so far?"

"Capiorea, I dont believe I have ever heard of that style of dancing. Perhaps someday you can come by my dance class and show it to me? Maybe even choreograph a song to teach the class. I rather like the school so far but I can also tell it will be full of surprises. On my first tour of the school I had to break up a fight between two boys."

Ikaritama replied smiling at Jace. Capiorea was defiantly a dance style Ikaritama had never heard of before and that in itself peaked her interest. She was eager to learn such a style and knew that her students would love it as well. Ikaritama stood up and brushed off the bottom of her dress as she told Jace about the two boys fighting and looked up smiling at her as she finished talking. They had just met and Ikaritama already liked Jace and was deeply hoping she would be in her dance class, perhaps even art. Ofcourse Ikaritama didnt get her hopes up on the art, dancing would be more than enough.

"Oh yeah, of course! It's awesome if you love fast stuff, even if you don't it's still really great I think," Jace explained, "I'm glad there's finally a dance teacher, you know," for as long as she'd been here, there hadn't been a single dance teacher because hardly any students stayed interested long enough. Sure, classes could be difficult, but people needed some fun still. To Jace, dancing was something fun, but she supposed it wasn't to others. But now, with Ms. Ikaritama teaching here, she had one more class to look forward to in the day.

So long as she would be able to switch classes, or maybe even fill in her open spots.

"A fight between two boys, huh?" Jace crossed her arms and thought of the fight that had broken out in her Creative Writing class, "it seems these two boys like to stir things up, it wouldn't surprise me if they were the same two boys that fought in one of my classes," Jace laughed and shook her head, she remembered being slightly irritated by it that day.

"Most likely, but then again all boys like to cause mischief somehow. What were they fightig about I wonder. It really makes no sense to me, but then again I was shown a different approach to anger and how to express it."

Ikaritama replied smiling at Jace. Whenever she talked about her past all she could truly remember was the orphanage therapists and teachers. She would remember the lessons she went through and the friends she slowly made. Most of all she would remember the joy and reassurance her councelors gave her as she grew up. Ever since the horrible tragedy in her life Ikaritama saw two certain councelors as the closest things to parents shed ever have. One councelor taught her of dancing while the other taught her art. Together the councelors made Ikaritamas life one she really enjoyed. It was because of them that Ikaritama strived to do her best in everything she set her mind to. Teaching otehrs of art and dancing was just one way Ikaritama showed she was thankful. If there was ever a willing pupil Ikaritama would be there to help them grow, just as the councelors were there for her.

"Really?" Jace shrugged, "fist fighting has always seemed pretty pointless to me, at least the real stuff," she thought back to her current dance study, "Capioera is a fighting type dance, but we don't actually hit each other.. at least not on purpose because we're angry."

Jace rolled her shoulders and stretched out her back, "So.. aside from like, dancing and art, what else do you do for fun?"

"I take strolls asuch as this one, I garden when I am able, I play my violin when I need to or just for fun, and I have taken quite a fancy to reading. What about you dear, what do you do for fun?"

Ikaritama relied smiling at the graceful girl. She could tell she and Jace would become excellant friends and all it took was a chance meeting in a park dancing to a beautiful classical peice of ballet. If the school had more students like Jace, Ikaritama was more than excited to begin her lessons as the art and dance teacher. Hopefully she would meet fellow students that shared the same passion she did for the two classes she taught.

"Well.." Jace crossed her arms over her chest as she thought, "Aside from dancing..."

It was actually really hard for the girl to think of anything else she liked doing. Well, at least things that didn't make her sound off putting to Ikaritama. She was a very elegant woman and Jace was slightly nervous to appear otherwise, but she figured it would be best to be truthful about it, "Well, I like riding my motorcycle.. fast, very fast," she laughed a bit, "racing specifically. I'd like to think I'm fast enough to beat the boys," it wasn't that she liked to think so, Jace knew so. Back when she'd live with her dad, he'd always race motorcycles, which in turn got his daughter interested as well. When she came of age, Jace would race against the boys and few girls.

"Motorcycle racing huh? Well it does indeed sound accelerating but I am also very sure its highly dangerous. I would love to watch you ride some time. Do you have a friend or group that you ride with? I have often seen motorcycle groups on the road and well since you have one there must be another person on campus that has one too that you are riding buddies with."

Ikaritama smiled at Jace as she asked about her riding. Most other people would be shocked and compelled that Jace was a rider but Ikaritama welcomed the fact and even graced it with actual questions of interest as well as asking if she could watch her. True Ikaritama would never ride a motorcycle herself but just because it wasnt exactly her cup of tea didnt mean it couldnt be somebody elses.

"I actually ride a street bike, it's a Yamaha R6," Jace replied, sitting down on the bench again and crossing her legs, one over the other, "street bikes are more of the solo rider type. People who ride Harley's ride in groups or gangs more, but I don't ride a Harley," she laughed a bit, "they aren't always fast enough for me, the street bikes are more my style and yeah," Jace nodded to Ikaritama's earlier comment, "they are dangerous, but I'm smart enough to know what I'm doing and I've also got luck," she thought back to the numerous times she could have gotten into crashes, but was saved or avoided my some miracle. Jace was cautious about her luck though, she didn't want it to run out any time soon.

"My best friend, Kiera, has a street bike also. We race whenever we go out on them instead of actually ride together," Jace laughed.