Caged Eagles by Kayla Hunt

spotted two empty chairs along the edge of the dance floor. From there they leaned close together and talked about costumes and people Sarah worked with. They watched the dance couples twirl around on the dance floor after they grew tired of looking for new Halloween outfits.
    â€œDo you want to dance; it’s just not right for Fred and Ginger to be standing on the sidelines.”
    â€œI thought you would never ask, Mr. Astaire.” She placed her hand in his.
    â€œThen let’s make a scene, Ms. Rogers.”
    Trevor whirled her out onto the polished wooden floor. He really meant it when he said they were about to cause a scene. The musicians saw the couple and quickly began to improvise to accommodate the pair. The air around them quickly became a breeze flowing past; with any slight pause the atmosphere became stifling. People, costumes, decorations were only a blur. Breathing was easy, too easy, until the dance was over and Trevor’s lungs grew tight.
    â€œTrevor … I never knew … you could dance … like that.” Sarah said in between breaths.
    â€œMy mom made my sister and me take lessons.” Trevor blurted out before he needed more air.
    â€œI think that is the most fun I’ve had in a long time.”
    Sarah’s breathing had become normal again. Trevor felt the burn of his own lungs starting to subside. Neither of them had noticed, until now, the entire building had erupted into applause at their performance. Sarah’s face was flushed from dancing, but he could tell the additional color to her cheeks was from the attention. She quickly dragged him toward the punch bowl. A man with a sly appearance stopped them. The woman next to him contained the same facial characteristics as Sarah; yet she had strawberry-blonde hair. The original color was probably forgotten years before.
    â€œYoung man, if you treat our Tobian off the dance floor as you do on, I will have nothing to worry about. I’m Mike Morrison and this is my wife Karen Vanderbrush.” He extended his hand for Trevor to shake.
    â€œMom, Dad, you didn’t say you would be here?” Sarah sounded surprised.
    Her father looked at Trevor as he responded. “Garrison invited us, and we’re glad we came, obviously.”
    â€œTobian, you never said you started dating anyone.” Her mother sounded too enthusiastic.
    â€œI don’t have to announce to the world who I’m dating, it’s my life.” Sarah crossed her arms. Trevor had never heard her speak like this and realized there was more behind that statement. He thought her parents probably tried to control her a lot.
    â€œToby!” Her mother tried to push her surgically plump lips out, in order to sulk.
    â€œTobian, there is no need to be so short with your mother.” Mike turned back to Trevor, “So what is your name, young man, and what do you do?”
    â€œDad!”
    â€œI’m Trevor Wells, sir, and I work at Lucky Number 8.”
    â€œLucky Number 8, that’s just a bar.”
    â€œDarling, how did you two meet?” Her mother jumped back into the conversation.
    â€œWe met at the movies. I hate to be rude but we need to get going. I’ll talk to you both later.” Sarah grabbed Trevor by the arm and pulled him up the stairs, down a hallway, to an outside balcony. He didn’t care if they weren’t suppose to be there. Sarah need to escape.
    â€œI’m so sorry about them. I hate how they treated you.”
    â€œDon’t worry about it.” Trevor took his coat off and put it around her shoulders. “It was strange hearing you being called Tobian so often though.”
    She pulled the coat tighter around her shoulders. “Yeah, my parents are … dramatic.”
    â€œI did notice your mom has a different last name than your father. What is that about?”
    â€œMy mom didn’t take my dad’s name when they married, Vanderbrush is her maiden