My Odette

Chapter 7

      A/N
Soo... this is completely unedited. Read with caution.

      This is going to be interesting, I think as I pull open the door to my new studio and quickly walk over to the men's dressing room. It is light blue, sky blue with white cubbies and benches. I lower myself down onto the bench as Leo and Jess come in.
     "Aren't you excited to do ballet!" Leo exclames with fake enthusiasm.
I groan.
      "Whatever dude." Jess sighs.
      "Guys," he says. "Lighten up."
      "Why?" Leo wines.
      "Well, we'll be in a room with a bunch of girls-"so?" Leo wails. I chuckle as Jess continues. "Ian. Lydia will be in there so you better be content." I perk up. "Leo, we're probably going to be partnering with the girls so don't be a jerk." He begins to protest, Jess holds up a hand. "And guys, try your best. They're starting to decide who's going to be in their upcoming show today. So unless you want an angry ballerina on your toes you better do your best."
      "How do you know so much?" I ask.
      "I asked around."
      Leo pats Jess on the back. "Good boy." we laugh as we put on our uncomfortable ballet shoes.
      "And just be grateful," Jess says. " we don't have to wear tights." We all laugh.
      I hear some girls chatting along with some footsteps. I stand up along with the others and we walk to the room. As soon as I enter I see Lydia in the splits, I cringe imagining the pain. She glances at me and smiles. I was about to walk over to her when the teacher came in, "ladies and gentlemen, please take a spot at the bars. If you're new I recommend that you place yourself by a more experienced dancer." We all move to the bars.
      "Ok, we will begin with plies." She scans the crowd. "Dancers, this will be an easy class if you don't put your heart and soul into it, well only if you've done ballet before." She chuckles.
      "Ok," she claps her hands. "Let's begin."
                           *******
       Why? Is. This. so. Fudging. Hard?! Those six words have been on repeat for the last hour. Ballet. Eww. The cursed thing. Like you could say it's fun but very painful. I could tell that the others were struggling too, covered in sweat with their hair plastered to their faces. I looked over at Lydia and gaped when I realized she didn't have a single drop of sweat on her. I kick my leg up again, ow. Then once more, double ow.
      "Now slide into your splits, don't push yourself too hard." We all groan as we turn to the center and slide into our splits. I can hear the ballerinas giggling as our faces contort in pain.
      We sat there for a few minutes, it felt like hours, until the teacher, Mis. Valet I think tells us to come out and do the other side. I can feel my muscles pulling in ways they shouldn't pull.
      Once we are done with splits we all line up, boys one one side, girls on the other.
      "As many of you know our fall show is coming up, swan lake." Some of the girls start chattering. She raised a hand silencing them. "For those of you who don't know the story line, swan lake is about a maiden named Odette and prince Siegfried.
      "The prince needed to marry a noble bride but refused. Instead he falls madly in love with the beautiful young maiden and swan queen, Odette, victim of a spell cast by the sorcerer Rothbart: cursed to live by day as a white swan, only regaining her human form at night.
A/N
        I got that description from the    following website https://www.francemusique.fr/en/swan-lake-everything-you-need-know-about-tchaikovsky-s-famous-ballet-21454

       "In the end Odette throws herself into the lake, the prince follows. The act of love broke Rothbart's power and spell, Odette falls as does the prince. The end." I stood, mouth open. I hear giggling to my right, then my left. I glance around and can see that the other non-ballet dancers were just as shocked. I look at the teacher who's name is Mrs.Valet and gape as her lips twitch.
       "What the heck is wrong with ballet?" I focus on my moron of a friend. "First it hurts like crap and then you tell me that its story is totally messed up? Please tell me they all aren't that way!"
       My head whipped away from Leo and over to some ballerina, "don't worry." she grinned. "They are." I can hear Leo groan. I like that girl already.
      Mrs.Valet coughs to get our attention, "thank you" she says once we quiet down. "Today I will be pairing you up with someone, it is the actual ballerinas job to teach the non-ballet dancers the dance-"what dance?" My head whips to a petite girl in the corner. "I was about to explain." The girl shrunk away. "I will be teaching a dance to all those who wish to be leads in the ballet. If you do not wish to be a lead then you can go to studio 2 and you will learn a solo or group dance." She motions for people to leave, almost nobody does. She smiles.
      "Who will be our partner?"
      "What if we aren't a good teacher-"why do we have to do it with people who don't know how to dance properly," many questions erupted from the actual ballet dancers.
       "Quiet!" She yells. The noise abruptly stops. "I picked the partners." A new round of questions burst through. She glared at the room. Silence. "And" she says, now annoyed. "You can sign up for classes with me or another teacher. Happy?" Some of the kids shrink back. "Ok. Questions?" I glanced around wondering if anyone dared to ask. Someone did.
      "If we happen to be chosen for the part" the girl from earlier asks. "Will we be with our partner for the show? If that makes sense."
      "It does, I cannot guarantee that Odette and the prince will be pulled from the same group. But they can be." The girl nods. "Any other
questions?" Nobody speaks up.
       "Good, here are the groups" she pulls out a long list from her bag and tapes it up. "Class dismissed. Look at the paper. I will teach you the dance tomorrow." Everyone swarms over to the paper.
      Leo shouts over the crowd of whispers. "Who is Elina?" A hand shoots up from the crowd.
Leo speaks once again, "meet over by the losers to the side-"hey!" Jess and I protest. "Yep! There they are." She laughs as she pushes her way out of the swarm of people trying to find their partner. I raise my eyebrows realizing it was once again the girl from earlier.
      "Leo?" She asks.
      "At your service." I laugh at his stupidity. I look at the dispersing crowd trying to find a particular brunette. When I don't spot them I push through the crowd trying to get to the paper. Once there I see Lydia staring at the paper with partial disgust.
      "You gotta be kidding me" She glares at the paper. I look closer trying to find her name, once I do I look at the name next to it and grin.
      "What's wrong?" I raise my eyebrow already knowing. "Don't like your partner?"
      "Why should I?" She glares at me.
I hold up my hands in defense, "why are you so mad?" A small circle had gathered around us. "The other day you were laughing and ditching with me."
      "Well," she narrows her eyes. "That doesn't mean I need to dance with an amateur like you." The corners of my mouths dip down.
      "I'm not an amateur. Just because I don't spin in pretty little circles doesn't mean I'm an amateur!" She smirks.
      "Oh really?"
"Yes. You danced with me that night!" I hear a slight chant. "How else would we have gotten second place if I hadn't been able to dance."
      "I meant to tell you. I was holding us together." I laugh, a bitter sound.
      "Oh really? Because last I checked I was the one calming you down. In fact I pulled you onstage!" She blushes slightly as the chanting gets louder.
      "Dance battle! Dance Battle! Dance Batt-"What are you, Children?" I hear someone shout from across the room. Everyone freezes slowly looking at the door. There standing with a frown on her face was Mrs. Valet.
      "Everyone out. Except," she points to Lydia and me. "You two." Everyone rushes out their heads down. Leo shoots me an apologetic smile as he steps out the door.
      "This is your fault." I hear Lydia mutter.
      "This is both of you dramatic children's fault." Mrs.Valdez says harshly. "You two were getting along fine at the party."
      "That's because I didn't know it was actually this jerk." She shoves her thumb in my direction.
      "What the heck!" I take a step back. "Why do you hate me so much today!?" Mis.Valdés takes a step away from us letting us figure it out.
     "Well unlike some people" she gives me a pointed look. "I want to get the part and I won't be able to if I have to teach an amateur how to, as you put it, turn in pretty little circles."
     "Who says I'm not a good student?" I point out.
      "I-I," she stutters. I raise an eyebrow. "Ballet is hard and I'm supposed to teach you to dance In a few weeks!"
      "I'll work hard!" I glare at her. "And believe it or not, this part could be fun. And if I didn't want it I would still try so I didn't ruin your chance at getting it!"
She rolls her eyes, "sure."
      "Well," Mrs.Valet steps in. "Now that you have figured it out. Well, mostly. I'm going to warn you that I am not changing your partners so you better get used to working together." After saying what she had to she spun on her heel and walked out.
      Lydia then spun on me, "you!' she jabs her finger at my chest. "This is your fault."
      "How?"
      "Well, you just had to keep talking." I gawk.
      "I wasn't the one getting upset!" She rolls her eyes.
      "What did I say that made this happen?" I raise an eyebrow pissed.
      "Y-you" she shrugs. "I don't know!" I smirk.
      "Then why, are you blaming me even though I did nothing?" She looks down.
I shake my head, disappointed. "Well, when you do know, come find me." I turn and walk out.