That Girl (Part 2)

Chapter 9

EDITED

"I'm leaving, will you be, okay?" Haylie looked up from her position on the floor where she stretched her legs out. Dana turned off the light in her office as she strolled through the studio.

"Yeah, I just want to try the 3rd scene again." She confessed, pressing her chest to her knees as she stretched.

Dana paused at the door, watching her star pupil take deep breaths. "Can I ask you something?" Haylie looked up and straightened herself back up at the serious tone. "Why didn't you audition for snow white?" Haylie opened her mouth but Dana lifted a perfectly manicured finger. "Don't say it's because she dances the least."

Haylie clamped her mouth shut and looked into the wall of mirrors opposite her. She hadn't told anyone that she didn't audition. She told them all, even her dad, that she auditioned but didn't get it. But the truth was, she auditioned only for one of the smaller roles. One where she had to change costumes and attitudes to be a bird one scene and a huntress the next.

There was something about the idea of it. Of being centre stage, alone, dancing with everyone's eyes on her that made her shrink. It was what every ballerina would want. Part of her even knew that if she did audition, she would have got it. But she didn't want it. She wanted to dance in a crowd, where her family could pick her out but nobody else would stare at her like a show pony.

She didn't say that though. She plastered on a smile and turned back to Dana. "Clara deserves it. She's never had a solo before. I have."

Dana squinted at the lie but still chose to nod. "Ballet is cutthroat, all you girls know that. You don't throw away solos to make someone else feel better." She didn't wait for a response before turning away and leaving.

Haylie waited until she heard the door at the bottom of the stairs close before she stood up again and moved over to the stereo. Playing the song just before the scene she wanted to practice.

As the sweet melody played, she moved over to the centre of the room, ran her hands down her bun to make sure it was tight to her head before down her leotard to make sure it was smooth. The melody kept playing as she moved her shoulders around trying to relax and moved side to side with her eyes closed.

The sweet violin would change soon to a deep and fast piano key and she liked that bit, but she wasn't used to it which was why she wanted the additional practice.

This performance of snow white is one that Dana stared in herself over a decade ago. It was designed for an all-female cast so changes were made to accommodate having no prince charming to wake the princess. One of the changes were that Snow white is hunted by a group of female hunters and that was the part she opened her eyes to.

Haylie spun once, twice before leaping three times to the right with her back straight and her arms wide. She straightened her legs while leaning back as far as she could go, keeping her arms above her head before shooting back up and falling down gracefully into the splits. Her hands shot a fake arrow before she let her back fall to the floor, bringing her legs back together before pushing herself back to a stand.

She spun again, and again and again and again until she could barely breathe.

The sound of the piano spurred her on as she spun, filling her with determination and when it was time to rise to pointe on one leg while she showcases how straight she could make herself, she faltered.

The music continued to play as she stood still. As she tried not to lash out and focus on catching her breath. She would try again. She had it in her to not stumble as she had done it a hundred times over her life but for some reason she didn't know, it was the sounds of the piano. The aggression in it that made her body want to do something else.