Ballet Shoes

V

It's finally here! The day of the charity dance show. What chaos will unfold? (This is Ben we're talking about he's a chaos magnet lol)

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Third Person's P.O.V.

Today was the day everyone has been waiting for. The charity dance show. It was only a few hours away. Four hours away to be exact. It starts at five p.m. meaning that it's currently one in the afternoon. The call time for all participants is two hours before the starting time. Despite that, Ben is already on his way to the theater the event is being held at.

Some could say he was heading there early because of nerves. Others could say... no. He was heading there because he was stressing about his performance yet again. He was also heading there earlier in order to steam the two costumes that needed to be steamed. Estelle would lecture him if she saw even one wrinkle on either of them before it was his time to perform.

Ben looked in the rear view mirror at the costumes on his backseats. Checking for the umpteenth time that he had brought them all. He then glanced to the passenger seat. That all familiar small duffel bag was surely there. Filled more so than it would usually be. This was no class with Estelle. It was a charity performance with numerous other dancers. You never know when another dancer might have an emergency. So why not bring extra toe pads, blister band-aids and a multitude of other things just in case?

"I hope I'm the only dancer here," Ben said as he pulled into the parking lot.

He stopped in a space close enough to the backstage entrance so that it wasn't a hassle to transport everything to and from his car as well as be able to easily leave after the show. He was also far enough away from the entrance so that his presence wouldn't be immediately noticed by the donors, media personnel who are bound to be show up at call time and the other audience members.

With that, Ben hopped out of his car. Going around to the other side to get the duffel bag off the passenger seat before taking the costumes out of the backseat as well as the garment steamer. Once he had everything balanced, Ben locked his car and headed inside the theater. As he hoped, he was the only dancer currently there. The only people who were there this early was Caroline of course and the technical crew.

"Ben!" Caroline exclaimed, "You're here very early."

"I have costumes to steam," Ben said, gesturing with his head to the items he was carrying, "and I'd appreciate the extra stretching time."

"Ah, I see," Caroline spoke, "Let me show you to your dressing room then."

Ben nodded and followed after Caroline. He's had his own dressing room a couple times. It all depended on whether or not he was the only assigned male at birth dancer performing that year. He hoped it wasn't for the reason he was thinking.

"Almost forgot to mention," Caroline began, finally stopping in front of one of the rooms, "you'll be sharing this year."

"That's a relief," Ben whispered, stepping inside and setting up his things in one corner of the room.

Once that was done, he prepared the garment steamer and the costumes that needed to be steamed. It took a little longer than expected to finish that task as the tutu for his classical piece was very stubborn. Ben then hung up the costumes in the order he'd be wearing them before riffling through his duffel bag. He took out his more dance appropriate clothes and changed into them. He then picked up all of his ballet shoes before heading out to the stage.

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"Hey Ben," Caroline said, "a moment please?"

Ben finished unlacing his pointe shoes before going over to Caroline. She was standing in between the stage and the front row seats of the audience.