Haunted by the Past

Chapter 3: Concatenation of Bad Luck

Copyright 2015 © Rosesareforever

Haunted by the Past

Chapter 3

'Concatenation of Bad Luck'

Ignoring the shooting pain in her calves, Stephanie zipped her jacket up and lifted her heavy sports bag from the floor. Her warmup and stretches clearly hadn't been enough to prevent her muscles from cramping after three intense hours of dance classes. She was no longer one of the youngest and it started to show. Where did the time go that she could run ten miles without toppling over or dance for seven hours straight? Her body, while still in shape, wasn't what it used to be. It was without a doubt what she hated most about aging. She didn't care about not looking as fit or pretty, but her body deteriorating? That was something that bothered her greatly.

After making sure everyone was gone and locking the door behind her, Stephanie put on her hood as she stepped into the chilly rain and ran to her car. On Tuesdays, she always left the building last and was responsible for locking up. It was a privilege she'd earned after working for Melissa, the owner of the dancing school, for the last few years. The woman was a real sweetheart. She was probably the sole person, except for Jade, who Stephanie truly liked. They'd gotten along well from day one and never so much as had a mean word against each other.

Once in the car, Stephanie lowered her hood and shoved her fingers into her pocket to reach for her key. Her skin was pale and slightly damp from the rain. It had been a windy, dark day. Only a few rays of sun had peeked through the thick, angry clouds around noon, but had then disappeared for the rest of the day. Typical New York weather. Even in the middle of summer the temperature could drop drastically and rain could pour from the sky for hours.

When her fingers finally touched the cool metal of the key, she exhaled a relieved breath. It wouldn't be the first time she had to go back inside the dance studio because she forgot something important. Forgetfulness had always been one of her biggest faults. Pushing the key into the ignition, Stephanie turned it and bit her lip when the engine made a puffing sound. She repeated the motion about a dozen times before caving in. Her Sedan wouldn't start. Nine years after she saved him from a junkyard, he finally stopping working. While it was not unexpected, Stephanie still felt a tug at her heart. She'd hoped they could spend more time together. Old and rusty or not, her Sedan had been a great car. She would miss him greatly if he was unrepairable.

Cursing under her breath, Stephanie reached for her phone in the front pocket of her jeans. The device was low on battery. Could this day possibly get any worse? It all started that morning when she slept through her alarm for the first time in years and was ten minutes late for work. She'd felt drowsy and irritated after not being able to go for her morning run or get a Caramel Macchiato from Starbucks. Neal had given her an endless speech about tardiness and how he would fire her ass if she didn't get her shit together soon. What shit? The man was such a drama queen. It was the first time she had arrived late and already was she nominated as his worst employee.

"Hello?" Jade's sluggish greeting as she picked up, much to Stephanie's relief, made her send a quick glance at the time. 11:25. It was already that late? She must've practiced longer than she thought. After her final class for the day ended at nine, she'd decided to start working on a few new choreographies for the girls. Time always flew by when she was busy creating a new dance.

"It's me. My car broke down and I'm stuck at the dance school." Her phone made a beeping sound, alerting her that the battery was going to run out any moment. Shit.

"I've told you time and time again that the Sedan was ready for the junkyard." Stephanie internally groaned and wanted to rip her hair out in frustration. Now was not the time for another lecture.