HeartBLOOD

Chapter fifty-nine

Five, six, seven, eight!, Valentine commanded and everyone started dancing- again. It was already two pm and Alec had been in the studio since six am, which meant his patience was starting to wear thin. He understood that Valentine wanted the routine to look polished, but overworking them was not going to help anyone.

Making sure not to hit anyone with his leg whilst doing an illusion, he concentrated on himself, watching his step, feeling his body, being present. He felt confident in the choreography, but the pressure was definitely on- the performance was just two weeks away. Luckily, Maia seemed to have gotten her act together, and he didnt feel like she was struggling to trust him anymore. Still, he would have preferred it if instead of the full group parts they would have gotten a chance to rehearse their duets a bit- after all, they had added some new and exciting elements to it.

Okay, guys, we nailed it!, Maia applauded, Now lets run the transition from the jumps into the partnering one more time, then yall can go.

Miss Roberts, Im still the coach., Valentine interrupted with a smirk, which turned into a cold grin immediately, I do want to rehearse that transition too, but first, I want you guys to practice the duets for another twenty minutes.

Sweat was running down Alecs face and he had trouble catching his breath- they all needed a break.

Come on, while youre exhausted, do it again- nobody guarantees that youll be in top shape the day of the fundraiser. Its your senior performance, therell be lots of important critics and scouts, I shouldnt have to remind you of what a big deal this is., Valentine said in a harsh tone, putting back on the music.

They had chosen Starting Line by Luke Hemmings for their routine and now naturally listened to it 24/7, already waiting for the point where they were going to be sick of it. Still, it was the perfect fit for a senior routine.

Okay, come on!, Maia said and positioned herself in front of Alec.

Five, six, seven, eight!, Alec counted, slowly lifting her up as the suspense in the music increased. After that, everything happened automatically: Wrapping his arms around her legs, twisting her around onto the floor, sliding over her, preparing for her to do the Backjump, going into a starlift from that, slowly letting her back onto the floor, their bodies intertwining, forming a pattern of skin and silk and leotards. Alec felt the beat of his heart, guiding him through the piece, the ups and downs, the grips and releases, the jumps and turns, the lifts and throws. The first thing he consciously experienced after that was Maia in his arms, getting thrown into the air, her slim body twisting once, twice, three, four times before his arms caught her again, carefully putting her down, her head in his hand, her feet on his, her arms wrapped around his body.

Killed it., he smirked after a second of silence, his sweaty shirt sticking to his back, shivers running down his spine, looking into Maias sparkling eyes.

Not bad, Ill have to agree., she grinned.

***

Hello everybody!, Alec greeted when walking into the BDA training room- he had just finished his own rehearsal, sprinted over to Brooklyn Dance Academy and now had four more hours of classes to teach. Lately, he had been doing up to thirteen hours of work a day, plus his own training and choreographing that he needed to do on top. Accordingly stressed, he looked around the room- someone was missing.

Wheres Ricarda?, he asked, realizing who wasnt there whilst trying to catch his breath.

She mentioned being a bit tired in school, maybe thats why she decided to bail., Maddie replied.

Oh, come on., Alec sighed, Okay, whatever- the performance is ten days away, you guys still have to come in every day for rehearsal- were close to finishing, but its not fully done yet. I want to oversee the partnering today, so Id appreciate it if everyone else would focus on their individual weak spots by themselves. You are grown kids; I trust you guys. In the end, its you up on that stage, not me.

Making sure everyone was occupied with something, he gathered Maddie and Kenneth, Vicky and Tristan as well as Arizona and Joe in the back of the room. They had already figured out the pairs, and from what he could tell, the partnering was going well. There was just one simple lift he still needed to teach them.

Are you finally going to teach us that last lift?, Maddie asked, showing that patience clearly wasnt one of her strengths.

Yes. Arizona, do you mind demonstrating it with me?, he asked- the girl was incredibly talented, but just way too shy to step up and put herself out there.

Okay?, she smiled insecurely, stepping forwards.

May I?, Alec asked and waited for her to nod before grabbing her waist with his hands.

Okay, boys, make sure your back is straight and youre using your entire body to lift. Then, make about eight small steps to the side before gently putting her down again., he said, sensing how Arizonas body stiffened when his grip tightened. With ease, he lifted her to approximately his height, giving her feet enough space to go into a split and back whilst travelling across the room.

Is that it?, Maddie asked, a bit disappointed.

Its more than enough., he chuckled, I need you guys to do this right. I want it fluent, swift, easy. Keep your cores engaged, be conscious of what youre doing and communicate.

Alright, coach., Joe said and stepped next to Arizona, trying to follow Alecs example- one could tell he had never lifted before, but for it being his first time, it actually wasnt bad.

Try to make it one motion, dont break it up into elevating, carrying and putting down., Alec commented, moving on to Maddie and Kenneth, surprisingly happy with what he was seeing.

Maddie, chin up! Come on girl, you know you need to pay attention to your posture. If youre all wobbly, itll make it ten times harder for anyone to lift you., he said, observing.

Moving on, he realized that Vicky and Tristan were actually doing a really good job.

Does that look right?, Vicky asked after releasing her body tension.

Yeah, good job! Rehearse it a couple times more, then youll be golden., Alec smiled and turned back to the rest of the group- maybe Cat had been right all along. Maybe he was making a good coach.