One Step at a Time

Chapter 9

Sadie POV

Simon pulled me away from the door and into the corner of the hall.

"My mom is waiting," the words came from me softly.

"Right. I just-" Simon took a deep breath, running his hand through his hair. I had never seen him like this. This would have entertained me any other time. "I wanted to ask you something."

"Okay."

"Okay," he repeated. "Earlier, with Coach, you hesitated. When joining the team. Two weeks ago you were begging me to join. I sensed something was up."

He wasn't wrong. My attitude had been a complete 180 since the day I pleaded with him in the parking lot. I wanted to ask why he cared. I wanted to go off on him. The only reason it mattered to him was because I almost kept him from having a spot. His selfish curiosity hurt. Especially after Brooklyn. Which he had even witnessed. I didn't want his pity, don't get me wrong. But his apathy was salt in the wound.

"As your partner, I feel as though I have the right to know."

"The right?" My tone changed. This never happened. Me getting angry with someone. Not even earlier when Brooklyn humiliated me. I hadn't felt anger. I'd get annoyed at my brother. But Simon had been the only person to make me angry. That fact only fueled the fire.

"Simon," I managed to stay calm for the time being. "I came into this gym today with every intention of quitting."

The brunette stared in shock at my out of character bluntness. "Brooklyn." The way he said it was as if he had solved a mystery.

"No," I shook my head. It was a miracle that I was keeping my composure. I never got angry. So I never learned how to handle it. Words boiled up inside of me. It was him. He was why I wanted to quit, Brooklyn only opened my eyes. I wanted to scream that he was the one who hurt me. But I didn't. It didn't matter.

"It doesn't matter. You have made it very clear that you want nothing to do with me. And I have respected that. But thinking you have the right to anything that I think or feel, you-you just don't. You don't get to say that. I'm sorry."

Tears welled up. There was no way I was going to give Simon the satisfaction of seeing me cry. That's all he wanted anyway, was just a reaction. Like he always did.

"My mom is waiting for me."

I was out the doors and across the parking lot before Simon could even react. Thankfully, my mom was in fact waiting for me. She smiled as I got in the car and I gave a weak one back.

As she pulled away, Simon walked out the door. His eyes met mine. An unfamiliar look fell onto his face. He continued to stare. I looked away.

————

"You're crazy. You do know that right?" Aedon was pacing around my room as I sat cross legged on my bed. She hadn't left my side since rehearsal this afternoon.

"I just don't want to stir up trouble." I had been trying to dissuade Aedon from telling Coach about my run in with Brooklyn this afternoon.

"Brooklyn is the one stirring up the whole damn thing. Coach would probably kick her off for who she treated you yesterday."

The way she was pacing and waving her hands around, she looked absolutely unhinged. Aedon always talked with her hands and it was only intensified when she was upset about something.

"And then I'll have to deal with the gossip from everyone. They'd probably twist it to my getting her kicked out because I'm jealous of her. Trust me I'm fine." One thing about dancer was they were all vicious gossips. It was a fun result of the competitive environment of the sport.