Noelle | ongoing

Chapter 1

[NOELLE]

"And up, and down."

"Up again, leg up higher Elle." Mrs. Dumont advised.

I do as she says and lift my leg higher. Mrs.Dumont is our ballet teacher. She's french if you couldn't tell by her last name.

"And down again. Okay everyone that is enough practice for the day. Elle, can we talk?" She gestures for me to come over.

I walk over to her, "Yes?"

"I don't want you to stay longer than usual today, go rest and do whatever else you have to do."

"But I just need to get at least one more hour of—"

She cuts me off, "No Elle, you've been practicing for three weeks non-stop. I think that your feet could use some rest."

I sigh in defeat. I nod my head and walk over to my bag, I start taking my pointe shoes off realizing I need to buy a new pair. My best friend Avery sits next to me while also gathering her things.

"Also, before you all leave today, just know tomorrow I have a surprise that will also be part of your grade."

"What do you think it is?" Avery whispers.

I shrug my shoulders.

Avery has been my best friend since we were seven. We met when she was a new student in my ballet class, and ever since then, we've been inseparable. I put my pointe shoes in my bag and get up walking out of the dance studio. Avery follows close behind. We walk in silence to our dorm room, once we arrive she unlocks the door shutting it after we enter.

"Hey what time is it?" I ask.

She takes her phone out of her bag to check, "12:04 pm."

Great, I don't have a class another until 1 O'clock, I take off my leotard and tights putting my robe on right after. I head to the showers on our dorm floor, my family is well...rich. I could be living off-campus if I wanted to, but my Dad said that I could live on campus for a year and if I still don't like it he'll let me move off-campus. Obviously I don't dig the whole community bathrooms thing, so Avery and I are definitely moving off campus next year.

I step into the shower hanging up my shower caddy on the hook in front of me and take off my robe hanging it outside the shower. I turn the water on, facing away from it letting the water hit my back. I tilt my head to let the water wet my curls.

I finish my shower and head back to my dorm room to get ready for my classes. Searching through my drawers I find some black yoga pants, I also decide to just put a purple hoodie on. It's my favorite one, Avery gifted it to me when I turned 18.

My next class is Elements of Preforming, long story short it teaches us the difference between displaying movement and communicating it to an audience. It's also required for all first-year students and worth 2 credits so to be fair, I have no choice but to take this class. I'm not complaining though, this is my dream college.

I get through all of my classes smoothly and it's a bit past 9 pm. I am exhausted and tomorrow we have a..."Project?" I don't know what Mrs. Dumont wants to call it.

***

I hear my alarm going off but I don't bother to touch it, my phone is all the way on my desk.

"Seriously Elle?" Avery throws a pillow at me.

I lift my head from under my blanket, "I know, I know." I get up to turn my alarm off and get ready for the day. I have 2 classes before Mrs. Dumont's class which is of course my favorite.