If Not For Her

Chapter 24. "Grace"

Emmalyn brushed her hair when Adam called her, "hey" she put him on speaker as she continued, she had ballet in an hour. "Are you coming to the carnival?" He asked, her face lit up as she remembered her last meeting with
Annabeth. "Yes," she said with a wide smile, "She asked me to join her there," she said. "Well that's a start, we all would be there," he said, "great, see you there," she said when her door knocked.

"Bye," Adam hung up the phone as she knew it was time for her to go. She walked out, her costume and shoes in her bag towards the dance academy she had been going to since she was five. She gave 11 years of her life to ballet and though she knew her mother would disapprove of anything artistic, she wanted to make it big as a ballerina. She forgot all her problems when she danced.

"Hey," her friend, Grace said. "Hi," she said as Grace stood in front of her. She smiled as Emmalyn saw her dimples "about that night see" she was cut off by her. "Grace nothing happened and let's keep it that way it would be easier for us," she said as Grace was called by her friends. "Bye Emmalyn" she turned around.

Emmalyn changed out of her jeans and tank top when her mind wandered to that night, the day she got dumped. Maybe it was the alcohol or something else she kissed Grace, and it didn't help that Grace was Gloria's niece. "No,"she told herself she was avoiding her like a plague. She looked at herself in the mirror, that night she realized she liked girls but then again she was also attracted to boys, she felt as if it was just a delusion and when Annabeth came along this summer her plan went to shit.

She walked out her hair in a tight bun and her white tutu around her waist. Their teacher Gloria stood in front of them in a practiced stance they have learned to master through the years. "For this year's annual play we would perform the nutcracker, as every one of you know it is a classic and I hope that everyone tries their best and I will choose one of you to lead the play, now get to your practice," she said. Emmalyn always wanted to perform but her mother didn't like her, she was hesitant about ballet but she insisted.

All the students started doing the routine, she saw Grace talking to James, usually, she felt jealous but now she didn't feel a thing for her. She smiled to herself when she heard a voice, "Hey Emma" she turned to see Scott. "Hey, Scott" "hey, I was wondering if you would like to um," "Westly, Cole" they heard Gloria's voice, "cut the chit chat and get to the practice" Emmalyn gave him an apologetic look and moved gracefully to her left.

The clock struck one when all the students were leaving the academy. "Emmalyn wait," she looked around as the others picked up their bags. Gloria waited till the others were out, "I want you to lead the play. " she said. Emmalyn took a deep breath in, "I am honored you know I am but I don't think" Gloria interrupted her " I can talk to your mother if you want" "there is no need I will think about it" she nodded. She was driving her car when a message popped up.

Hey Em

She smiled at the nickname

Hello sweetheart

I was wondering if you are still on board about the carnival??

Absolutely

Great, we are going around 5, see you there

Sure bye

Bye

She drove back to her home, her mother was home. She tried to tiptoe back to her room when she heard her mother call her. "Emmalyn," she was the last person Emmalyn wanted to see. "Yes, mother" she stood in front of her. "How was the practice?" She asked. "As usual," she said. Her mother only hummed. She took that as a sign and went to her room.

Her mother would never agree, she closed her eyes and munched onto some chocolates she found in her pockets. Around 4:30 she put on her dark green tank top and a pair of baggy Jeans, she slung her silver purse across her shoulder and left her hair in its natural condition. She ran her hand through it once before leaving the house.

At the doorway, she met with a red-eyed Evelyn who basically pushed her out of the way. Emmalyn watched her younger sister go and was sure she didn't want to see her at least. She made a note to bring her the candies she liked and closed the door, after all, she was her twin.