My Teachers Son (UPDATED)

3

ADA'S APARTMENT

New York, NY

After I graduated high school, I moved to New York to pursue my true passion at Julliard with a full scholarship, regardless of my mother's opinion and I've been here ever since.

The loud sound of my alarm jolted me out of my sleep, and I reached my arm over to turn it off.

I threw my legs over the side of my bed, resting my head in my hands. 

I was seriously starting to regret going out last night. 

Walking over to my attached bathroom, I brushed my teeth, did my skincare and got into the shower.

I stood in the mirror wrapped in my white fluffy towel, trying to decide what to do with my hair.

I brushed my dark, shoulder length curly hair back into a low bun. Then I went to my room to sit on my bed and rub on some Palmer's cocoa butter and oil on my body then slipped on some sweats and a hoodie.

I grab my dance bag, my keys and left my apartment.

I walked down the street toward the train, when I got on, I sat down in the first open seat and pulled out my phone.

When it's my stop I got off and headed to the studio.

******
THE SCHOOL OF JUILLIARD

New York, NY

I took off my comfy clothes and put on my tights, a pink leotard, I top it off with a white wrap skirt and my slippers.

"Let's go ladies!" Ms. Ambrosia yells while clapping her hands.

We all rushed out and met on the floor.

While we stretched and did our warmups, she talked about the upcoming semester.

"As you all know, the new semester is due to begin in two weeks." She starts.

"Some of you have done really well and your grades reflect that" She walks pasted in front of each of us.

"Others have not and again your grades reflect that" She remarks, her eyes lingering on me this time, making me put my head down.

"For the new semester, we will be doing Romeo and Juillet." She smiles brightly as the class erupted with claps.

"I want a fresh face; Juliet will be one the girls in this very room. She must be willing to sacrifice her friends, family, relationship, and ultimately her life."

My face slightly scrunches up at that.

Tessa, a dancer I wasn't too familiar with, raised her hand. "Yes, Tessa?" Ms. Ambrosia tilts her head.

"Who's going to be Romeo?"

As if on cue "Speaking of, here he is now" She says looking down at her phone.

She walks out of the studio to answer, and we go back to our conversations.

"What do you think it is?" Mariama, my best friend says, and I shrug.

"You're not even wondering?" She asks.

"No, not really" I say, while stretching out my legs.

"Oh, come on, not even a little curious?" She pushes.

"Ama, I'm going to kick you in the throat if you don't hush,"

"EH" She holds her chest in African dramatics, making me shake my head.

Ms. Ambrosia comes back into the studio with an extremely tall, pale man, with jet black hair.

"Class, this is my son, James, aka your Romeo. You all will be getting to know him, one by one.  Class dismissed."

"Ada, may we have a word?" She looks over at me before walking out of the room.

I walked out into the hallway with her, waiting for her to speak.

"You've been slacking off a lot in class and if you want this Juillet spot, you need to work harder." She says with her thick Russian accent.

"Yes ma'am" I say as she walks away back into the class without acknowledging me any further.

I walked into the class and sit on the bench to take off my ballet shoes.

Once I take them off I see that they are bleeding.

"Ah shit" I harshly whisper, slightly spreading my bleeding toes.

"Have you tried lamb wool? And taping between your toes?" A deep male voice with a slight accent that I couldn't quite pinpoint asked from behind me.

"Uh, no I haven't" I say looking up at the man I now know as Ms. Ambrosia's son.

"Here" He hands me some wool from his bag and then takes out a first aid kit to bandage my toes.

"You just carry around first aid kits?" I chuckle.

"You don't?" He looks up at me from his crouched position in front of me.

"Never thought about it" I shrugged.

"You're a ballerina, who I'm sure has many encounters with bleeding toes. You should consider it. Lifesaver actually" He nods at his own words.

It made sense. I don't know why I hadn't before, but I would now. 

"Thanks" I say standing up after he finishes up.

He stands up straight, dusting his clothes and nods at my appreciation. 

I'm 5'6 but next to him it looks like I'm 5'0.

"James" He says, extending his hand out to me.

"Ada" I say plainly, shaking his hand.

"A word of advice?" He asks.

I nodded.

"Dance for yourself, not my mother. Nothing is ever good enough for her. Not even perfection" He says, winking then walking away.