Finding Paris

Surprises of the Unpleasant Kind

Finding Paris

Chapter One : Surprises of the Unpleasant Kind

My feet are killing me. Like seriously. I'm bound to get killed at the pace I'm going, limping on the sidewalk on my way to class. A grandmother with a broken spine could probably go faster than me! What if a speeding car comes while I cross the street or an earthquake occurs while I'm climbing the stairs but my aching feet impedes me from running and saving my life? I knew I should have asked Mom to drop me off closer to the studio. Let's see her complain about gas money when I have to get my legs replaced with artificial ones.

Okay, my nerves are officially getting me melodramatic. 

Today will be the day that The Announcement will be made. Dun dun dun dun! Madame Devereux shall be revealing to us who is going to be representing her in the Grand Summer Dance Company in Paris. The Grand Summer Dance Company performs only in the summer and every year, a chosen few of the world's best young dancers are invited to perform. Madame Devereux was actually one of the founders of that company before she decided to retire due to the pressures of the spotlight and be a ballet teacher instead. Nonetheless, she gets an invitation every year to make an appearance but instead, she sends one of her students. For the past three years, she has been sending Colette Grace, but Colette had quit ballet last year to join the cheerleading squad of her college, much to Madame's disappointment. 

Oh did I mention that today's also my birthday?

Yay me!

Not.

I already have doubts about the results. I mean, there were already some omens. I wake up with super sore feet from yesterday's little routine, and everyone except my mother forgot my birthday. No greetings, texts, or anything even in Facebook. I'm so lucky. 

Imagine how even more heartbroken I wil be when my name doesn't get called on my birthday. I know better than to expect to get chosen, but I couldn't help it. I knew my audition was wonderful, the other girls were whispering bitterly about it. I executed it perfectly except for that last bit at the end. I was just worried about Madame's reaction after my performance. She didn't say anything at all and her lips. They. Were. Pursed. 

With blood pounding on my ears and sweat making my hands clammy, I pulled off my earphones cutting off Parachute's Forever and Always and pushed the door open. Some of the girls were already there, showing off their routines or warming up by the bars, hoping that it would earn them some extra points with Madame Devereux for effort. Some of the others waved at me. No one here knows it's my birthday either. We were all friends here but these girls were so intense that I doubt none of us were real friends at all and would turn at each other at the first chance they get, which is why I don't allow myself to get too close to them. All of us were fighting for something all the time.

The best dancer always gets the lead roles on productions and everyone wanted to play lead. This is because the lead always gets more attention and recognition as well as the best routines. There's also more stage time for the leads and no one really wanted to blend in with the other girls in group routines.

Another one is this, of course. Everyone wanted to replace Colette and go to Paris. I guess that's why Colette quit. She was my only real friend here and she was far too nice to survive in such a hostile environment like this for too long. She was the kind of girl who volunteered at the library and handed out posters against global warming at the mall, the girl who acted like an older sister to the fat kid in ballet class. Me? I'm doing fine here, except for the occasional bullies, since none of the other girls see me as a real threat mainly because I'm still the chubby girl who plays the minor roles, but I want to go to Paris, too, for my own reasons.