Karimov Dance Project

Chapter 2: Vivienne; The Fun of Competing

Maddy was already at the school gate when James came out of the dreaded building. The scene of her standing there, reading something on her phone, waiting for him, always made the polite smile he had on his face genuine. She made his life a lot more manageable since the time she decided to talk to him outside the director's office. The small funny girl barely reached his shoulder, even with him being not tall himself, but was much braver at seven than he was at fourteen. He would probably have fallen for her if he wasn't gay.

He walked up to her quietly and asked from behind her, "Waiting for someone, Karrát?"

She jumped up and hit him with her rucksack, only then turning and understanding that it was only only James.

"I thought you were that idiot Grady! Will you ever learn not to sneak up on people like that?!"

"I never learn, don't you already know that?" The boy answered laughing. "And how could you even compare my beautiful voice to that asshole's?"

Bickering, they made their way towards 'La Fleur de Maîtresse', a diner that James' Aunt owned. Neither of them wanted to go home for lunch.

Vivienne greeted them with fake irritation and started mumbling about having to feed somebody else's children for free, but all of them knew that she didn't really mind and was actually quite pleased with their company. The diner was nearly empty today, so the woman left one of her employees at the till and came to sit with the teens, talking to them about their day and feeding them soup.

Vivienne was a very lonely person, but it's not that she didn't enjoy it. Just sometimes even introverts want a little company. She was short and plump, with curly brown hair which fell past her waist, and that she usually wore in a plait wrapped around her head. She had many suitors dying to date her, but just wasn't interested and preferred the company of a couple of teens.

She loved France and would have never left it if it was up to her. She went to America only because her younger sister, James' mother, Alice, who back then barely turned eighteen, fell madly in love with a man who was in France just to visit his family, and lived in America. She was ready to follow him across the ocean after knowing him for only four months. Vivienne couldn't let her go alone, especially seeing as Jim, James' father, was quite a religious person. Though soon enough she understood it wasn't Jim she had to worry about. Family gathering were fun, not a single one went without James' christian crazy mother saying something to his aro-ace childfree aunt and starting a fight. James was grateful to have someone like Vivienne in his family.

Thirty minutes later James and Maddy came out of the diner feeling content and full, and set off for the studio.

The studio was an ugly, grey two-story building with huge windows and the words "Grand Win dance studio" written in black 3d letters above the main entrance.

On the left side of the studio, there was a gap between it and another building, which the parents and older trainees used for smoking.

As the teens approached, they noticed two familiar figures standing leaning against the wall and smoking just there.

Two young men, one was tall and had long wavy blond hair tied in a low ponytail, black manicure and a cheeky smirk. He was dressed rock style, torn jeans, band shirt and black leather coat. The second one was short, only the slightest bit higher than Maddy. He was Asian, with a heart shaped face and an amused, calm smile. He was wearing a plain black hoodie with usual blue jeans, and looked much less vibrant than the first man.

There was a second were Maddy and James just stared in shock at the other party, before Madeline screamed, "Xiao Ling!" and launched herself at the Chinese man.