You never know - Pjo Fanfiction

28- The comeback is always stronger than the setback

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Three weeks. Three lengs weeks that Hazel spent wandering around, trying to keep herself occupied and choreographing. More and more choreographing.

She chose a song, outfits and planned every dance move and every single step at milimetre, repeating it twice and even printing it and giving it out.

"Hazel, don't you think you're overplanning just a tiny bit?" Leo asked as he took a look at the paper.

"Sush" She placed her finger to his lips "Do something productive and pass me that crutch"

She could admit it, she had kept a calender, tracking the days until the day came. The day she could take her cast off.

She sat eagerly at the doctor, as he cut her bandages open.

"Now, make sure to take it easy, slowly and keep using the crutches, will you?"

"Huh" She nodded, not listening to a word.

That afternoon, while everyone was at pas de deux, she grabbed the barre at her room and placed her leg on the floor.

Pain shot up her leg, as if her nerves were on fire. Tears stung in her eyes. She felt the need to put her leg back up, but she ignored that urge. She took a clumsy step and there another.

After a few slow laps around her room, she collapsed on her bed. She had a long way to get back to dancing, but progress was still progress. She placed her hands under her neck and did abs.

After going to class and to dinner, she met her friends in the common room and smiled.

"You seem happy. Anything you want to share with the group?" Calypso asked.

Hazel smiled as she threw the crutches away.

"Someone burn those things! Destroy them! I am free!" She laughed manniacly. 

She placed both of her feet on the ground and took a few steps towards them, slowly and clumsy on her feet, bitting the inside of her cheek.

Frank ran to her and held her.

"You're doing it!" He smiled, his eyes wide in surprise "I'm so proud!"

She blushed up to her ears.

They spent the evening watching the movie 'Ballerina' on TV and eating popcorn and chocolate until they felt as if they would burst.

When the main character in the movie started learning to dance, they all couldn't help themselves. They got up and started doing the same steps at the same rythm.

Even she tried to get up, using her left leg as balance, and spun around. When she landed, her eyes were fogging with tears, and they weren't painful at all.

The next day, and the one after, all she did was train. She trained and trained. She relearned everything, from possitions to relevé, entrechat, arabesque, promenade, fouttés... She even went back to pointé, her feet finding familiarity in the shoes that she had learned to love.

Yes, maybe she was over excerting herself just a tiny bit, but she had to. Her dream depended on it.

That afternoon, she needed to go back for a checkup. Frank decided to walk her there.

She still walked slowly, one step after another, but he didn't make her be quicklier. He just followed her pace, talking.

"The weather is so nice!" He said, then looked at her "Want help?"

"Actually..." She smiled mischeveoulsyandgrabbed his hand "Phew, much better"

Hazel could see the blush creapt in his pale face.

When they arrived at the healthcare centre and saw the doctor, his face contorned with astonishment.

"Wait... Wha-? You're... You're walking!"

"Walking?" Hazel smiled, then did a few fouttés "Oh dear, I can do more than just walking"

"B-but how? Recovery is painful... Not even adults always manage... How?"

"It's all in here" She pointed her head "And I have good friends and a schoolarship to mantain. That's a killer combination. Can I leave now"

She did not wait. Once more, she grabbed Frank's hand and started to run.

"Wait!" She stopped in her track and turned back "Mr doctor, why don't you go to the stage in the park in three days? I promise you have never seen anything like it in your whole entire life"

And, with that, she ran again.

Frank and her started to walk again, just enjoying the view and the place.

"I really don't want to leave..." She thought out loud.

"You won't" He smiled "I won't let them"

"I don't have anything to go back to" She said "Nothing at all"

Frank turned to her, his face serious.

"Hazel, when you came to my house... When it happened. Did it happen often? I mean..."

"I know what you mean" She cut "Yeah, it sometimes happened. I used to believe, to try to believe, at least, that it was my fault"

He kept silent, but squeezed her hand.

"She abused me, Frank. She really did. I just want to live with dad but I'm afraid she'll find me"

Frank stopped, he turned to her and held both of her hands.

"Hazel, listen. We'll leave the academy when we're eighteen, legal adults. Then we'll move together, to a nice quiet place. I won't let her place a hand on you, ever. I promise"

Her gaze lighted up, and all of her preocupations seemed to fly away.

"Yeah, I promise too" She smiled, blushing "But only if we have a wildrose bush"

"We can have all the wildroses you want" He assured.

"And music. We'll need music"

"Yes, music. All the music. And orange and chocolate muffins"

She gasped. That was her favourite food ever. How could he have known?

"I like the way you're thinking" She grinned, and kissed him "Now, letñs get back, they'll be worried."

So they ran back, and Hazel joined the pas de deux class as normal.

"Back already?" Terpisichore asked.

"I won't give up on my dream for a stupid broken leg" She winked.

So she trained. She did her best. Dancing felt safe, she was doing what she loved. She could do what she loved. She puther heart in it and danced. Just danced.

Terpisichore got closer.

"I'm glad to see you're back to your old self"

"Oh no, I'm not back" Hazel smiled "I'm better. You know what they say- The comeback is always stronger than the setback"