From Eden

two

I woke up to rain pattering outside my window. It was dark. When I looked, my clock read seven pm; usually it would still be light out, but I guessed that the storm clouds were covering the sun. I used to hate rainy weather, because sometimes it would ruin my plans for the day...as I got older, I grew to love it. Now, I laid with my eyes plastered to the window, watching drops of water smear down the glass. It was so peaceful. After a couple minutes, I stretched, feeling quite groggy, and surprisingly, hungry.

I got out of bed and groaned; I must have slept on my neck the wrong way, because there was a prickly pain in the back of it. I used the bathroom before making my way downstairs, squinting at the bright lights of the kitchen. My dad was definitely cooking dinner, because it smelled like something boiling.

"Hey," I said quietly, rubbing my eyes and going to grab some water from the fridge. My dad turned from his boiling pot on the stove and shot me a small smile. "Whatcha making?"

"Broccoli there," He gestured to the stove with the point of his finger, "and some pork out on the grill. I think I'm going to put some potatoes in the oven, too. Are you going to join us tonight?"

I winced, fighting the urge to curl my lip. I hated pork chops. He looked so encouraging, with his tired, scraggly smile and wide eyes. I felt bad saying it, but I could not force down a pork chop that day. "I'll have some broccoli and potatoes, but not sure about the pork."

"Better than I usually get out of you lately," He responded, raising his eyebrows. "Anyway, I heard you got a letter from Abby Lee today."

"I did," I shivered, leaning my hands on the table. "Did Brooke already tell you about it?"

"She did," Dad nodded slowly, and met my eyes. He made a face that looked halfway between a shrug and a smirk, his eyebrows raised high. "Are you going to take the job?"

"Um," I began, but couldn't answer. I still wasn't too sure about working under Abby. I knew the only reason my father was asking was because he hoped I would take it...I'd be out of the house more, and bringing in some sort of income.

"You should," He shrugged, proving my point. "I know it's Abby, but it'll be a better environment than when you were a kid. You won't be around her as much once you're trained, I assume."

I hadn't thought about that. It was true, I probably would not see her as much as I did when I was little; she would be taking more days off, and not as up my ass as when we were on TV. She would definitely make a point to train me strictly and condescendingly, but it wouldn't be long before I got a handle on it...hopefully. I still wasn't sure why she asked Brooke and me to come back, when people like Kalani Hilliker and Jojo Siwa both choreographed already. All I needed was to take that job, then be fired because I fucking suck at choreographing.

"I'm thinking about it," I said eventually, a thin smile on my face.

"Hey, Paige," Josh came into the kitchen then, and waved to my dad. I nodded at him in greeting, and he said, "I'm going out with my guys tonight for dinner. Is that okay?"

Dad rolled his eyes, placing down the fork that was being used to move around the broccoli. "You couldn't have told me earlier?"

"Sorry," My brother cringed, making a guilty face. "You'll have Paigey here to keep you company! If she's not high off her ass again."

"Dude," I sighed, rolling my eyes and throwing up a hand.

"Yeah, by the way, were you smoking upstairs today?" My father turned back to me, and Josh snuck behind him, out of the kitchen. He had successfully distracted him.

"Yeah," I shrugged lightly, also feeling guilty. "It...it was just hard for me to get the letter, and I kind of felt panicky."

"Just do it outside next time," He said, pulling the broccoli out of the pot. "I'm going to get the pork chops...I guess no potatoes, since it's just us. Brooke's out with Brian tonight. Help yourself, and take that job."