2 kids

Biker boys.

Ashley.

They say you have your life in your own hands. When it comes to my life, it's a big fat lie. Whoever or whatever has my life in their hands is enjoying controlling it a little too much. I'm starting to really object to their methods.

I'm not the one to believe in past lives, but I'm starting to think I must have done something terrible in one of them. People from my past in this life keep on showing up. It's not as pleasant as movies and books present it, nor is it as pleasant as I would've wished it to be. If this is a joke to the universe, I'm not laughing along.

Personally, I'm not that much bothered by this one particular person entering the group. Yet the timing and the circumstances are bothersome. And the overall atmosphere brought along with their arrival. There's something that just doesn't feel right.

When it comes to me, I don't have an obvious reason to worry. Although I've made up my mind to focus more on ballet and contemporary dancing, and only practise hip hop in the form of instructing young kids, I could easily name a few names who I won't accept this new situation effortlessly and fast.

One of them being Jonah, even though he doesn't have an obvious reason either.

"Why are you looking at him like that?" Jonah whispers to me.

I forgot he was sitting next to me, quietly complaining about him coming here.

"How?"

"Like... that." I roll my eyes as he waves his hand in front of my face. As if I can see my own expression. "You don't like him, do you?"

His question takes me back a bit. "It's not that I don't like him," I start. "I don't know him at all."

"Then what's the reason this disgusted look of yours."

Disgusted? That's the word he'd use to describe it? I would've guessed my look isn't exactly friendly or supportive, or keen on this new situation, but disgusted wasn't the word.

"There's something odd about him. I don't know what, but something doesn't feel quite alright."

"Isn't that a little bit too judgmental?" He looks mockingly at me. "You just said yourself that you don't know him."

I shake my head. "I've had a conversation with him. I'm basing my statement on that too." And on his behaviour the night I saw him on the street. Which, when I think about it, wasn't that odd at all.

"You're basing your opinion on a stranger based on one conversation you've had?" He laughs. "That's not a you thing to do, Ash. " I playfully hit him.

"You were the one basing assumptions only on first impressions from miles away and –"

He shushes, "We're not talking about me now. We're discussing your judgemental and unreasonable behaviour."

"You hate him," I simply state. "And there's nothing wrong with my behaviour."

Jonah looks at me hurt, then dramatically scoffs. "I don't hate him. I just do not like him and think he's a little arrogant bastard with some talent who thinks he waltz in here and steal the show. Well, I hate to break it to him, the show's ours."

I'm about to say something, when he speaks again.

"Besides, they're the ones who hate him. Look at them, they're already planning a way to make this a living hell for him. They're not hiding their obvious hatred. I do not hate him, I'm just not fond of him, at all."

Jonah points at the hip hop team stuck in the practise room with him. They're keeping their distance from him, carefully observing him stretching and dancing. Sometimes I get the idea that the concept of a family here gets taken a little too seriously.