Helmets & Pointe Shoes

Step Into My Helmet and Pointe Shoes

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Aylss Dream

I walked into the classroom with maximum confidence written on my face. First day of school, no challenge. My first class had gone well, boys swarming, a teacher to suck up to. It was all the same as last year. I slid into an empty, but old desk. “Bad” words were carved in with dull pencil. I moved on row up. I realized that this class would not be having any assigned seats. I set my books to the left of me and took out my schedule.

1 Calculus AP/Honors Mr. Levy

2 English AP/Honors Mr. Fenrir

3 Chorus Adv. Ms. Pacobella

4 A Lunch

5 Independent Studies/Ballet Madam Jessal Terret

6 Chemistry AP/Honors Ms. Goodlogger

7 Mythology Honors Mr. Young

8 Home Economics Ms. Schulz

All usuals. I had been getting classes like these since third grade. More people filed into the small classroom. It was pretty bare compared to the hallways that were filled with posters saying Good Luck and You Rock.

A tough looking boy bumped into my desk. I groaned and turned around knowing exactly who it was. The star quarterback at Duskville High School Academy, Jace Taylor. He was tall, buff but slim and clumsy except on the field. He wore jeans and a long blue sweater.

“Sorry, Dancer Girl,” he said and walked to the back row, knowing how much he irritated me. But it was noticeable how ‘Balletish’ I looked that day. I was wearing a thin, short, black skirt with tights rolled up below my knee. I had worn my blue ballerina flats and light blue cardigan opened three buttons to reveal a pink starred undershirt.

I hated him so much. How could anyone be so interested in a sport? It disgusted me. I scrunched my face into a weird sad face. Then I opened my textbook to a page that was scrawled onto the board.

Just then the teacher walked into the classroom. I stared down at my schedule and saw my teacher’s name. Mr. Fenrir. What a weird name, I thought thinking briefly of Harry Potter.

“Hello class. My name is Mr. Fenrir-,” a couple boys in the back howled. No doubt Jace was among them. His laugh rang out like a bell. Mine was more like a wheeze with an exploding pft. “and I welcome you to English AP/Honors. No offense, but I looked at some of your records, and it’s a wonder you got into this class. Now, since the role call is due in three minutes I’ll start, and then we’ll do a independent activity.”

He reached toward a sheet of paper on the left of his desk. He gripped them in his small hands. Just then, a woman walked into the room asking to speak with him.

“Ms. Aylss Dream, do you mind calling out attendance?”

I jumped about half a mile out of my seat. Not many teachers bothered to know my name, especially on the first day of school. I stood up and mumbled a small, yes sir, taking the paper from his hands. I walked up to the front of the class and said:

“Jami Lawrence?”

“Present,”

“Mike Warner?”

“President!” I rolled my eyes. The roster didn’t go in alphabetical order. I called out a few more names until I got to the one I dreaded most.

“ Jace Taylor?”

“I’m here Ballerina Babe,” I glared at him with hard but small eyes, then carried on.

After, when Mr. Fenrir walked back into the darkly lit room, I handed him the attendance sheet and walked back to my seat.