Off Pointe

Miraculous Studios

On Point

World Class Ballerina to throw a Spanner in the Works!

By Rena Rouge

Oh my! Oh my! Oh my! Haven't I got news for you!

Dancers in Paris are quaking in their boots as I can exclusively reveal Zoé Lee (20) has returned to her home city. It's not been revealed yet where she's going to be training, but our suspicions lead us in the direction of The Agreste School of Dance, which gives a new front runner for the part of Clara.

As most people know, Zoé Lee and her half sister, Chloé Bourgeois (22) have a fiery relationship both on and off the dance floor, and Zoé's appearance at where Chloé is Queen may cause some unforeseen issues with the casting for the gala.

As always, you'll hear it here first!

*****

It's not like you fit in here.

Tendu.

Why are you here, Shortcake?

Relevé.

You're not like the others, Marinette. I thought that was obvious.

Rest.

As Adrien's words echoed in her mind, they felt like a cascade of sharp arrows, each one piercing through the fragile armour of her self-esteem. The wounds were invisible, but the pain was visceral, a silent storm of self-doubt and hurt feelings. She replayed his words, dissecting each syllable, wondering why his careless remarks found a home in the recesses of her thoughts, leaving an indelible mark on her emotional landscape.

She couldn't concentrate. And it was obvious.

After everything that had happened the previous night, her confidence had taken a rather hearty hit. Her développé barely extended over hip height, and she managed to knock into about four people whilst participating in her chaîné turns... and don't get started on her jetés . Everything was perfectly... awful! Damn Adrien Agreste! Damn all the Agrestes.

"Marinette!" Plagg shouted out, he must have been growing tired of her name today. She was quite sure at some point he muttered about being a parrot. "Head up! Look where you're going!"

She lifted her head only to find herself face-to-face with Lila Rossi.

"Out of the way, Baker girl," she hissed under her breath, continuing the routine flawlessly, as she practically pushed Marinette over and into Rose.

"Sorry," Marinette said, placing a hand to her head and stopping in the middle of the dance floor, Plagg once again shouting her name.

She watched as the ballerina's carried on a couple of moves before holding the pose they were about to reach and preparing to join in again. And she missed the cue.

It couldn't get any worse... could it?

Her question was answered incredibly precisely as she looked out the viewing window and straight into the eyes of Adrien 'head up his own arse' Agreste. Not wanting him to have one over on her, or at least give him another opportunity to laugh at her, Marinette caught up on the routine and prepared for the performance of a lifetime, only to land flat on her ass on the first pirouette — it was only a single one too!

The music stopped, Plagg clapping his hands and calling the girls to attention.

"Bad day, huh?"

"Something like that," Marinette grumbled.