dancing in the stars (ballerina x singer wlw romance)

chapter two

SUMMER

I'm exhausted.
My legs feel like they're going to give up as I scale the stairs to my apartment- which makes it ten times worse. My sister and my moms decided to get an apartment on the eleventh floor. Why?! Why haven't they thought about the possibility of the elevators malfunctioning? Probably because it never happens, just today- with me. It only happens to me.
It's been a long day, packed with my first day of classes, then five intense hours at the Academy and I wanted nothing more than get home, curl up on the sofa with ice packs on my entire body and food. Lots of food. I survived the day with just a granola bar and water, so much water but now my stomach is begging me for actual food.

I should have just gone to my house, where my moms would have been waiting for me with delicious food, a nice movie and lots of ice cream and cuddles. Also, they don't have this much stairs- just one that leads me to my room.
But going to my home would have meant that I gave up. It's my first day, I cannot give up. Do I miss my moms? of course, but at least I have my sister and friends here- I've been living with them the entire summer- well, I wouldn't count it as 'living', Aurora and I spent the majority of time at home with our family. Don't judge us, we're big family people.

I make it to our front door and I sigh in relief, feeling like I'm about to pass out. I pull out my key card and place it on the door, opening it when it turns green with a loud beep! I leave my bag next to the door, and kneel to untie my shoes, before I leave them on the floor, sighing when my feet can breathe again.
Our apartment is huge. Our moms picked it up for us, we live in a nice neighborhood, near UBC, also it's close to home and my Dance Academy.
I live with my best friends. Aurora, Indy and Violet, they've been living here for a few years now- I only joined them this year because I'm the youngest in our group and the last one to start college.

I find my older sister, Aurora, splayed on the couch holding a cup of coffee. I can't find the energy to even say hello to her but I notice her light blue eyes shine when she sees me before I collapse next to her, hiding my face in her lap.
Aurora chuckles and I know she can understand what I'm feeling.
While I'm a professional ballerina, she's a professional figure skater-the greatest in our country, I might add- and she's getting ready for the Winter Games, which means she's at practice probably the entire day, and just got home.

I've been dancing since I was four years old, I got into ballet thanks to my sister, but while she chose toe picks when she was older, I continued with the beauty of point shoes and classic music. Later on, I joined contemporary dance, too but all my performances have been with ballet.
Having Luna Bennett as my mom, the world expected me to switch to skates at some point in my life but I never did. Do I know how to skate? yes, of course. Every Bennett knows how to and we're pretty good at hockey, too but it's not my thing. My mom, Mia, and I are the only ones in our family that don't skate professionally.

"Want some dinner?" my sister's voice echoes the apartment.

I groan at the same time as my stomach. "Please."

My sister stands and my head hits one of the pillows on the couch. I lift my head so I can breathe normally and I notice the movie playing on the TV. Spider-man: No Way Home has just started and I smile, getting into a more comfortable position as I wait for my sister. We are big Marvel fans in our family, thanks to my mom and Aurora- we grew up watching every single movie, every night. The four of us on the couch with snacks or ice creams- that is, until suddenly it was the five of us.

I place a fluffy blanket over my legs just in time for Aurora to return, she has her bright red hair up in a messy ponytail and she's wearing sweatpants and an oversized hoodie that I'm pretty sure is Luke's, our childhood best friend.
She places a plate in the coffee table and my stomach groans even more at the delicious pizza in front of me. I probably should not be eating this. I have a performance in a few months, and my dance instructor would be yelling at me if she saw this pizza in front of me, but as my stomach yells yes! eat it, you're starving! My brain is sending me red alerts by how this is going to cost me.