Silhouettes, Cigarettes, and Boys in Leather Jackets

Chapter Twenty-Two

I did not want to wake up. My eyes were swollen and red, and I was not fit for physical activity. My legs were sore from who-knows-what, even though I hadn't done anything that day.

"Naptime's over, sleepyhead!" Amara pulled the covers completely off of me, and I rolled over in protest. She clicked her tongue, then whispered, "Suit yourself, but Kate can be a real pain in the tush when you're late."

That convinced me. Not Kate being a pain, but the realization that I would be letting another person down. They were nice enough to hire me, a random girl off of the streets. I needed to make it up to them.

I sat up, wiping the sleep out of my eyes. Amara smiled down at me, her brows furrowing in concern after seeing the puffiness under my eyes.

She didn't say anything, and I appreciated it. Yet another way Amara reminded me of Rose. In the Hideout, Rose was always good with distracting me by talking to me when she thought I was sad. Amara seemed to have the same empath-like skills.

"Here-" Amara threw a clean shirt to me, and I caught it gratefully. "You have a couple minutes until warmups. I'll see you in the studio!"

I nodded, and she practically skipped out of the dorms. Amara had such a light-hearted demeanor; she seemed too pure for this world. That is, other than the fact that she worked in a dance club in New York City.

After washing away the redness from my face, I changed shirts and prepared myself for practice. I wondered about what kind of performances we would do.

I was a pretty good singer, but I didn't like singing alone. My voice needed support, otherwise I would get too nervous and mess up. Ironically, it seemed like a sick metaphor for my life. I wasn't meant to be alone.

Late. I was late. I had zoned out and lost track of time. I took a deep breath and ran out of the dorms, making my way into the Studio. Kate was standing primly at the front of the studio; Amara, Nova, Amber, and Carly stretched in a line with their backs to the door.

"You're late." Kate stated, her cold eyes snapping to me.

"I'm sorry." I slipped into line beside Amara, who winked at me, giving an I told you so look. I rolled my eyes, touching my toes.

Kate clapped twice, gaining our attention.

"Alright, ladies, we're going to practice the Serpent Song. We're going to perform it tomorrow night for Kiera's first performance. I know most of you already know it, so this shouldn't take too long. Carly, Amber, places!"

Carly and Amber moved into positions, separate from our line. They stood about three feet away from each other, their hands by their sides.

"Amara, Nova, places." Kate commanded.

The other two stood directly behind them, forming two lines of two girls each. Kate stood behind the four of them, then said, "Five, six, seven, eight!"

Carly and Amber took several synchronized steps forward, then began waving their extended hands in the infinity symbol. They appeared like zombies in the way they held their arms, but it seemed right.

After eight beats, Amara and Nova took five steps forward and copied the infinity motion. Kate counted off another eight beats, then walked down the aisle between the pairs.

She was singing a song that sounded like Latin, and her dancing seemed to flow with the song. Kate was an exceptional dancer.

I watched awkwardly as the girls continued then froze with a single clap, then Kate began to sway her hips, front and center. The other four followed suit, and after another eight beats, they began to sing back up to her Latin.