dancing in the stars (ballerina x singer wlw romance)

chapter thirty-two

WILLOW

I've been staring at an email for about thirty minutes now.
My eyes are about to go into squares for how much I'm staring at my phone, texts come and go, but I can't open one single one of them. I just keep reading, over and over again, that email. It's from Professor Queens, arrived three hours ago but I was in the middle of my shift, and now I'm sitting on a booth in a coffee shop, waiting for Josie, and just staring and reading that email.

I've ordered a vanilla latte, and when the waitress asked if I wanted some food, I told her I was waiting for someone and then we'll order something. I asked Josie to meet me here, I barely see her outside our classes together. I would've invited Maya, too but things are awkward and weird between us. Or maybe it's just me, avoiding the entire world because I'm too stressed to handle a simple conversation, and I know if I talk to Maya she's going to ask about the showcase.
I don't have answers for those questions. Hence, why I've been staring at my phone for– thirty five minutes now. My mind is completely blank, having no clue how to answer.

The only thing that makes me look up, is the sudden movement in front of me. Josie sits on the chair in front of me, leaving her bag on the floor with a loud thud, and without saying anything, she groans into her hands, rubbing it softly before she runs them through her hair.
"Someone's in a good mood." I tease, immediately regretting it when she shots me a glare. "Okay, geez. I'm sorry."

"I'm sorry, I'm just– ugh!" she groans again, then locks her brown eyes on me. "My dad has been so fucking insufferable these days."

"What'd he do?" I lift the latte to my lips as I stare at her. Her dad is one of our teachers, he is practically forcing her to study something she absolutely hates, and that has her so stressed that I'm scared she's going bald by the age of twenty five.

"I told him I wanted to drop out, y'know." she says. "I told him I wanted to focus on something I actually enjoy, like, Marketing. He said I should be grateful he's paying the Uni for me, because I'd be living in the street if it weren't for him."

I gasp. "What?"

She nods, her eyes flickering with hurt. "I am grateful he's helping me, I could pay for everything myself. My grandparents left me money when they died, but I can only have access to it when I turn twenty one. That's two years from now."

"I'm sorry, Jo." I say, placing my hand over hers and giving a soft squeeze. "I hope everything works out for you."

"Thank you, Willow," she smiles, pulling out her phone. "Should we order something?"

"I got a latte, I was waiting for you so we can order some food."

The waitress comes back when she sees I have company. Josie orders a black coffee and a
cupcake, and I go with a piece of cheesecake.
Fifteen minutes later, we have our food in the table, and we eat while Josie tells me about her day. I try to a pay attention to her, but there's a reason I asked her to meet me, and the question is burning inside my mind. I space out most of the time, feeling like a terrible friend.
I feel my foot tapping on the floor constantly, and it doesn't stop.
Josie goes on about how her little puppy ran away and she had to follow him for four blocks nonstop. I laugh, just to be polite. Then, goes on to tell me about the baby she has hidden in—

"Wait. What?"

Heads turn our way when she laughs loudly, throwing her entire body back and clapping her hands. My cheeks turn red at the sudden attention. "I just wanted to see if you were listening to me." she says after a few moments, catching her breathing. "And you clearly weren't."