Broken Ballerina

Chapter Four

Attached is a photo of Jane.

"Oomph." I grunt, falling onto the wooden dance floor in the back of Adam's house. I pant heavily. "I can't do this Adam."

It has been two weeks since my cast had come off, and I still can't balance on my bad leg by itself. Adam has me doing exercises trying to build up the strength in my bad leg, and it was not going well. Right now, I wanted to punch him.

"Yes you can." Adam sighs, impatiently, taking my hand to pull me up.

"No I can't." I say, fixing my leotard and tights back to their comfortable place.

Adam sighs again. "Listen, I know it's hard but - "

"Yes Adam. It is very hard." I snap. "This is never going to work. I'm never going to be able to dance again." I flop onto the low ledge beside a bay window looking out onto Adam's garden and the sea. This boy is rich.

"Yes, you will, Rosie." Adam encourages. "It takes time. I remember when I was doing these routines, I did lose a bit of faith. It's not going to come straight away, but it will work. I promise."

"Adam?" I ask, preparing myself to ask a personal question. "What happened to you? How did you end up with these exercises?"

Adam sighs, preparing himself to answer my question. "About two years ago, I was sailing out on the sea out there. I was with my brother, Jamie. The weather grew pretty strong and our boat was pulled into a big clump of rocks in the middle of the sea. The waves were going all over the place. We could barely see." Adam pauses for a moment. He inhales slowly. "The next thing I knew, Jamie was nowhere to be seen. I climbed up onto one of the rocks and started screaming his name. I couldn't find him anywhere. Then I saw him floating in the water. I went to jump off the rock, but I slipped instead. I took a nasty fall into the waves and, much like what happened to you, I woke up in a hospital bed and I was told I wasn't able to dance again."

"Wow Adam. I'm so sorry. Is your brother - "
Just then, the double doors leading to the foyer bursts open, and a boy about the age of thirteen wheels himself into the room. His smile is so bright I could tell he was definitely related to Adam. I sigh with relief.

"Ad, mum wants you." The boy tells his brother.

"Okay." Adam says breathing in through his teeth. Before he leaves, he spins around and smiles at me. "Rosie, this is my brother, Jamie."

I smile back at him. Adam leaves the room and it's just Jamie and me.

"Sorry to hear about your accident." Jamie says, playing with the wheels in his chair.

"Thanks." I smile. "Sorry to hear about yours"

"Adam told you?" Jamie looks up.

"Well, I asked how he knew these routines he's teaching me and he told me. I hope that's ok?"

"Oh of course. Better him than me." Jamie chuckles.

He's such an attractive guy. His black curly hair is well kept, and his green eyes sparkle even when the light isn't hitting them. Quite like Adam's. I stare at him in admiration as he stares out the window to the sea. He's such a happy guy, and he doesn't seem to let his chair keep him from sitting around.

With that in my mind, I raise myself from the window sill, and begin to do some stretches that Dr. Peterson had taught me.

After a long day of learning Adam's routines to strengthen all the muscles in my legs, we collapse on a large red bean bag in the TV room next to the dance room in Adam's mansion.