Exhale

Chapter 5: Fuck Dance

Wednesday, February 27, 7:00 am

Zuri

I've never been more excited. Auditions are over today, and we're gonna find out who's in the spring show. Everyone's beat, honestly, I'm exhausted, my body hurts all over. I pushed hard these last few days.

All the dancers have. I can't wait to get some rest. This semester is harsher than last year combined.

I can't wait until spring break is here. I think I'll sleep my life away. I can't accept a zero after giving everything in return for a role. I worked my ass off to be picked for this show. Marley and I need performances on our resumes; we can't accept a loss.

Marley groans. "When is she gonna post the damn list!!"

"I don't know, just wait a sec."

She stands, "We all woke up at the ass crack of dawn for some stupid list, and she hasn't even posted it." Her hands shake.

"Marley, stop screaming." I yanked her down.

"This is too much Z. I need to be on that list. I should've danced in our first year." She buried her face. "I didn't know it would cost so much."

"It's fine, you're not the only one, you'll get picked for everything because you're talented, Mars. Seriously, you don't need early mornings; ballet comes naturally to you. No one else has that. You're special."

She raises her head in awe. "Sorry, I feel selfish. You deserve to dance this spring, too. We all rehearse so hard. You more than any of us."

"This isn't even worth it." She sinks into herself.

"Mars?" I worry.

She looks at me with tears. "I hate dancing, Z, but my parents, my mom, they want too much, they push too hard. I can't do anything, not writing, painting, or tennis. They get in the way of everything."

Pulling her to the balcony. I shut the door and helped her with her tears.

"What do you want, then, Mars?"

"I've been taking extra classes." She answered.

"At Juilliard?" I asked.

"No at NYU." She announced.

I smile, she's finally following her master plan.

"Interior Design?" I ask?

"I finally applied. I got a full-ride scholarship. I love it, but I still have to dance. It's so much." She confessed.

"No, you don't." I frown. "They can't keep controlling you."

"Last night she told me that she would kick me out and disown me if I quit Juilliard. But I hate it here. I can't keep pretending. It's draining me." She whimpers.

"Then quit, you don't need them, and they don't care about your happiness, so they don't deserve you."

"I have nothing without them."

"NO, YOU'RE EVERYTHING AND MORE!!"

"Fuck them and FUCK DANCE. Do what you love and make yourself happy." She hugs me deeply, and I squeeze her tighter than ever.

"Come stay with me. You can have the office. I don't use it."

"Zuri, that's too much." She frowned.

"No, it's just enough. You deserve to get what you want for once. I won't let her threaten you with homelessness." I let her go and wiped her tears one more time.

"You can come whenever you want. My door is always open." She nodded, drying her eyes.

"We should go back. Thank you...for listening to me and my shit.

"Always."

I open the door for her, and she walks through. The hall is so crowded that Mrs. Lane must have posted the list for the dance that everyone is gossiping about. Roman comes rushing towards us.

"You ladies got both the lead roles." He shouts.

"That's gonna sting a few crazies. Do you still wanna do it, Mars?"

She smiled, saying it could be our last dance together. Roman looked pretty lost, so we caught him up. Meanwhile, Vicky seems to be throwing a tantrum.

"Whoa." Roman asks, "She looks terrifying. Why don't we skip? Today is not on our side, and Marley could use some Froyo."

It's like a bomb went off, one second I'm at school and the next I'm getting dragged to Ben's Fro.

After we ordered and sat down, the silence finally ended.

"I'm sorry, Marley. I had no idea you were going through this."

"It's fine, Ro. Thanks for the Froyo, I needed a break."

"Yeah?"

"Oh, you have no idea my life was starting to suck. My mom can be a real witch. I know she hates me."

I didn't know her parents were that hard on her. I hope she feels less trapped now that she has us. I couldn't imagine being overwhelmed as she has.

I hope she decides to stay with me and finally live her life. No one should feel that burdened for so long. I met her mom once, and she wasn't nice at all. But I didn't think she could be so heartless towards her child at that.

As if I need another reason to lose my shit, the universe fucks me.

Here she comes, barging into the Froyo shop, headed straight for us. This couldn't get any worse...right?

.

.

It's about to go down.

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