SAVED BY A STRANGER | L.T.

[ PROLOGUE ] THE NIGHT WE MET

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WARNING :
This chapter includes suicidal ideations.
Read at your own risk.

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[ MARCH 23RD, 2017 ]

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OCTAVIA KELSEY ALWAYS ENJOYED late night walks through LA, despite how dangerous and unnerving it sounded. There was something about the usually bustling city becoming almost silent in the late hours of the evening that brought her an unexplainable sense of peace, allowing her to enjoy the scenery and clear her head before she had to return to the studio the next day.

Being a dance teacher was undoubtedly a demanding job that required immense creativity, but it was one that Octavia loved nonetheless. Truthfully, she had never planned on becoming a dance teacher— in fact, she hadn't even considered the idea before her little sister, Piper, jokingly suggested it after Octavia expressed her envy over Piper beginning her first year at university as a psychology major, a career the younger girl had been set on since she was in middle school, and was now successfully pursuing.

Growing up, Piper Kelsey had always known what she wanted to be, and after what they had experienced when they were just children, that ambition had only strengthened. Octavia, on the other hand, was never certain about her path; she explored various careers and worked multiple jobs over the years, dipping her toes in potential professions, but none of them ever resonated as deeply with her like it had for Piper.

The one thing she was sure of, though, was her love for dance.

It fascinated her. As a young girl, she would eagerly watch shows and movies like Dancing with the Stars and the Step Up series with awe, captivated by the way their bodies seemed to move so freely. She created her own dances— no matter how embarrassingly bad they were— to her favorite songs that she would practice and proudly perform for their parents. As she grew older, her skills obviously improved significantly, and she often spent hours devising her own routines just for the hell of it. It made her feel good and free, like nothing else mattered but the beat of the music as she allowed herself to get lost in it. To her, she saw it as more of a cherished hobby than anything— not something she could actually make a career out of someday.

It wasn't until Piper encouraged her to try a dance class at a nearby studio that Octavia realized it was what she was meant to do all along.

It was her passion and often an escape from reality, so when Bellamy— the owner and head choreographer of the studio she had been dancing at for the past two years— recently offered her the opportunity to be his assistant dance teacher, Octavia was over the moon. Not only was it a privilege, but it also came with a well-paying job, which she eagerly accepted.

Today had gone amazing— she had officially completed her first month as a dance assistant and Bellamy had even decided to let her come up with the song and choreography that the class would be working on for the next week. She was beyond elated, practically skipping back to her car as she brain stormed routines that she would undoubtedly be working on over the weekend, when her phone suddenly began to ring.

She should've seen it coming— things had been going too well for her. It's astonishing how a thirty-second phone call can flip your day upside down, and it's even crazier when your own father is the reason behind it.