"Her or me?" A tear rolled down Michelle's puffy cheek, "You have to make a decision."
For Michelle, life has always been about control- control in the studio, in her friendships, and even in the secrets she hides. But with an unexpected pregnancy...
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Tomorrow is the final day of the ballet auditions, and honestly, I'm really nervous. Although I think I have the technique, there are so many girls here who are also really talented.
Michelle won't speak to me. She acts like I've done something wrong when she was the one who decided to find it funny to humiliate me by sleeping with Jones and letting me walk in on it.
I'm just stretching, getting myself prepared for the day, and Michelle is over on the other side of the room; she looks serious.
She has her hair scraped back into a tight bun, she's wearing a white leotard and ballet tights, and her makeup is soft and subtle.
I know that she really wants this.
Suddenly, I'm startled when I feel a hand on my shoulder.
"Hey." A girl from the class approaches me with a smile on her face.
I nervously say, "Hi..."
"So, how do you think you're gonna do tomorrow?" she asks. "Ah, sorry... I know I shouldn't ask that."
"No, it's okay. Uhm... well, I'm not sure."
She encourages me, saying, "No, you're gonna do great! Have you seen your technique?! I'm so jealous!"
"Really?"
She nods. "Yeah, you're great. Most of the girls here see you as their biggest competition."
Then she asks me, "So, what studio do you go to?"
"Uhm... The Next Step..."
"Oh, I've never heard of that one." She surprises me when she says this.
In the ballet world, The Next Step isn't well-known. Our studio isn't exactly known for ballet. There are just a few of us who are interested in it and want to pursue it as a career.
She then introduces herself, realising that she hasn't done it already. "Oh, sorry, I'm Olivia!"
I giggle. "Richelle."
"Pretty name!" she compliments me, giggling in the process.
Then she quickly changes the subject, looking over at Michelle, who's stretching across the room. She asks me, "So, is that your friend? It's just that I saw the both of you walk in together on the first day, but I didn't know if you were friends because you haven't exactly spoken recently. I mean, she's over there and you're over here."
"Yeah... she's my friend."
She laughs. "She seems quite miserable."
I can't help but laugh.
"She doesn't look like a person I'd want to have as my friend," She says confidently, whilst giving Michelle a quick look.
She then leans in closer to me and whispers, "Her face screams 'bitch.'"
