Chapter 3
"So you just bailed?" Sheena asked incredulously. "You didn't even say 'good-bye' or anything? Sometimes I just don't understand you, Vic."
Victoria and her best friend bunhead, Sheena, were talking together on Victoria's bed, eating nachos with melted cheese. Today was Sunday-- which meant no ballet lessons for both Victoria and Sheena, who also went to the Lakewater Dance Studio.
Victoria thought that Sheena was a wonderful dancer, way past the level that she was at. Victoria especially love watching Sheena do excerpts from the Swan Lake. She was the perfect person to dance as both Odette and Odile: the white swan and the black swan. Every gesture that Sheen made as Odette was so delicate, like porcelain, but when she was Odile, she was flirty and sassy in many ways. That's what Victoria loved so much about Sheena. She could be so different but still be herself. It was hard to be cheerful in front of her friend with her mother just downstairs... she could almost hear the wheezing... but she tried her best.
"Dude, that was Roxy Washington! You know, the girl that I always tell you about!" Victoria tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and grabbed another nacho.
Sheena let out a long breath. "Okay, I can see why you don't like her. But that's besides the point. You can't just run off like some crazy guy with a gun is chasing you!"
"Why not?" Victoria argued.
"Because-- Because it's rude and um, undignified."
Victoria laughed. "You don't even know what that means."
Her friend's lips pursed into a thin, flat line. A look of disapproval shown on her face. "Why do you always have trouble with this kind of stuff?"
Victoria heaved a heavy sigh. "I'm not good with this 'friend' thing. You know. I'm just addicted to dancing like drugs." She scoffed, but it wasn't a lie. Victoria's past friendships had never lasted long. Of course, they were fun while they lasted, but so many her former friends had gotten sick of her and ballet, ballet, ballet. They hated it whenever Victoria began blabbering about it, like a preacher that drones on and on. And whenever they expressed their concerns, Victoria always exploded like a volcano. And when a volcano erupts, the town below is burnt to ashes.
Thankfully, Victoria had found Sheena, a dancer who wanted to be a principal, too. And she never grew sick of dance. Sheena loved it as much as Victoria did.
"But I don't understand why you're so concerned about Zach and Roxy, Vic."
Victoria bursted. "She's just so overprotective person and she bullies others! That's gotta be bad for Zach."
Sheena was taken aback from the news. "Wait-- you're saying that Roxy beats up other kids?"
Victoria nodded.
"And Zach is hanging out with her?"
Another nod.
Unlike Victoria, Sheena went to a regular middle school, Lakewater Junior High. She'd known Zach since elementary school, and they had a few classes together now, but she had never heard of Roxy. Probably because she was constantly at the Lakewater Dance Studio to notice any gossip.
"Gosh, how can he be so stupid?" Sheena looked out for Zach like a little brother, especially since their parents were friends. They talked once in a while, but they didn't spend time together very much. Back then, homework wasn't a big deal for Sheena, so she spent hours and hours at the Lakewater Dance Studio training. Now, she was in middle school, so dancing and homework interfered alot. But she was willing to stay up late so that she could keep up with both the school and dance education.
Victoria shook her head, getting up to shut the door and close the shades a bit. The sun was beginning to roast everything, and Victoria did not wish to be roasted. She turned on the overhead ceiling fan and sat back down again on her bed. "It's weird, right? Zach thinks that she does it because she's a good friend, but I don't think that's the case. Sure, Zach used to get picked on for doing ballet-- which is probably why he got sick of me talking about it-- which is why Roxy went to beat up the other kids in the first place, but I just don't like how she handles things." Sheena agreed, taking another nacho.
"Well, I don't think that you should be fussing over Zach and Roxy anyways. Sooner or later, he'll figure out that Roxy is just a toxic disease to him. She's just an act: someone who looks pretty on the oustide but deadly on the inside. Besides, we have a competition to get ready for. What solo are you doing?" Sheena asked.
"Just a variation from Giselle. What about you?"
"The Dying Swan. It's pretty hard, standing on your tip-toes for like, three minutes straight."
"I'm sure you'll do fine. Swan Lake is your thing."
A chuckle came from Sheena. "If you say so."
"Do you want to go to the studio and practice right now?"
"Why not?"
The two girls hopped off the bed, gathering their things. Despite the fact that the front office was closed on Sundays, there were always plenty of classrooms open to those who wanted to practice but didn't have the space at home. Victoria and Sheena got ready in the blink of an eye, and by the time they were heading out the door, Zach and Roxy had been completely forgotten.
