Obsessed with Perfection

Chapter 2 Two steps back

" And balance' balance', Tombe Pas de bourree, double.   glissade, and assemble, repeat to the left. I want the next group to automatically fall in. The music starts right away" Ms. Rain spoke playing the music

I sighed deeply standing in b plus beginning the combination; don't mess up, don't mess up

"Danielle, look where you are going; take your eyes off of the mirror. Is that the highest you can go on your releve?" She lectured

I finished the combination releasing a breath that I didn't realize I was holding. I tucked a strand of curly hair behind my ear. I stood to the side as I watched the next group. I tilted my head a little doing the combination again with just the arm movements.

"Danielle watch Grace and see what the combination is supposed to look like" Ms. Rain retorted I sighed deeply hearing some people snicker. I watched Grace as she did the combination perfectly. She spotted, knitted her ribs, she was perfect. Her perfect bun, perfect turn out; perfect height, —her perfect weight. Unlike me, my turn out isn't that great, I'm a little bit on the short side, my curly kinky hair doesn't allow me to have the perfect bun, and my weight. I'm the average weight for a ballet dancer, but as I look around this room, I feel like I am oversized. Being that I am a black woman comes with me having a little extra meat that I can't seem to get rid of. There aren't that many black people at my studio, and no they do not discriminate. I have friends here at my studio, but only one in this current class and he is doing the combination perfectly as we speak.

"Thank you class, now off you go I have a class to teach" She dismissed us, we all lined up thanking her

I walked to my bag that was in the corner of the room, I couldn't wait to get out of here. I untied my pointe shoes putting them in my bag. A shadow stalked over me as I looked up

"Dani, don't beat yourself up" Charlie said leaning against the mirror looking down at me. I ignored him taking off my toe pad. I took off my bandages tossing them in the trash beside me. I slid on my Bloch booties standing up grabbing my bag off the floor. I presumed to walk out before he grabbed my forearm. I groaned

"Dani seriously it's not that deep" He muttered

"Oh so getting humiliated for the 100th time this week is not deep? I'm not like you Charlie, I don't get praised by her and everyone else" I snatched away from him walking away

"Danielle, why do you think that you aren't a good dancer?"

"Charlie can you drop this please?" I plead

"You are one of the strongest dancers I know; now don't let a lady that can barely stand in first position without falling over get to you"

"You're the best, I love you" I kissed his cheek as he wrapped his arm around my shoulder

"I know" He grinned, picking up his back as we walked out

I closed my car door taking my dance bag, along with my Whole Foods bag that contained a lot of nutri bars and dried fruits. I turned around and hit a brick wall causing me to drop my things.

"Shoot" I bent down picking my things up when I saw his tattooed hand

"Sorry, I didn't mean to run you over ; I was doing my nightly run" his words were soft and gentle, he grabbed my boxes handing them to me

"Thank you, and no I wasn't watching where I was going" It was then I realized he was shirtless; his tattoos were so unique, I have never seen a tattoo detailing like this before.

"Seems to me like you are distracted by my dishy body" He replied smugly making me roll my eyes

"More so your tattoos they are insane" I beamed