My Dance Tutor (NEW)

CH 7: A Carson Problem

"With your partners. Stand straight, get ready. Rubert, put your hands higher on Gordina's waist. There you go. All right...music please!"

Ms. Delta had partnered them up according to the right height, for dancing a pas de deux adagio part. Riley was contently paired with her brother, whose name was Rick, but Lillie looked unhappy with the skinny glasses boy Ethan who was considered a geek. I personally considered him attractive, and since I was a geek-former, I don't mind his glasses. He took them out for ballet class anyway.

"One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, then turn, pointes up, girls, turn again, down. Good, Sara! One, two, three..."

Sara and Alex were dancing together. Since this was an adagio dance, which was a slow dance portraying romance, every pair was looking cozy and touch-y. Even Lillie and Ethan, when they were dancing, resembled a couple deeply in love...not to mention Sara and Alex. As an outsider with zero knowledge (except splitting) about ballet, I didn't know who best performed the techniques, but it was true that Sara and my dance tutor were standing out. Their eyes shone with profound passion.

"Everyone, stop!" she clapped her hands. "You must learn to muster more emotion. Stand aside. Sara, Alex, do it from the top to show them. Music please!"

Alex twirled her around, then carried her up a bit from the floor, holding her small waist. It was like watching The Notebook (it was free) or Romeo and Juliet (it was free too).

"They would make a great pair, huh?" said Carson as they romanced, "it was always rumored that they share something."

"It's just a rumour," I sound a tiny bit annoyed. But why am I annoyed? I hate that guy and the girl. Let those villians get together.

"Um, okay." He was standing, practising his feet en pointe. I, on the other hand, was sitting there drinking water, intrigued by the performance of the villians. 

"Amélie?"

"Uhh...hi." The way he said my name made me melt inside. 

"Is your leg okay enough to do pointe?"

"Yea, I think so." This was a pretty good chance to learn this technique, since Alex didn't taught me yet. If I failed doing it, I'll just blame my 'leg injury'. Crouching down, I went to the other side of the bars, and imitated his pointing toes.

My toes went through the most horrible experience ever. It was on the verge of breaking, and I quickly lowered my feet back to the floor. That had all lasted in 3 seconds, precisely. 

"What's wrong?" asked Carson, who's been on that tippier-than-tippy-toe position for almost 5 minutes. 

"Nothing...just...I'll try again." This time it lasted longer than the first, but I really didn't want my toes to break...I would then be actually disabled.  

"I know you can do better, Amphibian. You as the big prodigy can stay on pointe for 20 hours straight," said Carson.

"Amphibian?" I asked.

"Oh, sorry...you liked the nickname before...but---"

"No, I still like it. I just haven't heard it for a really long time." I almost forgot that Carson and 'I' shared a long history before. I stood en pointe once more. This time I'd better just endure it no matter what, or else he'll be suspicious. 1 second...2 seconds...3...4...5...6...9...10...11......15......20......28......30---BANG! I crashed onto the floor, grimacing and sure that my toes were officially into pieces. 

"Are you okay?" he held out a hand. Gratefully, I grabbed it and stood back up, electricity stinging all through my body. "Thanks."

"Is it the leg?"