The Elephant And The Ballerina

And Christmas Came With A Bang!

"You guys make me sick" Quinn kissed my cheek and disappeared through the door. A small package left in my hands, tied with a flopsy yellow ribbon, and a cheeky smiley face drawn in the corner. I giggled to myself. It was cute that Quinn had come on Christmas morning especially to give me a present.

"Oh stop it, Genie! I think there cute" Persephone smushed my cheeks together making me pout like a blowfish as she ahhed and oohed at me. I was stunned, but then I fought against the contact. That girl could pinch cheeks unlike anybody I'd ever met.

"Yes its totally cute that they are like stuck to each other and cant even have a day apart since they got together" It was ironic really, because when she'd first started dating I'd felt the same. Abandoned and alone, but I got over it, and so could she. Plus it would be easier for her, when she got off the plane on the other side of the water, her mother and her amazing boyfriend would be waiting for her, and this jealousy and vindictiveness would dissipate.

"Oh come on, you were so much worse. Every time I was talking to you at school he had his tongue in your mouth!" I laughed knowing this was only lighthearted banter. She huffed crossing her arms and pouting, I knelt on the sofa arm beside her and lifted her chin with my palm.

"Dont you be a baby" She scowled. I put on my baby voice, gurgling bubbles and generally being weird, as I jabbed at her ribs. "Don't be a baby Genie, I'm the only one allowed to be a big baby around here okay" Genie began to laugh at my silliness and I suddenly had the sensation of falling.

Falling?

My butt collided with the cold hard wooden floor and I yelped in protest, my ass aching with sudden feirceness before it went entirely numb and hip function became impossible. I scowled at the floor in anger, trying to block out the two giggling fools who had collapsed onto the sofa with laughter. I looked up.

"T'wasn't funny guys" That made them laugh more, but I just stayed on the floor trying to move my toes. But nothing was happening, slowly and to my relief after a few more seconds I could wiggle my big toe with some concentration, and the sure willpower it took for me to move panicked me. I had to move my legs I was a fucking dancer!

"Guys" They didn't stop laughing. "Guys!" There heads shot towards me with large eyes surprised at the harsh tone in my voice, I hadn't realised that my voice had broke and my eyes had welled with tears.

"Are you okay?" Persephone rushed to my side and wrapped her hand tightly around my arm. I felt it, which was good. No paralysis. I was slowly beginning to lift my foot but it felt strange and tingly and I knew that I wouldn't be able to stand, let alone pirouette.

"I don't know, I cant feel my legs properly" Genie frowned suddenly and walked over, as much as I loved Persephone I was so glad when Genie sat behind me and prodded my back in a seemingly random way.

"I think you might have slipped a disk Zi" I thanked God that Genie had done first aid training, and then I frowned myself. What the hell did that mean?

"No way! I saw that on CSI once, it killed a guy" Persephone sounded about ready to wheel me into the funeral car, and the tears started silently spilling. I heard the aggrivated huff from Genie, and hoped she wouldn't tell me off for crying like she always did.

"You dumb bimbo, it cant kill you. You just need to bandage around your torso to keep it in place. It takes a while to heal though" Genie sympathetically smiled but patted my shoulder. I could tell Persephone resented the blonde joke, but she kept quiet, seeing Genie and I were having a bestfriend/sisterly bonding moment.

"Can you two promise me something?" I knew that it was wrong, but it was just going to have to do. I sighed at my own cunning plan.

"Anything" Persephone answered honestly, and I knew it was mainly because she failed to have the foresight to see the chain reaction of bad things that one action could do, hence why Genie nodded unhappily and stared at the ground.