Bonded Over Ballet

#1

"I guess that's just a part of loving people; you have to give things up. Sometimes you even have to give them up."
- Lauren Oliver, Delirium.

****

I looked at my reflection and huffed in exasperation, placing my wig back on the dressing table.

"How did it go, sis?" asked Mer, as she entered my room, closing the door behind her.

"Good".

"That's it? No bitchy partners or hot instructors?" she asked, amusement clear in her voice. I rolled my eyes.

"Mom would have a heart attack if she heard you saying that. I'm the only bad daughter here, remember?" I smirked at her as she looked at me guiltily.

"You know that's not true sis. They love you", she came and wrapped her arms around me, pressing a kiss against my cheeks.

"It doesn't matter. I know my place now", I said with a small smile.

She sighed knowing well that the topic better be avoided now. "Mom asked me to remind you to reply to his e-mail".

I nodded.

"And she also asked how the cooking classes are going", she said with a smirk.

"Well I'm not free now so I'll reply when I can come up with some sugar-coated lines. And you know exactly how my cooking classes are going-"

"-Bouncy!" We both burst out laughing at our inside joke.

Mer is a sweetheart. She is the only one who knows about my secret and has always had my back. Mom has asked her numerous times to stay away from me because I'm bad influence, but she just laughs at that.

The equation between mom and me is complicated- we just don't get along. I wouldn't call her a bad mother, or me a bad daughter, we just don't get along.

I do not fit into the list of prerequisites set by the society to be a lady- keep your head down in front of men, smile even when you're internally conspiring murder, be soft-spoken and definitely do not practice your freedom of speech.

In other words, be a hypocrite. I am not of those women who silently abide by the rules of a patriarchal society but fight for women empowerment, all at the same time. This is why my mom isn't proud of me, I'm not a perfect daughter, but I couldn't care less.

It use to hurt as a child, but now I know better than that- I know what I'm fighting against is the bigger truth. There are obviously other reasons for our mutual and frequent misunderstandings, but let them stay under the carpet.

Mer is beautiful- dirty blonde hair, blue eyes, rosy cheeks, full pink lips, perfectly tanned skin and a killer bod. What makes it more alluring is that she is not aware of any of this or doesn't make a big deal out of it.

She likes to play it cool by not acknowledging her appearances and pretending she is ordinary, and it wouldn't have been a big deal but for the person she has grown up to become.

She is the peace maker between mom and me, the referee during our duels. Moreover she abides by the rules of the society- pretty and polite- and I don't blame her for it.

It's not wrong to be a certain way, but what I love most about her is that she doesn't stand silent and watch when wrong is being inflicted upon someone- she uses her brain and her mouth when she is supposed to. On the other hand, I use them even when it's not necessary.

What can I say? I just cannot stand scumbags, and the world seems to be full of them.

"You know this is risky, Mel. You may hurt them in the process".