Infinity and Beyond

5 - Meant to Be

Emily

On the first day I only managed a little over fifteen minutes of practice, but I kept going and practised more and more every day. My feet started to hurt so much that Ashton even started giving me foot massages in the evenings - I didn't ask him to but I sure didn't turn it down. There was only one day that he didn't let me practise, which was 8 days later on the 14th of February.

He'd already told me that Luke had worn him down to going for lunch with him and Charlotte, so he was going to pick me up from the rehearsal I had late morning then take me back afterwards for my normal work. It wasn't until I was just about to leave that morning though that he told me to take something nice to change into for afterwards.

"We're only going for lunch, do I really need to?" I asked, already feeling defeated at the thought of having to pick something out.

"Yeah, because I'm taking you out for dinner after. Just us two," he answered. I stopped and smiled at him, butterflies racing towards my stomach.

"You are?" I checked and he nodded.

"We've never really done anything for Valentine's Day before and I want to make it a bit more special than just having lunch with Luke and Charlotte - it's pretty much our first Valentine's Day," he explained.

"So I get two meals, nice," I joked with a laugh. "Thank you."

"It's okay. Now go and pick out something amazing to wear then get to rehearsals so I can pick you up sooner," he told me then gave me a goodbye kiss. I hurried up the stairs to the bedroom and a few minutes later reappeared downstairs with my dance bag and a bag for the clothes I'd picked out. I called out 'bye' to Ashton then hopped out the door, making my way to work with a spring in my step and a smile on my face.

My partner Jack was already there once I arrived, and a couple of minutes later our teacher and choreographer showed up. I always used to have visions of ballet teachers being old, scary women who always shouted at you the moment you put a single foot wrong. But Will was the complete opposite - he was a he, to start with, and was totally encouraging and helpful. Jack was also one of the kindest people ever and wasn't at all judgemental, especially in our first rehearsal where I couldn't stay on pointe long or do many of the exercises. He was a professional who'd been doing contemporary ballet shows for years and in our first rehearsal I was honestly feeling a little overwhelmed and out of my depth. I couldn't see how I, someone who had only been dancing again for a year after a four year break, could possibly go onstage alongside someone so experienced and amazing. Before our first rehearsal, I saw him in the studio improvising to whatever song came on his phone, so I waited outside until he'd finished just watching him through the doors. It almost took my breath away at how beautiful it was, and at how he could be so expressive in something he was making up on the spot.

"Right, let's go through what we've got so far," Will said once we'd warmed up. We did as he said and started from the beginning, looking at him for his judgement when we'd finished. "That was great! Emily, that's come along so well, you've really made progress."

"Thanks," I said shyly with a blush.

"I think we're ready to move on," he continued, picking up some papers. "How about looking at the lifts?"

"Lifts?" I remarked. It sounded stupid for me to say I didn't know there were any, but none of my previous routines had any and I'd never done them before.

"Yeah, I think you're ready for them. There aren't too many of them and Jack's done some of them before."

"Okay," I agreed. We went more or less straight into them - Will explaining them one by one, Jack and I trying them out cautiously and then starting to add them into their places in the routine so far. It seemed terrifying at first but as the time went on I got more and more into it, feeling the thrill and excitement of doing something so new and different. As we were approaching the last one, though, I felt the terror creeping back in and Jack must have picked up on it.