Infinity and Beyond

6 - Potential Killer

Ashton

Emily had a little over a month until her dance show and she spent most of this time either at rehearsals or rehearsing at home. I tried persuading her to take breaks and when she agreed we went out. But this was one of the frequent occasions where she refused to stop, because it was the day before the show.

"Ashton, I can't just not practise, I'm performing tomorrow," she argued, trying to usher me back out the practice room. "In 24 hours I'll be on the way to the theatre to get ready - I have to practise!"

"You've been dancing all day, Em!" I complained. "You were up at half seven this morning and non-stop until you went to rehearsals, then started practising again as soon as you got home from work. You didn't even have a proper dinner, you just grabbed some food from the cupboard and shut yourself in here."

"Because I have to practise!" she shouted and then went back to rehearsing.

"Don't make me rip those ballet shoes off your feet," I threatened.

"As if you're gonna do that," she brushed it off, carrying on practising without so much as a second thought. I just stood still, my arms folded across my chest, and stared at her for a few seconds then dove down towards her feet. I grabbed her by the angles and she squealed, trying to kick me off. I wouldn't let go though, so she resorted to climbing on my back and trying to pull her feet away from me.

"Ashton, let go!" she yelled but I wouldn't. I was now kneeling on the floor with her on my back, gripping onto her feet whilst simultaneously trying to untie the ribbons on her shoes. While I was trying she managed to pull one foot out my grip, which put me off just long enough for her to free her other foot. She tried climbing over my back but before she could get away I grabbed hold of her arms and stood up with them around my shoulders. I still wanted to get hold of her feet but she was keeping them behind me, so I had to hold her with one arm and reach round with the other. Eventually I did grab hold of one, then managed to pull her up and hold her over my shoulder by her legs after we struggled for some time.

"I really hate you right now," she huffed, hanging upside down like a bat.

"I know you do," I agreed as I started to make my way out the practice room and to the living room. "But I think you'd hate yourself more if you carried on practising and then couldn't do a good performance tomorrow because your feet hurt too much."

She remained silent, telling me she knew I was right, so I let her down on the sofa and she sat hugging her knees with a glum look. When I tried untying her shoes for her, though, she still covered them with her hands and wouldn't let me.

"Em, you know I'll do all that again, just let me take them off," I sighed.

"I will take them off," she promised, "just...not while you're here."

"Why? They're just shoes..."

"I know, but..." she mumbled quietly, looking down. I lifted her head with my hand and stared at her until she gave in and took them off.

"Emily, oh my gosh," I gasped when she took them off and patches of crimson red blood stained her tights.

"It's normal!" she defended.

"Maybe a little at first, but this sure isn't healthy! And you know it, otherwise you wouldn't have tried hiding it from me," I said sternly.

"I'm fine," she whispered. I put the shoes down on the floor and turned around so my back was facing her then pulled her arms over my shoulders and stood up. She wrapped her legs around my waist and asked, "Where are you going?"