his little girl // jiley

Chapter III

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C H A P T E R
T H R E E
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James's POV

RILEY HAS BEEN avoiding me all rehearsal, and honestly, it's getting on my nerves. I need to talk to her, smooth things over. I hope she isn't too mad with me—

Eldons voice suddenly snaps me out of my thoughts. "James, dude," he's saying; "what's up with you?"

"Nothing, bro. I'm fine." I say. "Just... tired."

Truth be told, I'm fucking exhausted. To make more cash I'm working two jobs, plus the occasional dance lessons — which Miss. Kate is paying me to do.

I'm working 7 hours a day, Monday to Friday, in a shitty convenience store, and 8 hours in Starbucks on Saturdays and Sundays. And I still have to do at least 3 hours of dance a day.

Talk about stress.

After rehearsals, when everyone is leaving, I linger around the ballet barre. I know that Riley stays after rehearsals on Tuesdays to do extra ballet classes, and I need to talk to her.

Eventually everyone's gone and Riley turns to me. "Whatever you're gonna say to me, make it quick."

I raise my eyebrows. "Okay." I respond. "I need to... make things right."

"How?"

"By apologising. For, I don't know. Lying." I admit, sighing. "I'm sorry."

She looks taken aback that in apologising, but she stays silent, staring at me. I decide to continue;

"I didn't want to tell you because I was stressed out. I almost went to juvie, got my baby taken away... I just, wanted to be normal, you know? And I was when I was with you." I tell her. "I love you, Riley."

Riley purses her lips. "Your daughters mother," she says; "you loved her?"

A string around my chest tightens. I shake my head. "No." I say quietly. "I didn't know her."

"What do you..." she trails off when she realises. "Oh."

"Yeah." I sigh.

"Still," she says after a while. "You didn't tell me, James."

"I did, technically..."

"You were too late."

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Rileys POV

"You were too late," I tell him. Honestly, it hurts to think of what James went through. But my pity is overshadowed by anger and right now I do not want to talk to him.

I'm so mad at him for keeping this from me. What happened to trust? I don't keep anything from him. I never have, never will.

"Please, Ri." He says. I don't think I've ever seen James so vulnerable. "Don't you at least want to meet her?"

I think for a second. Do I? No. I don't think so. I mean, she basically tore me away from James. She ruined everything. Why would I want anything to do with her, if she's doing all these awful things? She may not know it, but it's all her fault.

"No." I state. "I don't. Good luck with life, James."

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James's POV

Then she stormed out, without even doing any of her anticipated ballet practice. She really is mad— madder than ever.

I sigh and lean against the wall, shutting my eyes. I take 3 deep breathes, in out, in out, in out, the I open them again.

The first thing I see is Kate in her office, her head down and her hand gliding across a sheet of paper– she's filling out something.

I know what I have to do, and even though I don't want to do it, I have to. It's the only way.

I walk up to the door of her office, knocking lightly before stepping in. Kate looks up at me, and grins, putting down her pen. "Hey." She says, happily. I try, but I can't muster up a smile.

"Hi." I say. "Um. Can we talk?"

She looks on edge, but she gestures to the seat in front of her desk and I sit. "What's up?"

"I... uh. I need to leave The Next Step."

Her eyebrows fly up and she looks shocked. "What? James! You're leaving?"

I nod. "Sorry," i say, sadly. "But I have a lot on my plate. And anyway, dance just... doesn't make me happy anymore. I'm so sorry."

Miss. Kate looks devastated when I finish, and when I think she's going to get mad, she pulls me into a hug.

When she pulls away, she asks; "is there anything you need to chat about?"

I think about it for a second. Miss Kate has always been like a second mum to me, after mine died, and honestly I need someone to tell. Anyone.

No. I need to do this on my own. I shake my head, and she rubs my arm reassuringly. "If you change your mind, The Next Step is always here for you."

I sigh. "I know. Thank you."

But The Next Step just isn't for me any more. I've had my time, and now I have to move on. I have bigger things to deal with.