"Well look who's breaking the dress code." Jazzy teases as I secure my chocker, sitting down. "Do you remember Carleigh?" Pippa asks.
"Yes. Nice to see you again." I say, brushing my hair out.
"You too. So busy?"
"Just a bit."
"She's got ten minutes."
"You say it like you guys aren't that busy when you are."
"Not as much as you this past week."
"Just talk quickly please." She does so as I eat a cereal bar and coffee.
"You taking any classes soon?" Carleigh asks in the last minute before I leave.
"I'm taking a theater jazz class this weekend but that's it. I haven't babysat or anything all week and my body is already pretty dead." She laughs.
"Wait, so you work with someone for free and then you do separate classes, right?"
"You remembered that?"
"Yeah. You didn't get that into it in the dressing room but I can tell that you've got talent and training. You were just nervous. And it still looked good."
"Thanks."
"I wanna see you dance again soon. Also, don't forget, you're in your school skirt."
"Oh, shit. Thanks." I grab my bag, rushing to the door.
"Don't you just love her?" I hear Pippa ask as I make my way out the door.
-
Pippa doesn't ask about the show since I told her that I don't want her to see it. She tried to convince me to let her but I refused to let her. She understood that I don't want to see a broadway star see my show, even if it's a little bit if a bigger show than I told her it was. I said it was just a fun recreational thing but I think she's getting that it isn't because I'm so busy. It's a junior company of the Musical theater department of my moms friends school.
"Ow." I say as someone presses down on my hip.
"Learning a show in two weeks and performing it is not the smartest thing you've ever done." Mary says. She sleeps in the bed under me. "But your hips will stop hurting."
"Not fast enough!"
"Come to the party with me tonight. Take a break from it."
"Stop asking me to come to partys. I'm not gonna go, okay? I'm going for a walk."
"Don't you dare run. Be back by the time the sun sets, and take the subway if you go any further. Your last show is tomorrow. Don't do this to yourself now."
"Okay, mom." She rolls her eyes. She's almost eighteen and she's practically my older sister and the mom of all of us. Not everyone here is nice but my room mostly is. There's a couple of fights here a week but I'm not here that much and I don't even get questioned when I am there because my head is always in a book or I was only there for a few minutes and wouldn't be able to explain what I saw. Even when someone go mad at me and accused me of stealing his things. I was reading and he came over and just pushed me to the floor. I hit my head and passed out but he go in trouble. I didn't have a concussion. It shocked everyone but I know that there is more of a reason to me passing out than they know. There's one boy, Daniel, who asked me out but I told him that I wad going through something and maybe in the future if he was still available and if not, I'm sorry. I just can't do it.
Just like I can't go to the party. For the life of me.
-
"Hey. Elle. Wake up." I hear a voice say. A hand is placed on my back and I lift my head off of my arm blinking a few times before turning my head to look at a man. "You fell asleep." Lin says. I glance at the clock behind him.
"Oh no! I missed class."
"Mandatory?"
"No. But I was looking forward to it. And I still have to study. I have to go." I say, collecting my things.
"Relax. You needed some sleep."
"No, I didn't. I need to go and memorize my notes or I'm gonna fail. And they want the lights out at a certain time and I have to do it with like no light." I go to the common room but the lamp is low and they always talk in there and tell you what time it is every five minutes. I shove them in my bag and go to stand.
"Take a deep breath."
"I can't! I can't afford another low grade."
"Wait, what grade? You never told me about that?" He says, looking up to Pippa who I just now see standing near him.
"She didn't say anything. What grade did you get?"
"An eighty two in physics."
"You're fine!"
"I'm not. My average is an A-minus now." He chuckles. "It's not funny. That could become a 'B' and no Ivy League school wants a 'B' student. I have to go."
"Elena." He says. As I turn, I feel someone stop me.
"Carleigh, I have to go."
"I called the home when you fell asleep." He says. "They said you can stay at a friends. So you get to stay with is. I'm also your friend Alyssa's dad."
"You did not pretend to be a dad."
"I was Alyssa." Carleigh says.
"Oh my god."
"Goodnight. I'll see you guys tomorrow." Lin says to them before leading me to the door.
