Violet paced the expanse bedroom that her and Niall were staying in. She’d retreated to the bedroom while the others stayed downstairs, saying that she needed to rest. After the calm she’d felt when reuniting with Niall, she suddenly felt like she was stranded in high tide, fighting her anxiety.
‘Yes, I understand it’s just that…something came up…’ She pleaded as she walked back and forth in front of the window, holding her cell phone to her ear. ‘No, I don’t want special treatment, I was just hoping that-‘ Violet felt hot tears fall on her cheeks and quickly wiped them away. This couldn’t be happening. Her dream was being taken from her and she didn’t know how to get it back. ‘Please, just let me audition when I get back. I know that it’s not customary but-‘ Violet was cut off by the woman on the other end of the line, her thick accent piercing Violet’s ears. She sounded like many dance teachers that Violet had in the past, their fierce instructions forcing Violet to challenge herself in her dancing, to be better, to please them.
Violet sighed as the woman declined her pleas yet again. She hung up the phone, throwing it across the room as tears began to fall more rapidly. Her phone hit one of the wooden posts of the canopy bed, but Violet didn’t care. She had nothing. She was nothing. Because of all the chaos she’d lost track of the date, until a reminder had flashed on her phone. The next day was the day of her audition. Scouts from companies all over the world would be there, looking for dancers. Violet wanted nothing more than to be signed to a contract, she didn’t care if she only danced in the corps. Violet didn’t care about being a soloist, she just wanted the opportunity to dance on stage and be part of a ballet company. It was the only thing she aspired and without that she didn’t know what to do or where to turn.
Violet slid to the floor, her back against the wall. She hugged her knees and began to sob uncontrollably as the sun set in the sky beyond the massive windows. She lost track of time, crying herself into exhaustion and curling up in a ball, as the room grew dark. Her mind was blank, she couldn’t think or move, she just wanted to disappear. Her body spent, she succumbed to her emotions and closed her eyes, wishing for sleep that didn’t come. Violet wrapped her arms around herself, trying to keep from crumbling any more.
What seemed like hours passed and Violet refused to move. She lay on the floor with her eyes closed somewhere in between a state of awake and asleep. Footsteps approached the door and she heard Niall’s voice.
‘Violet?’ He called softly as light peeked through the cracked door. When she didn’t answer he entered the room, turning on the light. Upon seeing Violet, Niall rushed across the room, pulling Violet into his arms and picking her up, despite his injury.
‘Baby, what’s wrong?’ He asked as he carried her to the bed, his hands rubbing circles on her back. Violet lay on her side, staring into space. Niall continued to rub her back with concern on his face. After a few moments he sighed, rushing from the room as Violet lay, unmoving.
‘I don’t know what’s wrong. She won’t talk to me.’ Niall said as he returned to the room, Juliet in his wake. Juliet walked to the side of the bed, crouching down to face her.
‘Babe what’s wrong?’ She asked softly, brushing Violet’s hair out of her face. Her tears were filled with eyes as she looked at Juliet. She opened her mouth to speak but no words came out. She closed her eyes again, shaking her head. Violet didn’t want to speak the words that were fighting to escape her thoughts; if she spoke them, then it would be true, she would have to face her nightmare. She continued to shake her head as sobs wracked her body causing it to shake. Wrapping her arms around her, Violet squeezed her eyes shut, trying to block out reality.
‘NO!’ She screamed, her voiced filled with sorrow and pain. Niall approached her as Juliet sat on the bed, pulling Violet into her lap and kissing the top of her head.
