Pearl White liked to think of herself as talented, not that she was cocky, she wasn't, honest, but she was proud. Prima Ballerina of her dance academy, senior in high school, straight As, and an amazing girlfriend to boot, what more could she ask fo...
"Okay ladies, we need to runthrough that again, it was alright but I know you can do better,don't worry about the other girls, focus on your steps.. and a one,two, three..." Blanche counted off as the cast practiced.
The performance was Swan Lake, withPearl naturally playing Odette. They danced the transformation scenebeautifully, if only a little out of sync but they would work thatout, they still had nearly five weeks until the performance. Butscouts from dance colleges all over the country would be in the crowdto pick out the special ones who they believed would make it.
Just as pearl moved to do a simplearabesque she felt a throbbing pain on her right inner thigh,dropping to her left legs knee she scrunched up her face in pain andgriped the thigh tightly.
"Pearl!?" Blanche shoutedfrom below the stage, rushing to her daughters aid, but stoppingshort when she saw her daughter hold up a hand to signal not to.
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"It-" she choked out,"its fine...." she spoke softly, obviously still in pain,but holding it in--taking a deep breath and beginning to stand again.
She felt two arms grip her frombehind, her eyes cracked open to see her mother standing in front ofher, arms spread, ready to catch her if she fell again. Then sheturned to find two thin arms pulling her up, the shows Odil, and hervery good friend, and cousin, Sky.
"Pearl sweetheart whathappened?" Her mother asked as sky helped her backstage to sitdown.
"I uh, I think it's a muscleknot... I can uhm, I can feel it, here" she said pointing to thesmall protuberance on her inner thigh.
The older woman nodded and reachedto feel it but pearl pulled away. Blanches face contorted quicklywith hurt before she brushed it off. "And you're sure that's allit is?"
Pearl looked up at her mothersworried gaze and nodded, "yea I'm just... I'm just gonna go findrose and she'll help me work it out...." Pearl mumbled standingwith her weight on her left side, and shuffled off in hopes oflocating her girlfriend.
X
She limped slightly as she searchedthe backstage for Rose. Finally she turned the corner to wardrobe andsaw the pink haired girl standing talking with a janitor/stage hand,Greg, she thought his name was. Rose was smiling and holding his armwith one hand as she played with his unusually long brown hair. Pearljust stared, looking blankly as she saw the woman she loved with allher heart openly flirt with another person, and a man at that.
She felt as though her heart hadbeen pulled from her chest and crushed to dust right in front of her,not to mention her leg was still throbbing and all she wanted,despite the betrayal she was feeling toward her girlfriend, was amassage.
Greg noticed her then, and coughedinto his fist, simultaneously pulling away from Rose.
Rose spun around and looked pearlin the eye, "Pearl, darling, I thought you were at practice?"She said, not knowing how much Pearl had seen.
"Ha! 'I thought you were atpractice' that's all you have to say right now?!" She yelled.
"Pearl this is not what itlooks like, this is Greg, he's just my friend, you know I love you!!"Rose said, taking timid steps closer to the blonde.
For every step Rose took closer toher, Pearl took a step backwards, until she felt another sharp painshoot from her thigh and gripped it harshly, moaning quietly.
"Pearl??" Rose called asshe moved to her more quickly now. "Are you alright?" Sheasked, showing genuine concern for the dancer.
"You know what..." Pearlmumbled, "just forget I even came to find you..."
Rose looked concerned as she helpedPearl to stand back up, "do you have a knot? What me to work itout?" She asked, but Pearl just shook her head.
"Come on my Pearl, let me helpyou. I know you're mad but you're just misunderstanding thesituation, I couldn't cheat on you my love..." Roses big wideeyes gazed right into her heart and she just couldn't stay mad. Pearlsmiled and nodded, letting Rose lead her away to massage out theknot.
X
Pearl, with her arm wrapping aroundRoses extremely tall shoulder, limped into the dressing room, and letherself get settled onto the bench.
Rose Quartz was a very large woman,easily twice the size of pearl all around. She stood at least 6'6"and nearly 250 lbs, still though, she carried herself with more gracethan anyone pearl knew.
Rose lifted her leg onto the benchand pulled it into her lap, starting to gently massage her thigh.
"I know you're upset, buthonestly I was just talking to him." Rose said not meetingPearl's eye.
"I believe you." Pearlsaid softly, letting her head lull to the side. Her head was spinningand she just felt so tired she could fall asleep right here.
"I wouldn't ever hurt youPearl. You are...." Rose continued, talking as pearl fell asleepleaning against her shoulder at an awkward angle.
When the older girl looked back toPearl after not getting a response she noticed that the strawberryblonde was leaning forward onto her shoulder fast asleep. Shechuckled softly, pulling pearl into her lap and wrapping her armsunder her knees and around her waist. She stood and took slow quietsteps to find the headmistress.
XxxX
Blanche sat in the front row of theseats watching Sky and Jasper, who played Prince Siengfried, practicethe ball room scene.
She stood as soon as she saw Rosewalking out the stage entrance with her sleeping daughter wrapped inher arms.
"Is she ok!?" Blanchecalled quietly signaling for the music to be cut.
"Oh yes, she just seemedexhausted so I figured I'd carry her to your car and let you take herhome." Rose said with a soft smile. Blanche nodded, tellingJasper she was in charge before grabbing her purse and leading Roseto her big white car.
X
Blanche pulled into her driveway,parked the car and shut it off.
She walked to the backseat whereher daughter was asleep, pulling the door open and unbuckling thesmall girl.
"Pearl..." she whisperedgripping her shoulders gently. When she got no response she pickedthe girl up who was easily half her size, small like her father, andcarried her up to her bed; tucking her under the blankets and closingthe door on the way out.
