The first semester in Oxford has already started. Balancing between studying to become a lawyer and life in general, Julia Eden has found herself sitting across from a shrink, or in better words: a psychologist.
It only gets worse when the old man s...
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“Do you want some tea?” Julia was hovering over Liv with a ceramic tea mug, standing over the gray carpeted floor, having said goodbye to Poppy who was late for her home tutor. “It’s chamomile.”
“I don’t feel like it,” she muttered, her voice huskier than normal as she looked up. Julia only stared, not daring to show Liv what she was thinking. Liv was sitting on the French style bed end bench, her phone perched right beside her. It was ringing. It had been ringing since Julia had arrived. She had assumed it was George, although she couldn’t find why George might be thinking that it was a good idea to call Liv. Yes, Liv was weak for him and one could not stop loving someone overnight.
“Can you give me your cell? I want to switch off mine,” Liv spoke very slowly, with her expressionless green eyes fixed on Julia.
Julia nodded only before retrieving the cell phone from the top of the bed and handing it to Liv. As Liv took it, Julia observed her friend tap away on the screen. She hadn’t been crying which was a surprise. An usual reaction would have been tears running down her translucent skin for hours but it wasn’t, fortunately.
Whoever Liv was calling, probably wasn’t picking up since she put the phone down on her lap. At some second thought, she looked at Julia rather accusingly when she asked, “My mother doesn’t know, does she?”
“No,” Julia replied, looking at the steam coming from the tea mug in her hand. “And she never will.”
But Liv was looking at her as if not quite believing what she had to say. Then, she picked up the cell phone and called again. An audible sigh escaped her when she took the phone down and placed it on her lap again.
Now curious, Julia murmured, “What happened?”
“I’m thinking about dropping the role of Giselle.”
“Why?” Julia's eyebrows, now void of any makeup, looking silvery, gathered together.
“It’s not too late for them to find a perfect Giselle,” Liv shrugged almost casually. “And I only attended one practice session so far.”
“But you’re the most perfect Giselle they will ever have.” Julia's voice sounded low but held so much weight. It didn’t sound like a fase hope either.
“No, you don’t get it.” Liv was shaking her head, now looking at the distant. “Why would they want someone like me to represent the Royal Ballet, Julia?”
Julia closed her eyes and let out a sigh, knowing what Liv was referring to. Yet she spoke, “What’s wrong with someone like you?”
Now she was gazing at her and Liv was doing the same. As they stared, a few seconds of silence passed. Liv’s cell phone rang again. Hardening her jaw, she reached for it and pressed a button long enough to switch the phone off.
“Everything’s going to be out in the internet.” She was setting down the cell phone on the bed now as she continued, “I mean it’s just a matter of time before they find out that the ballerina they wanted for taking over their mantle is a whore.”
