Until We Break is now published as a Paperback, Hardcover and E-book from W by Wattpad Books!
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WHEN NAOMI WOKE UP ON SUNDAY MORNING, THE PAIN IN HER LEFT FOOT WAS ALMOST UNBEARABLE. But she made sure to avoid her parents and William so they wouldn't raise any alarm. That meant, taking each step on the staircase one at a time and using the guest bathroom in the far left of the house. The solo for Prix was still hers; the only thing that was still hers and she refused to give it up. So, before she left her house, she made sure to snub a roll of tape and swivel it around her toes, the way Jessica sometimes did, to reduce the pain. She shoved her feet in a pair of converse and threw the tape in her backpack.
A part of her expected to see her best friend again, either in her dreams or sitting on the bed when she woke up. But she wasn't at either. And Naomi was, well, she was surprised.
The California sun outside was unforgiving in every way. Its light was blinding and its heat sizzled on skin. For a moment, Naomi considered just going back home. She was limping as she went and wincing at the sun's radiation; it felt like the Fox Performing Arts Centre was miles out of reach. Perhaps she could have practised at home and nursed her injuries. She scoffed at the idea. Without Mr Carson, her dancing would surely deteriorate. But then, she finally saw the Centre come into the clearing.
Briskly moving down the sidewalk, Naomi glanced both ways before crossing the street and heading towards it. The cracks in the red bricks of its walls were just that much more apparent this close. The lights that embedded the sign had blown out long ago and now dust coated the outside and cobwebs joined the letters.
When a car had zipped by, Naomi caught something just out of her earshot. Like a hose spurting water. She walked and searched, finding the source in a few seconds. Looking at it now, it was actually quite hard to miss. Right across the street from the Fox Performing Arts Centre was a mural that was definitely not there before. Naomi was sure of that much because its designer was still standing there adding their finishing touches. Naomi shielded her eyes from the sun. It was purely lines of greens and purples, with whites giving the illusion of volume and mass. They were words. Naomi squinted. The artist stepped away proudly.
A small breath escaped Naomi at the reveal of a large, '#ThankYouRiverside' branding the wall. Then, the vandal turned around. She found Naomi across the street and stared. A fox mask was covering all of her features, except her dark afro reaching for the sky. The Fox waved and grabbed her bicycle, mounting it without a hitch and gliding down the street.
Naomi looked back to the graffiti and wondered how no one had stopped her. But, her screaming toes wouldn't allow the thought to grow an inch. So quickly, Naomi launched into the Fox Performing Arts Centre and headed straight for the girls dressing room and dropped everything, including herself, to the ground. She revelled in the relief on that dirty dressing room floor before pulling off her shoes. Her toes were tinting into blue. She quickly doubled up on the tape.
