Stay...Alive

Chapter 1

The sky was full of stars, and it was easy to see. That's because there was no roof to cover Victorine as Primus lifted her high in the air. They'd practiced the lift just about three times at that point, but Victorine wanted it to be perfect. Every time she did it, her feet pointed more, she gripped Primus' shoulders tighter, her legs straightened more, and she stared deeper into his eyes.

Just about everyone in the compound was outside, sitting in folding chairs in front of a makeshift stage. The people in charge of this place decided to throw a little talent show for the children of the compound, to give them some time in the spotlight while simultaneously distracting them from the fact that most of them will probably never see their friends and family again. Perfect method.

Currently, three girls were on the stage doing a little song and dance to Little Shop of Horrors. The tall girl in the middle was much more enthusiastic than the two girls on the end, who were constantly looking to her when they forgot the choreography. The singing was an octave too high, and the 60's-style dancing was obviously practiced over and over until they were burned out. When they walked off the stage, the tall girl stomped off.

Victorine and Primus had prepared a graceful lyrical ballet duet. They'd practiced it every day for a week in a little vacant alleyway they had claimed as their own. Victorine was sure to include her acrobatics and turns, and all the partner work and lifts Primus was capable of. Jacey would be skeptical sometimes, asking, "Why not make friends with other kids here? It's been five months."

Victorine had pointed over to a group of kids chanting, "Chug! Chug!" with Lane in the middle, chugging a carton of milk until he tipped it over too far and accidentally waterboarded himself. With that, her point was made.

"Hey!" Anita exclaimed as she jumped up behind Victorine and Primus, putting a hand on each one's shoulders. "Good luck out there! My dad said when all this is over, we get pizza, so...hurry up!"

Anita glanced at the stage, where a blonde girl was tap-dancing to an old Gorillaz song that Victorine had heard before, but remember the name of for the life of her. The girl swiftly tapped across the stage with a sassy, edgy smirk on her face.

"Aw, I know her! My dad brought her here a year ago. It's impressive she saved those tap shoes from the air raid," Anita explained before hastily adding, "Too bad she couldn't save her little brother. Bye!"

Victorine raised an eyebrow at her, but Anita pranced away before it could be seen. Just as some last minute practice, Victorine did a quick aerial, almost knocking over the adult assigned to supervise, who was frightened and impressed all at once.

"Wait, it was like a cartwheel...but your hands didn't touch the..." he mumbled. Rolling her eyes, she turned to Primus and stood on her tiptoes to hug him around the neck. Nuzzling her cheek against his shoulder, she whispered a quick good luck. Primus stared down at her but didn't look her in the eye. Victorine could see hints of nervousness in his eyes. But she knew that it would all disappear the second he saw her dance.

As they waited in the wings of the outdoor stage (which was just a raised wooden platform), Victorine looked out at the audience. Four rows back were the people who had come to see her. Yolanda sat with her cheek in her palm, impatiently waiting for the current dance to be over. Jacey reminisced a little in the old song as Asha poked her on the shoulder, asking why they would put metal on dance shoes. Gina wasn't there; she was with her "close friend" Frankie (for the fourth night in a row). Anita had just finished telling her story to the now-tense Lane and Parker. Anita glanced at them for a second, giving them a thumbs up.

"Snazzy performance, Kristy," the announcer said as the blonde girl walked offstage, mouthing, That wasn't supposed to be snazzy, idiot. "And now here's Victoria and Primus performing Everything Stays."