Dazed

Chapter 3

I walk into Ms. Winter's office before practice the next afternoon. She turns to me and looks at me expectantly like she already knows what decision I came to. "I want to do it," I say firmly. Ms. Winter nodded, clearly pleased by my choice.

"Excellent. I'll need you to choose two girls in class to-DAY. Whoever you feel would represent our program in the best way. Don't tell anybody anything until you come to me first ok?" She gets up from her seat and walks around to the front of her desk. "I believe in you, Layton. Start working on this choreography, and don't disappoint me." I can't help the goofy smile that stretches across my face. "I won't let you down Ms. Winter. I promise."

I see an unusually sneaky smile cross Ms. Winter's face, which alarms me. "Do you think they're cute? Because... between you and me, I think they're both fine as hell," Ms. Winter whispers to me as she sits on the top of the desk. My eyes almost bug out of my head, because I've never heard Ms. Winter curse let alone show an interest in anything besides ballet. I feel my cheeks get red, because of course I thought they were cute. Les Twins were sexy as the ever loving fuck. I'm a bit timid to tell Ms. Winter this though, because she might just be trying to trap me or test my professionalism.

I straighten up in the seat and give her the most professional answer I could think of. "I think they are attractive, yes," I say calmly. Ms. Winter shakes her hand as her grin gets bigger. "I know it's exciting to have attractive men in your space. I hardly would be able to contain myself around them, and I know half of the women in this school wouldn't. I believe that you have the willpower to keep a professional relationship between you and them. I don't want you communicating with them outside of practice or letting anybody around them who isn't in the video or in our class. Do you understand me?" Ms. Winter cocks her head to the side, and stares into my soul. 

Yup, that was definitely a trap.

I immediately think back to the promise I'd made to Terry the night before. "Y-yes ma'am, of course. I'll keep it completely professional," I nod, trying to avoid the last part of her request.

"And?" She urges, moving her hand as if to pull the rest of my response from me. "And I won't let anybody in their space who isn't in our class or in the video," I sigh. I try to not to grit my teeth as I say it. She looks satisfied with my answer and dismisses me to the locker room.

When I get to my locker, I immediately strip down to my leotard and get to work on wrapping my toes. I feel a presence behind me, and I turn to see Katrina smirking at me. "What are you smiling at, asshole?" I ask, shoving my white slipper onto my foot. She spins into the seat next to me and crosses her legs together. Her strong calve muscles bulge even more as her right leg rest on top of her left thigh. She looks at me for a second then leans in and whispers, "You know... I know right?" I look at her in confusion, running the events of the last couple of days through my mind. There's no way she could know about Les Twins yet. Ms. Winter told me to keep it under wraps till I knew exactly who I'd wanted to choose. 

"What do you know?" I ask cautiously.

"I know that you cheated on your diet you lying whore! You said we were in this together!" She exclaims, jabbing me in the side of my ribcage. I breathe a sigh of relief in my mind. I didn't want anything fucking up this once in a lifetime opportunity, because if Katrina knew then so did the rest of the class.

"Sorry Trina. Me and Terry were just having a little cheat day." I reply, lifting my bag into my locker. "I have her Snapchat girl. EVERY DAY is Terry's cheat day. We're ballerinas remember and she's just fat. Don't let her pull you down to her level, because we have a lot of work to do for this performance next month. We gotta be at our best," Katrina explains, as she ties the shoestrings of her ballet shoes.

I can't help but get a little angry at the way Katrina speaks about Terry. Trina is my best friend and partner when it comes to ballet, but Terry has been nothing except nice to me since I'd met her. "She's a really nice girl Trina. You don't have to talk about her like that." I mumble, fitting my other shoe around my foot. Katrina gives me a look, rolls her eyes, and walks out of the room.
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I watch my dance mates closely today as they perform our routine. There were definitely a few that I had in mind before the end of class. Katrina could be a bitch sometimes, but I always have to give credit where credit is due. She is a phenomenal ballerina and very thorough in her movements. I think about how she'd look side by side with one of the twins.

Another girl that my eyes fixate on is a tall, thin girl named Anna. Her blonde hair gleamed in the studio lighting, and her look of intensity catches my eye. Her focus on detail is impeccable and doesn't go unnoticed. She'd be a good partner for Larry.

The last girl I was considering was a short red headed girl named Mercy. She moved with grace and poise. The confidence in her movements would blend together beautifully with the dance style of Laurent.

I wasn't practicing to my full potential, because I was busy heavily considering my options. Ms. Winter didn't get on my ass, because her and I knew the reasoning for my lack of attention to performing the routine.

I know who I want by the time 'end of class' stretches roll around. I'm already putting choreography together in my head by the time I walk up to Ms. Winter after she dismisses everyone. "Who will it be?" She asks not even looking up from the playlist on her phone. "I want Katrina and Mercy," I say glancing over towards Mercy who's making her way out of the door. "Ok, very good. I'll call them both into my office and let them know," Ms. Winter nods approvingly.

I smile at her sweetly and make my way from the studio.