Meet Us at the Barre: A Series of SAB Oneshots

your mother only smiled on her tv show

Ben's POV

I woke up the morning of first performance for my corps role in Copellia feeling absolutely awful. My head was pounding, the room was spinning, and I felt nauseous like never before.

I groaned, rubbing my eyes as I stumbled into the nearby bathroom. It took everything in me to not just throw up right there. I got myself ready for my morning workout and went to the kitchen.

I knew Mom was going to make me workout, regardless of how I felt. The workout was a four mile run in Central Park, coming back home and doing an hour of stretching, an hour of cardio, then a quick shower and onto the studio.

~~~~~

I returned from my run in Central Park about an hour and a quarter later. My whole body was caked in sweat, and I couldn't fathom doing an hour of cardio now.

"Mom?" I called weakly. "I feel sick." I stumbled into the living room where she was sitting, painting her fingernails.

The stench of the polish made me feel a whole world worse.

"Don't try to get out of your workouts, Benjamin! You need to be strong to lift that girl."

"Emmie?" I asked, anxiously awaiting my mom's comment towards my girlfriend.

"Yes, the blonde?"

"No, the brunette. I only ever partner Emmie."

"Oh, her?" Mom nodded, realizing she had mixed up Emmie and a girl named Tatiana. "She could stand to slim down for the stage."

"Excuse me?!" I snapped. "You have no idea what she's been thr--" I stopped when I felt my throat catch.

My eyes widened and my breaths came out in pants as I realized that I had ended up on my kitchen floor.

"Benjamin, what are you doing?" Mom asked, rolling her eyes. "Get up, stop acting like this."

I shook my head as I tried to realize if I just blacked out? Did I pass out? Did I just collapse? I felt worse than I did this morning.

This couldn't be good.

~~~~~

"101.3." Emmie muttered, setting the thermometer down on the vanity in her dressing room. She brushed away my my undone, slightly damp bangs that were falling into my face. "Honey, you cannot be performing like this."

"I have to." I grumbled. "Mom'll kill me if I don't."

"Benjamin, I swear I've only seen your mother smile on her TV show." Mark, who was standing in the doorway alongside Katherine, spoke up.

"We won't let her do anything to you. If she pushes you this hard...that's...that's gotta be child abuse or something!" Katherine added.

"Ben, seriously you can't dance like this." Emmie said, her voice sounded the most comforting ever. "Forget Peter, forget your mother. You need to get some rest and meds in you. Something awful is gonna happen if you go and dance like this."

"No." I stood up, trying to return to my own dressing room. "I'm going to be just fi--"

With that, the room spun and went black.

~~~~~

PART DOS COMING SOON