Ballet boy *ON HOLD*

2 - Ballet and bakeries

The harsh clink of metal cutlery was loud and jarring in my ears. Slowly, I scooped a forkful of potato salad into my mouth. It was healthy, of course - Mum and Rachel had recently started monitoring our diets. Gone were the biscuits and fizzy drinks; carrot sticks and tomato juice arrived to take their place.

Rachel cleared her throat pointedly, managing to grab the attention of everyone at the table. "Guys, breaking news!" she squealed. "Finn Rider spoke to me today!"

"That's great, honey," Dad replied absentmindedly, studying the newspaper in his hands.
Bliss tilted her head in confusion, her pink tiara slipping sideways on her blonde curls. "He spoke to me too! He was in our ballet lesson."

Ignoring this, Rachel turned to me. "Finn's the hottest, most popular boy in the WHOLE dance school!" she crowed smugly. "He's great at ballet too," she added after a while, as an afterthought.
I nodded half-heartedly and tried to look as if this piece of information was new to me. It must have worked, as Rachel turned her attention back to the plate of vegetables in front of her.

A screeching noise made me look up in annoyance. Rowan was standing bolt upright, gripping the sides of the table as if he had just seen a ghost. "Shit!" he gasped. "I have geography homework due in tomorrow!"

"Don't swear, Rowan," Mum muttered tiredly, but he was already out of the room.

Aiden's eyes began to shine with unshed tears. "I don't like that word, mummy," he whispered, bottom lip trembling.

"Don't cry Aiden. Here, you can have my tiara!" Bliss declared proudly, offering her most prized possession away. Aiden started sobbing loudly.

"I feel like no one understands me!" Rachel shrieked and flounced out of the room. "I bet Finn would," I heard he snarl as she stormed upstairs.

Aiden did the same, still hiccupping after his recent breakdown. Mum stood up abruptly, grabbing the car keys, and Dad put down his intriguing paper. The panic-stricken look on my face was finally noticed by Mum.

"You know we've got ballet lessons to teach, Marnie," she reasoned sensibly, applying some lipstick hurriedly. "Oh, and please give Bliss a wash and get Aiden to bed while we're out!"

Her voice sounded faint as she flung the car door open and hopped inside, giving Dad the car keys and Bliss a wave. The car pulled away suddenly; for a moment I saw my parents as villains, making a quick getaway from the scene of the crime.

They sped off, leaving me in charge of a dysfunctional family.

***

"Earth to Marnie, Marnie, are you receiving?" The loud jibes of my friend Bobbi pulled me out of the alternate world my book had created. Bobbi leaned in towards Bliss. "Your sister's so rude!" The delighted giggles of my sister made her smile, twirling a strand of curly hair between her fingers.

"Are you ready to order?" she enquired, pinching a notebook from her pocket which was emblazoned with the bakery name: Queen of Tarts. Fingers trembling, I ordered the first thing my darting eyes saw on the menu, while Bliss, her eyes shining, ordered the most chocolaty thing she could find.

"You'll be able to take Bliss home?" I asked Bobbi anxiously.

"Of course! My shift finishes in, like, five minutes," she reassured me, returning to our table with the items we ordered. My sister pounced on her cupcake with frightening agility.

"And you remember what to tell my parents?" I pressed, ignoring my drink on the table.

"That I brought Bliss home from her ballet lesson because you went to do the library to research a school project?"

Finally satisfied, I sat back in my seat. Bobbi grinned at my nervous posture. "I can't wait to meet this ballet boy of yours, Marnie! I thought you hated ballet!" Her teeth were bared in a mischievous smirk, so I told her to shut up.

As if on cue, the brass bell hanging above the old fashioned door tinkled invitingly and Finn strolled into the bakery. He wore a jumper over his ballet wear as I had requested, until you could only see black leggings that showed off his sculpted legs. Beside me, Bobbi let out a low whistle.

"Have fun, Marnie!" she laughed, gently tugging me up from my chair and pushing me in the direction of him. Bliss sniggered, repeating what Bobbi had just said and earning a weird look from Finn. Quickly, I ushered him out of the shop before my so-called 'friends' could do any more harm.