Meet Us at the Barre: A Series of SAB Oneshots

is this how they act?

"A notebook?" James asked, giggling gently. "Did you carry that all the way here?"

"Yes, of course. I'm going to take notes. I have to retain all of the information that I learn from sitting in this class." Katherine gushed, a beaming smile on her face.

"Overachiever." James snickered.

"Stop!" Katherine jokingly punched James' shoulder.

"It's all out of love." He kissed her temple, and they walked into the studios.

Peter had promoted Katherine and James to New York City Ballet apprentices barely forty eight hours ago, and he had asked them to sit in on a principal pas de duex class.

Katherine and James both walked into that building with stars in their eyes.

~~~~~

The whole class, Kath was scribbling down note after note in her notepad.

James had to bite back snickers. He'd never seen her so excited.

"Listen, I'll catch you back home. I want to catch Marissa and let her know how great she did in class today." Katherine told James, finally snatching her opportunity to talk to her favorite soloist dancer.

"Don't bother her too badly." James joked, kissing Kath's temple before waving her off.

Katherine turned around the corner, starting down the hallway where the dancers took their breaks.

Katherine stopped and froze when she heard arguing further down the hallway. She peered down the corner once more.

"You messed it up, and embarrassed me in front of Peter, in front of those S.A.B. kids!" She heard Marissa's voice shriek. "This class was counting on Juliet! And now I won't get cast because of you!" She shouted towards her partner.

Katherine flinched, turning her head back out of the corner when she caught the beginning of Marissa raising her hand to slap her partner's cheek. Kath jumped when she heard her hand slap his face, wincing silently.

Is this really how the principals and soloists acted?

~~~~~

Flash forward, and Katherine and James were rehearsing their pas in the studios after hours. They were given a special pas for the Workshop, as the only appointed apprentices for that season.

James shouted a swear, loudly, as Katherine's waist slipped from his grip.

"Oh, my God, are you okay?!" James asked, panicked, running back from pausing the music. He helped Katherine up by grabbing her hands.

Katherine stood up, not saying a word, but taking a deep breath. In the heat of the moment, and with that memory fresh in her mind, Kath raised her hand and slapped James clean across his face.

"Kath! What the hell was that for?!" James shouted, hissing as his hand came to his cheek.

He turned back to see Kath with her hand clasped over her mouth.

She really just did that...

"I-I'm so sorry, I don't know what came over me! I--"

"Where did you get that idea from?! God..." James winced once more.

"I...I don't know. After sit in, I saw Marissa get mad at Timothy for dropping her, and she hit him, and I don't know. Oh my gosh I'm so sorry. Let me go get you some ice, just stay put." Katherine ranted, speaking a mile a minute and frantically running out of the studio.

She returned moments later and pressed an ice pack to James' now angry, red cheek.

"That is not how you act!" James noted, still angry, scolding his girl like she was a child.

Tears welled in Kath's eyes. "That's what Marissa did."

"Marissa is wrong!" James shook his head. "If Peter heard or saw any of that? Or any of this? You, Marissia, me, whoever it is would be fired, you know that!"

"I'm sorry." Katherine looked down at the Marley, a sick feeling settling in the pit of her stomach. She no longer wanted to dance that night. She just wanted to go bury herself in blankets back home.

Is this really how the principals and soloists acted?

~~~~~

Part 2?