This Ain't A Scene ~ Sequel to Can You Hear Me? (COMPLETED)

Echoes

If this was a movie, now would be the time for a training montage.

Dad walked in on me a couple of weeks later as I was attempting some yoga. I had one leg in the air as I listened to the online instructor tell me to breathe deep.

"Eve...?" I heard. 

I jumped, crashing down onto my side. I groaned a little, pausing the video, "What's up?"

"We're going to go grab dinner. You coming?" Dad already had his jacket on, and he looked ready to go.

Miss Sophie had said that I needed to work on the fat around my stomach and thighs. I had, honestly, spent most of the night crying instead of sleeping. 

"I'm good," I signed.

"We'll bring you back something," Dad said, silently closing the door. 

I stood up, stretching my arms over my head. I pressed play on the video, listening to the instructor as they continued. 

This continued on for another half an hour. My body ached, but I needed to get into shape. I walked over to my desk- which I had adjusted to the height of a balance beam. Just as stable, just as useful. 

I gripped onto the desk with one hand, using the other to bring my leg up. I had always been kinda stretchy, but I could barely bring my leg above my rib cage. Some of the other girls in class yesterday had been able to bring their legs all the way up to their head. One girl had even jokingly kissed her knee. Just the thought was enough to make me grit my teeth.

I held my leg up as long as I could, feeling the back of it begin to burn. That meant it was working, right? I slowly brought it down, taking a deep breath. The carpet squished as I turned, repeating the same move on my other side. I continued to breathe, thoughts running rampantly through my mind.

I had to get better at all this. I just had to. 

Mom came and woke me up a few days later. I knew why she was in the room, I had a speech therapy appointment. But even as I got dressed, I couldn't focus on what my homework had been. Mom asked me what I wanted for breakfast. I signed at her, simply saying 'cereal'. But she raised an eyebrow, and I groaned a little.

"Cereal, please," I grumbled.

Mom smiled, patting my head. "You're getting good."

I nodded, continuing to choose my outfit.

Mom and I rolled up to the speech therapy office a little while later. My heart already thumped heavily against my rib cage, seemingly trying to rip out of it. But my mind wasn't on therapy. Images of the moves that I needed to perform ran through my head. I tapped my hand against my thigh, forming a beat as I ran over the moves for the umpteenth time that day.

I followed Mom inside, listening as she checked us in. I barely remembered sitting down next to her, tapping my foot. My finger found its way into my mouth as I sucked and bit it gently. I hadn't even noticed how fast my foot was bouncing, or how my finger had moved in the first place.

Doctor Casaceli came out a few moments later, talking with someone. Mom pat my leg as the doctor called my name. I pulled my finger away, wiping it on my pants as I followed Doctor Casaceli to her office. I didn't even realize that Mom hadn't followed until the door closed behind me.

I sat on the couch, waving to Ashton. I needed to focus now.

"How're you feeling this week, Eve?" She asked, pulling out some files.

"Okay," I managed out.

Ashton smiled, "I see you worked on your homework. How's ballet coming along?"

I shrugged, the moves from the dance playing through my head again. "Better."

"Have auditions happened yet?" Ashton asked.

I shook my head. Flashbacks from yesterday played through my head. We had almost gotten the dance down. The other groups were just as done as we were. Auditions would be next Tuesday and Thursday.

"When do they happen?" Ashton moved a figure on her desk- I think it was Joy.

"Tuesday and Thur-" I gulped, tears stinging at my eyes, "Thursday."

Ashton hesitated, then brought the little figures forward. "Which one are you feeling about it?"

I pointed to the taller purple one. Fear.

Ashton nodded, "Is there a specific reason why? You can sign for right now."

I suddenly found myself spilling everything that had been happening. My partners for the audition- Chloe, Hannah, and Emma- had all begun to disregard me as a human because I couldn't talk to them- even though I had been trying my best to. Joey was still trying his best to be nice though, which really made me feel better. All the other three could talk about was Thomas, the guy who was most likely going to get the role of Prince Désiré. It was honestly a little annoying since they would hardly focus on the actual dance. Of course, to top it off, Miss Sophie has been pressuring all the dancers. We're going to be pairing up with both the adult and children's ballet groups too, and most of us would be background dancers. Two of us would get the roles of Aurora and Désiré, and those who weren't focused on Thomas were getting cutthroat over Aurora.

By the time I had finished signing, tears had been rolling freely down my cheeks. I wiped my tears away, getting upset over the fact that I had been crying. 

"Eve, I hate to say it, but you don't have control over them. You can only control yourself. Those girls? They cannot sway you unless you let them. I know you'll do great, regardless of your partners' actions when it comes to practicing. Those adults will love you, just like they would any other dancer. You've got this, Eve. You just have to believe in yourself."