CHAPTER 1: FIRST DAY HIGH
“Keira Anne Baker! You wake up this instant or you’ll be late for class again! Do you hear me woman?” A loud voice snapped me back to the present and away from my sweet dreams. “You are a hopeless piece of ass honey! Wake up and make something of yourself!” the shouting continued. I knew from the shrill voice that Seth was in my room, trying his hardest to wake me up. I wanted to reply with a witty retort but all I could manage was a snort. “Don’t make me use violence on you Keira!”
“Ok, ok.” I groaned trying my best to be comprehensible. “I’m up.” I sat up looking like a train wreck (as always).
“See, that wasn’t so bad, was it?” careened the voice who was shouting a few seconds ago.
“Yeah. Yeah.” I said rubbing my eyes and fighting every bit of my body from falling back into my soft covers.
“Now get your ass over to the shower so we can go to class. Ok?” And with that I was alone in my room. I checked my phone on the bedside table. It read 8:36 Thursday along with a few texts and missed calls. As I stared at the screen I couldn't help but try to recall last night. What had happened? I couldn't remember anything clearly. Oh dear, what had I done? Where was I last night? Was I-
“KEIRA!” Seth shouted standing by my door. His sudden appearance made me jump and jolt up to a stand.
“Ok. Ok. I’m up. I’m walking.” I said not wanting Seth to pop and artery.
“Bout time.” He snapped back. Laughing at how Seth was my best friend, I made my way to the bathroom. This was going to be a long first day.
“Can you believe him? He just left me there? I am so never going to talk to him again.” Jess was giving Seth and I a full blow by blow of how her boyfriend Aaron- who was now apparently her ex- had ditched her last night at the club. We were seated at our favorite table in our favorite café just outside the academy.
“Honey you had him, you lost him. Get over it. Seriously. It’s the first day of the secon term and already you’re full of drama.” Seth commented as he took a sip from his mochaccino.
“Thanks for the support Seth. I can see why I call you my best friend.” Jess said sarcastically causing me to choke on my waffles. “Oh what? You find us funny Miss troublemaker?”
“Hey, don’t take out your frustration on me.” I said in defense. “If it makes you feel better, he wasn’t even cute.”
“Ugh. Whatevs.” She said flipping her blonde hair back. Simultaneously Seth imitated her, rolling his eyes as he went. I laughed even harder. I loved these people.
Seth, Jess and I have been best friends since we got to the Baryshnikov Academy for Performing Arts. That was about 3 years ago. We all auditioned at the same time on the first day they called for a new batch of students. Of course that meant we were all competing for a spot in the academy. Nevertheless, we had hit it really good the first time we saw each other on the first day of the new term. I remember all of us being surprised that we had made the cut.
Jessica Daniels, best known as Jess, came from sunny California. Although there were a lot of prestigious dance academies back there, she chose to move to New York and start fresh. She was majoring in Ballet with a minor in just about everything from jazz to tap dance. She was your average go getter-slash-over achiever.