Foundation of Dance

Chapter 23

Alexandra

I hated it. I hated the looks she gave Olivia, I hated the touches and I hated her stupid voice. I knew those feelings, I was jealous. I stared hard as Olivia and Ashlyn spoke with each other by the wall in the studio, it had been about a week after the competition and things had seemed to go downhill. "Something feels off," Evie whispered from next to me, I nodded. We were stretching for dance on the other side of the studio.

"Yeah, she won't stop talking to Ol-"

"This isn't about Olivia," Jazmine cut in sternly. She then flickered her eyes over to the two talking girls and Ashlyn's lazy, but smug smirk. "However that might be a little issue."

"She says she can do so much," Ariel complained. "Earlier she bragged about doing 10 À La Seconde turns, but she struggles through three fouettes!"

I huffed crossing my arms, looking again at Olivia who was showing Ashlyn how to do a À La Seconde turn, the exact same thing she bragged about being able to do. "Oi!" I hissed. "Look!"

The girls all turned their heads and Ariel's mouth dropped open. "That sneaky bitch!"

I pursed my lips, watching my girlfriend talk with her and correct her form. I knew the other girls didn't like Ashlyn because she was new, it had been just us as a group for so long that the thought of a new person from a different studio was almost considered taboo. But for me I knew it was jealousy. What if she tries something?

"Olivia won't cheat," Jazmine suddenly said, I looked at her and she jutted her head at Olivia. "You know that, she's too loyal, you're reading too much into it."

I sighed, rubbing my temples against the growing headache. "I know, I know," I said. "But what if she does something?"

"Then trust her, trust Olivia to come to you and tell you, and as for the rest of you," Jazmine said, her eyes scanning the rest of us. "Hate her if you want, but don't be so loud."

The same thoughts that have been in my head for the past week rung clear. 'You're my girlfriend, not an attorney and there is only so much you can do.' I wanted to do more, there was an unspoken tension between Olivia and I since the argument but neither one of us had brought it up.

"Girls! Into the centre please!" Mrs Reynolds called. We quickly ushered ourselves into the centre and Mrs Reynolds stood in front of the mirror, facing us and a happy smile pulled at her lips. She clapped her hands together and grinned. "I have an announcement to make," she said, excitement was clear in her voice and I shifted on my feet in anticipation. "I'm pregnant!"

Everyone started to talk at once, the words clashing together from excitement to disbelief.

"Congratulations!"

"Do you know the gender?"

"Aw, we get to have a new little dancer with us!"

My mouth dropped open, a grin quickly overtook my features as Mrs Reynolds laughed, her hand coming to cup her belly. "To answer your question, no my husband and I don't know the gender," she chuckled.

"Will you still be teaching us?" Ashlyn asked worriedly.

"Don't worry, I will. I'll take leave after Christmas however so I'll still be there for the festival," she answered with a smile. I sighed in relief, 'with everything happening I don't think I'll be able to cope with a new teacher,' I thought. "On that note, we will be starting to prepare for the festival, the first dance is a jazz group dance. The song is Carol of The Bells but it's a remix version."

Quickly, we were arranged into our starting spots. Ashlyn, Max, Jazmine, Talia and Carolina in the centre with the rest of us offstage and in the wings. Ariel and Evie on one side, Olivia and I on the other, however one of us was towards the back and the other towards the front.