Raise the Barre

Chapter 6

Dr. Gonzalez's assessment of your ankle turned out to be correct; by the end of the week, you were feeling much better. You had to give some of the credit to Jimin, who'd been like a hawk in his watchfulness all week. The second you landed a difficult jump, Jimin would pop up beside you like the worst kind of clickbait, scolding you for not marking your movements.

At first, it drove you crazy – it was like having your parents out on the dance floor. Each time you pliéd, Jimin would clench his jaw hard enough to crack walnuts. It got to the point though, where you began to find it amusing, pretending to do something full-out just to mess with him.

Jimin didn't find this as amusing as you did.

The Monday following your injury, you returned to Dr. Gonzalez's office for a check-up. After examining your ankle and a few routine tests, she nodded in satisfaction and declared you fit to dance. A massive weight lifted from your chest, you practically bounded upstairs and into ballet.

Mr. Vlad's ballet class wasn't the type of place people usually bounded to, so you drew several stares when you entered the room. Dropping your bag beside Noelle, you stood at the barre and began to shed your warm-ups.

"It feels so good to be back," you groaned, lifting your leg.

Noelle grinned, mirroring your movement. "It's good to have you back," she agreed. "I felt like a worried mom all week, constantly watching out for your ankle. Now, I can finally be selfish again."

You laughed. "Well, thank god for that."

"Miss Y/L/N!" Smiling, Mr. Vlad came to a stop alongside you. "Good as new, I take it?" he said, glancing down.

"Yep," you said, rolling your ankle in a circle to show. "Dr. Gonzalez cleared me to dance earlier this morning."

"Good, good." He nodded. "I'm glad to hear it. It's always a shame to see talented dancers injured. Make sure you don't jump back in too quickly, though. Take it easy."

"Will do," you said, somewhat dazed as he turned to walk away.

Noelle leaned forward. "Dude," she whispered, staring at his back. "Mr. Vlad just called you a talented dancer. Mr. Vlad. Vlad Copson."

"I know," you whispered, trying to stifle a laugh. "Wow."

It was a wow moment indeed, since before now you hadn't been sure whether Mr. Vlad even liked you. He'd given you and Jimin a compliment a few weeks prior, but everything else you received from him was criticism. Despite knowing this to be his reputation as a teacher, you honestly had no idea where you stood with him at all.

Hearing him call you talented was enough for you to hope it would be a good day. Barre passed by quickly and, true to your word, you tried not to overdo things. Despite your initial positivity, it soon became apparent you'd fallen behind. By the time you finished barre and walked to the center, your earlier enthusiasm had somewhat waned.

Although you'd improved since the start of the year, taking a week off had put a damper on your progress. Even just seven days of marking was enough for you to feel lost while moving through the combinations. Luckily, Jimin was there to help you remember the steps.

'Luckily, Jimin' was never a phrase you thought you'd say and yet, here you were. Aligned by the same goal, Jimin had proven himself to be a useful partner. Nearly a month into your truce, things were going well between you. Steps came easier once you were certain he wouldn't drop you on purpose.

Obviously, you still had work to do between you, but it was easier without constantly wondering what Jimin was thinking. Trust was tricky enough without years of rancor between you, but somehow you and Jimin were making this work.