Raise the Barre

Chapter 9

The next morning you woke wishing your bed would swallow you whole.

Images from the night prior flashed through your mind, each worse than the last. The tinge of blurriness around the edges did little to dispel the horror you felt. Groaning out loud, you pulled your pillow over your face and heard Noelle laugh from her bed.

"That bad, huh?" she asked, propping herself up on one elbow. Squinting towards you, she frowned. "Are you ready to talk, or do we need food first?"

Staring at the darkness from beneath your pillow, you contemplated the question. Before you could answer, your stomach let out a loud gurgle, answering for you.

"Food it is!" Noelle flung her covers aside. Climbing down from bed, she landed easily on the floor. "I'm going to pop some Advil to fend off this hangover. Need any?"

"Yes, please," you groaned.

After another long moment of wishing the earth would crack open, you sighed once more and set your pillow aside. Climbing down from bed, you stretched, wincing at sore muscles and dry mouth. Heading straight for the sink, you filled up your water bottle and chugged the whole thing.

All in all, you felt relatively okay for the amount you drank last night. You supposed it helped you'd stopped drinking once you'd reached the club. Noelle wasn't so lucky but then again, she hadn't drunk as much as you had at Paulo's. It all seemed to even out once you found yourselves seated at the coffee shop on the corner, claiming your favorite table by the windows.

Rather dejectedly, you stared at the chalkboard detailing holiday drinks. You supposed they were now season-appropriate, although Finn wasn't here to confirm.

Your train of thought was interrupted by Noelle clearing her throat.

"Alright," she said, lowering her brow. "Spill. What's going on, Y/N? I didn't want to pry last night, but is everything okay?"

Sighing, you slumped in your chair. "It'd be easier to say what's not going on."

Noelle gave you a sympathetic look, but your conversation was interrupted by Namjoon appearing with coffee. Straightening in her chair, Noelle flashed her best smile.

"You, again?" she joked. "They even got you the day after Halloween, huh?"

Namjoon smiled and shook his head. "I volunteered for today, actually. Figured people would be too busy with post-Halloween hangovers to venture out for coffee. Except you two, it seems."

"What can I say?" Noelle took a sip of her latte. "My veins are half coffee, half blood."

"Gross," you said with a laugh.

Namjoon laughed as well, waving goodbye as he returned to the counter. Noelle returned to looking at you, taking a long sip of her coffee.

"Alright, spill," she said.

Slowly, you exhaled. "I don't even know where to start," you admitted. "I ran into Sabrina in the bathroom."

"You mean, the devil. Continue."

Unwittingly, you smiled. "I might agree with you from now on. She seemed upset about something and when I tried to help, she just snapped at me. Kept going on about how I was always in her way."

"In... her way for what?"

"I don't know. To be the best dancer at Russet?"

"Ha. I hope you punched her in the throat."

"Violent," you said. "No, but I did tell her off."

"Good." Noelle leaned back. "People who think that much about other people's standing at Russet are usually the ones most concerned about their own."