Dance until it hurts

1

I was staring at myself in front of the mirror of my room and finishing putting my black leotard while gelling my hair. We had arrived back at the academy a few days ago to settle down again before starting the classes.

So now I was back in my treasured room, which I shared with Sammy, my best friend and my usual dance partner, and we promised ourselves to have the main role at this year's ballet and get the hell out of here with contracts. We both know that by the end of the year choreographers and directors are going to want us.

I mean, we were the best of our year. All of our teachers loved us, and we were always the main couple of every ballet or piece we ever did at the academy. After spending our whole life together during Art's highschool and applying together for this academy, we were each other's best friends, partners and confidents.

Right now, she was brushing her long brown hair and putting it in a perfect bun behind me, both sharing the mirror.

"Saint, Stop looking at yourself. You're fine. Let me comb my hair."

"I think I gained weight during summer break."

"Sure." - she rolled her eyes. - "Now get out of the way."

"What?"

"You look the same Son, don't worry. Plus you worked out all summer, you took classes and all. Please don't drag yourself into those thoughts."

"I trained to keep lifting your fat ass in the air, bitch."

"Oh, you're going to fucking regret that Suppapong." - She laughed.

"Am I?" - I teased and she finished her perfect and gelled bun.

"Ok, let's go. We have twenty minutes before the class."

I grabbed my ballet shoes and my bottle of water, ready to face our first day of the last year before graduation.

~~~

I was stretching before my class, taking my spot at the barre.

Just to let you know, in ballet your place on the barre defines you. It shows hierarchy. So Sammy and I always shared the front space on each side of the centre barre. Where everyone could see us, especially our teachers. In ballet, every class is an audition, every day you need to be more perfect than the previous one, you need to show off. That's the only way to get what you want. To get noticed.

I had my leg up on the barre, trying to recover my elasticity because I hadn't taken a class since last Monday and I was feeling out of training again. Everyone stopped what they were doing when the principal of the Academy entered the room.

She placed herself in front of us, ready to make her welcome speech as she did every year. All of us stood still in front of her, showing respect and discipline. She was a well known ex ballerina after all, she had our fates in her hands, she was Claudia Noppanut, and she fucking ran the place.

She and I always had a really good relationship, in fact, she's my mother's best friend, almost like an aunt to me. Her son, Boun, and I grew up together.He wasn't a dancer though, actually Boun can't dance at all, but he plays the piano here at the academy so we continue seeing each other all the time.

But of course no one in the academy could know that Claudia was my aunt because they'll think she had preferences. Which she clearly had. Perks of being his nephew. Of course I always managed to get the leading roles on my own, because let's face it, I'm the best. But she always helped a little by talking good about me with my teachers. Best. Aunt. Ever.

"Welcome everyone to this new year. You're all in your last year and soon to be graduating. I'm very proud of each of you." - She stopped and gave us a big smile while looking around the room to the thirty people in it. - "I have some news, things are changing around here this year. First thing you need to know is that today's class isn't going to be with your dear Mr. Mark because he went to teach in France. After fifteen years of teaching here, it's really hard to let him go, but we all wish him the best. So let me tell you that you'll have our new acquisition here, and I hope a big applause for this, because this year you're going to have your class ballet with the well known teacher, dancer and choreographer, recently arrived from Germany, Perth Tanapon."