Atlas Grove, once a dancer with dreams of dancing under the stars, now lives petrified in the shadows of abuse. To escape her living nightmare she must keep her head down and work hard, being her senior year this is her last chance to get out. Altho...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
I waddle down the grand staircase with my ballet shoes dangling over my shoulder by their ribbons. The crick in my neck from the poor nights' sleep is doing absolutely nothing to ease any tension that sits heavy in my limbs.
The house is quiet, the daylight only just breaking through the snowy clouds, I wanted to get up and stretch before anyone else got up. I was rehearsing the downstairs studio into the early hours of the morning and I probably would have been there all night if Blaze hadn't had literally picked me up and thrown me over his shoulder, carrying my aching body up to my room.
I'd laid there for hours just staring up at the ceiling unable to sleep, anxiety plaguing my mind in anticipation for today. I just kept going over all the things that could go horrifically go wrong, I could break something or forget my routine, my legs might not be straight enough, what if I'm too short? What if I'm not as good as my mom?
I hadn't even noticed Blaze had crept in and scooted under the comforter beside me, pulling me into his front. We spent hours just talking- his attempt to relax me, it worked for a while and when he could no longer hold his eyes open he drifted into sleep, keeping his arms secure around me. I watched him peacefully breathe in and out, I swear I even saw a frigging smile fall onto his blush lips.
I reach the bottom of the staircase, a whirring sound escapes the kitchen halting me in my tracks. The soft hum of the radio accompanies the whirring with a pop song energising the room. Maybe Helens up? Gem likes to wake her up early...
Curiosity tugs at me and I poke my head around the doorway, Bennett stands by a coffee machine, two mugs in front of him. One has a college football team on and the other a broadway musical logo. Shirley is standing by the stove, pans lining the hobs as she ties her pink apron tightly around her hips.
I don't know whether it's the smell of coffee brewing or my doom impending day that's making me nauseous but I jump when Shirley looks up from the food in the black pan and says, "Morning love, you're up early."
I move further into the kitchen, her warm smile pulling me forward.
"Yeah, I couldn't sleep. I was coming down to stretch, I didn't think anyone else was up." I slug over to the island taking my shoes and resistance bands off my shoulder.
"Nerves?" Shirley leans over the counter and softly encloses my hand in hers, I give her a sheepish nod and she squeezes my hand encouragingly, "Well don't let us stop you with your stretches," She nods at my bands with a smile, she's been nagging Blaze to let her watch me do something ballet related when he wouldn't let her in whilst I was rehearsing last night. I take the hint that she wants to watch me stretch which I don't mind as much and I really need to work out the acid sitting idly in my muscles right now.
"Coffee?" Bennett asks from the corner of the kitchen, a sleepy smile above his chin.
"No, thank you," I say quietly starting with some simple stretches just to warm my aching muscles.
