Love Me Never

5| Ballet

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Ballet

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Chapter 5: Ballet (Ava's POV)

That same night, at nearly eight o'clock, my phone rang. I stopped biting my nail, looking over at the telephone on my nightstand. I leaned over, putting the book I was reading down, The Song of Achilles. I answered the phone, bringing it to my ear, stretching the cord. "Hello?" 

"Ava." 

"Ms. Clarice," I sang, slipping my bookmark between the pages and putting it on my nightstand. 

"Listen, the girls are coming in early tomorrow since they're still on summer break but their schools open soon. I'm not coming tomorrow, hun." 

"Oh, okay. So, what time shall I be there?" 

"Be there by nine, all right?" 

"All right, bye." I put the phone away and let my hair down from the bun it was in. I got out of bed and packed tomorrow's dance bag and then called it a night. I flicked the lamp off and lay awake, staring at the ceiling while the moonlight peeked through the window. I thought about what was happening with Brooke and Rhys. 

They were really getting married in two freaking weeks. 

I tried asking her about it when we got back home but she wouldn't say anything. It seems like she has everything planned and she thought it all through but she wasn't telling me. I gave up after a while and just let it be. There's nothing between Rhys and me anymore, I have no right to interfere or question whatever is happening between them or why they're suddenly getting married. I rolled onto my side and closed my eyes, forcing myself to go to sleep. 

My alarm clock rang at eight-thirty and within half an hour, I was dressed, had eaten breakfast, and reached the studio since I normally end up taking showers after dance class. I walked in, set my bag down on the bench, and then walked over to the stereo. I looked through some of the cassettes, trying to find a good song for today. 

When Ms. Clarice doesn't come, we all know we won't actually learn anything. I let the kids have fun and run around, it's better that way, trust me, and the smiles on their face is so worth the scolding I get every single time I don't follow the routine. I selected a few cassettes for today and then waited for the kids to start coming in. In the meantime, I turned on the lights, opened the door and flipped the sign from 'closed' to 'open', and then inserted the first cassette, letting it play in the background. 

I put my hair up in a high ponytail and shrugged off my cardigan, remaining in the black tank and pink sweatpants that I kept on from last night. Yes, I'm here in my pajamas. 

"Ms. Ava!" 

I laughed, turning to the entrance. "Hi, Lily!" 

She ran over, her backpack bouncing on her back until she hugged my legs tightly. I chuckled, kneeling down and fixing her pigtails. "Is Ms. Clarice gone?" She grinned. 

"For today, yes. So we're going to have loads of fun, okay?" 

She nodded and then set her bag down and sat on the bench, patiently waiting for her classmates to arrive and for me to start the class. Once all the students were here, all seven of them- Lily, Bella, Jonah, William, Olivia, James, and Katy. 

Then I reinserted the cassette and told them to start warming up because no matter what they're doing, they should warm up. "Reach to the left, reach to the right," I sang, as we sat on the floor, stretching. "Touch your toes, come on, come on, come on."