By Sin We Fall

Chapter Ten

Once I knew where Mauro was stationed outside of the school building, sneaking out became too easy. I strutted down the sidewalk that I knew Amo would be at and somehow that made my heart beat faster, smiling to myself amongst the busy streets of New York for having my very own secret. You'd think someone like me would know when someone was out to ruin me. I saw the thrill of the hunt in his eyes. No good relationship was started on the basis of someone wanting to achieve something through the other. I knew proud men didn't take well to being told what to do. I was all too aware of the dangers of this. Yet, still so very unconcerned about it. There were a hundred reasons not to play into his temptation but still, a quiet yet very urgent feeling in my heart told me to go. If it wasn't for listening to my heart I wouldn't be in this city, I wouldn't have continued ballet. Although sometimes a tumultuous route, in the end I had found it was always worth listening to that small little voice that felt like home. I knew whatever it had to say, it had good reason to say it. Perhaps even to say goodbye. I didn't know and I wasn't as nervous about that fact as I usually was. With Amo it seemed like there was nothing to lose in the situation, except perhaps some of my pride.

I felt lost amidst so many people. So many stories I felt like a tiny drop of water in a sea of people. I looked up at the streets signs trying to orientate myself. Here I thought I could find my way without the map-"Well isn't it my swan princess." I looked over relieved to see Amo, I didn't realize how nice it was for someone to see me specifically. He was standing near a storefront, looking out of place among the typical lunch crowd. "Hello," I said, trying to stay grounded and not to be swept up with his antics today. "You never cease to amaze me in your determination to embarrass yourself in all situations. What are you wearing?" he said as I walked up to him. "This is what I always wear." I had come straight from a three hour rehearsal and would have to continue it after lunch. I had in the meantime donned on my many layers to keep me warm. I had on some loose joggers, leg warmers, a cardigan wrap top and my favorite booties. "I have reservations but I can't guarantee they won't kick you out looking like that," he said as if he couldn't wait to see it. "What even are those things?" He looked at my shoes with disdain. "They're called Russian point booties and these are actually very high end. But that's all beside the point. I'm going to lunch somewhere else, I've actually found a vegan restaurant around the corner." "You couldn't pay me to go to a vegan restaurant," he deadpanned. "Good, I didn't invite you and lunch will be much more appetizing without your face in my proximity." I smiled mischievously and sauntered down the paved sidewalk. Not being subtle in the fact I was luring him in, unsurprised when I heard his footsteps behind me. I was doing society a favor, he needed his ego notched down a few pegs.

"Did you even get the story?" "The price falls in love with the wrong girl," he said, surprisingly right. The cafe was even cuter than the pictures, the salt and pepper shakers were in little cat figures, plants crept up the wall and all the chairs were repurposed, each one a different style. I explained further, "The prince thinks he knows her but she's just an illusion of the truth. Not real. But the prince thinks she's the girl he loves and knows and wrongly proposes to her, in turn cursing his love forever. Only broken by the ultimate sacrifice so they can both be together forever, free." "Death? To be with the one they loved?" he said in mockery. "Love is the strongest emotion of all, it makes total sense," I said seriously. "That's why it's the most dangerous. It leads you down places you should have more common sense than to go." "I would assume it would be worth it... in the end," I said contemplatively as the waiter came up to the table and my excitement returned as I read off the menu, "Hi, I'll have the garden spring wraps and the soup looks really good too. Could I do the butternut squash one? And the salad with extra avocado and dressing on the side. Oh, I'll also have two of the blueberry muffins to go and...That's all. Thank you." I gave her the menu, excited to try the place I thought I would never be able to go to. But here I was! Dreams were coming true. Except this wasn't exactly how I had pictured it in my mind, no that didn't include an all too wary man scrutinizing me across my seat. "What?" I asked Amo. "You eat a lot," he observed. "Do you have absolutely any women in your life? You've managed to insult my appetite and my clothing within fifteen minutes!" "I do have women in my life but they know how to tie their own shoes so they don't have to walk around in velcro space boots." "They don't have velcro, they're slip ons," I said realizing while the words were coming out that it wasn't helping my case. "I happen to exercise a lot," I said instead with confidence. "I exercise too. You don't see me cleaning out their whole kitchen." "Exercise what? Your opinions?" I laughed. "I box for one," he said, annoyed. "I know how to box,'' I said in mock triumph. "No. You don't. Whatever you're doing is not boxing." I don't know why I was defending something I detested so dearly. "I do, why do you have to be so narrow minded about everything?" It was five minutes into the meal and we were already fighting. "Once you've been around this city long enough, you too would hold only pessimism to anyone you meet." "I don't concur," I said. "Of course you don't, I won't even ask you why because I'm sure you'll just go on anyway." I ignored him and continued, "I think it is the judgment you bring to the meeting that determines the outcomes, if you only expect the worst out of everybody all you will be met with is the worst. You're just inflicting your own pain so you can be right about your own ideologies. Not willing to try something else because then you might prove yourself wrong." "My job is to deal with the worst of New York, that's outside of my judgment, that's the legal term for it." "What do you do for work?" "Business," He said, awfully sure of himself. "That's very vague." "And yet so very interesting at the same time, aren't those the best kind of qualities in people? The people who don't reveal all their playing cards in the first meeting? You wouldn't want a synopsis of your favorite book after the first page. The intrigue is what keeps you invested in the journey. In the end it shatters your beliefs you hold so close. It reminds you there are still components to this reality you have no idea what lies beneath it." I smiled meekly at his response, he was mimicking me but I only felt warmth from it. All the times I wanted to discuss underlying philosophical questions which were met with death ears. I liked this side of Amo. "I need to go, make sure you're not getting your feathers caught or whatever you do in this school of yours," I was about to go on another monolog about ballet when he turned and said. "If you want to know what real boxing is, meet me tonight at my gym and I'll show your ballerina ass what it really is." An invitation, a challenge to continue the game and see what lies beneath it. Another part of me very realistically saw this as childish and beneath me, not to mention I hated boxing. "I get to pick the music," I said, dancing with the idea. "Done," he said with determination in his eyes. "I'll be there." Those words were getting me into trouble lately.