Dance For Me

Chapter 6

Lauren rolled her striking emerald orbs through every studio window in the academy as she made her way towards Emma's class. She paused when reaching the window, resting her palms against the ledge to lay eyes on her new dance partner, Camila

She'd spent the entire night trying to convince herself that the duet would be a good thing, it seemed the more she thought however, the less appealing it became. She hated her mom for going above her head and despised her own self for not planning ahead

Camila was a challenge for her no doubt, emotionally and professionally. It seemed that nobody else could see what she saw, feel what she felt. The girl was a ticking time bomb and no matter how hard she tried to talk, nobody was there to listen

She laid eyes on the girl and simply watched, noticing her efforts to be far superior than the members surrounding. The way she stretched out her limbs and extended her fingers made evident that she was putting every ounce of her soul into the techniques being taught

Lauren wasn't stupid, she was excellent at what she did and had never proved to be unworthy of her throne. The girl before her was undoubtably full of potential and she knew it, even her unique aesthetic had elements desired by many

Camila again commanded the space, forgetting almost that she was in a room full of other people. Lauren couldn't help but plot in her head, imagining what kind of potential the girl had. She was focused like a laser and for the first time in a while, invested

That was until Fallon joined her side with a gentle sigh and a flashing smile "Looks like someone lit a fire under her ass!" She spoke fondly "She's got some real passion in that tiny body!"

Lauren lifted her chin and stepped back to walk away "She's trying" she spoke, walking towards her office with Fallon close behind "I doubt she has the push to keep it up though"

"That's unfair" Fallon jested as she closed the woman's office door behind her "How come every compliment is followed by a negative with that girl?"

Lauren shrugged "It's my job to be critical Fallon, it ensures people continue to step up to the mark and perform!"

Fallon rolled her eyes and sighed "Yeah, well it seems to me that your critiques are mainly aimed towards Camila!" She grunted "It's starting to taste a little sour if I'm honest!"

Lauren turned around with a deadly stare, her eyes igniting with something Fallon had evidently noticed "Excuse me?"

"You heard me?" Fallon mocked "You can never say anything nice about her Lauren? She's struggling right now and you're just throwing your mouth around with no consideration into how she might be feeling?"

Lauren slammed her phone face down into her desk, her body language shifting from dominant to hostile "Will you back off with that bullshit?"

"Bullshit?" Fallon questioned "Lauren, you're being unfair!"

"I'm being unfair?" Lauren hissed, raising her voice almost instantly "What about you and Emma huh? Did you guys ever stop to think that I might be struggling too?"

"You!" Fallon scoffed "Give me a break LJ!"

"Shut the fuck up Fallon! For once in your life, let me talk!" Lauren belted "You defend that girl relentlessly! Shaming me for getting angry and having an opinion, yet she's allowed to run her mouth and throw hurtful tantrums because she's had a hard life?"

"It's not like that!" Fallon retaliated

Lauren rolled her eyes and raised her palms beside her stomach in disgust "It's exactly like that!" She yelled "Why is she allowed to be sad and I'm not! What, because I'm the boss I shouldn't have feelings?"

Fallon stepped forwards, hurt when the woman paced away and folded her arms "Lauren I never said that? I understand how you feel?"

"Do you?" She hissed with an agonised rasp in her tone "You haven't asked me one single fucking time if I'm ok! Not once have you sat down and talked to me about how I'm feeling!"

"Lauren-

"Let me talk!" Lauren yelled back "She wanted to dance I let her dance! She wanted space, I gave her fucking space Fallon!" She continued, trying her best to hold it together "The two people who are supposed to be right beside me in life can't stop yelling in my face about how I'm being unfair and cold when she was the one who asked me to back off!"

"We care about you Lauren-

"Neither of you took the time to ask me how I was doing! You took Camila's word, watched her cry and held her when she was breaking down but what about me?" She yelled with all of the fire in her heart "It's hard holding this academy together when nobody is on my side! Working my ass off to provide for my dancers when my two supposed best friends are slamming me for giving a girl who has no idea a hard time!"

Fallon remained quiet as if her lips had been glued shut "Lauren's intimidating! Lauren's cold, she's heartless and rude! She doesn't give a shit she's mean!" The elder reeled, coming close to angry tears "I have nobody to talk to when I feel shitty but my fucking pillow! I walk into my office only to be bombarded for pushing Camila around!"

"Lauren, I'm sorry?" Fallon finally spoke "I didn't think? You just seemed to be on your shit as per usual?"

Lauren laughed, shaking her head with a hand running through the top of her hair while her lower lip trembled. She faced the wall so Fallon didn't notice, returning only when she had regained her composure "I shouldn't have to take the fallout because she has had a shitty life! I shouldn't be seen as a bully because she can't keep her emotions together!"

"No one is saying that-

"YOU SAID THAT!" She exploded "Both of you! Camila is allowed to feel sad and hurt, she's allowed to be in pain but according to you guys I'm not! She can shove me around and fuck me over with no repercussion, you two don't even notice or think to ask me if I'm ok! I say one thing about her and you're shoving me into walls and calling me out!"

Fallon felt unbelievably guilty, not realising how much she had neglected her friend's feelings in a situation so tense and uncomfortable "Lauren I'm so sorry?"

"Don't bother!" She laughed "Consider this the last time I open up to you!" Fallon swallowed a lump in her tight throat "It's clear to me that neither of you have the capacity to realise that I too am a human being with feelings!"

"Lauren!" Fallon yelled "I never meant to hurt you? I just felt for Camila, she's been through some real shit? Her life, her upbringing!" She continued "I wanted to make sure she was ok"

Lauren shook her head and turned towards the wall, her lip again quivering as she stared up at the ceiling "You're still doing it!" She shook, lifting her palms to the back of her neck "Just get the fuck out of my office Fallon"

"Lauren-

"NOW!"

Fallon left the room, slamming the door while Lauren turned around and slid down the wall with her head falling into her knees. The frustration in her soul taking over every inch of her body. She meant every word she had spoken, every syllable she yelled