Star

|1| Your existence.

⭐️🩰Estella🩰⭐️

I flip and land into a split as the music still plays. Just as I'm about to do the next dance move, my coach pauses the music once again.

For the beginning of my routine, I have to flip, split, and the whole 'sad' dance starts. I came up with it, the whole routine, and Darren - my coach - keeps acting like he came up with it.

I've redone the beginning at least 20 times because the flip doesn't meet his expectations.

I'm exhausted. It's 7 in the morning,  and he's killing me here. I just want to go back to sleep.

He insists on 5 am practices every day until 8, then later on after classes in the evening from 4 until 10.

It's ridiculous. If I don't have classes, he calls me in during the day. But my classes start at 9 so I only stay in until 8. How sweet, huh?

"Again! Jesus Christ Estella, you can do better," he starts the music again.

I get out of my split and start again.

I do it again another million times until I physically can't.

I barely slept last night, and I haven't had anything to eat or drink.

"Coach, I can't," I limp over. I think I twisted my ankle or something. I feel like I'm going to black out.

When will whoever picking me up pick me up.

"We've spent the whole of practice just trying to perfect this, do. it. again," he points his hand over to the part I was dancing at.

I gather up all of my strength and start it all over again. I half expect him to pause it, but he doesn't, and I continue the dance.

"Estella, come on, we have to go," I hear and look up. Nathan. Thank fuck.

I stand and still limp despite trying to hide it from my moody extra protective brother.

He doesn't look happy, standing there beside my coach with my phone in hand that's still playing the music connecting to my airpods.

He always says my music sucks - coach does - so he tells me to use my airpods.

That explains why it's not paused and still playing, though.

"You ready?" He asks after I throw on my hoodie that's splayed over the bench.

I hum and he takes my bag walking close behind me as I walk out.

"I've told you a dozen times you need a new coach," he tells me.

"Why do I need a new coach? If this is about my limp, that was totally my fault, I hid it from him," I reply, looking over at him over my shoulder.

The cool October air hits me, and I feel relieved to be out of the stuffy building.

"Come on, the others are all waiting in the car. We got McDonald's for breakfast," he adds, and I sigh happily.

Food.

I've never had a good relationship with food, but there's times when I know I need it and I'll eat it.

"I need to go into the bathrooms," I forgot, I need to change and shower.

"No, we're going back. Shower at home, Stell," he says.

"Okay," I shrug and pull open the side door, getting into my usual seat. Yes.

Benji always drives, and Nathan sits beside him in the passenger seat. Then, on the two middle seats, me and Willow, my best friend, sit and in the back is Frankie and Grey, the boys' friends.