Unpredictable (A Dance Story)

Unpredictable

Hello! Welcome to my story :) This is the prologue. This and the first few chapters were written in third person, but I didn't like it, so I swapped them to first person. Sorry if I missed something during that swap! Anyway, try and read the whole thing, if you can. I barely have any readers on my new chapters and I update quite frequently!

EDIT: I used to update frequently, though I had a period of time when I really didn't update. My fault! I'm going to finish it though, and my updates won't be so scattered. Thanks :)
Happy reading!
P.s. I know, my story 'Unpredictable' can get a little predictable. It's not meant to be completely in the shadows. It's just a reflection of Ella's life. She's not sure what's going to happen to her. If you were Ella, how would you react to all of this?
***
I moaned and hugged my bruised knees to my chest.
"One more time, Ella," prompted Miss Sarah.
"I-" I began, but it was no use complaining. I stood up and arranged my arms in the mirror, taking a deep breath. Suddenly, music started and I found herself throwing all of my energy into the dance. Again.
"Point your toes...get up faster...spot the front," Miss Sarah called out periodically. I gritted my teeth and tried to keep my complaints locked up in my mind. Finally, I slid flawlessly into a split and threw my arms up as the music faded out.
"Great ending," Miss Sarah complimented, "But it obviously needs work. Do you think you could win with this?"
I bit my lip and shook my head no.
"Exactly. Now, how about we try it one more time," Miss Sarah said. It was more of a command. I wasn't getting out of it. I pulled at my tights and leotard, fixed my knee pads, and warmed up a couple of pirouettes before settling into my beginning position. The music had just started when the door of the dance room opened and my mother poked her head in.
"Sarah?" She asked, "I'm sorry to cut you short, but we're leaving for vacation in two hours. I need to steal my daughter back."
My dance teacher gave a dramatic sigh. "I understand, I suppose. Well, Ella, please remember your choreography. And don't forget to stretch!"
I nodded, already halfway across the room, ripping off my jazz shoes and stuffing them in my bag.
"How was solo practice?" My mother asked.
I laughed. "Like any other solo practice. I swear, I did that dance 'one more time' about five times!"
My mother laughed along, shaking her head. "I could never be a dance teacher."
We picked our way across the parking lot, noting the quickly darkening sky. My father had planned this beach trip carefully and had an itinerary that was exact, to the minute. The plan was to utilize a deal he'd secured for a hotel room. The three of us got 20% off for some sort of late-night check in. I thought it sounded kind of sketchy, but there was no way I could talk my dad out of it.
Three hours later, I was resting my head against the window of the car, my arm splayed out against the glass. Sleepy thoughts drifted through my head and I closed my eyes, humming the music of the Musical Theater piece I had been practicing earlier. I got lost in a daydream of the competition. In my dream world, I won the entire thing. A famous Hollywood Talent Scout approached me and asked if I was interested in dancing in his new movie. Everything was perfect. Everything was all about me.
My eyes fluttered open to a quiet darkness. Outside of the car, a dim glow came from the road and the cars around us. The radio played softly in the background. I felt myself drifting again, back into my dance world...
The peacefulness was shattered by a piercing scream. I opened my eyes lazily, just in time to see nothing but brightness outside of my window, and then CRACK. Glass was everywhere and I was part of it. I didn't know anything except that there was darkness everywhere, glass, and a screaming pain. Everything hurt, each part of my body. The silence was shattered once more by a scream, and it took me a second to realize that it was coming from my own lips. Warm stickiness oozed down my face, into my eyes. My vision finally went black and the pain fell away to absolutely nothing...