Unraveling Rosen | ✓

01 | barre

0 1

b a r r e

the introductory / warm-up portion of the ballet class

Moving to Florida might be the best or worst decision my mom has ever made.

I never expected to move three months before my senior year. I had my final year of high school completely planned out already but I wasn't complaining. Change is always a good thing, even though we might not realize it at first. Change is inevitable in this world, it happens on a daily basis.

Yeah, you might think that your whole life is over and no one will like you at your new school but I can guarantee that everything will be fine. At least that's what I kept telling myself every second as we got off the plane.

I've never felt so nervous in my life before. I remember feeling less nervous at a dance competition last year. We were performing Swan Lake by Tchaikovsky with my ballet group and my legs felt like Jell-O the entire time. But once I got on stage, every muscle in my body relaxed and I danced my heart out.

I can't say the same about this situation, though.

Isabella had a grumpy look on her face the entire way here. She was the most pissed about the move. Apparently she was trying to become the popular and cool girl in school this year since she'll be a sophomore and she's more mature now that she's older. She doesn't understand the fact that popularity isn't everything. I remember Isabella asking mom if she could get contacts and she even wanted to dye her hair blonde since a cheerleader had blonde hair and Isabella wanted to be just like her. Thank God mom didn't let her ruin her hair. It would've taken like seven bottles of bleach to get her hair blonde.

Just by walking out of the airport, you could say that we were no longer in the New England region. The weather felt thick and humid, I could feel my hair getting frizzier by the second and sweat forming in the crook of my arm.

An empty taxi appeared in front of us as Bella was growing more impatient by the minute. She didn't like getting sweaty as her makeup would run down her face and that wouldn't be pretty. Placing the suitcases in the trunk, Bella and me jostled over the better seat. If you sit behind the driver's seat then the driver can look at you through the rearview mirror, which makes me feel uncomfortable. Therefore the better seat is behind the passenger's seat.

We started moving as soon as Mom told the driver our new address. My eyes scanned over the scenery passing us. Loads of palm trees, guys with surfboards, girls with long tanned legs. Living here will definitely be better than I expected. As we got closer to our house, I noticed a dance studio in my peripheral vision.

Bella snorted, "I doubt you'd be good enough for that dance studio. You barely got in to the last one." She continued to scroll on her phone, occasionally releasing a chuckle from her lips.

"I don't ask for your opinion," I quipped. Bella rolled her eyes at me, flicking her long straight hair behind her shoulder in an insolent way.

The car came to a cessation at the end of the street. Two white houses stood adjacent to each other, both had the front lawns proper and groomed. Isabella got out, striding towards the house as Mom rummaged through her purse, desperately trying to find the keys to our new home. I paid for our taxi ride as the man helped us with the suitcases and soon enough, he disappeared, leaving us standing in front of our new house.

"I swear to God I will combust in this heat if you don't hurry up," my sister whined, gaining a stern look from my mother. My mom never dealt with Isabella, as she was a pain in the ass most of the time. We tend to ignore her as much as possible, considering both of us want to have some brain cells left by the time we're 50.