cavalier

Act I

July heat is sweltering, suffocating every limp muscle in her body. Her legs are heated under her tights, and she stares at her reflection as she tucks a stray strand of hair behind her ear. Her feet are sore, she's already been in the studio for four hours today, and she was here for eight hours the day before. She feels sticky and gross even as a light breeze filters through the open window, and she stands still for a moment, letting the cool air smooth over her skin.

She watches from the back of the classroom as Elyse twirls in front of the mirror, making her way across the room as she performs the next ballad for Swan Lake. Elyse is a beautiful dancer, her form and stature next to impeccable. She makes every move look graceful, even as she jets out from a pirouette and directly into a grand jete.

Laura sat down against the cool tile on the wall, crossing her ankle over her leg and checking her ties on her pointe shoes. Ms. Clara was watching Elyse under a sharp gaze, the way she gets after a night with little sleep. They all get this way over summer, full of tired eyes and stiff limbs. Laura feels as though she's floated from audition to audition since school let out.

Ms. Clara praised Elyse for her pirouette piquee and scolded her for a slight lack of balance in between her allegro and cabriole. Elyse took it in stride, with no indication that her mood had shifted except for a brief tightening of her jaw. Ms. Clara's attention then shifted, "Laura, John, from the entre for Act 1." She said dismissively.

Laura picked herself up from her place on the floor, sliding easily into fourth position and waiting for the music to begin. John came behind her, his hands resting on her waist as they both stared at the mirror. The music began, and he gently pulled her body from the ground, allowing her to lift into a shoulder-sit. He walked in a circle slowly before she twisted her body to allow her contact with the floor again. They slid seamlessly into a their pas de duex, easily picking up from one another's motions. She performed a smooth fouetté en tournant as he took to standing in third position a few feet behind her. The dance continued with more couple work, with John taking her legs into his arms as they slid simply into a fish dive. The dance was going well, they were on their last eight count before Ms. Clara interrupted. "Laura!" She called over the music, but she was still in a saut de basque, and halfway through her tight twirl she lost balance and landed directly on her left ankle.

A numbing pain came from her foot, and she bent over to clutch at her leg through her tights. A short hiss escaped from between her teeth, and her mind raced through pictures of ballerinas with broken ankles as she tried to gain control of her breath. John was at her side immediately, a hand placed on her back as he tried to access her injuries. "Fuck," She grumbled lowly, but Elyse had made her way over by then and was kneeling next to her bad ankle.

Ms. Clara stood over her with her arms crossed. "I warned you before you went into that saut de basque," She told her in a scolding the one before bending down next to her and untying her pointe shoes. Laura let out another noise through her teeth that sounded a bit like a growl.

John's thumb rubbed circles into her back, forever the comforter of her friend group. Elyse helped ease her other slipper off and gave her a look of concern. "Do you think it's broken?" Laura asked finally, a sense of fear overcoming her. If she had broken her ankle, there was no way she could go to Interlochen next week with Elyse and John. She had been training all year to go to that stupid summer camp in freaking Michigan, if she couldn't go she might as well have been killed right on the spot.

Ms. Clara shook her head, "No, I've seen broken ankles and this isn't one. I think you rolled it, definitely landed on it wrong." She said simply, and all three of them let out a breath of relief.

Elyse even let a smile slip through, "Thank God." She murmured under her breath, giving a squeeze to Laura's thigh. Laura returned the smile, and John moved behind her to help her up. His hands made their way under her arms, pulling her to her feet before draping one of her arms over his shoulder. Elyse took her other, and they led her to the door.