The Road Ahead (A Hunter Hayes Fanfiction, Book 4 of The Hardships Saga)

Chapter Eleven

❝she (pronounced ʃi or shee), noun
the female person or animal being discussed or last mentioned
French equivalent: elle❞

"Your form is wrong."

Elle sighed, angrily sitting down on the floor and pulling off her pointe shoes. "For God's sake, then," she said furiously. "It's not as easy as you say it is."

Lola sighed. "I know it's not, Elle. Please put your shoes back on."

"This is hopeless."

"Nothing's hopeless unless you are."

"Fine. I'm hopeless. Better?"

"Stop acting like a brat. Drew and your dad might take it, but I ain't. Put your damn shoes back on."

She huffed angrily, staring at the wooden floor. Finally, she stood up, picked the shoes up off the floor, and began lacing them properly. "Good," said Lola. "Again from the top."

"I can't be Clara," she sighed. "I'm not any good."

"Elle, you're the best in your class. Trust me."

Elle, who had now been dancing with Madame Lorenzo for almost ten years, had been cast as Clara in 'The Nutcracker'. Though she was proud, she was also damn near terrified. Could she be the main character? Thank goodness there weren't lines, she knew she'd read them wrong and end up praying to Dog in the middle of the play.

She stood up, starting in the corner of the room again. "Alright. Let's go."

"You need to take a break, you're pushing yourself too hard."

"I'll be fine."

"You'll be fine 'til you pull a muscle. One more time, then I want you to sit down for at least ten minutes, understand?"

Elle sighed. "Yep."

Lola, who was still confined to her wheelchair, was now Elle's second-closest confidante, and like an older sister to her. They were extremely similar, and Elle went to her when Drew couldn't help. There are some things you can't tell your guy best friend, no matter how close he is to you. Lola lived a dancer's life vicariously, through Elle, and it was better than never dancing again. Her mother would be proud.

Elle tried again, but this time, tried the jump and landed wrong, falling to the floor. "Motherf*cking..." she muttered to herself.

"Alright. Break time."

"Yeah." Elle sat down, grabbing her bag and pulling out a homemade muesli bar that she had made the week before. "Want one?"

"Sure, you know I love your cooking," she said, taking it. "How's Ryan?"

"She's fine. She's coming back earlier than we thought, a few days after her birthday."

"Oh, I see. And Spencer?"

"Same little weirdo as always." She smiled slightly. "I miss him."

Lola smiled. "Hunter?"

"He's fine. Oh, Pa asked if you and Caleb were free sometime this week to come 'round for dinner."

"Oh, er, I'll have to ask." She smiled slightly. Elle was like a younger sister to her, and reminded her of Penny so much that it hurt. But at the same time, it was nice to imagine that she still had Penny with her. "You've worked hard today, maybe you should get back home."

"Hmm, yeah. I suppose I ought to." She slung her bag over her shoulder. "I'll see you soon, then."

"Bye!"