The Ballerina & The Devil

Fifty Six. And Then There Was Nothing

The song in the media box is Battlefield by Jordin Sparks

A/N: I was going to wait for Friday, but it's only two hours away so what the hell.

Before you continue on I think it's important to remember I love you all.

I promise I do.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

I stepped out of the theater with shaky legs. My fingers were being twisted together indicating how nervous I felt even after the fact that the audition was over and done with.

Deacon ceased the passing he had been doing, probably for the entire time I had been in there, and stared at me expectantly.

"Well?" He asked, a nervous edge to his voice. "How'd it go?"

I paused to think back over the experience and smiled a bit. "I mean...I think I did good."

"Yeah?" He grinned slowly. "For real?"

I nodded, my nerves melting and in place was excitement and relief.

"Mhmm. I mean yeah I was super nervous walking in there, and when I got on that stage I thought I was literally going to pass out and die, but once the music started everything just snapped into place and I danced like I always did. Maybe even a little better. I just, I don't know, poured all the emotions I was feeling into it and...," I nodded. "Did it."

"Aha!" Deacon slapped his hands together and pulled me into a bone crushing hugging, lifting me off the floor. "I told you you'd be fine! Didn't I tell you you'd be fine?"

"Yes," I laughed breathlessly. "You told me I'd be fine. Now put me down before you kill me."

He laughed and set me down, but snatched up my hand as well as the bag I brought that was on one the chairs.

"Let's go celebrate with some food and sightseeing."

"Food," I repeated somewhat dryly as he pulled me along. "What a perfect way to celebrate."

I dug through my bag to take out my phone so I could call Michelle and replay to her every single thing that went in on that theater, as well as calm down what I knew was my two anxiously awaiting best friends.

My thumb stilled on my lockscreen for just a moment as my eyes took in the fact I had a text from none other than Aidan Benson.

I quickly swiped across the screen, barely reading his words and went into my contacts app to call the three people I actually wanted to talk to.

¥ ¥ ¥

"You haven't spoken to him in four days?" Majesty repeated, her fingers curled around her steaming Starbucks cup. "How petty."

Majesty and I were seated at a table in the small Starbucks café located not too far away from the school we had just left, enjoying conversation over coffee while we waited for Kenzie to arrive.

I rolled my eyes, sipping my black hazelnut coffee. "It's not petty."

"It most certainly is petty," she laughed, leaning back in her chair. "You're only doing it out of retaliation because he didn't talk to you for, like, a day."

"It was two days," I corrected her.

She nodded slowly. "Do you hear yourself right now?"

"I refuse to feel bad about this," I said, firm on my current stance. "It's not like he's tried to reach out to me. He hasn't called or texted. Not once."