He Loves Me, I Love Ballet

Chapter 1

**Preface**

He leans up next to my locker just as I'm putting on my white pointe shoes. I look up and recognize an unfamiliar but popular face. I don't personally know him. To say we don't travel in the same circles is an understatement. Right now, this Mr. Golden Boy is getting in my way before the final dress rehearsal of tonight's The Nutcracker. "Rian, I need to pack or I'll be late. Leave." My posture has automatically corrected itself, my brain recognizing the feel of the satin shoes and my body refelxively responding. I'm in a casual fourth - back straight, shoulders relaxed, stomach tight, feet turned out.

"Nah," he says, "I'll hang around, cuz I know secretly, you want me. It's alright, you don't have to say it. I know a really nice janitor's closet for us, ballet girl." Rian puts his arm around me. I 've seen better muscle on the guys in class, he calls himself a jock? We are ever superior to him. I let him become complacent and lead my a ways down the hall, then I rise up to pointe and step on his unprotected feet with the still-hard toe of my shoes. I grind my toes in for good measure.

"It's Maria. Merry Christmas, loser." To show off, I pique-turn 8 times down the conviently smooth-tiled hallway and end in front of the school dance studio. I stick my tongue out childishly and do a few fuette turns for good measure. While I'm spotting my turns, I catch a glimpse of some shocked and dumbfounded faces. I chasse-pas de bourre through the open door and don't look back. That's how I met Rian Smith.

**Chapter 1**

"Maria! Wait up! Mia!" Kelly ran up to meet me, flip flops smacking against the sidewalk. She's my best friend, I guess, an she calls me Mia because '3 syllables is too many'. It was 10:30 at night, and we'd just finished our Nutcracker performance at Red Oak Academy, our prestigious (read: stuck-up) private high school.

"Hey bitch, what's up? Thought you were hanging with Eric." I teased.

"Yeah, well. The Cavalier to your Sugar Plum Fairy won't get a late night massage with me, will he?" My best friend giggled. Boys have it easy, they only wear flat shoes, which don't cause the kind of bunions pointes do. "C'mon, girl, let's go. Your feet must feel worse than mine, you're the star!"

"Yeah, yeah. You could've gotten the part, Kell."

"No, I couldn't, but thanks. Dewdrop is a great part, anyway." We laughed and set off. I told her about my encounter with Rian while we discussed performance highlights. She gave me the 'I'm your best friend and I know all about you' look. "Miiiiiiaaaa..."

"Kelllllllllll...." I mocked her. "I honestly couldn't hate him more. Get over it."

"Hey, I'm just making sure. You can't get involved with that kinda guy." Believe me, I knew. I'm in no danger of falling in love with anyone, least of all a jock.

"Hey, you know my true love." I said, giving her a meaningful look.

"BALLET!" We screamed in unison, laughing on our way to the 24/7 salon a few blocks away.

***

Once we'd healed our feet the best we could and congratulated each other on our performances, Kell fell asleep quickly. I quietly got up and headed down to her empty basement, so I could practice my turns. Honestly, they hadn't been as great as Kelly said they were. I did spotting exercises and marked through the entire routine without Eric as my partner for about two hours, then finally slept around four o-clock or so.