Wattpad Original

Original Edition: Chapter Eleven

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THE MORGAN DINING TABLE WAS HALF-SET WHEN THEY GOT IN. Mrs Morgan called William from upstairs and asked the girls to take their seats at the dining table She re-entered the kitchen and got back to work, but in that time a silence settled between Aspen and Naomi. Naomi Morgan knew for a fact that her family would perk up at the sight of Aspen Letterman, that the walls would expand to accommodate her, but what she didn't expect was the sudden bad taste in her mouth at the sight of her father when he entered the room. Each glance his way, felt as if something inside of her was slowly slipping away and being replaced by something vengeful. She tried to avoid him altogether.

"It's very nice of you to invite me in. Thank you, Mr And Mrs Morgan," Aspen said as soon as Mrs Morgan placed the food on the table and declared it ready to be eaten. Then, William came sauntering down the steps. He gave one confused look at Aspen but said nothing as he grabbed a seat and kept his eyes down.

"It's no problem at all, dear. I actually meant to invite all of you who made it to Prix. I've just been so busy recently."

"Wow, that's so nice of you."

The two went back and forth for a few minutes as everyone else ate. Naomi caught the look her brother was giving her. It was a mix of discomfort and confusion, which was understandable considering their mother hardly talked this much to her own children much less a stranger.

"So Aspen," Mr Morgan began. "With Mr Carson cutting so many dancers, was it hard adjusting? You have so little people to rehearse with now." It was one of the few details Naomi told her father about the summer programme.

"Well, the ballet itself isn't difficult as much as the competition, really. I would say it's more cut-throat now," Aspen replied politely. "There are fewer spots this time and everyone wants to be chosen. But it wasn't hard adjusting at all. Mr Carson teaches a very supportive class."

If Naomi didn't know any better she might have actually believed her.

"Cut-throat?" Mr Morgan finished chewing a piece of steak before continuing. "That's an interesting word to use to describe dancing."

Mrs Morgan rolled her eyes. "Don't mind him. You were dancing all day." She leaned closer to Aspen as if to whisper. "My husband here can't even do the electric slide."

Without even consciously eating, Naomi realized her plate was just about empty. "Well, I spend all day helping people at the office so I'd say we're even." Naomi's head snapped up.

Across the table, William said, "Yeah, by scraping teeth and fixing cavities. Amazing." Everyone laughed, especially Mrs Morgan. Naomi and her father were the only ones who didn't find it as funny and as fate would have it, their eyes locked. She gritted her teeth.

Just beneath the surface of her chest, something dangerous swam. Mr Morgan raised an eyebrow confusedly. Her expression had twisted and before she knew it, her mouth was open and her thoughts were sailing out. "Is that what you do all day?" The venom in her voice was hard to miss. "Scrape teeth and fill cavities?"

Her father's eyebrows furrowed and the table chuckled into silence. "Yeah, I'd say your brother pretty much hit the nail on the head."

"What about today?"

He sat down his fork. "Naomi, I don't work today."

She felt all their gazes on her, but she couldn't care. She had already started something she couldn't stop. "So you didn't leave the house today?"

"Naomi," Mrs Morgan interrupted, "what's this about?"

Her eyes didn't leave her father. It was as if everything bad she'd felt pushed through the worst parts of her until she snapped and everything came rushing out. "So what do you do all day when you're not working?"

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