Balancing Love ☞︎ A Jesse St. James fan fic

I'd Clout Her With My Shoe If I Had The Chance

The rest of lunch was... casual to say the least. Tension had kind of started to mellow but conversation wasn't exactly flowing like it usually did. The way Jesse had acted a week prior was not discussed. Though in some ways I was glad. Jesse had paid as discussed and promised to stop by in a few days, telling me that he had to actually get into the habit of going to class.

About four days had passed and I was finishing up my practice with Madam Resnakov before she left to do her own business for a few hours.

"Do you believe The Nutcracker to be a difficult ballet to learn?" She asks, circling me as I finish performing the dance of the sugar plum fairy. A well-known piece by dancers and non-dancers everywhere.

"Learn or perfect?" I ask, breathing in and out steadily and rhythmically. Madam gives me an impressed look, nodding to herself as she gets ready to answer.

"You tell me." She challenges. God, she's annoying. I'd clout her with my shoe if I had the chance... Is that legal? It killed the mouse king but I am unsure if it would defeat this mighty villain.

"To learn a ballet can be rather easy. But to prefect a ballet takes a lot of hard work, dedication, and skill." I reply, using some of her own words within the reply, knowing that's what she wants. She lets out a little 'humph' and gives me a nod.

"Not a bad answer. Not a bad answer at all," She mutters under her breath. She walks to stand in front of me, her cane carrying her weight as she leans forward. "Now you've danced the dance of the sugar plum fairies, do you believe you could successfully dance the number Battle with the mouse king..?" I go to answer when she continues, "As the mouse king?" She raises a thin brow at me.

Does she not think me able too? My own running thoughts cause my body to stiffen.

"May I watch it beforehand?" I question. A creeping smile crawls its way up her face and she nods, motioning us towards her laptop.

We make our way over and play the dance from one of the earliest conversions of the ballet. Angry, Aggressive, and crazed. Interesting... The video ends and the moves replay over and over in my mind. The way he moved and danced with such grace yet with such jagged movements. It was unlike what I was taught. But dancers have to adapt. They have to move how each different director wants them too. I look up to Madam Resnakov and give her a firm nod. She smirks and sits down, waiting for me to prove myself.

I stand in the middle of the room. Madam Resnakov counts down before starting the music. I go to start the first move when someone knocks on the door, causing me to stumble and look back at the door. Madam pauses the music and snaps her cane against the barre closest to her with a loud CRACK!

"This room is reserved for the rest of the day!" She screeches at the interrupter. The door opens and Jesse pops his head in with a sheepish smile. "It's him." She hisses out in obvious distaste. Jesse laughs and walks in, making Madam scowl. She looks at me. "I will be heading out now. We are not done with our lesson." She says with narrowed eyes directed at the both of us before leaving the room and a slam of the door announcing her exit.

"I think she's warming up to me." He says smiling at me. I give him a deadpan look.

"Jesse... what are you going here?" I ask, hearing the suspicious tone in my voice. Jesse rolls his eyes.

"I don't have a class for another few hours. I've been going, I've been going," He says as if I've been nagging him for hours on end every day. "But I just wanted to hang out here for a bit." He explains, his hands out in front of him like he was calming a beast.

"How about we make a deal?" I start, heading over to the laptop once again, but this time, I reach under it and grab my notebook. I walk over to where the CD player sat and took out my wooden mannequin model from a cupboard down below. I look over my shoulder before facing a waiting and cautious Jesse. "You can stay... but you have to do homework while I write my next ballet," Jesse goes to open his mouth but I quickly interrupt him. "And do not say you don't have any homework. You haven't been in glasses for weeks. Trust when I say you have a lot to catch up on." I stay sternly.