Senior Year

Chapter Eight

STRETCH
POV: Haven

It's Tuesday and I am forcing myself to go to ballet class. It's after school so I stopped to pick up my brothers and cousins and then raced home to get changed. I slicked my hair back into a tight bun, besides the scars along my face, you couldn't tell that I'd changed at all.

Yesterday, I beat up my pointe shoes and cremated them until they were perfect. I slip my leg warmers up my legs and grab my bag before rushing out the door. My Nissan takes me to the studio and I calm myself before entering the studio.

I'm a little early to speak to Mrs. Moretti. She's at her desk when I enter her room. She looks up at me stunned. "Miss Haven, how are you?" She asks skipping over to me she wraps me up in her arms like a blanket.

"I'm doing okay. How are you?" I ask patting her face. She smells just like how she always does. Like a granny.

"I'm great, sweetheart, are you here to dance?" She asks looking down at my attire.

"Yes, I thought I'd try to dance again," I say looking down at my feet.

"Of course, your ankle and arm are healed, yes?" She examines me like I'm an alien.

"Yes, I'm healed. Although I haven't been doing my stretches every night," If I told her that before the accident she would have killed me. She'd make me Sauté until my legs fall off.

"Don't worry, you'll be good as new after this class," she smiles, and her eyes wrinkle. "Go put your shoes on darling." I nod before sitting on the ground to change my sneakers.

During class, the girls gave me hugs and welcomed me back. I hated all the attention and it was making me wish I never came in the first place. We stretched and my ankle was weaker than it's ever been. But I powered through it and it felt amazing.

It was as if I never took a break. I picked up the choreography like it was nothing. By the end of the class, my body was shaky and weak, but I felt obsolete. "That was great," Addie says tugging on her leg warmers.

"Yeah, it felt amazing," I say, breathing heavily.

Addie's grin widens. "Does that mean you'll come again?" She asks wiggling her eyebrows.

"Yes," I say rolling my eyes. Addie cheers and pulls me into a tight hug. I pat her on the back awkwardly I stopped liking hugs recently.

The next couple of days I realized that Apollo kept staring at me. At first, it was casual. He'd make eye contact with me and then look away. But now he stares at me head-on until I'm forced to look away first. Even then he keeps his eyes on me.

Finally, I muster up the courage to say something. "Do you got a problem?" I ask, tilting my head at him. My voice is smothered in bitterness. As soon as I say the words I want to take them back.

"What?" He asks as his jaw licks and tightens. He stares into my soul searching for something. Digging and digging. I wonder if he found anything.

"Is there something on my face?" I ask narrowing my eyes at him.

"No," he says rolling his eyes at me.

"Then why are you looking at me?" I ask getting more annoyed at his vague answers.

A smirk grows on his face. "What's there to look at?" Ouch! My face glows red as I turn to ignore him.