The Right Side of the Wrong Bed || Bruno Mars

Chapter 41

Faye

A chorus of sharp gasps.

I kept my eyes stapled on the wooden floor that my body collided with and where my sweaty palms laid flat as if they were hammered there with a nail. Humiliation and panic froze me into place but the music was never interrupted. Suddenly, two strong hands pulled me up. It was Dylan hoping it was not too late to cover up my clumsiness and save the play from being ruined completely by the prima ballerina herself.

Before I knew it, I was dancing with my ballet partner again. "What the fuck is wrong with you?" Dylan hissed at the back of my ear as we danced.

"I'm sorry," I mumbled through the lump forming in my throat, tears lining the edges of my eyes. I felt my whole face graying, my cheeks turning from roses in full bloom to ones that were withering.

The curtains began to close after a few more routines we did ending the first part of the show before a fifteen minute break for the change of set and costumes. As soon as the curtains from each side of the stage touched and Dylan and I were entirely out of sight from the crowd, Mr. Walker roared, "What the hell happened there?" so loudly that the earth shook.

Dylan dropped me rather harshly. "Ask your prima ballerina," he gritted.

"I'm sorry!" I cried, my voice sounded like a million shards of glass multiplying into a million more.

"What the fuck is going on, Faye?" my mentor shouted at my colorless face.

"I'm really sorry, Mr. Walker," I said, trying to hold the tears.

"You two get out of my sight and change now!" he commanded. "Faye, get a grip!" he added once Dylan and I started scurrying towards the backstage.

As I walked past the curtains, someone just abruptly pulled me to a corner. I saw a pair of blue eyes looking at me with so much worry like the sea during a storm.

"Are you alright?" Kyle asked, cupping my cheek.

"I'm sorry," I sobbed. "I don't know if I can do this anymore."

"Shh, you can. You can," he assured, wrapping me in an embrace, not minding if the glitters hugged him back. "You were killing it, babe. Don't stop now."

He withdrew only to kiss me, not minding if he gets lipstick on his lips."You'll be fine, okay?"

I bit my lips and nodded weakly. "Yeah."

.

I made a tiny crack between the curtains before they open. This time, I was all in black like I just stepped into the fire and did not burn myself, only my clothes. Peeking through the crack, I spotted Kyle who was with her sister Dianne. I shifted my gaze towards the very first row where I caught sight of five lovely ladies sitting and looking excited for the curtains to finally open and to see what the show had more in store. One of the ladies I recognized to be Gabrielle Perez. Molly was right. She did come to watch us and with her boyfriend and his sisters.

He was there sitting next to her and not standing next to me. Holding her hand and not mine. Whispering to her the words "you look beautiful tonight" and not to me—

He was still, hand over her hand on the armrest, head slightly tipped down and eyes frozen on the floor whilst she busied herself talking to his sisters. I can't see his eyes very well but I can't imagine them shining like they used to be, like the color of the desert under the dangerously bright sun.

I stepped into position, closed my eyes and inhaled deeply. Slowly, the curtains opened and I was revealed as a black swan. The music drifted in. This time, it was not slow and mellow. It was a war of piano and violins, pounding and crying all together. I swallowed my fear and let the music run in my veins.