Une Fleure Fanée

Week 9 Part 2 (Monday)

     "No, I just had a really big breakfast and I haven't been able to work it off," I lie, and I can see he doesn't believe it but nods anyway.

     I look down at my sandwich, and I almost take a bite of it before I jerk my hand away and just look at it. How dare you think of eating the sandwich, Lilliana! Shame on you for thinking that you could eat a sandwich!

     Before I know it, lunch is over and we are ordered to do the promo shoot and then some dancing stuff. First is the dancing stuff. There are a lot of girls that definitely did not audition. Ms. Gianna quickly goes over a combo and bam, we're on camera. I do all of the steps perfectly while doing my faces. It's not long, and we do multiple different sets of three people so that everybody can have something to use for their interviews.

     After that, we have one final photoshoot. It's Game Of Thrones themed. That means we are the iron throne and Ms. Abby is the queen. Since we have an even amount of people, and we need an odd amount of people, Ms. Gianna is stepping in. We are all wearing these gray leotards and matching leggings that shimmer to make us look like metal. I'm glad it isn't just the leotard.

     Ms. Abby gets set up first, a crown adorning her head and a scepter in her hands. Me and Elliana go on either side of her, squatting, turning our foot out, and crossing our right leg behind our left leg. Kamryn goes behind me and Pressley goes behind Elliana. Then Gia on my side and Sarah on her side. Hannah on mine. Ms. Gianna on hers. Brady is stepping on boxes to make him seem taller as he is in the middle. We all extend our arms for a couple of photos and keep a straight face as we take a couple of photos.

     After that, Ms. Abby wheels away, and me and Kamryn switch so we can do one of just the kids. You are so unphotogenic and ugly, Lilliana. These photos are going to look horrendous. Once we finally get out of these skin-tight costumes, we are dismissed. I immediately start to do schoolwork in the car, finishing my English by the time we get to the apartment.

     "The moms are going to do their grocery shopping. All of the kids are going to be in the rec room doing their homework. I expect you to be there too," Mom orders me and I nod in understanding.

     I drag all of my stuff to the rec room where Hannah and Elliana are already there. They wave at me while continuing their schoolwork and I sit on a fluffy chair to begin mine. I start my social studies work as all of the other kids come in.

     All of the other kids flock over Brady, asking him questions. I stay quieter, chirping in occasionally, but keeping myself a little more reserved to not annoy him. I do listen intently, however. His room number is 308, right next to Pressley's. She must be elated. I finish my schoolwork before everybody else, so I say my goodbyes and exit the room.

     I'm glad nobody asked me any questions. They may be able to conspire, but I don't think anybody has the guts to ask me. Half of me wants them to ask. Maybe I'll get help. Getting help means gaining weight, Lilliana. And you can't gain weight if you want to be a dancer.

     I make my way up to my apartment. Mom is home, thank goodness, or I'd have to wait in the lobby like a weirdo. She's watching television and on her phone, again. I set down my dance bag on the counter and I grab my pointe shoes. Might as well do some pointe since I didn't dance today. I go up and down a couple of times, do a couple of turn sequences on the pointe, and do my ballet positions. Nothing much, but it helps me whenever I do ballet.

     "Lilly? Want anything for dinner?" Mom yells through the wall.

     "No, I'm not that hungry, actually," I yell back through the wall, praying that it doesn't tick off any suspicion.

     "Alright, I'm not really in the mood to make anything right now anyway, so just get ready for your thing, okay?" she asks me and I nod.

     Today has been a slow day for the urges today. They haven't urged me to throw up what I ate, I mean, they have urged me to not eat as much as I wished today, but overall, it hasn't been a big day.

     I weigh myself. Beep. 64.4. Four-tenths of a pound lost today. Not too bad. I don't feel the overall tingle to cut my wrists. So I don't. I pick out a white blouse, a white and purple inkwell skirt, and some navy sneakers. My hair goes up into a high ponytail.

     I grab my phone, double-checking for the razor so Mom doesn't find it. I slip out of the door into the elevator. I go up to the roof and Gia and Pressley are there. They seem civil with each other, not speaking much, but not scowling.

     All the other girls and Brady come up eventually, all in their somewhat semi-formal clothes. I have no idea what we're gonna do. That is until I see a stack of cards on the table. Charades.

     We all draw random names out of a cup. The teams are Sarah and Hannah, Kamryn and Gia, Elliana and Pressley, and Brady and I. The terms are all dance moves and we have one minute to do them all. I just hope nobody gets hurt.

     Kamryn goes first. When Kamryn goes, she only gets three because she can't do some of the stuff that we've put down. Gia gets four. In total, their group gets seven. Elliana and Pressley go up next. In total, they get nine, putting them higher than Gia and Kamryn's group.

     Next, we go. I manage to get six for Brady. Then I step up. I do a backsplit, a contortion handstand, an arabesque, a pas de bourree, and an illusion turn. We get twelve points. We're now in first place above the other teams that have competed.

     In the end, we win. It's almost eight. We have to go back to our apartments. We all hug each other goodbye and I rush to my apartment, trying to interact with my friends as little as possible for fear of people asking me questions.

     I take a shower without cutting myself. The urges haven't urged me to do it. They were on the down-low today. Maybe because I didn't eat any junk food and I wasn't dancing. I put on some tye-dye pajamas, and Mom tucks me in again. But getting a forehead kiss from your mother doesn't keep the bad dreams away.

~~~~~