Valerie

24 - Val

I eyed her pointe shoes and it took me back to the thing that made me happiest.

Mable caught me looking and said, "Are you sure you don't want to dance?"

"Not yet." I said, shaking my head.

"Not yet." She said, grinning.

"Soon." I said, giving her a small smile.

"Soon!" She said, beaming.

"Soon what?" Julie asked.

"Val is going to dance again!" Mable said excitedly.

"Why did you stop?" Grace asked.

Mable gave her a look which soon let Grace know that she shouldn't have asked that.

"No it's fine. I stopped dancing because it just wasn't me anymore." This was partly the truth. "Even if I started again now, there wouldn't be a lot of point except for fun. I've probably lost all that potential anyways." I laughed nervously.

"Probably." Darius chipped in.

"Shut up." Grace snapped.

———

"Are you sure you don't want to come?" I asked, pulling a knee-high boot on.

I was wearing a short black skirt, knee-high boots and a black tube top.

"I wasn't really invited." Mable said.

"That's not his fault, he doesn't really know you. But if he did, he would definitely want you to come." I said.

"I have nothing in common with Toby." Mable grumbled.

"Toby is on the ice hockey team. Do you know who else is on the ice hockey team? Marcus."

Mable rolled her eyes.

"That's something in common." I pointed out.

"Marcus is different." She said.

"He'll be there too."

"He will?" She said hopefully.

"Yes, along with some others."

"What others?" She asked, slowly.

"Some more people from the team, a couple I don't really know... and Tom- Thomas." I corrected myself.

Mable's eyes softened. "You don't have to go-"

"I can face him. I'm very good at avoiding people. Something I learned in the last four years of my life." I added.

Mable grimaced. "Why don't you ever talk about that part of your life?"

I knew why. Deep down, she knew why too.

"It's in the past. I'm somewhere new. It's not a part of my life anymore, so why would I?"

"I don't know, because it's healthy?" Mable asked.

I laughed, but it wasn't really that funny. "People heal in different ways. This way is mine."

"I don't think you're healed, Val."

I went still. "Mable, you know I love you, but drop it. That isn't for you to decide."

She bit her lip, looking like she wanted to protest. "But-"

"I'm going now. I can't be late. It's Toby's birthday."

———

I walked up the steps of the Brooklyn Brownstone. Jesus Christ the people that went to my Uni were rich.