STAY TRUE TO YOUR WORD? | KAVETHAM

CHAPTER 1

‘One, two, three, four! Keep your rhythm, and don’t tense those shoulders.’

Kaveh squints into the glass in front of him, just tall enough to glance through without going on his tip-toes. Within the glass, was a handful of young girls, dancing gracefully and what seemed without fault stretched out their legs and arms. The teacher amongst them applauds them, before dismissing them to do their warm-ups again and leaving the classroom. Kaveh’s mother gently taps his shoulder, startling him and backing up, not knowing that he would bump into the teacher he saw earlier just moments later.

‘Oof-’ he gasps, hastily turning around. He looks up, seeing that the teacher was looking back at him with a soft expression on her face. Kaveh runs shyly behind his mother, and tugs lightly on her sleeve.

‘Ah, I apologise for scaring you..’ her voice was just as soft as her face. ‘Good evening, Mrs. Faranak. Good work today - is this your son? May I ask his name and age?’ 

Kaveh’s mother smiles back at the teacher, and brings Kaveh forward.

‘That’s no way to react when meeting someone new, Kaveh. Come say hi to her. It is indeed my son. He’s still 12 years old, but he’s in really good shape for his age.’

The teacher nods at her approvingly, and then looks back at Kaveh.

‘Kaveh, I did see you looking at our window just earlier. It looks like it’s your first time here. Do you have an interest in ballet?’

Ballet. That was the name.

He nodded timidly, but the passion in his scarlet eyes expressed more. 

‘Well, that’s really nice to know, dear! How about this, why don’t you come into my studio with the other girls, and get a taste of what the ballet classes are like here. Does that sound good?’ 

This time, Kaveh nods more confidently, then rushes into the classroom. Some girls flinch in sudden fright after the boy enters, which is then followed by whispers. Ignoring the others around him, Kaveh sighs excitedly at the sight of the spacious classroom, with a pristine mirror plastered on one of the walls, supported by a metal hole in which the students can grab onto for support. 

‘Oh, sorry for barging in like that…’

Silence is only received as a response. Then an outburst of all the girls complimenting and approaching little Kaveh. 

‘You look so cute!’ ‘Your hair is so gorgeously golden!’ ‘Your hairclips match your eyes, that’s adorable!!’ 

Unused to such compliments, Kaveh merely replies with a simple ‘Thank you’. As soon as any more flattery could be thrown at him, the teacher comes in to save Kaveh’s heart, clapping her hands to get their attention.

‘I believe you’ve all seen our new member of the class, Kaveh. Please treat him well and work hard together, now that you have a boy in your class!’ the room erupts in a welcoming applause for Kaveh, who blushes profusely. 

Kaveh is finally introduced into his first ballet lesson, and seems to miraculously know all the basics - possibly due to his impressive level of physical flexibility.

‘New boy, you know you’re already really good at this! You should’ve joined us earlier. It would’ve lightened up the mood here a lot more, if I’m being honest.’ a girl, slightly older than Kaveh whispers to him. As he looks back, he sees that it was a girl who he was familiar with from before; someone that had recently left his own school for middle school. It was Candace, who the boy saw as an influence and caring figure, although they had never talked to each other. She sees that he was looking back at her, and responds with a large grin and a thumbs up. 

‘Good work today, new boy. You’ve put a good impression on yourself today! Here’s a cloth and some cooling products here. You can go to the bathroom with them now; and don’t bother giving them back. It’s my welcoming gift to you.’ Candace firmly pats him on the back, pressing the items against Kaveh’s dampened chest.

‘Thank you, Candace.’ 

The young girl laughs, flailing her hand. 

‘No need to be so polite to me. I feel old by you just talking to me that way. The bathroom is just by the left down there if you’re about to ask.’

She can see right through me…

Kaveh thanks her again instinctively, walking to the bathroom awkwardly, trying not to drop any of the products. 

As he entered, he saw that there was already another boy in there, one that he hadn’t seen before. Minding his own business, Kaveh wobbly places all the items next to the sink. The sound of the glass product being placed seemed to catch his attention, raising his head from the towel. He looks at Kaveh with a dull glare, then shoving his face back into his towel.

‘Are you in the ballet class?’ the boy asks, muffled by the towel.

'That's right…' Kaveh replies, feeling the air between them tense.

The other boy peeks slightly from his towel, then mutters something under his breath.

'Excuse me? Did you say something?' he tries not to big himself up.

'Sorry, I forgot that you were in the ballet class - you guys are a lot more fragile to talk to.' 

Kaveh feels something inside him shatter, almost foreshadowing the boy's somewhat correct statement. He rolls his eyes and turns to the mirror to clean himself up with Candace's gifts.

'Are those yours?' the boy chirps in again. Kaveh nods frustratedly, trying to understand how to use the cooling product.

'One of the girls gave it to me. It shouldn't concern you-'

'You're not using and holding it right.' 

'Well, it's my first time using it, so I don't have to pick it up so quickly.'

The other boy removes the can out of his grasp, then shakes it thoroughly and opens its cap.

'Come closer.' 

Kaveh blinks confused, but does as he says. The other boy sprays him on the back, making Kaveh shudder from the sudden hit of coldness from his back to neck.

'Now give me your towel.'

The towel is handed to him without another word. The boy pats him gently with the towel, giving moments to the cooling spray to absorb into Kaveh's skin. 

Kaveh himself begins to wonder to himself about the way the boy spoke, compared to the way he treats him; and they've just met.

'What's your name, and how old are you?' Kaveh asks, to break the awkward silence between them.

'Alhaitham. I'm going to turn 12 soon.' He answers instantly. Kaveh is taken slightly aback, not knowing that he was older than this boy.

'Well… it's nice to meet you, Alhaitham.'

'Same to you, Ballet Boy.'

Kaveh scoffs, as he snatches back his belongings from Alhaitham. 

'We just met barely minutes ago, and you're already giving me names?'

Alhaitham lets out a small giggle, and exhales softly. 

'Well, you're the only boy who does ballet, right? And you're a funny guy, so it'd be hard not to call you a nickname.'

'It's Kaveh, to you. I'm older than you, so at least respect that.'

'Alright, Senior Ballet Boy it is.' 

'Eh-' as soon as Kaveh could continue bantering, Alhaitham bows his head before leaving at an instant. 

He really has some attitude built up in him, huh. 

Kaveh rewinds the moment in which Alhaitham was helping him cool down, spraying and drying up for him. His touch felt so tender, and familiar to him.

His way of words may not be as pleasing, but his actions contradict that. What a weird boy. Is that what all the people in the boxing class are like…? Urgh, I hope not.

Kaveh adjusts his hairclips and looks at himself through the mirror once more, before leaving the washroom and getting ready to leave for the day.