dancing in the stars (ballerina x singer wlw romance)

chapter twenty-two

My phone rings in my hand– yes, since I started texting a certain ballerina, I stopped using the Do Not Disturb mode. I opted just to silence my mother, that didn't stop her from texting me ten times per hour.
Checking my phone to see who it is, my heart races. Leo.

I pick up immediately. "Leo?"

"Hello, baby sis." his happy voice brings a smile to my face.

"Hi," I breathe. "What's wrong?"

He chuckles. "Nothing's wrong, I just wanted to call you. I missed you."

No, you don't. "I missed you, too. How's, uh, college and practice?"

"It's great. So great." I can hear he's in a crowded room by all the whispering behind him. "I'm about to fly home. Let's catch up, yeah?"

"What? Why? Aren't you in the middle of classes?"

"It's thanksgiving, Willow." he laughs, like it's the most obvious thing in the world. "We'll spend it together– uh, yeah. Sorry, Wills. I gotta go." that's all he says before hanging up and leaving me with million of questions in my mouth.

Well, that was definitely something. And totally, totally weird.
In my nineteen years of life, we have never, ever, celebrated thanksgiving. At least, my brother and I. My mother would always catch herself a new date that would invite her to dinner and she would leave us at the house completely alone and starving. I have absolutely nothing to be thankful for on that awful day, which is just a reminder that I have no family and my mother hates me– so why the fuck would my brother want to celebrate? Also, where? We have no house. And no money, for that matter.

I don't notice my hands shaking until I'm standing in front of the cashier, ready to order. Taking a deep breath, I tell the girl in front of me what Maya wanted– I'm suddenly not hungry anymore so I pay just for her food.
Ten minutes later, as I'm walking outside, my entire body freezes when I see them.

"Mommy, mommy! I want two cheeseburgers and a happy meal." the little girl says, jumping up and down as they get close to the front door. Both hands occupied as she grabs her moms.

"Wow, that's a lot of food." Mia says. I shouldn't listen to their conversation, but ai can't move. God, why can't I move? "Are you sure you're going to eat all that?"

The little girl with copper hair and blue eyes shakes her head at her mom. "Duh, no! One's for Gracie."

"What about Miles?" I can't help but notice the way Luna and Mia's eyes shine with love when they look and their daughter. My heart stings with pain.

"Miles is a vegetable." the little girls says without hesitation.

Her moms start laughing so hard that it brings a smile on my face, too. I chew on my bottom lip to stop it. "He's vegan, Millie. Not a vegetable."

Summer's little sister, Millie, shrugs like she doesn't hear the difference. "Same thing."

I hear someone clearing their throat behind me and I snap out of my trance. God, I'm so pathetic. Ignoring the way my chest hurts, I start walking again with my head low after I notice I wasn't the only one looking at them. The whole place is staring at them and I notice some hiding phones, probably recording the interaction. I know I shouldn't feel bad for them– they have everything I don't, but at the same time, the unpleasant feeling in my stomach appears at the thought that they have no privacy or normal life.
Maya's words had been stuck in my brain for four days now. About how Summer was practically forced to come out. I can't even imagine the damage that must caused her. I've been wanting to ask her but it's none of my business and if I tell her, she's going to ask how do I know. I don't want to make her uncomfortable. Somehow, I feel like Summer needed someone to treat her like a human being in her life, and not a celebrity.