Touch

chapter 28

Music plays , eyes on me I walk to the center of the stage and dance ! I can't believe I have been given this shot of a life time. All my hopes and prayers have been answered. I stand tall with my foot on my thigh and look up to the celling. Begin ! I start off with a Balançoire three times and fall into a
En croix . I hold it there then and wait for the next part of the music to play. I glanced over and the judges were writing down notes. Hopefully good ones for my sake. I peaked over their shoulders and see ......shannon? He's here ? I can't loose focus , not here not now I won't!.

I jump off my footing and into a Battement then into Cabriole . My forehead is filling with small sweat beads but I stay on tempo. I swing my hands in the air in a tight formation and then as I end my dance on my tip toes and hold it.  I continue to dance until the music ends. When it does,   I can hear a pin drop its so quiet.

My heart pounds inside my chest. Its do or die now or never . My fate in the ballet world laid in the judges hands.

I bowed and walked off the stage and waited for the final lists to be posted. I then remember, shannon is here . I swore he left just not to long ago. I sat down and had some cold water and I felt a towel being placed on my hands. I glance up and its Robert . Robert " you were great out there! ". I smiled and said " thank you I hope I nailed it ". He sat beside me and held my hand. Robert " listen, I think that we need to talk about something. I hope it doesn't upset you ". I felt my stomach get nervous.

I took a drink of my water and waited for him to speak his mind. Robert " I feel like we rushed into this a little to fast , um I should gave told you that, I'm gonna be leaving to Paris for a photo shoot and film . I'm going to be gone for around seven months. It's a documentary for the school. I'm so sorry ". I took my hand back and remained quiet for a couple of minutes. Why did it always have to be this way. Just when I like someone they either become jealous, leave me or just don't love me in return? I sure know how to pick them I guess.

Robert " please say something ". Me" I will be fine. I'm ok . Good luck with your film ". I got up and he grabbed for my hand. I just didn't wanna do it anymore. I appreciate his honesty, but I just didn't want to be in the world of love anymore. Maybe this was my karma for what had occurred with shannon. Maybe this is what I deserve.

Robert caught up to me and I said I was sorry for leaving so suddenly but I just was stressed about dancing. He understood and we hugged. It hurt though to know he wouldn't be around. I enjoyed the small time we shared. Truth, yea we were not together but the feelings he had given me were undeniable. The kiss was powerful. Oh that kiss. We parted ways and I went back into the room after catching fresh air .

Time was up and I watched as the men delivered the sheets of paper we all had been waiting for. All the girls took turns looking and then it was mine finally. I took a deep breath and scanned it from top to the bottom. I looked at the next column. And then .....there I was ! It's me ! I'm on the list ! I MADE IT ! All the hard work had paid on for this moment of pure joy. I felt tears well up in my eyes and my knees weak and shaky. I grab my mouth and say " I'm a professional ballet dancer ,me!".

A voice came from behind me and I jumped ! Shannon " I'm so proud of you ! I knew you could do it ". I turned around and saw his big smile. I felt bad for what and how I treated him. I throw my arms around him and say " thank you shannon , I appreciate it ". He hugged me and rubbed my back . I laid my head on his shoulder closing my eyes. Truth be told , he had always had faith in me . He also was the one that gave me my hearing back. If jealousy was his worst trait I could learn to help him tame it. And maybe see where this goes. I say I don't want anything to do with love , but I can't help it . I thought I had something with Robert,   but my heart always had Shannons name written all over it.

We got home and he suprised me with an unbelievable gift . He led me upstairs and told me to sit on the bed and handed me a box. I looked at his face love was written all over it. I opened it and I'm stunned its beautiful! Then it hit me ! Oh my god he is about to ask me to marry him!

And sure enough, he got on one knee and grabbed my hand and said " I'm not willing to lose you or let you have another mans lips on yours but mine. No other man will say they love you but me . I want and need forever, I want to ask you , will you marry me Juliet? ". I look at the ring as he slides it on my finger. I feel like this will be the right thing to do but what if we are rushing? Me" you sure you wanna do this? You don't think its to fast for us ?".

He kissed my lips and held the back of my neck and as he pulled away he says so quietly " I couldn't be more sure babe". His finger traced across my lips and I kiss it. Me" ok....yes !!!!". He kissed me and I'm scared. I hoped in his heart he will change and tame his jealousy and know in my heart dance especially now came first. Time would tell if he could handle it . I prayed in my heart , I wanted it to work out .

Our happy moment was interrupted by a phone call from the school. I was curious why they were calling me. I answered and a man said" hello miss Juliet , I'm calling to ask you to come in and be ready tomorrow morning 7 am. The school has a performance in one month. All new students will be taught the dance and will be performing it for the audience on opening night. The dance is from " The Nut Cracker". The practices will last from 7 am till 7pm ". He kept talking and I was lost. There was so much work to be done.

When he finished speaking I simply said " I will be therein ready for the work ". He said " good to hear ! We will see you in the morning get rest eat a healthy light breakfast and don't be nervous ".

It was hard not to be nervous I was the new dancer on the block , I had big shoes to fill . Shannon kissed my cheek and said " I love you ".

Later on as we were about to sit down to watch a movie , a knock came at the door . I wasn't expecting anyone to come by .

I got up and answered it to my suprise it was Garrett. He hugged me and then could see I had more company . Garrett " why is he here ?". Shannon " I live here ! Why are you here ?".

I stepped out of the way and went off to get all of us some drinks. Maybe that would loosen these tense little brats up . Garrett " make sure his is strong so he passes out and goes to bed ". Shannon set his down and said " why are you such a prick? You know nothing about me ". Garrett " don't test me boo boo you don't know me either ".

Shannon got pissed and said" Fuck off get out of my house ". I looked at Shannon and said " don't tell him what to do that's rude apologize ". Shannon took a drink of his drink and said " are you gonna tell him we are engaged ?". Garret spit out his drink and looked at me with wide eyes. Garrett " your gonna marry him ? You hardly know each other! ". He had a point. Shannon looked at me and said " you still want to marry me , right Juliet? ". I look at Garrett then back at shannon and at my ring. I made the right choice by saying yes to love right ?

Ballet terms used in this chapter :

Cabriole is a classical ballet term meaning "caper." In a cabriole, a dancer jumps in the air off one leg as the other is thrown upwards, as the bottom leg raises to meet and beat with the top leg.

En croix is a classical ballet term meaning "in the shape of a cross." This term is usually used in ballet class and lets a dancer know the step should be done to the front, side and then back.

Balançoire is a ballet term applied to exercises such as grande battements or degagés. When a dancer is doing a combination with balançoire, they will repeatedly swing their leg from front to back and may tilt their upper body slightly forward or backwards, opposite to the direction their leg is moving.

Battement is a classical ballet term which means "beating." When a dancing is doing battement, they are essentially closing their legs in together then opening again or the other way around, staring from a closed position to an open & back.