Anesthesia

[36]

2 DAYS BEFORE THE PERFORMANCE

"What are you doing?"

Buzz stood there silently as he saw Agnes pick all her stuff and dump them in her bag. Her face was ceased with tension and she was intentionally not showing Buzz her eyes but limping around, wincing at this pain silently.

"What are you doing?" Buzz asked again.

"I thought you weren't blind anymore." Her voice seemed bitter, more serious than a playful, sarcastic one and Buzz could sense that something was wrong.

"Yeah well, I thought you weren't insane anymore. Would you mind telling me that the hell are you doing?" He snapped and immediately, she froze, biting her lip. Soon, her dropped her bag and turned around to face him.

"I'm done." She murmured. Buzz's eyebrows ceased with confusion and she continued, "Emilia- she came to know that I'm hanging out with you and she told mom everything. She told her that I was dancing privately and that I will be doing ballet on stage." She finishing, she bit her lip and pressed her eyes shut.

"So?" He shrugged.

Her eyes flew open at this response. "'So?'" She exclaimed. "Buzz, this is serious. She found out and she yelled at me. She-she forced me to withdraw the competition and I-I had no choice-"

"So you listened to her." He said.

"Well, what else was I supposed to do? She's my mom!" She sputtered helplessly, tears erupting from the back of her mind.

Buzz walked over to her directly until they were inches away and he could feel her warm breath against his face. "Did you ever bother to tell your mom how much ballet means to you?" She looked down at her toes burying themselves in her shoes and gave no answer. "Agnes, this is what you want. So you are going to perform."

"Buzz-" She started to shake her head when Buzz's eyes fell on her bandage and the next thing she knew was that he was down on one knee, his hands fumbling with the thin fabric around her small ankle until her bare knee was exposed, revealing a big, reddish-maroon bruise plastered on her ankle.

He stood up and faced her, who did not hesitate to look at him in the eye and could see multiple feelings sparkling in them. "You won't be needing the bandage. You will dance, and you will dance with this." He nodded towards her bare ankle as cool air stroked her bruise. She couldn't get her eyes off him.

"You know what, you don't need to be flawless to be special. You just have to show them what you can do." A bright feelings beamed inside her heart. What if she can do this? What if her mother would forgive her when she showed the things which were unsaid.

"It might sound really insane but, you're a kind of a butterfly who doesn't need wings to fly."