my ballerina: Jaden hossler

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"Grand jette, grand jette, glesard, padasha, change, change, change and smilee" my dance teacher, ms Jenny,  called out to me "well done Laina, just sharpen your feet and don't forget to smile" she clapped out the last part out "Thanks ms" I said "see you tomorrow little ballerina" she called walking out of the studio.

I collapsed on the ground ripping of my point shoes. "Ugh sweet relief  I sighed taking the second one off. 

I walked out and into the locker room point shoes in my hand. I got to my locker number 3 opened it and took out my stretchers.

I sat down on the ground and stretched out my tight muscles. I put tiger balm on my achilles, all my friends tell me that it smells rotten but it smells like home for me, well it's what the dance studio smells like so yeah home.

I get up and change into a pair of food stained black sweatpants  and a baggy pink hoodie on. I smiled as I pulled out my "after dance" socks, they're pink thermal socks and they are undoubtedly the most comfortable socks I own.

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"Bye jean" I called to the receptionist "bye Laina" she waved to me. The cold hit me like a bus as I got out the door. It was really windy and looked like it was cloudy because I couldn't see the stars.

I walked to the nearest bus stop and got on the first bus that I saw was going to Santa barbra. (It's a real place (:) 

I looked down at my phone, it was half 9 already witch means I won't get home till 10:30 but at least I'll have time to do school.

I opened my bag and took out my laptop and Romeo and Juliet and started writing out notes and descriptions and predictions, and reasons and everything inbetween. "Santa barbra" the driver called "me, me that's me" I called shoving my stuff in my bag and running of "seeya tomorrow laina" the driver called as the doors closed behind me. 

Now a ten minute walk home. And yes me and the bus driver know eachother, because I get on at the same 7:00 am every morning and get off at the studio at 10 past 8 then back on at 9:20 and off for the last time at 10:30, day in day out, except for weekends, I get the 12 o'clock bus with a diffrent driver and off at 12:10 then get to go home at 7:20.

It might be extreme to wake up at 5am and go to sleep at 12 but it works and I'd do anything for dance, it's my life. I've been doing ballet since I was 3 and now I'm eighteen so 15 years. 

I would say I get good grades but I only get B's and high C's, I could count on one hand how many times I've gotten an A. Twice, once in English and and a miss mark in science I was only supposed to get a b+ so really once. 

I get to my gate and put in the code 2259. It creaks open and I go through it as soon as I can fit. 

I'm not gonna lie I do have a big house because my moms a lawyer, my dad well he isn't here anymore he left to grit milk when I was 10 and never came back but my grandfather died but in his will he gave my mom everything he owned, including this house and all his money so it's really never been tight for us.

Now don't go thinking, this bitch is a prude and her only personality trait is being rich, I've never been handed anything, my first five pairs of point shoes I bought myself (their a couple hundred a pair for bad ones) after that the ballet company I'm with gives us free ones, the costs for the ballet company I pay 2/3 of the cost, I don't have a car, hence being besties with my bus driver.

I pull out my keys from my bag and quietly unlock the door. I walked into the kitchen where my Labrador Harley was fast asleep in her bed. I walked to the fridge to get somthing to eat. Will I have lasagna leftovers from I'm guessing was tonight's dinner or the healthy salad that I have made.

I grabbed the lasagna out of the fridge and put it in the microwave. I turned my back on it and leaned on the island. "Make it out west, shake it out west" I mumbled scrolling through instagram. 

@ sway house 

We have a challenge for you guys. Using the hashtag #swaytalents post a video of one of yours, there will be one lucky winner who we will fly out from wherever you  are in the world with a friend to come and teach us your talent as best you can with a "performance" at the end. good luck

Comments 

User: I don't have any talents :'( 

User1: if I don't get this imma be mad 

Brycehall: I'll be judging 

User2: ^ not to hard I hope 

User3: when they think their doing something 

Lainawoods: I actually might do this one 

User4: eugh they look well themselves in this picture 

JadenHossler: peep the early ones 

Load more 

I know I'm not going to get it but it'll be fun. I'm not going to do it now I'm looking forward to this lasagna too much 

Bing

My phone went off but before I opened it to see who it was I heard the front door and someone desperately trying to quietly run to the kitchen "Laina" I heard them whisper shout "Alex" I whisper shouted back 

Alex is my cousin/ best friend, they are 20, they live across the road from me, they're the one who made my mom bring me to my first ever ballet class with them because they were scared. Alex is non-binary so they use they/them pronouns, they've only been using them for 7months publically but I've known to use them since 4 years ago, it's just the best friend privilege. 

"Did you see the post" Alex whispered to me 

Bing

The microwave popped open "the swayla one?" I asked burning myself on the hot plate "yeah, you gotta enter" they answered getting two forks out of the drawer and sitting on the bar stools with me 

"I already was," I laughed at how alike we are "who were you thing of bringing" they said taking a bite only slightly implying what they wanted to hear "oh maybe Sarah, or Luke" I named two of my ballet friends "oh cool" Alex dug the fork into the lasagna 

I know they've been wanting to see them since they saw them at the lights out tour "kidding doofus, you" I laughed at them almost chocking on my lasagna "thank you thank you, thank you" Alex hugged me really tight "I'll see you tomorrow then, bye" they walked out and back to their house