Camila found herself slumped outside of Emma's studio, the class inside yet to finish. Her mind was filled with puzzling thoughts about Lauren, the care she took to welcome her into the office before telling her once again she wasn't good enough to perform
It felt strange, like a tight rope was pulling within her stomach. The proximity to Lauren felt incredible, just the two of them alone in her office with nothing but the low light of her expensive gold lamps. Camila wondered in that moment if exposing her regret would have changed anything, if somewhere beneath that hard exterior laid some kind of secret button
It was a tough thought, Lauren seemed so close yet so unbelievably far, like the clasp of a bracelet that once closed could not again be opened. With the lifting of her deep brown eyes she sighed, fiddling with the band of her sock while draining her mind of thought
It only took another five or so minutes for the class to empty, tall legs strolling past her as if not existing at all. When the last person left she decided to stand, nibbling her lower lip before walking calmly through the open door
Emma had noticed the girl instantly, walking across the room with a timid smile "Camila! You really came back?" she bellowed, tightening the knot of her pony tail "Come in, close the door!"
Camila sniffled and wiped at her nose as she dumped the grey duffel bag into the floor beside the door "I feel better now" she admit "Just a blip" her voice spoke quietly, clearly having poured her heart out to someone given the exhausted look across her face "Why did you wanna see me anyway?"
Emma clapped her hands together excitedly "I wanted to show you the routine!" Her long legs almost ran toward the stereo, turning the volume down before training her look back against the younger "For the show! I was briefed on it last night and well, it's pretty cool!"
Camila widened her eyes for a moment before retracing her joy to the revelation she'd made a few moments prior in Lauren's office "What?" Emma asked "You're not excited?"
The girl shrugged, looking around the room as if trying to distract her own emotions "I was, then I wasn't, now? Now I'm not" she explained "I found out that Lauren's mom only wanted me to be in the show to make her look stupid" she laughed lowly with a palm moving portions of her hair from her cheek "It's like inviting that one loser girl to your party just to have something to laugh at"
Camila sank to the floor against the wall with arms draped lazily over her knees. The back of her head resting against the cold brick while Emma furrowed a brow and paced forwards "I don't understand?" She began "Where did you hear that Camila?"
"Her own mouth" she laughed again "She ambushed me before class"
Emma finally muddled the puzzle pieces together and sighed "That's why you were angry earlier huh?" She questioned "When I kicked you out?"
The girl nodded and smiled weakly "Something like that"
Emma bent down onto the balls of her feet and rested a gentle hand over the girl's knee "I would have understood if you told me Camila?" She spoke softly "You got really worked up, we could have talked about it?"
"Talked about it?" The girl called out, her face screwing up in agony "What, about how even when I try to do the right thing I'm still being taken advantage of?" She hummed "Or about how nobody believes in my ability enough to just say yeah, she's great! She deserves that spot!"
"You do!" Emma interjected "Camila, a hard life lesson to learn is that it doesn't matter what motives put you on that stage, it's the performance you give that defines your character!" She spoke passionately "Who gives a shit if you paid to have that spot? The show you put on is what counts, it's the thing people talk about and remember, not how you happened to be there!"
Camila swallowed and pointed towards the opposite end of the room, the same direction of Lauren's office "Even her" she sobbed "She doesn't want me up there with her, when will I be good enough?"
Emma pulled the girl into a hug as she broke down into floods of tears "I can assure you, that woman thinks you are incredible Camila!" Her sweet tone projected "I know you won't believe it because like you, she's a fucking nightmare when it comes to emotions! But she does!"
Camila laughed finally, pulling out of the hug to wipe her cheeks "I'm serious Camila, this show is your chance to prove all of those people wrong? Even Lauren in a way, although I can almost guarantee she's fully aware of the fame you will receive after!"
The girl shook her head "I doubt it" she mumbled "They'll be looking at her, she's incredible!"
Emma shrugged and stood to her feet with a smile "I'd put money on it being an even split! You're both gorgeous!" She explained, grabbing for the girl's hand to pull her onto her feet "Come on, let's get on with this!"
"What does the routine even look like?" Camila groaned with a smile "I'm not doing anything fast I swear, I'll fall flat on my face!"
Emma laughed and winked back "Oh trust me! The only people falling on their faces will be the front row when they catch a glimpse of this!" She began, walking towards the stereo to press play on the chosen song Shut Up and Listen by Nicholas Bonnin and Angelicca
Camila widened her mouth and laughed back in shock "Wait" Emma nodded back with a smug grin in response "It's sexy?"
"Come on, let me show you!" Replied Emma, grabbing the younger's hand to drag her into the centre of the empty room "Follow me!"
•••
Tight branches of tedious energy slid their way through the academy as all within its grounds worked tirelessly to rehearse for the up and coming show. Camila and Emma practiced for hours while Lauren and Dinah did the same. The majority of the cast replayed their numbers over and over, the stand in dancers watching in awe
Zach couldn't bare simply watching, he wanted to dance and finally be a part of the show. Right now his dream seemed farther than it did when he didn't have a part at all! He sat beside the mirror and watched on as Eva, the girl giving him problems flaunted her lacy blonde hair across the studio. He sighed, fiddled with his thumbs and accepted the snarling stare she offered him between tracks
"Hey guys? Could we get a turn?" Asked another stand in "We haven't been able to rehearse in like an hour?"
Eva rolled her eyes and scoffed in Zach's direction despite the words belonging to another, her velvety soft skin glistening with sweat as she paced closer to the group "I really don't see the point" she sniggered "It's not like any of us are actually going to bail on the show!"
Zach huffed under his breath and stood with help from his palms "It's called precaution" he mumbled with a bout of confidence "Like Miss J said, last year they were down on dancers with no one to replace them!"
Eva cocked a brow and walked further towards the boy as he rearranged the locks of hair upon his head, the dancers behind now talking amongst themselves "Even if someone does get sick, you're the last in line to replace them! There was a reason you wasn't picked for the cast, Zach!"
The boy clamped his jaw and furrowed his brows, ignoring Dinah and Fallon now to have entered the room to check in on the group behind "What is your problem with me huh?" He asked boldly "Why is it that you hate me all of a sudden? Hate yourself?"
Eva moved forwards and grabbed the boy by his shirt, slamming him back into the mirror with a bang that went unnoticed by the bodies behind, their talking and laughing so loud the noise had fell to absence "My problem is that you're an annoying little swine! You don't belong in this group and you don't belong in this academy!"
Before the boy could react however, a stray hand slid between himself and Eva to push the girl away "What the fuck did you just say?" Spat Camila with grit, walking in on Eva who paced back in response "Well? Say it again big mouth! I'm listening!"
Zach couldn't believe his luck, just as he was about to break down and give in to the bully, his saviour Camila bombarded the studio and saved the day, albeit in a confrontational fashion "I wasn't talking to you!" Eva spat
Camila laughed "Well I'm talking to you bitch?" Her vicious tone hissed, alerting Fallon and Dinah to cast eyes across the front of the room. Both made sure to work their way through the crowds at Camila's hostile voice, wanting nothing less than an altercation when Lauren was only second away "Come on? You're so fucking brave yelling at someone younger than you! Spit it out!"
Eva furrowed her brows and clenched her fists, noticed by Camila and her absurdly observant eyes almost immediately "Try it!" She grunted, walking further in on the girl until they were almost toe to toe "Girls, break it up come on!" Spoke Fallon as she approached the side of the conflict "Camila, walk away!" Joined Dinah
The room surrounding was silent, watching the pair with mumbling whispers. Fallon could see the rage spiralling within the girl defending her new best friend, she tried to grab her shoulder but stumbled back when the girl stood as strong as rock
"Fucking say it again!" Camila hissed, ignoring the sound of the door clicking behind her as yet another body entered in "I'm not joking! I'll make sure you never dance again you entitled little bitch!"
"Camila no!" Fallon tried to mediate "Just walk away!"
"Yeah?" Eva giggled "Go on then! You don't have the metal! Anger issues!"
Camila went to lift her fist in response, her rage running through the barrier of control that led her into an outburst the woman behind strategically stopped, it was Lauren, wrapping her arms around the girl'chest to contain her arms as she walked her screaming out of the room in less than a second
Fallon and Dinah restrained Eva too, making sure she wouldn't follow nor further antagonise. Lauren made sure not to let go of the girl as they made ways to her office, the palms of her hands now cleverly wrapped around the girl's wrists from behind "Relax or I'll keep you like this all day!" The woman snapped as she slammed the office door closed with her heel "I'm stronger than you and you know it!"
"Get off of me!" Camila grunted "I'm calm!"
Lauren reluctantly let go of the girl's limbs and walked towards her desk to lean upon the front with folded arms "I have warned you about fighting Camila!"
"Yeah well, she deserved it! Taunting Zach like the fucking bully she is!"
"Watch your mouth in my office!" Lauren hissed back "I know you're able to talk properly so why not tell me what happened without the drama!"
Camila grunted and rolled her eyes "She told Zach he didn't belong in her group nor the academy! It pissed- it made me angry!"
Lauren cocked a brow "Thank you" she began, turning to grab for her phone "So you decided to what? Knock her jaw half way across the room?" She continued, staring down into her phone while the girl was left to glance at the top of her head
"Well I would have if you didn't come in and cuddle me like a toddler!" The girl was clearly angry at Eva more than Lauren, in fact, she almost enjoyed the close proximity to the elder and in a way wanted to run back just to feel it once more "Zach doesn't deserve to be spoken to like that! It's his dream to be in the show, he's sensitive and that bratty little bitch ruined it!"
Lauren softened her brows and sighed "I took you out of a situation that could have got you hurt Camila, a fight is never easy on even the toughest of bodies" she explained "Plus, I understand how exhausting conflict is, despise me for removing you but I'd advise instead thanking me for excusing you the energy"
Camila rolled her eyes gently and sighed "Fine, thanks" she mumbled "It still doesn't solve Zach's feelings being hurt though, it's not fair!"
"You think hitting her would have suddenly made him feel better?" Lauren chuckled with a shaking head, typing a text into her phone as she continued "Trust me, it doesn't work like that! You just get the sense of justice while he cries into his pillow! Not everyone had the fire you do!"
Before Camila could speak another word however, the sound of the door opening forced her to turn around with a gasp "What the fuck!"
She grunted "Why is she-
Lauren interrupted the girl with the loud clicking of her fingers, pointing behind her desk to direct the girl temporarily into her chair "Keep your mouth shut and sit!" Camila screwed up her face and stormed behind Lauren's body while Eva stood in the centre of the room with Fallon strategically holding the top of her arm
"You can wipe that dirty smirk off of your face baby girl!" Lauren rasped with a dominating sarcasm, Camila instantly sank further into the chair with a giggle, biting her tongue when Lauren shot her emerald orbs around to face her with bite "Behave!"
She turned back and stood from the desk to approach the red cheeked girl in the middle of the room "I'm not sure who you take me for Eva, but I can assure you, bullying is not something I tolerate in this academy!" She began "I am disgusted by the way you treat your fellow student! Outraged actually, the audacity to stand in my studio belittling my dancers like you own the place?"
Camila felt a blush run over her cheeks at the tone of Lauren's voice "I gave you an opportunity to be in my show, to prove to the world that you deserve to be seen!" She hissed, evidently getting angrier by the second "You had the fucking nerve to throw it back in my face!"
"Miss J I'm sorry-
"Shut up!" She growled "You're done! I advise you go back to your room and take a long hard think about what led to your replacement!"
Fallon smirked back and lowered her head, noticing Camila to be loving every moment of the interaction "Zach is a sweet boy with buckets of talent! He'll look incredible in your place!" Lauren spat before waving her hand towards the door "Get her out of my office!"
Fallon dragged the girl from the room and shut the door swiftly behind "Damn" Camila chuckled, shivering when an angry Lauren turned around to face her "You fucked her up!"
"That is what justice should feel like Camila! Bully is cut and the victim is rewarded! You best go and tell your little friend he has some rehearsing to do!" She spoke bluntly, grabbing for her bottle of vodka while the younger sprinted towards the door
"Yes! Fuck, thanks!" She squealed "That's amazing!"
"Wait!" The woman called out in a stern tone that paused the girl in her stride "No more fighting Camila! My sympathy will only last for so long!"
"Yeah yeah whatever!" The girl beamed, storming out of the room to go and find her friend