SUMMER
Summer Bennett,
Welcome to the UBC Dance Academy. We are thrilled to have you join us this year. As you might know, we are incorporating our dance classes to an event with the music program. This program brings the opportunity for young artists to get a glimpse of the music industry and the chance to have a full scholarship on their career.
We are happy to let you know you will be working with WILLOW JAMES, she is one of our best second-year students. You can choose not to participate in this event but we are hoping that you will.
Willow and you will meet today at 3pm, you can choose together if you want to join the Winter Showcase or not.
You can find the rules and conditions below this message as well as the inscription to the event.
Thank you so much,
Professor Hailey Queens.
"Ugh, I told you we shouldn't be doing this." my best friend whines for maybe the fifteenth time in the day. She's been reading her email for hours. "Who the fuck is Josie Preston anyway?"
"We're going to find out in an hour, don't worry." I chuckle. "We can choose not to participate, though."
She nods. "I don't think my mom would let us. I texted her what would happen if we did, she said both participants are disqualified."
"But why would we? We don't need the money, I feel like we're taking someone else's opportunity."
We're driving towards the Starbuck's drive thru, just making time before we have to go back to the auditorium to get to know our new 'partners' Mila's mom, aka professor Hailey Queens, told us not to be late and that she was counting on us- on her, anyway. She said she wanted us to do this but why? Neither of us need the money nor the full scholarship, it feels like we're taking advantage of something that someone else needs and we already have. It doesn't feel right.
I brush my hair away from my face as Mila takes the next turn, entering the coffee shop. "My mom said we can choose not to take the money." she shrugs. "But I don't understand why we need to do this. I really don't want to."
I press my lips together with a loud sigh. "We signed up for the dance classes. We have to do this- I mean, right?"
"We need to make a choreo on someone else's song, do you understand? We have the most important performance of our lives in a few months - we can't get distracted." she rolls down her window and places our orders- iced vanilla late for me and a strawberry milkshake for her. She pays with her credit card and then we move to the next window where they gave us our drinks. She gives me mine and starts driving to the school again.
I think about it the whole drive. Mila is right, we seriously cannot get distracted for what it's more important- the Dance Academy. If madame Daisy finds out we're slipping away, she's capable of kicking us out of the school. She doesn't care if we are who we are- she once was the greatest ballerina in the whole world and, as the tabloids like to point out, I'm just behind her to take her place. Daisy Silvers had a knee surgery that ended her professional career just at the young age of 25. She was at the top of the world and after that, she didn't give up. She opened her own dance school- that now is the best dance academy in the entire world and I'm lucky to be in it and with her as a dance instructor.
She's making sure I reach the top of the world, just like she did- do I want that? I have no idea. I only want to dance and have fun doing it.
Either way, we do have a performance in a few months- which is why Daisy doesn't let us eat sugar or anything with a lot of calories, we go to the gym every day for two or three hours, then we have dance classes for five-six more hours and then we go home. That's my life. School, training, dancing, sleep. I don't think I can add another thing such as a winter showcase into my routine. I don't have time.
Mila parks the car near the arts building where we need to be in a few minutes, we get out and start walking towards one of the benches in campus.
She sits down next to me and sighs, taking a big sip of her drink. "Hey, you never told me what happened with that girl- the one you saw outside Ocean's?"
Oh, yeah.
Remember the girl I saw inside the auditorium just a few hours ago? Well, Mila and I decided to go to Ocean's for some food and I accidentally-not actually- saw the girl from earlier going outside to make a call. I didn't mean to listen but I heard she was talking to her mom- who was asking for money, apparently. She was very upset and I don't like seeing people hurt; I grew up helping people. It doesn't matter if I didn't know you, if I saw you were upset I'd probably help you. My moms stressed a lot because of it- I would talk to strangers all the time when we were going out.
I saw this girl was about to cry and I forced myself to talk to her, just to ask her if she was okay and that gained me an ugly look and an I don't fucking care who you are. So there's that. I flinched when I heard her and she rushed inside without looking back. Maybe I deserved it- it was none of my business but I wanted to talk to her. That obviously didn't go okay. I guess a pretty face doesn't go with a kind soul, right?
"Nothing, I ask her if she was okay and she..." I shrug, wrinkling my nose. "She said she had to go. She was wearing the uniform so I guess she works there."
"Did you talk to her?" my best friend smirks.
I shake my head. "Nope." I lie, hiding my face with my hair. My friends say I don't know how to lie.
"Mhm. Liar."
"Gosh. I've been looking for you everywhere!" I raise my head at the third voice, immediately smiling when I see those crazy dark curls, emerald eyes and the golden-brown skin that I'm so familiar with.
Ava Lawson is dressed in a pink dress with a white coat above it- my best friend is the personification of pink and I absolutely adore her for it.
"Ava! Where the fuck were you? We haven't seen you in two fucking days!" Mila practically squeals and she jumps in first to hug her.
"Ugh, I know." she says, letting go of Mila to hug me. "Logan had a game and I'm having so much practice. I don't even have time to sleep." she says, wrapping her arms around me for a few seconds. "What are you doing here? Do you have classes?"
I let go of her and make room for her to sit between us. "No, we have some sort of event. I have no idea. I don't think we're doing it."
Mila nods in agreement. "We need to focus on the next performance."
"Mhm. What is it about?" Ava asks, I offer her my drink and she takes it to her lips without hesitation.
"We have to make a choreo on someone's song. I don't have time for that." I sigh, thinking about the girl who I'm about to disappoint- what if she needs the money and I'm just thinking about myself? "I don't know."
"We have to go." Mila says, looking up from her phone. I check my smartwatch saying we have ten minutes to make it to the building. "Are you doing something? Wanna come with us?"
Ava wrinkles her nose and raises a hand to her curls, brushing them away. "I can't. I told Logan I needed a ride home." Logan is Ava's twin brother, Luke's best friend and that's why it makes him my friend too- but I barely see him these days. The boys are too busy with hockey.
We say our goodbyes to our friend and start walking towards the building. My heart races in my chest at the thought that I have to let someone down- I don't like that feeling.
Mom says I'm a people pleaser and after a lot of therapy, I'm still learning to say no and think about myself instead of others. It's not easy and I know I have to say no right now, for my own good. I should absolutely kill Mila for dragging me into this. We shouldn't have applied to the dance classes in the first place.
I have no idea how I'm going to find this girl- Mila's mom said nothing about it. She just told us to come to the auditorium and... that's it. Okay, we're here. Now what? People begin to enter the room, eyes going everywhere as they search for their partners but I'm pretty sure they don't even know who are they looking for.
The place was packed this morning- people were everywhere but now there's less than thirty people in this place. Which makes me kind of sad. How many people decided not to participate just because they had to work with ballerinas?
"So, which one's your girl?" Mila questions, looking around for someone who we don't even know. "I got Josie Preston."
"Willow James." I taste the name on my lips. That's a pretty name. "I have no idea who she is."
Mila's eyes widen and her lips turn into a smirk. "Oh, look. There's the girl from today."
I follow her gaze and- Yup, there she is. The girl who basically told me to go fuck myself just a few hours ago. She hasn't seen me yet and I'm hoping she doesn't recognize me, it's going to be so awkward if she does. I shouldn't have talked to her in the first place.
"Yeah, we shouldn't bother her." I raise a hand to brush my hair away from my face. "Did your mom say how are we doing this?"
She shakes her head. "I have no ide- why are those girls looking at us?"
I turn my head again, following her gaze and landing on the girl from the grill and two more looking at us, clearly whispering about us. The pink-haired girl says something to the brunette and her eyes widen, locking with mine. She murmurs something like what the fuck and I roll my eyes, ignoring them.
"Don't pay attention to them. Let's go find your mom so we can get this over with."
Mila, nodding her head. "Forgot I was with the Summer Bennett."
"Shut up, you idiot." I elbow her gently. Mila links her arm with mine and we start walking to the stage- probably her mom is behind it, but someone stops us.
"Summer?" I hear behind us, bringing us to a stop in the middle of the room.
Mila, who was just a step behind me collides with my body when I stop abruptly. "Ouch." she says when her chest meets my back.
"Sorry." I whisper, wrinkling my nose and we both turn around to the girl- girls who were just whispering about us. "Uh... yeah?" my voice sounds shaky and I start preparing myself for the worst. I don't deal well with bullies or mean girls- whatever.
I had a lot of them in secondary school just because of who I was. They called me nerd, brat, narcissist, slut-I have no idea why- also there were a lot of dyke, fag, lesbian-which it's not an insult but they used it like it- and so much more that I've never told anyone about it.
"Are you Summer Bennett?" the girl with pink hair asks. She's pretty, she also looks nervous to talk to me but I take a step back either way.
The girl from the diner doesn't say anything but I feel those eyes on me and I feel like I'm burning.
"Yeah." I manage to say. "I'm sorry- we have to... go."
Mila nods, trying to drag me. "No, wait. You have... I'm... You're... Summer..." her cheeks turn the exact shade of her hair and I repress a smile.
"You're my partner for the winter showcase." another voice announces and I look up at her.
Oh, shit.
I look my eyes with the prettiest jade-green eyes I've ever seen in my life and I actually feel the way my heart stops beating for a moment- the girl from the bar is absolutely gorgeous up close. I knew that, of course but she's standing right here and she doesn't look upset anymore. She seems... worried and it makes my heart squeeze in my chest.
"Oh?" it's what comes out of my mouth.
Mila shakes my arm softly, probably telling me to react and that I should be happy about this. Am I happy about this? No. This girl insulted me in the face just because I wanted to ask if she was okay.
Rejecting her it's going to be a lot easier than I expected.
"I, uh... I'm Willow. Willow James." her voice softens and she offers me her hand, I follow the movement with my eyes until it reaches me. "Can we...? We should talk."
I don't take her hand, shaking my head. "We should, because I'm not doing this."
"What?" the three of them ask at the same time, eyes widening at my words. "What do you mean you're not doing it?" The girl- Willow asks. As sweet as her voice is, I can't back down.
"We can't." Mila says. "We don't have time."
"What's your name?" the redhead asks my friend, eyes shining with something I can't name.
"Mila Queens."
Her mouth curves into a big smile and she opens her arms to hug my friend, making us both stumble backwards and I let go of her arm so we don't fall to the floor. "What is happening?" I ask, watching them both hug like they've been best friends forever.
"Mila is Josie's partner. She didn't want to participate but- Summer... can we talk? Please?" Willow begs and I turn my gaze to her again. Her eyes soften, pleading me for a chance to talk.
"I seriously can't do this." I chew the inside of my cheek. "It's not that I don't want to-" okay, I don't. "I don't have time."
Her friend, the one with pink hair, groans and rubs her face with both hands. "Then why would you even sign up for the showcase?"
I frown, parting my lips to give her an answer but my best friend beats me to it. "Hey, watch your tone. We signed up for the dance classes not- whatever this is." she gestures the room with her hands and a frown on her face.
I see Willow shaking her head from the corner of my eyes. She's holding her hands together and breathing heavy, I notice the way her chest raises and falls- probably anxiety. I know what it's like to have it and I sigh loudly, taking pity of her. I don't like seeing people hurt.
"Maya, it's fine." her voice shakes, her gaze slowly turns to me and those green eyes are shining with... fear. "Summer, please. Can we talk? Five minutes."
I sigh, my chest feeling heavy because deep down I know this is not going to end well. "Five minutes, I'm not changing my mind."
"We don't have time, Sunny." Mila insists next to me.
"Just go find your m- professor Queens and let her know- I'll be right behind you." I promise.
Willow starts walking outside the auditorium and I follow her without saying a word, she stops in front of a tree.
Hiding her hands in her pockets, she looks down like she's gathering her thoughts. My heart speeds thinking she's probably the prettiest girl I've ever seen in my life- but that doesn't change the fact that she treated me poorly just a few hours ago. I would've never imagined that I would ended up with her as my partner in this program. I don't even know her and deep down I don't want to let her down- but I have to.
I cross my arms over my chest and raise my brows at the girl in front of me. "So, I guess now you do care who the fuck I am, right?"