Juilliard or Else (17 page)

Me:
Sorry

Tucker:
Stop saying sorry. It's not your fault. I liked having you close to me

My insides were on fire. I liked being with him, too. I couldn't tell him that yet, though. My phone chimed again.

Tucker:
When do I get to see you again, baby girl?

Me:
I don't know. Rachel is cooking dinner. You wanna come over?

I waited, really hoping he didn't think I was being too needy or anything. I really did want to see him again.

Tucker:
Wish I could, but can't

Me:
Oh, okay.

Tucker:
Don't be so sad

Me:
I'm not sad :)

Tucker:
Hahaha…Now I get a smiley face? Is Jett still there?

Me:
Yes, he's outside with Jade

Tucker:
Wish I was with you right now.

I stared at my screen for the longest time. He wished he was with me right now. I wanted to jump up and down from reading that little sentence. I'm sure my face was bright red as my cheeks creased clear up to my ears from my smile. So I took a chance.

Me:
I wish you were here, too :)

Tucker:
Oh, miss me do ya?

Me:
Maybe

Tucker:
Yes or no…there's no inbetweenie

Me:
Inbetweenie? Is that even a word?

Tucker:
Yep, right between a yes and no

I barked out laughing and smiled like an idiot at my phone when Rachel came out of the kitchen.

"What's funny?" she asked while pointing the spatula at me.

"Inbetweenie," I giggled with a smile.

Rachel just shook her head and went back into the kitchen. We texted back and forth for a little bit, but when I sent my last message, he didn't text me back right away.

To help get my mind off my phone, I decided to help Rachel in the kitchen. Slicing up peppers, she roasted some chicken and we steamed some rice. I kept checking my phone, waiting. Nothing came again that night as we ate dinner. Nothing came as I helped clean up the dining room. Nothing came as Jett and Jade curled up on the couch and started the movie,
Chuckie
. What was with them and scary movies? I would never understand it. I checked my phone again before I hit the bathroom to get ready for bed.

Still nothing.

Tucker's lips were soft against mine as I tangled my fingers at the nape of his neck and then entwined them through his hair. His tongue caressed mine as he possessed my mouth in soft slow strokes. His tongue rubbed on the roof of my mouth, sending the strongest shivers through my body. I sucked in his bottom lip as he growled deeply in my mouth.

Now we were lying on the couch with Tucker on top of me, his thumbs tracing my cheekbones, brushing my hair off my neck. He broke our kiss and moved down behind my ear, causing me to moan and arch my hips forward to grind against him like on the dance floor at the club. His hand made its way down to cup my breast firmly as his hips put pressure down on my sensitive area. My hands found their way back into his hair, but he grabbed them and pinned them above my head, grinding hard in between my legs.

Tucker's lips were now on my collarbone, lightly biting me as he pulled my tank top strap down to softly kiss my shoulder. Moving across my chest to the other side, my nipples tightened and my toes curled at the sensation of his lips moving carelessly across my scorching skin. Excitement fluttered around in my stomach as he pulled my shirt down and moved lower on my chest.

My pelvis went upward as a hot, needy feeling started to make me quake at his desire for my body. Tucker came back and attacked my mouth in a hungry mode. I moaned as he growled in my mouth, his hips pushing down and grinding so hard against me.

Something was happening; as he pushed more and more, it became the most pleasurable feeling I had ever felt. He pulled back to look into my eyes, his eyes such a beautiful blue that sparkled. He bit his lower lip while pushing against me again, making me cry out as his forehead landed on mine and I started to combust. At the same time, a loud, obnoxious beeping sound was going off in the distance.

BEEP. BEEP. BEEP.

My eyes opened at a snail's pace.
Are you serious?
I groaned, but I didn't shut my alarm off right away, and that resulted with Rachel barging into my room to slam her fist on it to shut it off like she always did when it would wake her.

"Your clock is super annoying," Rachel huffed, tossing a pillow on my face. I left it there, because the coldness on my hot face was so refreshing from my dream.

Wow, what a rush.

If a dream felt that good, I couldn't even imagine what the real thing would feel like. A dead knock sounded on my bedroom door and a very dawdling Jade walked in, landing on my bed face first.

Her black as night hair feathered around her head as she mumbled "I don't want to go to school," into my comforter.

I yawned. "It won't be that bad," I grumbled in my tired voice that croaked like a frog.

"It's gonna suck."

Rachel came back in and smacked Jade right on her butt, causing her to yelp and jump off my bed.

"Get up, lazy." Jade tossed over her shoulder at me before she left my room.

I dressed in my black leotard and black stockings, then pulled on sweats with flat shoes. I got myself ready in ten minutes – pretty good for the first day of school. My hair was slicked back into the bun and when I came out of the bathroom, Jade rolled her eyes. I knew she hated my bun, but I had to wear it back. Rachel made coffee and bagels and then we were off to school.

"I have to wear it like this."

Jade rolled her eyes. "Whatever."

Michael had a cab waiting for us, but since we lived down the street, we opted to walk instead. We made small talk about the weekend; Rachel spilled her guts about her one nighter with Brad, and her face was red as she told us every detail. I think my face flamed up as well.

"I don't think we'll go any further than that, though."

"Can you go any further than that?" Jade snickered while I giggled.

"Shut up! You know, we won't carry on a relationship. What happened Friday was it. We have…"

"Nothing in common," Jade and I both said at the same time.

Jade quickly changed the subject. "You excited for your class, Gabs?"

I thought about it and supposed that other than being bat crazy nervous, I was a little excited. "I guess. Nervous is more like it."

"I know, my orchestra teacher told us that we will be playing your first ballet in a month," Jade told me.

"What are you practicing?"

"He didn't say. I'm sure we'll find out today, though."

Jade played the cello, but she explained that she would never practice at our place and if she were gone, she'd be at her parents practicing and we weren't allowed to come over.

"How are things with Tucker, Gabs? Brad told me Tucker can't stop talking about you," Rachel giggled at me and Jade gave her a playful push. I felt my face get warm as I gripped my strap to my gym bag.

"Leave her alone," Jade defended me.

"It's fine, we get along great so far. I like him," I nodded, smiling.

Tucker, oh goodness. Just thinking about his lips against mine made me want to skip school and find him to finish that wonderful dream that I was having.

Since we lived just down the street, it wasn't that far of a walk. We didn't have any classes together. Rachel was on one side of the building for acting classes, Jade was on another side with orchestra, and I was in the middle for ballet. We split up and of course, in the process of trying to find my first class, I got lost. I even asked people that were walking in the opposite direction where the ballet room was and they all ignored me. My sense of direction was terrible. If you told me to walk in a straight line while chewing gum, I would choke on my gum and possibly fall over my own feet.

The last bell rung. Running down a long hallway with my ballet bag slung over my shoulder and my class schedule in my other hand, I hoped I was at least headed in the right direction. I was watching the numbers on the doors so I wouldn't pass it. Right when I looked down, the door came up a lot faster than I thought.

I slid on the floor in my flat shoes, balancing myself with my arms, trying to stop myself, but I fell on my butt with my ballet bag hitting me right smack in the face. I bolted upright off the floor as fast as my body would go, getting dizzy in the process. When I crossed the threshold of homeroom, every girl at the barre was staring at me, including my new teacher.

"Look who decided to cause a ruckus and join us with her presence."

My eyes met the lady at the front, tall and skinny with very short black hair.

"Hello," I waved at her. She folded her hands in front of her and raised a brow at me. So far, this wasn't good first meeting.

"Get in line," she told me through clenched teeth.

Quickening my steps over to the corner where we stored our belongings, I shucked off my sweats and pulled out my ballet shoes. I stretched my toes back and forth, then slipped and laced them up tight. I walked over like I was taught to the barre with my head held high, toes pointed with each step. I ended up at the back of the line of the rows of girls, all dressed like me, noticing only one boy in our class.

"Now that all twenty of us are here, we can begin," my teacher barked. "You all have been selected to take my class for a special reason. You may think you are the best, but you're not. You are here to learn to
be
the best. Just because you've been accepted, doesn't mean you belong here. There are over one hundred ballet dancers this year, and I expect every one of you to claw your way to the top. I want you to cry, your feet to bleed, and for you to be sore and stiff."

The girl next to me dropped her head, almost as if she thought she signed up for hell instead of a ballet class.

"My name is Madame Ava; you will treat me with nothing but respect. You do not talk back to me when I give you direction or a command. You will be on time to class; if the music starts to play when you walk through that door, you will get a warning. You will come to class clean and well put together. Ladies, we have a dress code. Black leotard with pink tights, keep your hair tightly pulled back and off your face. No ponytails or braids; you make it the traditional ballerina bun. Boys will wear a white shirt with black tights."

The girl next to me grunted. "This lady is intense," she whispered to whom I didn't know. Madame Ava marched right over to us with elegance and beauty, but the look on her face with her blue eyes pierced the girl standing next to me.

"What did you say?" she gritted through her teeth.

Just from that approach, you could tell she was mad. I could feel the girl's body go hard and stiff as she stood next to me. Madame Ava stood there waiting for her to answer, but the girl said nothing. She started to shake and stutter, trying to hurry up. Madame Ava's face grew impatient and she started tapping her slipper on the wood floor.

"What's your name, miss?" she asked annoyingly. Her blue irises started digging into the girl's face. She wasn't giving in.

"Bethany," the girl's voice shook with each of the syllables of her name.

"Bethany what? Don't you know how to introduce yourself properly?"

The girl took in a shaky breath, "Bethany Rackham."

"Well, Bethany Rackham, you just got yourself a warning on the very first day of school. Switch spots." Madame Ava nodded at me. Bethany looked over in my direction with scared wide eyes and very slowly, we switched places.

"Good. Now shut your mouth and be respectful."

Madame Ava walked back to her spot in front of the class. I heard Bethany take a deep breath and I could just tell from the noise that she was going to break down very soon. Bethany was right, though; Madame Ava was gonna be tough on all of us.

"Dancers are polite to teachers, to guests—anyone who walks through that door. I expect one hundred percent respect. Any rudeness to teachers or your peers will dismiss you from class. We do not lean against any walls, the barre or the piano. If you do not know where to stand, ask me. Yawning, talking, whispering, or having any private giggle session will dismiss you from class. You are here to listen, watch and learn. When I ask a question, I expect you to say,
'Yes, Madame Ava'.
Are we clear?"