Passion and Pain (Dancers and Divas) (27 page)

“Darn,” he replied and snapped his fingers.

“Hey,” Veronika said and hit him on the arm. “Why does everyone want Elena?”

“What?” Elena said.

“Jay wants you. Sebastien wants you and now José wants you. Why doesn’t anyone want me?”

Elena placed a hand on Jay’s chest before he spoke.

“That’s not true,
Roni
.”

“Yeah
Roni
, I’ll take you no problem,” José replied and starting kissing her. Elena rolled her eyes. Where do these guys come from?  She didn’t feel right about leaving Veronika like that, but Jay was pulling her away.

“What’s this about Sebastien again?”

“Nothing!
Veronika is drunk and that sleaze was hitting on me before you came along.”

“Would you believe he is an amazing actor
-
one of the best in our grade?”

“Yeah I would believe it
-
he has no inhibitions or class,” Elena retorted. “You know what Jay? Can we get out of here?”

“Thought you’d never ask.”

“That’s not what I meant,” Elena said as she hit him lightly on the arm. “I just don’t feel comfortable here. Even Veronika is
n’
t herself.”

“I hear you
,
Elena. Let’s go.”

“Wait!” She released his hand as she ran over to Sebastien, who was whispering into a girl’s ear, and caressing her back.

“Sorry to interrupt Seb. But can you keep an eye on Veronika? She’s a bit drunk and I don’t trust that guy she is with.”

“Hey I have my hands full,” he said.

“Please. I have to get out of here.”

“Fine,” he said and sighed. “I’ve got her back.”

“Thanks!”
she said. She kissed him lightly on the cheek, glanced down at the girl he was with
,
and ran back to Jay.

“What was that about?” Jay asked.

“I wanted him
to keep an eye on Veronika. I couldn’t leave her like that.”

“You need to leave your friends make their own decisions.”

“Jay, Veronika is a sophomore at a senior party having alcohol for the first time. I can’t leave her there. You could see the crows circling.”

“Fine.
Did it have to be Sebastien?”

“Who else could I rely on?”

He merely grunted.

Before they left, Elena scanned the room one more time. She saw Leon chatting quite happily to Stan and some of the other students from musical theatre. There was no sign of Frankie. Elena hoped she wasn’t passed out somewhere.

Jay pulled her arm gently, to keep moving forward. As they reached the car, instead of opening the door for her, he leaned across her. “You know the night is still young,” he said followed by an intimate kiss. Elena could feel the heat rise from every inch of his body as he leaned into her.

“
Mmmm
.”
She could finally feel her body pulsing as she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him closer, his hands stroking her body.

“Oh get a room!” Letitia said from behind them. Elena slumped against Jay. You had to be kidding!

“
What
are you doing here?” Jay snapped.

“I need a lift.”

“Get home the way you came.”

“Can’t.
The fool has passed out.”

Elena buried her head in Jay’s chest and bit her lip. Jay inhaled deeply through clenched teeth.

“Elena, I have to drop her off,” he whispered. Elena could only nod. He could hardly leave his sister stranded at the party.

Letitia made for the front seat but Jay opened the back door for her. “I think the front’s for Elena.”

“She’s getting off first
,
isn’t she?”

“And when she does, if you behave yourself, you can come to the front seat.” Letitia huffed with indignation as she climbed into the back. The tension in the car was palpable.

“Um Letitia, you didn’t happen to see Frankie as you were leaving did you?” Elena asked.

“Yeah, she was passed out on the sofa.
Booze, drugs, who knows?”

“Did you check on her? She might be in trouble
.
”

Letitia looked at her with disdain. “I don’t do addicts.”

“Isn’t she your friend?”

“Sometimes.”
Elena was furious. She looked at Jay as if to say I told you so. He returned the look with one urging silence.

“She has her lapdog Leon to clean up after her anyway,” Letitia continued.

“You sound jealous,” Elena said.

Letitia laughed. “You have to be kidding me. I need a man with balls.”

“That’s enough girls,” Jay said, “or you’ll both be walking.”

Letitia looked out the window bored while Elena folded her arms defiantly.

Nothing more was said for the rest of the journey until they were driving through Elena’s neighborhood.

“You live here?”
Letitia said. “It’s like a war zone!”

“And I’m going to leave you here if you don’t shut up,” Jay snapped.

Elena hung her head low. Jay had never said anything about her home or her neighborhood, but in front of Letitia, she felt ashamed for the first time.  She saw the shabbiness and poverty as it would look to Letitia. She never really noticed it living here, but when she thought about Jay and Letitia’s apartment in
the Village
, her apartment probably did look shabby.

As they arrived at her building, Elena jumped out before the car even stopped. Jay pulled over and ran after her.

“You’re going to leave me here on my own?” Letitia cried out.

“Shut up, Letitia! You’ve caused enough problems for one night.”

He followed Elena up her apartment stairs and inside the entrance.

“
I’m sorry about Letitia. Maybe I should leave her here for the night.”

“As punishment?”
Elena replied.

“You know
I don’t care where you live, I just care about you, okay?” he said and kissed her gently on the lips.

“How can she always make me feel so small?” Elena said, her eyes filling with tears.

“It makes her feel bigger. She’s a spoiled brat, what can I say? I’m stuck with her. But you, I choose,” he replied kissing her with more intensity.

“You think she’s shit her pants by now?” Elena said and giggled.

“Maybe we need to give her a few more minutes out there on her own,” Jay said drawing her closer. He maneuvered her towards the nearest wall and pressed his body against hers. Her whole body instantly burned. It felt so
good,
she didn’t want it to end. But one of the neighbors walked past and coughed distinctly, waking Elena from her trance. “I guess I should go upstairs now,” she said. “Letitia will be waiting.”

“I suppose,” he said. He held onto her hand for as long as possible as she moved towards the banister.

“See you tomorrow.”

Jay
waved and ran back out to the car. He couldn’t see Letitia. Where did she go?

He came closer to the car and saw a lump in the back. She had curled herself up on the floor of the car and pulled a blanket over her head. Jay really wished he had his camera on him.

“Letitia, what are you doing?”

“I didn’t want to be taken advantage of, sitting out here on my own in this dump, while you were making out with
her
.”

“Well, you can stay down there, for being so rude and insensitive,” he said. “Why is it so impossible for you to be nice to Elena?”

“I told you, she rubs me the wrong way. Besides, it’s not like I didn’t say anything that’s not true. The place is a dump!”

“But it’s her home. Why would you say that?”

“Whatever!” Letitia replied,
rising
from the car floor as they headed
home
.

Thirty-four

Anya was back at the studio, determined to give Darius another chance.
To give herself another chance.

“Anya,” he said politely.

“Darius,” she replied, equally politely. “What are we doing today?”

“Joy.”

“What?”

“You know joy, happiness. Where you smile sometimes?”

Anya scowled. Did he have to be so patronizing?

He played some disco music from the 70s.
Light and playful.
Irresistible to most people.

“Try it. Dance ballet to this music.”

Anya arched her eyebrows but did as she was told, leaping and turning as she had always done.

“Leap like you are happy!” he cried out.

“I can’t do this!” Anya said. “A leap is a leap!”

Darius put his head in his hands. He wiped his face in frustration. “Tell me one happy memory in your life.”

“Well,” she said, thinking carefully. All she could remember was ballet and ballet.

“Just one?”
Darius pleaded.
“As a child maybe?”

Anya was tapping her foot, anxious about the need to delve into memories. She tried to forget most of her past. She looked out the window, and back down, desperate for some inspiration.
She abruptly turned back to Darius. Of course!
“There was this one time in Russia when I was little. I remember there was a fair my parents took me to.”

“And?
Tell me about it.”

“It was my sixth birthday and my parents had promised to take me. It was my first time at a fair. I had my new pink dress on and my little pink shoes,” she said. She straightened up and continued.

“Anyway, at this fair, there were clowns, and games and rides. I got to have pink cotton candy and went on the merry-go-round with my dad holding me tight and my mother waving at us as we went round and round. I had never felt so safe and loved in my life. It was a perfect day.”

“There you go,” Darius told her. “Now pretend you are that little girl again, going to her first fair. You are happy and safe. Let’s try those leaps and turns again and put that feeling into them.”

“Okay,” she said and sighed. She went back to that moment and remembered how her father looked at her with love and pride and both her parents held her hands the whole day. She remembered laughing and clapping in excitement and replayed that memory in her head as she danced.

“Better. Now let’s try again. Think of the laughter. Think about how you felt inside and let it seep into your body. You’re with your parents. You’re laughing. You’re happy,” Darius called out as she leaped and turned.

Anya repeated the moves, trying to laugh with every inch of her body. It actually felt incredible. She had forgotten how happy she had once been as a child.

“Yes! Yes!
Much better.
Notice the difference?”

“Yeah, I guess.” She couldn’t help but smile and neither could he.

“Now we just have to loosen you up a bit.”

Anya looked at him curiously.

“I’ll have to think about it,” he said. “Are you free next weekend?”

Anya looked down and shuffled her feet. “It’s my birthday next week. Elena and her friends were going to come over.”

“
Mmm
, I’ll speak to Elena and see if we can think of something.”

“You’re not going to embarrass me are you?”

“Me?” Seeing the look of panic in Anya’s eyes he added, “No Anya, I am not going to embarrass you. I want you to feel free to be yourself, even when I’m around. We have to trust each other, remember.”

“Yeah, I guess.”

“Let’s start with a milkshake.”

“Now?”
Anya said.

“Sure. Well, after you shower anyway,” he smiled, waving his hand across his nose.

Anya shifted from one foot to another. “I don’t really drink milkshakes.”

“
So
have juice
,
then.”

She fidgeted with her arms, folding and unfolding them. “Okay. I’ll be ready in fifteen minutes.”

“Meet you back here then,” Darius said. Anya sensed his eyes following her as she left. Why did he want
to
have a juice with her? Why couldn’t he just stick to the dancing?  Why was she looking forward to it?

Thirty-five

Elena was at her contemporary dance rehearsals with Anya, finally feeling that she was progressing since the success of the showcase.

“How is it going with Darius?” Elena whispered as they went through their exercises.