Passion and Pain (Dancers and Divas) (28 page)

“Make sure you extend everything, Elena,” Ms. Fontaine said. “Point every toe and stretch each arm from the back, not the shoulder, right through to the fingertips.”

“Trust yourself, Anya. Let your body go when it needs to and use your center to control it again. Up on your toes, girls,” Ms. Fontaine continued going through the class and correcting them individually.

Anya shrugged.

“So, you’re getting better, then?” Elena said as Ms. Fontaine moved through the room.

“It’s been interesting. I have found out things about myself.”

“Oh yeah?
Like what?”

“I have emotions.”

Elena laughed loudly much to Ms. Fontaine’s annoyance. Elena tried to focus again on her technical exercises.

“I’m serious,” Anya continued in a loud whisper. “I didn’t realize how much I held inside me ’til Darius forced it out of me.”

“So, maybe it wasn’t such a dumb idea after all.”

“Pay attention, girl
s
!” Ms. Fontaine scolded them. “You’re up first.”

Elena and Anya glanced at each other.

“You know what you have to do,” Ms Fontaine continued.
”A thirty
second piece on your greatest fear.
Let’s see if the class can work out what it is.”

Elena volunteered to go first, as she was the one who had started the conversation with Anya. Her greatest fear was failure. She recalled the humiliation of her show choir audition and tried to create her feelings. She leaped to one side of the room, showing confidence only to find her flight halted by imaginary enemies. She then ran to each corner holding her hands out, begging for compassion, only to contract her body inwards as if receiving blows. She got smaller and smaller into the ground, beating her own body to show her self-hate, until she rolled into the tiniest possible ball in the
furthest
corner of the room. “Anyone guess what that fear was?” Ms Fontaine asked.

“Easy! Humiliation,” Anya said.

Ms Fontaine glared at her.

“I swear she didn’t tell me.”

Ms Fontaine pursed her lips and tilted her head towards the dance floor. “Anya, you’re next.”

For Anya, her greatest fear was exposure, so she based her choreography on trying to hide her heart. She covered
her chest
area with one hand while her body and limbs looked as if they were being pulled in every direction, trying to make her change position. But after every pull, a hand kept returning back to protect it. She threw in a few triple pirouettes for fun as well.

“Very nice, Anya.
Who, other than Elena, can guess what her fear was?” Ms Fontaine asked.

“Hurt?”
one student called out.

“Vulnerability?”

“Anya?”

“Yeah, something
like
that.”

“Very good.
Next.”

Elena and Anya watched as each student portrayed their greatest fear.

One girl pretended to see something small in the corner of the room and then run hysterically away, constantly checking to see where it might be.

“Spiders or cockroaches, for sure,” Elena whispered to Anya. .

Another girl sat in a chair with an empty one beside her. She showed herself leaving her to seat to try and drag imaginary people to come and sit in the chair beside her, only to find it constantly empty.

“Ooh, nice one,” Elena said.
“
Loneliness
,
I
figure
.” Anya nodded. They also picked up aliens, death and injury as people’s greatest fears.

“This is
kinda
cool,” Elena said to Anya. “It’s kind of embarrassing too, to have everyone know your greatest fear.”

“Tell me about it,” Anya replied.  “If we showcase it, we are telling the whole world, not just the class.”

Elena hadn’t thought of that. That would be really uncomfortable.

Not being in show choir gave Elena extra time to work on her hip hop. Darius was still helping her and she was determined to make the crew at least in her junior year.

“See Darius.
I’m getting much stronger. Check out these biceps,” she said as she flexed her arms.

“You’re getting there, Elena. I have to say your improvement is startling.”

“I know! Who would have thought I would be doing back flips and side flips by now?”

“How do you do it?”

She shrugged. “I put everything I have into what I do and then repeat it over and over again.”

“Well it works. You might even make the reserve list for the crew this year.”

“Really?”

“If you keep at it.”

Elena clapped her hands excitedly.

“Don’t get too ahead of yourself. How about we work on some of the locking moves today?”

“Sure. This is what I have of the routine so far,” Elena said. She stepped out to the front of the studio and performed the section of the routine she had learned.

“Pretty good, just make sure you stay sharp,” he said and demonstrated a slight variation that Elena then imitated.

“So has Anya said anything to you?” he asked her as she repeated the moves.

“Like what?”

“You know, about our sessions.”

“Not really. She seems happy though.”

“Here, watch this shoulder roll.” Elena adjusted. “I told her she needs to loosen up.”

“How did she take that?”

“Suspiciously,” he said and laughed. “She also mentioned her birthday was coming up, so I thought, maybe we could do something to help her let go a bit, you know.”

“What did you have in mind?” Elena stopped and looked at him expectantly.

Darius explained his idea while Elena nodded her head.

“I don’t know, Darius, but it wouldn’t hurt to try. I will hold you responsible, of course.”

“Thanks for the support.”

“Just kidding!
It will be fun,” Elena said. “By the way, thanks for helping her out.”

“It’s becoming my pleasure.”

Thirty-six

“So, are you looking forward to your party tonight Anya? Sixteen at last,” Elena said to her that morning after dance rehearsal.

“I don’t know how I agreed to this,” Anya said.

“Come on
,
Anya. It will be fun. Even your grandmother was cool, letting us all stay over.”

“She could hardly have you leaving Long Island in the middle of the night.” Anya smacked her lip nervously. “You and Darius aren’t going to do anything bad are you?”

“Of course not.
You know neither of us would do anything to hurt you. You have to trust us!”

She nodded reluctantly. “I guess I’ll see you tonight.”

“You bet!”

When Elena arrived, Sebastien and Veronika were already there.

“What, no boyfriend?” Sebastien said.

“If you must know, he had another party tonight. We don’t have to go everywhere together.”

“Really?”

“Besides, Anya wouldn’t feel comfortable with him around.”

“Probably, because he never bothers to meet your friends,” Sebastien retorted.

“Hey you two!”
Veronika said. “Get over it. This is a par-
ty
!”

Sebastien raised his hand in apology. The annoying thing was he was right. Jay preferred to hang with his friends rather than Elena’s. But as it was Anya’s sixteenth, she had hoped he would realize how important it was.

“We’ll catch up on Sunday night, just the two of us,” he had said as conso
lation. Of course, Elena agreed -
as she always did when he was kissing her.

“Earth to Elena,” Sebastien said, snapping his fingers in front of her face.

“What?”

“Drink?”

Elena nodded while Sebastien poured her a Coke Zero.

The doorbell rang and Darius made his grand entrance.

“So this is the man torturing Anya,” Veronika said and high-fived him. Anya did not think that was funny. Everyone else smiled though.

“Hey Seb, thought you would be up for the advanced hip hop this year,” Darius said.

“Nah, I got too intimidated by Elena so thought I may try again next year. Work on those side flip things a bit first,” he said, imitating Elena’s description of one of the moves. Elena threw a cracker at him.

The doorbell rang again.

“Who’s that?” Anya asked. “I’m not expecting anyone else.”

“Delivery for Miss Shapiro.”

Anya was confused. Darius and Elena just smiled at each other.

“What is it?” Anya asked the delivery man.

“I just deliver, ma’am.”

Darius came over and helped Anya wheel the four foot black box to the corner.

“That’s for later,” he said.

“Drink, eat, everyone,” Anya said. She had never had friends over before.

“I can’t believe how much food you have here, Anya,” Sebastien said, his mouth half full.

“I wasn’t sure what to get, so I got everything.”

“Awesome!” he said as he continued to stuff his face.

“You’re lucky you’re still growing,” Veronika said as she watched him.

He grinned mischievously.

The music played in the background as they continued to eat and drink in the living room.

“Have you guys heard the latest?” Veronika said. “Frankie just did a stint in rehab.”

“No way.
I didn’t think it had gotten that bad!” Elena said.

“She’s always pretty out of it at parties,” Sebastien said.

“What about Leon?” Elena asked. “Is he using too?”

“I don’t think so,” Veronika replied. “I think the sophomore party last year was the end of his drinking days, but I don’t understand why he puts up with it.”

“The things a guy will do for sex,” Sebastien said shaking his head.

Elena glared at him. “I don’t think Leon’s the type. He must really care about her.”

Sebastien rolled his eyes. “You are such a romantic
,
Elena. You never think anyone is the type. But guys are really all the same.”

“Jay’s not,” she said.  Veronika clasped her hand over Sebastien’s mouth.

“Isn’t it time for the birthday cake?” Elena said.

“Yes! You would not believe what my grandmother bought me!”

Anya ran to the kitchen, followed by Darius, to retrieve the cake. While she was gone, Elena glared at Sebastien. He merely stuck his tongue out at her, causing her to laugh. She could never stay angry at him for long.

“Oh my,” Veronika said.

The cake was a large pink cream cake with a beautiful ballerina doll on top and little pictures of ballerinas all around.

“That’s amazing, Anya. It would be a shame to cut it!”

“It would be a shame not to!” Sebastien replied.

They lit the candles and sang happy birthday as Anya blushed profusely.

“So do we open the box now?” she said as she looked at Elena and Darius.

“Not yet. The games begin first.”

“What games?” Anya asked.

“Time for truth or dare,” Elena announced.  “Since we’re all staying here tonight, we can all have a drink.
As in a real drink.”
She clapped her hands excitedly.

“Booze?
All right
girl, I’m impressed!” Sebastien said.

“To start the night off, there are a couple of rules.”

They all groaned.
“Already Elena?
Don’t you do anything without rules? It’s a party!” Sebastien said.

“Will you stop whining
,
Seb? I want everyone here to feel comfortable okay?” He blew her a kiss. She bit her lip to stop herself smiling
-
it would only encourage him. 

“First, whatever happens
here,
stays here. No sharing.”

“Even with Jay,” Sebastien said.

“Even Jay,” Elena replied through clenched teeth.

Veronika nodded. The room was filled with anticipation.

“Second rule, Darius is controlling the alcohol. If he thinks you’ve had too much, then he cuts you off. No arguments.”

“Oh man. You a
ppointed
a
bar man
,
Elena
?
You’re such a party pooper,” Sebastien said.

“Considering the drunken mess we heard you were in last week, we couldn’t really take chances in Anya’s home could we?”