Red Pointe Shoes

Chapter 11

A/N: I had coffee before I wrote this, so I hope that clears up some of the "What on earth was the author thinking when she wrote this scene?" responses some of you are going to get. xD Enjoy! It's longer, so I hope that helps make up for the previous chapter.

hapter Eleven

Perhaps things had been too easy for me lately, because it seemed that fate decided to mess up my life even more.

I push open the polished teak door of the studio with a trembling hand. What I just endured wasn't a rehearsal, it was torture. The corridor ahead of me is dark, as it should be. It's way past dinner time now, and I should have ate something before rehearsals, because my stomach is growling at me, demanding food. I scowl at my tummy before placing a hand on it and peering down the corridor. There's no one even remotely around, so if I'm quiet, I can sneak something out of the kitchen. Hitching my bag over my shoulder, I begin my stealthy walk towards the cafeteria. In the darkness, it is easy for my imagination to run rampant.

Shadows around me sway peacefully, still rooted to the trophies that line the cabinet. Moonlight trickles trough the window from a crescent moon and shines small patches of light on the ground. These halls are too familiar to even seem scary, so I imagine that I'm a ninja, on a top secret mission in an unknown territory. Ninja Avery Lim reporting for duty! Objective? Retrieve the prized pack of Twinkies from the kitchen!

This school may seem normal, but it isn't. It's a gathering place for every known defense mechanism, a primed bomb just ready to explode. It will be my most dangerous mission up to date! (Actually, it's only my first.) I scoot around an air vent in the wall, knowing very well it could shoot tranquilizers at anyone unfortunate enough to cross its state of the art sensors. Then I proceed to cover my nose and mouth with my arm as I enter the vicinity of a nefarious looking air conditioner. It's green unblinking light stares at me warningly when I scoot past it. My steps are silent, honed from many years of tough ninja training, and my eyes sharp from reading in the dark.

Being a ninja is not for pansies. (Also, do not apply to be one if you're pregnant, asthmatic, suffering from a weak heart, prone to strokes or physically unfit and clumsy.) Remember to keep all arms and legs within the car at all times. Wait, wrong scenario. I laugh quietly to myself as I come to a stop in front of the cafeteria doors. The locked cafeteria doors. Cursing mentally at my own stupidity, I decide that going back to my room would be the best course of action. Maybe Nat might have some ramen noodles? Mm, ramen noodles. I really love the seafood flavoured ones, they're the best! Straightening, I give the security camera behind me a wave and a smile before skipping back to my room, abandoning my ninja facade.

I really should get my head checked.

When I turn into the slightly lit corridor that my room is in, I freeze at the scene before me. No, no, there are no creepy ghost children standing there. Although, that I would prefer very much than to this! Loyer is giving Nat a small smile as he holds the door open for her. "... know, you're not as bad as I thought, James." She's saying, a smile on her lips. That little traitor! Off with her head! Maybe not, I prefer Nat's head when it's on her shoulders, not off. But still, Loyer? Is she off her rockers? How did he even get her to look at home for even a mere second? Thankfully, they don't kiss as they part. Once Loyer moves further down the corridor, I storm up to the girl and shakes her shoulders gently.

"James Loyer? Really?" I demand, fixing a hard gaze on her. I know I may be being a bit overdramatic, but he's my arch nemesis! Okay, arch nemesis is a little too Disney Channel for my taste, but it'll have to do for now. Nat may not know that, but she knows he's out for revenge against a dancer- one of her people! It is then that I realize in that one moment, I sound exactly like her: a prejudiced and narrow minded dancer. I withdraw my hand and shake my head at her, too shocked at the two of us to even speak. Anger, indignance and guilt flashes across her eyes, and her lips, those lips that holds a smile that can light up anyone's day, pulls into a frown. The small actions punches me in the gut, leaving me breathless and speechless. This is a real frown, not some mock fake one Nat loves to pull so much. What have I done?

"Nat, I... I'm," Words wrench themselves out of my mouth, trying to justify my rash actions, to redeem myself in her eyes. "I didn't..."

"We'll talk tomorrow morning. It's a Sunday, we have time." Her words are quiet yet condemning. Somehow, this gentle disappointment hurts more than it should.

***

I wake to the sound of a buzzing from the bedside table. I grab for my phone and yank it from the charger before putting it to my ears.

"Hello?" I murmur hoarsely, my voice a dripping disgusting mixture of pent up anxiety, drowsiness and plain exhaustion. Last night was not a good night. I had stayed awake long after Nat fell asleep, the tension then still too strong for me to lull myself into the clutches of sleep. Every now and then, I had glanced over to the mop of black hair in the next bed, wondering how things would go down in the morning. Eventually, I gave up trying to sleep and decided to read a biography of a businessman that my father gifted to me. Needless to say, it worked and I was snoring away. Even then my dreams were plagued with nightmares of Nat rejecting our friendship, even leaving me for Loyer. There was something else, but it had slipped away from me when I awoke.

"You sound terrible." Evan says from the other end of the line. I feel the corner of my lips quirk up at this. He sounds as tired as I am.

"Way to make a girl feel good," I laugh softly, pushing myself up on one elbow. A quick glance reveals that Nat is still asleep. "So what are you calling this early for?"

"Come see the sunrise with me," He begs, voice a mixture of excitement and hope. I giggle internally, how can I say no? This boy is adorable. "I'm at the dorm roof."

"I'll be there." I say, mirroring his excitement and quietly tiptoeing across the room. Ninja stealth mode: On. As I turn the handle, Nat yawns and grunts in her sleep, and I freeze, a thousand half formed excuses coming up instantly in my mind. I suppress them vehemently- I have never lied to Nat before. Except about my involvement in the Underground, that is. To me immense relief, she goes back to sleep. Once I'm clear, I sprint up the three flights of stairs before bursting into the wide empty roof.

Wait, what?

"Avery! Over here!" I glance around for the source of his voice. Oh, he meant the boys dorm. I facepalm and groan before walking over to the edge closest to him.The gap between the roofs isn't wide, so I jump over it easily and settle down next to him. "Nice pyjamas," Evan smirks, glancing down at my childish two piece pyjamas. It's pink and dotted with blue mushrooms. Oh, oops. I flush with embarrassment before I prod at his chibi Avengers shirt. "Oh?" I ask, my eyes narrowing, "What's this then?"

"Manly stuff you wouldn't understand." He laughs and shoves me gently. Without thinking, I knock away his hands and ram my shoulder into his ribcage. "Ow, Ave!" He whines, rubbing at the spot, looking genuinely confused. "I'm fragile!"

"Not so manly now, are we?" I laugh uneasily, trying to hide my mortification. To my relief, he grins and shrugs it off. "Anyway, the sun's rising." I nudge his head towards the horizon, where the tip of a bright orange ball peeks into the sky. Pastel hues of pink and orange stains the velvet blue canvas as the golden rays unfurl and reach out to embrace the land. "It's marvellous," I breathe in wonder, and Evan nods his agreement.

"Beautiful," He whispers.