Red Pointe Shoes

Epilogue

A Year Later

  The crowd is silent yet again as the lights dim. There is a soft squeaking noise as a pair of new business shoes climb the steps to the podium, treading on the vinyl floors that are more accustomed to the hard satin soles of pointe shoes. "Good afternoon, graduates of 2009."  And then I block out the rest of the speech. Honestly? Speeches aren't my thing, especially when it's the principle's speech. They tend to ramble on and on, evading the point until half of their audience is asleep. Nat, the ever attentive one, nudges me when they start calling the names. Since my name starts with an 'A', I'll be somewhere near the front. It takes a while, because alongside each student, the principle rattles off a testimony of sorts on their achievements and such. 

   "Avery Lim." I scrape back my chair and dutifully walk to the stage, where I receive a certificate and an envelope from the principle. He begins to speak whilst I'm making my way to the center of the stage that's been marked with a taped cross. "Avery Lim is an outstanding, well rounded student. An accomplished soloist, she has managed to amaze each and every one of us with her fluid style of dancing. Not only has she established her name among our dancing community, Avery was placed first in the Fighting Championships just recently." There is a murmur from the crowd, mostly from the parents' side. It was mild though, compared to the uproar that had occurred when I showed up for the prelimenary rounds. There was a pretty mixed reception of my 'coming out', because some thought it was pretty cool for me to be doing both, and the others who thought that I should stick to what my official curriculum was. "Thank you Avery," The principle finishes with the standard outro, "we wish you all the best." 

   The rest of the graduation goes smoothly, well, as smoothly as you can expect from the students here at Richardson's. Two of the boys from the sports side decide that it's a good idea to run across the crowd in nothing but their birthday suits, but one of them slips on the polished floor and crashes into a horrified parent. Nat, who's too excited about graduating, cuts off our principle and gives her own testimony that leaves most of us with aching sides. Then there's Evan, who somehow manages to trip and fall onto the stunned principle. In spite of what has happened, I find myself smiling and shaking my head, like nothing's wrong between us. Maybe nothing really is, and it's time to let go of past grudges and all that. All in all, it's a perfect graduation, and I can't be anymore happier with it.

***

   "Your mother would be so proud of you," 

   I turn away from Nat, who waves and goes to talk to someone else for a bit. My father stands behind me, looking really awkward in a formal shirt and pants. His lips are curved into a familiar half smile, and his hands are tucked into his pockets. "Thanks dad, considering I did get into her old company." His eyes glimmer with a faint sadness, but there's happiness there too.

   "New York City Ballet, huh? It's a good one." He opens his arms and draws me into a hug, like I'm just a five year old kid crying outside her mother's hospital room. It's been a while since he hugged me like this. "You'll be great, kid." 

   "Mr Lim?" 

   Evan stands behind us, looking completely at ease. "My name's Evan, I'm a friend of Avery's." He extends a hand to my father, who shakes it with a suspicious look. 

  Arching my eyebrow, I clear my throat pointedly, "Since when are we friends?"

   "Since you spied on me in the boy's toilet." 

   "You, what?" I hold up my hands in defense, looking away from my father. He looks shocked, but not overly so. At least he isn't taking this too seriously. I'm annoyed at him for barging in like this, but I can't help but feel a little bit happy, because having him back beside me, joking, makes it feel like everything is truly back to normal, that the whole fiasco with the Championships is over. 

   "Anyway," I back away, taking Evan with me, "we've got to go- I promised Nat that we'd have lunch at Abby's." He nods and waves, reaching out to ruffle my hair one last time. As we  turn around, Evan raises shoots me a bemused look,

   "I don't recall ever making lunch plans with you and Natalie." 

   "Well you just did." I roll my eyes, "Look, I can't stay mad at you forever, can I? And you can't stay mad at me too. We'll just call it even and leave it as that."

   "Avery, there's nothing on my side to make it even."

   "Details, details, now do you want lunch or not?" He laughs and shrugs, before coming along, which raises Nat's eyebrows. Before she can say anything though, I shoot her a look. We head on over to Abby's, which is filled with people because of the graduation, but we have a table reserved. Abby pulls up another chair for Evan, and we go through the usual routine of ordering without menus. "So, Evan, where are you going?"

   "The American Ballet Theatre, and you?"

   "City Ballet, the two of us." Nat replies promptly, to which he raises both eyebrows.

   "Not the Bolshoi?"  He laughs lightly and shakes his head, leaning forward on his elbows, "Tsk, I expected more from you."

   "Please," I scoff, reaching over to smack him lightly on the head, "City Ballet is where I want to be at. My mother danced there."

   His eyes soften at the mention, "I know that." Nat coughs from the side, and I jab at her sharply with an elbow. Our food arrives and saves us from an awkward silence. We finish it quietly, after which we tip the waiter and leave. Evan turns a different direction to head to the boys' dorms, and Nat and I continue together to our room. 

   "It's really over, huh," She muses quietly as we stand outside our door. I look at her from the corners of my eyes as I unlock it. "It's been a crazy three years, Ave." 

   "Yeah, it has been," I reply as I look over at my suitcase, half packed. Beside it is the box of my old, worn out pointe shoes. The sight brings a smile to my face and I turn to her happily, "but it's never over. You're stuck with me for the rest of your life!" 

   "Shucks," She mutters with a smile, kicking at her empty suitcase, "guess I am, aren't I?" 

   "If it makes you feel better," Grinning, I shove the rest of my stuff into the suitcase and nudge it over to the door to stand, "I wouldn't have it any other way."

A/N Now it's over! Thank you to all of you who've stuck by me for the whole of this story. It's honestly been ages since I've actually finished one. I'll be editing this story slowly, when I feel like it. Meanwhile, keep an eye out for any new stories or spin offs I may or may not be writing. ;)

Love, Chloe.