The Prince and the Ballerina (part2)

"Nice to meet you Ms. Miller, welcome to Graceland Academy's Ballet Company, I trust that you've had a good first two days so far?"

"Oh mon chéri (means 'my dear'), you are an acquaintance of Christie?" mademoiselle Amelia asked in her sweet french tone."

"No. Not exactly. We met on the Openning Ceremony. She was introduced by the Head Director up on the stage and I was there remember?"

"Oui! (means 'Yes') How could I forget mon chéri, you looked liked you stepped on some poop with that constrained smile you've put on that day. (laughing softly)"

I found myself stifling a laugh, well he didn't exactly stepped on poop, hmmph… more like the poop stepped on him….

"Alright, you made your point Amelia. Anyway, we happened to exchange a few words after the Ceremony that's all. (Looking directly at Christie.) Well Ms. Miller would like to share some interesting bits about yourself."

The moment he mentioned this little detail, a small cold sweat fell down the back of my neck. Is this it? Is he going to out me now and tell al of them what transpired in that small exchange of words which were actually kisses , an embrace and a few curses? No! Quick, I need to say something.

"Uhmm. . . I . . . I'm an orphan, both of my parents died in a great fire that destroyed most of our home and all my close relatives have died before or after the fire so I am officially an orphan. . . .ahehehehe (nervous laugh)"

Wait, what did I just say? Oh my, there I go again with my unfiltered mouth. Great! Now here with the looks they are all giving me I just made myself an easy target for gossips and being labeled as the freak of the Company. Way to go, Christie. Well what's done is done. They can chew on that for now.

( Clears Throat) "Okay not the kind of interesting that we are going for but it sure leaves a certain after taste. Anyway, today was sure fun and exhausting isn't Amelia?"

"Quite an interesting one indeed mon chéri. I believe, introductions are done now we must all get some much needed rest for tomorrow the real performance of the Graceland Ballet Academy begins. Now, of you go mes petits (means my little ones) ah but before you all go we need someone to help with gathering the props and costumes used earlier that is if it's okay with you mes petits."

Mademoiselle Amelia assigned us different tasks to make work go faster and taking our leave earlier. I, along with two other newbies were tasked of collecting the costumes from the male members who were changing in the left wing of the theater. In theater life as well as in Ballet seeing someone almost naked or is fully naked is just part of the process of making art, it just takes a lot of getting used to. Of course no artist would deliberately display his goods in front of everyone even if it is part of the process of making art, it simply happens because there is no time to go to a more secluded and private area to change especially if sequences of the show require multiple changes of costumes that need to happen fast. No audience member would want to wait for an actor or actress or dancer to change for 30 mins and extend the show to a whole 3 hours or so. Now why am I ratting about this again, ah yes, well although I have been taught ballet since I was young and have done shows at my previous school before coming to Astoria, I am simply not used to seeing a man in his glorious form. I forbid myself from looking and have earned some type of teasing from my fellow dancers before and so I said that I won't be able to step inside the room and would just wait for the costumes to be handed to me outside. Alexa and Indigo did not say anything about my peculiar request they just wanted to do the task at han.

They were both swamped by the amount of costumes and accessories from the members inside room #1 and have asked me to go take care of room #2. They said it was only one member inside and that the others have finished changing and have also taken their costumes to the storage room even before we came. So off I go to room #2.

"(Knock! Knock! . . .Knock!) umm, excuse me, I'm coming inside to collect the costumes you used." My voice was almost a whisper and my face slowly turning warm and red from being shy, just thinking some man is changing is making me feel all sorts of shy.

The door opens and a tall slender figure stood in front of me and with his right hand massaging the back of his neck and irritatingly beckoning me to come inside with his left hand. . . . It was Henry. The only male member left inside this room, is Henry. This has to be some sort of great manipulation of the grand scheme of things, why him? Why does it have to be him? And now I have to help him change. That is just great. Just great! Two days ago his hands were trespassing on me and now my hands have to be on him. Hmmm. . . No pun intended. The irony of things.

"Well don't just stand there like a statue, get inside and help me take off this blasted costume. It's starting to irritate me!" He grumpily said to me.

"Ah yes of course. . ."

I went inside and stared at him for a while with a quizzical look not knowing what I should help him with.

"Urgh! Get behind me and help me remove the fastens they have for this costumes!" He belted at me.

"Oh I'm sorry, I didn't know where to start. Umm. . . Could you scoot down so that I could reach the first fasten?"

"Argghh! Why should I? Go get a stool or something you idiot."

The nerve of this guy really. I clearly remember, I was the one he harassed two days ago and I haven't even heard as much as an apology and now he talks to me this way. Sigh! I just need to remind myself to keep it together and not aggravate the situation even further. He owes me big time for this. I search for a stool but there was none. Here goes nothing.

"Will you hurry up already!" He yelled.

"Ah right! Okay please turn around and I will undo the fastens now." His temper makes me nervous.

He begrudgingly turns around and I just had to reach the first three fastens and it will all be good and so with that I slowly started to undo the fastens of the exquisite costume, why ever did he call it irritating, beats me. I guess anyone who is tired and exhausted from a performance like that would be irritated even in such an exquisite costume.

THUD! We were standing in front of the vanity table when I lost my footing and accidentally fell over. I was forcing myself to stand on my tippy toes, I had to, he was so tall after all. I could properly undo the fastens and I was able to hold it until the second highest fasten but I lost my footing just before I could undo the third.

"Oh come on! Can't you even undo fastens? You're useless."

"I apologize, I was trying to reach the last fasten when I lost my footing."

"I don't need an explanation, just go and wait outside, I might as well do it myself."

"Fine. . . I'll wait outside." (Voice slightly cracking from almost crying)

Outside room #2, I stood by the door wiping tears from my face. I can't believe that guy, he really gets on my nerve. He pretends not to know me then puts on a gentleman like demeanor in front of everyone but when it's just the two of us he's so unrefined and rude. Honestly, if he does this to me one more time I will give him a taste of his own medicine.

The door slowly opens and he hands me the costume and accessories he wore tonight, I took them bowed my head and left without looking at him. I won't give him the satisfaction of seeing my tear stained face. I will not be weak, I must not be weak. But just as I was rounding the corner, I accidentally bumped into one of the senior members, Chase.

"I'm sorry, I didn't see you there. . . Wait are you crying?"

"Uhm, no. It's okay. I'm sorry I have to go now."

"Okay, again my apologies for bumping into you."

"Hey, Chase what are you doing here?"

"Yo Henry! I just came to check on you. You were taking so long, so Amelia sent me to go get you dude. Hey, did you make that chick cry?"

"Oh no, she had an accident and fell down, I was trying to help her but she left so quickly."

"I see. . . "

I heard him, I was by room #1 when I heard him talking to Chase and tell him that I had an accidental fall and that he tried to help me. Sigh! Liar. Hmmm. . . But he wasn't completely lying, I did fall all on my own. He didn't push me or anything but with the way he was talking down to me and screaming he might as well just pushed me.

Henry and Chase were walking past room #1 where I was waiting for my two companions when Henry took my hand to get my attention.

"Are you okay, you ran off so fast I didn't get the chance to ask if you were fine. That was a rather nasty fall." (Speaking in his Prince mode)

"No, I was so embarrassed that's why I left so quickly." Might as well play along his nasty game for now.

"How are your feet? Nothing broken or anything?" He proceeded to stoop down and inspect my feet. "Oh no! Your left ankle is a little swollen from the fall."

"Hey you should take care of that quickly before it turns bad. Come on Henry, you should take her to the infirmary now. We'll take care of the costumes here and put them in the storage. I'll go tell Amelia what happened." uttered Chase.

"Okay, thank you Chase. Can you walk Ms. Miller?"

"Uh, yes. . . "

"Come with me then, let's get that checked."