Prologue
It was safe to say that Isabella Swan was generally not an apprehensive person. She might have gotten butterflies when it came time for the Spring Productions, or a little anxious before she was supposed to compete a solo. But the fear she felt at this very second, was something she never hoped to experience again.
Bella was no stranger to pressure- being a dancer could do that to a person. You learn to expect a lot of yourself, constantly pushing towards an almost unattainable goal. Perfection was always just out of reach, no matter how much of yourself you threw into your art. The pressure put on Bella was unlike that of the other girls in the company she was in. After many years of the hard work, and defiance to settle for anything less than all she had to offer, Bella had been named one of the most promising ballerina's that the Arizona had to offer.
Which is how she managed to find herself here, in the midst of all the other promising ballet dancers, all hopeful to attain the same dreams she herself desired. Bella knew that to even be seen in audition by one of the faculty of the Washington School of Ballet was an honor. Nervously, Bella re-pinned a lose curl from her bun, and adjusted her black leotard. She had only a few more minutes to herself before she had to bare all the talent her eighteen-year old heart had been cultivating, and dance for all she was worth.
Bella's mother, before dropping her off at the airport in Phoenix, had told her that no matter what happened at this audition, to never forget why she was here. Years ago, at the impressionable age of eleven, Bella had told her of the necessity that drove her to dance. She had to dance, or her life would cease to have meaning. Her mother recognized that Bella had always had a bit of a flair for dramatics, but nonetheless, supported her blossoming daughter as much as she could. And that meant encouraging her to take the one last step from all Bella knew and was comfortable with.
Shaking her head to regain focus, Bella looked around at all the other pink tight-clad dancers and slicked-back buns. Everyone had suddenly quieted down, until not a voice could be heard. Bella craned her neck towards the stage, hoping to catch a glimpse of the reason that a group of over two hundred girls had ceased to talk. A young woman, no older than thirty, had walked to the middle of the stage and stood calmly looking at all the young hopeful ballerinas.
"Welcome to the auditions for the Washington School of Ballet. Today will be difficult for some, and harder still for others. The only bit of advice I can give you is to know how much you want to be here. You have all worked so hard to come this far. You need to take in everything you see today. Get it. Learn it. Own it. And sell it to us, for every single little bit it's worth to you."
Reviews are very much appreciated! I have about ten chapters planned out for this story, and I'll keep going it as long as people seem interested. This is more or less a prologue to test people's feelings about it.