All in Tangles
A Odette-Merante Back-Story
"She was the best of her generation. And then a fire happened." He was looking at the woman whose heart ran towards becoming a prima ballerina then looked down at the little girl who was living that dream as well. He sighed and walked away from his first love together with the flashbacks of fire, anger, and panic. He thought he lost her but as the days drove by from that moment, he slowly did.
Merante
It was 1848 in Paris, France. They hadn't started with the Eiffel Tower, they were just planning a beautiful tower not knowing it would soon be the heart of all attractions in Paris. While everyone gazed and awed at the soon-to-be tower, my eyes were towards this beautiful soon-to-be prima ballerina. Her name is Odette.
Odette
Paris, December 1848. It is the month of the Nutcracker performance. And auditions were up to be Clara in the Nutcracker. I. am. Very. Excited. Other than that, there is this very reserved boy around my age who just joined the theatre. His name is Merante. After lessons, I would always head straight home and catch up with the week's lessons, and if I'm up for it (which is almost, always never), next week's lessons. But this day was particularly different because the reserved boy comes up to me and asks me the strangest favor.
"I would like to teach you ballet."
I thought I misheard him the first time until I asked again and he said the same sentence.
"But I already know ballet, I'm auditioning for-"
"The Nutcracker, I know. But I would like to… mentor you."
"Merante. Merante? Was it?" He nods. "I'm sorry. I have to turn down this offer, well because you're my age, no offense, how could you possibly know how to mentor or what techniques could you teach me?"
"I've got some executions I would like you to try."
Not so reserved after all. "Oh-kay? Still no. I'm sorry, Merante. Maybe someone else is more suitable for your executions than me. Maybe Lora. She's good."
"Please think about it, Odette."
Merante
Growing up with her was as beautiful as watching her dance. She was raw, full of emotion, full of life. The world was her theatre and it is a privilege to see the show.
Odette
Even at school he was reserved, we currently have a couple of classes together and he would either be the first to arrive or the last, sometimes he would be so late that 20mins into the class he wouldn't be at his seat but the next time you turn around he'd be there. He'd always be the first to leave though.
"Why do you always look at the kid at the corner?" Lora asks.
"He asked something funny the other day."
"He wants to have milkshake with you?"
"No. He wants to be my mentor."
"I am getting some dirty old man presence from his past life. Ask if he has a scar somewhere down under."
"LORA."
"Just narrowing the answers for you."
"Anyway, where's Maurice? She said she brought her mom's baguette and jam for us."
Next period, Lora and Maurice are together and this is the other class I've got with Merante. Biology. I think we've got frogs up today. Dissection or something.
"Pair up." What? I almost didn't understand the professor. I thought this would be done by group and apparently, my groupmates are paired up and I was hoping of a familiar face but Merante wasn't around, so I got with paired with Nica. We would be dissecting for the digestive system since a moving type of exam would be expected next week.
I was just about to sedate the frog when Merante comes up and pulls Nica. I give up my best puzzled look hoping that he would understand that it's like he's grown another nose on his forehead. He actually talks her into pairing with Richard. And he's stuck with me.
"We're doing Digestive System today." Sounding as natural and unfazed as I could.
"She likes Richard, I did her a favor."
"Okay. Would you get the dissecting kit?"
"How's your audition coming up?"
Ah. Ballet. The one thing that almost won't shut me up. "I would love to talk to you about my routine but seeing that you have another idea, I'd rather not."
"You think I'm gonna compete for your spot at the Nutcracker?" Which actually made me laugh.
"No. Your mentoring thing. Scalpel, please." He hands me the scalpel with the blade pointing away.
"Ah, well mademoiselle, I dropped it. For now. I did some research, for you to be a mentor you have to be a ballet master, a premier danseur. I'm currently just an extra."
"It would take decades." I tell him as I cut through the skin of the sedated frog.
He reaches out to tuck in the hair behind my ear. "Then would you be my muse?" I look at him in his eyes this time. "Wow. It's like asking me to marry you, which is a bit weird."
"Marriage is not a requirement. Just saying. I like how you dance on stage. Ballet, if it's a verb, I like how you ballet. Okay, I made it more awkward and it made me look like a stalker. Which is not supposed to happen."
"You want to trace the intestines?"
"I'll sedate the frog some more first."
"So cruel, Merante."
When we think we are confident enough to pass next week's exam, we pack up in time before the bell rings. And when it does, he's out the door like always. Nica comes up to me looking slightly embarrassed. I save her from the misery and tells her it is okay and that Merante is a familiar face.
Practice. The one thing Merante is always on time for, if not on time, earlier. I see Lora and Maurice warming up, doing stretched. "How was Biology with Merante?" Lora smirks at me.
"It was okay."
"No mentoring?"
"He actually dropped it because his goal now is to become premier danseur so, it's over."
"He doesn't look like the straightforward guy. He'd be dropping hints that he likes you and he would think you'd find out but you'd still be clueless."
"He doesn't like me."
"Right, obsessed."
"LORA."
"Just saying. Oh, your laces are still undone, Odette."
Merante
Ask anyone from our batch of ballet dancers, I adored her. She was walking art to me, all the more when she danced—a masterpiece. She made walking on clouds look so easy. It wasn't obsession, I had no plans of owning her, no plans of marrying her, I wanted her to continue dancing, and I wanted everyone to be in her theatre. She was my "heart of Paris" not the Eiffel Tower.
Odette
HE KNELT DOWN.
AND TIED MY LACES.
"WHOA SO FAST. IT'S JUST CHAPTER ONE." Maurice exclaims.
"I can tie my laces, Merante." I could feel my cheeks on fire. He looks up at me and back at the laces. "It's fine, I could help. I just did Regine's."
Oh. Okay. As he stands up, bows, and says the most ridiculous good-bye, "Mademoiselle." And exits the stage.
"I like you guys together." Maurice blurts out.
"Sorry, sweetie, not happening." I tell her.
"You may wish you would." Lora smirks again.