Chapter 1
-BPOV-
"Isabella Marie Swan…Isabella Swan…Isabella"
"Bella, what are you doing, go in there. They're calling your name," my mother pestered. "Bell…"
"I know mum. I'm just…trying …to…pull…up…these….tights, oh! There!" I joyed.
With a quick glance at my mother's encouraging eyes, I ran forward, blasting through the wooden double doors.
"Miss Swan." A woman noted, her regal gaze fixed upon me. Her dark, rich auburn hair lay strung up in a tight bun, held fastened by several clips. Her beautifully pale face, lightly scathed with freckles shone wonderfully beneath the charcoal color of her blazer. And her gray eyes shone from behind thinly framed glasses.
I silently thanked god, with the poor lighting in here, my blushing would be hardly noticeable. There would be no reason to blush if it were anyone sitting in front of me. But Francesca Leroux, was one of the most famous ballerinas ever, her talent and passion is what had inspired me to dance in the first place. Off course that fact did little to come my raving nerves, especially when she, along with two others, were to judge my performance today.
Julliard, the academy of arts, is by far the most prestigious dance school ever. When final year came, exams were the least of my worries. This, here, now was what frightened me the most. Julliard was not simply any highly rated school, it was a dream, a passion, a wish and in my case an unequivocal future. Or at least that's what had occupied my mind for seventeen years, right up until this moment right now. I was never good at working under pressure, which is why several of my friends found my desire to become a dancer laughable, off course perhaps that was because I would never allow them to see me dance but still the fact was undeniable. I just wish I could have informed my legs on that matter before I came whisking in here.
Dressed in black tights and a tight fitting white top, with nothing but bare feet keeping me up, I surveyed the three people before me, each with the power to control my future.
Ballet was a beautiful art, but no matter how much I loved dancing I could never fool myself or at least my body into believing that my lack of coordination could ever be trained into such structured elegance. No amount of practice could garner me that. So instead I opted for contemporary dancing, which thankfully enough allowed enough freedom for people such as me.
The soft melody of one of my favorite classical pieces strung through the air, awaiting my start. I inhaled deeply, remembering the hopeful look in my mother's eyes and let go. The music flowed into my ears and through my body, dancing in the air as my feet spun, twisted, leaped and graced across the floor. My dance teacher had always told me that dancing was more than a series of steps one needed to follow, it was a means of expression and required the dancer's personality and expression to shine on her face and radiate from her body, which is what came the most naturally to me.
The showering of air against your face as you whirl, the feel of the cool ground beneath you as you drop to the ground, twist and turn. And the final double spin in the air as the last cords of the violin are played.
"Well done Miss Swan. It says here that you have been dancing since you were four years old, is that right?" Francesca's husky voice chimed.
"Y-yes." I gasped, breathless from the routine. "But I only started contemporary five years ago."
"Five years. Mmm." She took of her glasses slowly and folded them before her before she leaned across the table, to eye me closely. "Miss Swan, I'm pleased to tell you, that you have passed this first round of acceptance."
"First round?" I blasted, surprise evident in my voice.
"Oh, haven't you heard. Well, Julliard has found it difficult to sort through the many, many applicants that want to attend our school but cannot afford it. How can one decide who is the better dancing when one cannot compare them. So, the scholarship will only be given to the top ten students in this program, will that be a problem Miss Swan?"
"Err, problem. No, no, it's fine. Um…"
"You will be phoned later today to inform you of the details. Thank you very much, you may leave now."
"Um, thank you." I said, bowing before I rushed out of the room…and into the tight embrace of my mother's arms.
"Oh, honey how did it go? There's always other schools and you know what I do have some money saved away that we could use if you…"
"Mum, I already told you to keep that for when you retire. And besides there's no need for it, or at least not yet."
"Huh?"
"I made it! Only through the first round but I'm through. Come let's go home…"
"But what do you mean first round?" She burst, her eyebrow shooting up quizzically.
"I tell you about as we go home. I need to get out of here." I moaned, grabbing her arm and forcing her down the wooden corridor.
***
-EPOV-
"Edward!" Alice's formidable voice chimed through the air, before her tiny frame blasted into me.
"Nice to see you too, Alice." I greeted, hugging her tightly. Despite how annoying she can be, I really did miss my sister in the year I had been away to England. "Why didn't you tell us you were coming? Oh!" Tiny drops of warm liquid run down my neck. I pulled back my older sister slightly, enough to see her face.
"Alice, why are you crying? I thought you wanted to see me again." I worried.
"That's just it Edward. You just left, no word, no letter. You left me."
"Alice I didn't leave you…"
"Then what does one call it when their brother just up and leaves one day out of the blue, only to call us months later and inform us that he was alive and living across the damn world in England for heaven sake. Do you know how worried mum and dad were? Do you know how scared I was? My own twin brother didn't even have the decency of telling me about this plan. What happened to you and me would be everywhere together, do everything together…"
"Alice, we were kids back then."
"Well, I like you better back then. You've changed." She carped.
"You don't mean that."
"I do…"
"Alright, well then I guess I don't have to ask if I can crash your place. I'll be heading back to Britain…"
"No! No, I was joking. I didn't mean it." She squeaked.
"Aha." I chuckled. "So where's the place?"
"Um, Edward you do know that I'm only in my first year at Julliard's right?" Alice said, her tone sodden with regret.
"And?"
"Well, Edward how many eighteen year olds do you know of who has their own place?"
"What? Are you saying that you're still staying with mum and dad?" I moaned.
"Mm-hmm" She nodded.
"Oh, that's just great."
"Well, it is. You never did tell me why you left but it wasn't because of mum and dad was it?"
"No."
"Then what's the problem?"
"Huh! Dad's just going to give me a lot of grief over this."
"Well what sane father wouldn't?" I sighed deeply, running my hand through my hair.
"Hey, what happened to that gap year you were planning on taking?" I wondered. Alice and I had both started school a year earlier, thanks to the passion my dad exuberated whenever he thought us something. Alice and I had found it easy to keep up with the others and had considered it an advantage that we would make use of after high school. Off course it was intended to be spent on a trip through Europe together but my impulsive move to England had shattered those plans. Still it surprised me that Alice had gone off to Julliard immediately.
"Well, we had plans remember. But well, Francesca came home for dinner a month after you left and the way she described Julliard was so enticing I couldn't help but register. She was very disappointed with you, you know. She had always had high hopes for you."
"I know." I groaned. "But she got over it."
"Perhaps but if you're not back so that you can get in for Julliard next year then why are you here?" My sister wondered.
"You know me too well, Alice" I smirked.
"So you are here for Julliard!" She squealed. "Oh, mummy's going to be so happy! She always said that you would come back for Julliard. She…"
"What about dad?" I asked, suddenly aware of his absence in her glees.
"Well, dad will be happy too…with some time."
"Sometime?"
"Edward, you can't expect him not to be upset. You were his son, his pride and glory and you just left. He was distraught."
"Alice, I told you all how aggravated I was for having everything set before me on a silver platter."
"Edward, we don't eat on silver, that's only for special occasions…"
"Alice. The point is it was stifling. I wanted to get things for myself, not be able to live in opulence without having to do anything."
"I know. And dad does too. He kept repeating what you said to him, over and over. Actually I think you may be in for a surprise when you go home but from what you're saying, it shouldn't bother you too much."
"What do you mean?"
"Don't worry. You'll see. Now come let's go home."
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