I danced across the dirty wooden floor in my toe shoes. It was January 1st of 1990 and I had three weeks till my audition and I had to be ready for it. After a couple more combinations I took a seat on my beat up couch that I found on the street. I took a sip of water when my phone rang. Ugh. I don't feel like answering it so I decide to screen this call. Turned out it was my mom and she left a message.
"Hi Daisy it's your mom, I hope you had a happy new year. Your brother is here with the kids if you want to come up and visit us. Good luck with your audition and remember you can always can come back home if you want too. But that's beside the point. Love you."
I let out a sigh and through my water bottle to the ground. My mom never believed in me and my dance career... Well I'm never going back home even if I have to live in this shitty apartment. I have an illegal wood stove as the smoke goes out the window and my electricity can be iffy as it blows pretty often. It's better than nothing though. It's better than being with my family and I still have heat. Suddenly my phone rang again and I decided to screen it.
I started to go up en pointe when the answering machine beeped and I recognized the voice. I ran over to the phone my shoes clanking against the floor. "Benny what is it?" I asked.
"I need your Rent Daisy."
"Benny you told me I was free you promised one year of free rent."
"I'm sorry Daisy but I've changed my mind pay you rent or I'll have to evict you." He then hung up leaving me shocked on the other end. I slammed the phone done and whispered. "Fuck" I sat down on the couch putting my face into my hands. "Fuck." I sat there for a moment trying to figure out where I can scrounge up money to pay my rent when all of the sudden the power blew. "Shit". I scrounged around looking for a candle when I felt a sudden cold breeze. "Oh great they turned off my heat too."
You get cold pretty quickly when you're wearing a tank top leotard and tights. So I quickly ran to my room and changed. I slipped on a pair of jeans and a pair of worn blue converses. I put on a purple short sleeve shirt and a light blue plaid hoodie. I then grabbed my heavier jacket and slipped it over. I needed some fresh air anyone but I grabbed my candle just in case I came across a fire. I then went down the stairs and into the cold winter air.
The breeze hit my hard and it looked like it was about to snow. The sidewalk was covered with slushy snow and it was still slippery. I looked at the lot across from me were a small tent city sprung up. Those poor people, on Christmas though I heard a performance going on and mooing for some reason, I didn't question it though. I walked down the street watching people pass by with the New Year's spirt in their eye, hoping for a fresh start.
I then felt a sudden pull at my arm. I turned around quickly and saw some homeless person pulling on my sleeve. "Are you okay?" I asked him. He then gave me a swift punch in the stomach. I fell to the side walk groveling in pain as the man quickly took my jacket and all that was left to keep me warm was my thin hoodie. I watched him run away with my jacket. "Well happy new year to you too." I stood up holding my stomach. I couldn't stay outside or I would freeze. Maybe I should go back to my flat but I would freeze to. I know I would go to the flat two floors above the people there may have some matches.
I walked back home my stomach still hurting and walked up to the top level of the apartments. I never meant the other people around here but they should be nice. I knocked on the door with one hand and held onto the candle in the other. The door then opened.
A man with blonde hair opened the door. He was wearing a red and blue striped sweater and a navy blue white scarf. He was wearing black glasses and was holding onto a camera that was turned on. "Hi." He said. "You okay."
I shivered and said "My power blew and my heat was turned off. Can you light my candle?" I held it out for him and he pulled out a match lighting my candle. "Thanks." I began to walk away when the guy called out my name. "Are you sure you're okay?" I turned around and looked at him.
"No, someone took my coat as I went outside." He looked at me with sympathy
"Do you want to come? It may not be super warm but we have the stove going."
"Uh...I guess so." I continued to hold my candle and walked in to his apartment. It was pretty similar to mine but he had a table across the center of the room. I took a seat and held onto my candle but the apartment was warm enough were I didn't need it. I blew it out and watch the man walk around putting some wood into the "stove" He looked over at me again and saw he was staring.
'What are you staring at?" I asked him as I held onto my stomach.
"Nothing I just um...Is your stomach okay?"
"Well no the man gave a mean punch too as he grabbed my coat."
"I'm sorry about your coat just make yourself at home." He came over to me and sat next to me his camera still rolling.
"What's with the camera?" I asked.
"Uh I'm a filmmaker and I'm trying to shoot without a script instead of my old shit." He shrugged his shoulders and then said "Want to say something to the camera." As he held it up to my face.
"Um well...My names Daisy and I'm an aspiring Ballerina." He smiled and turned off his camera.
"Daisy that's a pretty name. My names Mark." I shook his hand and said
"Mark it's nice to meet you."
"You too Daisy so a ballerina."
"Yup it's what I've always wanted to be since I was little. I actually have an audition in three weeks for a company."
"Whoa really that's amazing." He stared at me again and I looked into his adorable baby blue eyes.
"So film huh?"
"Yeah nothing has come of it though expect the fact that my footage of Christmas riot got on TV."
"Your joking that was your footage it was great."
"Yeah but I still have to work on the film." He said looking at his camera. The heat of the fire filled the room. He seemed so sweet but just a little awkward. He looked at me again and smiled.
"You keep staring at me?" I asked. "Is there something on my face?
"No...um no...You have a nice smile." He looked down at the ground blushing slightly. I put my hands in my lap trying to keep them warm. I couldn't help but giggle.
"You have nice eyes." I covered my mouth realizing what I said. He then laughed and set his camera on the table in front of us.
"Do you want to um...I don't want to come to the Life cafe tonight my friends will be there." He closed his eyes as if was waiting for me to say no.
"I would love to I do need to get out of the house more, I guess."
"Really well then meet me there at 10."
"Sure." I got up and figured I over stayed my welcome. "I should get back to my flat." I walked over to the door before Mark stopped me.
"Hang on." He grabbed a plaid winter jacket and handed it to me. "Something to keep you warm."
"Thanks." I put on the jacket which wrapped me in warmth. I held out my candle and asked. "Will you light my candle?" He pulled out a match and lit my candle.
"That should keep you warm." He said with a smile.
"See you tonight then." I walked out of the room and went down to my flat and for some reason I couldn't stop smiling. I was really looking forward to tonight.
Mark's P.O.V
I was still staring at the door when she walked away. Did I just ask a girl on a date? No...I just invited her to join me with my friends. I went back to my couch and grabbed my camera. "She had a nice smile." I whispered "And she was fun to talk to for a while." I walked around the flat. "But come on Mark." I said to myself. "She's out of your league."
I flopped onto the couch and let out a sigh. I then heard the door opened and saw Rodger come in with a huge grin on his face. He must have spent the night with Mimi. "Hey Mark."
"Hey Rodger. How was last night?"
"It was great! I feel like things are going to go well for us." He took a seat next to me and put his feet on the table. "Ready for are New Year's celebration at the Life cafe?"
"Yeah and well um...I invited someone to join us tonight?"
"WHAT?!" Rodger exclaimed. "Did you meet a girl in the time I was gone?"
"Well...yeah. I did actually and she's pretty nice." I then told him about me meeting Daisy.
"Dude you gave her your coat?"
"Yeah."
"Man you must have fallen. You defiantly have a crush."
"I don't have a crush I just think she's nice and..."
"I'm going to stop you right there...will see tonight whether you have a crush on her or not." He got up and went over to get his guitar while I sat there playing with my camera. I may not have admitted to Rodger but I was pretty excited to see Daisy again.
