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Nora paced up and down the studio's wooden floor, her heels clicking as they came in contact with the beams. She couldn't tell how long she had been treading across the same ten or so planks of heavily varnished wood, but she was aware that if she didn't change her course of direction soon she would scream.
Tyler was late. Again. Not just 'I went to grab a soda quickly' late, or even 'whoops I missed the bus' late, but seriously, rudely and unforgivably late. And Nora was majorly pissed.
She wished it were the first time that she had experienced him being such a let down, but sadly it wasn't. The past few days his attendance had been deteriorating gradually, but she had been able to push it aside thanks to the way he always threw himself into his dancing one hundred percent.
He was a good dancer. That she could readily admit. He still needed to learn the routine, however, and that would take time, dedication and practice.
It had taken her just under half a term to come up with the dance routine in her mind, and she was still taking her time finding the right track to dance to. Everything had to be perfect. However, she was beginning to get concerned that it could easily take Tyler just as long to pick up the routine, as it had taken her to design it. He was a quick learner, that could easily be said, but his lack of experience in classical ballet was hindering his progress.
Letting out a deep sigh of frustration, she stopped pacing for a moment and glanced at herself in the floor to ceiling mirror that occupied an entire wall of the studio. She looked angry and hurt; yet there was more to her expression than just those two emotions. She didn't need a mirror to tell her how she was feeling inside. Somewhere deep down inside of her she felt the stirrings of a most unwelcome emotion.
She had become to look forward to her daily practices with Tyler more than she should have allowed herself to. Now, the thought of not having one not only made her angry at his lack of concern for her showcase, but also irritated at herself for secretly missing him.
As she stared at herself in the mirror, she felt her mind cloud over with the memory of his face; that strong jaw-line, those intense green eyes, and that crooked smile that touched her far more than she was willing to admit to anyone.
Feeling jittery, she reached her hand up to her head and released the hair-band that was restraining her hair in a tight ponytail. Letting her chestnut locks tumble onto her shoulders, she shook her head gently from side to side, letting her hair swoosh around, giving her a chance to stretch the muscles in her neck, which had been getting tighter and tighter by the second.
She had been relying on having a good practice. Not only to reassure her that both Tyler and herself were on deadline for the showcase, but also to work out some of the tension that had been building inside of her.
A combination of the pressures of the impending showcase, rehearsing constantly for weeks on end, and her new and unwelcome feelings for Tyler were beginning to wrap themselves into a knot of tension in the pit of her stomach. She had to keep reassuring herself that this was what it was all about, that she would look back on these moments with a fondness for her years spent at MSA. Despite this, however, she still felt that she was climbing a hill on a very steep and unsteady roller-coaster, that seemed destined for a most uncomfortable ride back down to earth.
She had promised herself, and her boyfriend, that these practices were a necessity until Andrew, her usual dance-partner, was able to dance with her again. That had been before her feelings had started to change. Now, she had begun to secretly hope that Andrew would be unable to dance for a quite a while.
She hated herself for thinking it. Andrew was a great dancer, and had also been a very good friend to her over the years, but something about the way Tyler danced excited her more than Andrew ever had, or did.
She wasn't sure if it was the combination of raw club moves, his fountain of energy that seemed to bubble up from nowhere, or the sparkle in his eye that glimmered whenever she looked at him. Whatever it was, Tyler Gage had wormed his way into her thoughts and affections, and was stubbornly refusing to leave.
Sure he was annoying, and always challenged her when he thought she was wrong – not that he knew anything about choreography- but he seemed to be, deep down, a really nice guy; Despite his rough, tough-guy exterior.
The fact that he always seemed to look at her with a fondness that was way more than just friendship didn't hurt either. She had noticed the sparkle that always appeared in his eyes when he looked at her. Her friend Lucy, who had from the start been more than complimentary about Tyler's assets, had also pointed it out on several occasions.
Sure, she could admit that he was attractive in an unconventional sort of way. He seemed to turn a few heads when entering a room, but that could mostly be put down to the fact that he was so tall. To her five foot three frame at least, he was nearly a giant; towering over her at just over six foot.
Some would say he had the whole package; good looks, a nice body, and the ability to dance. But in a school of arts it took more than those abilities to capture someone's attention. Nora always looked for honesty, integrity and reliability; the latter being Tyler's biggest downfall. His rather unsavoury extra curricular activities didn't do him any favours either. In fact, rumours about his supposed criminal activity had been buzzing throughout the school corridors since he had arrived. It was the hottest gossip the school had heard in months.
Despite this, however, she had been willing to give him a chance; albeit because initially there had been no other option. She had begun to believe that he had begun to enjoy the practices more and more, and thanks to his effort, had been able to see himself progress with each day. Now, it seemed clear as day that her efforts had been wasted. She would have been better off spending her time planning a solo routine for the showcase, rather than wasting her time on him.
Her thoughts convinced her for a moment. Then she felt the unexpected pang of disappointment. Already, part of her had given up on Tyler Gage. He'd had his chance. These practices she'd arranged were not so much about her, as him. He was the one who needed to be ready on the day. He needed to learn the steps until they were lodged into his brain. He was the one letting himself down.
She inhaled deeply, and crossed her arms defensively across her chest.
That wasn't exactly true. He hadn't just let himself down, he had let her down too. That was what hurt her the most. After all the time they had dedicated to getting to know each other, all the stick she had taken from fellow students, and, admittingly, some of her friends about his lack of prospects, he was throwing it all away and proving everyone right.
She let out another frustrated grunt and paced towards her coat, scarf and bag, which were lying where she had left them on a chair by the C.D player stand. She snatched them up, dressed quickly and made her way towards the exit. As she did, she took a brief glance at the clock on the wall, which was only a moment away from signalling the hour.
If he couldn't be bothered to show, she wasn't going to mope around waiting for him. She would forget all about Tyler Gage, and she wouldn't look back.
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