Terri twirled across the mirrored dance studio, counting out the rhythm of the out-of-tune piano music in her head. She struck the ending pose as the pianist hit the ending notes. She and the group of girls she was dancing with walked back over to the barre, making way for the next group of dancers. She sat down, her eyes trained on the dancers before her. She zeroed in on one particular girl dancing in the front of the group. How Terri longed that her pirouettes were that sharp, her arabesques that balanced!
"You're spacey today," Her best friend, Anne said, nudging Terri's leg with the block of her point shoe.
Terri shrugged. " Just wishing my dancing was that good." She nodded in the direction of the girl she had been staring at earlier.
Anne rolled her eyes. " Lauren isn't better then you, her ego is just bigger."
Terri knew her friend was just trying to cheer her up. She would never step out of her mother, Marina Abelev's shadow. Her mother had been a principal dancer for the Kirov ballet, then she had moved to America to dance with the American Ballet Theatre. Two months after she started dancing with them, she met Terri's absent father. Marina become pregnant with Terri, nearly ending her promising career as a ballet dancer. She kept dancing though,not going to let her pregnancy ruin her career. Her mother said that was why Terri was a dancer, because she had still danced during her first three months of pregnancy.
"Good, good!" Their ballet instructor, Mrs. Alana cried, clapping her hands.
She then dismissed the class and each girl headed for the dressing room. Terri dawdled behind, telling Anne to go on without her. She took longer time then needed to pull off her leg warmers, taking extra time to fold them carefully. Out of the corner of her eye, she looked at her instructor talking to a newbie to the class, explaining to her attentively about how to properly wrap your feet with lamb's wool. Once she finished, she looked over at the lingering Terri. She walked over to her, watching her with inquisitive eyes.
"What is the matter, Terri?" She asked. " You usually don't take this long."
Terri shrugged. " I was wondering-"
She cut her off. "Terri, I swear if you ask me if you are doing okay I will knock you down to a lower level!" She looked right at Terri." You are an amazing dancer, stop worrying!"
Terri swallowed, that wasn't what she was going to ask at all. She was going to talk to her about the recurring nightmares she was having. But now all her confidence was gone."Thank you,"
She walked numbly out of the studio, seeing the reflection in the mirrors of her dancer teacher breaking into a spontaneous series of pirouettes. Now who was she going to tell? Her mother was out of the question. All her mom seemed to talk about was ballet. Besides, Terri and her mother weren't the closest. The only thing that brought them together was their love of dance. But even that couldn't make them a tight-nit family. For the millionth time, Terri wished she had a father. Someone she could go to, since she couldn't talk to her mother. Someone to talk with about stuff other then ballet.
When Terri entered the dressing room it was unlit and deserted, she felt with her hand for a light switch and cursed when she didn't feel one. She was never the first one at dance class, so she didn't have a clue where it was. Sighing, she felt her way in the dark for her dance bag, glad it was a neon green. She slipped off her leotard and tights, throwing on her old jeans,ratty t-shirt, and scruffy black converse high tops.
Bang!
Terri yelped, jumping in the air and banging into the metal bench her bag was on. She cursed, holding her leg where she was sure an angry bruise would greet her in the morning. She stood there silently for a moment, her eyes scanning the room for any sign of someone trying to pull a prank on her. She shook her head, she was just hearing things. After all, it was dark and the day before Halloween. Her mind was playing tricks on her.
She shook her head again, slinging her dance bag over her shoulder and scurrying out of the dark dressing room.
If she had bother to look behind her she would have seen two glowing red eyes gazing at her as she left.
I know this chapter was short but the next will be much longer. I promise. So, what do you think?Was it horrible,good? Please review
