The Twilight Twenty-Five
thetwilight25[dot]com

Prompt: Ballet Studio
Pen Name: Mcgt
Pairing/Main Character(s): Bella
Rating: M

This will be a multi-chaptered story.

Photo prompts can be viewed here: thetwilight25[dot]com/round-six/prompts


A/N

Thanks to LacrimosaMoon for helping beta this for me in a pinch, and Jenequilter for her prereader skills.

If you're a beta, please see my author's note at the bottom. I am in desperate need of someone to review these chapters for me.


Chapter 2 – Tappa Tappa Tappa - Ballet Studio Prompt

My warm, sunshiny beach suddenly morphed into the streets of Forks.

I could see my mother, twenty years younger, clutching my tiny hand as I tapped my way down the rainy sidewalk to dance class. The rain didn't stop me from wearing my beloved tap shoes, even though my mother said they would rust if I wore them in the wet weather. She could barely pry those shoes off my feet when it was time for bed.

I ghosted behind them as I watched my six-year-old self enjoy life so fully. There I was, in my bright yellow rain slicker, stomping loudly from one puddle into another, laughing gleefully even though my mother frowned, chiding me for getting muddy water all over her pants.

Turning the corner, I could see the Adagio Ballet and Dance Center coming into view. The neon sign was lit up like a beacon through the nearly constant gray and drizzle-filled days.

"Come on, sweetie, we need to get you changed and those shoes dried off before class begins," she said, pulling open the door and shuttling my miniature self into the building.

I couldn't for the life of me figure out what this scene had to do with my visitor nor with my life flashing before my eyes. This memory looked like just another day in my otherwise boring and average life.

Since it seemed that Alistair had decided to leave me to figure this out all on my own, I followed them into the building just in time to see my mom over at the sign-in desk, and my tiny form peeking into the window of the ballet studio where a lone girl was practicing her pirouettes.

"No! Keep your eyes focused. You're not paying attention," Miss Tanya, the ballet instructor, shouted at the young girl, causing her lip to quiver.

I'd tried to take ballet about a year ago, but was so bad at it that Miss Tanya told my mother not to bring me back until I learned some grace. Needless to say, she signed me up for something that required a little less poise. Miss Elena was a lot nicer and seemed to enjoy teaching kids, unlike the drill instructor in the next room.

"Bella, come on, we still need to change," my mom called out from behind me.

Still baffled, I just floated behind them while my mom helped me change into my dance clothes and followed as they went into the studio.

"Welcome class. Let's begin with our usual warm up. And remember, stickers for the best form!" Miss Elena called out from the front of the class as we all began tapping out the series of steps she had us memorize on our first day.

Suddenly, the door flew open and a frail little girl was gently nudged inside. The girl's mother stood behind her, encouraging her to join the class.

"Ah, you must be Tori. Welcome, sweetie," Miss Elena said as she ushered the girl inside. She introduced her to the class and said she was one of the scholarship recipients and that it was her first day.

Like a light bulb, this memory of little Tori resurfaced in a flash, helping me to remember what happened that day.

The dance studio had wanted to give out scholarships to worthy kids in the community who couldn't afford the classes otherwise. Tori had been in my grade at school and was known to be from the old mobile home park near the freeway where many of the logging families lived.

The girl looked terrified as she stood off to the side in her sneaker-clad feet. Her shirt had a picture of a faded iron-on unicorn and her jeans appeared about two sizes too big for her. I knew she had an older sister, and I figured they were probably hand me downs.

I watched as my six- year-old self walked up to Tori and bluntly asked her where her shoes were. Of course like most children, you asked the obvious question, regardless of how awkward it might make the other person.

Tori just stood, her hair dangling down in front of her face as she looked at the floor. She mumbled that the only shoes she owned were the ones she was wearing.

Miss Elena placed Tori into the line beside me, and asked me to help her learn the steps of the warm-up exercises while she looked in the back closet to see if she had any old shoes lying around that would fit her.

Only a few moments into my attempt at explaining a shuffle-ball chain, our teacher returned empty handed. Walking up to the two of us she explained, "We'll make sure you have a pair of shoes for next class, okay?" I'm not sure what compelled me, but I whipped off my tap shoes, for the first time since I'd woken up that morning, and handed them to the girl.

"Here. There's nothing better than the sound of tap shoes on the floor."

Tori tilted her head to the side, looking baffled by the gesture.

"Go on, put them on," my tiny-self encouraged, putting her foot right next to Tori's and saying they looked the same.

I watched as Tori's face brightened when she looked at the grin plastered all over my young face. She tugged off her old battered sneakers and put on my shiny black tap shoes. She shyly tapped at first before exploding into a difficult routine.

Miss Elena bent down to me, whispering conspiratorially that this is why the girl had been chosen for the scholarship. She'd been putting bottle caps on the bottom of her sneakers and tapping on a piece of plywood she'd found thrown by the dumpster near where she lived.

I muddled through class in just my socks, watching in awe as Tori mastered the routine we were learning before anyone else in the class.

At the end of class, Tori wandered over, handing me back my shoes and thanking me for being so nice to her.

Putting them back on, I watched as Tori talked to Miss Elena and her mom, pointing in my six-year-old self's direction. She was telling them about what I had done. They both beamed, telling me how generous I was, and that they wouldn't forget such a kind gesture.

Tori and I tapped away the rest of the summer in our class. But when her father was laid off from the lumberyard, she'd been forced to move away. I never knew what became of her.

I was about to follow my mother and my mini-me out of the ballet studio when suddenly, gone was the neon sign and instead a poster of STOMP! featuring Tori Chambers took its place.

She'd made it to Broadway.

"Your generosity helped kick start the dream of that young girl."

I jumped, startled by the sound of Alistair's voice. I turned and there he stood with a smug look on his face.

"I still don't think this made my life complete or anything. I mean, woo hoo," I cheered sarcastically, waving my finger in the air. "So what, if I shared my tap shoes and all her dreams came true. Yay for her. It's not like she ever came into my shop and bought a book or a latte. Now that could have helped me out." I mumbled, feeling sorry for myself once again.

Exhaling a heavy sigh and shaking his head, Alistair told me to rest for a while before meeting my next visitor.

I blinked and found myself back at my sunny tropical beach, all by lonesome.


A/N

Thanks so much for reading. Leave me your theories, can't wait to hear your thoughts.

**I 'm looking for a beta who would be willing to help with these short chapters. My usual one is a little busy right now and I need these sort of quickly turned around. If you might be willing to help me out, drop me a PM. I have 10 chapters of 25 completed already. Each chapter will be around the 1k word mark.