Quick note- modern dancers dance barefoot or in foot underwear. In this story they will be barefoot.

First ballet dancer that used pointe shoes was Marie Taglioni in 1832 ballet "La Sylphide"

Dancing is moving to the music without stepping on anyone's toes, pretty much the same as life. ~Robert Brault

Four? I scribbled furiously. The prodigy dancer? I thought he did ballet? That's a pretty big switch.

Christina shrugged and started doing lunges. "Apparently Marcus knows him really well and convinced him to come here. You'll have to get a miracle recovery if you want your spot back."

That's encouraging. Notice the sarcasm? What's Four's real name anyways?

"No idea," Christina slid into the splits. "I only know that he got the nickname for his amazing turn sequence."

I drew a giant question mark on the paper.

"He can do a perfect set of four pirouettes*."

I motioned to the question mark again. Four pirouettes wasn't unusual. A professional dancer had to do at least three.

"By the time he was six."

Oh. I could barely do a single pirouette at that age.

Well, fuck him. Just because he could twirl in a circle more times than me when we were younger doesn't mean anything.

"I don't know, Tris. I think you should be a bit more worried. I've heard through the grape vine that he can do somewhere around 20 pirouettes now**."

I gaped. This guy was a monster. He probably did drugs. I hoped he did drugs.

"Dancers, I have an announcement to make before we get started," Marcus clapped his hands. Dancers moved to sit in a circle near him. Christina joined them and gave me a small, pitying smile.

I didn't need pity. I needed Four to tragically fall off a balcony or drown in the bathtub.

"As many of you know, we are bringing in an understudy," Marcus grinned. "His name is Four and-"

"Let's get started, Marcus. I don't need an intro," a male voice drawled. A man about my age walked into the room, except walked is the wrong word. Floated describes him better. Hair so dark that it was almost black covered his head and peculiar blue eyes scanned the dancers in the room, apathetically lingering on Marcus.

He was the poster child for a dancer's body: tight butt, muscular everything, and horrendous feet. Not to mention that he was hot.

If I was lucky, his hotness would make him melt into a pile of goo on the floor.

Four in the flesh gave me the chills. I found small satisfaction in the way he seemed uncomfortable being barefoot.

x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.

The company launched into their daily technique class. I spent the whole time praying that Four would trip over his own feet, but there was no such luck. He danced with undeniable grace. I'm sure that even if he fell it would be graceful.

It wasn't long before the company launched into repertoire rehearsal. Marcus had created a new dance titled The Sky Is Black. It was supposed to be an intense piece about inner demons and desire.

The first thing Marcus said was, "We start this dance on this floor."

"What?" Four's voice echoed through the room. His eyes were about to pop out of his head.

Everyone stared at him. Little smirks were on all our faces. I guess prestigious ballet boy has never touched the ground in his life***.

"I said, Four, that we are starting on the ground," Marcus repeated. He was frustratingly calm.

If I had been in Four's position, I would have been scolded.

From there, Marcus continued to teach the dance. It had very solid, sharp movements that involved different tempos and low levels. Four picked the moves up in seconds. Every flick of his wrist or nod of his head was beautiful.

But it was all so, so wrong that I wanted to cry.

Modern dance wasn't about beauty. It was about reality and intensity, both of which Four did not seem to grasp. My spot on the company had never seemed more solid.

x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.

"Four, you've got to let go of that tightness," Marcus was getting annoyed. It had been a long day for the dancers and Four had yet to grasp modern dancing. "Be free with your dancing. You dance like I have my hand up your ass."

Not long after, Marcus called it a day.

The first thing Four did was approach me.

"I need your help," He said in a monotone.

Both pissed and curious, I asked, Why should I help you?

"I can't read that horrible handwriting," Four growled.

No longer curious, only extremely pissed, I took my sweet time writing the same thing in huge block letters.

"I'll take you out for drinks."

I admit that I was tempted. I hadn't gone drinking in a long time, mostly because I didn't want to show up to rehearsal hung-over, but also because I was a victim of a dancer's poor salary.

It also sounded like a date.

I shook my head.

Bad Tris, no fraternizing with the enemy.

"Look," Four sighed, exasperated. He had probably never had someone say no to him before. "I need you to help me with modern dancing. I'm only doing this because- you know what, you don't need to know. I don't plan on staying here, though."

I was upset. Someone who didn't like modern had no place in this studio. I mean, the entire situation was rather arrogant of Four. My fellow dancers have been trying to perfect modern dance all their lives while Four thinks he can waltz in and understand it in one day.

That asshole.

"I see that look on your face. I know this deal is confusing and doesn't sound good for you, but hear me out. Marcus only brought me here for one performance. If I do well in that, I'll be gone and your spot on the company will be fine for the rest of the season. I'll even teach you the choreography myself that you miss."

Mulling it over, I wonder how I'll be able to get Four to tell me why Marcus brought him in just to let him leave.

This deal was in my favor. I didn't understand how having Four do well would help my situation or why I should be nice to him, but there weren't any other ways for me to learn the choreography. Three weeks from now, all of the other members would rather be sleeping in their spare time.

I'd have to miss our first performance anyway. It was in four weeks and I could never learn the missed choreography by then, but, with Four's help, I could learn in time for the second performance.

Sighing, I wasn't committed to the idea just yet.

However, I did scribble Let's go get drunk, then, asshole.

Note- these are all pretty basic dictionary definitions of the move. I suggest looking at pictures or videos to get a real idea of what they are.

*body spin when dancing: a spin of the body, especially one performed in ballet on tiptoe or on the ball of one foot

** The world record for number of pirouettes in a row is 54. The record holder is Sophia Lucia (she's young (somewhere around 10, but I'm not positive) and amazing and basically a dance idol.) However, she was wearing tap shoes when she did the 54 turns, which makes it easier to turn more. Four does his turns in ballet shoes or barefoot.

*** In ballet, you never go on the ground, ever, but in modern it's a common thing.

Thanks to MyBookLife, GingerDivergent, and Guest for reviewing the last chapter!

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