AN: Again, I thank my reviewers! I'm happy to see that people are actually
reading and reviewing my story. Like I said before, I'm genuinely surprised
when I see that people are reviewing my story. I never though anyone would.
kurleyhawk2: I'll try my darndest but college tends to get in the way.
PixiePea000: Thanks! I'll get around to typing that part out. By the way, GOLLUM!
Lomiothiel: As always, I appreciate you're review! I didn't even realize I'd written that partial diss in until you pointed it out. I guess that's what I get for updating at like 2:30 AM. I'm glad you liked it though!
Disclaimer: I own nothing except for a handful of made up characters. Tolkien thought up the concept and, as such, it belongs to him. I'm just playing in his world. I'm broke and in college. All I own are Pointe Shoes.
Spiro strode over to where Lee and Emma sat talking. Upon his entrance, Emma had removed her headphones entirely and placed them back into her dance bag. Her mother had taught her it was rude to listen to her CD player when someone in authority was around. At the dance studio, she figured that Spiro was about the only one she owed that respect too.
"Good to see you again, Lee. What happened? I thought you'd found exactly what you wanted," Spiro said, shaking the elf-posing-as-a-human's had and giving him a friendly pat on the shoulder.
The elf returned the handshake.
"I just want to be sure that I am making the correct decision," he lied.
"By the way," the elf said, "I think my friend here has something for you."
He gestured to Emma, trying to gauge her response to his use of the phrase "my friend." She looked unfazed, as she handed Spiro the envelope.
I hope that's what you're looking for," she said quietly, "I was able to get two views of each character."
Spiro opened the clasp on the envelope and flipped, idly, through its contents.
"Yeah, this is what I wanted. Thanks," he, curtly, said.
He took the pictures and set them one by one on the radiator cover.
While he did this, the rest of the class, save Fran and Rosemarie who had gone to their respective homes, came back up stairs.
"Come here," Spiro commanded in his booming, annoyed-sounding voice.
The entire class gathered around Spiro, sitting in a tight huddle on the floor. Emma stayed toward the back of the group, acting as if the other dancers had some horrid disease she was afraid of catching.
"Wad's up, Spiro?" Andrea asked, in an attempt to sound like a thug.
First, I have to leave early so we're going to have to work very hard. Second, I'm going to assign each of you a part for the ballet. We start rehearsing for that bright and early, 8:30 AM, Saturday," he quickly said.
The class started talking among themselves about how unfair the time of the ballet class was. Emma listened and smiled a bit. It was the same story every year. They'd complain about the time, hem and haw all they wanted, but no one had the guts to ask about changing it. Besides, it wasn't as if the class ever started on time, anyway. At the earliest, the last of the "staff" strolled upstairs at 9:00 AM.
Spiro passed out the pictures Emma had given him, along with a picture of the costume they were going to wear. According to Spiro, and to a certain degree Miss Michelle, the other picture was to act as a comparison source and help to decide what other costume parts they needed to order, and overcharge, for.
"Spiro, what is this thing?" asked Danielle, holding her picture at an odd angle as if that would give her an answer.
"Yeah Spiro, none of us are dorks like some people here. Us normal people don't know what these freaky things are," Kim added, making the rest of the "staff" laugh.
"They're characters from the movie Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring. The movies as well as the books," Spiro explained.
"Wait..wait..wait.. those movies were based on books?" Andrea asked.
Spiro launched into a bit of an explanation about the books while Emma just shook her head. They had gone through this same speech back when Spiro had told them what they would be doing for their ballet. It had surprised her, then, that they didn't know the movies were based on books. She thought everyone knew that fact.
"Does anyone actually know the name of the character which they will be playing?" Spiro, his annoyance level someplace higher than anyone could understand, asked.
Emma meekly raised her hand and offered, "I know who my character is."
"Enlighten us," Laura snapped.
"I'm dressing as an elf named Legolas," she replied.
A bit of muttering ran through the rest of the class, as if confirming Kim's earlier accusation about the nature of the people who knew who their characters were.
Spiro, much to Emma's surprise, said, "Thank you. As for the rest of you, Kim is going to dress as Strider/Aragorn a sort of wanderer/warrior type. Andrea, you are going to be Frodo the Hobbit who carries the ring and Danielle will be your man servant Sam. Laura, Myra you will be playing Merry and Pippin, respectively. They are also Hobbits. The remaining characters will be played by older members of the Junior Ballet workshop."
"Spiro, didn't you notice all these characters are guys. I don't want to be a guy," whined Myra, looking at her picture with an expression of utmost disgust.
"Me neither. Can I have Emma's part? At least he looks like a she," Danielle said, viciously.
Lee, of course, was offended by that remark.
"I do not look like a girl," he thought.
"It will work out. You're intelligent women, I'm sure you'll figure out what to do. Now does anyone need anything for their costumes?" Spiro said a hint of sarcasm in his voice.
Just then, Michelle came barging up the stairs. Her arrival being heralded by a sound similar to a heard of rushing cows.
"Oh you told them already," she said with feigned disappointment, "are there any problems with the costumes?"
After addressing the concern if her staff and Laura, taking careful notes on a sheet of yellow paper, she came to Emma.
Emma had been intensely studying her two pictures, trying to find the faults she knew were there. She had only located one, much to her delight and surprise.
"Do you have a problem?" the pig like owner asked.
"Just one. This costume lacks these arm band thingies the actual character has on in the picture," Emma explained.
"Yes I know but you may have to do without that. I just can't find a company that sells those," Michelle said, failing to hide her glee.
Emma knew, as well as Michelle did that without that small detail, the arms of her costume would look grossly unfinished. She figured Michelle was just trying to cheat her and make sure she didn't look as good as the chosen few she liked did.
"If I may interrupt, Michelle," Lee said, walking over to where Emma and the pig like owner stood.
"But of course, Lee, an expert's opinion is always welcome here in our little studio," she gushed.
"I may be able to assist Emma's costume problem. My company, so to speak, can get something very similar to what Emma requires. I can easily procure them for her and bring them here," he replied, giving the child a small smile.
"It's really not necessary, especially not for someone like her," Michelle whispered.
"I insist. Think of it as an act of friendship from my company. You would not be so rude as to decline such an act," he, diplomatically, said.
Both Emma and Lee could see that Michelle was torn. She didn't want to refuse someone she thought was the owner of a major dance company but she didn't want to help Emma's cause either.
"Alright then" she finally said.
"It's is really no problem," Legolas said.
Before Emma could thank Lee, Spiro called for them to start dancing.
He put on the song "Smooth Criminal, "the Alien Ant Farm version, and ordered them to do the highly complex combination he taught them.
As she danced, Emma reminded herself to thank Lee at the first opportunity she had.
"Maybe he's not all that big of a threat," she thought frowning as she corrected her arms while doing a side kick into a back attitude.
"I guess I just over reacted," she, mentally, added as she fell into a split and rolled over onto her side.
kurleyhawk2: I'll try my darndest but college tends to get in the way.
PixiePea000: Thanks! I'll get around to typing that part out. By the way, GOLLUM!
Lomiothiel: As always, I appreciate you're review! I didn't even realize I'd written that partial diss in until you pointed it out. I guess that's what I get for updating at like 2:30 AM. I'm glad you liked it though!
Disclaimer: I own nothing except for a handful of made up characters. Tolkien thought up the concept and, as such, it belongs to him. I'm just playing in his world. I'm broke and in college. All I own are Pointe Shoes.
Spiro strode over to where Lee and Emma sat talking. Upon his entrance, Emma had removed her headphones entirely and placed them back into her dance bag. Her mother had taught her it was rude to listen to her CD player when someone in authority was around. At the dance studio, she figured that Spiro was about the only one she owed that respect too.
"Good to see you again, Lee. What happened? I thought you'd found exactly what you wanted," Spiro said, shaking the elf-posing-as-a-human's had and giving him a friendly pat on the shoulder.
The elf returned the handshake.
"I just want to be sure that I am making the correct decision," he lied.
"By the way," the elf said, "I think my friend here has something for you."
He gestured to Emma, trying to gauge her response to his use of the phrase "my friend." She looked unfazed, as she handed Spiro the envelope.
I hope that's what you're looking for," she said quietly, "I was able to get two views of each character."
Spiro opened the clasp on the envelope and flipped, idly, through its contents.
"Yeah, this is what I wanted. Thanks," he, curtly, said.
He took the pictures and set them one by one on the radiator cover.
While he did this, the rest of the class, save Fran and Rosemarie who had gone to their respective homes, came back up stairs.
"Come here," Spiro commanded in his booming, annoyed-sounding voice.
The entire class gathered around Spiro, sitting in a tight huddle on the floor. Emma stayed toward the back of the group, acting as if the other dancers had some horrid disease she was afraid of catching.
"Wad's up, Spiro?" Andrea asked, in an attempt to sound like a thug.
First, I have to leave early so we're going to have to work very hard. Second, I'm going to assign each of you a part for the ballet. We start rehearsing for that bright and early, 8:30 AM, Saturday," he quickly said.
The class started talking among themselves about how unfair the time of the ballet class was. Emma listened and smiled a bit. It was the same story every year. They'd complain about the time, hem and haw all they wanted, but no one had the guts to ask about changing it. Besides, it wasn't as if the class ever started on time, anyway. At the earliest, the last of the "staff" strolled upstairs at 9:00 AM.
Spiro passed out the pictures Emma had given him, along with a picture of the costume they were going to wear. According to Spiro, and to a certain degree Miss Michelle, the other picture was to act as a comparison source and help to decide what other costume parts they needed to order, and overcharge, for.
"Spiro, what is this thing?" asked Danielle, holding her picture at an odd angle as if that would give her an answer.
"Yeah Spiro, none of us are dorks like some people here. Us normal people don't know what these freaky things are," Kim added, making the rest of the "staff" laugh.
"They're characters from the movie Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring. The movies as well as the books," Spiro explained.
"Wait..wait..wait.. those movies were based on books?" Andrea asked.
Spiro launched into a bit of an explanation about the books while Emma just shook her head. They had gone through this same speech back when Spiro had told them what they would be doing for their ballet. It had surprised her, then, that they didn't know the movies were based on books. She thought everyone knew that fact.
"Does anyone actually know the name of the character which they will be playing?" Spiro, his annoyance level someplace higher than anyone could understand, asked.
Emma meekly raised her hand and offered, "I know who my character is."
"Enlighten us," Laura snapped.
"I'm dressing as an elf named Legolas," she replied.
A bit of muttering ran through the rest of the class, as if confirming Kim's earlier accusation about the nature of the people who knew who their characters were.
Spiro, much to Emma's surprise, said, "Thank you. As for the rest of you, Kim is going to dress as Strider/Aragorn a sort of wanderer/warrior type. Andrea, you are going to be Frodo the Hobbit who carries the ring and Danielle will be your man servant Sam. Laura, Myra you will be playing Merry and Pippin, respectively. They are also Hobbits. The remaining characters will be played by older members of the Junior Ballet workshop."
"Spiro, didn't you notice all these characters are guys. I don't want to be a guy," whined Myra, looking at her picture with an expression of utmost disgust.
"Me neither. Can I have Emma's part? At least he looks like a she," Danielle said, viciously.
Lee, of course, was offended by that remark.
"I do not look like a girl," he thought.
"It will work out. You're intelligent women, I'm sure you'll figure out what to do. Now does anyone need anything for their costumes?" Spiro said a hint of sarcasm in his voice.
Just then, Michelle came barging up the stairs. Her arrival being heralded by a sound similar to a heard of rushing cows.
"Oh you told them already," she said with feigned disappointment, "are there any problems with the costumes?"
After addressing the concern if her staff and Laura, taking careful notes on a sheet of yellow paper, she came to Emma.
Emma had been intensely studying her two pictures, trying to find the faults she knew were there. She had only located one, much to her delight and surprise.
"Do you have a problem?" the pig like owner asked.
"Just one. This costume lacks these arm band thingies the actual character has on in the picture," Emma explained.
"Yes I know but you may have to do without that. I just can't find a company that sells those," Michelle said, failing to hide her glee.
Emma knew, as well as Michelle did that without that small detail, the arms of her costume would look grossly unfinished. She figured Michelle was just trying to cheat her and make sure she didn't look as good as the chosen few she liked did.
"If I may interrupt, Michelle," Lee said, walking over to where Emma and the pig like owner stood.
"But of course, Lee, an expert's opinion is always welcome here in our little studio," she gushed.
"I may be able to assist Emma's costume problem. My company, so to speak, can get something very similar to what Emma requires. I can easily procure them for her and bring them here," he replied, giving the child a small smile.
"It's really not necessary, especially not for someone like her," Michelle whispered.
"I insist. Think of it as an act of friendship from my company. You would not be so rude as to decline such an act," he, diplomatically, said.
Both Emma and Lee could see that Michelle was torn. She didn't want to refuse someone she thought was the owner of a major dance company but she didn't want to help Emma's cause either.
"Alright then" she finally said.
"It's is really no problem," Legolas said.
Before Emma could thank Lee, Spiro called for them to start dancing.
He put on the song "Smooth Criminal, "the Alien Ant Farm version, and ordered them to do the highly complex combination he taught them.
As she danced, Emma reminded herself to thank Lee at the first opportunity she had.
"Maybe he's not all that big of a threat," she thought frowning as she corrected her arms while doing a side kick into a back attitude.
"I guess I just over reacted," she, mentally, added as she fell into a split and rolled over onto her side.