Effort - in dance it's the dynamics of movement is the result of the combination of, space, weight, time and flow its effort qualities.

Rest - a moment of silence in a musical piece.

It was this nagging sense of being watched that made Ava stop going through her scales. She looked to the door and caught a flicker movement at the very edge of the glass. Going to the door, she opened it, looking to her left. Sara was pressed around the wall with the expression of a kid who'd been caught trying to sneak cookies.

"Hey," She said, with a stilted, nervous little laugh.

"…Hey?" Ava arched a brow, "Can I help you?"

Sara opened her mouth, but she just ended up shaking her head.

"What are you doing outside the door?"

"Listening," Sara said sheepishly. She shrugged, her shoulders hunching up to her ears. Her smile was almost bashful. Ava couldn't think of one instant she'd ever seen Sara Lance look anything close to bashful.

"Listening?"

"Yeah,"

"To me play?"

"Yeah,"

Ava couldn't keep the disbelief off her face. Her eyebrows were up to her hairline and her jaw hanging. Sara glanced away, looking up the ceiling. She flushed with embarrassment.

"I didn't know if you'd mind or not. It just seemed best to listen out here,"

"Why would you want to listen to me play?"

"Would you believe me if I said I like classical music?"

"Sure," Ava snorted, "Hold on, let me look outside for the flying pigs,"

"Just because I dance to pop and hip-hop means I can't like classics,"

"I find it a little hard to believe,"

"It brings up good memories, alright,"

"Good memories?"

"Yes,"

"Off,"

Sara exhaled slowly, "Ballet classes,"

"You take ballet?"

"Took. Past tense," Sara corrected.

Ava leaned against the wall next to Sara, giving a single, "huh," A moment of silence passed between them as they stood there in the empty hallway, "That explains the pirouette," Ava finally says.

Sara smirked, "Yeah,"

"Well, I guess, if you promise to be quiet, you can come in and listen.

This time it was Sara's eyebrows that disappeared into her hairline. Ava fidgetted under the expression, "But only if you're quiet. Or I'll kick you out,"

"I can live with those terms," Sara grinned as she followed Ava into the room. "No Gideon?"

"Rip needed help with something, again. It's happening so often I'm starting to wonder what kind of help he needs,"

Sara snorted, "Did you just make an innuendo?"

"I'm classy, not prude. I know people have sex,"

Sara smirked and gave her a questioning look. Ava just clenched her jaw.

Ava's things were on the two chairs in the room so Sara hopped up on an old desk. It wobbled for a second as she did and she braced herself, looking down at it with an air of suspicion. Nothing else happened so she gestured at Ava.

Ava picked up her violin again. She lifted the bow, holding it poised above the strings. Several seconds passed but she didn't play. She looked to Sara. Sara's hands shot up.

"Unless you have super-hearing I swear I didn't make a noise,"

"No, I was going to ask you if you wanted to hear me play anything in particular,"

"Oh," Sara blinked in surprise.

"I could play Coppelia again. The waltz,"

"Actually… do you know anything from Swan Lake?"

Ava nodded. She took a breath, in and out. She placed the bow to the strings. In the back of her mind, she heard the rest of an imagined orchestra, the build up the moment of the violin to come in… and she started to play. The low and mournful notes of the music filled the room, starting slow. It built with a soft tension. It was easy for Ava to shut out the world, letting the story unfolding just under the surface of the music wash over her. It took her to the crescendo the music building on itself until the final flourish.

In the quiet afterwards, Ava opened her eyes and looked to one place in the room she could focus on. Sara. Sara, who was staring at her, with this… unreadable expression. Her eyes were trained on Ava, but Ava got the feeling Sara wasn't quite seeing her. After her playing, the stillness of the room felt much heavier.

"Well…?" Ava asked, just to break the silence.

"You don't need me to tell you how good you are,"

Ava looked down, turning away so she wouldn't meet Sara's eyes.

"Thank you," Sara spoke again, "For playing it,"

Ava nodded. She took a breath to steady herself and just went into playing something else, trying to ignore Sara's gaze never leaving her. When she finally put down her violin and bow Sara gave a soft applause. Ava couldn't help but smile. She ducked her head in a little bow.

"It was nice to hear some of those songs again," Sara said.

Ava flexed her fingers, relaxing them after playing so long, "So you were really in ballet?" She asked, sitting next to her on the desk.

Sara laughed, "Most people don't believe me at first,"

"It's hard to picture the rough and tough leader or the Legends in a tutu,"

"Oh, trust me there is evidence of that out there. I keep it hidden under lock and key so no one can use it for blackmail,"

"Can I ask, how did you of all people getting into ballet?"

"Ballet was how I got into dancing actually. And it was all my sister's fault,"

Ava looked at her with a curious expression, silently asking for more.

Sara sighed, "When we were kids, Laurel, my sister wanted to try ballet. Naturally, the daughters of two working parents they didn't have somewhere to leave me if one of them took her to classes so I was signed up with her. Ironically, I was the one who took to it. Laurel stuck around for about a year before she got tired of it. Me, on the other hand, I loved it. The idea of telling a story with your movements. Getting lost in the music," Sara caught herself, clearing her throat, "It spoke to me, you know,"

Ava looked at the violin case, sitting on the chair across the room and nodded, "I know. But how'd you go from doing that to being here break dancing with a bunch of misfits,"

"Misfits?"

"What? You are,"

Sara huffed, amused, "A few years ago I started dipping my toes into others kinds of dance. And this just grabbed me. It was freeing in a way that ballet wasn't. I still love ballet an sometimes I miss it. But I don't regret leaving it behind,"

"But aren't you worried you might have thrown a chance to become a professional ballerina away?"

Sara laughed, "Do you know how many people make it was a professional? And in ballet, one injury and you're done,"

"Anyone who can do a pirouette in sneakers must have enough talent to get their foot in the door, at the very least,"

"I'm not sure if I'm willing to face the long-term effects of ballet,"

"I guess that's understandable. Still blows my mind anyone would leave that to do street dance,"

"Hey, MJ was as visually impressive as any prima ballerina," Sara nudged Ava playfully. She jumped off the desk, doing a moonwalk, humming 'Billie Jean' as she did. Ava laughed, shaking her head.

"Hold on," She grabbed her instrument and started playing the opening of Smooth Criminal.

"You continue to be full of surprises," Sara snapped her fingers along. She went on of the balls of her feet, twisting on the spot. Stepping in time to beat she rolled her hips and ran her hands up her sides, keeping pace with Ava's playing. She was laughing when Ava stopped, "Why don't you do that more?"

"Do what?"

"Play songs that actually make you smile,"

Ava hadn't realised just how widely she'd been smiling until that moment. She coughed, schooling her features, "Who says Beethoven and Tchaikovsky don't make me smile?"

"I've never seen you smile while playing any of the times I passed by this door,"

"I may not be smiling on the outside. But I like playing the classics. I do," Ava said, tensing slightly.

"I'd believe you if you didn't so much like you were trying to convince yourself,"

"Why would I play them all the time if I didn't enjoy it?"

Sara shrugged.

"Just because you left the classical style behind doesn't mean we all want too,"

"True," Sara admitted, "If that old, dusty stuff makes you happy, then you do you,"

"Wasn't it this old, dusty stuff that just had you wide-eyed and reminiscing?"

Sara laughed, "Alright you got me there,"

Ava smiled, pleased she was able to turn the conversation in her favour, "So, your sister, does she dance anymore?"

Sara froze mid step. She shook her head quickly.

"Oh, I was just wondering why she isn't part of the Legends,"

"She… I don't see her much anymore. She moved out a year ago. Doesn't come around much anymore. Long story," Sara said quickly, obviously putting an end to that conversation thread, "But, Ms. Classy, you tell me, how does someone like you end up at the Glades' YPC,"

Ava didn't make eye contact when she answered, "I just heard about it, how else," She was suddenly very concerned with the tuning on one of the strings of her violin.

Sara took a breath, "So, Rip might have mentioned you're not playing the showcase,"

"That, no. I don't think I should,"

"Why not? You're great. I mean, you're decent at best, but there aren't many solo instrumentalists here, so, by comparison, you're great,"

The corner of Ava's lips quirked up in a smile and she rolled her eyes at Sara, "Wow, thanks," she said, voice dripping in sarcasm.

"Hey, I don't give those kinds of complements to just anyone," Sara winked.

"I'm sure," Ava said drily.

"But seriously, you should play. Something classical might be a good change of pace for the usual acts we have around here,"

Ava shook her head, "I just… never liked performing,"

"Oh," Sara pressed her lips together. She nodded, "Okay. But you're coming to the showcase right? The Legends will be sure to blow you away,"

"What are the other acts? Just incase I don't feel like coming to see you do a backflip I've seen you do nearly a dozen times already,"

"Oh, so you've been watching me?" Sara grinned, arching a brow.

Ava's cheeks flushed red, "No!" She answered in a rush, "You do it all over the place. I couldn't help but see it,"

Sara's shoulders shook with her laughter.

"You're insufferable," Ava muttered under her breath.

"Well, the younger kids usually make up most of the show. Gideon, Rip and Martin have them pull together something each time. A song, a short play. Sometimes there's a Tai Kwan Do demonstration, but I haven't seen Alex around recently to ask if they're doing anything this time. Sometimes I join them,"

"You do Tai Kwan Do?"

"Here at the centre," Sara nodded, "But Alex's sister, Kara and her friend Barry always sing together. Usually a show tune. One time they did write this really corny song together. It was literally about being friends,"

"Sounds inspired,"

Sara shrugged, "It was kind of cute to watch actually,"

"Maybe I'll come,"

"I know the thing that'll get you off the fence,"

"Oh?"

"The older crew plans a party after every showcase. We get together, put on some music, dance, sing,"

"You mean you get together to do the same things you just did on stage,"

"Basically, except we get drunk while doing it,"

"Aren't you my age?"

"Seventeen, yeah? Your point?"

Ava shook her head.

"It's the best part of the night. Last time we ended up Nate's house and had a Mario Kart tournament in his basement,"

"That doesn't sound horrible,"

"Ah yes, not horrible, the ultimate description that can be bestowed on any party,"

"Are you always this sardonic?"

Sara made a show of thinking it over, "Yeah, pretty much," she said, making Ava laugh.

The door burst open just then, Jax and Ray in the doorway, "Sara, there you are," Jax said.

"Come on," Ray said excitedly, "Rip gave us permission to use the stage for the afternoon,"

"Ah yes," Sara's face split into a huge grin, "I'm coming," She went with them without a second's hesitation.

Ava looked at the still open door and the now empty room. She sighed, starting to pack up her things.

"Hey,"

She startled, looking up to see Sara leaning into the room. She was hanging off the doorframe by one hand.

"Are you coming?"

"What?" Ava blinked.

"Are you coming?" She asked again, pointing back over her shoulder, "To watch us dance,"

Ava floundered for words. Sara smiled, holding out a hand.

"Come on, a special preview might help you decide if you want to come to the showcase,"

"O-Okay," She took her hand without really thinking about it.

Nardragon~ until the next page.