Odette

Odette sighed, rubbing her eyes and looking around the small attic, grabbing her phone off the side table and groaning when she saw the time. 7:45, god she could not wait for the weekend. Maybe she could actually get a full ten hours of sleep on Saturday night… maybe. Odette sat up her ankle instantly flaring with pain, as if it was impossible for it not to be noticed at all hours of the day. She gently rubbed at it until the pain faded to a dull ache and sighed. She got up and went over to Felicies bed gently shaking the girl until she let out a muffled groan, pulling the blankets higher over her head.

"It is nowhere near late enough to be up." She moaned.

Odette chuckled. "I hate to say it but it's 7:45 so if you don't get up now you are going to late to school, and no matter how much Mrs. Hallon likes you or me. She is not going to be overly pleased that you are late."

Felicie sighed pushing the blankets away and sitting up. Odette covered her mouth with her hand when she saw the girl's hair. Felicie growled at her reflection grabbing a brush and wrestling with her fiery locks.

"Why… ergh… does this… ugh… always happen to… c'mon!... me!"

Odette took the brush out of her hair after the third time she heard a ripping sound and gently ran the brush through her hair until it was smooth and shiny. She then plaited it into a french braid down her head.

"There. Now hurry up and get going." She said. "And please get some food!"

Felicie gave her a smile, hugging Odette and grabbing her bag, running out of the door.

"Alright, I will see you later. Bye Odette!"

The door slammed shut and Odette gave it a small smile. "Bye."

Odette turned, looking at the boxes of shoes and ribbons. She ran her finger along the edge of one of the satin shoes, what she wouldn't give to be able to wear those again. To have the satin tied around her ankles and the box holding her weight. How she wished that…

"You looked amazing in those." The soft confession behind her had Odette spinning around.

"What are you doing here?" She asked Merante. "Don't you have work?"

He gave her an amused look and cocked his brow. "I do have breaks sometimes."

Odette scowled. "Well thank you Monsieur I am sure that my minuscule brain will now understand that." She said her voice laden with heavy sarcasm.

Merante grimaced. "I'm sorry that was rude of me."

Odette looked away. "It's fine."

He shook his head. "No it's not."

She sighed. "Why are you here Merante.."

He flinched at her tone but stepped closer. "I wanted to talk… about the performance."

Odette looked at him in alarm, did… did he mean… no he couldn't have meant…

"That night the performance, I'm so sorry, I thought you were starting… I just wanted to apologize… and I wanted to talk to you about it."

Odette blinked, her mind going back to the moment when his lips had brushed against her cheek and his arm had held her tightly. So attentive and caring, filling her with a feeling of security and love. And when she had looked up at him… oh… the warmth and love in his eyes had been enough to steal her breath away. Then she had realized what she was allowing him to do and she pushed away from him. His eyes had quickly been masked by pain and hurt and Odette had wanted nothing more than to lean over and kiss his downcast mouth. Instead she had turned her attention back to Felicie who was still on stage, hugging herself just like she had before the show.

"I don't understand. There was a moment there where you seemed so… content. I thought…" He ran his hand through his meticulous hair, pushing the one curl off his forehead just to have it flop back into place. Odette swallowed hard realizing she was staring at him. She brought her gaze down to her tightly clenched hands and quickly picked up a duster under the counter. She had to do something with her hands or she would begin to fidget nervously just like the first time she met him. She began walking around the room, trying desperately not to look at him.

"What did you think Merante." She whispered, feeling her ankle throb as she started to move.

"I thought you… you were interested in possibly starting again. Having a chance at letting me…"

"Don't say it." She breathed.

She heard him step closer to her and her breath hitched. "Say what?"

"I…"Odette took a deep breath seeing his reflection in the window before her, his face open and questioning. Her heart sped up and she remembered how his arms had held her last night. How they had caught her with deft ease and stroked her hair so tenderly. How he had whispered that she was alright, that the pain would pass. He had said everything she usually told herself but coming from him… it had helped so much more. He had been there. Her Lou….

He stepped even closer still and she could feel the hairs on the back of her head tickling her skin with each breath he exhaled.

"Don't say what Odette?" Merantes' voice was deep and laden with so many different emotions, that Odette couldn't take it. She slowly turned to him and looked into his warm amber eyes.

"Do not say 'love you'." She whispered.

He stepped even closer until he was almost touching her, his eyes searching hers. And yet Odette could not find the strength to push him away. She knew that in her heart she wanted to hear him say those words to her. She knew she wanted to say them back. But… it had been 10 years. 10 years of him trying to help her and love her in any way he could and 10 years of her trying to escape him, so she wouldn't hold him back and she couldn't be hurt again. She was afraid. The confession to herself had her shuddering out a breath.

"Why not." He murmured.

Odette swallowed hard. "Because it will do neither of us any good."

And with that she slipped away from him and headed to a different wall, stopping in cold fear when she saw Regine staring at her from the door to the back of the shop. Her expression was smug and Odette looked down demurely knowing what was going to happen now.

"Odette may I talk to you?" She asked, her voice filled with faux sweetness.

She nodded avoiding Merantes worried gaze, dropping the duster on a nearby and limping into the back room.

"WHAT was that!" Regine hissed at her.

Odette looked at the floor. "He came in wanting to know about doing a deal with the shop for pointe shoes."

Regine laughed cruelly. "And is that why he had you looking absolutely flabbergasted and at a loss of words with him practically holding you? Do you have any idea the reputation you could have cost this store if someone had come in?"

"No worse than the one you have created yourself." Odette muttered, feeling defiance flare in her.

"What was that." She sneered. "Look at me."

Odette did.

"What. Did. You. Say." She said her voice, dangerously low.

Odette held her gaze. "I SAID no worse than the one you have created yourself."

Odette felt her head being whipped to the side as Regine backhanded her. The sting seemed to amplify the pain in her ankle and Odette stumbled back until her shoulders were against a wall and she could slowly slide down it to sit on the ground. Regine chuckled, clearly enjoying her pain.

"Don't go back out until you're put together, I don't want any of the customers to be alarmed."

Odette nodded dumbly. Her whole body felt numb and broken. Regine scowled at her one final time and walked out, her long strides accentuated by her tall heels. Odette laid her head against the wall behind her and allowed her tears to fall. What had she ever done to deserve this life? Did the gods of fate just hate her? She brought her hand up to her cheek, and slowly turned her head until her mouth was pressed against her lips to silence her sobs as her shoulders racked and her chest trembled. She pulled her legs up to her chest as if making her body as small as possible would make her less of a target. The door to the room opened tentatively and Merante poked his head, his eyes instantly zeroing in on her shivering against the opposite wall. He rushed to her, only a second of hesitation, before he was stroking her hair and looking at her with such sadness and worry that it only made Odette cry harder. He sat down beside her and gently took her hand away from her mouth, cursing when he saw her cheek which was still stinging.

"Are you alright?" He asked.

He shouldn't have been there, he needed to leave. Or she would break down in front of him and never be bale to build her wall again. She had to push him away, he needed to go. Then and There.

"Get out." Odette whispered.

Merantes lips pressed together into a firm line. "Odette… please let me…."

"Please leave." She looked up at him. "Please Merante, get out."

He shook his head. "There has to be.."

"LOUIS GET OUT!" Odette cried, pushing him back and feeling more tears fall down her cheeks. He froze when she used his first name, face stricken and eyes hurt. He got up and stepped away from her still shivering form. Odette looked away, her breaths ragged and her heart breaking.

"Please." She begged.

That was what did it, he backed up eyes , never leaving her until he bumped into the door and turned.

"If you ever need me. This wont stop me from helping you Odette. I promise you."

Then he left, leaving her in deafening silence that seemed to seal her fate.

Odette began to cry again.

Odette knocked on the door to studio A, already scared of what Merante would say when he saw her. She could hear the music filtering from under the crack in the door and she couldn't help herself, she slowly pushed it open and leaned against the frame. She watched as the girls did the Zorro drill. Odettes own body followed the movements of the dancers, remembering just how much she had loved doing this. It had been the entire class's favorite and even after a tiring class they would always ask the instructor if they could do the drill before class let out. She watched as Felicie began the next one and Odette mentally thought over the moves as she went from corner to corner, sashay, glissade, saut de chat. She was the last one to go and her red hair made her look like an exuberant flame bouncing from one side of the class to the other. She finished in B-plus her arms held out in a bell shape and smiled at Merante who nodded his praise.

Then he looked over to the door and froze his eyes locking with hers. She could see the conflicted emotions warring for his attention all the way from over here. His eyes flitted over her as if assessing for damage and she looked away. Why had she pushed him away? This man had been there when she was in pain and when she was hurting. He had been there to help her. For Gods sake he had even offered to pay for the doctor for her. And what had she down? She had physically and mentally pushed him away. Effectively breaking her own heart and his in the process. Odette blinked away tears and looked at him one more time, seeing that his own amber irises were wet.

What had she done?