"You would've had fun." Victoria told Misto for what felt like the millionth time.
"I don't like meeting new people." Misto told her again.
"That's ridiculous! Even if it is awkward at first you'll warm up!" She rolled her eyes at Misto's unconvinced expression. "Bomb's friend was really disappointed you didn't come! He saw your performance at the showcase and now he's your fan."
"So?" Misto shrugged. "Why should I care?"
"Someday, you're going to realize how right I am about this." Victoria told him patronizingly. "Whatever. Let's go to jazz."
Jazz class was the same as it always was when there weren't any upcoming performance. The instructor gave them a combo and they drilled in until everyone had close to perfected it.
Misto didn't like learning the combos the instructor put together in class very much. Once he had reached a certain level of skill, he had begun to see more and more things he wanted to change in the sets of movement instructors gave him. While there were things in the instructor's combo he liked, he kept noticing parts he wanted to tweak. Switch out the chest isolation for something else, but a different pose after the spin, they weren't big things, but they also weren't insignificant. He understood the value of studying other people's styles, but in the moment he felt like he was wearing someone else's uncomfortable, ill-fitting clothes.
Misto had always wanted to create for himself, not simply act as a tool for others to express their own creations through. Suddenly, he had a wild, unconventional, ridiculous idea. Something he was sure no one had done before. He knew he had to try it. It combined everything that felt wrong, returning to pointe after so many years, his failed lift attempts, and put it together in a way that felt right. A way that might finally put him at ease.
"This is crazy and dangerous and a very bad idea." Victoria told him matter-of-factly after Misto explained what he wanted to attempt. "I wouldn't have come with you to the studio if you had explained what you had in mind."
Misto had purposefully been vague when he had told her he had booked a studio for practice. He hadn't wanted to risk her turning him down too quickly.
"No one has ever done it before. If we do, we'll become legendary. Imagine everyone's faces if we can pull this off for the next showcase."
Victoria frowned, still unconvinced. "Imagine everyone's faces if you break your ankle on stage. And it has been done, just by Cirque du Soleil rather than a ballet company."
"Oh." Misto felt a bit less excited upon realizing his idea wasn't as original as he though. "In what show?"
"Dralion." Victoria shrugged "The ballet on lights. It's a retired act now, but it was in the video version."
As the memory came back to him, Misto became sure he could do it. "Then we know it can be done. If they can make a human tower, then surely I can pick you up!"
"They weren't wearing normal pointe shoes." Victoria said, unconvinced. "They has rubber rings on the toes to help with balance. On normal shoes it would be a lot harder."
"The rings were just there so they could balance on the light bulbs. Anyway, when have I ever failed at something I put my mind to?" Misto could see the conviction in her face soften a tiny bit. If he pushed more, he knew he could convince her. "And I'll be the one at risk anyway, it's my body, let me do it."
"But… you only just came back to pointe last week." Victoria said slowly. "Shouldn't you at least wait until you're more confident with it?"
"Maybe this is what I need to gain confidence." He paused, searching his mind for the words that would convince her. "Remember all the times we tried stuff are teachers said we weren't ready for when we were kids? This is the same. Let's show the world what we can do."
"...fine." Victoria gave in after a long silence. "But let's be careful, okay?"
"Of course." Misto replied, knowing that what they were trying was the opposite of careful.
They did some pointe warm ups first, starting slow with relevés then moving on to harder things. Misto could feel his sister's eyes upon him, so he was careful to do everything perfectly, not wanting to give her a reason to back out.
From there they went on to practice lifts, which Misto was significantly less confident about. Even so, in his state of extreme determination he didn't falter. Working with his sister always felt natural anyway. They could do this. He could feel in his bones that they could do this.
They started with a basic fish lift. Once Victoria was in her arabesque and ready to lift, Misto rolled up onto pointe. Immediately, he realized being slightly higher than usual would make lifting a lot more awkward.
"Uh, I think it'll work better if I roll up after I lift." He said when his sister gave him a questioning glance.
"Okay, if you're sure." She shrugged.
He placed his heels back on the ground and positioned his hands around her for the lift. He gave her a moment to bring her bottom toe to her knee, then took a deep breath and rolled up onto his toes. Immediately, Misto felt a significant strain on his feet, but it was easy to brush away in the excitement of success.
"Does it feel okay?" He heard Victoria ask.
"Fine." Misto lied. "I bet we could do it with the leap. We could revolutionize pas de deux."
"Let's not get too far ahead of ourselves." Victoria said as he set her down. "Maybe we should stop here for today."
"No, let's at least try it with you leaping into it." Misto argued. "I really think I can do it."
"Okay. If you're sure." Victoria smiles. "It is exciting to press the boundaries of what is expected."
Misto rolled up onto his toes and gave Victoria a nod to indicate he was ready. She did a small turn, stepped, and leaped.
Despite the fact that that Misto stood higher than usual, he caught her thigh and waist in the right places. The impact of her weight in his arms was much more intense this time. He knew his ankles couldn't take the extra weight, a few seconds longer and he knew he would snap something. He acted out of instinct, and out of self-preservation. He did the only thing that could save his feet; he dropped his sister.
As soon as he heard her cry out upon landing he knew he had made a horrible mistake. Falls were fairly common when learning lifts, but injuries still happened. Victoria didn't get up, she remained on the floor clutching her knee in agony. Misto could only look down at her, speechless in horror.
It had been Misto who was supposed to be at risk. It had been his dumb idea, his chance to take, but somehow it had turned out like this. He had failed, perhaps for the first time ever. He had never dropped his sister before. How would she ever trust him again? How would she forgive him?