*Thank-you for the reviews on the last chapter. THey were greatly appreciated. Thank-you all so much*
DEAN's POINT OF VIEW: ( 2 weeks Later)
A look of pure joy and happiness comes across her face, her emotions telling the story of the song "My Destiny" by Katharine McPhee as she twirls and dances across the wooden floor of the dance studio in a black camisole leotard, white tights and her long curly dark hair pulled up into a tight bun. I can't take my eyes off of her. She dances to perfection. I've never seen anything more beautiful. A smile slides across my face as her dark eyes meet mine as she does few ballet moves before she follows it up with an impressive turn series, turning at least 10 times in a row before she leaps out of it. This is Anastasia's element. This is where she belongs and this is what her life is all about. Anastasia doesn't just dance with her feet or her mind she dances with her heart and her passion shines above all. As she takes her ending pose I can't stop myself as I stand up from the chair I was watching her and clap my hands. "Very nice," I say with a smile as she smiles at me as she comes out of her pose.
"Yes, Anastasia," says her dance teacher, "very beautiful. Your turn out is magnificent. Your turn series was much better today. It was flawless," she says and I couldn't agree with her more.
"Thank-you," she says with a smile as she opens her water bottle to get a drink. "So?" she asks me as she looks at me with her dark eyes. "What did you think?"
"I thought it was beautiful," I say with a smile. "I've never seen anything more beautiful than you dancing. I don't just see it here," I say pointing to my face, "but I see it here," I say pointing to my heart.
"Thank-you," she says with a shy smile.
"You're welcome," I say with a smile. "Is that for your audition?"
"No," she says. "My audition will consist of barre work, terminology, technique and stuff like that. That's for our recital. It's my solo project that I have been working on. I just have to perfect it and it will be all set."
"Well, it's a very beautiful song and a very beautiful dance," I say with a smile. "Did you make it up?"
"I did choreograph it," she says with a proud smile. I give her a look and she says, "What?"
"Nothing, I'm just impressed," I say with a smile.
"Thank-you," she says, "Let me just get dressed and then we can go. Thanks for coming today."
"You're welcome. I was looking forward to it. I love to watch you dance. I could watch you dance all day."
"And soon you might have to," she says with a smile, "because soon as my audition gets closer I'll be practicing non-stop and dancing around everywhere."
"I look forward to it," I say with a smile as she starts to get herself ready to go.
Once she is ready to go I take her hand and intertwine our fingers together before I give her a soft kiss on the lips as we are walking toward the studio door. Just as I am about to open the door her dance teacher stops us and asks to talk to Anastasia privately. Anastasia sighs and tells me she'll be right back before she kisses my lips softly before she walks off to talk to her teacher. I stand by the door waiting for her and as she approaches me she looks different. "Are you okay?" I ask.
"I'm fine," she says. "Can we just go home now?" she asks.
"Yes," I say, "if you want to talk about it I'm here," I say.
"I don't want to talk about it right now," she says. "Everything is okay."
"Are you sure?"
"I'm sure," she says as she takes my hand. "Let's just go home," she says practically pulling me out the door. We walk from her upscale ballet studio all the way to my downscale house in the cold February weather with the smell of a blizzard in the air. Anastasia remains pretty quiet on our way home and is even quiet when I ask if she wants to get some Chinese food for dinner. I don't know what was said to her but whatever it was has her really upset. I can't help but want to take that away from her and make her happy again. I want to see her smile and I want to hear her voice. I want to see the girl I saw at the dance studio dancing like there was no one watching.
"Are you sure everything is okay?" I ask as we are sitting in the living room eating our Chinese food for dinner. "You've been really quiet. You did get your period right?"
"For like a couple days and then it stopped. It wasn't like it usually is. It was really light but they said that the Plan B can mess up your period so I think that's what happened but I had it so we don't have anything to worry about."
"Good," I say letting out a sigh of relief. The thought of us possibly getting pregnant before we both were ready was a scary thought. I have been holding my breath since that night. I know she took the morning after pill but the fear of a pregnancy was still there until the day she said she got her period a couple days ago. I've never been more relieved in my life. It's not that I don't want a kid but at 17 I can barely take care of myself and I don't exactly have the life I should to be a father. I'm not ready and Anastasia isn't ready we both have plans for our lives. She gives me a look. "Not that I don't want a kid I just don't want one right now."
"Neither do I," she says, "but that's not what my problem is."
"Then what's wrong?" I ask before I pop some of my egg roll into my mouth.
"It's just after my private lesson today Madame Giselle took me into her office to tell me that my dad has stopped paying for my lessons so she hasn't been getting paid." Anastasia has been out of her dad's house and staying with me for the last two weeks. She hasn't even talked to him. She won't talk to him. He keeps calling her but she won't answer.
"So what does that mean? Does that mean that you're not going to be able to dance anymore?" I ask and my heart breaks for her at the thought.
She lets out a sigh and says, "That's what I thought she was going to tell me that I would have to give it up. I could never give up ballet. I would find a way to make the money because ballet is my life and with this audition coming up in a month I can't afford not to have the lessons."
"So what happened?"
"She offered to continue to give me privates for free and is allowing me to finish doing my dance classes for free. She said she can't just give up and watch me walk away. She did encourage me to talk to my dad but I don't' want to. I have nothing more to say to him. That's what has me upset because I don't want to talk to him and I don't want to be encouraged to do so. I love my dad don't get me wrong but as soon as I am back in that house he's going to try to control my life again. I don't want him to control me. I want to be happy and live my life the way I have been with you the last two weeks."
"She's paying for all your lessons?"
"She's not paying for them she's just allowing me to do it for free. She said I've come too far and gave too much to throw it all away now. And I don't' want to throw it all away, Dean," I say.
"And you shouldn't," I say with a smile as she eats some of her chicken fried rice. "What I saw on your face today, Ana, was pure love and passion. You looked so happy and so in love. It was beautiful. The song was perfect. This is your destiny and you're not going to throw it away. And if you don't get into the Joffrey they're crazy because if they can't see that dance is your life then they are blind. It was more than you dancing with your feet it was more of you dancing with your heart. I don't want to see you give that up."
"I could never so I'm glad she's giving me lessons for free. I almost saw my world crash down around me today."
"I bet," I say with a smile. "I love your dedication."
"You don't have anything you're dedicated to?" she asks.
"I'm dedicated to you and making you happy," I say with a smile.
She smiles at me and kisses my cheek softly. "You're so sweet and cute but other than being dedicated to me isn't there just one thing that you love so much that you would just do anything for and it would be the end of the world if you ever gave it up?"
"I'm not really into anything. I never really had the money to get into sports or anything like that. The only thing I really got into was the streets and living that life."
"You're not even dedicated to wrestling?" she asks with a smile.
I smile back at her and say, "of course I am dedicated to wrestling. I love it. You've seen the magazines and the tapes I have. It's been a bit of a release for me. I like it. I'm hooked. I want to do that but I have no idea how I am going to get there but I am going to get there."
"I know, Baby," she says with a smile. "Is that your biggest dream in life?"
"My biggest dream in life is to make it to the WWE, become an amazing wrestler and be able to get the woman I love the life she deserves and make her happy. That's my biggest dream maybe a couple kids someday but not till far out in the future I have to live my life for me."
"Me too," she says with a smile. "You already know my biggest dream. Did you ever stop to think about what you're going to do if wrestling doesn't work out for you or you never get that chance? I mean we are almost done with junior year. It's time to start planning our futures and planning what we want to do with the rest of our lives even if we think we have something planned out we need to have a backup plan just in case. Did you ever think of going to college?"
"College?" I ask. "College isn't for me, Anastasia. I'm not going to college."
"Why do you feel like college isn't for you?" she asks. "I think you would do amazingly well in college."
"I can barely make it through high school, Anastasia. My mind isn't smart enough for college."
"Really?" she asks. "Because I think in the last month your grades have gone up a lot. I think you're smart enough to go to college it's all about applying yourself. What made you become a better student in the last month?"
I let out a sigh, "you," I say. "You make me want to be a better person and make me want to try harder."
"Why should you try for me? Shouldn't you try for yourself? I think you can do it, Dean. You should look into some colleges and see what you find out. What's your favorite subject in school or what's one career besides being a wrestler that you would love to have?"
"I don't know. I never thought about it," I say. "Up until you my life was headed for disaster. I never really thought about it."
"Do you like business?"
"I don't think I am the business type of guy," I say. "Business isn't for me. I like being gritty you know."
"Um yeah," she says with a smile. "What do you think about math?"
"Not my best subject," I say.
"What about English?"
"Again not my best subject," I say. "I don't know, Ana, I just never really saw myself as the college type or the type to go to college but I guess if I could do something other than wrestling I would maybe be graphic designer. I don't know, Ana," I say as I shrug my shoulders. "That's the only thing I can really thing of."
"I think you'd be awesome at that," she says with a smile.
"And what about you if you can't be a ballerina what do you have for a backup plan?"
"If I'm not a ballerina I'm going to be a journalist or a screen writer. Anything to do with writing really and if I'm not a ballerina I'm moving to California and going to college at UCLA."
"UCLA is a good school," I say with a smile. "So if you do become a ballerina you're going to live in New York but still go to college?"
"Yes," she says, "but at NYU. UCLA, NYU, Princeton and Harvard are my top schools," she says. "I'll be happy to get in wherever I can."
"Those are some top schools. I'm not the college thinking type of guy but I know those schools are top schools. You think you can get into them?"
"With my GPA and my academic record I am positive I can get into those schools at least two maybe three of them."
"I'll never get into those schools," I say, "I'll be lucky enough to get into a community college somewhere."
"Well, lucky for you most schools go by your senior year transcript and the end of your junior year transcripts so you if you do well your senior year then you have a good shot at getting into one of those schools," she says with a smile. "Look, Dean, I'm not trying to tell you what to do it's just I see you for more than what you see yourself. I think you're smart and I know you can get into college. If you work hard and apply yourself you can. I know you have your wrestling dream but it's always a good idea to have something to fall back on. I know you're better than this and I'm going to make sure you realize it and see yourself the way I see you," she says making me smile. The way she cares about me is like nothing I ever felt before except from my own mom but deep down I feel like Ana cares more about me than she does.
"And what about money? I'm not just going to find money out of thin air to use to go to college," I say.
"You can apply for scholarships."
"Fair enough," I say. "So what is it about California that you like?"
"I don't know," she says, "I just love it. I love the west coast and the thought of being able to go to the beach whenever makes me happy. Have you ever been to California?"
"I've never been to the beach in my life," I say.
"Wow," she says, "we need to go on a trip this summer to the beach. You and I we can go to the beach somewhere and you can put your feet in the ocean. You'll love the beach."
"Sounds like a plan to me. You know I wouldn't mind living in California either. I wouldn't even mind living in New York. I am going to go wherever you go, Ana."
"I wouldn't have it any other way, Baby," she says with a smile. "Dean," she says.
"Yes?"
"I love you," she says with a smile making my heart skip a beat. I know I have thought about saying it to her but haven't said it to her out of fear, worried about what she might do. I'm glad to know she loves me because I love her. "I'm sorry," she says after a couple minutes of silence. "It is too soon, I shouldn't have said it."
"No," I say with a smile of amusement.
"What are you laughing about?" she asks.
"Do you know how badly I have wanted to tell you that I love you," I say. "I've wanted to say it for a while but I was scared of what you would say or how you would react. I'm glad to know you feel the same way I do. I love you, Ana, my life with you just makes sense. You make me better and you make me want to be a better person. I love you, Beautiful girl," I say with a smile.
She smiles back at me and says, "I love you too, Baby." I lean over and kiss her lips softly and passionately. There are no words to describe how much I love this girl.
After we finish our dinner I clean up the mess and throw our trash away. Then I move the furniture around in the living room giving us enough space. She gives me a look. "Just trust me, Ana."
"Okay," she says, "but what are we going to do?"
"You are going to teach me how to dance," I say with a smile. "I want to learn that ballet thing."
"Are you serious?" she asks.
"Why not?" I ask as I shrug my shoulders. "I want to see why you love it so much so teach me something. Teach me those little turn things."
"You're not ready to do all those pirouettes. You have to start off slowly."
"Just show me a pirouette," I say.
"All right," she says with a smile. "Just a single pirouette. All you do is prep your turn from 4th position and turn on the front foot with your knee bent and your toe to your knee in a number 4. It's really easy." She demonstrates and then does one with me. Mine is not nearly as perfect as hers. "You're lucky you're so hot and cute," she says.
"Am I hot or am I hot and cute?" I ask with a smile.
"Both," she says with a smile of her own.
She continues to work with me on the dance thing. I have to admit I don't have any problem with it. Everything about her interests me including ballet. "Do you ever have to do ballet with a guy partner?"
"Sometimes," she says. "Why?"
"Do you have to kiss or anything?"
"Of course not," she says. "We just dance as partners. It can be intimate looking but it's nothing more than dancing."
"So what do these guys do?" I ask with a smile as I take her into my arms and wrap my arms around her.
"Well," she says with a smile, "sometimes they carry me, sometimes they turn me and sometimes they catch me."
"Catch you?" I ask.
"Yes catch me do you want to try?"
"Sure," I say with a smile. "Let's try this."
"Okay," she says as I let her go. "We'll do this simple. I'm going to run and jump into your arms and you're going to catch me and hold me up. Can you do that?"
"Let me think about it of course," I say with a smile.
"All right," she says as she backs up. "I'm trusting you."
"Trust is good," I say with a smile. "Ready whenever you are."
She smiles at me and runs toward me. She jumps into my arms and I catch her and hold her over my head, our eyes meeting. I smile up at her and as she smiles down at me. She's as light as a feather. Lifting her in the air was nothing for me. "You caught me," she says as I put her down.
"And I always will, Beautiful," I say with a smile before I scoop her up into my arms as she lets out a squeal.
"What are you doing?" she asks with a smile as I carry her to my bedroom.
"Getting ready to make love to my beautiful and intelligent girlfriend for as long as she wants me to," I say with a smile before I kiss her lips.
"I have no complaints, Baby," she says as I walk into my bedroom and kick the door shut behind us and lock it. I carry her over to the bed and lay her down before I remove my t-shirt before I lay my body on hers, kissing her lips passionately and urgently. "I love you," she says as we start to strip each other out of our clothes.
"I love you too," I say with a smile before my lips are on hers again. As our passion grows stronger and our attraction to each other stronger I pull a condom out of my bedside table and put it on before I make love to her slowly and passionately before we reach our final release together and fall asleep in each other's arms like we have done every night together for the last couple weeks. There is nothing better than falling asleep with her in my arms and waking up with her in my arms. I could get used to this.
*A/N: What do you think of Ana not talking to her dad? What about her dance teacher allowing her to dance for free? What are your thoughts on Ana encouraging Dean to look into colleges is she a good influence on him? What did you think of the schools she has picked out? What did you think of them telling each other "I love You". THey have their lives planned out is that a good thing or a bad thing? Please review and thank-you for reading.