Chapter Nine: Oh My God

Author's Note: This is so long! Makes up for it being late! I'm so glad you guys recognized Paige! She's one of my favourite characters ever, so I had to fit her in. She'll show up again every once in a while. Let me know if there are other characters you want to see! Also, I said this one would be all Adam's POV, but I lied. I have too many ideas for Dahlia and Bridget right now. But Adam's in here, so don't worry. Thanks for all your lovely reviews, I adore you all! Xoxo Enjoy!

Bridget sat on the steps of the Toronto Ballet Company, head in her hands, heart in her stomach. How had everything gone so wrong?

The moment she'd discovered that Dahlia was a dancer, her focus shifted from making Danny Johnson jealous to getting into the TBC. It was Dahlia's dream at first. Bridget had never really considered actually becoming a professional dancer, it was more of a hobby to her than a passion. But once Bridget put her mind to something, she always got it done. She'd put her mind to getting Dahlia to fall for her. She'd put her mind to making sure Dahlia stayed subservient and under control. She'd put her mind to convincing Dahlia that moving to Toronto was the only way they could achieve their dream. She'd accomplished all of this.

She was so used to everything going so smoothly. But now she could feel everything she'd worked for slipping through her fingers like water. There was nothing she could do to hold it there.

Dahlia was inside. Auditioning for Odette. Bridget could lie to herself and say that Dahlia wouldn't get the part. That she wasn't the most amazing dancer Bridget had ever seen. But she didn't. She knew the level of Dahlia's talent, and the level of her passion and drive. There wasn't a doubt in her mind that she would nail this audition.

She was fully aware that this thought was supposed to make her happy. Dahlia was her girlfriend, after all. She was supposed to be supportive, and caring, and proud. But all Bridget could focus on, as she stood up to pace in front of the building, was the power she had over Dahlia and how it was fading so quickly to nothing.

The doors behind her swung open and she turned with wide eyes to see Dahlia skip out. The smile on her face and the bounce in her step gave away the results of her audition. Dahlia pulled on her hair elastic, letting her tightly wound bun loose, and her blonde ringlets cascaded across her shoulders and glimmered in the sun. Bridget's heart leapt, like it did every time she saw Dahlia. It was difficult to look at her and not be blown away. But Bridget always managed.

"You got it." She said. It wasn't a question.

"Umm... yeah..." Dahlia said, her smile fading. "I did. I got Odette."

Bridget walked up the stairs and stood in front of Dahlia.

She had loved Dahlia once. Or twice. On random days, in random moments, Dahlia would do something...make a face, say a phrase, move a certain way, and Bridget would be sure she was in love. But the rest of the time, she only kept Dahlia around because she found certain uses for her. First Danny. That had ended. Now this. Also over. Bridget no longer had any reason to control Dahlia. And according to the way Dahlia had spoken to her earlier, she no longer had any control to speak of.

Dahlia gently moved a few strands of hair out of her face and behind her ear, and finally looked from the ground to Bridget's eyes.

That one movement. That one moment. That was all it took.

Bridget's heart started beating audibly, and she was suddenly very aware of her tongue. She fumbled with the bag she was holding and dropped it. She was nervous.

She hated feeling nervous.

She equated it with feeling powerless. Out of control.

Dahlia had power over Bridget.

That thought made her sick to her stomach. Sick with anger. Her breathing quickened and her heart beat faster. She just wanted the feeling of helplessness to stop.

She looked into Dahlia's crystalline, baby blue eyes, and, without even thinking, punched her right in the mouth.

Dahlia fell to the concrete and Bridget kicked her in the stomach.

"It's over, then." She said, and walked down the stairs to go home.

After a moment, the air returned to Dahlia's lungs, and she gasped and coughed. She tried to stand, but found that her aching ribcage made that impossible. She sat up and leaned back against the building. She felt something on her thigh, and looked down to see a red spot on her white sundress. It was only then that she noticed her split lip. Wonderful.

She reached forward to grab her bag, wincing through the pain, and rummaged through it to get her cell phone.

She opened her Contacts list. First one there – Adam Torres. She couldn't call Adam. The last thing she'd said to him was that everything was different now and they couldn't be friends. She wasn't about to be the girl who only calls when she needs something. No. She kept scrolling, scowled when she passed Bridget's name, and landed on Clare Edwards.

She'd only known Clare for one day. But she had been so lovely. Dahlia was sure she'd found a real friend in Clare. But... Clare was Adam's friend. Dahlia wasn't sure how awkward that made things, but she didn't really have another option. She pressed the enter button, and held the phone up to her ear.

"Hello?"

"Hi... it's Dahlia."

"I know, love, I have caller ID." Clare laughed "What's up?"

"I, um..." Dahlia hesitated. She really hated to be the needy girl, but she knew she couldn't get home on her own. "You don't happen to have a car, do you?"

"No... but I know a boy with a hearse." Clare said. Dahlia could hear the smile in Clare's voice, and it comforted her.

"Well, I'm not quite dead yet, but I still might need a ride in that hearse." Dahlia said.

Clare said it was no problem, that she'd call Eli up and they'd pick her up soon.

Dahlia mentioned nothing about Bridget, nothing about her injuries at all. As she hung up the phone, she was surprised that Clare and Eli would just drop everything and come, no questions asked. It made her happy to know that Adam was in good hands. But then, she instantly regretted even caring. She couldn't care. They couldn't be together. There were so many things wrong with that.

Dahlia struggled, but managed to stand up, so as not to look completely pathetic when Clare and Eli arrived. She had to lean against the wall a little bit, but she didn't think she looked too bad. She wiped a bit of blood off of her lip and waited for the hearse to pick her up.

"Eli! You can't kill an old lady, you homicidal maniac!" Adam yelled

"I think that horse is a little too high for you, Mr. Torres. Besides, who was the one killing hookers left and right five minutes ago?" Eli laughed

Just then, Eli's cell phone rang, and he had to pause the game of Grand Theft Auto he and Adam had been playing so he could answer it.

"Hey babe, how's it going?" he said

"Hello Eli. I thought I told you not to call me babe." Clare sighed

"Sorry Clare-Bear." He smirked. He could just see her rolling her eyes at that one.

"Anyway, Dahlia just called me. She said she needs a ride home from the TBC."

"Really? I thought she rode her bike everywhere."

Adam's ears perked up at that. He knew they must be talking about Dahlia.

"Yeah, me too. Who knows, maybe Bridget gave her a ride there or something." Clare said.

"Bridget was there?" Eli asked, and Adam scooted on the couch and pressed his ear to the back of the phone. Eli tried to elbow him out of the way, but Adam stayed put.

"Yeah, she and Dahlia are both dancers. They had an audition today."

"Okay, I guess I could go pick her up. You wanna come?"

"Yeah sure, pick me up on the way."

Eli and Clare said goodbye and hung up, and Adam glared at Eli the whole time.

"You're going to pick her up?"

"No, Adam, I'm going to leave her on the other side of town with no way home."

"But...she's..."

"Dude. You need to get over your awkward-ex-girlfriend thing. You love her. You know it, I know it, Clare knows it, hell, Bridget knows it. Just tell her and this will all go away." Eli stood up, grabbed Morty's keys and started walking to the door. "You coming?" he yelled over his shoulder.

Adam shook his head, but got up and followed Eli anyway.

Once they got in the car, Eli put on some music and they drove to Clare's house without speaking. Eli got out and held the door open for Clare, Adam got into the back seat, and then they drove for a few minutes with just the music playing again.

Suddenly, Adam said "But she's a lesbian."

Eli and Clare turned around with wide eyes and Clare had to smack Eli to remind him to keep his eyes on the road. She continued to glare at Adam.

"Who?" she said

"Dahlia." he said "I can't just tell her I love her and then we dance off into the sunset, she likes girls, only girls, just like I do. We came out to each other, we discovered that together. But then I discovered that I'm not a girl. So...she can't love me."

Clare turned around to face the front of the car, not knowing at all what to say to that.

Everything about this situation was a million times more confusing and complicated than anyone had originally thought. And getting more so by the minute.

They pulled up to the Toronto Ballet Company building in silence. At first, nobody could see Dahlia, but when they drove closer, they saw her.

Lying on the steps, unconscious, and bleeding from her lip.

The three of them froze, and whispered simultaneously

"Oh my God."