It had been two days. Two days of glorious, dismal, damning silence. Tea stood, watching Kaya do pirouette after pirouette. The scene before her was dizzying but she couldn't look away. She was entranced by Kaya's liquid movements. She seemed to have seriously improved and as she moved Tea could truly see the black swan appear. Her dark wings encompassed Tea's vision as Kaya continued to move around the space, allowing her body to move and possess every movement. By the time she was done Tea was rendered speechless.

"Well?" she asked a wide eyed Tea while trying to get her breathing under control. Kaya bent down and retrieved her water bottle from the floor awaiting Tea's answer.

"That was… well that was the best dancing I've ever seen you do Kaya." Tea told her honestly.

Kaya flashed her a cocky smile, sashaying her hips around in excited movements.

"I've been practicing like hell, something you should consider doing with the ballet being so close and you still have some stuff to work on." She explained knowingly. Tea's looked up at Kaya with a surprised face. Her voice wasn't condescending or rude. It was polite, well as polite as Kaya could make it.

"Um yeah I know." Tea said cautiously awaiting the round of insults of everything she had to fix.

"I can stay longer today to work on them with you, I have no plans tonight." She retorted while stretching out of her legs. She asked so aimlessly, like it was no big deal. And to any normal person it wouldn't, but this was Kaya. The spoilt girl who hated Tea from the moment she saw her dancing. Her greatest competitor was actually offering help? How could this be so.

"What's the catch Kaya?" Tea asked rather harshly. Harsher than she would have wanted, but this was Kaya and she couldn't take her chances with her.

"There is no catch Tea, geez take a chill pill." She rolled her eyes at her making Tea's cheek burn.

"Fine, but this better not be some sort of game Kaya. The ballet is coming up very soon and if you somehow make me fuck up, everything will be ruined."

Kaya rolled her eyes once more at Tea's words.

"Has anyone ever told you, you talk an awful lot." She said with a smirk.

This time Tea rolled her eyes and began stretching her body again before the two dancers practiced for the rest of the night helping Tea perfect her moves. By the time Tea got back to her dorm room she was exhausted and didn't even have time to ice her feet as her bed was calling her. She would definitely be feeling all this tomorrow.


Atem waited anxiously in his apartment. It had been a day since he had last seen Tea. Two days since his break up with Kiya and today she would be coming. Coming to see him and somehow change his mind, this much he knew. He was nervous as hell. He wasn't sure what she would do to Tea, although he knew for sure she would confront her.

Kiya always held this fire within her he had found charming at one point. Now it seemed to be putting him on edge. He knew he had to keep his cool in front of her. Fighting her was like fighting fire with fire, and it was her fire that grew.

She would be here in half an hour. At least that's what the text read.

He felt like he was going to go insane. He wasn't sure what she was going to say to him. He sat up from his stiff positon in the sofa and paced the floor. His eyes wandered to the window overlaying the Hudson. The water lapped endlessly and he couldn't help but think of Tea.

His Tea.

How she watched the scenic view with him that night. She looked so beautiful, standing under the moonlight, her face completely entranced with the view at her feet. He closed his eyes remembering her face. If he could die while looking at that face, he knew he'd have lived a good life.

How could he have been so blind all these years. All the years they lost, and the moments they continue to lose. Atem knew what it felt like to live with qualms. He had died once long ago. that life he led was one he hadn't lived to the fullest. He was robbed of his youth because of the powers he was set to inherit. And then the evil came and everything else was now a hazy memory.

He didn't want to leave this new life with regret and he knew she would be his greatest one. As time continued to tick by his nervousness evaporated and he was left with a new found confidence. This was what Tea brought in him, a sense of purpose, of good. She made him feel he could be good, truly good and he had to protect that at all cost.

A harsh knock brought him back to reality. She was here.


Tea woke to sore legs. Just as she had predicted. She groggily walked to the bathroom and aimlessly checked her phone. There was a text from James asking to meet him in the student lounge to which she replied yes to and another one from Miss G. She was asking is Tea had found a date for the ball that was tomorrow.

Tomorrow.

Her heart began to beat rapidly as she thought of all the preparation she had to do. She didn't have a dress, nor any shoes that were "ball" worthy. She didn't know what to do with her hair and she didn't have a date. She groaned and collapsed on her bed with her toothbrush still in her mouth. The tiles stared aimlessly back at her as she thought out the rest of her day. She figured she might as well ask James to go with her, they had been getting along really well since the kiss they shared. Tea felt she could be happy with him. When her mind would wander to Atem she would quickly shut her down. He was bad for her. He had a loving girlfriend.

She sat up and continued her morning routine before putting on a tight ballet dress with light pink tights. She grabbed her duffel bag and coat before locking her room and heading towards the student lounge.

Sure enough James sat with two coffee mugs in hand.

"Hey." He greeted her with a million-dollar smile.

Tea noticed some of her fellow classmates glaring at her in her peripheral vision but ignored their rude faces.

"Morning." She replied taking the mug graciously. "Guess I'm not the only one good at making extra coffee." She teased.

"Guess not." James smirked and took a sip.

She took a sip herself and closed her eyes smiling. Coffee was the greatest thing ever created, besides ballet of course.

"So um you know about the winter ball tomorrow. I know you're obviously going but-." Before she could continue James stopped her.

"Wait no Tea be quiet I have something to ask you."

Tea looked a bit taken a back at his words but closed her mouth.

"Would you, Miss Tea Gardner, be willing to accompany this fool to the grand winter ball." He grinned goofily making Tea laugh.

"Oh it would be my pleasure sir." She retorted. They both ended up laughing and it was then Tea decided her future wasn't looking so bad with James in it.

She checked her phone soon after and got up.

"Let's go before we're late and Miss G decides to kick both our asses."

James rolled his eyes but got up and followed the brunette to the elevators. As they made their way down Tea wasn't sure if she should tell her teacher about her date to the ball. She probably should, considering she would be introduced to everyone and it would look bad if Miss G didn't know she had a date beforehand.

The two dancers made their way into the harsh streets of Manhattan and soon went their separate ways to put their stuff away.

"Don't miss me too much." James told Tea before leaving her with a wink. Tea couldn't help but laugh. He was definitely flirtier since after the kiss. She wasn't sure if she liked it or not since Atem continued to attack her mind. She just wanted the endless torture to end.

Class went by fairly quickly and Miss Gutierrez praised Tea and Kaya for their massive improvements. As Tea watched Kaya dance the black swan, she couldn't help but feel a pang of jealousy. She just looked so good.

The class finally ended and Tea held herself back to break the news to her teacher.

"Hey Miss Gutierrez, do you have a minute?" she asked her dance teacher who was looking through some papers.

"Of course Tea, what is it?" she seemed mildly interested as her eyes darted from word to word on whatever she was holding.

"Um I have a date, its uh James." She stated rather nervously. Why was she so nervous, it wasn't that big of a deal?

Miss Gutierrez immediately put her papers down and looked at Tea.

"Oh wonderful my dear, you two will look exquisite together! You will definitely be the couple of the night." She spoke so sincerely Tea stopped herself from hugging her. She was such a good teacher, as well as friend. Her support seemed endless to any dancer caught in her eye.

"Thank you Miss Gutierrez, I have to say I am excited but I still haven't found a dress… or shoes." She admitted.

"What? Tea the ball is tomorrow! What if you find something but you need it fitted, what if you can't find anything! Why are so many Americans like this, never prepared?" She grumbled making Tea laugh.

"You can skip your training with Kaya today and go to Macy's. I suggest you find a white dress as you are playing the white swan. I told Kaya to pick a black dress which she already has." She spoke the last sentence with a raised eyebrow. Tea fought the urge to roll her eyes.

"I will, thank you." She spoke and presumably thought she was dismissed until Miss G called her back. "Wait, take this card, I have a friend who works there and she has wonderful taste. Tell her I sent you and tell her it's for the winter ball and you are the white swan in the ballet. She will find the perfect dress for you."

She held out a cream colored business card. Tea took it and saw a woman by name of Claire Dubuque written in fancy script, along with her position in Macy's and phone number.

"Where do I find her?" Tea asked as the Macy's in Manhattan was huge.

"Ninth floor, it's for more private clients but once she knows I sent you, you'll have your dress in no time."

"Thank you again Miss Gutierrez, you are seriously a life saver!" Tea exclaimed honestly.

"Yes, yes that's my job." She replied laughing and shooing her young dancer away.

Tea walked back to the locker rooms to quickly gather her things before making her way back to the dorms. She changed into warmer clothing before heading out to the subway. While waiting for the train her phone emitted a buzz and she picked it up.

Coming over later to return your dress, and FYI it totally blew everyone away! So many people are coming to my show!

Tea smiled at Mary's excitement. She was glad she could pitch in to help her friends career.

Consider the dress yours, it looked like it was made for you. But I do want my shoes back! Come around 9 or 10, I'm out shopping for the ball.

The train arrived just as she sent her text and Tea subsequently turned her phone off wanting to save battery. She hadn't charged it since this morning and it was already at thirty percent.


"Kiya." Atem said coolly to the woman he once loved. She stood in her doorway looking as radiant as ever. Her light blue eyes shone against her dark hair. Atem couldn't deny her beauty, but she was no Tea.

"Hi Atem." She stated happily while giving him a kiss on her cheek. He instantly recoiled at her touch to which she ignored.

"It's so good to see you, after so long." She stated breezily while taking in the apartment.

"Kiya, there was no need for you to come here. I made my peace with you over the phone." Atem replied as civilly as he could.

"But I want to see New York! It was once my home you know, and I've missed it." She stated with a beautiful smile.

"Yes I know." Atem muttered, annoyed that she was dismissing everything he was saying. Then again so was he.

"Besides my baby sister will be performing in the ballet next week! How could I miss that?" she said as she looked out of Atem's impressive view. "This is an amazing view by the way."

"What, you have a sister?" Atem asked confused. In all the years he'd known Kiya she had never mentioned a sister.

"Yeah, although we look absolutely nothing alike. She fell for the adoption joke so easily."

Atem wondered whether he sister happened to know Tea. In a city this big he doubts it. Although the ballet community was pretty small.

"What school does she go to?" he asked.

"Why? Afraid she might know Tea."

The minute her named escaped her lips Atem felt a fire light within him once more. It was only a spark, but it burned.

"She has done nothing to you." He stated as evenly as he could.

"She stole the man I love." Kiya retorted, crossing her arms. Atem could see the fire growing within her as well.

"She did not steal me Kiya, I just realized I am not the one for you."

"Oh and she is? What did she do anyway, offer herself up to you? Don't fall for that whorish act babe, it's all lust." Atem grew angrier at every word that escaped her putrid mouth. A mouth he once begged to be kissed by. The thought made him nauseous.

"In any case it doesn't matter now. I'll deal with that later, but for now we are going shopping."

"Excuse me?" Atem asked utterly confused.

"Shopping baby, where you buy stuff." She twirled a loose hair mindlessly around her finger.

"Please refrain from calling me baby." Atem barked only making Kiya roll her eyes.

"There is a ball the day after tomorrow honoring my baby sister for being second lead in her ballet and I need a dress for it. You should probably pick up a tux for yourself."

"What? I am not going with you." He looked shocked at her audacity to march in here and demand she take him shopping and now to a ball.

"Yes you are." She walked closer to Atem her cool blue eyes becoming cold slits. Atem saw she almost resembled a deadly snake as her thumb padded its way along his cheek. "Remember what I did for you baby. Do not forget the sacrifices I have made." Although her voice was soft, her tone was deadly.

Atem almost growled. The fire within him grew even more but she was right. He helplessly followed behind her as they made their way to the cold streets of Manhattan.