Chapter 9: Past and dance
Lila took a deep breath as she gripped the handle of the door to the Arts classroom.
It was Tuesday. The day she had her Arts plus class. There hadn't been any akumas over the weekend or on Monday.
Right now Lila pushed open the door as the bell rang. She kept her head docked down, slipping between the students and quickly taking her seat. She let her eyes wonder around the classroom. Soon they were met by silver-brown ones. Marco was staring at her, a smirk on his face as he curiously regarded her. She stared back for a few moments, before the teacher walked into the classroom and she swiftly turned away from him.
She didn't let herself glance back at him as she corrected some of the lines on the ballerina's figure. The teacher told them today that they would be lining and finishing the project with coal. Now Lila was adjusting the lines, so that she could easily go over it all with coal. She tensed as she heard someone sit down besides her, still not looking away from her sketch as she corrected another line.
»Hey, ballerina.« Her eyes narrowed as she glanced at him. She sighed, still not turning towards him. »What do you want?«
He smirked, his eyes narrowing playfully. »I want you to tell me where you learned to dance.«
Lila looked at him, regarding him as her pencil slipped between her teeth. He smirked as he watched her regard him, before pulling the pencil away from her in one swift motion. »No need to ruin your poor pencil over me.« He told her and her mouth dropped open, his smirk never leaving his lips. He leaned forward and closed her mouth with one finger. »Wouldn't want to catch a fly.« Lila shook her head quickly and glared at him, before stealing back her pencil. »I'm not telling you anything.« She said stubornlly. He gaped at her move for a moment before another smirk crossed his features.
»Okay, so you're a stubborn ballerina. That's fine, I'll get it out of you.« He stood up and walked away. Lila had to gather all her concentration and stubborness as to not let herself look after him. Once she was sure he'd left she glanced behind her and sighed. She needed to stay away from breaking and freestyling and all that.
When the two school hours of Arts were over Lila hadn't talked to Marco. They glanced at each other when they were putting away everything they'd needed for their drawings. Lila had already put away her drawing, now she walked to the sink to wash her hands. She started cleaning them with soap as someone walked up besides her, she glanced to the side to find Marco staring at her again. She stubbornly glared at her hands as she washed off the soap. He chuckled besides her. »What've your hands done to make you so mad?« She glared at him »They haven't done anything. You're the one whose irritating me.« She said as she started drying her hands. He chuckled again turning towards her as she concentrated on drying her palms. He held back a chuckle as he flicked his palm, droplets of water landing on Lila as she gasped. She turned towards him in shock. »You jerk!« She said as she threw away her paper towel. She quickly turns to the closest table and picks up a crayon of coal and spins back to him as he's still laughing. He doesn't even see her move as she swiped the coal across his cheek, leaving a long black line as his eyes flew open, his hand flying to his cheek as he smudged the line, a smirk spread across Lila's face. »I was right, black does suit you.« She turns around, picking up her bag, before slipping out of the classroom to head to the studio. He gapes after her, until she's out of sight and a grin spreads across his face.
The Arts teacher came up to Marco regarding his state. »So...The new girl, huh?« Marco's grin turns into a small smile as he calmly looks at his teacher. »I don't know yet.«
Lila's smiling as she slipps on her shoes. She walks to practice a few minutes before it starts.
Lila slowly pushes open the door to the studio and steps in, looking around. Most of the ballerinas are a year or two older than her, but she sees two in the corner that she suspects are her age. She slowly walks up to them, a warm smile on her lips. »Hey!« She greets and they turn to her. The one with brown hair smiles warmly as the dark blond girl regards Lila. Lila gulps as a the girl regards her, calming when a grin stretches across the girl's face. »Hi!« She says. »I'm Viia.« She offeres Lila a hand that she happily takes. »I'm Lila.« The other girl smiles too as she offeres Lila her hand too. »I'm Mavalline, nice meeting you.« Lila smiled. »Nice meeting you too.« »So...« Viia says. »Are you new here?« Lila nodds. »Have you looked around already?«
»Yeah I have, this place has some great studios and equipment.«
Mavalline nodded. »Yeah the owners have enough money for everything and the teachers are amazing so a lot of promising dance artists come from here and the studio has a lot of support.«
Lila nodded. »Yeah i met two a few days ago when I auditioned for this class. I went to check out the studios last Friday.«
Viia gasped. »OH MY GOD. You're her!«
Lila looked at her strangely. »Who?«
»You're the one who everyone's been talking about!« Lila's eyes widened. »What?!«
Mavalline was gaping at Lila as Viia explained. »Everyone has been talking about a mysterious new girl that beat Marco in the dance off last Friday and left right after, not even exepting a title.« Lila gaped. »I-I didn't know it would get attention.« Viia closed Mavelline's mouth. »Well, let's just say you made quite a bang. Marco is the top breaker and to whoop his ass is something here.« Lila gaped even wider. »I didn't know he was that of a big deal. He goes to my school and he'd called me a classicall ballerina. I shouldn't have challenged him.« Now it's again Viia's turn to gape. »So what if you challenged him. You were awesome from what I hear.« Lila smiled as she shook her head. »I wanted to lie low. I don't freestyle anymore.« Viia nodded. »Don't worry, unless one of the breakers comes in here, which will never happen by the way, no one will recognize you.« Mavelline smiled. »She's right, no one will know, we won't tell. I was wondering though, could you maybe teach us some hip hop or something?« Lila frowned. »Couldn't you ask one of the breakers?« Viia smiled sadly. »Breakers don't talk to us. We don't know why but breakers and ballerinas have never gotten along.« Lila tought back to her old studio. The breakers were usually boys and the ballerinas were girls, almost everyone dated. »Oh, I didn't know. Well, I guess I could teach you some basics.« Mavelline and Viia beamed. »Awesome!« They said in unison. Lila was about to say something s a clap was heard from behind them, everyone turned around. There were Marco and Celia. Standing in front of the classroom, Marco's hands in his pockets and Celia's clasped together as she beamed at the class. »Let's go!«
When class was finished Lila said goodbye to Viia and Mavelline. They exchanged numbers and agreed on a time when Lila would teach the two some hip hop moves.
Lila sighed as she walked out of the studio, she texted Sophie that class was over and her aunt texted back that she would pick her up in five minutes. Lila leaned against the wall as she released another deep breath, she hummed her newest melody to herself as she waited. Her aunt came three minutes later. Lila climbed into Sophie's car, smiling brightly. Sophie grinned back. »Did you have a nice day Lila?« Lila nodded. »Yeah, I made two new friends and the teachers are great.« Sophie smiled as they drove off. »That's great!«
When Lila woke up the next morning she practically jumped out of bed. Aiistra giggled as the girl rushed around her room. »Can't wait for something?« The kwami asked. Lila stopped for a second to beam at Aiistra. »Yep! First I have school and today's Music so I really can't wait. Then I have afterschool arts and then I'm going to the studio with Viia, where we're going to meet Mav. Did you know that Viia is in the same school as me? Her class is parallel to mine!« Aiistra beamed. »It's great that you're making friends!« Lila nodded as she put her phone and headphones into her bag.
By the time classes were over Lila's excitment still hadn't dyed down. Alya and Marinette joked that she was going to explode if she got any more excited.
She sat down at her usuall table when she got to the arts classroom. The teacher had given her an article for the school paper to illustrate. She started reading the article quietly when she heard someone enter the classroom which wasn't as full as it was in class. She didn't glance up until a bag was dropped on the floor besides the chair next to her. She looked up and chocolate eyes met silver-chocolate. Her eyes narrowed as his smirk formed. »What's up, ballerina?« She sighed. »I'm never going to get anything done am I?« She asked as he sat down next to her. He grinned mischevously. »Nope.« She shook her head and turned back to her paper. »Whatcha got there?« She glanced at him. »An article for the school paper, I have to illustrate it.« He nodded. »Is it interesting?« She gave him an exasperated look. »I wouldn't know, I'm still reading.« He chuckled as she turned back to her paper and she heard him pull his own paper out of his bag. She read through the article. It was in English, her favourite language besides French. It was a short story about a girl and a boy and what not. She liked it, it was simple enough for the school paper. She prefered more dificult reads though. When she was finished she strarted her sketch. When she was almost finished she glanced to Marco's paper just as he glanced up at her. Her almost unaudible intake of breath drew his attention towards her. He saw her staring at his picture and smirked, slowly leaning towards her, without her even noticing. »It's what I remembered the best from last time.« He breathed into her ear as she startled. The picture he was drawing was of her. She was dipped back in the same position in which she'd winked at him at the start of the chorus, before they finished the chorus together. Her eyes trail the curves of the girl on the sketch, wondering wether it really could be what she'd looked like. »It's impressive.« His eyes glinted. »Well I did have the best model. Why haven't you joined the breaker troup?« The question was so sudden that Lila almost jumped in her seat. »I'm not interested.« He tilts his head. »Why? You're really good.« She shakes her head. »I don't like it.« He leans towards her, tilting her head to look at him (thank god they sat at the back of the classroom, so no one would be paying attention to them), his eyes searched hers. »My memory says otherwise.« Lila closed her eyes as she collected herself, before leaning away from him and looking around the classroom. »Then your memory's wrong.« With that she ended the conversation, turning back to her unfinished sketch. He must've caught on that he didn't press her to explain. Lila finished her sketch, she gave it to the teacher, before excusing herself and going to the bathroom.
She stared at her reflection. Lila held back a sob as she pulled the hairtie from her low fox tail. She stared at herself in the mirror as her hair fell around her shoulders. She sighed and picked up her brush, running it through her long hair. It always soothed her, brushing her hair. Aiistra strared at Lila worriedly. »Are you sure you don't need to go home?« Lila gave her a small forced smile. »I'll be fine, I just need to calm down. Nothing like a boy to ruin your day.« She chuckled darkly, before putting her hair back into the fox tail and washing her face. Aiistra flew into her shirt as she walked out of the toilet. Marco didn't try speaking to her again until arts was over. »Bye.« Lila looked up at him and gave him a small smile. »Bye.«
Lila's still a bit down as she walks to the front of the school to wait for Viia. Seeing this, Aiistra sneaks up Lila's shirt and rests a paw above her heart. Her paw glows orange and a small swirling pattern connects Lila's and Aiistra's heart. Aiistra holds the connection for a few moments before taking her paw away. Lila feels Aiistra connect their hearts and feels her bad feelings lift away as calm and excited energy spread over her. Aiistra had done this before, after that horrible audition, when Lila had a break down. That time Aiistra had connected their hearts for longer and it had less effect than now. Lila had been feeling so many dark emotions then and Aiistra had more to work with. Now Aiistra calmed Lila down occasionally, to help her heal. Though Aiistra knew that only another human can really help her, she hoped this boy was persistent.
Viia was already waiting for Lila when she arrived and greeted her warmly with a hug. »Hey! We should get going. I bet Mav's already at the studio. She's even more excited about you teaching us than I am.« Lila giggled and they headed towards the studio as fast as they could. As Viia predicted, Mav was already there, waiting for them impatiently. »Where were you? I was waiting for so long.« Viia giggled. »We're on time! You shouldn't have come early if you were going to complain. Even if you are excited.« Mavelline sighed. »I guess you're right. I just hope I brought the right stuff for this...« She trailed of turning towards Lila and the girl beamed. »Let's go inside and you'll show me.«
Viia and Mav had bought each a normal T-shirt and a pair of tights. Lila smiled as she pulled on her own tights and took of her shirt to reveal a hot pink bra. Viia and Mav stared at her. »What?« Lila asked. »You're so awesome!« Squeaked Viia and Mav nodded. »You really do look like the girl all of the breakers were describing. There's some thing bothering me though.« Lila laughed as Mav observed her apperance. She reached up and slowly pulled her hair out of a bun she'd done earlier. Mav and Viia gaped at the Lila before them. She didn't look like the shy Lila from class or the posed ballerina. She looked wild and free. Her hair a little messed up, but she pulled it off, she looked right. She put a hand on her hip and raised one eyebrow. »You done staring?« Both girls snapped their mouths shut and grinned.
As they walked to the studio Lila laughed. »You should've seen your faces! You looked like you saw a ghost.«
»Don't go too hard on them. I think I'm seeing one now.«
Lila spun around and silver met chocolate.
Marco smirked. »Because I thought I'd never see you again.« His eyes trailed up her legs all the way to her face.
Lila smirked, a hand on her hip as she walked around him, their gazes never parting. »What can I say? I surprise. C'mon Viia, Mav.« Viia giggled and she and Mav walked after Lila, as she walked backwards. A staring game taking place between her and Marco. As Viia and Mav caught up with her, Lila winked at Marco as he stared after her, before turning around and dissappearing into a studio with her friends.
»Oh my god, Lila!« Viia jumped on Lila before the girl had a second to collect herself. Lila laughed. »What is it again Viia?« Mav giggled as she jumped on Viia too. »What the hell? You didn't tell us that Marco was flirting with you!« Lila giggled. »What was I supposed to say? I'm sure he isn't even serious when he talks to me, flirting or not.« Mav rolled her eyes. »Geez girl, what do you think boys do in Paris? Flirt just because they can?« Viia giggled. »Yeah, Mav's right. Plus he wouldn't flirt like that if he didn't really like you, you know he has a girlfriend, right?«
Lila froze. »What?«
A.N:
I'm so horrible with cliffhangers.
Anyway I hope you don't mix up Marco the teacher and Marco, the flirt, just so you know, Lila's Marco (the boy) won't ever appear in the ballet studio or in ballet class.
I love reviews but this story is jsut coming on it's own. Without any.
I'm going to bed now so you and me – Dream on!
Timisa