Juilliard or Else (27 page)

Resting up against the barre, I hung my head. My eyes started to burn from my unshed tears. Carol will be so angry with me about this. I just kept praying that she wouldn't find out. She will hold it against me for a long time even if it was dead and buried, and she would always find a way to bring it up. Standing up straight, I went back into the middle of the studio.

"Breathe Abigail," I told myself, and shut my eyes one more time. I started inhaling through my nose, and exhaling throughout my mouth. Opening up my eyes again, I glanced at my posture as I went up on
en pointe
and stood there, taking in my body. I was staring at my boxed toes, making sure my legs and knees were locked and straight, my hands down at my sides before lifting them slowly, together and over my head. Standing on
en pointe
with my fingers locked together, I straightened my spine, raised my chin, and held my neck up high. This was one of my favorite positions to be in, up on my toes with my arms above my head. I shut my eyes and I was a little girl again, looking in on one of the ballet classes that made me want to become a ballerina.

I remember watching them as they slowly moved with beauty up on their toes. My body started to move with no music in the room, but with the music I heard that very day when I was little. From
The Sleeping Beauty
music to the
Pas D'action (Rose Fairy),
I remember just like it was yesterday, with the soft violins, hearing their teacher softly mutter the count to them, listening only to her voice in my head. It wasn't Madame Ava giving me direction, or Carol yelling at me this time.

This was the time that was my favorite to dance. I felt free to do my own moves, to glide across the floor and leap into the air without a care about who was watching me. I just moved on how I felt. Most of the time I felt sad as I moved, but altogether it was one of my favorite times, being able to glide without anyone judging me on my posture. I could do it all on my own; now I could hear my feet on the wood floor in the ballet room, leaping into the air and landing flat on my feet. Knowing I landed it just perfectly, I smiled. My legs moved and I went up on pointe to turn over and over, and then tucked my right leg in to close the move in a graceful turn. My arms straight out as I bowed to no one…or so I thought.

I opened my eyes to catch Tucker's in the mirror at the front door to the class. His arms were crossed over his chest, he was wearing his leather jacket, black pants, and gray V-neck shirt, and he had a killer smile that I just loved every time I saw him. His hair was a mess, but I liked that, too; his smile was beaming, so I could see that perfect dimple in his cheek.

I suddenly felt very nervous that he was watching me. He pushed his body off the doorframe and slowly walked to me.

"You were beautiful, Gabs, and you even did that toe thing." I stifled my giggle and smiled.

"You liked it?"

His brows raised and his blue eyes widened at my words. "Liked it? Gabs, I loved watching you just now. Your eyes shut." He brought his hand slowly up and his knuckles slowly brushed my cheek. "You looked as if you were floating and I gotta admit, that toe thing is amazing. Can you do it again?"

This time I laughed as I went up on
en pointe
. Tucker bent down, resting his hands on his knees as he stared at my toes with intent eyes, studying my feet like they were the most remarkable thing he'd ever seen.

"Damn girl, doesn't that hurt? You are seriously right up on your damn toes." He pointed at my feet and I giggled.

"Yep, I'm right up on my damn toes." He straightened up as I came back to flat ground.

Placing his hands on my hips he asked, "Really though, doesn't that hurt you?"

I nodded. "It hurt really badly when I first started, but you get used to it with the stretching and doing it almost every day. Sometimes my toes still bleed and they bruise pretty badly; it can get ugly. I hate my feet, and you'll never catch me wearing flip flops."

Tucker cringed and shook all over as if he was in pain himself. I may have over exaggerated at that. "I also gotta tell ya that you look pretty hot in the black swimming suit you're wearing." Tucker was looking behind me, and I'm sure at my butt.

I started laughing so hard; my face flamed up and burned my cheeks from my smile.

"It's a leotard, Tucker," I smirked.

"Oh, you're such a smartass." Just then, Tucker grabbed me and held me up in his strong arms and I was able to wrap my legs around his waist. Laughing some more in his neck and inhaling his spicy scent of cigarettes and leather, I felt his lips touch the base of my neck and shoulder. His hands moved down to cup my butt to hold me up better and I locked my ankles.

I moved my face to stare at him in his sparkling blue eyes as he lightly kissed my lips and they tingled at his soft caress, sending shivers down my spine and into my stomach.

"I love hearing you laugh and seeing you smile," he said against my mouth.

I had no words to say to him, but the whole entire room shifted with this spark between us. It was something so special that it hit me hard – the right-in-the-gut sort of feeling. I'd never felt like this before and I didn't want it to stop. Leaning back down, I kissed Tucker again and sighed in his mouth. Our tongues swiftly danced as the goose bumps moved down my arms and legs. Turning our light kiss into something more serious, the one word that came to mind was…passion. Before it could get any hotter, Tucker pulled away and set me down.

"Now, I want to see more of your moves."

He slapped my butt and I shook my head. He wanted to watch me and I was so going to let him. I shut my eyes again and went up
en pointe
to start my entire routine over. I was able to forget about
Swan Lake
, Jasmine, Madame Ava and Carol, because Tucker was able to help me do so and become that person I wanted to be when I was little.

Tucker was just amazed every time I went up on my toes. I grabbed a pair of guy slippers and tossed them in his direction.

"Put them on," I giggled.

"Hell no. One, that's not my style and two, guys really wear these?" He held them up by a string.

I walked over and sat down, crossing my legs at my ankles and leaned back on my elbows.

"Yep. They even wear tights." I chuckled as I watched him pick them up with two fingers and tossed them over to the other side of me. My eyes followed them and when I turned my head back, my lips were met by Tucker's. His hand cupped my face as his tongue entered my mouth and I sighed. I let him take control over my mouth, as his body pressed into my side. I easily laid down on the cold wood floor of the dance studio. Tucker half laid on my body as his kisses became more possessive of my mouth, one of his legs moving in between mine.

"You taste so good, baby girl," he said, and I was lost in him. He gave my face pepper kisses down my lips to my neck and shoulder. My hands roamed in his hair and he moaned when I softly raked my nails down his scalp and the back of his neck. So I did it again, and I felt his body shudder against mine as he took my mouth again.

"Ahem!" I untangled my legs from Tucker and shot up to my feet, pulling Tucker up with me as I faced Madame Ava.

"Abigail." Her tone was more of a warning. "I thought you were practicing?"

I looked down at my feet and Tucker whispered in my ear. "Look up."

I met her eyes. "I was, but now I'm all done and Tucker came to walk me home."

She took a breath and jerked her head towards the door, giving us a pretty big hint that our sweet time was up and we needed to go.

"Could you excuse us, please?" Madame Ava asked Tucker.

"I'll be right outside, baby girl." He kissed my cheek then left us alone in the ballet room. Madame Ava slowly walked up to me. I held my ground, not letting my head drop.

"Abigail, do you know why I gave Jasmine the part?"

I swallowed hard. I really didn't want to talk about this. "No, Madame Ava." I really wanted to tell her, "Cause she's your favorite," but I held my tongue back.

"You were late. If you would have been on time, you would have received that part. The door was open and it closed. You were late."

That damn Jasmine; she shut the door, not Madame Ava. I left my eyes down cast.

"Maybe the boyfriend should wait on the sidelines."

My eyes went back to meeting hers. "He's not my boyfriend,"

Madame Ava grabbed my hands. "Then why is he holding you back from being the best you can be, Abigail?" Her blue eyes were honest and sincere. "Think about it." Then she went straight into her office.

I sat on the bench, hearing the class door open and Tucker walked in as I was unlacing my slippers. He crouched down in front of me, taking over and removing my slippers. He brought my feet up, rubbing my toes and the soles of my feet. The deep pressure from his artistic hands felt so good on my sore feet. He put my flats on and pulled me up.

Tucker and I walked home holding hands. This was a favorite moment of mine, just our hands and fingers laced together. Just from holding his hand, it felt as if a flame was lit on my skin and was sending chills up my arm. I smiled and looked at him through my lashes. He leaned in to kiss me, but Brad came running towards us screaming Tucker's name.

"Tucker! Tuck." His footsteps hit the concrete and stopped right into Tucker's side. He pulled on Tucker's shoulder, whispering in his ear. But I wasn't stupid and pretended to ignore them. I heard every word that was exchanged.

"Tuck, man, I need the money now."

Tucker let go of my hand. "Dude, what the fuck?" He pulled Brad away by the collar and slammed him up to the brick wall of my building. I stepped back, but kept watching with wide eyes.

"How much, Brad?" Tucker growled.

Brad's eyes looked at me then whispered in Tucker's ear. I couldn't see Tucker's face, but he slammed Brad's body into the wall harder than the first time. I didn't need to see his face to know he was pissed off. He was starting to scare me from the force he used on Brad's shirt and body.

"Tucker, let him go," I said as softly as I could, and when he glanced at me over his shoulder, I added, "You're scaring me." He immediately let Brad go and swept me up in his arms.

"I'm sorry. I'll make it up to you," he told me in my neck and kissed my cheek. Tucker turned back to Brad. "Let me drop her off and I'll meet you at the shack." Brad nodded, then took off to cross the street and head into Central Park.

We started walking again and stopped at my front door. "What's the shack, Tucker?"

He quickly pecked my lips. "Don't worry about it. But I gotta go, baby girl,"

I pulled away from him. "That's okay. Just go and call me later, okay?"

"You won't be mad at me?" He raised a brow.

I gave a playful shove on his chest. "Nah, just don't scare me again."

Tucker gave me one more quick peck and off he went in the direction Brad was headed. I walked in the foyer a little shaky from Tucker's rage. I didn't like seeing him like that. That side of Tucker wasn't a pleasant one.

"You alright, Miss Abigail?" I turned to see Michael standing there holding a phone. "Do I need to call the cops?"

My eyes went wide. "No. It's just a misunderstanding."

Michael nodded and put the phone back in its cradle. "I've seen the way he looks at you, Miss. He likes you."

I smiled at his kind words. "I like him, too. He needs to be put on the list. His name is Tucker."

"Right away, Miss Abigail."

As I made my way into my dark apartment, I didn't have to shout for anyone to know that I was by myself. Jade would either be on the balcony or in her room with rock music playing. Rachel was shopping with her mom. Seriously, those two could shut a store down with the way they love to shop. My phone started buzzing as I walked to my bedroom to get undressed from my practice. It was an unknown number on my screen, but I decided to answer it in case it was Tucker using another phone.

"Hello?"

"Abigail?"

My bag slid off my shoulder and a loud thud sounded into the phone. "Abigail, you alright?"

I bent down to pick up my bag and set it on my bed. "Alex?"

He cleared his throat. "Yeah, how are you?"

What did I say? "Umm…I'm good."

He cleared his throat again, and he sounded uncomfortable. "I wanted to see if I could take you out to dinner tonight?"

I thought about it for about two seconds as I unzipped my bag and pulled out my dirty clothes. "Umm…I don't think so, Alex."

This was getting awkward fast. How did he even get my number?

"Alex, I need you to sign these documents for me ASAP," I heard my dad say on the other side of the phone.

"Right away, David. Abigail, I need to go. Think about it and call me back at this number. It's my desk phone." Then he hung up.

Okay, that was just a little odd.