I’m sure you can.” Kaitlyn was surprised and pleased. They spent several awkward and silent minutes waiting for Cecilia.
When they were in the car, Cecilia asked them about the party as they fastened their seat belts.
“Oh, it was great,” Delilah said without waiting for Kaitlyn to speak. “Kaitlyn was way at the other end of the table, though, so I’m not really sure how it was down there, but whatevs!”
They drove home listening to a non-stop monologue from Delilah: what she thought about the academy, McKinley, Kaitlyn’s dress, everyone else’s dress, and the radio station Cecilia had chosen.
Chapter Six
Taylor Audley
Yay, Halloween!
Taylor walked to the bus slowly. She’d skipped math class. She hadn’t wanted to, because now she had to explain it to her mom and get her to write a note, but if she had gone she’d have failed her test, for sure. And if she failed that test, she’d fail first term. Maybe I can say I had a stomach-ache, she thought. No, then I’d have to miss Halloween tonight. She sighed.
She turned to walk up to Kerrisdale Boulevard, not wanting to get to the academy too early. I’ll have to tell her that I would’ve failed, she decided miserably. Then she can decide what to do. It wasn’t my fault, it was because rehearsals went on so long yesterday! She debated where to go and decided on Starbucks. She shivered as she started walking; it was pouring rain, and it was all dripping down her back. She’d forgotten to bring an umbrella, as usual.
As she sat down with her pumpkin spice frappuccino, she sneezed violently. Great, now I’m getting a cold. When she finally got on the bus, she felt a bit more optimistic. The rain was getting warmer, and the clouds were starting to clear up.
Her cellphone started ringing as soon as she’d sat down. She checked her display; it was her mom. She groaned.
“Hi, Mom.”
“Hello, Taylor. Where are you?”
“Um, on the bus to the academy? Where else would I be?” Taylor said, anxiously doing up her bag. She’d left it undone, and now all her papers were wet.
“I don’t know, Taylor. Where would you be? I just got a call from your counsellor; he said that you didn’t show up for math class today. He also said that you were supposed to have a test that determined whether or not you passed math this term.” Her voice had gotten progressively shriller as she got more hysterical. Taylor quickly turned down the volume on her cell and debated hanging up. No, she decided. Mom won’t let me go out tonight if I hang up.
“Mom, I wasn’t going to pass the test.”
“Taylor!” Charlize screeched. “I am not doing this! If you had shown up, you would have gotten some grade, and you might have had a prayer of passing math for the year. As it is …”
“I don’t have a prayer?” Taylor asked innocently. Her mother became completely incomprehensible, so Taylor hung up. She dried off her earphones and turned on The Plain White T’s. They were usually too calm for her, but today she needed calm. She bit her lip nervously as she thought about class today. It was Mrs. Castillo, and the last time Taylor had had class with her … well, it hadn’t been fun. Mrs. Castillo had told the whole class that Taylor had the perfect body type for ballet, but no brain. The whole class had bullied her for weeks afterwards. It was going better so far this year though. When the graduating class left last year, so had many of the scariest people in the school. It had also helped that she had been cast so much better this year. Taylor took some red sprinkles out of her bag and absentmindedly shook some into her mouth.
Inside the academy, Taylor checked the schedule. It hadn’t changed. They still had Mrs. Castillo. She went downstairs to get changed, dripping water all the way.
Taylor bent backwards over the barre, cracking her back. She heard everyone laughing and quickly swung up again. Too fast! She slumped against the barre, dizzy. When she could see again, she looked up. There was Leon in his Halloween costume. He was wearing small, black stretch shorts over top of fishnet tights, black ballet shoes, and a pink tank top. On top of this, he was wearing bunny ears, a large, red bunny nose, and was carrying a cat o’nine tails. Kageki ran over and got Anna to take a picture of him gazing adoringly into Leon’s eyes with one leg wrapped around his hip, and then another of him kissing Leon’s bunny nose.
Taylor got an idea. She quickly ran downstairs and rummaged through her bag. She pulled out her Barbie crown, and changed into her pink bodysuit and white wrap skirt. She eyed her reflection in the mirror approvingly, and ran upstairs. No one seemed to notice as she slowly opened the door. Everyone was too busy admiring Jonathon’s costume to worry about hers. He was wearing uniform, but he had drawn obscene things all over his shirt, and was wearing sunglasses and earrings.
Mrs. Castillo came into the studio with a huge smile, her shawl floating behind her. Everyone snapped to attention. “Class! We start!” She frowned as she looked around the studio. “Ah, Halloween, yes? The trick or treat?” Everyone nodded. “Everyone to the barre. Okay.” She began to lead the barre exercises, demonstrating each exercise dramatically.
As Mrs. Castillo was demonstrating the grand battements exercise, she caught Tristan looking at his butt in the mirror. “Tristan! Do not keep looking in the mirror! There are maybe one hundred perfect bodies in the world; you got one.” Tristan turned away from the mirror, both pleased and embarrassed.
Taylor’s crown started slipping when began doing the pirouette combination. Mrs. Castillo grabbed her arm and led her to the side. “Taylor! You wear too much jewellery. Crown today? Perhaps crown and necklace tomorrow? What the day after? Take off now!” Taylor quickly took off the crown, noticing that Mrs. Castillo hadn’t made Leon take off his ears or nose.
After everyone had gone across the room, Mrs. Castillo worked on the boy’s grande allegro while the girls were putting on their pointe shoes. Julian suddenly stopped, and asked to go get some ice. He’d turned on his ankle the wrong way.
Mrs. Castillo nodded absently, working on Tristan’s tour en l’aire. “And push!” She was standing behind him, pushing his left shoulder as soon as he left the ground. “You must always land in fifth, not second!” Tristan came down off balance. Taylor tested her foot in her pointe shoes, wincing as soon as she put weight on it. Her Achilles was inflamed, again. She watched Mrs. Castillo nervously, trying to judge the right time to go ask if she could sit down.
“Are you going to sit out because of your ankle?” Keiko asked Taylor. Taylor nodded. “Okay, let’s go ask together then. My knee’s really hurting me.”
“Mrs. Castillo, may I sit down because of my knee?” Keiko asked.
“Yes, yes, of course, Keiko. And what do you want?” Mrs. Castillo asked Taylor.
“Ah … my ankle?” Taylor pointed at the ankle in question.
Mrs. Castillo sighed. “Again, this ankle? All right, sit down, but do some exercise by yourself. Do back, do stomach, work.” She gestured Taylor to the side impatiently and turned back to the class. “Adage! One two, three four, breathe … and draw up leg. Up, up, no up hip and unfold — no drop! Hold, and rise. Coupé pas de bourée, pirouette en dedans … three at least please! You are the advanced students now, yes? Coupé, ronds de jambe, and fondue … hold. Hold back attitude! Tristan, knee up! And fondue deeper, leg higher — yes!” Mrs. Castillo
