straight at Kaitlyn.
Kaitlyn tried to ignore her. FML, she thought.
Everyone had sat down on the back benches, but there were no more seats there, so Kaitlyn either had to stand the whole ride and look like a desperate idiot, or sit in one of the forward-facing benches and turn around the whole ride. She picked sitting in the forward-facing benches.
“Oh, Jonathon told me that Alexandra has made finals, and is … is going? Sorry, coming, back in two days,” said Kageki.
“That’s awesome she made it to finals!” Kaitlyn said. “The Demidovskis must be really happy.”
“Oh, I doubt they know,” laughed Delilah.
“Wouldn’t Alexandra have phoned them?” Kaitlyn asked.
“God, why?” said Delilah. “She doesn’t owe them anything.”
“I think she should have phoned them,” said Angela, who was sitting quietly in the corner. “After all, they let her go to the Genee.”
“Let her?” snorted Anna. “You mean they ‘let’ her go try to win something for them, so they could have more students come to the ‘globally renowned Vancouver International Ballet Academy,’ while they didn’t lift a finger to help her prepare?”
“They did give her some privates…” Angela blushed and sank lower into her seat.
“Yeah, for like a hundred bucks an hour after she begged. And they showed up late for them,” Delilah chimed in, probably hoping to get on Anna’s good side. Anna just looked annoyed. She didn’t need help to squash Angela.
Kaitlyn turned on her iPod and faced front, glad that she didn’t get a seat in the back. Now she had an excuse to zone out. She daydreamed, half-listening to the conversation behind her, mostly to make sure it wasn’t about her, through the sounds of the Thriving Ivory. She could see herself winning gold at Prix de Lausanne and going to the Royal Ballet. Anna would be so jealous and would have to suck up to her, couldn’t get a job anywhere. And she was dating a boy in the company who was perfect, and so strong and nice. In her daydream, she was so happy that she just didn’t need to eat, so she had a perfect body type, she even grew a couple of inches.… Kaitlyn sighed happily and escaped reality for the rest of the ride to the academy.
Chapter Two
Taylor Audley
I’m Sooooo hapy that my bff Kaitlyn has come to the acadimy, and that my b-day party is soon!!!! Exited for Nut auditshions!
Taylor woke up feeling surprisingly rested. She tried to remember why. I’m sure it’s Wednesday, not Sunday. Am I sick and forgot? I don’t feel sick … She stumbled into the kitchen, head rushing.
“Mom, why am I still here?” she asked, falling into a chair.
“You have Nutcracker auditions today, Taylor. And you were up so late talking to that nice boy from your school. What’s his name…? Brandon,” Charlize Petrenko said. “I wanted to make sure you had enough sleep.”
“Oh,” said Taylor, “I didn’t know that they were today.”
“I told you Taylor,” Charlize sounded annoyed. “Oopsies,” she giggled, spilling milk on the table. “I told you last night. You never remember anything. Do you want a meal replacement shake?” She took one for herself.
“No!” said Taylor, averting her eyes. Meal replacement shakes always made her feel sick in the morning.
“Well, do you want some cereal then? There’s some Rice Krispies.”
“Do we have any Froot Loops, Mom?”
“Yes, but don’t put any sugar on them, Taylor, they have enough sugar as it is,” Charlize sighed. “Oh, and Taylor, your dad wants you to call him. He wants to know if you’re going to stay with him for Christmas.”
“How should I know?” asked Taylor, pouring a cup of cereal in a bowl, carefully adding five heaping tablespoons of white sugar and some milk. She eyed the bowl suspiciously. It still didn’t look very appetizing. She added some spray whipping cream and some red sprinkles which happened to be in her bathrobe.
“Taylor.… Oh, why do I even try?” Charlize groaned, throwing her hands in the air. Taylor ignored her and started eating the sprinkles off the whipping cream.
“Ta-aylor! I can’t believe you just ate the whipping cream off the cereal!”
“The cereal was soggy! I can’t eat it when it’s mushy!”
“Whatever, we have to go now. You have your audition.”
As Charlize drove Taylor to the academy, she kept up a steady stream of advice: “Remember to smile at all the teachers today, and do your hair nicely. Most of what people think when they see people dance is what they look like. Put some lipstick or gloss on, you look washed out. I told you to get to sleep last night!”
“Mom, geez, shut up already! And it’s not all about what I look like you know, it’s about other stuff, too, like technique!” Taylor said angrily. Charlize continued as if she hadn’t heard her.
“Don’t eat the junk you usually do. It just makes you more ADD. You should wear your red bodysuit so you stand out. And please remember that Kaitlyn is not your friend, she wants a good part just as much as you do, and her mother stops at nothing to make sure she gets it.” She pulled out her wallet as they reached a red light. “Here’s twenty-five dollars for the audition and a twenty for dinner and lunch. I really mean it, Taylor, you need to concentrate and try to get a good part. Did you know that Kaitlyn is on full scholarship? If you would just improve a little faster, Taylor, I know you could do it. And you have to, Honey, because you sure aren’t going to make it to university.” Taylor turned the car music on as loud as she could without going deaf, and pretended she couldn’t hear her mother telling her to turn it down.
When her mother finally turned the music down, Taylor said, “I don’t know what is wrong with you, I do work as hard as I can, and Kaitlyn is just a suck-up. I hate her smile. And I’m not going to wear the red bodysuit, it makes my boobs look too big. I left it at home, anyway.”
“Oh, Taylor, you forgot your red bodysuit?”
“No, I am just not going to friggin’ wear it! I’m going to wear my blue one. I like that one.”
“Okay, Taylor. I’m just trying to help!” Charlize said as they pulled up beside the academy.
“Well, stop it!” said Taylor as she got out of the car.
“Wait, I’m coming in! I want to talk to Cecilia.”
“Who?” said Taylor.
“Kaitlyn’s mother.”
“Oh, great,” Taylor grimaced.
“Did you remember to invite Kaitlyn to your birthday party?”
“Yes, Mom!” answered Taylor.
“Oh, and Taylor, do you
