The Ballerina

“So blow them off.” Luke scoffed as he balanced on the monkey bars.

“I can’t, Luke.” Acelynn sighed. “They’ll think that dancing is ‘affecting’ me, and that’s why I’m dicking around. They’ll kick me out, and I don’t know what I’ll do then.”

The boy didn’t seem as concerned about it as he puffed smoke into the sky. He jumped down without a second thought and hit the ground with a loud ‘thump’ on his feet. Like a cat. “Do you really need classes? Can’t you just do it at home?”

The ballerina shook her head. “I don’t have wooden floors. I don’t have a barre or mirrors. I’d have to be at a studio where there’s enough room for me to dance. My house is about the size of the studio.”

Luke gave Acelynn a skeptical look as he sat beside her on the other swing. “Are you sure? I think you really want to talk about your feelings” he said with a great amount of venom and sarcasm “with some stranger. To get all of that teenage angst out of you.”

Acelynn scoffed. “Yeah, like some shrink can help me. I’m just as sick at twisted as you are, Luke Spencer.” She teased.

Luke playfully rolled his eyes. “I’m sure.”

“Well maybe not as, but I’m pretty close. Look at me; I’m a ballerina. Obviously I’m anorexic. Obviously I have self-confidence issues.”

“Stereotypes.” The boy shrugged. Almost eerily, he looked up the same moment two pre-teens appeared around a corner.

Acelynn always found it strange that Luke knew his surroundings so well. It was almost like a sixth sense. He could be paying full attention to anything Acelynn said and still know if a leaf blew behind him. Luke just knew things.

“Alright, let’s go.” He hated being in the park when anyone else was there. He got up from the swing and walked towards his truck. He hungrily sucked the life from the cigarette as he sped away. Acelynn had requested that he not smoke in the truck; it was too cold to have the window open, and the smell was too strong in the confined area.

“Slow down.” She muttered as she tried to catch up to him.

“Speed up.” He replied and continued to walk.

Acelynn obliged by jogging to catch up to him only a few feet away from the truck. “So where are we going this time?” The last time they left the park before dusk, they annoyed Wal-mart shoppers. This time, Acelynn wasn’t sure.

“I don’t know.” Luke shrugged as he opened the truck door for Acelynn to get in.

“Oh.” She replied blandly, and then sat in silence until Luke got in also.

“We could just drive around.” He suggested as he tried to start the truck.

“This is a possibility.” She agreed and strapped herself in.

“Did you have anything else in mind?” he asked, and did the same.

“No, it’s fine.” Acelynn smiled. Though, she was beginning to wonder where he was getting all the money for the gas bill. He didn’t seem like he had a job, but she had never seen the tank low on gas.

“Okay.” He replied and began to drive away. Acelynn gave one last glance to the pre-teen girls who had run them away. “Actually, I have another idea if you’re interested.”

“Shoot.” She smiled. She was trying to sound reassuring, because Luke looked nervous.

“Well I’ll just let you decide when we get there. We can leave if you want.” Luke stuttered.
“If it seems like a good idea to you, it’s probably fine.”

Luke grunted something back incoherently and took a U turn. They continued to banter about trivial things as they sat and drove. Luke was still tense but Acelynn had taken the edge off as she spoke. She couldn’t see why he was so uptight. Unless he was taking her to a bridge, she couldn’t see the problem. Acelynn would be happy anywhere with Luke.

Suddenly the red vehicle slowed and Luke looked out the window as they sat in the street. “We’re here.” He said with nervousness seeping out of his mouth.

Acelynn looked out the window as well. She saw a large, white house with a perfect lawn. The porch seemed to be a wrap around because it disappeared behind the sides. It was twice as large as her own home. It took her a few seconds to realize that this was the house Luke took her to the first day he had picked her up from ballet, and brought cigarettes to his brother, Tuck. This was Luke’s house.

“My dad is some big company, business guy.” Luke explained. “We can leave if you want. I can understand if you don’t want to stay.”

“This is where you live?” Acelynn exclaimed in excitement. “This place is beastly!”

The boy looked surprised and embarrassed. His cheeks were tinted red. “I, uh, yeah.”

“This is so cool.” The ballerina smiled at him. “Why didn’t you tell me sooner?”

He shrugged. “I don’t know. I mean, look at me, do I seem like a rich person?”

Acelynn had to agree. Luke didn’t seem like a person who had much money. The way he carried himself was just totally off for that sort of thing. His truck complimented this trait. She didn’t say anything, and shoved the door open. Then she waited a minute for Luke to do the same and stand next to her in the drive way.

They stood in silence for a moment, as they stared at the house. “So are we going in?” She asked.

“Yeah.” He replied, still staring at his house. “I just need to warn you about a few things.”

“Like what?” Acelynn was slightly put off.

“Okay, first of all, I have a Rottweiler. Her name is Doug and she’s harmless. But are you afraid of dogs?” The ballerina shook her head. “Good. Second, Tuck is there. He’s probably been really bored all day. So he might want to be with us? Do you mind?” He winced a little.

This time, Acelynn had to give it some thought. She couldn’t remember anything Luke said about Tuck, so she wasn’t sure. The ballerina was awkward with new people, but even more she loved her alone time with Luke. However, she was incredibly interested in learning anything about Luke, who was so secretive about his life. “It’s fine.”

The blue-eyed boy looked relieved. “Good. And I’m not even saying he’ll want to, but I can’t make him go away. He’s been alone all day.”

“It’s really okay, Luke. Just calm down.” Acelynn soothed. “You want to stand out here all day, or go in?” She was hoping to get him inside soon; it was chilly out and the wind was blowing hard.

“Right.” He said, trying to talk himself into it. He took a few slow steps, and looked back at Acelynn, who was right behind him.

He sighed, and turned back around towards the door. It was twice as big as both of them put together, and was white as snow without any blemishes. Luke took a key from his key ring and pushed it into the lock. It took a few twists, but the large door finally opened. The pair stepped into the house, and Acelynn was filled with amazement.

The entry way was filled with rich reds and golds. It looked fancier than a magazine, and much neater. The ceiling was monstrous, and had two chandeliers just in the first area. The spiraling staircase held black carpet and led upstairs, where Acelynn was sure was just as extravagant. “Jesus Christ.” She whispered and stared at everything.

“Yeah, it’s pretty big.” Luke smiled awkwardly.

“Luke! Luke Luke Luuke!” Acelynn heard a voice coming closer. It must be Tuck. “Finally you’re home – I’ve been bored out of my mind!”

The voice was coming from upstairs, and moments later she saw a tall boy sliding down the staircase rail. When he slid off, he walked off the extra momentum and stopped right in front of the two. “Tuck, this is Acelynn. Acelynn, this is Tuck. And I’m sorry.” Luke introduced.

“Haha, very funny.” Tuck sneered at his brother.

Acelynn could see how the two were related. While Luke had blue eyes, Tuck had dark green ones. But they had the same dark hair, noses, and cheekbones. Tuck had lighter skin than Luke, and he was also much taller than his younger brother. Which meant he was about a foot taller than the tiny ballerina.

“So, is this your girlfriend?” Tuck asked, but he only sounded slightly interested in the answer. “Is that why you brought her here – because she’s pregnant?”

Luke looked incredibly red. Acelynn assumed that she was also. Though the two were extremely close, the thought of having a baby with Luke, to Acelynn, was like having a baby with a brother. Awkward and hard to explain. “N-no, Tuck. God, why do you always have to assume something like that?” Luke sputtered.

Tuck looked amused. “Because you’re seventeen, Little Bro.” Then he turned to Acelynn. “Hey, I’m Tuck. And I’m not sorry.”

“H—“ She was about to say ‘hello’ back, but Tuck changed his focus back to Luke.

“So do you have any cigarettes? I’m dying!”

Luke ignored the contradicting statement and handed his older brother a cigarette. “Here.”

“Thanks, Luke.” Tuck smiled and pulled a lighter from his pocket. He lit the cigarette and breathed the smoke in and out like air. “So, Girlfriend, what did you guys have planned today? We have a pool out back, if you were interested in skinny dipping.”

The ballerina’s face turned red. She was so confused – Tuck was calling her Girlfriend because he thought she was Luke’s girlfriend, but he seemed to be flirting with her anyway. But if he really didn’t think they were in a relationship, why was he calling her Girlfriend? Acelynn could think up ten more reasons about the situation, none of which made her any more comfortable or less confused. “Knock it off, Tuck.” Luke grunted, just as red as Acelynn.

“What? I just want to make sure your girlfriend feels at home here. I mean, when the baby comes, she’ll probably want to live here. And it’s no problem too – I’ll Nanny Luke Jr. as you finish high school. When you become a lawyer like Dad, and she becomes a nurse, you’ll need all the help you can get before the money starts coming in.” Acelynn couldn’t believe it – this boy was deciding their lives in only a few seconds.

Now the ballerina could understand why Luke was so nervous to bring her into his house. Tuck was a different kind of twisted. He was a bored, troubled miscreant who finally found some entertainment. Acelynn could understand him in a way, but hoped he didn’t take things too far. She felt uneasy around Tuck. He definitely wasn’t the same as Luke, who she felt very safe around.

“Come one, Ace.” Luke said, now ignoring his brother. “I want to show you something in the basement I think you’ll like.”

Tuck stifled a snort of laughter. “Use condoms, now!”

Both teens turned red, and Acelynn followed Luke across the hall. He opened a door that led to the dark basement, and slowly made his way down. The ballerina gave one last look at Tuck, who winked at her and smiled. Her stomach filled with butterflies. She decided then, as she followed Luke down the stairs, that her Tuck Experience wasn’t quite over just yet. He would play a bigger part in her life, she just didn’t know how.