This Is a Dream

"And one and two and three and four,"

I eased my legs straight and thrust my bony shoulders straighter then they already were. I gave a little satisfactory sigh as the girls shoulders around me slumped with weariness. I had been training for years, these steps didn't even begin to faze me anymore.

"What the hell was that, Danielle?" My instructor, Madame Tucroy, screeched:lunging across the floor at five foot five, brunette Danielle Watts.

You know how in those ballet movies the ballet instructor is always French, with an accent so thick you could cut it with a knife? Not Madame Tucroy. She's as English as they come, but she knew her ballet. Which is why I knew Danielle was in for it.

"What is this?" She cried, again, snatching Danielle's long, curly ponytail out of the air. "Have I not specifically told you to put it up into a neat bun?"

"Um yes, Madame Tucroy, but you see, you said if it's in my way then it's necessary that I put it into a bun. But it's not in my way!" She smiled and Madame's eyes practically boiled over her eye lids. She grabbed a handful of it and pulled hard enough for it to hurt.

"It is in my way! Put it up or I will chop it off! Plus, it throws off your balance." She looked around, "Barre work! Everyone, now!" She clapped twice and we groaned under our breath. Barre work was the worst when you were mastering tougher things.

"Thanks a lot, Dani," I heard someone mutter.

"You could use more barre work anyway, Karly" I whispered back, "The little girls are getting better then you," She huffed and took a place at the end of the barre.

"Thanks, Callie," Danielle mumbled from behind me.

I glanced in the mirror and gave her a small smile, mouthing to her all the words I would love to say to Karly's face.

---

"Bye, Kenzy" I yelled, and waved to my best friend. She waved back and smiled: crossing the street to her car. I only lived a few blocks away so I walked it. It's better for you anyway.

I shut the door behind me and slammed right into a brick wall. Or it would have been a brick wall, if there was one in front of the dance studios front door.

"Hey, are you alright?" I felt myself being lifted off of the concrete stairs and back onto my feet.

"Jeez, yeah I'm okay. Are you o-" I glanced up and noticed his bulging arms, imagining his probable six pack I said, "Um, you obviously are."

"Hey, Nate, is that how you get the girls now? You make them fall so you can say they fell for you?" The teasing voice cracked up and then the person who it belonged to stepped out from behind this Nate guy.

"Oh," He said.

I looked down at my shorts and sports bra. I had planned to jog the couple of blocks home today so I stayed in what I had wore to dance in. I didn't think I looked that bad.

"He didn't mean to. It was an accident," I protested, snatching my cell phone from the ground where it had fallen.

"Yeah I know, he's a big guy so it's kinda hard not to walk into him," He laughed again and Nate playfully punched him in the shoulder.

"At least I don't have girl muscles." He said, punching the other guy again. But the other guy just laughed and I had the urge to laugh too. He wasn't as big as Nate, considering he was six feet tall; but he could definitely compete with rock hard muscles and a six pack of his own.

I looked at them both,"Well I gotta go. It was nice to um, run into you." I half smiled and walked away with a wave.

"Wait, what's your name?" The other guy called when I had gone a few feet.

"Callie, you?" I said, eager to go and even more eager to stay.

"Tyler, well Ty actually. I've never seen you before. Did you guys just start using the studio?"

"We usually dance earlier, but too many of the girls are missing practice for work." I shrugged, "so we had to switch times."

"Oh, okay. So I guess I'll see you around?"

I nodded, "By Ty."

"See ya, Callie."

And I left.