St. Elsewhere
Part 6
Two days later Mia found herself on the floor of her tiny apartment sobbing hysterically.
She hadn't cried like that for about a year.
Mia was smashed her balled up fists into the wall she had collapsed against, causing her knuckles to start bleeding profusely.
But at this point Mia didn't care anymore.
In complete hysteria Mia ran to the one place where she felt safe.
The practice room in the ballet school.
It was about four o'clock on Friday, and she hadn't been back in school since the phone call from her dad two days previous. Family visits always threw everything out of balance.
With the tears still fresh on her face Mia stormed into the usually empty practice room, but was shocked beyond doubt when she saw two people.
One of them she recognized.
Lauren.
Immediately Mia wiped the tear tracks off her cheeks and put on a smile.
"Mia!" Lauren called out happily and ran towards her, her smile faltered when she saw Mia's face. "Oh my god, are you alright? Have you been crying?"
Mia shook her head emphatically.
"You have." Lauren stated determinedly.
"Lauren please…" Mia was too tired and drained to put up a fight.
"Lauren leave her alone, she obviously doesn't want to talk about it." Came the voice that belonged to the other person in the room: a tall skinny guy with a mop of brown hair that fell lazily into his eyes.
Lauren shrugged him off and obviously decided that the way to deal with Mia's un-discussed emotional break down was humour and distraction.
"Mia, meet me brother Matt, you know the band boy who plays guitar?" Lauren said with a smile and pulled Mia towards her brother.
"Matt, meet the most amazing and beautiful ballet dancer you will ever know." Lauren said with a grin.
Matt stuck out his hand, which Mia shook awkwardly.
"I've heard so much about you I feel like I've seen you dance already." Matt said with the identical smile that Lauren often wore. There defiantly was a brother sister likeness.
Mia blushed, not sure how to take the compliment.
"Erm... thanks but I'm really not that good."
"Bullshit, you are." Was all Lauren said.
"Mia, Matt was just gonna pick me up and take me home but we were going to get a coffee and something to eat before, you want to join us?" Lauren asked hopefully.
Mia looked between Matt, who was smiling encouragingly, and Lauren, who wore a hopeful expression, and her ballet shoes that she was carrying in her left hand.
She felt like she needed the escape into her world, but she had grown fond of Lauren and maybe one day she could tell her everything.
With her mind made up Mia smiled.
"I'd love to."
- - -
Going with Lauren and Matt to one of the countless coffee shops in London was one of the best things that happened to Mia since she first started talking to Lauren.
She could relax with them and enjoyed sinking back in the chair and watching the siblings argue playfully over god knows what.
She was also surprised how easily she could talk to them. Mia was renowned for her shyness, but here the other side of her shone through. Her hidden wit and brightness came out and she found it easy to laugh, despite the challenges that had been stalking her for the past weeks.
Lauren smiled.
She knew asking Mia to accompany them was a good idea. She knew that Mia and Matt would get on, and Lauren was already planning other means of bringing that hidden Mia out of her shell.
They talked until their coffee went cold and even past that.
Matt spontaneously renewed the invitation to the gig that Mia had missed. The band lived together in London and played as often as they could Matt had explained.
And so Mia's social life started to roll forwards.
The gig was not until next week but Mia was already excited. She had never been to a gig despite living in London, which was a treasure trove for any music and gig fanatic. Once again Mia's passion for ballet over ruled everything.
But now Mia had something to look forward to.
She hadn't cried like that for about a year.
Mia was smashed her balled up fists into the wall she had collapsed against, causing her knuckles to start bleeding profusely.
But at this point Mia didn't care anymore.
In complete hysteria Mia ran to the one place where she felt safe.
The practice room in the ballet school.
It was about four o'clock on Friday, and she hadn't been back in school since the phone call from her dad two days previous. Family visits always threw everything out of balance.
With the tears still fresh on her face Mia stormed into the usually empty practice room, but was shocked beyond doubt when she saw two people.
One of them she recognized.
Lauren.
Immediately Mia wiped the tear tracks off her cheeks and put on a smile.
"Mia!" Lauren called out happily and ran towards her, her smile faltered when she saw Mia's face. "Oh my god, are you alright? Have you been crying?"
Mia shook her head emphatically.
"You have." Lauren stated determinedly.
"Lauren please…" Mia was too tired and drained to put up a fight.
"Lauren leave her alone, she obviously doesn't want to talk about it." Came the voice that belonged to the other person in the room: a tall skinny guy with a mop of brown hair that fell lazily into his eyes.
Lauren shrugged him off and obviously decided that the way to deal with Mia's un-discussed emotional break down was humour and distraction.
"Mia, meet me brother Matt, you know the band boy who plays guitar?" Lauren said with a smile and pulled Mia towards her brother.
"Matt, meet the most amazing and beautiful ballet dancer you will ever know." Lauren said with a grin.
Matt stuck out his hand, which Mia shook awkwardly.
"I've heard so much about you I feel like I've seen you dance already." Matt said with the identical smile that Lauren often wore. There defiantly was a brother sister likeness.
Mia blushed, not sure how to take the compliment.
"Erm... thanks but I'm really not that good."
"Bullshit, you are." Was all Lauren said.
"Mia, Matt was just gonna pick me up and take me home but we were going to get a coffee and something to eat before, you want to join us?" Lauren asked hopefully.
Mia looked between Matt, who was smiling encouragingly, and Lauren, who wore a hopeful expression, and her ballet shoes that she was carrying in her left hand.
She felt like she needed the escape into her world, but she had grown fond of Lauren and maybe one day she could tell her everything.
With her mind made up Mia smiled.
"I'd love to."
- - -
Going with Lauren and Matt to one of the countless coffee shops in London was one of the best things that happened to Mia since she first started talking to Lauren.
She could relax with them and enjoyed sinking back in the chair and watching the siblings argue playfully over god knows what.
She was also surprised how easily she could talk to them. Mia was renowned for her shyness, but here the other side of her shone through. Her hidden wit and brightness came out and she found it easy to laugh, despite the challenges that had been stalking her for the past weeks.
Lauren smiled.
She knew asking Mia to accompany them was a good idea. She knew that Mia and Matt would get on, and Lauren was already planning other means of bringing that hidden Mia out of her shell.
They talked until their coffee went cold and even past that.
Matt spontaneously renewed the invitation to the gig that Mia had missed. The band lived together in London and played as often as they could Matt had explained.
And so Mia's social life started to roll forwards.
The gig was not until next week but Mia was already excited. She had never been to a gig despite living in London, which was a treasure trove for any music and gig fanatic. Once again Mia's passion for ballet over ruled everything.
But now Mia had something to look forward to.