Time Bomb

“Keep your chin up Rachel! Watch Mia-Enough, Enough!”
All of us fell to the floor, grasping our ankles, as we flexed them back and forth, as Claude and Giet walked to the front of the stage, Claude eyeing me gratefully, Giet doing the same.
“Mia, come forward please.”
Stepping forward, I held my thin hands at my waist as I stood by the owners of the company.
“The auditions are done.” Claude spoke loudly, causing murmurs and gasps to echo through the hall.
Standing by Giet, I watched as she nodded at me, and smiled at me approvingly.
“The top lists for the lead, are down to Rachel-”
I watched as Rachel walked passed the muttering girls and stood on the other side of Griet, a priss look planted on her thin face.
“Hayley-”
I smiled as the only kind girl in the whole company leaped off of the floor and took a stand next to me, before she gripped my arm between hers.
“And we don’t even need to announce that Mia is being considered as well.”
No it wasn’t a surprise.
The soft ring of claps met my ears as the three of us stood infront of the company, smiling gratefully at Teacher.
“Now; tomorrow evening, infront of the president and co-founder of this company will be the final auditions, of who will be our Swan Queen.”

“How long are you going to be staying?” Hayley asked softly as she walked into the back room, where I stood at the barre, my left ankle stretched towards the edge as my leg bent forward.
“Mia?”
Glancing at her, I stared at my watch, “Probably another hour or so. And you?”
Hayley smiled at me bashfully, “I was hoping to get some pointers from you,”
Smiling I nodded, and planted my feet firmly on the ground, “Grab your pointe and we’ll get started-”
“Mia!”
Glancing at the door, I was surprised to see Rachel, and the petite blonde from two weeks ago, holding a box.
“Yes?” I asked, watching as Hayley stared at them warily.
“It’s a gift from teacher,” Rachel said coming forward with the egg blue package with a white bow on it.
“Oh?” I stated walking towards her..
“Yes, he told us to give them to you before we left”
Nodding, I took the package from her and watched as the two left quietly.
“New slippers, you think?” I asked Hayley as we both took a seat on the floor, and I took the bow off of the box, and opened the box, gasping at the designer pointe shoes that layed delicately in the box.
“Wow,” Hayle gasped, her hands touching the slippers delicately as we each pulled one out of the box.
“You are so lucky.” she gushed as I took my old slippers off and placed the new ones on my feet, cringed at their stiffness.
“I have to where them for the audition tomorrow,” I stated cringed as I stood, and my toes curled in the new slippers.
“You really should,” Hayley stated watching as I leaped in the air, crossing and uncrossing my feet delicately.
“To show how gratefull I am.”

I bit my lip tightly as I limped to walk as I entered left stage. The sound of worried and quiet whispering met my ears, as the girls who didn’t make the cut, stared at my bloodied feet.
I walked towards Rachel and her petite blonde friend that stood a few feet away from me and touched her shoulder roughly.
“That was a dirty trick.” I stated, watching as the two stared at me, and glanced down at my white covered feet, the newly wrapped tape, allowing the blood to seep through my popped blisters.
“How else are other’s supposed to get a chance, at fame?” Rachel smirked as she shoved past me, causing me to whimper as more weight landed on my feet.
Limping towards Hayley who stared at me with shocked eyes, Claude pulled me aside.
“Why would you practice with new slippers?” he whispered harshly, as the founders of the company entered the hall and took their seats in the front row, whispering and smiling to each other as their eyes landed on me.
“Ask Rachel,” I stated pulling my thin arm out of his grasp, “I’m still going to perform; I can do it.”
Claude’s face paled, “You better, I would rather die or quit of emberassment if Rachel were to get the lead.”
Nodding I walked to the side of the stage, where Rachel and Hayley were stretching on the floor. Dropping my bag purposely loud next to Rachel, I watched as she pulled to harshly on her toes, and the grattifying loud crack of her tendones echoed.
“You bitch,” she hissed at me, as I wrapped my feet in tape once again, and quickly pulled my old pointe’s on my feet, I leapt to my feet.
“Atleast teacher doesn’t know you have bleeding feet.” I snapped, watching as her face paled immiediately and she gazed at Claude who glared at her.
“Mia, center stage please.” Giet called from the front, her place infront of the orchestra pit.
“President and Co, I present Mia Cruz, performing Swan Lake Suite, Op. 20: Scéne.”
Nodding, I glanced at Giet who nodded back.
I leant forward my right foot stretched out infront of me as I leant my torso forward in a bow, my right hand gracefully infront of me, as I heard the strings begin to play. I began to twirl, my eyes focused on the lighting box in the back of the audience, as I twirled slowly, coming to a stop standing on my left toes, cringing the tendons cracked loudly, causing Rachel to giggle on my left.
I closed my eyes as the music continued, and with my feet I felt my way around the stage, leaping,
À la seconde ladies!Croise Devant! Arabesque! Quatrieme! My own voice ringing in my ears from when I lead warmups.

“Ladies, please come forward, Mia stay put please.” Claude instructed as the elderly couple that were the founders walked onto the stage.
Giet kneeled on the floor text to me, unwrapping the bloodied tape from my feet. I cringed at the sight of the ripped blisters, as Giet tutted and mumbled under her breath in Italian.
“Little shit. Stronza ‘Tupida. She has no right.” she whispered harshly, causing Rachel to gaze in our direction, her face flushing, “She is only threatened by you.”
Not answering I turned my attention towards Claude, who stood next to the President.
“Ladies, all three of you are magnificent dancers.” he stated deeply, “Some more then others. Honest dancers. To some it comes naturally. To the others, you try to hard to be what you cannot.”
Rachel gazed at the floor as Claude and the elderly stared her down.
“Our Swan Queen-”
Closing my eyes, I took a deep breath.
“Mia Cruz.”
Opening my eyes I smiled as Hayley clapped loudly, a grin plastered on her face. Rachel’s jaw dropped open.
Nodding in the president’s direction, I smiled but remained seated.
“Hayley Medina’s you will play the Queen.”
I clapped loudly with the other girls, as Hayley burst into tears.
“Rachel, if their is ever an incident; you will be Hayley’s alternate, and Hayley you will be Mia’s.”
Nothing is going to happen.