Of the Soul

The music blared through out the studio, shaking the soft hardwood floors. I lifted my head up towards the skylight, sinking down into the splits, then bending one leg over the over and rising again, moving slowly, but in sync with the gentle beat from the speakers. I spun, twisted, and hovered until the music started dying out. I collapsed down onto the floor, closed my eyes and focused hard on the sound of my breathing. In and out. Inhale exhale. Slow and fast.

The next song on my iPod started, but my muscles screamed when I attempted to lift myself off the ground, so I laid there. I wetted my lips and tasted the salt from my sweat, and let out a soft, incontent groan.

The song, right before the chorus, died out, and the sound of slow clapping filled the room in it's place. I cracked open one eyelid and tilted my heads toward the door.

"Working hard, I see?"

Blaine leaned against the door frame, a smug grin plastered across his baby face. I rolled my eyes at him, picking myself up off the floor, and grabbing the bottle of water he held out for me.

"I've been too busy to stop in lately." I muttered before gulping down a good half of the cold water he'd provided.

"Yeah, sure." He said, running his fingers through his spiky blonde hair. I wasn't sure if it naturally stuck out like that, or if he tried way too hard to make himself look like he'd just gotten out of bed.

Blaine was my agent, but hardly. He was more of that asshole older brother that stuck up for you, but pestered you more. I adored him, but hated him at the same time.

"Look, Acacia..."

I grimaced. He insisted on calling me by my full name, thinking it sounded my mysterious, professional... more like a sexy dancer name. Mostly, people called me Cacey, but not Blaine. Not once.

"I have an audition for you."

I raised an eyebrow, handing the water bottle back to him, and pulling an elastic band off my wrist to tie my long blonde hair up, and out of my eyes.

"I see that face you're making. I see it, and this time, I don't deserve it. This is good, Acacia, I promise you."

"Remember last time you said that, Blaine?" I scoffed, urging him with my mind to move from the door so I could leave, go back home. I wasn't in the mood for this today.

My dream since I was a little girl was to be a dancer. I'd grown up about dance, movement, music... My Mother was a dance teacher... when she still could be. When Blaine had stumbled on me, I was seventeen. Now, nineteen, after years of practice, auditions, few call backs, I'd been in one music video, and that was all the exposure I got.

That wouldn't even be so bad if I'd actually done what I'd intended on doing, but instead of dancing, I was just another girl jumping up and down in the crowd... just one more extra.
So, since then, naturally, I was a bit discouraged.

"Look, there is twenty girls auditioning. You're the twelfth. Only twenty, you have a shot, Acacia." He said, letting out a long breath, then locking his eyes on mine to catch my expression.

"Why only twenty?"

"They went through all the dancers head shots before, seeing if they had the right look for the music video." He said, with a sly grin. "And you have the look."

Typical. Pick the pretty girls before the potentially talented.

"And so do nineteen other girls."

"They're picking ten of you. You have a really good shot, here. I know you do." He said sincerely, and I willed myself not to believe him. I always set myself up for failure. I hated being disappointed... I'd rather be pleasantly surprised.

I stood still, wanting to just leave the studio and return to the small apartment my Mother and I shared about a block from here, and a few more blocks from Frick Park Market.

"Please, please just go to the audition. I didn't tell you I was sort of auditioning you before hand because I knew you'd say no, but this is such a good opportunity. This could do good things for you."

He looked so pathetic. I couldn't say no. I let out a long sigh, my lips forming a hard line. "Fine."

Blaine's face lit up, and I almost felt guilty for considering not going through with the audition and making him look like an idiot. I think he knew I didn't fully want to, but the fact that I'd agreed was good enough for him. He knew me very well, treating me like a baby when in reality he was probably only fifteen years my senior.

"But I really gotta go. I have to make dinner for Mom and whatnot." I mumbled, taking a few steps backward and grabbing my jacket off the floor. "Call me with the date and location and whatnot, okay?"

"Of course." He said, grinning, and stepping aside so I could head in the direction of the door. I had my back turned to him, when he called my name out.

"What now, Blaine?" I groaned, turning and looking at him. He knew I was irritable and wouldn't keep me from heading home unless it was something important, so I tried not to be too annoyed.

"Have you heard of Mac Miller?"

Mac Miller.

Malcolm McCormick.

The biggest douche bag in my graduating class.

The kid who constantly teased me about being a year younger, constantly calling me a "try hard" for being ahead a grade. I'd never skipped a grade, or been moved up at all. I wasn't a try hard, I just started the first grade when I was five, instead of six as he was. He routinely made comments about how I walked everywhere, and my Mom was never at any school functions- I always went alone.

Yeah, I'd heard of Mac Miller.

Blaine must have seen my face pale, because his expression was terrified. He tilted his head at me, and I stood stock still. "It's his music video. Is that okay?"

I paused for a second, then smiled, feeling my whole face scrunch up to abide the huge, genuine grin on my mouth. I nodded slowly. "Yeah, that's perfectly fine." I mumbled, tightening the elastic around my blonde hair and heading out the door.

Why I was so excited for this opportunity now that I knew who it would be for, was a mystery to even me. Curiosity? Maybe. Revenge? Most likely.

I would be flawless at this audition. There was no other choice. I had to.

Not only would I get an opportunity to dance to a broader audience, I would get to show Malcolm- I mean, Mac, exactly how far I'd come, and maybe, I'd be able to find a way to get under his skin a bit, mess with him a little bit. Just as he did with me.

I was very, very excited for this audition.