Immaculate Misconception

Alice's POV

I walk into the studio out of breath. I had to run here because of all of the traffic. It isn’t far really about six blocks…uphill. So the fact that I’m wearing six inch heels and running uphill sucked ass.

“Alice you’re LATE!” My instructor yells when I get into the studio. I cringe inward, knowing how she replaced three lead dancers in a day for being late.

“Yes, I’m am so sorry! I lost track of time.” I say barely being able to speak, because I am so out of breath.

“Well this is the first time, so I’ll let this slide. But don’t let it happen again…EVER. Now go get changed and warm-up. We’ll take it from Track 3.” My ballet instructor is a middle aged woman about in her mid to late 40s. She is short blonde and strict, but it made us have amazing shows. No blood, no foul. Well, not a lot of blood.

I walk to my dressing room and change into my costume and white pointe shoes.

“Good thing it’s a dress rehearsal today…otherwise Ms. Olson would KILL me.” I murmured to myself

I walk out of my dressing room, in my costume and head to the practice room. I warm up as quickly as possible and jump into the dance as soon as I catch the right count. After the dance comes my quick change. I run off to the side wing and strip down with the help of the stage hands and step into my tights they hold open as I put on my headdress. I go to grab my black pointes when I remember I left them in the ballroom.

“Shit!” I curse. Luckily a stage hand already has my extra pair of black in hand. These cut into my feet because they aren’t broken in yet, but I have to manage. I run back into the room and just barely in time for my next dance. I’m dancing great and the time comes for a spin. This spin is easy, I’ve done it many times and landed it perfectly.

I jump into the air and spin. I’m spinning and land perfectly. Just as I land, I hear a pop and fall to the ground. I feel a throbbing pain in my ankle. The music stops and Ms. Olson rushes over to me. I’m holding my ankle, sitting silently. Trying to judge the pain as I tested my ankle, wincing.

“Alice are you alright?” She asks trying not to sound to alarmed. Suddenly all of the dancers are surrounding us in a circle. Ms. Olson asks again.

“I’m fine, just kind of stunned…I always land that spin.”

“How is your ankle?” She asks “Do you think you can dance? If you can’t we can always have Natalie do it.”

Natalie is a snooty little rich girl that has her daddy buy everything for her. She was mad when I got the part of both the swans. Her dad tried to bribe Ms. Olson, but she wouldn’t accept instead she made her the under study.

“It’s fine…I can dance.” I say in a monotone voice. I stand and the moment I do the pain is almost unbearable. I fight back the tears and decide to push through. The show must go on.

‘I have to make Kiegan and my mother proud.’ I think to myself.

I force a smile and then give a thumbs up. I walk trying not to limp and tell Ms. Olson that I can dance. She insists that I sit and rest and have Natalie dance tonight but I refuse. The rest of practice is a haze. I’m in pain most of the time and buy the end my ankle has swollen to the size of a baseball. But I decide that I am going to dance. I only have the one show tonight, I can do this.

I call cab to take me back to the hotel. When it arrives I “walk” to the cab and give instructions to the hotel. When I arrive I limp to elevator and to my room.

“Hey.” Kiegan says

“Hi.” I say as I slowly walk over to the bed and sit.

“What happened?” She asks with a concerned look on her face.

“Oh, nothing…I just fell I’m okay though.”

“Was it the spin?”

“Not that one. I forgot my good pointe shoes here, so I had to use my other ones.”

“Oh, are you still gonna dance tonight?”

“DUH!”

“Well you better ice your ankle then.”

“I better.”

“I’ll get you ice.” Kiegan walks over to the ice bucket and puts some ice in washrag, then hands it to me.

The minute I put it on my ankle I feel a surge of relief.

“Better?” Kiegan asks

“Much!” I say with a smile.

“Here take this.” She says as she hands me two tiny white pills and a bottle of water

“What are they?” I ask

“Hydrocodone. Don’t worry they won’t make you tired or anything, they’ll help with the pain.”

“Where did you get them?”

“From home, remember when I sprained my wrist about a month ago?” I nod “Well those are from then.”

“How did you get them through the air port?”

“Doctors note. Take them…they will help.”

I talk the tiny pills and in a few minutes I feel the pain in my ankle vanish.

“Wow these work fast!” I say with a dopy smile on my face.

“I know.”

I sit for a while, then when the swelling has gone down I decide to walk on it.

“Where you going?” she asks

“I’m just gonna go walk down the hallway.”

“Oh…Okay.”

The pain is bad but bearable. I walk down the hall way a few times then I run into Angelo.

“Hey, I know you! You’re Alice Hilliard” He says then continues “and you're limping?” He asks.

“Yeah…I am and your Angelo Parente…drummer for MIW.”

“That I am…what happened?”

“Oh nothing really, I was just practicing and fell on my ankle…But I’m okay.”

“Oh…cool.”

“Yup…no pain no gain.” I say