Chapter 11 Eleven

Still intoxicated by the cheers and applause, I rush backstage with an armful of flowers and Adam's hand resting on my lower back.

"Well-done!" Ms. Azizen gushes; she pulls us both into her arms, grinning like a child on Christmas morning. "You made me very proud!"

The other ballerinas look at me with a mixture of disdain and admiration. Maybe even jealousy. I feel like myself again; powerful and thriving, like I can do nothing wrong. Dad appears, grinning from ear to ear. I do not waste any time to jump into his arms, squealing like a toddler.

"You were stunning out there," he whispers into my ear. "I could not help but tell everyone that you are my daughter."

Dad cannot stay long; he tells me that he is running late for his flight.

I change from the costume into a tracksuit and rush to visit Cleo at the sick bay. When I arrive, Cleo is sitting on the bed and staring intensely at her phone.

"I can see that you are feeling much better," I say as I walk to her and sit beside her.

"You liar!" she splits, throwing daggers at me with her eyes. "You did not come to see me yesterday!"

"I am so sorry, Ms. Azizen made me practise just in case. . . you know, you could not make it. I was called from my room this morning to dance the role because you were not strong enough."

Cleo stares at me for a few seconds, she seems to believe my lie because she nods and pulls me into a hug. I hug her back, silently apologising for lying to her and being a terrible friend.

"I will be discharged in a few hours," she tells me, checking the big circle face clock above the first aid cabinet. "We could go out or something. Maybe take a stroll or visit a café. It has been a while since we did that."

Suddenly, an image of amber eyes floods my mind. I feel so bad that I stood him up. But I do not owe him anything. For all I know, he might be a serial killer or something. "Yes, it has been like, ages. We should totally go once the Nurse discharges you."

"It is such a shame that I could not dance the Sugarplum Fairy. The fever chose the wrong time to come."

"It probably came because you were overworking yourself."

"Yes," Cleo agrees with a nod. "But I am sure you nailed the role. If anyone deserves it, it is you."

Something thin and sharp clogs my throat so I cannot swallow. Why does Cleo have to be so good and pure hearted? It makes me look evil in comparison. "I tried my best," I tell her, looking away.

"I am sure your Dad was pumped," she says with a smile.

"You know my Dad." I force out a thick laugh. "He came to see me backstage, grinning like he had won the lottery."

Cleo listens to me with a small, wistful smile tugging at the corners of her lips. Her parents are not exactly supportive of her career choice and they live all the way at the other end of the country so she barely gets to see them. Even if they lived right next door to the school, they would not have visited. They are unsupportive like that. Cleo has said countless times that she would give anything to have a Dad like mine.

After I leave Cleo, I caught Adam on the staircase as I was heading for my bedroom. Once I saw him, a strange surge of courage hit my bones.

"Hey," I say, blocking his way.

"Hey," he replies. "You went to see Cleo?"

"Yup."

"How is she?" I can tell from his tone that he is genuinely concerned and this bothers me more than it should.

"Great. She is going to get discharged in a few hours. The nurse needs to make sure the fever is completely gone."

"That is good news. I was kind of scared that it was something serious. I am glad that she is going to be fine."

"So," I start with a drawl before the surge of courage leaves me as suddenly as it came, "will you go out with me later tonight? We can go to the park or a poetry reading like you wanted and be back in time for curfew."

Adam's eyes dart left and right like he is checking to make sure that we are alone. "Gigi," he says with a small sigh, "I do not think that I can make it tonight."

"Why not?" I whine like a child.

"I am so exhausted from the dance. I need some time to recover. I will end up acting like a zombie on our date and that will definitely diminish my chances with you." He gives me a wink that makes me laugh out loud.

I eat dinner in my room with Cleo next to me. She is talking about something but I am too busy thinking about Adam to comprehend what she is saying. After dinner, I go to bathroom, lean over the toilet and make myself heave.