CHAPTER 1: FIRST DAY HIGH

 

“Eun Mi! You wake up this instant or you’ll be late for class again! Do you hear me woman?” A loud voice snapped me back to the present and away from my sweet dreams. “You are a hopeless piece of honey! Wake up and make something of yourself!” the shouting continued. I knew from the shrill voice that Ra was in my room, trying his hardest to wake me up. I wanted to reply with a witty retort but all I could manage was a snort. “Don’t make me use violence on you Eun Mi!”

“Ok, ok.” I groaned trying my best to be comprehensible. “I’m up.” I sat up looking like a train wreck (as always).

“See, that wasn’t so bad, was it?” careened the voice who was shouting a few seconds ago.

“Yeah. Yeah.” I said rubbing my eyes and fighting every bit of my body from falling back into my soft covers.

“Now get your over to the shower so we can go to class. Ok?” And with that I was alone in my room. I checked my phone on the bedside table. It read 8:36 Thursday along with a few texts and missed calls. As I stared at the screen I couldn't help but try to recall last night. What had happened? I couldn't remember anything clearly. Oh dear, what had I done? Where was I last night? Was I-

“EUN MI!” Ra shouted standing by my door. His sudden appearance made me jump and jolt up to a stand.

“Ok. Ok. I’m up. I’m walking.” I said not wanting Ra to pop and artery.

“Bout time.” He snapped back. Laughing at how Ra was my best friend, I made my way to the bathroom. This was going to be a long first day.

 

“Can you believe him? He just left me there? I am so never going to talk to him again.” Mi Kyung was giving Ra and I a full blow by blow of how her boyfriend Aaron- who was now apparently her ex- had ditched her last night at the club. We were seated at our favorite table in our favorite café just outside the academy.

“Honey you had him, you lost him. Get over it. Seriously. It’s the first day of the second term and already you’re full of drama.” Ra commented as he took a sip from his mochacino.

“Thanks for the support Ra. I can see why I call you my best friend.” Mi Kyung said sarcastically causing me to choke on my waffles. “Oh what? You find us funny Miss troublemaker?”

“Hey, don’t take out your frustration on me.” I said in defense. “If it makes you feel better, he wasn’t even cute.”

“Ugh. Whatevs.” She said flipping her blonde hair back. Simultaneously Ra imitated her, rolling his eyes as he went. I laughed even harder. I loved these people.

 

Ra, Mi Kyung and I have been best friends since we got to the Baryshnikov Academy for Performing Arts. That was about 3 years ago. We all auditioned at the same time on the first day they called for a new batch of students. Of course that meant we were all competing for a spot in the academy. Nevertheless, we had hit it really good the first time we saw each other on the first day of the new term. I remember all of us being surprised that we had made the cut.

Mi Kyung,came from sunny California. Although there were a lot of prestigious dance academies back there, she chose to move to New York and start fresh. She was majoring in Ballet with a minor in just about everything from jazz to tap dance. She was your average go getter-slash-over achiever.

Shin Ra Ra on the other hand was a whole different story. Like me, he came from eventful New York. He, from Brooklyn, I , from well just plain New York. Ra was on scholarship, which meant he had 2 majors: Jazz and Ballet. He was a mighty fine dancer and he knew it all too well. Oh and did I mention he was queer? But I love him just the way he is.

And yes, we were all asians in America. How eventful. 

 

“So are you all done?” Ra asked eating the last piece of his tuna sandwich. “Cuz we all have class you know.”

“Ready!” I said standing up and fetching my gym bag.

“Let’s go then.” Mi Kyung sighed and placed her favorite sun glasses on her face.

 

The academy was bustling as everyone had returned from their lunch breaks. Its narrow halls were filled with students in leotards, jeans, tights, leggings and what not. That was what I loved about the academy; everyone was so different but alike all at the same time.

“This is me. See ya’ll later!” Ra shouted as he entered his class. Mi Kyung and I only nodded and proceeded along the corridor.

“What do you have today Eun Mi?” she asked me as I stopped by my locker to get my extra shirt.

“Uumm…” I said trying to remember my schedule. “Lyrical and contemporary, I think. You?”

“Advanced ballet.” She smiled. “Look, I gotta go. See you after k?” she said making her way up the stairs.

“Sure!” I shouted back as I locked my locker and made my own way. Just as I was about to turn right and enter my next class, I hit something hard and fell to the floor.

“Ouch.” I said rubbing my forehead knowing I had hit the other person with it. “Watch where you’re going, will you.” I snapped as I retrieved a few of my things that escaped my bag.

“I’m sorry. I wasn’t looking where I was going.” He said as an extra pair of hands was helping me retrieve my pointe shoes. 

“Damn right you weren’t” I said as I stood up.

“Sorry again.” He said. When I tried to grabbed my shoes back, he held on, forcing me to look at this perpetrator.

“Give it.” I said sternly. He only smiled- oh and what a smile. He was taller than I was with lovely broad shoulders. I could see the definition of his muscles through the white shirt he was wearing. Going back up to examine his face, he was still smiling- more like smirking. His icey blue eyes were boring holes into mine that I had to look away. Who was this man?

“Can I please have it back?” I said annoyed. I pulled again trying to get it out of his hands, and he let go causing me to stumble a bit backwards.

“You ok?” he said attempting to catch me.

“Thanks to you, no.” I snapped at him. “Excuse me. I have to go.”

 

When I entered the room, students were already preparing and warming up. I took my favorite spot in all and any room- the corner- and prepared for class as well. I had managed to change my shoes into proper dancing shoes when out of the corner of my eye, Ms. Callahan entered quite cheerfully talking to someone. I squinted my eyes to see who it was. To my surprise it was the guy who I bumped into. He was pretty chummy-chummy with Ms. Callahan as they made their way to the front of the class.

“Good afternoon everyone. As you all know I am Ms. Callahan and this is Lyrical and Contemporary. Now, everyone to the center please. I assume you have all warmed up. Let’s begin.” She said sternly. Ms. Callahan wasn’t the type to waste any time so all the classes she had were spent in silence. I walked up to the front row, my power spot, and watched the new guy take his place beside me.

“Now, your second term in the academy is always the hardest. You will be pushed and trained to your limits regardless of your chosen major. As you may or may not know, this year we are producing yet another variety show wherein all dances will be utilized and showcased. We, your professors, are in charge of casting. So if you want a shiny spot in the show, better be at your best everyday.” She was dead serious when she said that last part. “Now, we begin.”

 

I’ve always liked all lyrical and contemporary classes. That’s why I decided to take it as my major last year, alongside hip-hop as a minor. The combination of slow and fast movements just felt right to me. The class had just finished when Ra walked into the studio.

“Hey you.” He waved. “You ready for hip-hop?”

“Yeahp. Just give me a minute to fix myself.” I said putting my hair long brown hair up in a messy bun.

“Eun Mi, I need you.” Ms. Callahan called for me.

“Coming.” I said surprised she needed something from me. She was not the type of teacher to establish a friendship with her students. She was always just plain scary. I jogged across the room to get to where she was standing, talking to the new guy.

“Eun Mi, this is Woo Rain. He’s new here in BAPA. You are in charge of making sure he is settled in nicely.” I couldn't believe what I had just heard.

“What?” I said blinking at her.