Tuesday March 15th 2022

“Hey you wanna go grab dinner at this new Greek place I found?”

“…No sorry Jessica…I’m…busy with ballet.”

“You’ve been busy for two weeks…”

“Yea well…it’s work. Surely you understand that I have obligations before you?”

“Are…you mad at me?”

“No. What gave you that idea?”

“You sound mad.”

“Well I’m not. Look I really have to go. Rehearsal is in ten minutes. Bye Jessica,” and with that Tiffany had hung up.

The girl had been drifting away from Jessica lately, spending less and less time with her and occupying every awake and dreaming minute with her ballet company. Which Jessica supposed was more than reasonable. Ballet dancers really had to practice day and night to make sure every move was executed with precision and beauty But Jessica could not escape the idea that the girl was avoiding her. And Stacie’s last words to her were now niggling like a little worm at the back of her head.

Speaking of Stacie…she hadn’t seen her since their blow-up three and a half weeks ago. Jessica couldn’t bring herself to listen to her friend’s curt and in-your-face words.

And the reason?

Because Stacie was right.

Goddamn woman was always right…

The blonde sat back on her haunches.

She had been arranging some photos on the floor of her living room when she had decided to call Tiffany.

She stood up and went to her bookcase and slid out a large manila folder. With utmost care, she slid out the photos she had taken of Tiffany months ago. Her slender spidery fingers ghosted over the images, yet not touching them. The blonde grit her teeth and made up her mind.

Sliding the precious images back into their folder, the blonde walked briskly to her door, swung on a black leather jacket, grabbed her wallet and keys and left her apartment.

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Tiffany wiped some sweat from her brow as she sat splayed out on the wooden dance floor. She had been at this for a while now and as she looked around the company, she could see that they were all pretty tired as well.

There were the sound of footsteps at the side of the stage and she laid back completely on the gloriously cool floor and groaned. Seemed their director decided that their fifteen minute break was actually only going to be ten minutes.

“Hello? Is Tiffany here?” A soft mellow voice drifted over the sounds of panting and groaning, sliding into her ears like cool water into a parched throat on an August afternoon.

Heads snapped to the side and eyebrows were raised.

Tiffany brushed herself off and sidled past the bodies sprawled